395038 Tue Apr 24 12:23:22 -0700 2007 79 3 California 0 2510917 Please help a poor San Franciscan relocating to SD. What are the top ten restaurants in the immediate San Diego area regardless of price, etc? I feel lost with Gary Bauer et al. Tue Apr 24 12:23:22 -0700 2007 93917 danimal69 1 2511017 Did you mean Michael Bauer? Just to let you know your post is going to generate quite a bit of "San Diego restaurants suck" blah blah blah. If you did mean restaurant reviewers there are some competent ones in the SD;generally not at the UT (but please don't boot my answer for talking about restaurant reviewers chowhound mods...) But here are my tops in no particular order: Marine Room (money no object La Jolla) Taco Surf (San Diego style clean taco shop--in Pacific Beach) Jaunitas (Encinitas) Waterfront (downtown/little italy neighborhood old old bar with great hamburgers--some people don't like their fries but I think that they are tasty) Oceanaire (downtown) Cafe Chloe (East Village) Modus (Banker's Hill--lots of detractors but I like the vibe and the food) South Beach (Ocean Bach Great fish tacos etc...I personally like the fried oyster tostada. Its not on the menu I just asked them to make it. Amazing.) Laurel (Banker's Hill--happy hour Lamby Joes I am addicted at the moment) Tue Apr 24 12:51:15 -0700 2007 2510917 50314 jturtle 2 2511401 jturtle, I like your posts so don't take this personally, but I have to say that the Waterfront is to hamburgers what Saffron is to Thai food -- somehow it got a reputation for great food when it has awful food. I mean, are those buns from the highschool cafeteria? I'm pretty sure the patties are from the Von's freezer. Tue Apr 24 14:15:45 -0700 2007 2511017 72564 mangiatore 3 2511603 I knew one of those restaurants was going to create some sort of response... Clearly your Vons has better burgers then my Vons. When I go to the Waterfront I generally sit at the bar and watch them form my patty's sometimes they are misshapen and don't fit on the bun (hence why I am pretty sure they are actually making them in the back) but they are always well seasoned and nice and drippy. Sometimes they are a wee bit too drippy but if I am going to go sit at a divey bar I am okay with a little too drippy. OP didn't put down his neighborhood so I threw out my neighborhood bar where I get a good solid hamburger on a Wednesday night. Sometimes I get chili cheese fries as I think they are good there too. I wasn't saying it is the culinary masterpiece of San Diego but for being a neighborhood bar it does a fairly decent burger. Perhaps if I lived in PB I would attempt to go to Rocky's enough to figure out why everyone thinks that is the best burger. It just seemed that OP was looking for suggestions for good solid food not stuff to rival SF and every now and then a neighborhood joint is what you are looking for. Tue Apr 24 15:04:50 -0700 2007 2511401 50314 jturtle 3 2513443 IMHO the Texas burger with cheese and grilled onions is one of the better burgers in town; I do fall into the camp that thinks their fries suck. Wed Apr 25 07:53:30 -0700 2007 2511401 31795 ibstatguy 3 2514195 I have found that Saffron provides fantastic food. We go there often and they are also great for take out. The owner offers daily specials and she often on site overseeing the quality of the food. Wed Apr 25 11:16:13 -0700 2007 2511401 21396 normalheightsfoodie 4 3041424 NOrmal---Finally something that you say that i can Agreee with. All i have to say is that you need to go to saffron get Two Thighs of roast Chicken over red Rice with that Peanut Sauce. For 7$ is is the best fast meal in San diego. Saffron rocks!!! Tue Oct 16 20:58:33 -0700 2007 2514195 61494 foodforthought 3 3172755 For my money, I like Hodads in OB. One of the best hamburgers in town. Also I am surprised no one mentioned Perrys - down by the Old Town train station for breakfast. Just great. Always crowded and very good. What Say? Sun Dec 02 10:55:46 -0800 2007 2511401 147230 wcarpenter 4 3174976 Perry's actually get mentions on the SD breakfast threads as they