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MISTER PARKER'S: PHOTO BY DAVID HOUT LEILA: PHOTO BY JAMES TRAN Bread Winners San Diego restaurants rise to the occasion with next-level bread service Put it alongside hummus, baba ghanoush, or a hearty soup, and it becomes a profitable menu item instead of a complimentary one. Insider hint: complimentary is not profitable. At Spago Beverly Hills, Wolfgang Puck offers a "Breadbox" for $26. It's a gorgeous handcrafted wooden box with layers and compartments filled with an abundance of artisanal breads and crackers. e selections rotate, and the last time I dined there, we happily ordered it and would have paid double. Interesting side note: Wolfgang told me the Breadbox outsells the desserts, which tells you exactly where some guests are choosing to spend their carbohydrates. Probably my favorite — and the most creative — bread presentation is at Mister Parker's at the Parker Hotel in Palm Springs. A shallow bowl with a lit candle is presented at the table. e candle itself is made through an hours-long process of cooking beef tallow with mushrooms, garlic, and thyme, which is then poured into a candle mold, creating what can only be described as edible ambiance. As the "candle" melts, it creates a pool of warm, buttery, fatty goodness in which to dip your bread. e room is dimly lit, which only adds to the drama. Is that not outrageously cool? I dine out a lot. And because I am incapable of passing up a good loaf, I've been paying particular attention to what's making its way to the table at some of our favorite area restaurants. e Salatim Platter at Leila e ultra-trendy and perennially packed Leila in North Park has created a bread-centric dish in which a variety of hummus, dips, and toppings are served with house-made pita, naan, and leavened barbari. Together, the flavors and textures are sensational, but no doubt about it — the breads are the showstoppers at Leila. I don't know about you, but there are only a few things in life I couldn't live without, and at the very, very top of that list is bread. Not cake. Not pastries. Not pies or cookies. Bread. I love it in all its savory forms, from crusty baguettes and artisanal loaves to pillowy flatbreads and even tortillas. And let's not forget a soft sandwich loaf for that perfect BLT. One of the things that has made me happiest about the restaurant business lately is watching this new generation of chefs and restaurateurs go all in on bread. And I think there are two very good reasons why. First, it's expensive to buy really good bread and resell it. Fresh bread has a painfully short shelf life, and whatever doesn't sell today sadly often winds up tomorrow as croutons or bread pudding. Second, smart chefs have figured out that house-made bread can be a destination in itself. Add a flavored butter, whipped ricotta, olive oil, or seasonal spread, and suddenly "bread service" isn't just a nice little gesture from the kitchen. It's an appetizer people will happily order — and pay for. BY TERRYL GAVRE Mister Parker's Leila Indulge dining ranchandcoast.com 72 SEPTEMBER 2026 RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE