Cellar Hand

Fantastic restaurant for a nice meal out in the heart of Hillcrest! Cellar Hand prides itself as a hyper local restaurant, with all of their ingredients locally sourced from 26 San Diego-based farms. This really shows in the quality of their food, which is all made with incredibly fresh ingredients. Everything we ordered was delicious, and I genuinely don't think you can go wrong. We ordered the following and recommend each one:-rockfish: 10/10-figs appetizer: 10/10-golden beets appetizer: 10/10-squash blossoms: 10/10-tahini ice cream sandwich: 10/10 and very uniqueThe restaurant has an open concept, with most of the seating either outside or having at least one wall open to the outside. I personally recommend sitting on the patio. They also have a parking lot for easy parking - unique in Hillcrest!

Checked our Cellar Hand for dinner on a Friday night. The place is nice and open, with lots of seating, and natural lighting. Our server greeted us immediately. The menu has a lot of options, dips, raw food, smaller plates, snacks and a few entrees. We started off with the: Babagonoush - lacked flavor and was simply mediocre. The pita was sad and depressing- no fluff, it was dry, thin and sad looking. The only taste I got from this dish was from the pomegranate seeds. We left a decent amount on the plate. Squash blossoms- meh but definitely better than the dish above. The food: I ordered one of their entrees:Caramelized fennel Agnotolli- It was good, I really liked the fennel and the tomatoes. My friend ordered their pork entree and this was definitely not as described. The pork was more of a pork belly with a decent amount of fat. It was very meaty and chewy. Wouldn't order again .I won't even get into the drinks. All and all a big disappointment and not dying to be back. Is it possible their fish dishes are better? Possibly but not really a chance I want to take. Our server was kind and patient. However, he didn't have much information on the menu other than the fact they were truly "farm to table", he repeated this numerous times and shared numerous stories for credibility. You know you're in trouble when you ask your server for a recommendation and he responds "you really can't go wrong with anything on the menu, follow your intuition". Additionally he didn't communicate that all dishes would come out at the same time (regardless of size of dish, smaller vs entree). A heads up would of been nice. Sad to report Cellar Hand was not what I was hoping for and I have no desire to come back.

This is truly farm/sea to table. Our server, Gabby, explained that everything is source locally in San Diego, and the wines featured are from Pali Winery since this place is their newest concept. The wines were delicious. I had orange wine and the pinot noir, which are perfect to enjoy on a hot day, and paired so well with their light and fresh dishes.Oysters were so fresh. The dips are amazing - the tahina is my favorite, but all three were good. The pita with the zataar is the perfect vehicle. The swordfish ceviche looked like a tiny dish, but then I bit into the homemade Ritz style crackers that came with it, and it justified the price. The agnolotti was the perfect summer dish and very well-balanced with the herb oil and sweet corn sauce, with a delightful crunch from the toppings. The arugula salad was a great as a side. The beet and cheese salad was lovely, the beet with a bit more crunch and acid than just the usual earthy mush.I'd love to come back with a large group and literally order one of everything on the menu, because there was not a single bad dish! Pair it with amazing wines and you have the making of a memorable night out.

Cellar hands is a delight. A hyper local restaurant that boasts San Diego local food from 26 different farms... and that's exactly what it tastes like! Extremely fresh and thoughtfully paired flavors. Everything is like a familiar friend who just got a new haircut, local tastes but with a bit of a Mediterranean flair. The service was bar none. Our server was so knowledgeable and generous with great recommendations. Front of the house was incredibly warm and inviting. Overall just a total gem. Staff said they're opening up for brunch too. We can't wait to go back!

Cellar Hand might have just become our favorite tapas resto in San Diego Culinary magnificence! Loved the creativity that was put into every dish and absolutely love that they're hyper local and a lot if not all of their produce come straight from the local farmers markets Tuna Toast - absolutely divine, had the most unique taste I've ever had on a toast. The tuna chunks were generous, the bread was toasted to perfection Mussels - can't go wrong, so delicious, the ritz crackers blew my mind. They tasted like a puff pastry met a ritz cracker. They're made in house which is super awesome The labneh with the trout caviar was so refreshing and light and the pita was airy and complimented perfectly The burger and fries were also great for a hearty finish. Can't wait for the seasonal menu changes to try more!