come up. Some people don't like it because they don't think it's "quality" enough. Personally, I love the place (and the one in El Cajon too), their hash browns are wonderful, some of the best straight up hash browns in town. Those line cooks and waitresses certainly earn their wages! I think breakfast is the one meal where San Diego really does outshine San Francisco. I don't think Perry's is quite what the OP had in mind, but there really isn't much like Perry's in San Francisco. Mon Dec 03 08:42:37 -0800 2007 3172755 10506 DiningDiva 5 3175040 I think I'm going down to Perry's right now...it has been too long! Mon Dec 03 09:00:14 -0800 2007 3174976 31795 ibstatguy 6 3175276 Have some hash browns for me :-). Their coffee is pretty good too. Mon Dec 03 10:03:24 -0800 2007 3175040 10506 DiningDiva 7 3259351 They sure do know how to cook their hashbrowns. This'll probably freak some people out, but lately I've been ordering a side of hashbrowns with a side of the Jus for the French Dip, which I pour over the hashbrowns. Thu Jan 03 20:16:31 -0800 2008 3175276 10128 KirkK 4 3256766 Perry's is one of the few restaurants where I'm willing to wait a long time for my meal. They're one of the few places that have waffles done in the classic style, not Belgian. I'm not a fan of Belgian waffles because they're too fluffy and, when topped, become very soggy. Perry's makes a fantastic waffle and the coffee is good, so I'm a happy camper. I realized that I replied to this thread in April 2007... funny thing is that I'd probably have a different list 8 months later. Thu Jan 03 09:06:10 -0800 2008 3172755 93901 geekyfoodie 1 2511389 Good luck my friend. SF is one of the best cities in the country for food, SD is one of the worst. Quick Tips: - avoid the Gaslamp - avoid Hillcrest (with a few exceptions) - manage your expectations Here are some places I like because I don't feel like I'm getting ripped off: Wine Sellar - excellent all around. Ignore the fact that you're in a tech. park in Mira Mesa. Sushi Ota - excellent (if you sit at the sushi bar) Park House Diner - excellent breakfast Amarin Thai Morton's - I'm not a steak expert, but the Porterhouse was one of the best things I've tasted in SD. Golden Dragon - good for the price Spices Thai - lunch specials are good for the price Izakaya Sakura - not as good as people say, but good. South Beach - for fish/lobster tacos, vodka oyster shooters, good/cheap beer Buon Appetito - not bad. I didn't feel like I got ripped off. Pomegranate - Georgian-Russian restaurant in Northpark. Ironically, it serves some of the best food around. Cafe Chloe - great food, great beer list Sushi Ono - great modern sushi (go to Ota for nigiri, here for creative roles) Tue Apr 24 14:13:04 -0700 2007 2510917 72564 mangiatore 2 2511563 I think that Hillcrest (I know that you wrote with a few expections) has some very good restaurants which are very much underappreciated and often some of the best in SD for what they do, so I really wouldn't avoid Hillcrest. In compariosn to other parts of SD Hillcrest has higher number of good restaurants: California Cuisine Terra Mama Testa Extraordinary Dessert Kous Kous (haven't tried it yet but heard very good things about) Pizza Nova Tue Apr 24 14:55:53 -0700 2007 2511389 13239 honkman 1 2511461 I will have to agree with my fellow Chowhounds. Being from SF, you will be disappointed w/ the food here. However, there are a few gems. It's more than ten, the first ten being my fav. ten. Jacks La Jolla Nine-Ten Donovans Steakhouse China Max - good new Hong Kong cooking Molly's Taka - I know, it's downtown, and pricy, but it's really good sushi The Linkery Buga Korean BBQ (I hear SF has some bad Korean food) Emerald - good dim sum Rocky's in PB for burgers Laurel - good happy hour Kensington Grill - ok food, good "neighborhood eatery" vibe Sushi Ota - the other really good high end sushi spot in SD Modus - ok food, good vibe, probably the best thing is that the kitchen is open late Fresh Restaurant (haven't been in a while, but last visit was good) Buon Appetito Taste of Thai Cafe Chloe - ok food, good vibe Good luck. Tue Apr 24 14:31:02 -0700 2007 2510917 23317 JKP 2 3333405 For Chinese try Dumpling Inn on Convoy north of Balboa. Always a line, no reservations, big portions. If you call ahead they'll put your name on the list so you don't have to wait as long. Bring your own beer. Fri Jan 25 15:23:32 -0800 2008 2511461 32271 Bobierto 1 2511647 I'm from LA, love to go to SF to eat...Clemintine, Del Fina, Hog Island... Many ok meals in SD (My brother lives there. ) I've enjoyed Laurel and Vagabond the most. Laurel: beautiful room, great service, nice wine list, great cocktails...I guess, by reading the other posts, I must try the happy hour. Vagabond was perfect every time. I'm all about food more than hoopla. The place is small the food is amazing but it can get pretty crowded. If you love wine, all the dishes are worth bringing a special bottle from your cellar but you may not need too (keep in mind, this is not formal dining, this is more like when one of you high-end wine-friends cooks an amazing dinner and cracks open some great bottles type-o-place)...the wine list is extensive with no snobbery, point chasing, or lable-whore-ishness involved. There are the perfect mussles and fries, an incredible Cassoulet (sp?), and many other dishes and beyond-good desserts. I've never had a bad meal there. I prefer sitting at the bar because the people pouring are passionate about the wine-if you are adventuous they will help you explore...plenty of wines by the glass each night. The owners are very friendly and like to see their guest comfortable...one night, while sitting at the bar, I kicked of my Jimmy Choos, and crossed my legs in my seat...the owner came over and I thought he was going to ask me to put my shoes back on...instead, he said: "Now that's what I like to see, a lady who feels comfortable enough here to kick off her shoes to enjoy her dinner." and of course, it was another perfect meal. Tue Apr 24 15:15:54 -0700 2007 2510917 93485 tatertotsrock 1 2511653 I lived in San Diego for 6 years before moving to the Midwest. We go back to visit every year, and here are my 'must' stops: *Laurel-heavenly, with a price to match *Trattoria Acqua-La Jolla Cove, warm, cozy, great food & view *Rubios & La Salsa, cheap and good eats. I'm still trying to find fish tacos around here that compare!! *The Cheese Shoppe in La Jolla-get sandwiches to go and take them to the beach or cliffs with a bottle of vino *Sbicca-Del Mar great food, great wine and great area; book the wine room for a group *Pannikin's-for breakfast and fabulous Mexican Mochas! The location in Solana Beach has more ambience. Hope that helps fill your belly with happiness! Tue Apr 24 15:17:20 -0700 2007 2510917 93968 tastebudtart 1 2511667 Also forgot to mention Hash House A Go-Go in Hillcrest. The portions are HUGE, so go to share or prepare to take home! Tue Apr 24 15:20:21 -0700 2007 2510917 93968 tastebudtart 1 2511819 You might look into these two older discussions to understand a little bit about this general opinion about this topic: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/391745 (look for the posts from rotochicken which summarize pretty much the general opinion) http://www.chowhound.com/topics/368761 Tue Apr 24 16:04:07 -0700 2007 2510917 13239 honkman 1 2511870 You are probably going to get many differing opinions with respect to the top ten, but there will be some consensus on a few favorites. Here are some of mine - I also have a longer list on my blog, at www.aliceqfoodie.com (it's on the sidebar.) Neighborhood Gems: Cafe Chloe The Guild The Linkery Jayne's Gastropub Modus (mixed, but I love their duck confit) Vagabond (same, but I love their moules frites) Fine Dining: Jack's La Jolla (actually either the fine dining or the grille) Tapenade 1500 Ocean Market Parallel 33 Chive Quick Takeout/Ethnic: Dao Son K Sandwiches (bahn mi) Mama's Lebanese Soltan Banoo Mama Testa El Zarape El Pescador Hodad's The Cheese Shop Breakfast/Lunch Cafes Bread and Cie Con Pane Cantina Panaderia Parkhouse Eatery Brockton Villa (only for breakfast) Rebecca's Coffeehouse in Golden Hill Influx Coffee House in Golden Hill Pannikin in Del Mar (in the Flower Hill Mall - Bookworks) As far as press - there are the other local food blogs (there's a list on mine), www.sandiego.eats.it.com, these boards (of course!), the Reader, and San Diego Citybeat. Welcome - and have fun exploring!! Tue Apr 24 16:22:42 -0700 2007 2510917 11803 Alice Q 2 2512176 Not sure what Chowhound is doing to my parentheses (sp?) but I tried to fix it and cannot. What I wanted to say is there is another thread here: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/314261 that you may also find helpful. It's a few months old, but it was from another person looking for the best San Diego has to offer. Tue Apr 24 17:58:59 -0700 2007 2511870 11803 Alice Q 2 2512966 looks like my link broke - it's www.sandiego.eats.it - the comma screwed it up. Wed Apr 25 00:50:40 -0700 2007 2511870 11803 Alice Q 2 3047805 Jack's La Jolla is joke when it comes to dining...it turns into a giant night club at 9pm Thursday through Saturday..It's loud and generally to food is half ass and the wine list is etremely over priced. Save your time and money people Thu Oct 18 15:53:27 -0700 2007 2511870 135752 san diego 3 3214151 I agree, a bit over rated. Sun Dec 16 20:51:48 -0800 2007 3047805 91951 mcmama 1 2512666 Price no object and in no particular order: Market Tapenade Jack's La Jolla Fine Dining Room Oceanaire AR Valentien Nine-Ten Cavaillon El Bizcocho Slightly downwards in price... Modus Terra Parallel 33 (although I haven't been for a while) Cafe Chloe Steakhouses: Donovan's Flemings' Cheap, ethnic and good: KirkK's blog, www.mmm-yoso.typepad.com is the best and most accurate critique of all things Asian. Buga Korean BBQ Ba Ren Izakaya Sakura Tofu House on Convoy Yakitori K-1 Chopstix Phoung Trang Pho T Cali Edo Sushi Sushi Ota Mama Testa's El Cuervo Punjabi Tandoori Sitar for breakfast places: The Cottage Mission Coffee Cup Ricky's (for dutch apple pancake only) Terra Keep in mind that SF has way better dim sum and more good Asian food in general. SF is a food haven, SD is behind the curve but getting slowly (key word) better. Sbicca's food is inconsistent and overrated. I tried it so many times, really wanting to like it but it fell flat in some way every time. It survives b/c it's in Del Mar. I've found The Winesellar and Brasserie's food to be underseasoned every time I'm there. They have an amazing wine selection, which maybe makes up for the food aspect, but I haven't been quite blown away by the food itself. I think Spices Thai (at least the one in Carmel Valley), is Americanized and lacks the kick, balanced flavors and freshness that makes good Thai food. If you're into cheese, there's a great cheese shop in Del Mar--Aniata Cheese Shop. They also carry Vosges chocolate bars. Tue Apr 24 21:02:10 -0700 2007 2510917 10853 daantaat 1 2512810 Greetings: I grew up in NY and lived in the SF area (Marin) and you will be disappointed if you try to compare SD to the Bay Area....however, I would listen to what Alice Q has to say--she knows her shiite. Couple of other places I would to this wonderful woman's list (whom I have not had the pleasure of meeting yet...BTW, was glad she had a chance to finally check out Delfina): 3rd Corner Wine Bar & Bistro in Ocean Beach (outstanding) The Vine (Wine bar with food in Ocean Beach (good) Red Pearl Kitchen in Downtown--excellent Asian food, emphasis on Chinese Baci--best Italian in all San Diego--across from Seaworld Hilton on Morena Blvd. Sadaff--best Persian in SD. 2 locations--5th Ave/Gaslamp and La Jola Athens Market--best Greek in SD; located on 1st Ave across from Horton Plaza Jordan Restaurant--in Tower 23 Hotel in Pacific Beach--cool ambience, organic food Apertivo--Italian tapas in North Park (30th & University)....very good, inexpensive Luigi's--excellent NY Style pizza by the slice, In Golden Hill Brazil by the Bay--good Brazilian (prato feito--not churrascaria) in Pt. Loma Dobsons--traditional cuisine (mussels bisque, meat, seafood) in Horton Plaza Tue Apr 24 22:16:28 -0700 2007 2510917 12138 El Chevere 2 2512843 Also, forgot to add....they finally have a decent Indian restaurant in SD called Royal India in downtown (4th and Market)....excellent lunch buffet with tastey food....every other Indian restaurant in SD I've been to has been bland tasting. This one actually has the right spices and is good. Great for lunch and good for dinner. Tue Apr 24 22:30:51 -0700 2007 2512810 12138 El Chevere 1 2512961 If you want a great dessert place where you can enjoy some exquisite pastry confections over a rich cup of coffee and good conversation, check out Extraordinary Desserts in Hillcrest/Balboa Park area. And, for coffee, nothing beats Pacific Bean at the very end of Garnet near the Pier in Pacific Beach. Make sure to get the homemade chocolate whip cream on top of whatever you are ordering. So yummy!!! Wed Apr 25 00:39:08 -0700 2007 2510917 94053 frostbitn99 2 2515572 For coffee, I'm partial to Caffe Calabria in North Park. Their Viennese latte with honey and cinnamon is wonderful. Wed Apr 25 17:10:46 -0700 2007 2512961 24126 amyzan 3 2515647 There is nothing even close to Caffe Calabria for coffee in SD. Wed Apr 25 17:37:29 -0700 2007 2515572 13239 honkman 4 2525254 How is their pastry selection or do they just serve coffee only. Sun Apr 29 11:27:31 -0700 2007 2515647 12138 El Chevere 5 2526491 Pastry selection is decent, but I don't think it's their "thing". Twigg's pastry selection is better, but their coffee sucks. I think caffe Calabria is better on the savory selections, i.e. panini's etc., than they are for the pastries. The pastries are just fine, but nothing to write home about, or that will send you to the moon and back. Sun Apr 29 20:48:41 -0700 2007 2525254 10506 DiningDiva 4 3256395 amen, brother. We tasted every damn cup of coffee in San Diego before we found it. Thu Jan 03 07:20:34 -0800 2008 2515647 154091 pickypicky 1 2513461 just a couple to add to the very good suggestions already offered: Addison (was in again last night and remain impressed); sushi - Nobu in Solana Beach Wed Apr 25 07:58:32 -0700 2007 2510917 31795 ibstatguy 1 2514512 Here's my 2 cents, although I'm no help when it comes to high-end stuff. Barbarella (La Jolla) Apertivo (North Park) Ranchos (North Park... there are a couple more locations, but I'm not sure where) Lefty's Chicago Pizzeria (North Park) Dumpling Inn (Clairemont Mesa) Jamillah Garden (Clairemont Mesa) Pizza Port (Solana Beach) China Max (Clairemont Mesa) Yoshi Sushi (Mira Mesa) Phuong Trang (Clairemont Mesa) San Diego Chicken Pie Shop (North Park... maybe more Normal Heights?) The Linkery (North Park) Big Kitchen (South Park) Gulf Coast Grill (North Park) It really depends on where you're moving to. I live in the North Park area and there's a mailing that goes out every three months or so. It contains coupons to a ton of local restaurants, so we use those often to try new places. If it's not great, at least we didn't pay full price for it. My friends and I also do lots of happy hours and the lower prices don't apply to the full menu, it's a great way to get an idea of the quality of the food without dropping a lot of money on it. I'm an LA native, so I know how you feel in terms of food choices. However, San Diego does surprise on occasion. If you look hard enough, there's usually something. Good luck with the move and welcome! Wed Apr 25 12:34:17 -0700 2007 2510917 93901 geekyfoodie 1 3041725 If you're relocating to San Diego, you might want to expand your dining choices from just San Diego. There is something to be said about having some atmosphere when you dine as well as the food, which means you may have to stray a bit from San Diego proper. I don't think you will be disappointed in any of the following: Oceanaire - downtown Remingtons - downtown Jakes - Del Mar (for the beach ambiance) George's - La Jolla Peohe's - Coronado (for the stunning view of the San Diego skyline and some pretty consistent food choices) Mille Fleurs - Rancho Santa Fe Wed Oct 17 02:34:13 -0700 2007 2510917 133818 LisaSD 1 