Edible San Diego

By Brandon Hernández

There is strength in numbers. The clearest evidence of this in San Diego’s culinary scene is a band of 15 talented chefs dubbed the Cooks Confab. Hailing from locations scattered throughout the county and bound together by remarkably noble food ideals, the Confab and their collaborative food-focused events are opening eyes, broadening minds and delighting palates on a colossal scale while slowly but surely luring the national epicurean spotlight toward America’s Finest City.

What’s perhaps most inspiring is the fact that the tools the Confab has used to realize these ambitious feats—food and their shared passion for it—are the very things that first brought them together. It’s a full-circle progression that’s benefitting every faction in an orbital chain that includes the farmers, ranchers and artisans who produce our local bounty and the dining public who feast on those pristine edibles at the Confab’s events and its members’ eateries.

This grand scale success is far more than any of the chefs could have envisioned at the group’s inception three years ago. Back then, forward-thinking events, mission statements and community advocacy were the stuff of hypothetical chats and pie-in-the-sky daydreams. These chefs most certainly did not set out to become trailblazers.

“In the beginning, we were a drinking club with a cooking problem,” says Andrew Spurgin, chef/director at Waters Fine Catering, who has fond memories of talking shop and quaffing many a fine beverage in the wee hours of the morning with his buddies, chefs Christian Graves (Jsix), Antonio Friscia (Stingaree) and Brian Sinnott (1500 Ocean) in the group’s earliest days.

Going out for drinks after service is a time-honored practice among chefs. Those who belong to such a nocturnal vocational sect naturally gravitate to others sharing their uncommon work schedule. As such, it wasn’t long before the group was joined by other colleagues and new blood was added into the mix.

Soon, the “club,” which started meeting with great frequency, stood at a hefty dozen—a number at or near the maximum capacity for some of the tiny off-radar bars and niche restaurants they frequented. It was in those early days and early morning hours, over countless conversations, libations, hijinks and laughs that the deep friendships and respect at the Confab’s core were solidified.

That kinship soon led them back to their natural habitat, the kitchen, where they began cooking together. On top of chowing down on inspired dishes, the chefs were able to learn from each other, picking up techniques to add to their individual repertoires. That most delectable brand of symbiosis inspired Spurgin’s wife, Heidi, to coin a moniker for the theretofore nameless assemblage: Cooks Confab.

“A confab is a discussion between individuals sharing similar thoughts and ideas on a subject,” explains Graves, who shared the opinion that, given the immense amount of gastronomic talent the Confab boasted, it seemed wrong to keep the inventive recipes and flavor combinations they were developing to themselves. Food is edible art and, like any artist, the chefs wanted to share their creations with the outside world.

So, in November 2006, Graves hosted the Confab’s first public event at Jsix, a white truffle dinner that featured the lush earthen core ingredient in six uniquely diverse permutations. Though the event was completely “underground” in nature, it drew a number of epicures in the know, all of whom left with satisfied appetites, galvanized taste buds and a juicy bit of gossip for their foodie friends.

It was over six months before the Confab held another event (a multi-course dinner consisting solely of raw ingredients), but by that time, word had spread. Attendance numbers were up and soon, thanks largely to online culinary networking sites, the Confab had gained a fervent cult following.

More dinners followed, each featuring a different central ingredient—typically something rare, unique or little-known like foie gras or game. Even when the ingredient was something more typical, like cheese, poultry or seafood, the chefs went to lengths to use less popular varieties and cooking techniques in an attempt to educate diners and expand their palates.

“When you love food as much as we do, it’s impossible not to want to put it in peoples’ mouths,” says Spurgin. “It’s like if you have two great friends, Bob and Jane. Naturally, you want to introduce all of your friends to them. For us, Bob and Jane might be beef tongue or something else they’ve never eaten and we want to introduce diners to that and show them how good certain foods they’ve never thought of or tried can be.”

The open format of the Confab’s events provided the chefs with visibility and, more importantly, the ability to chat with guests. Soon, repeat customers felt comfortable approaching them and asking them questions about the food and its origins. The chefs recognized this comfortable two-way communication as an ideal outlet for not only informing guests about their food, cooking styles and restaurants, but also telling them all about a number of quality local purveyors and important issues and causes close to their hearts.

It became clear that they had a chance to make a difference in their hometown and they seized it with 30 hands. Making the most of such an opportunity required getting organized, so the Confab started having regular meetings and designated their original members—Spurgin, Graves, Friscia and Sinnott—to help nail down the group’s goals and the best methods for realizing them.

First and foremost, the Confab strives to shine a light on honest, extraordinary edibles and the hard-working people who bring them to market. Each event features meats, cheeses, produce and beverages from suppliers the chefs believe in, but rather than simply call up sales reps for those providers, the group goes a step further, venturing out on their days off to visit the operations, tour their facilities, learn about their philosophies, and meet and form bonds with the dedicated individuals behind the businesses.

“The field trip element is a crucial component of what we’re trying to accomplish. After driving out to a farm, you get a shot in the arm and are even more invigorated to take whatever the ‘it’ is, whether it’s meat, pig or craft beer, and treat it properly and with reverence and showcase it to its full potential,” says Spurgin, who in the past year has set up trips to Brandt Beef, Nathan’s Japatul Ranch, the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market and a number of San Diego County craft breweries.

The fact that the Confab has been able to demystify such a broad range of ingredients, particularly those of a high-end variety using gourmet preparations, without the air of pretention that typically accompanies them and serves to create a disconnect between diners and cuisine, is a testament to the collective authenticity that drives these chefs. They are true to the food, true to themselves, and in this thing together.

“You don’t see this in other cities … chefs working with their competitors and helping each other out the way we do,” says Graves, pointing to more cutthroat culinary communities like San Francisco and Chicago.

“Anybody in the country could have done this,” adds Spurgin. “We just happened to have the right message in the right place at the right time.”

The time is now and that magical place is San Diego. The Confab’s presence and constant evolution have had an unmistakably positive effect spanning beyond this elite faction. Their efforts, practices, ideologies and accomplishments have influenced chefs and diners across the county, advancing San Diego’s culinary culture by leaps and bounds. Best of all, the Confab shows no signs of slowing down. The sky is truly the limit for this ambitious alliance.

For more information on Cooks Confab’s mission, chefs and events, check out cooksconfab.com

Brandon Hernádez is a native San Diegan with a passion for the culinary arts and the local dining scene. He has been featured numerous times on the Food Network program Emeril Live, contributed to various national and local magazines, newspapers and websites; and authored or co-authored several cookbooks. He welcomes questions, comments and general conversation at deepcrimson2008@gmail.com.