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INTERVIEW. Coastside Buzz, Chief Buzz Officer, Michelle Dragony, interviews David Westendorf of the Pelagic Group on Thursday, December 7th, 2023.
I’m a foodie. I love new restaurants and new menus. I love locals trying to do good deeds with food.
I was able to sit down with David Westendorf of the Pelagic Group recently, while I ate the Ketch’s new melt-in-my-mouth “Meyer Lemon Ricotta Pancakes”. We discussed their mission to honor the location, local food and the service of their Tiburones.
David has already stretched his wings with the Jettywave Distillery. The Pelagic journey started 4 years ago when they began to inventory the Coastside for a space that would meet their vision.
They envision a triple-play pelagic culinary adventure with the Ketch Pub, the World Beach Fusion Experiment and the Fish Market. David has partnered with Chef Eduardo Coronel from the Rio Grill in Carmel, to bring everything into focus.
The Ketch is located at Pillar Point Harbor’s historic “Ketch Joannes”. As the generations evolve, the Pelagic Group wants to honor their location by continuing to be a local fresh-off-the-boat market for the Pillar Point fishermen.
The Ketch is rolling out a soft opening with breakfast and lunch, with dinner to follow soon. They are already open 7 days a week from 8:30am to 5:00pm. The bar is open 8:00am to 8:00pm (weekends 10:00pm). They serve a most excellent Bloody Mary.
Their food mission is to be local and sustainable. They even floated a survey to ask who likes what and that is reflected on their menu. They are partnering with a Half Moon Bay blueberry farm to grow local blueberries for the aforementioned pancakes!
Nextdoor to the Ketch will be the Pelagic Harbor Grill. The Grill will optimize Chef Eduardo’s skills as he experiments with “world beach fusion” cuisine, using only the freshest ingredients from the sea and the land. This will lead to a cookbook and proprietary food products and I would hope for classes.
The Fish Market space required a lot of remodel, but their intention is to open in the first quarter of 2024 … Stay tuned.
Previously from Pasta Moon, you will recognize Marcos Ruiz who will be head of house. Moving all the time, the locally hired Tiborones will make you feel welcome.The Tiburones are the heart of the Pelagic mission and business model. While the Tiborones sling Spanglish, David is bettering his Spanish. But the Tiborones are also being given free English classes to encourage their advancement in the organization. They also train. David believes in “hiring fast, firing fast”. They are looking for people who like to see what needs to be done, and then get it done.
With an eye to giving back to the community from the start, the Pelagic Group will be fashioning their space into a “Resiliency Center” which will provide Starlink during tough times.
Location
17 Johnson Pier
Half Moon Bay, CA 94019
Contact
(650) 727-0017
Author: Coastside Buzz
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