Supper Club is Back with Anthology Food & Music

Dinner and music, at the same time, it used to be all the rage. Back in the old days, they used to call these places supper clubs, and people flocked to them on Friday nights to score some great food and cocktails while an orchestra or big band provided a live soundtrack for the evening. It was a night's entertainment. Along with fedoras and ladies wearing gloves, supper clubs fell out of style over the years, and these days dinner's usually something to have before going out on the town. San Diego's Anthology aims to make supper clubs hip again by bringing music back to the dinner table.

Located at the south end of Little Italy, Anthology is a combination of upscale dining and intimate music venue for renowned local and international jazz, blues and world music talent. Created in the spirit of '30s and '40s supper clubs, the restaurant covers 13,000-square-feet of ground and three stories of space. Between the 30-foot ceilings and beautifully-draped walls lies a stage with some of the best acoustics of any venue on the West Coast.

Anthology is masterfully laid out so that every table is premium seating with direct sight of the stage. The lower level has rowed seating with raised tables along the edge of the floor plan, while the upper levels' tables overlook both the floor and stage from a balcony. Upper levels are part inside, part outside and include V.I.P. areas and an 18-foot fireplace in the Fireside Lounge. Everything about the design is pleasing, from the giant piano on stage, to the state-of-the-art lighting and ambiance, right down to Anthology's logo (It's a guitar! It's a plate! Sweet!).

How about the food? Anthology serves up New American fare courtesy of two kitchens; there's a lounge menu with items under $10 and main menu selections of steak, salad and seafood made from locally grown ingredients. It compliments its menu with a wine list of more than 250 options from near and far. The restaurant serves dinner from 5:30 to 9:00 p.m. and seats 300. Tickets for the musical acts serve as reservations and all seating is first-come, first-serve, so get there early.

Speaking of tickets, let's turn to the stage. There's nothing quite like biting into a delicious steak, munching on a salad or toasting a glass of red wine while enjoying some live music.

Anthology has a talented house band made up of seasoned pros who've performed with Stevie Wonder and Jason Mraz. But on most evenings, Anthology presents either local talent or top names in blues, jazz, world and rock music. Artists like Chick Corea, Michelle Shocked, Poncho Sanchez, Al Stewart, Royal Crown Revue and even Everclear have graced the stage. Performers take the stage six days a week, with occasional breaks on Sundays.

The V.I.P. area (or the entire building) can be rented out for weddings and other private functions, turning Anthology into an event space like none other. Renting out the whole joint isn't necessary to impress, just booking tickets for a table will do the trick.

Anthology-hosted events are also not-to-be missed. It's Celebrity Chefs Tours aim to take your palate to elated heights with guest chefs serving up delish dishes. On December 5, Anthology Executive Chef Todd Allison will be alongside Iron Chef famed Ryan Grant from El Bizcocho. This holiday special event will serve up food samples from main course dishes, demonstration by chocolatier Will Gustwiller from Eclipse Chocolat, and cocktails from mixologist Nathan Stanton from Noble Experiment. This powerhouse of culinary experts will be on hand to also show you recipes that you can take home to try yourself.

The combination of great food, music and ambiance makes Anthology a must-go for first dates and a great place to host out-of-towners. Plus, it's in Little Italy, so if the Anthology experience somehow leaves patrons leaving more, nightclubs, gelato and the Pacific Ocean are just a few steps from the front door. Anthology is open Tuesday through Sunday and has an upscale-casual dress code. For more information, visit Anthologysd.com.

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