Croce’s Park West Reinvents San Diego Cuisine

When Jim and Ingrid Croce fell madly in love, Ingrid was a 16–year–old artist, a gymnast, a folk singer and a high school sophomore who thought business was a four letter word. "It was the early sixties and Jim was a college sophomore at Villanova University. We met at a contest and Jim asked me if I would sing with him," says Croce. "We wrote songs, obtained an album deal with Capitol Records and traveled one hundred thousand miles a year throughout the United States in our beat–up Volkswagen, singing our songs. Jim was determined to be independent and make music his profession."

When Ingrid discovered she was going to have a child, Jim wrote "Time in a Bottle," "You Don’t Mess Around with Jim," "Operator" and "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown." After two straight years on the road, Jim’s songs finally hit the top of the charts. 

The couple moved to San Diego so Jim could host the Johnny Carson Show and act in a movie with Cheech and Chong.  Sadly, at the peak of his career and while on tour, Jim died in a plane crash in Natchitoches, Louisiana. As a twenty–six year old widow and single mom, Ingrid had no idea how she was going to raise her son alone, but she never gave up.

After thirty years of pioneering San Diego’s Gaslamp District and keeping Jim’s music and memory alive at Croce’s Restaurant & Jazz Bar, Ingrid lost her lease. She immediately found a new home for her restaurant in the neighborhood community of Banker’s Hill. The new Croce’s Park West provides patrons with a delectably inviting urban experience synchronized with live music. 

Her restaurant in place, Ingrid knew she needed a phenomenal executive chef. With twelve years of experience in the kitchens of some of the top Bay Area restaurants, she knew chef Russell Rummer would fit the bill. Rummer received a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality with an emphasis on menu planning and food costs in 1998, then his Culinary Arts degree in 1999. 

Heading to the West Coast, Rummer became Executive Sous Chef at MC2 under Chef Todd Davies in 2002 and perfected the art of seasonal menu planning as Chef de Cuisine at both Absinthe and Acme Chop House. At the end of 2006, Rummer took over the kitchens at Roots Restaurant and Daffodil Restaurant, both at The Orchard Hotel in San Francisco. Rummer became chef and General Manager for the Sellers Market’s fast–casual/sustainable chain restaurants in October 2008, putting his production, hospitality and menu planning skills to their best use. From there, Rummer took the position of Director of Operations and Executive Chef for Barbacoa and Table 24 Restaurant Group in Orinda, California. 

At Croce’s Park West, Rummer offers a natural and fresh approach to contemporary American cuisine. From the pomegranate seeds for the kale salad to the oysters flown in daily, everything is fresh. He developed the menu to include a large number of choices, namely cheese and charcuterie, raw bar options, bar snacks, appetizers, salads, meats, seafood and desserts. A must–have dish for the the gentlemen is the Maple Glazed Cider Brined Double Thick Pork Chop with gruyere–fennel potato au gratin and a fire roasted tomato. "Rummer brought us his fabulous talents and we are thrilled that he is helping bring San Diego cuisine to a whole new level of excellence," says Croce. "In addition, our sommelier Michael Simpson has a fabulous way of making wine accessible for everyone, offering five–course wine dinners with exclusive wineries on the fourth Tuesday of every month."

Within the restaurant, there are distinctive areas for diners; the main dining room serves as a focal point and offers a more intimate setting for guests who want to converse in plush and stylish platform booths. An interactive bar offers live music daily and a generous patio has an extended cabana–style awning that opens into the bar room, dominated by a long 1930’s wooden bar for happy hour specials, cocktails, 18 draft beers, bar snacks and full dining. The Expatriate Room is separated from the front of the restaurant by a paned–glass partition, across which a burgundy velvet curtain can be drawn to shut out light when movies are shown or on other nights when there are group events. 

Ingrid Croce and her husband Jimmy Rock continue to keep Jim Croce’s music and memory alive by providing a special venue in The Expatriate Room for musicians to express their passion and independence. "Our company culture is built to inspire, respect and to exceed expectations," says owner Ingrid Croce. "Every guest is important to us and their comfort and satisfaction is critical." (crocesparkwest.com)