Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Pan.
Hi Eric, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I moved to San Diego from NYC 5 years ago for a change in scenery. I had a background in food service, working in NYC as a server for 3 years before moving out here. San Diego is where I met Cesarina and Niccolo who, after about 3 months of living together, opened a restaurant and invited me to work for them. I started as a food runner and worked my way up to server before finding myself behind the bar pouring wine and making a couple cocktails we had before our full liquor license came in.
About a year ago, we received our liquor license in full, and I expressed an interest in becoming a bartender. We hired an experienced bar manager, and two of the servers, along with me, started training to become bartenders for 3 weeks; we learned the basics of bartending and opened the bar to immediate success.
Unfortunately, after about a month, the new bar manager had to leave, and Niccolo appointed me to be the new head bartender. I started to research liquor fell in love with amaro and, bitters, and Italian liqueurs. I bought books, talked to other bartenders, and started experimenting with making my own cocktail menu.
I was also fortunate enough to take a two-week trip to visit Italy (Venice, Rome, Amalfi) to see Cesarina and do some research on Italian drinks. I drank local amaros and learned about regional flavors and produce to use in cocktails.
For the summer, I managed to create 4 new cocktails of my own, which started with a vermouth and genepy-based spritz (Lo Spritz Granata), a pink peppercorn and grapefruit-based cocktail (Parenti Serpenti), an alpine amaro-based cocktail (Non-Essere Cattivo) and a play on a manhattan with pastis and amari (Manatta). The names were also mainly derived from classic Italian movies!
Now coming up on one year in the bar I’m working on my second cocktail menu, diving deep into amari and Italian gin, and hoping to bring an Italian twist to some classics!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
There have definitely been some challenges. Chief among them is learning to run a bar. Keep a team on track, keep the bar well stocked, and the tastes interesting and consistent. My primary goal is to keep my team of bartenders happy and focused on creating quality cocktails that are consistent and delicious.
It has also been interesting and challenging to learn along the way about all manner of spirits from scratch. Every door that opens in terms of knowledge opens up to a whole new set of doors of things to learn about. The more you know, the more you realize there is to know.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am the head bartender at Cesarina Pasta in Point Loma
My specialty is Italian liquors and bitters.
We are known for fresh handmade pasta that you can see being made in front of you.
I am most proud of the people I work with. It’s so interesting to grow together and to gain knowledge separately and then bring it together to create a space of our own. We are a small team, but we love our craft!
What sets us apart from others is the trust we give and are given. We have a space to grow and experiment and are always told that every challenge is an opportunity. The main thing that sets me apart is not that I work harder; it’s that I love what I do, and I always want to learn more. It’s incredible to work in an environment that you can create something and have the support of friends.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
People can share their findings and share their love of amaros with me.
They can support me by visiting Cesarina and coming to the bar to visit me or my team.
Pricing:
- $13 for cocktails
- $10-$14 for amaros
Contact Info:
- Website: https://cesarinarestaurant.com/
- Instagram: Cesarina Pasta
Image Credits
Arlene Ibarra
