Chef Travis Swikard fell for the flavors of Greece, Spain, Italy, Morocco, the Middle East, and every place along the Mediterranean coastline during his time cooking at iconic French chef Daniel Boulud’s NYC restaurant, Boulud Sud. At Callie he brings the diversity of Mediterranean cuisines together with the ingredients and terroir of the greater San Diego region, his hometown.
Callie is greek for ‘the most beautiful.’
Callie puts the farmers, fisherman, and ingredients of the greater San Diego region at the forefront, and blends them with a Mediterranean palette. At Callie, the two come together to create light, bright, and bold flavors. Cuisine du soleil.
Space design • STUDIO UNLTD
Branding • Folklor
TRAVIS SWIKARD • CHEF/OWNER
San Diego native Travis Swikard’s professional journey officially took off in high school when a one week stage under Chef Deborah Scott turned into a four year job and his first high-end, service-oriented restaurant experience. Prior to his New York City endeavors, Travis enrolled in the New England Culinary Institute (NECI) and upon completion headed to England to join the team at Chef Phil Thompson’s renowned Auberge du Lac. In 2008 Travis returned to the States and moved to New York City to begin his journey alongside Daniel Boulud at the Michelin-starred Café Boulud. Travis subsequently was named Executive Chef of Boulud Sud where his childhood aspiration fully became a reality. In 2019, after more than a decade in NYC, Swikard made the decision to move home to San Diego to open his first solo restaurant Callie. Callie was recognized in 2022 by Esquire and Rob Report as being one of the best new restaurants in America and received a Bib Gourmand and Plate by the Michelin Guide.
ANN SIM • GENERAL MANAGER
A native Southern Californian, Ann Sim was born to parents who owned several small restaurants throughout Los Angeles and Orange County. After receiving a B.A. in Art History, she left for New York City to pursue a career in the art world but instead quickly found herself immersed in some of the city’s most highly regarded fine dining establishments. After working her way up with Daniel Boulud’s restaurants, Ann was offered the position of Captain at the esteemed Eleven Madison Park. There, she was an integral part of the team that received numerous accolades including a James Beard Award for Outstanding Service and San Pellegrino’s World 50 Best 2017 #1 Restaurant in the World. After eight years in New York, Ann relocated to Los Angeles to open The NoMad Hotel as part of the management team followed by a short time at Curtis Stone’s flagship, Maude, before moving to San Diego to join the team at Callie.
MIKE REIDY • CHEF DE CUISINE
San Diego native Mike Reidy was constantly on or around water and really drawn to fishing from a young age. After graduating from The New England Culinary Institute he began his culinary career as a Sous Chef at The Rancho Bernardo Inn, where he had previously worked as a line cook in high school. From there he went on to work as the CDC at a small French restaurant, Bellamy’s, in Escondido with Chef Patrick Ponsaty. In 2014, I left to work as the Chef of Oceana Beach Club hotel in Santa Monica with Josiah Citrin, which led to the opportunity to work at the two-star Michelin restaurant Melisse, where he started from the bottom as a line cook and was quickly promoted to a Sous Chef. In 2017, he returned to San Diego to join the team at Ironside Fish & Oyster with Chef Jason McCloud and then became the R&D chef with their restaurant group, CH projects, in 2019. He most recently served as the Executive Chef of The Fishery in Pacific Beach for the past 3 years before deciding to join the team at Callie in 2023. When Mike is not in the kitchen you can find him at a Padres Game, running along the beach with his two dogs - Zeke and Brinkley or along the waters fishing.
JAMES ROE• BARTENDER
Born and raised in Orange County, James Roe studied physics before fully realizing his interest in beautifully crafted cocktails. That realization came at the age of 21 when he would frequent The Cellar Restaurant & Spirit Room in Fullerton, observing the precision of the skilled team behind the bar before finally being offered a job there. Over the next five years at The Cellar, James honed his craft –– not only mastering classic cocktails but also producing his own ingredients such as homemade bitters, tinctures, syrups, and clarified liquids. James went on to become Bar Manager of The Cellar, which was recognized as the ‘Best Cocktail Bar’ in Orange County three years in a row. In 2018, James moved to San Diego and was offered the position of Bar Manager on the Black Rail Kitchen and Bar’s opening team where he met Travis Swikard who eventually offered him the opportunity to head the bar at Callie.
TRACY LATIMER•
SOMMELIER
Tracy Latimer grew up in a southern family accustomed to large gatherings in the kitchen, just outside of Orlando, Florida. After attending college at Brandeis University in Boston to study trade theory and econometrics along with playwriting, she visited San Diego for the first time years after graduation. She immediately fell in love with all the city had to offer and waited until the right time to make the move out west with her husband, two suitcases and a dream. That move ended up taking place in 2020 and soon after she landed at Callie. At Callie, Tracy brings a vast knowledge and appreciation for the wine industry that began learning from her aunt and uncle who were in the business and always circulated plenty of good bottles at family parties.Through Callie’s own list, Tracy’s looking forward to introducing guests to a variety of wine from throughout the Mediterranean coast as well as Southern California winemakers influenced by the terroir-driven traditions of the Mediterranean..