San Diego Metropolitan Magazine

Chef Victor Jimenez with Onion Rings and 20oz. Bone-In Strip with Heirloom carrots. (Photo/alandeckerphoto.com)

Well, that does it. I’m moving back Downtown. In the past few years so many hip little indie-eateries have opened in Little Italy, the East Village and elsewhere in 92101 that I just can’t bear living north of the merge for one more day.

My latest foodie infatuation is with a swanky little country-themed Downtown restaurant called Cowboy Star. It is owned and operated by the husband-and-wife team (and you know how much I love that) of Jon and Angie Weber, along with chef partner, Victor Jimenez. Together the Webers have more than 30 years in the hospitality business and their experience shows. I dined three times in the restaurant’s first three weeks and they nearly had their act perfected from day one.

Jimenez is a familiar face on the local dining scene. Those of you pushing 50 remember him from Gulf Coast Grill and Thee Bungalow (back in the legendary Ed Moore days) and those of you “Me-generationers” know him from the ultra-chic Tower 23 in Pacific Beach. He meticulously runs Cowboy Star’s luxurious open kitchen from “first base,” the expediter’s station, with the ease of an old-timer and the enthusiasm of a newbie fresh out of cooking school. Ask to sit at the chef’s tasting table and take in the kitchen show.

The concept, a kitschy-classy comfortable restaurant combining American cuisine with western flair, works. Oversize leather booths, cattle-skinned walls, dark woods and a cozy fireplace create a relaxing, convivial environment.

The menu, you guessed it, features hand-cut steaks (there’s an on-site butcher shop) big game meats and a few critters.

Got a hankering for some hoof? There’s a 40-ounce “Porterhouse for Two” accompanied with creamy leek-mashed potatoes for a handsome $82. The red meat list includes well-prepared versions of favorite steakhouse offerings with the addition of a 14-ounce “Bison Ribeye”($34) and a 10-ounce marinated Wagyu “Skirt Steak” ($29).

I ordered the skirt steak on one visit and just loved it. Wonderfully flavored and perfectly cooked to medium rare, it was presented sliced on the angle with the aforementioned leek mashers looking just like a photo from the Butchery and Meats 101 training manual.

The entrée selections include a wonderful “Sausage Stuffed Organic Chicken Breast”($19). (I guess you could call it free-range, Home on The Range.) Also making a great selection are the “Pan Seared Duck Breast” ($22), a “Rosemary Grilled Lamb Loin”($28) and a “Crispy-Skinned Guinea Hen” ($21).

In the “critter” category Jimenez does a “Long-Braised Rabbit Leg” ($26), served with carrot risotto and a pancetta verjus emulsion. This is a good dish and a great way to experience rabbit as this preparation is super tender and not too gamy.

I am overjoyed that Cowboy Star is serving lunch Monday through Friday. In addition to a few smaller versions of their entrées the menu includes an awesome version of “Fish and Chips” ($14), The “Cowboy Burger” ($11) and a “Bison Burger” ($12). All are worth the nap you’ll want to take once you get back to the office.

Jimenez also offers Sunday Brunch, a very aggressive move in any restauranteur’s book. Hang in there, pardner, you’ll get to rest once things settle down in about six months!