The 7,000-pound grill dangled from the crane like an invading mothership above Fort Stockton Drive. The operator feared it might fall into the parking garage below and punch a hole in the earth. A structural engineer had to be consulted.
Now safely in place, that obscene fire source is one of the reasons Fort Oak is a Mission Hills attraction. Chef Brad Wise and partner/GM Steven Schwob won over the city with Trust, in Hillcrest, thanks to their open-fire cooking and four-star service in less-stuffy settings.
Sixteen of the seats overlook the open kitchen—are nearly inside the kitchen—for a chef’s table experience. The menu is part seafood; with a raw bar, oyster bar, and dishes like hamachi poke and scallops aguachile; part “ancient cooking,” with dishes like hearth-roasted carrots and lamb with quail eggs.
Formerly a Ford dealership, what was once a circular showroom with Fairlanes is now a craft cocktail bar with Fernets.
1011 Fort Stockton Drive, Mission Hills fortoaksd
Fort Oak Opens in Mission Hills
Photo by Jim Sullivan
