Chef Cameron Ingle confirmed his exit from Marisi as of Thursday, April 10, following General Manager Steve Schwob’s release in early March. The shakeup has also prompted several other employees to leave, raising questions about the restaurant’s direction under its new culinary leadership. Ingle, who joined Marisi in August 2023 after a notable tenure at Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York, attributed his departure to a strategic shift led by the restaurant group's culinary director, Damien Bibb.
Marisi, located in the former Whisknladle space, opened in summer 2022 as a 111-seat trattoria-style pasta restaurant, aiming to blend Italian hearth cooking with a modern lens. The restaurant, under the ownership of Eric and Alan Adler, along with their cousin Isi Lombrozo, initially garnered attention for its handmade pastas and ambitious culinary goals, with Ingle expressing hopes of earning Michelin recognition during his tenure.
However, recent events suggest a pivot in vision. Ingle's exit follows a series of challenges for the restaurant, including a kitchen fire on September 15, 2024, which forced a temporary closure after firefighters breached a wall, rupturing a water pipe and affecting neighboring businesses like Queenstown Village restaurant.
Schwob, previously a partner at Trust Restaurant Group, joined Marisi as general manager in 2023 alongside Ingle, chef de cuisine Daniel Lyon, and VP of bar and spirits Beau du Bois. The loss of both Schwob and Ingle and additional employees signals potential instability at a venue that once positioned itself as a fine-dining contender in San Diego's competitive culinary scene.
The Adler family, known for their successful Mexican restaurant chain Puesto, has not publicly commented on the changes. The shift toward a more streamlined operation under Bibb's direction could indicate a move away from Marisi’s original Michelin-star aspirations, possibly prioritizing efficiency over the seasonal, ingredient-driven approach Ingle championed.
Marisi is located at 1044 Wall Street in La Jolla. For more information, visit marisilajolla.com.
Originally published on April 11, 2025.
