Brunch-focused Madi opens new spot in Pacific Beach

PACIFIC BEACH A new culinary concept brunch and daytime dining has come to Pacific Beach Madi building on the success of its flagship Normal Heights restaurant in recent months opened another location at Grand Avenue in retail space formerly inhabited by Rubio s Grand Avenue Madi brings charm and fresh takes on classic breakfast and lunch dishes as well as offering inventive coffee creations and playful cocktails in a bright coastal-inspired setting From pancake stacks and signature scrambles to fresh salads sandwiches and cocktails Madi PB is designed for morning meetups leisurely lunches and weekend celebrations near the beach Madi s name is short for Madison on Park in University Heights which first opened in early Madi PB is a collaboration between Jeffrey Fink and Matt Sieve a third-generation restaurateur and former operator of Isabel s Cantina in Pacific Beach Their new restaurant is within the Grand Central retail plaza and has The Grass Skirt a Tiki bar and speakeasy with Southeast Asian cuisine as a neighbor Madi PB s -square-foot space was designed by Archisects husband-and-wife duo Dave and Anna Sindelar who also designed sister restaurants Madison on Park Madi on Adams and Sonny s Pizza serving New York-style pies which is also located on Madison Avenue The new PB restaurant s d cor is unique playing off colorful retro-revival themes while featuring natural wood textures Besides its main dining room Madi PB also offers two outdoor patios A unique vintage sound system fills the space with a curated Madi Playlist Madi PB s co-owner Fink talked about his restaurant s unorthodox business concept which is based on an East Coast model and how it blends seamlessly with the surrounding beach area Brunch is usually held on a Sunday or a holiday but we longed to give people that same experience during the day he explained We came up with a menu featuring crossover dishes with breakfast and lunch options at Madison along with chosen live jazz We also have a mimosa menu that people can enjoy on the side Fink stated they ve adapted their menus at Madison and Madi to accommodate the changing tastes of their customers We demanded to bring in a younger generation that gets up a little later in the day and has one main meal instead of two he explained This allows them to socialize So it s really more of an experience with good food good music fresh juices and different types of coffees as well as specific non-alcoholic options We ve got everything on the menu from pancakes to burgers to fish tacos in a nod to Rubio s Culinary favorites at Madi s include the Mediterranean breakfast with poached eggs the G O A T breakfast sandwich with ham egg Swiss goat cheese apricot habanero jam and peppery arugula grilled on rustic Levain bread and a selection of pancakes made with Madi partner Matt Sieve s third-generation family recipe The coconut cream pancakes at Madi PB Photo courtesy of Diana Rose Photography Madi PB features a scant new unique beach-inspired items like the Surf Shack poke bowl with cubed ahi tuna tossed in spicy poke sauce coconut cream pancakes and Baja fish tacos with battered mahi mahi Madi s brunch concept is a good fit in PB its co-owners say This is a great match in a great location explained Fink adding their PB restaurant is a little more fun a little more distinctive with better music from our designed playlist with selections on there for every generation Fink added that diners tastes are changing They have higher expectations he explained People want more of an experience It s not just about the food It s about the plate the atmosphere the music that s playing etc You can t just give them food anymore You ve got to show them a good time Madi intends to be community-centered and driven My adage is the locals pay the rent Fink declared We give back to the area We ve got a good thing going at Madi s PB with a great staff and we look forward to serving and being a part of the public That s the goal