(1983 – ✔) Dobson’s Bar & Restaurant is the longtime Horton Plaza landmark established in 1983 by restaurateur and bullfighter Paul Dobson (Andalucia, Dobson’s, La Gran Tapa, St James Bar). The restaurant is located in the historic Spreckels Theatre building. Over the years, Dobson’s “fern bar” became a downtown staple for its French- and Italian-inspired menu and old-time bistro setting.

Signature dishes include Dobson’s Mussel Bisque en Croûte (over a million served), Dobson’s Bar Room Burger on Brioche, French Onion Soup Gratinée, Martin’s Atelier Baguette, and Niçoise Salad.

Dobson’s can boast that it’s the oldest bar to be situated in the same location in San Diego.

The location currently occupied by Dobson’s originated as a bar in the newly constructed Spreckels Theatre, which marked the opening of the Panama Canal.

In 1912, A. Harry Morris and C.P. Marshall established the Theatre Buffet, offering imported Wurzburger and Pilsener beers on draft. The interior featured a mahogany bar shipped “from around Cape Horn in the early 1900s for the millionaire John Spreckels,” as well as the original tile floors, which are still present today. Dobson wanted to keep the old-school vibe, “We had a shipwright restore the bar and the original paneling, and we restored the ceilings and wall fixtures…”

Just before Prohibition was about to be officially enforced, Morris and other bars in San Diego were allowed to serve near beer with 2.75% or less alcohol. Several times, City Councilmen threatened revocation of his license for serving hard alcohol, but none of the charges stuck. Councilman Weitzel was the most offended. “If I go into a saloon and pay 25 cents for a glass of ‘ginger ale,’ they know, and I know, that is not the price for ginger ale,” he stammered. “They know, and I know, that means whisky.”

After its era as the Theatre Buffet, the bar was purchased in 1955 by veteran newsman Robert M. MacDonald and Lt Commander Francis Perry USN. They renamed it “The Press Room” — a natural, as the Union-Tribune newspaper was located just “a jay-walk” across Second Avenue. MacDonald had been a reporter and columnist since 1935 — the gossip and stories in his “Life is Like That” column  often revealed themselves from lubricated patrons at his hangout, the Theater Buffet. For decades, Bob’s joint was packed with the smoke and prattle of hard-drinking reporters, politicians, and show business types.

The newspapers relocated to larger digs in Mission Valley, and business at The Press Room declined. This reflected downtown San Diego’s overall downturn until the redevelopment of Horton Plaza. The Press Room’s last owner, John Baptista Sanfilippo (1940-2011) built the business back up, which quickly became successful and remained so with the gay community. Sanfilippo sold The Press Room, then opened operated SRO Lounge in Hillcrest until his passing.

With downtown’s continued rebuilding, Paul H. Dobson (1943-2026), Norman Eisenberg and attorney Peter Aylward recognized the lack of good restaurants available for San Diego’s business community. Dobson had managed the Bratskeller Restaurant and owned-operated the Andalucia Restaurant, both in La Jolla. The partners decided to open a San Francisco-style business lunch spot with a lively happy hour.

During renovations before the opening of Dobson’s, builders discovered a secret passageway connecting the Spreckels Theater men’s lounge to the old bar, which may indeed have been used by “those in the know” during intermissions. There’s an old tale about how during Prohibition John Barrymore would “sneak into the bar for a drink between acts while performing on the Spreckels Theatre stage.” At one point during the dry years, Special Agent Charles Cass confiscated alcohol, wiring, push buttons, and buzzers from the “soda shop.” Gimme a ginger ale.

Dobson’s opened in 1983 and quickly became a favorite among legal and business professionals, San Diego’s movers and shakers, and pre- and post-theater crowds. Dobson hired executive chef Craig R. Brown (Top O’ the Cove, Golden Door, Rancho La Puerta), whose nouvelle cuisine included New York steak served on a sizzling platter, seafood bisque with puffed pastry, and oysters with caviar. Complimentary hors d’oeuvre were served during happy hour. Today, the “Mayor’s Booth” remains a the best spot from which to “lord it over others” — or have a martini.

In 2014, restaurateur Marcos Luciano and attorney Chad Ruyle (Bottega Americano, 2014-2023) bought out the founder, Paul Dobson. Although taking a step back, Dobson remained a fixture in the restaurant until quite recently, greeting his longtime guests and friends.

Paris-trained Chef Martín San Román (London Hilton, Tour de France Tijuana, Rincon San Roman, Westgate Hotel, Dobsons) brings his unique combination of French-American-Baja cuisine to Dobson’s. He preserves the restaurant’s essence and customer favorites, like the mussel bisque. San Román was born in Mexico City and graduated from L’Ecole Lenôtre in Paris, France. He worked at Fauchon and Le Méridien Hotels in Paris, the London Hilton, and the San Diego Westgate.

