30th on 30th is coming up next week (Thursday!)  Guest Chef Rob Rubalcaba will be creating our food pairing this month: your choice of Sushi or Vegan 30th Street Tacos with housemade corn tortillas, sushi rice, black beans, avocado, shredded cabbage, ahi sashimi, pico de gallo and a spicy soy reduction (serrano, wasabi & sriracha.)  These delectable little tacos/tostadas will be paired with a pour of Rough Draft Brewing Weekday IPA with Grapefruit on Cask – either 2 tacos + a beer for $12, or simply $4 per taco if you don’t want to do the pairing.

Check the 30th Street website here for a listing of other corridor specials!

And, just as a reminder, we will be closed this coming Memorial Day Monday the 27th.  We hope you have a wonderful holiday and we’ll see you again on Tuesday for $1 Oysters!

Elena says”Love Your Mother!” (T-Shirt courtesy of Mother Earth Brew Co.)  Treat your mother to a special evening out at the Rocket this Mother’s Day!  On Sunday, May 12th, we will be offering a special 4-Course Prix Fixe Menu for $45 and if you like you can add beer or wine pairings to all 4 courses for another $20.  (The specific beer & wine pairings will be posted several days in advance.)  Before you look at the menu below, know that there is intent to make you drool!  We hope you can join us.  Reservations can be made by calling 619-255-7049, but are not necessary if you prefer to play it by ear.

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Pear and Arugula Salad
serrano ham, frisee, cherry tomatoes, truffle vinaigrette

Seared Scallops
porcini, asparagus, leek, quail egg

Quail 2 Ways
serrano ham wrapped breast, confit legs, pineapple jalapeno chutney, creamy brussels

Caramelized Banana Panna Cotta
coconut foam, candied ginger, strawberries

Vegans, Foodies, and Chef Jenn Felmley Fans listen up!  We are opening up a few spots in what was previously a private cooking class at the Rocket on the afternoon of May 11th.  Help us fill the last few seats and make some fast new friends during this fun-filled and culinarily insightful taco-themed cooking class.  The entire menu is vegan (but who cares if you’re not vegan…it’s gonna be delicious either way!)

The class runs from 3-6pm on Saturday the 11th and costs $65 per person all inclusive of instruction, food, a beverage pairing with the meal, and tax.  If you haven’t indulged in one of Chef Jenn’s classes before, it’s a great way to spend an afternoon- all recipes are prepared from scratch by you the students, and then everyone sits down to eat together at the end.  To reserve a place, please contact Elena at 619-997-8043 or elena@searocketbistro.com.

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Spinach and Jicama Salad with Chipotle Orange Dressing

Grilled Fish Tacos with Crema, Salsa Fresca, Cabbage and Avocado Sauce

Drunken Pinto Beans

Natilla Spanish Custard with Strawberries

On Thursday, May 2nd we will be featuring the new batch of Farm House Mead from our friends at Golden Coast Meadery.  A package deal (I mean meal) will include a 4-ounce glass of this beautiful honey wine, a tossed Kale Salad, our Grass Fed Burger, and some Mead-Soaked Bread Pudding, all for $25.  Come meet a couple of the guys who make this tasty local mead and celebrate farm life in all of its forms!  We’ll also be making a couple of mixed drink specials with the mead.  As usual, reservations are available, but not required.  Call us at 619-255-7049 if you like!

Inspired by holidays spent eating extravagant, multi-coursed, from-scratch meals with family on the farms in northern Italy, we are offering a Family-Style Prix Fixe Menu this year on March 31st, Easter Sunday!  The menu, which we estimate will be able to feed 4-6 people, will cost $75, and will be served on communal platters.  Drinks & dessert can be ordered a la carte (as well as the rest of our regular menu!)  You don’t have to be family to take advantage of this communal meal, so grab some friends and head to the Rocket this Sunday!  We’re open 5pm-10pm as usual.  Reservations happily accepted!

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Whole Roasted Chicken Cacciatore
with polenta, peppers, and mushrooms

Angel Hair Pasta Aglio e Olio
with basil, extra virgin olive oil, black pepper and pecorino

Tossed Green Salad
with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, onions, and roasted garlic vinaigrette

Grilled Vegetables
with zucchini, asparagus, yellow squash, roasted tomato and balsamic

Grilled Ciabatta Bread
with olive oil, vinegar, basil butter, and cheese

And just a reminder about this Thursday’s screening with the producer of Suds County USA.  Chef Tommy will be preparing some signature pizzas for the occasion, which will be suggested with our selection of local craft beer on tap that night.  Don’t miss out on this unique chance to meet some of the earliest movers and shakers of the San Diego craft beer industry via this artfully made documentary!

Released in October of 2012, Suds County USA is a documentary that introduces us to many of the earliest local craft brewers, who share their story of trying to bring their full-flavored beers into the “Coors-light town” that was, and still is in large part, San Diego.  On Thursday, March 28th we’ll be screening this film at the bistro and we’ve invited the producer Sheldon Kaplan to join us for the evening.  He’ll be available for any questions you may have, as well as just to chat and enjoy some signature Sea Rocket fare alongside today’s craft beers with you!  There is no charge for the film and we will be creating some unique house-made pizzas for the occasion.  We’ll also have our Thursday night $8 Beer Flights as usual!  Arrive before 7pm to take advantage of our other Happy Hour specials and to get your seat at the communal table.  Seating will be first come, first served!

Our pizza menu will include:

Seafood Pizza
with shrimp, crab, goat cheese, basil, and roasted garlic white sauce

Oinker Pizza
with pork cheek, bacon, bbq sauce, cilantro, serrano, red onion, and smoked mozzarella

Super Veggie Pizza
with zucchini, tomato, red onion, arugula, kale pesto sauce, and pesto jack

Here’s a little background about Sheldon, in his own words, to get you up to speed.  I don’t think I could have said it better myself anyways!

This is my first movie as a resident of San Diego since I moved here in ’96 as a “Hollywood refugee!”  I moved to SD the same year that Stone launched and also by fluke happened to meet Skip Virgilio around the time he started AleSmith, which kindled my interest in the SD craft beer scene, though admittedly from a distant vantage point.   I initially ran an organic tea company which I created along with some tea blends before getting back into movie making – my true passion. 

SUDS COUNTY, USA is my first foray back into the medium.  I wanted to make an San Diego based movie about a subject that interested me and when I started the project in 2010,  I was surprised that it was still virgin territory from a film stand point.  I believe I am the first person to comprehensively document the local industry and its renaissance in any form.  What I find most rewarding is that the brewers appreciate that someone took the time to tell their story and help fill the gaps that they at times were not always fully up to speed with.  SUDS COUNTY, USA is a true labor of love by all the crew that worked on it and is in essence a “love letter” of appreciation to the brewers of SD County.

We recently were treated to a taste of some fabulous blood oranges from Miro Ranch Farm in Fallbrook.  Grant Ferrier, the owner, brought us a case of their oranges to try, and since the citrus season is in full swing for them, we thought it would be fun to highlight these tart and vibrant little fruits with some food and drink specials.  That’s going to happen this Thursday, March 14th.

For some background on the farm, the grove Miro Ranch was started by Valentine Miro in 1988 when he retired.  Grant Ferrier bought the property from his widow’s sister in 2009.  It has been certified organic by the state of California for 24 years and now is also certified by the national organic program.  (Proof of organic certification here.)  The ranch has 430 blood orange trees, so as you can imagine, we have a lot to work with!  Some of the items below were recently added to our new Spring Menu, but some are available for this one night only.  All are available a la carte.

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Hanger 24 Local Fields Essence
Blood Orange Double IPA
(more info on this beer here!)

