With the release of “Top Gun: Maverick,” moviegoers everywhere are excited to revisit the San Diego area onscreen for more adventures from Tom Cruise’s Maverick. Although moviegoers won’t be getting back together with Cruise’s love interest Charlie, played by Kelly McGillis, visitors to Oceanside, Calif. can now visit the site of her cute cottage — and eat some pie while they’re there.
In the original film, flight instructor Charlie lived in an adorable oceanfront Victorian known as the Graves house that was so sweet, she even stayed there during filming. The petite 1887 cottage has now been moved a few hundred feet from its original location to the grounds of Oceanside’s recently-opened Mission Pacific Resort, where it houses High Pie, a “Top Gun”-themed pie shop along the beachfront promenade. Developers S.D Malkin committed to save the house while constructing the beach resort, restoring the dilapidated bungalow to its original sky blue color.
On a recent afternoon, tourists were lining up in front of the newly-opened cottage to taste the apple and cherry mini hand pies ahead of the “Top Gun: Maverick‘s” release. High Pie was conceived by Tara Lazar of F10 Creative, the group behind Palm Springs favorites like Cheeky’s and Mr. Lyons. Why pie? “I decided on pie because I feel it personifies Americana at its finest. Just like ‘Top Gun,’ the military, Victorian architecture — pie feels like a great common denominator to bring these American adorations together,” Lazar says.
Decorated with photos of Maverick and Charlie, antiques and vintage art and furniture, High Pie also offers ice cream-stuffed hand pies, cherry soda and apple kombucha. The pies are gluten free, and can be served with sauces like sea salt caramel and lemon curd.
Lazar is also behind High/Low restaurant, the oceanfront spot on the ground floor of the Mission Pacific. Cheeky’s fans will appreciate the “wave of bacon,” and High/Low’s hearty breakfasts and lunches break through beach fog with spicy BLTs, fried chicken sandwiches and crispy Hawaiian fried rice.
In the evening, the hotel’s upscale Valle Restaurant combines a deep selection of wines from Baja’s up-and-coming Valle de Guadalupe region with a modern Mexican tasting menu from Roberto Alcocer, chef at Baja’s Malva.
Just across the street, sister hotel Seabird is all nautical charm and cheery reds, blues and yellows as opposed to Mission Pacific’s groovy earth tones. As at Mission Pacific, the hotel provides surfboard storage, the better to take advantage of Oceanside’s reliable, beginner-friendly swells. For a special dinner, let the ebullient chef at Seabird’s Piper Restaurant explain the nood-focused tasting menu at the pasta bar. A full-service spa, children’s activities and art program featuring works by local visual artists round out the resort’s offerings.
With its long military history, Oceanside hasn’t always been top of mind for beach vacations. But the unpretentious town is just two hours from L.A. — even easier on the train — with a burgeoning art and restaurant scene. Visitors can check out the California Surf Museum and the Oceanside Museum of Art, which is housed in an original building from noted architect Irving Gill, who designed several other 1920s-era buildings in the historic center.
When in Oceanside, come for pie at the “Top Gun” house, stay for the surf and ocean views.