As soon as you step in, you're welcomed by an inviting ambiance that promises an exceptional dining experience. Sitting in the patio also invites a nice breeze. Came here with a small party of three, and this place is definitely a place where you want to order different dishes and share. We all got some wine and a few plates: YELLOWTAIL CRUDO, *UMUSHI OYSTERS, CASTELVETRANO OLIVES, and CHINO FARMS BABA GANOUSH. The Baba Ganoush and Yellowtail were probably my favorite. Most of the items seemed to be on the citrus side, but still wonderful. When you order the Baba Ganoush, definitely get it with the pita. It's seasoned nicely. Will be making a return to try other items.

It took longer than anticipated, but the owners of Pali Wine have now opened Cellar Hand in the Pride Plaza of Hillcrest. About half of the seating was on the adjacent outdoor patio along the east side of the structure that had several fire pits included. The open air interior could seat another 60 customers. Currently, only dinner is served from Wednesday to Sunday, but the plan is to add a weekend brunch.Hyper-local was the focus of the menu as the kitchen tried to execute the farm-to-table concept by using numerous local suppliers. The categories were Raw, Conserva (preserved food in tins/jars), For Dipping, and Dinner. A note on the bottom stated that "We politely decline modifications." I wonder how diners with allergies or certain health conditions can comply with this request?I started my meal with the Bluefin Nduja Toast from the Raw section. Meyer lemon and dill were the seasonings to the diced bluefin tuna that was spread on top of a piece of toast. I appreciated the freshness of the tuna. To stick with the seafood theme, I then ordered the Grilled Whole Rockfish from the twelve Dinner choices. The locally caught fish was so large that a bigger plate was needed to hold the serving. Meyer labne, cucumber, dill, ruby reds, and radish were the garnishments.Since some bones were still present, a separate small dish to hold the picked bones was needed. Either that or if the chef could have completely deboned the Rockfish, then that would have made eating this entree more simple. The tartness from the dill and the acid from the ruby reds provided a sharp contrast to the strong fishy odor. The cost of this item was very reasonable as many restaurants would charge over $40.For a soft opening, I thought the operations flowed pretty well while the place was about 3/4 full during my visit. The waitress checked on me frequently and was pleasant. I gave a four star rating for my dinner at Cellar Hand.

From the founders of Pali Wine Co. Santa Barbara, Cellar Hand is serving up great wines and unique hyper-locally sourced Southern California ingredients in their elevated shareable dishes. Dedicated to sustainability and community in the heart of Hillcrest, San Diego this completely renovated space using warm woods and amazing artwork in an indoor/outdoor space that is chic and welcoming.Chef Logan Kendall has created a modern and creative menu, Warren is running a seamless operation, and Gabbie was the BEST server and able to accurately describe every dish on the menu. Gabby made great recommendations based on her own personal experience and we were delighted with everything she brought us. See pics of all the dishes we tried!

Cellar Hand is a restaurant in the Hillcrest neighborhood of San Diego serving Mediterranean inspired, hyper-local/locally-sourced San Diego ingredients & California wine.AMBIANCEOpen air, farm to table vibes that is modern, elevated, and casual with interior, bar, and exterior seating SERVICEAttentive, friendlyDRINKS4.5/5 Tower 15 'Jetty' Red Blend: a bit dry, jammy 4/5 Neighborhood 'Dawn' Orange Wine: dry, tannic4/5 Hibiscus White Tea: initially a subtlety flavored, sparkling tea that quickly got watered down by too much ice - maybe try it without ice FOOD5/5 Mussels en Escabeche: super flavorful, tender. Served with house crackers. 4/5 House Labneh with Pita (house-fermented and wood-fired): mostly yogurt, with some bursting trout caviar, and added tartness from sorrel and sumac.4/5 House Burger: good burger, excellent fries3/5 Artichoke Raviolo: enjoyed the flavorful accouterments more than the ravioli, didn't see walking onions2/5 Chino Farms Ice Cream Sando: I'm not a fan of the strawberry ice cream or the brioche

This is a perfect place to wine down (pun intended) after a long day. Part indoor, part outdoor, including the bar itself. If you're in a small group 1-2 people, I'd recommend hanging out by the bar and for a bigger group, grab a table inside and enjoy the art or outside to enjoy the weather. Of course you're here to enjoy the wine, so the wine menu is great. But not only that, they also have some non-wine options for those who don't drink wine. They have As for the food, they are Mediterranean-inspired. My bartender (hello Andres!) recommended trying a few of them and sharing, specifically the matbucha and labneh.They are going to be officially open on June 6 and I can't wait to try more of their menu items!