Brian Malarkey's Herb & Wood Vaulted San Diego’s culinary reputation to new heights
Timeless yet approachable, celebrated Chef Brian Malarkey opened Herb & Wood to instant acclaim over four years ago.
In that time, the restaurant has become an icon, a dining destination that has helped to propel San Diego’s culinary reputation to new heights. By focusing on rustic, wood-fired dishes, Chef Malarkey’s menu elevates humble ingredients such as carrots, beets, and chicken, incorporating Mediterranean flavors and a California ethos of seasonality and sustainability.
Designed by the collective’s co-founder Chris Puffer, the interior of Herb & Wood invites guests with an almost Southern charm while somehow feeling perfectly at home in Southern California. An eclectic study of contrasts, the space evokes the dual persona of the Gilded Age: lavish sophistication set against industrial simplicity.
Open and airy, though layered in detail, a grand central bar anchors the space, resting majestically beneath a barrel-vaulted ceiling.
An outdoor secret garden-like courtyard with a two-sided fire place that is both lounge and dining room and the massive kitchen with gorgeous, store-front like glass windows for diners to see the action within.
Paying tribute to the beaches of San Diego, half a dozen oversized and ornately framed minimalist paintings of bathing beauties accent the walls, commissioned by Chris from local artist Johnny Lane.
Herb & Wood’s wine program, helmed by Beverage Director Brandon Lervold, includes nearly 150 bottles, each carefully curated to match not only the culinary program, but the design of the space as well. California wines are interspersed with Old World varietals, with whimsical, light-hearted and bright labels rounding out the offerings to create a program that’s familiar, yet surprising.
CELEBRATED CHEF
Brian Malarkey
Chef Brian Malarkey has created 15 wildly successful restaurants across the United States. He serves as the Partner of four concepts in Southern California, including San Diego's Herb & Wood, Herb & Sea, Animae, and Orange County's Herb & Ranch.
He was the founding executive chef/partner of Searsucker and Herringbone restaurants, which sold a majority stake to Hakkasan Group in 2014. Under his guidance, the brands expanded both across the country and internationally to 10 locations. Brian has been a contestant on Bravo's Top Chef All-Stars and past Top Chef finalist.
He has also appeared in Guy's Grocery Games, the Today Show, and Good Morning America.
He was a Top Chef season 3 finalist and winning mentor on ABC’s The Taste, which he co-hosted alongside Anthony Bourdain, Nigella Lawson and Ludo Lefebvre. Malarkey has judged a variety of television cooking programs, including Rachael vs. Guy: Kids Cook Off, Chopped All-Stars, and Cutthroat Kitchen, and can be seen headlining food and wine festivals around the country.