CARDIFF — Over the past 20 years, Chef James Montejano has cooked at Michelin-starred restaurants, run culinary programs at resorts and worked at some of San Diego’s top fine-dining restaurants. On Monday, he embarked on the next phase of his culinary career, as executive chef for Cardiff Seaside Market.
The 52-year-old Del Mar resident is planning a culinary reinvention at the popular gourmet supermarket. Plans include a new chef team; staff retraining; a hot-items carving station; an upgraded deli with more restaurant-quality take-home items; a new charcuterie program; the introduction of new signature meat items, bottled marinades and dressings; the expansion of the market’s off-site catering business; and, eventually, an outdoor cafe in the store’s courtyard.
Montejano’s arrival coincides with a long-in-the-works renovation at the store, which brothers John and Pete Najjar opened in 1985. The revamp includes a 13,000-square-foot expansion that added a second-floor mezzanine event space, which should open in the fall. Montejano plans to use the mezzanine for cooking classes, product tastings, wine dinners, private parties and special events.
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