The downtown San Diego food scene has recently been infused with a fresh taste of culinary artistry, courtesy of Adrian Mendoza's new venture, Knead Bakery. As reported by SanDiego Eater, the bakery, debuting on busy B Street at Symphony Towers, is now delighting patrons with handcrafted bread, pastries, and gourmet breakfast and lunch offerings.
With a culinary and baking pedigree of over 16 years and an Art Institute of California graduate, Mendoza has been perfecting his craft at esteemed locales such as Spago and Wayfarer Bread & Pastry. As detailed by The San Diego Union-Tribune, the bakery operates from the ground floor of Symphony Towers. It serves a range of fresh-from-the-oven creations, from the highly praised croissants to sandwiches made with the day's fresh bread.
The heart behind Knead's inception is a shared dream between Mendoza and Brian Lee, who hatched the idea after the pandemic closure of Herb & Eatery, as the San Diego Union-Tribune details. "I was in Adrian’s ear ever since 2020," Lee said, conceptualizing "Herb & Eatery 2.0." Despite the challenges of building a new establishment, Lee's support through a University of Nevada Las Vegas enterprise program fortuitously complemented Mendoza's years of kitchen expertise.
A direct line from Mendoza's culinary journey to his leadership at Knead can be traced through his mentors and previous work experiences, including Sherry Yard's tutelage at Wolfgang Puck restaurants and Crystal White at Wayfarer Bread & Pastry. His training was tough, "working in a face mask in a hot kitchen turning out 1,000 pastries a day," but it instilled in him a drive for perfection and consistency, as cited in the San Diego Union-Tribune article.
With the spirit of San Diego behind it, the bakery opens its doors on weekday mornings. It continues to serve until 3 p.m., inviting all to savor the practiced skill of a local chef's passion project turned reality.
