Urban Solace, a North Park staple known for its innovative dishes and all-around cool vibe, is abruptly shuttering this week, the restaurant’s chef and owner announced Tuesday.
Restaurateur Matt Gordon posted the heartbreaking news on social media, writing, in part: “We have come to the very difficult decision that Solace Restaurants have run their course here in San Diego.”
Gordon said Urban Solace’s final night in business would be Wednesday. His spinoff eatery – Solace & the Moonlight Lounge in Encinitas – will also shutter on the same night.
“It has been an uphill battle for quite some time now, and it's just time to move on,” Gordon wrote in a message posted on Facebook. “We love you all and thank you and San Diego in general for the wonderful 12 years that we were able to live out our dreams.”
Gordon went on to invite patrons to help “empty the bar and pantry” Wednesday night at Urban Solace, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., and at Solace & the Moonlight Lounge from 7:30 p.m. to close. On the final night of service, Gordon said he’ll offer 25 percent off the bill at each eatery.
Urban Solace, located on 30th Street in the heart of North Park, opened in 2007, and is credited with being one of the foundational restaurants that turned that pocket of uptown San Diego into a hub for foodies.
"North Park is losing one of its longtime independent chef and owners and a restaurant that helped to define the dining culture of 30th Street," Candice Woo, editor of Eater San Diego, told NBC 7 Tuesday.
At the end of 2018, Eater San Diego reported the restaurant had undergone a major revamp, adding breakfast service and rewriting its dinner menu.
Gordon’s mission has long been to create dishes with natural, sustainable ingredients. Some standouts on the menu include Gordon’s “Damn Good Cinnamon Roll” – available only on Saturday and Sunday for breakfast or brunch – and dishes like the Seared Sea Scallops, Hand-Cut Steak Tartare and the Pork Belly Pancakes.
In addition to its food, locals will likely remember Urban Solace for its charming interior, including the large photo of Will Ferrell’s San Diego-centric “Anchorman” character, Ron Burgundy, staring back at patrons from behind the bar.
Seven years ago, Gordon spoke at a star-studded restaurateur panel about the San Diego dining scene and where he saw it heading.
“The forward growth of the industry has really put San Diego on the map culinarily,” he said.
