Meet the Chef: Travis Swikard
Posted on September 4, 2023 by The Local Fish Team
Meet Travis Swikard, the visionary chef and owner behind Callie Restaurant in the heart of East Village. A true pioneer of San Diego’s hyper-local movement, Travis collaborates closely with local farmers and fishers throughout the county. His invaluable presence on our advisory committee is helping to drive the resurgence of local seafood in our community, fostering a stronger connection between fishers, chefs, and diners. We sat down with Travis to delve deeper into the essence of this movement.
NAME: Travis Swikard
CURRENT RESTAURANT: Callie
HOW DID YOU GET INTO COOKING?
I knew I wanted to be a chef since I was four years old. I loved cooking for my family and the heartfelt feeling of putting a smile on someone’s face. It was like giving them a piece of your heart and warmth. As I grew that heartfelt feeling evolved into a falling in love with ingredients and the process of working with my hands and developing the craft.
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE LOCAL SEAFOOD SPECIES TO WORK WITH AND WHY?
We’re fortunate as chefs to have such incredible access to fresh and local products where we know not only the true source, but the hard working people that represent it. I really love the black gill rock fish because the skin is so delicious grilled. I love the gentle skin on the sheephead. Obviously we all love our spot prawns and the white seabass right now is incredible. More than anything, to be able to use fish directly out of the water and highlight the seasonality and freshness is the most important thing. Not everyone has access to fresh and local fish the way we do here in San Diego and to have that unique access is its own local species in a way.
ANY ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE A YOUNG CHEF IN REGARDS TO SOURCING LOCAL SEAFOOD?
Take recommendations from people that you trust and build relationships with your purveyors so they understand exactly what you are looking for. Work in restaurants that are like-minded so you can see and learn what high-quality product really looks like and what your standard is. It’s important that you really build the relationships and know exactly where your fish is coming from. Get to know your fishermen and make sure they are licensed and truly fishing in local waters. They understand what the seasons are and what the product will look like over the course of a year. While you should always watch your pricing, it’s important that you understand what a local fisherman is doing to catch that fish and build it into your pricing. Understand that you are going to pay for that quality. They will get more from you than they would from a wholesaler and the product will be able to remain local. Know that buying fish directly from the source more directly supports the local community.
FAVORITE SPOT TO EAT IN SAN DIEGO WHEN YOU’RE OFF DUTY?
I love Sushi Tadokoro for lunch on a Tuesday.
