Renowned Local Chef to Lead Upcoming Hotel La Jolla Restaurant
A planned new Hotel La Jolla restaurant has tapped a James Beard-nominated chef renowned for several local projects.
Anthony Wells has reportedly been named the executive chef of Hotel La Jolla, according to Eater San Diego. His tenure at the hotel will begin with the opening of Sea & Sky, a new penthouse restaurant that will be situated on the building’s eleventh floor.
Sea & Sky is slated to open in February 2024, and is part of a multi-million dollar renovation of the La Jolla Shores hotel. Wells will bring a focus on seasonal and regional California cuisine to the Hotel La Jolla restaurant menu.
Early in the history of the Hotel La Jolla, the penthouse restaurant was renowned as a fine dining establishment and one of the best jazz venues in the city. With the opening of Sea & Sky, the hotel hopes to bring back that glamour with Wells’ expertise, a revamped focus on live music, and a wine menu that will feature California and Baja California vintners.
In his role as executive chef of Hotel La Jolla, Wells will also handle catering for meetings and events at the property.
Wells is well-known around San Diego for his time at Little Italy icon Juniper & Ivy. The chef joined the restaurant as chef de cuisine in 2014 before being promoted to executive chef the following year.
In the time since, he has been nominated as a James Beard Award semi-finalist and helped lead Juniper & Ivy to earn a Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand recognition.
The upcoming opening of the new Hotel La Jolla restaurant, as well as Wells’ general cuisine expertise, will likely help reestablish the property as one of the best La Jolla hotels on the beach.
Media credit: Concept art of Sea & Sky courtesy of hotellajolla.com
Mike Peterson is a writer, editor, and strategist based in San Diego. When he’s not writing and editing the La Jolla news, you can often find him practicing yoga, rock climbing, or exploring the outdoors with his wife and dog.
