Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Handshake and a drink at renovated Jsix

Blue-collar idea leads to cinnamon-bacon-cayenne syrup - Image by Chris Woo
Blue-collar idea leads to cinnamon-bacon-cayenne syrup
Place

Jsix

616 J Street, San Diego

Last month, Jsix completed a renovation that included walling off the dining room with exposed brick and concealing the open kitchen to place added emphasis on the bar, which has been extended to seat 19 patrons and another 18 at communal tables. Located in the southwest corner of Hotel Solamar, Jsix also made use of repurposed wood and distressed metal — a nod to East Village’s industrial past.

With the remodel came a complete overhaul of the table offerings to arrive at an organic spread of reimagined American cuisine by award-winning executive chef Christian Graves. The bar, meanwhile, took on mix-master Nate Howell, who earned his stripes at Cusp Dining & Drinks and Hiatus Lounge at Solamar’s sister Kimpton boutique, Hotel La Jolla.

“Our concept at Jsix stems back to not just my Chicago roots but just a true Midwest, blue-collar idea,” Howell says. “I want everyone to get a handshake and have a beer or whiskey. I have really learned to become approachable about drinks. Not to be too stuffy. We want people to maybe learn something new but without feeling stupid for asking. We want to be a great American, neighborhood cocktail bar.”

Part of Howell’s all-American vision is a selection of cocktails dedicated to each region of the country. Locally, Our Own Backyard features Ballast Point rum, Marie Brizard Apry, salted orgeat syrup, fresh lime, and garden mint. The menu goes on to salute the West (Big Sky: High West double rye, cinnamon-bacon-cayenne syrup, orange, and Angostura bitters), the Midwest (High 5 with Mittens: Death’s Door white whiskey, sarsaparilla-vanilla syrup, Wisconsin heavy cream, egg white, soda water), the Northwest (Hunt & Gather: local cedar-infused Aviation gin, grenadine, fresh grapefruit, egg white, Oregon pinot noir), the Northeast (New Jersey Farm: Laird’s apple brandy, ginger syrup, fresh lemon, cucumber, peach bitters), and, most intriguingly, the transnational South (Hola Y’all: Del Maguey Vida mezcal, chef’s BBQ-rub-infused Tito’s vodka, agave, fresh lime, garden cilantro).

Sponsored
Sponsored

Seven classic cocktails round out the menu with smoked-meat-and-rub-infused spirits and salted syrups. If you’re feeling sudsy, the bar’s 30 brews range from Miller High Life to Mission Conquistador XPA. Otherwise, Jsix carries an international selection of 30+ wines and even a few clever “mocktails” for a taste of mixology without the intoxicology.

All told, an 11-dollar cocktail is a far cry from blue collar, but Howell and company will make you feel like an old friend.

  • Attire: Downtown dapper
  • Prices: Beer, $4–$21; cocktails, $9–$14; wine, $8–$18
  • Hours: Sunday–Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Friday & Saturday, 11 a.m. to 12 a.m.
  • Happy: Monday–Friday, 4 to 7 p.m.; $5 wells, $6 classic cocktails, $7 house-bottled cocktails
  • Capacity: Dining room, 45; lounge, 60
  • Food: locally sourced Modern American cuisine
  • Cards: Yes

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Escondido planners nix office building switch to apartments

Not enough open space, not enough closets for Hickory Street plans
Blue-collar idea leads to cinnamon-bacon-cayenne syrup - Image by Chris Woo
Blue-collar idea leads to cinnamon-bacon-cayenne syrup
Place

Jsix

616 J Street, San Diego

Last month, Jsix completed a renovation that included walling off the dining room with exposed brick and concealing the open kitchen to place added emphasis on the bar, which has been extended to seat 19 patrons and another 18 at communal tables. Located in the southwest corner of Hotel Solamar, Jsix also made use of repurposed wood and distressed metal — a nod to East Village’s industrial past.

With the remodel came a complete overhaul of the table offerings to arrive at an organic spread of reimagined American cuisine by award-winning executive chef Christian Graves. The bar, meanwhile, took on mix-master Nate Howell, who earned his stripes at Cusp Dining & Drinks and Hiatus Lounge at Solamar’s sister Kimpton boutique, Hotel La Jolla.

“Our concept at Jsix stems back to not just my Chicago roots but just a true Midwest, blue-collar idea,” Howell says. “I want everyone to get a handshake and have a beer or whiskey. I have really learned to become approachable about drinks. Not to be too stuffy. We want people to maybe learn something new but without feeling stupid for asking. We want to be a great American, neighborhood cocktail bar.”

Part of Howell’s all-American vision is a selection of cocktails dedicated to each region of the country. Locally, Our Own Backyard features Ballast Point rum, Marie Brizard Apry, salted orgeat syrup, fresh lime, and garden mint. The menu goes on to salute the West (Big Sky: High West double rye, cinnamon-bacon-cayenne syrup, orange, and Angostura bitters), the Midwest (High 5 with Mittens: Death’s Door white whiskey, sarsaparilla-vanilla syrup, Wisconsin heavy cream, egg white, soda water), the Northwest (Hunt & Gather: local cedar-infused Aviation gin, grenadine, fresh grapefruit, egg white, Oregon pinot noir), the Northeast (New Jersey Farm: Laird’s apple brandy, ginger syrup, fresh lemon, cucumber, peach bitters), and, most intriguingly, the transnational South (Hola Y’all: Del Maguey Vida mezcal, chef’s BBQ-rub-infused Tito’s vodka, agave, fresh lime, garden cilantro).

Sponsored
Sponsored

Seven classic cocktails round out the menu with smoked-meat-and-rub-infused spirits and salted syrups. If you’re feeling sudsy, the bar’s 30 brews range from Miller High Life to Mission Conquistador XPA. Otherwise, Jsix carries an international selection of 30+ wines and even a few clever “mocktails” for a taste of mixology without the intoxicology.

All told, an 11-dollar cocktail is a far cry from blue collar, but Howell and company will make you feel like an old friend.

  • Attire: Downtown dapper
  • Prices: Beer, $4–$21; cocktails, $9–$14; wine, $8–$18
  • Hours: Sunday–Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Friday & Saturday, 11 a.m. to 12 a.m.
  • Happy: Monday–Friday, 4 to 7 p.m.; $5 wells, $6 classic cocktails, $7 house-bottled cocktails
  • Capacity: Dining room, 45; lounge, 60
  • Food: locally sourced Modern American cuisine
  • Cards: Yes
Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Classical Classical at The San Diego Symphony Orchestra

A concert I didn't know I needed
Next Article

Poway’s schools, faced with money squeeze, fined for voter mailing

$105 million bond required payback of nearly 10 times that amount
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader