On the tail end of a week celebrating their sixth year as a staple South Park eclectic bistro, Vagabond recently announced the addition of executive chef Paul Niles.

The world traveler was named best chef by The Beacon in 2009-2010 and went on to spend a year as Chef de Cuisine for the renowned Tribeca Grill in Manhattan.

Niles has now returned to his San Diego roots, where he previously opened Ra Sushi in the Gaslamp and worked stints at Paradise Point Resort and Spa on Mission Bay and Blue Point Coastal Cuisine.

“During that time I was able to hone my craft under a great mentor and friend, Chef Jonathan Hale,” says Niles. “After spending that year with Jonathan, the Cohns asked me to take over as Executive Chef for Thee Bungalow in Ocean Beach.”

For more on Vagabond, see Naomi Wise’s 2009 review in which she asked, “Where else can you eat something even slightly interesting south of Switzer Canyon?”

Three years later, the rhetoric of the question remains.

Vagabond - 2310 30th Street – South Park