Bun & Patti Brings Fine Dining Twist On Burgers To San Diego’s Little Italy Neighborhood

Little Italy just got a new high-end burger joint! Bun & Patti, San Diego’s new ‘fine casual’ burger restaurant, has opened its doors with the goal of setting a new standard for your burger experience!

Founded by husband and wife, Elion and Amy Prodani, and inspired by Elion’s two decades managing fine dining restaurants in Las Vegas, most recently at the Wynn Las Vegas, Bun & Patti features a counter-service menu that is approachable in the familiarity of its menu items while being high-end in execution, ingredients and design.

Bun & Patti gets its name from Amy’s mother ‘Patti’ who always served burgers with bottles of wine off the grill, creating an approachable and elevated dining experience.

Definitely not your ordinary burger

“We are looking to change how people view a burger place,” says Elion Prodani, co-owner of Bun & Patti. “Bun & Patti delivers a high-end burger not just by focusing on the ingredients and the environment but also on the technique in our preparations. With my background in fine dining, I wanted to bring this level of quality while still being approachable to everyone. ”

At the helm of Bun & Patti is Executive Chef DeShawn Washington, who brings over five years of experience in San Diego’s food scene, including time at Waterbar and NOVA.

The menu is centered around a burger blend of the upper two-thirds Angus choice chuck and brisket sourced from Gold Canyon Meat Co. and beef from Flannery Beef, a third-generation farm in Petaluma, Calif.

The 6-ounce burger patties are available in single, double, sliders or an Impossible meat vegan option and served on brioche buns, salt and pepper brioche buns, pretzel buns, and vegan sesame buns baked fresh daily from Los Angeles-based Rockenwagner Bakery.

The fine-dining execution is further showcased in hand-crafted sauces, burger toppings, salads and sides. Bacon from Baker’s Bacon, made using heritage breed pork, has been double smoked and sous-vide to melt in your mouth. Bun & Patti’s signature “secret sauce” is complex in depth and flavor, crafted with ingredients like thyme and shallots, while fine-dining staples like the wedge and chopped salad lighten up the menu.

The stars of the sides menu include crispy truffle fries and a stack of golden onion rings fried using a technique that is lighter than the Japanese-style tempura fry.

Bun & Patti menu highlights:

• Smoke Show featuring a Flannery Farm 14-day dry-aged beef patty, truffle aioli and a salt & pepper brioche bun
• Notorious B&P made with two ⅓-pound all-natural beef patties, lettuce, tomato, sautéed onions, cheddar cheese and housemade secret sauce on a toasted brioche bun
• Taste of the South featuring fried Mary’s Chicken, housemade cabbage slaw, pickled and housemade chipotle aioli on a toasted pretzel bun
• Power Bowl made with grilled Mary’s Chicken, red quinoa, cucumber, green goddess dressing, avocado, carrots, shredded kale, roasted cherry tomatoes, candied walnuts and apple cider vinaigrette

Non-burger menu options

Non-burger menu options include “Lady A’s” Chicken Wings, served with a selection of four sauces ranging from Classic Buffalo to more elevated options like Hot Honey and Garlic Parmesan, fried chicken sandwiches made with Mary’s Chicken, and fine-dining staples such as a Wedge and Chopped Salad.

A kid’s menu includes Sliders, Mac ‘n Cheese and Grilled Cheese and for dessert, Patti’s Chocolate Chip Cookie, made with soft chocolate ganache, served with housemade vanilla ice cream.

The beverage program

Bun & Patti’s beverage program allows for every type of burger experience, nostalgic with a housemade vanilla or chocolate ice cream milkshake, class with local draft beer, or high-low with a glass of wine or bubbly prosecco. Canned cocktails are poured over ice and garnished, while wines are available by the glass or bottle.

The Free Spirited section of the menu features four non-alcoholic cocktails, including Siren’s Song with Lyre’s Agave Blanco Spirit, Lyre’s Orange Sec and Hibiscus Syrup and Blood Orange Blaze, made with Lyre’s American Malt, Blood Orange Ginger Beer, and Fever Tree Blood Orange Ginger Beer.

Atmosphere inspired by bistros of Roaring 20’s

The fine-dining feel extends into the space of Bun & Patti, designed by co-owner Amy with architecture by Andy McCabe from Oceanside-based firm Tec/scape.

The interior offers an atmosphere inspired by New York bistros of the Roaring ‘20s with a French twist. The 1,500-square-foot space blends bold elements with moody and masculine colors creating its alluring environment.

See you there

Bun & Patti is located at the base of the AV8 building in San Diego’s iconic Little Italy neighborhood at 2171 Kettner Blvd. Hours include Sunday-Thursday from 11AM-9PM and Friday-Saturday from 11AM-11PM.

For more information, visit the website here and follow them on Instagram.

See you there, San Diego!