Later, he became the chef-owner of Tour de France and Rincon San Roman in Tijuana, Mexico. From his time in Tijuana, San Román tells stories about building the world’s largest Caesar Salad and about his cooking show, which ran for eight years on the Televisa Network. It had a strong following on both sides of the border.

Chef San Román and his team have kept  cornerstone dishes on the menu, while offering new takes on Dobson’s traditional favorites. Charcuterie with jamón serrano, spanish chorizo, salami and cheese. Steamed mussels. Ribeye pork chop. Caesar salad. Mushroom ravioli. And of course, Mussel bisque en croûte.

¡Olé! Paul Dobson would be proud his legacy lives on…

Spreckels Theatre
Dobson’s Bar & Restaurant (2015-now, Marcos Luciano, Chad Ruyle)
Dobson’s Bar & Restaurant (1984-2015, Paul Dobson, Norm Eisenberg, Pete Aylward)
The Press Room (1955, Bob MacDonald)
Theatre Buffet and Bar (1912-1954, Harry Morris, C.P. Marshall)
956 Broadway Circle [pre 1984, it was Second Ave]
San Diego, CA 92101

 

Dobson’s Mussel Bisque en Croûte

I shared this recipe from a 1991 newspaper with mi tocayo, and longtime Dobson’s chef, Martín San Román.  “So take a look at this, Chef. If you care to tell me, how close is this bisque to yours?”

He eyed the recipe for a moment, and with a piercing gaze and a wry smile he replied, “about eighty percent.” I thanked him. With a laugh and no follow-up questions, I dropped the subject.

So if you have some extra pounds of lobster and mussels laying around, try this out. It’s delicious!

Cheers, Martin Lindsay

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Ingredients
8 ounces unsalted butter

2 medium shallots, peeled and minced (about 1/2 cup)

2  lobster tails, removed from shells, cut up into cubes (reserve shells)

4-5 cups shrimp shells (preferably un-cooked;  ask your fish market to reserve these for you)

1 1/4 cups dry white wine

2 cups fish stock

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

2 pounds mussels, steamed, shucked, and chopped

7 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups milk

2 1/4 cups heavy cream or half-and-half

4 tablespoons dry sherry, or to taste

salt and fresh-ground white pepper

For the Puff Pastry Crowns
puff pastry dough, rolled out  1/4 inch thick, 10 by 20 inches, cut into eight 5-by-5inch squares, dusted with flour and refrigerated

1  egg, lightly beaten

2-3 teaspoons heavy cream

dry sherry for presenting

Make the Bisque
Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a 3-quart saucepan. Add shallots and shells from shrimp and lobster. Cook over medium heat until shells turn bright pink, about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally and add a bit more butter if necessary.

After shells change color, add wine, fish stock, tomato paste, thyme, salt and pepper. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Strain stock into bowl. Let any residue settle to bottom of bowl. Discard shells.

Rinse out saucepan and return strained stock, but not residue, to saucepan. Bring this to slow boil. Add lobster meat and simmer gently for two minutes, then remove lobster with slotted spoon to the work bowl of a food processor. Run processor until lobster is ground medium-fine but not pureed.

Set stock, chopped mussels and ground lobster aside.

In a clean saucepan, melt remaining butter. Add flour and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk. When mixture thickens, whisk in heavy cream or half-and-half.

When mixture is very thick, after about 3 minutes, whisk in stock. Add mussels and lobster and stir.

Add sherry, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

To Serve
Ladle bisque into individual oven proof bowls. Lightly score pastry squares with a sharp knife. Lightly beat egg with cream. Brush scored pastry with egg-cream mixture. Brush underside first, then place pastry on bowl. Press sides tightly to seal, then brush pastry top with egg-cream mixture. Repeat with remaining bowls.

Bake in 400-degree oven until golden brown, 7 to 10 minutes. Serve immediately. Poke a hole in each of the pastry crowns and pour in some dry sherry. Enjoy!

 

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Notes

Citation: Martin S. Lindsay. “Dobson’s Bar and Restaurant,” Classic San Diego: tasty bites from the history of America’s finest city. Web. <https://classicsandiego.com/restaurants/dobsons/>

Jerry K. Remmers, “Here’s to The Press Room; It was a Corker,” Union-Tribune (San Diego, CA), 1 Jun 1983, pg 19; Candice Woo, “After 30-Plus Years, Dobson’s Gets New Life, New Look Downtown,” Eater San Diego, 29 Jan 2015; Dobson’s Restaurant website, 2024; Personal interviews with Marcos Luciano, Martin San Roman, Dobson’s Restaurant, 2024.

Recipe from Lara Smith, “Bisque Expensive But Worth It,” San Diego Union (San Diego, CA) 3 Jan 1991, pg 75; “Dobson’s Restaurant,” Koko’s Corner Blog, 24 Dec 2010.