Table No. 10 a meat-lovers paradise

The braised beef short rib at Table No. 10 in East Village.

The mounted faux animal heads on the walls at recently opened Table No. 10 are more than an interior decorators whimsy.

Theyre testament to the carnivores paradise that awaits on the menu of this two-story restaurant/bar that opened last July at 10th Avenue and J street in San Diegos East Village.

Table No. 10 so named for the kitchenside chefs 10-seat table on the ground floor is co-owned by executive chef Jason Gethin and restaurateur Cooper McLaughlin. Gethin came to East Village from Encinitas, where, as founding executive chef of Union Kitchen & Tap, he was widely known for his mastery with meats. With his on-site smoker and passion for braising and roasting, Gethin made Union Kitchen the place to go for bison burgers, smoked pork tenderloin and wild boar osso bucco.

Although vegetarians will find a decent number of dishes to their liking at Table No. 10, meat-eaters will be in hog heaven. Gethins new winter menu features pig ear tostadas, grilled quail, suckling pig rillettes, rabbit and grits, crispy chicken skin and chateaubriand for two. Even the fresh-baked Parker rolls are served with a tub of creamy house-made marrow butter.

The pig ear tostada at Table No. 10. / Jim Sullivan

That sits just fine with McLaughlin, who grew up hunting and fishing in Montana. A former chemist in the pharmaceutical industry, he got into the restaurant business in 2007, when he converted his old East Village loft apartment into The Corner Bar. The recession crippled business at the burger joint, and McLaughlin said he learned a lot about the industry as the economy gradually recovered. The married Mission Hills father of two closed Corner Bar last spring to convert it into Table No. 10, with an all-new kitchen designed to Gethins specifications, including an in-house smoker and a sous-vide machine.

Table No. 10 has a Western/industrial vibe, with open ceiling, metal chairs, wood tables, colorful banquettes and hanging exposed bulbs. The menu, billed as modern American fare, is presented in what looks like a medical chart with prices ranging from $4 to $16 for bites, $6 to $10 for sides, $12 to $16 for small plates and most large plates in the $22 to $28 range. But if you're really starved, there's a huge buffalo rib eye tomahawk steak for $92.

Among the many standout proteins on Gethins menu: the tender-sweet and smoky duck ragu with house-made pasta, the 24-hour braised short rib that melts in your mouth, the excellent beef tartare with quail egg and house grain mustard. And pescavores will appreciate the perfectly charred octopus with fried caper berries, the mouthwatering scallops in brown butter and the whole fish special, on my visit a delicate and moist bronzino, which the server deboned tableside.

The pig ear tostadas (essentially mounds of carnitas piled on fried pork ears) come with a lovely cilantro aioli and surprising caviar gel beads of concentrated jalapeo, but the ears were too chewy for my taste. And while the quail dish was seasoned well, it came out a little dry.

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Table No. 10 a meat-lovers paradise