| Arsalun Tafazoli |
September 16, 2012
Consortium Holdings鈥攖he company behind , , , , and 鈥攃ontinues to deliver boundary-pushing innovations by announcing their newest project, Polite Provisions and sister restaurant, Soda & Swine. Slated to open doors in December 2012, this dual-concept initiative will bring a renewed spirit of community to a bustling street corner of one of San Diego's most eclectic, burgeoning neighborhoods, Normal Heights.
Consortium鈥檚 founders, Arsalun Tafazoli & Nathan Stanton reveal that with this news, the collective will elevate the credibility of the city鈥檚 escalating cocktail scene by partnering with internationally celebrated bartender, Erick Castro to launch this venture. Castro is a respected innovator best known for helming several of the most influential beverage programs in the country at San Francisco's acclaimed and .
| Erick Castro hard at work |
Erick Castro built his spirits empire in San Francisco by searching for obscure recipes, methods and ingredients that originated prior to Prohibition. But his humble beginnings first began in San Diego, where he tended bar while attending classes at San Diego State. After leaving for Northern California in 2005 to develop his now revered approach to cocktails鈥� which he describes as 鈥渧intage minimalist鈥� with a distinct emphasis on the classics鈥� Castro was recognized by the prestigious StarChefs organization as 鈥淩ising Star Mixologist鈥� in 2010. Castro has created unique spirits programs that have earned a place on some of the most coveted lists including, Esquire's Best Bars in America, Food & Wine鈥檚 鈥淲orld鈥檚 Top Bars鈥� and three nominations in at the prestigious Tales of the Cocktail awards in New Orleans.
鈥淩eturning to San Diego to partner with Consortium Holdings, I feel like I've come full circle," Castro said. "When I'd come back here to visit throughout the years, I could see that Arsalun and Nate were nurturing something really cool 鈥� so I kept in touch with them. The San Diego cocktail scene is probably my favorite in the country now; there鈥檚 no pretention, everyone here is in it for the right reasons. They're just excited to be making really good drinks."
Consortium Holdings stays true to its intrinsic core philosophy with the development of this new concept, noting how 鈥渁 space should inspire, its simplicity allowing for the seemingly lost art of conversation to thrive in an environment that cultivates charisma and the resurgence of real human interaction鈥�. Located on 30th and Adams, Polite Provisions reminisces on the golden era of the drugstore and pharmacy; an institution of Main Street America where people would gather together to exchange thoughtful dialogue at the soda fountain. Focused on old-world values and craftsman culture, Tafazoli aims to spark a cultural shift by bringing that same drugstore notion of community back to the forefront.
Together with Tafazoli, Castro will create a beverage program for the concept, focusing on craft cocktails prepared with house made tonics and bitters as a nod to those ingredients' medicinal uses. The 2,200-square-foot space will feature Consortium's most ornate bar setup yet, and although Tafazoli is nationally recognized for his eclectic craft beer programs, he feels that San Diego鈥檚 beer climate is already well represented in this area of the city. Instead, he presents a new level of cutting-edge innovation to locals by installing a massive, 46-tap system, which will focus primarily on wine, handcrafted sodas, spirits and cocktails鈥攁ll offered on draft. Polite Provisions will also serve milkshakes, classic variations of the egg cream and malts, both nonalcoholic and spiked, as well as beer cocktails developed in partnership with local brewers. The deliberately intricate and intellectually stimulating d茅cor will be conceptualized by notable San Diego design impresario Paul Basile, a returning force who also worked on Consortium鈥檚 Craft & Commerce and UnderBelly concepts in the Little Italy area of San Diego.
Adding to the neighborhood feel will be a culture of collaboration behind the bar among the nation鈥檚 leading visionaries. There will be a dedicated 鈥渂artender鈥檚 chef table鈥� featuring seminars and classes by Castro, as well as an elite group of guest bartenders invited from all corners of the country to share their knowledge of this progressing industry with the general public.
Opening immediately after Polite Provisions will be Soda & Swine, an adjacent sister restaurant concept featuring a straight forward menu by Consortium鈥檚 recently appointed Executive Chef Jason McLeod, who brings Michelin star experience to San Diego. In keeping in line with the simplicity of Main Street America, McLeod鈥檚 menu will consist of two classic staples: meatballs and apple pie. The meat will be ground in an old-fashioned butcher shop setting, available in basic or 鈥渟mashed鈥� meatball form, in various flavors including chicken, pork, beef, and vegan alternatives. The pies will be lovingly prepared from scratch, complemented with house made soft serve ice cream, and all food can be brought to the neighboring Polite Provisions to enjoy. Soda & Swine will feature the experimental elements that Tafazoli has become known for such as a living wall, a colossal centerpiece smokestack, as well as a to-go window and unique glass display cases, but it will exude a feeling of approachability and familiarity鈥攁n organic addition to a budding neighborhood, designed to feel as though it鈥檚 always been there.
Be sure to check back with 蜜豆视频 for more information on Consortium Holding's newest ventures and for all the fun happenings in America's Finest City. 听