Our monthly “30th on 30th” tasting event will happen on Thursday the 28th this month- nope, we’re not canceling it just because there’s no 30th in February!  This month we’re featuring not just one beer but four of them from Cismontane Brewing.  Cismontane is a microbrewery located in Rancho Santa Margarita, and is dedicated to making beers that reflect the unique culture and natural phenomena of southern California, which we think they do quite well!

You may remember a few of their specialty beers that we tapped last year including the Buckwheat Oktoberfest beer, Nopalito de Trigo (wheat beer brewed with prickly pear juice), the Doppelsticke Doppelbock, or the Dead Santa (spiced white ale).

We’ll have a specialty beer this time as well- the Smokin’ Santiago Scotch Ale- as well as a few other excellent standards.  The pairings are listed below and will be priced a la carte, so it’s up to you if you’d like to try one or all!  Since it’s a Thursday, we’ll also be offering our Beer Flights for just $8.  If you like, make it a totally Cismontane Flight!  Beer descriptions are listed below the menu for more details.

Sea Bass
with roasted beets, cilantro, horseradish & creme fraiche
paired with Holy Jim Falls Extra Pale Ale

Grass Fed Beef Short Rib
with parsnip purée, baby carrots, leek, prosciutto & orange
paired with Coulter IPA

Pork Cheeks
with cherry chutney, roasted peppers & brussel sprouts
paired with Smokin’ Santiago Scotch Ale

Vanilla Bread Pudding
with espresso whipped cream
paired with Black’s Dawn Imperial Stout 

Holy Jim Falls XPA: This beer is named after the the falls at the end of Holy Jim trail in the Trabuco Canyon near the brewery. The refreshing flavor and hoppy aroma of this crisp, clean Extra Pale Ale will certainly be enhanced when standing in the cool waters of the falls when you reach the end of the trail. Throw a couple of these in your bag for the hike and enjoy it to the sound of running water.  4.5%ABV/45 IBU

Coulter I.P.A.: Named after the coulter big cone pine tree this is a well-balanced I.P.A. It brings the beer style back to its roots. Brewed with a hit of rye for head retention and a deeper malt character, this beer has the best of all worlds, great hop aroma, a strong body and deceiving strength.  7.2% ABV/60 IBU

Black’s Dawn Imperial Stout: A heavy strong stout brewed with coffee, brown sugar and oats. With its powerful quality and morning ingredients it seems parallel to a solid dawn surf session at Blacks. With an inside connection to boutique roasted fair trade beans we were granted the opportunity to make this exceptional brew even better.  8% ABV/50 IBU

Smokin’ Santiago Scotch Ale: Smoked Scotch ales are warming and hearty. The beer is malty, smooth with mellow smoke in the aroma and a nice sweet finish. Let the beer warm a bit to get the full experience of the complexity of the malt and smoke.  7.1% ABV/20 IBU

On Thursday, February 21st from 5:30-8:30pm we’ll be hosting a casual fundraising party to help support the urban agriculture program at City College.  Of the $15 entry fee, which includes a variety of hors d’oeuvres throughout the evening, $10 of that will go directly to the farm, and we’ll integrate as much of their produce that is available that week into what we serve!  Should be fun.  If you arrive before 7pm you can take advantage of our Happy Hour drink discounts.

Valentine’s Day falls on a Thursday this year (next week!) and we’ll be offering a special prix fixe menu for 2 to help you celebrate with your special someone.  Our regular menu will be available as well, but if you like the looks of it, share the starter, enjoy your own entree, and share the dessert listed here!  We’ll also throw in a couple of glasses of champagne for you.  The cost for the menu is $45 per person.  Call us now at 619-255-7049 to reserve your seats!

Oysters

with ginger and passionfruit champagne ice

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Halibut

with beets, orange, macadamia nuts, and white chocolate

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Cheesecake

with goat cheese, pickled strawberries, and mint whip cream