In The Media

In The Media

Wall Street Journal Lunch Box Article

(Dateline: April 29th, 2013)

Built into a mountainside along the ocean in Pacifica, Surf Spot keeps patrons coming back for its ahi tuna poke and pizza - along with a round of beach volleyball.

Chef and co-owner Derek Burns, 48 years old, opened the restaurant with two partners last June with the hopes of combining his tastes for seasonal and global cuisine with a casual surf-culture atmosphere for locals and tourists.

Surf Spot offers "food [that] vacations are made of," says Mr. Burns, who adds the menu was inspired by his travels in the South Pacific, Europe and Latin America. "We wanted safe food for kids, like hamburgers and pizza, while giving the adventurer something new to try."

The menu features dishes including $7 Vietnamese-inspired sweet chili-glazed chicken wings and a $12 ahi tuna poke, a kind of raw salad popular in Hawaii. A local favorite is the $12 Ballpark Pizza, made with a beef hot dog, sauerkraut, onion and a mustard sauce.

In the back, the restaurant offers a beach-volleyball area with balls, hula hoops and beach blankets.

Marlyn Hansen, 37, who brought her Pacifica family to Surf Spot for the second time recently, had a $9 pulled-pork sandwich while her children, ages 8 and 5, enjoyed a $9 cheese pizza. "The atmosphere is like a beach lounge. We hang out around the fire pit while giving the kids a safe place to play," she says.

Wall Street Journal subscribers can read the article here

~ Sharon Massey (Wall Street Journal)