Beeside Balcony in Del Mar

Beeside Balcony in Del Mar + Interview with Owner & Chef Christophe Cevasco

Beeside Balcony in Del Mar is a beautiful restaurant that is under new ownership as of January 2020. Their food is mediterranean with a french flair that’s guaranteed to delight your taste buds. This Del Mar gem is owned and operated by Chef Christophe Cevasco. I had the pleasure of interviewing him about his restaurant, culinary background and how he’s overcome the struggles of taking on a new restaurant right before the pandemic hit.

The Prickly Lady Cocktail

Our dining experience at Beeside was truly wonderful and I enjoyed watching as Chef Christophe took time to greet every single guest in his restaurant while we were there. Aside from the amazing food, Beeside is a place where you will enjoy excellent customer service. They even make a point to call you the next day to ask how your dining experience was. I’ve dined at MANY restaurants and this was the first time I’d ever been called the following day to ask how everything was. It shows that they genuinely care about their patrons.

Long Cheese Plate with Hummus, Honey & Pita Bread

The Bee's Board featuring Chef Christophe's very own honey from his Bee's at home!

We were also pleasantly surprised by some of the new Fall menu items recently introduced to the restaurant. I love when restaurants embrace flavors and produce of the current season. I’m not one to always order a salad, but the Golden Beet salad with Goat Cheese was probably one of the best salads I’ve ever had. It had hints of cinnamon and honey that really tied everything together beautifully.

Golden Beets, Arugula and Goat Cheese on a large white plate.

The Golden Beet Salad

Did you know that Chef Christophe even has his own bees at home? He’s a big advocate of taking care of them and all of the dishes that use honey are from his very own bee hives! To learn more about Chef Christophe and Beeside Balcony continue reading below for my interview with him.

Interview With Chef Christophe Cevasco

Chef Christophe in front of the Beeside Balcony Entrance

Beeside Balcony Owner & Chef Christophe Cevasco

Natasha: For those that aren't familiar with you and your restaurant Beeside Balcony, can you give us a little bit of a background story?

Chef Christophe: I was born in Paris and raised between Paris and Nice in the South of France. My Grandfather was a chef and restaurateur as well as my father. I pretty much grew up in kitchens and dining rooms. When I moved to the US I started to work full time in my father's restaurant in Pasadena for 5 years and this is where I really learned my skills in the kitchen. After selling the restaurant, I decided to pursue a career in this industry and started as a server at the Ritz Carlton in Marina Del Rey.

I then moved to Las Vegas where I opened the Bellagio and worked at Le Cirque restaurant as a server to continue to grow my resume in management. I went on to be the General Manager at Valentino's restaurant in the Venetian for 7 years after that. Then Eddie V’s in La Jolla was my next move because I loved the group and also wanted to relocate to Southern California. 12 years in Vegas was enough. After working for Eddie V’s as Managing Partner for 7 years I decided to take a couple of years to do some consulting and reassess my career path. I missed the kitchen and felt that it was time to start my own to share my passion for food.

The Lavender Bee's Knees Cocktail with Butterfly Pea Flower infused Gin, lemon, lavender honey and sparkling water.

Natasha: You mentioned you acquired Beeside Balcony in January of this year. What has been the biggest challenge for you during the pandemic?

Chef Christophe: I purchased Beeside on January 17th 2020, we were doing great for the first 2 months and obviously had to think outside the box after that with Covid. I contacted Jennifer Grove at Del Mar Village Association and was able to be part of a fantastic program called “Fuel The Front Lines SD”. This fed thousands of frontline workers during the 3 months of closure creating a WIN-WIN for everyone since we were getting a small amount of money per plate and also feeding the workers. The DMVA raised thousands of dollars during this process to help our local communities. I can’t say enough about how amazing Jennifer and DMVA have been for this community. With the left overs of those large amounts of food I was cooking, I decided to also join a program at St. Peter's church to their Feed the Homeless program. That program is still going on and is sponsored by Ira Sharp from the Del Mar Foundation.

Beeside's Crab Cake: Panko crusted blue lump crab, lemon remoulade, seared lemon segments & micro thyme.

Natasha: What do you wish patrons had a better understanding of when it comes to dining out at this time?

Chef Christophe: I wish that guests would fully embrace the fact that all rules have changed and adapt to them instead of fighting those rules with restaurants daily. It is hard enough for us to understand, adapt and apply those rules ourselves. Then to have to almost fight with guests about wearing masks or the fact that we are running a little long at the door due to the small amount of tables really makes it a lot harder to deliver strong amazing experiences for everyone.

Seared Chilean Sea Bass: Served on a bed of Bell pepper risotto, seared Baby Bok Choy, Red Tobiko.

Natasha: If you had to pick one dish on your menu that you were the most proud of, what would it be and why is it your favorite?

Chef Christophe: The Spanish grilled Octopus is one of my favorite dishes on the menu. I really don’t have one favorite. I created the perfect Spanish octopus. I’ve added 2 different elements which includes, smoked bacon which really elevates the smokiness of the Spanish paprika as well as a white truffle vinaigrette which round up the dish perfectly.

Seasonal Pork Chop: Served with Onion Jam, Polenta Cakes and Broccolini.

Natasha: Where do you find inspiration when creating new seasonal items for your menu?

Chef Christophe: Inspiration really comes to me at different times. The Seabass came in a dream, I woke up at 4:30 am and knew what I wanted to cook. After that comes the fun art of creation, which can be really hit and miss until I nail the recipe perfectly. Usually it comes from memories. I grew up with a Spanish Grandmother and Italian Grandfather and a French chef (father) so smells can trigger my creative flow. Also colors and flowers play a big part in my cooking as well.

Natasha: What's the most rewarding part of being a Chef and restaurant owner?

Chef Christophe: You know this industry is one of the best. When I speak to my guests at tables and hear their feedback it's the most rewarding thing. When I see them enjoying their food and dining experience, finishing their plates, smiling, laughing and then telling me that this was the best dining experience they ever had, it fills up my heart and keeps me coming back daily.