SAN DIEGO — The owner and chef behind the popular Callie restaurant in downtown San Diego said he always knew in the back of his mind, he would return to his hometown.
"I'm a San Diego kid," said Chef Travis Swikard. "I was born and raised here. I went to my first game at Petco, I'm a huge Padres fan. I want to invest in my community."
The East County native spent years in New York City and London, working for some of the most well-respected chefs in the business.
"Someone told me at a pretty young age, 'Fall in love with the process because it's a marathon, not a sprint.' I love leading, I love teaching. It's an industry where you learn something new every day," he said.
He said he always knew San Diego offered some of the best ingredients in the world. His eyes light up when he talks about them.
"Every great chef will tell you, you can't be a great chef without great ingredients, the very best ingredients," he said.
"San Diego has one of seven Mediterranean climates in the world. We have the most organic farms per capita than anywhere else in the country," he added.
"I want guests to taste the San Diego sunshine," said Swikard.
CBS 8's Kelly Hessedal visited Callie to try some of the restaurant's popular dishes.
The first dish I tasted: the first locally-caught Bluefin Tuna of the season. Swikard squeezed lemon on the top, which he said cooks the fish. The texture of salt and the taste of the chives give the dish a fresh spring flavor. The dish melted in my mouth like a little piece of heaven.
"This is pure simplicity at its best," he said.
Callie is the first restaurant Swikard ever opened. It is tough to get a reservation at it.
"Some people might look at me and say, 'Oh that's guy is so lucky.' But it took many, many years of just, like, full dedication, head down, extremely passionate, driven, focused. I was surrounded by people who were pushing me every day," said Swikard.
"Fortunately, I was able to surround myself with really strong people," he added.
I also tried California Spot Prawns. Swikard keeps live ones in fresh ocean water. The tenderness of the meat is incredible.
One of the most popular items on the menu is the Aleppo Chicken. It's one of the best things I've ever eaten.
Chef Swikard's family
Swikard was born and raised in Santee. He's one of five boys. He went surfing twice a day, and ate burritos regularly. He attended West Hills High.
At the age of four, while cooking with his dad, the stove drew him in. His dad was cooking Steak Diane.
"He put the cognac in the pan and it was like 'Boom!' I was like, 'Yeah I can play with fire for the rest of my life.' I don't want to be a firefighter, but let's start fires," he laughed.
After finishing high school, he attended culinary school in Vermont. He said as a San Diego kid, he got off the plane in the middle of winter, wearing shorts. He had never owned a pair of pants.
Chef Swikard met his wife the first night he moved to New York City to work for Daniel Boulud at the Michelin-starred Café Boulud.
"My wife hit on me," he chuckled.
"I walked into a bar with all this confidence, I was peacocking I think," he laughed. "I was living in London, and the faux hawk was the move."
"I reached over to pay my bill and she was like 'Oh I got that.' I was like 'Wow, you're aggressive. We don't have women like that in San Diego,'" he laughed.
The couple has two boys, 9-year-old Taylor and 6-year-old Trevor.
Callie's decor
The bar is meant to mimic the barrel of a wave. The banquettes mimic skateboard railings. Above the kitchen, the architecture looks like the front of a ship. Even the name of the restaurant is an ode to his hometown.
"The name means 'most beautiful' in Greek, I just changed the 'K' to a 'C' because I wanted to connect California to the Mediterranean. Also Biggie said 'Goin back to Cali,' so I was like 'I'm coming from New York, back to Cali,' so if everyone asks me where I'm going, I'm going back to Cali," he laughed.
The future
Chef Swikard said plans are moving forward to open a second restaurant in the UTC area next year. He said the new space will have a garden.
"I can literally say every single day I'm living my dream," he said. "I wake up sometimes and say 'Wow! This is my life.'"
He said it means a lot to him that his mentors are proud of him.
His advice to others: "Stay humble, put your head down and continue to be a good person," he said. "My parents raised me really well."
"All this could change in one moment," he added. "Whether my success changes or not, it's not going to change who I am as a person."
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