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Posted date: 2/18/2008 Rollin’ in Dough
As the old saying goes, if you’re not successful the first time around, try and try again. In the case of Jon Mangini, a former hospitality company executive who dreamed of opening his own restaurant, it took nine tries. “I always wanted to go it on my own,” said Mangini, 34. “But each time something stopped me in my tracks.” That was before he struck on the idea for Basic Urban Kitchen + Bar, which opened in spring 2006 near Petco Park in a converted Tenth Avenue warehouse and specializes in thin-crust, brick-oven pizza ala the little Italian bistros he hung out in as a kid growing up in Connecticut. Serving a simple menu of pies with a variety of toppings and libations in a fashionably gritty environment where garage-style doors open up to brick walls and concrete floors, Basic — a pioneer in the redeveloped industrial district — has a mixed clientele of baseball fans, tourists and others out for a night on the town. “This place is its own billboard because 30,000 to 40,000 people pass by here going to and from the games, and those who don’t come in when they see we’re packed, return later,” he said. Right Location Sales that jumped to $3 million in 2007 from $1.8 million in the first year would attest to that. As with any restaurant venture, selecting the right location was extremely important. But Mangini, who found 10 equity investors to help bring the dough to the table to open Basic, was wise to avoid following in the footsteps of other downtown restaurateurs and club owners, said Heidi Hageman, his publicist. “He foresaw the shift happening in the Gaslamp Quarter nightlife scene,” she said. “Restaurants and clubs were overdoing themes.” While many say downtown is saturated with night spots, more keep popping up. Yet Mangini said he didn’t want his to among the trendier ones whose shelf life expires when newer and bigger operators come on the scene. There are a couple flat-screen TVs hanging on a wall behind the main bar, however he didn’t want Basic to be a sports bar with an appeal limited to baseball season. “I’m the little guy in the corner who has a concept that I think people will like just as much, but in a different way,” he said. His corner of the world is growing, however. San Diego Metropolitan © 2007 All Rights Reserved. Indies Flavor The Urban Food Scene
Basic Urban Kitchen And Bar
Downtown’s booming East Village is home to one “newbie” where less definitely means more. Basic Urban Kitchen and Bar opened this year without much ado. In fact, during its construction, I probably walked by and peered in the windows at least five times wondering what in the heck was going on. The space, which has been pegged “hard-edged” or “cold” by some, and “minimalist” by many, is truly Downtown’s anti-club. The sparsely furnished room has high ceilings, a concrete floor, clean lines and only a trace of color. This no-frills corner hangout was handmade by its owner Jon Mangini. Originally from the East Coast and formerly in construction, Mangini worked with architect Graham Downes to create his vision of a bar that is industrial and edgy, yet still warm and inviting. Even with a few hard edges, Basic has a huge female following. The one-page menu offers only one thing: pizza. Thin-crusted East Coast-style pies come in two varieties and toppings are sold separately. There’s the “Red Pie” (marinara) with and without mozzarella and the “White Pie” (Parmesan and garlic) with and without mozzarella. Additional toppings include mushrooms, roasted red peppers, eggplant and artichoke hearts, allowing you to pick and choose. Basic offers a full bar and a large variety of bottled and draft beer to wash down your pie. Go early on game days and keep your eyes peeled when trying to locate it — the converted warehouse has only an inconspicuous metal sign distinguishing it from other warehouses in the area. The New York Times Travel Section
“Despite the fashionable outposts, the East Village’s transformation is still a work in progress...But a few bars and late-night restaurants have already opened, and more are likely. Among the most popular is the Basic Urban Kitchen and Bar (410 10th Avenue, 619-531-8869; www.barbasic.com), which draws the flip-flop and stiletto sets until 2 a.m. on weekends. Housed in a former warehouse, it has shag rugs made from old bicycle tires, New Haven-style pizza and $5 pints of pale ale from Stone, a local microbrewery. “People said I was crazy for coming here,” said Jon Mangini, an owner of Basic, who built most of the bar with his own hands. “And here we are, a packed neighborhood bar, even if most of the neighborhood isn’t here yet.”
Edward O’Connor Copyright © 2006. Basic — San Diego Pizza & Beer Review The first in a series of reviews of places to grab a pizza and some beer here in San Diego. In this installment, I review Basic, a swanky pizza place in the Gaslamp. 410 10th Ave. San Diego, CA 92101 Basic is this very cool, spacious pizza spot downtown ... With a full bar, free pool, and great pizza toppings (mashed potato? Yes!), Basic’s very high on my list of Gaslamp places to frequent. The space is strikingly open — even when crowded, there’s plenty of room to get around in. It’s divided into two main areas, one more bar-like, and the other more restaurant-like. There’s no functional difference — they’ll come around and take your pizza and drink orders in either section. Their pizzas come in two sizes, but don’t be fooled by their names — the "small" is plenty big enough for 3 people. Their selection of toppings is fairly small, but they’ve got all of the essentials, in addition to a few surprising ones, such as the aforementioned mashed potato. The pies come out thin, floppy, and oh-so-yummy — crispy pizza fans may want to look elsewhere. The beer selection is fairly small, but anyplace with Stone Pale Ale and Guinness on tap is good in my book, and they make up for it by having a fully-stocked bar (though Erin discovered that they don’t do mojitos). I’ll have to remember to revise this review next spring — Basic is right near Petco Park, and is probably quite a bit busier during baseball season.
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BASIC
410 TENTH AVENUE, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101
T: 619.531.8869 F: 619.531.8870
 Photo Dennis Reiter  Photo Dennis Reiter  |