Local chefs cook up beer inspired food for San Diego Beer Week

With San Diego Beer Week just around the corner, San Diegans are gearing up noses and tastebuds for a sensory extravaganza. But living in the craft beer mecca of the United States, local chefs having been putting beer to use in a variety of dishes to keep local fans happy every day. If loving beer in food is wrong, no one in this city wants to be right. Here are a few must-try gastronomic pleasures for beer lovers:

Viewpoint Brewing Company

Founder Charles Koll, Chef Gunnar Planter and Head Brewer Moe Katomski come together to bring foodies and beer lovers exactly what they want with a combination of culinary classics with a Viewpoint touch.

Mussels & Nduja: Start out the meal with tender and juicy PEI mussels, prepared in a Hefeweizen beer broth with Nduja sausage, garlic and Shishito peppers. Then grab a Backyard Burger featuring brewer’s cheese, made with Viewpoint’s own Experiment A pale ale, white cheddar, and Marmite (a yeast extract), along with remoulade, grilled onions and lettuce on a brioche bun. Then wash it all down with Viewpoint’s hearty Red Rye IPA.

2201 San Dieguito Dr., Del Mar, 858.356.9346, viewpointbrewing.com

Leroy’s Kitchen + Lounge

Head across the bridge to beautiful Coronadoland for a meal with beer-inspired flare.

Beer Brine Pork Chop: Using San Diego’s own Stone Punk In Drublic lager, the pork chop is brined for 24 hours along with cloves, juniper berries, and brown sugar, and served with goat cheese smashed potatoes and fire-roasted baby carrots.

1015 Orange Ave., Coronado, 619.437.6087, leroyskitchenandlounge.com

The Rabbit Hole

Spicy Beer Prawns: No need to go to New Orleans for this Dirty South dish. The Normal Heights eatery gives crustaceans a Cajun kick and a local craft beer bath right here in San Diego. Dive into these spicy prawns, served in a garlic-butter pale ale broth with buttery garlic bread on the side.

3377 Adams Ave., Normal Heights, 619.255.4653, rabbitholesd.com

The Local Eatery

Brisket Poutine: Go big or go home. This monster binge dish calls for friends around the table and beers in hand. has Made of slow cooked brisket, the dish also piles on the fries, cheese curds, beer gravy, and scallions.

1065 Fourth Ave, (619) 231-4447, https://thelocalsandiego.com/

Barleymash

True to its name, this downtown locale incorporates beer in a variety of mouthwatering ways. PACIFIC got Executive Chef Kevin Templeton’s favorites from the menu:

Duck Empanadas: Taking the popular Mexican specialty to the next gastronomic level, the dish features duck confit, sweet corn, arugula, goat cheese, lime crema, roasted poblano Montejo Mexican lager beer-cheese sauce and crispy duck skin.

Fish n’ Chips: Made with sustainable white fish and gluten-free Duck Foot red ale batter, this classic dish is served with green papaya-jicama slaw, jalepen?o-ale tartar sauce and house fries.

The Champ: Not your regular ol’ burger this patty is topped with Boulevard Brewing Golden Ale-braised pork shoulder, with melted pepper jack cheese, habañero jelly, bourbon-bbq ranch, and crispy tobacco onions

Duroc Tomahawk Chop: Brined with local Port Brewing ale, the pork chop is served with agave cornbread, roasted baby carrots, and topped with honey-porter mustard pan gravy.

600 Fifth Ave., downtown, 619.255.7373, barleymash.com