Top 5 Dessert Destinations San Diego

If dessert is weighing on your mind (no pun intended), you must indulge in some really guilty pleasures from a few of my favorite chefs in San Diego. Their pastry styles may vary in flavor and technique, but the delicious outcome remains the same!

Market Restaurant + Bar

A native of New York, Executive Pastry Chef James Foran of Market Restaurant + Bar says he knew early on that he wanted to work with his hands and didn't want a suit and tie job. He attended Johnson and Wales culinary school in Rhode Island and graduated with a Pastry Arts degree in 1990. "Working at Market is a constant challenge and that’s what I like most," he says. "I’m always looking for creative ways to make a dessert more satisfying to the senses."

A Culinary Arts Professor at Grossmont College, Foran says teaching is the most rewarding thing he’s ever done in his life. "I enjoy seeing the fruits of my labor tapping into a student’s passions as they excel in their chosen fields," he says. "I’ve been teaching long enough now to find out that a few of my students are in executive positions already." Foran’s best advice to up and coming pastry chefs is to not only to get a solid foundation of the basic techniques, but to also understand how the final outcome should feel and taste. "In other words, go out and taste everything you can from reputable chefs who put out the quality product so you can experience it first hand as a consumer," explains Foran. "Once you respect how important every little detail is, then it becomes easier to accept the hard work it takes to achieve greatness." Don’t miss the luscious Market Bar for dessert and look for several of Foran’s dessert recipes in the Market Restaurant + Bar cookbook.  

NINE-TEN Restaurant and Bar

Executive Pastry Chef Rachel King of NINE-TEN attended the San Diego Culinary Institute, which she says gave her a great basic skill base and technique understanding. Having worked at quite a few restaurants around San Diego, she’s been able to pick various skills from each place. "I’ve done a range of things, from breakfast to dinner, casual to fine dining, low volume to high volume, traditional to modern, and a little catering," she says. "This has all shaped the way I cook."

At Nine-Ten, King uses the freshest ingredients possible and utilizes them in a way that compliments their true character. Local, organic and sustainable produce are the cornerstone of the menu. "I’m in love with all of the ingredients I use and try to compliment them in a fun, yet sophisticated way," King explains. "Nothing is better than a great piece of fruit in the height of its peak season." 

Eclipse Chocolate

With a Masters in Sculpture from San Diego State University, Will Gustwiller bills himself as Executive Chef, Executive Chocolatier and Creative Director of Eclipse Chocolate where he offers sweet and savory fusion cuisine. His seven-year experience in the arts provided him with many valuable skills that have translated into his building a successful food production company. "Today I am independently capable of doing all of my own recipe development, budget-getting, production, and packaging design, as well as all marketing and digital production," he says. "Culinary-wise, I am self-taught."

Gustwiller says the food he represents at his restaurant is half chocolate factory, half restaurant. "Who else would feature chocolate, vanilla bean, or caramel in every plating?" he explains. "Our unique perspective sets us apart from nearly all restaurants in the United States!" He’s proud to have designed the interior space, taking as many opportunities to utilize his design skills within their interior to tell the complete story of Eclipse Chocolate. Whenever possible, Gustwiller likes to incorporate organic, local and sustainable ingredients on his menu. Popular favorites include Savory-Avocado Eggs Benedict and a Sweet-Salted Caramel Baklava Sundae. 

Humphreys Restaurant

Pastry Chef Helen Coyne of Humphreys Restaurant had formal training through the culinary arts program at Grossmont College and trained at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, Napa Valley with Chef Stephen Durfee. One of Coyne’s mentors is Market Restaurant + Bar’s Executive Pastry Chef James Foran, also an instructor at Grossmont College. When she was growing up, Coyne’s mother put her in charge of baking the pies for the holidays. "My mom was a great cook but always burned the pastries," she says. "I remember cutting brown paper bags open to lay the cookies out to cool when they came out of the oven." 

At Humphreys, Coyne likes to keep things clean and simple and enjoys collaborating with executive chef Paul Murphy. "He comes up with some great ideas and I make them come to life," she says. "We use Suzie’s Farm for the best organic produce and I like to use high-quality ingredients including TCHO organic chocolate made in San Francisco." Coyne changes the dessert menu often, but one decadent mainstay is her Milk Chocolate Mousse Bon Bon. 

Cusp Dining and Drinks

Executive Chef Donald Lockhart of Cusp Dining and Drinks in La Jolla says he has a big sweet tooth, so there are a large variety of desserts he likes to prepare. "I love chocolate!" he says. "It’s delicious and indulgent, almost like you’re doing something bad, but in the best way possible." One of Donald Lockhart’s dessert favorites at Cusp is the Turkish Coffee Affogato. He pours spiced Turkish coffee over house-made apricot ice cream and serves it with candied oranges and a cardamom almond cookie.

"I want our guests to end the night on a high note," he explains. "I like to add heart to my desserts as well as invest the time it takes to put out quality products." Lockhart makes all his desserts from scratch including the crumbles, jams, compotes, ice cream, and cookies. "These are all the things that restaurant’s don’t always do, but I prefer to put that extra care into our products," he says. "I think it gives our guests examples of our investment in their experience and how good we want it to be!"