Please note: this interview is not a paid promotion. There is no sponsored content on this site, as I firmly believe that this would compromise the integrity and not allow for unbiased opinions.
Today I sat down with Peter, the owner of Pete’s Seafood and Sandwiches in North Park, San Diego. Pete’s is a true neighborhood gem, located just off 30th Street and Upas, a stone’s throw from Balboa Park.
Peter has been in the restaurant business his whole life. He started by sneaking into commercial kitchens so that he could work with his dad, and ended up working in seafood restaurants for over 30 years. All of this experience has made Peter a master of his craft – he knows what he’s doing and he’s damn good at it. His experience and attention to detail can be found in each bite – whether it’s fish flown in fresh from the Atlantic or onion rings breaded with flour specially from New England.
Yes, the pandemic has been hard on Pete’s, just like everyone else, but the commitment to innovative safety measures and quality food has kept the business alive and the customers safe and happy. Sure, he had to pass out food and change in a pizza peel to maintain social distancing, but he and his team made it through and kept people protected at the same time.
It was not just Covid that has been tricky for Peter, but adapting to a totally different food culture has had its own unique challenges as well. You won’t find avocado or lettuce wraps at Pete’s (unless specially requested) – and that’s because he is dedicated to keeping real Boston and New England flavors for everyone. The menu used to be much bigger, including healthier alternatives, but they simply didn’t sell.
“We’re the treat place”, Peter says. “People come here once a week, once a month to treat themselves”. Peter’s steadfast attitude in bringing only authentic recipes, whether they are health conscious or not, plays a huge role in his success. There are no shortcuts to be found at Pete’s and everything is sourced and made with the goal of transporting people’s tastebuds to Boston. As a transplant from New England myself, whose first job was working a clam shack in New Hampshire, Pete’s takes me right back to my younger days.
While the food culture between San Diego and Boston may not seem drastically different, there are many distinctions between the two. For example, many of us are used to battered onion rings – large chunks of onions with a golden-brown crust. At Pete’s, the onion rings are thin, flaky, and on the lighter side. While they may look different from what you are used to, they are, in my opinion, much better than their battered counterparts.
Pete’s offers more than just seafood, too. Staples like the Chicken Parm (a whole pound of meat is measured out before adding the breading, sauce, and cheese) and even the Grilled Hot Dog are all just like you’d find around a ballpark back East. The diversity of the menu and proximity to Balboa Park makes it one of the best spots in North Park to grab a bite for a picnic.
Flour, fish, and lobsters are all flown in multiple times per week in order to bring fresh New England tastes to San Diego. While his business started out with almost 50% of his customers being from New England, winning the hearts (and tastebuds) of local San Diegans has driven that number down to around 25% “People didn’t know what a lobster roll even was”, explains Peter. For the uninitiated, a lobster roll is simply chilled lobster, sometimes with a little dab of mayo, on a toasted, buttered New England bun – what could be better?
Peter hopes that the future includes more specials going forward. While he used to get lines that curled around the block and lasted hours for his steamers, he said that the time is not quite right for such events yet. Pete’s dedication to safety in these trying times is commendable and truly shows his commitment to the North Park community as a whole. Turning down crowds of 150+ people in his shop to keep the larger population safe is not an easy thing to do after so many months of limited operations.
Peter’s love for San Diego and the North Park neighborhood really stuck out to me. The walls are adorned with both Padres and Red Sox gear and feature photos of both the New England and San Diego coastlines, all taken by local photographers. He said that the community has provided overwhelming support for small, family-owned businesses, like himself. This goes beyond just his customers – he thinks of his staff as a family too.
“As long as our doors are open”, Peter said, “family and quality will never change”.
