Brian Malarkey’s Herb & Home opens for takeout

Back in mid-March (which feels like a lifetime ago), the restaurant group Puffer Malarkey Collective became one of the first to temporarily shut down operations at all of its Southern California restaurants in order to help flatten the curve in the fight against Covid-19.

At the time, Chef Brian Malarkey and business partner Chris Puffer announced in a statement that the closures were being done as “proactive measures” to help stop the threat of the virus.

(Kimberly Motos/Kimberly Motos/Kimberly Motos)

Cut to two months later and Puffer Malarkey Collective, which counts San Diego restaurants like Animae, Herb & Wood, Herb & Eatery and Herb & Sea as part of its repertoire, has announced the reopening of Herb & Sea in Encinitas. Open only for takeout, it’s being rebranded as Herb & Home, a nod to the takeout culture that has replaced in-person dining at all restaurants.

Now, as Malarkey continues his quest for the title of Top Chef on Bravo (he’s competing on season 17, currently airing), he also continues to feed San Diegans. Set to launch on Thursday, May 21, Herb & Home will offer a selection of family-style meals (menus are available Thursdays through Sundays from 4 to 7 p.m.) for touchless curbside pickup. A list of pickup guidelines can be found here, with information on how to order and pick up your meal.

Each week, Herb & Home will release a new, rotating family-style menu with a choice of entrée, along with five side dish options that will include a salad, roasted vegetables and a dessert (family-style meals start at $39 per person and can be pre-ordered). A rotating selection of recreations of popular menu items from Herb & Sea and Herb & Wood’s menu are also available to add to the family meals as appetizers.

For Herb & Home’s first week of service, diners can choose either a half-roasted chicken topped with salsa verde, capers and lemon; an eye of ribeye with a white balsamic pink peppercorn vinaigrette; a roasted cauliflower steak served with a citrus chimichurri or a pink peppercorn crusted Bluefin tuna with roasted red pepper and an herb salad. Side dish options to accompany the mains include charred broccolini, boardwalk potatoes, local farmers market mixed greens and freshly baked cookies with homemade ice cream for dessert. A kid’s option (roasted chicken breast with crispy potatoes or pasta with a choice of red sauce or Parmesan and butter) is also available. Optional add-on appetizers like a Baja shrimp cocktail or pork belly with maple, chili and wheat berries are also offered.

Additionally, diners have the choice of adding on a curated Sommelier’s Box ($155), a six-pack of wine curated by Beverage Director Brandon Lervold that includes a selection of hard-to-find labels and unique varietals. Single bottles are also available for sale a la carte. And if cocktails are more to your liking, diners will also be able to order cocktails to-go, with options like the Hibiscus & Agave (made with hibiscus syrup, lime, tequila and orange liqueur) and the Bourbon & Honey (made with lemon, black pepper-turmeric-honey and bourbon), as well as an Old-Fashioned Kit or a Dirty Martini Kit. Cocktails to-go are batched to serve two and are sold in two or four packs starting at $14, while cocktail kits are priced at $55.