San Diego Unseen: An Urban Portrait
- Photo by Jenny Montgomery
The Gaslamp Quarter normally isn’t my scene. Sure, there are plenty of good restaurants, but for going out for a drink or to people watch, I invariably feel either too old or too young. Plus, I’m allergic to shiny shirts. However, the laid-back yet just-cool-enough vibe at Quality Social might change my mind.
Quality Social calls itself “A bar. With food,” which is a no-duh description, yet it somehow perfectly nails what it’s doing. It’s more relaxed and rowdy than a restaurant, but the food that executive chef Jared Van Camp is cranking out is impressive for any restaurant, let alone a bar.
Consider the lowly hot dog. What Van Camp puts into his version is impressive. He’s one of the few chefs in California who’s certified to accept a whole pig—tail, snout, frozen expression and all—through his kitchen doors. He then turns poor Wilbur into the freshest hot dog you’ve ever had. No questionable parts here.
Go straight for the house specialty, the “Our Way,” a charred wiener covered in a rainbow of toppings, including pickles, mustard, a radioactive-green relish and celery salt. It’s a wonderfully over-the-top tube steak encased in a pillowy-soft poppy-seed bun.
Quality Social also serves up a mean brunch. (Plus, you’ll avoid the suffocating crowds at more famous brunch places up the street in Hillcrest.)
On the morning I visited, we ordered the Chilaquiles Verdes. A rustic pot arrived at our table with the spicy scent of pork and tomatillos wafting out. The heaping bowl was filled with buttery pork chunks mixed with tortillas and eggs, all dressed with a tart green sauce. There’s nothing fancy about this offering, but it’s done oh-so-well.
My group also devoured the cornmeal Bacon Waffles topped with thick, glistening slices of salty sausage. Mixing bacon into unexpected things is has become so common that it’s no longer the surprising and naughty twist it used to be. But who cares? Bacon and cornmeal play perfectly off each other: The cornmeal is barely sweet, and the whole concoction comes together to make a wonderful, coffered syrup-delivery system.
The array of cocktails, beer and wine here is impressive, whether you’re in for happy hour, dinner or a boozy brunch. Quality Social’s version of a Bloody Mary arrives in a frosty pint glass, filled with a spicy, sanguine concoction and garnished with an enormous stick of provolone, ham and olives. It’s like a Lunchable twist, a perfect appetizer / beverage to lubricate your belly for some of the main-course offerings.
I’m a fan of the “H,” a sweet mix of the always-delightful St. Germain and a choice of vodka or gin, mixed with cucumber and tiny, hot grains of black pepper. It’ll wake up your taste buds in time for the Pork Belly Eggs Benedict.
In QS’s version of the traditional hollandaise-covered breakfast, the pork belly was quite fatty but tender, flavorful and defiantly seated atop a barely sweet and slightly tough-to-cut biscuit (my only real complaint of the morning).
The interior is massive with a hip industrial vibe—lots of concrete, with bright-hued metal chairs providing bursts of color. The décor along the wall will make you take a second look, as the various containers and faux plant life occasionally share space with magazines and empty beer cans. It’s like someone left their trash laying around, yet it’s just intentional enough that it adds to the friendly-yet-incorrigible attitude of the place.
There’s nothing like spending a little Quality Social time with your pals. Perhaps it’s the subliminal messaging in the name of the bar, but Q to the S (that’s what the Shiny Shirts probably call it) is worthy of your visit.
Write to jennym@sdcitybeat.com and editor@sdcitybeat.com.