3047134 Tapenade and J Six for white table cloth. Tapenade is in La Jolla, and J Six is in the Gaslamp. Izakaya Sakura and Sushi Ota for sushi. Izakaya is nearly impossible to find, but well worth the effort. This is a very traditional sushi house and they will not prepare americanized sushi. Sushi Ota is more americanized, but they serve quality food and the atmosphere is a bit more raucous. The Linkery, Parallel 33, Vagabond, and The Guild for small-casual-neighborhood. The Linkery is doing handmade sausage, oraganic produce, and REALLY good beer. Parallel 33 makes food from the, well, 33rd Parallel. The Guild is doing the foam bit. South Beach Bar and Grill for Fish Tacos and the OB vibe. Cafe Chloe for quaint French. The service at Cafe Chloe is a tad slow, but the food is worth it. They are not out to copy the Claim Jumper. For breakfast, hmmmm, Cafe 222 , The Mission (downtown, University Ave is too crazy), Parkhouse Eatery, Cafe 2121, and Hob Nob Hill. Now for Vietnamese soup, you MUST go to Pho Hoa at the corner fo Euclid Avenue and El Cajon Boulevard. There are a few new places in San Diego that I have not been to, but several people here have. So, also try, Bite, Currant, Urban Solace, and Avenue 5. In general, you will find that San Diego's dining scene is NOT like SF. This is just not a cosmopolitan dining town in the way you are accustomed. We do not have Boulevards and the like on every other corner like in SF. You will find that your best meals will be found in the small places, in the tiny out of the way neighborhood places. The service and atmosphere at these places will be more casual than SF, but I think this is how the really talented chefs in SD are irking out their ground, by placing the emphasis on the food, and bypassing the creature comforts of the high end circuit. Dagney Thu Oct 18 12:45:18 -0700 2007 2510917 70144 Dagney 1 3048017 I was once a foodie in San Francisco working with the likes of Gary Danko and such. I relocated to San Diego in 1999 and was very disappointed with the offerings available at that time. But over the past few years, I've been able to find some cool oldies and a few newbies that have satiated my palatte. My current top two in each category: Oldies: Hodad's (Ocean Beach) -- hands down the best burgers in town. Sushi Ono (Hillcrest) -- ask any local and they'll send you here for the best sushi south of LA Newbies: Modus (Banker's Hill) -- Arguably one of the best bars in the nation with creative drinks made from fresh, local ingredients. Their menu was getting a bid tired, but on my last visit they just introduced a ton of new items. Bacon wrapped dates, fried cheese curds, and one kick-ass steak sandwich. Yummy. Buon Appetito (Little Italy) --I love this place. The food is amazing and the eye-candy waiters make waiting for your food such a joy! Good luck! Thu Oct 18 17:26:04 -0700 2007 2510917 135770 vfamilia 1 3150072 Here are a couple of good ones deserving mentions - Gemelli's (5th and Laurel) - wonderful Italian food and service. Vince, the owner, will make you feel right at home and Kous Kous (between Washington and University on 4th) - for wonderful savory, delicious and healthfully prepared Moroccan cuisine. Never had Morrocan? Don't be afraid of it - it is not scary or spicy - just delish! Fri Nov 23 17:29:41 -0800 2007 2510917 144475 Yum Mom 1 3172938 Wow, not one mention of Super Cocina. Tsk, tsk. Sun Dec 02 12:25:19 -0800 2007 2510917 10809 Josh 2 3173039 Thats either of our jobs :) Sun Dec 02 13:13:34 -0800 2007 3172938 14086 kare_raisu 3 5034595 Hmm, two years later and this thread has been kicked to the top of the California board... and still not a second mention of Super Cocina. Very sad. One of the most shocking things to me about San Deigo's taquerias (and Mexican offerings in general) is how stuck in the Ameri-Mex 1980's they are, with their orange cheese and Ortega taco shells. I've never understood how SD can be so close to Mexico geographically, but so far away culinarily. Super Cocina is a really homey, down to earth (and inexpensive) place that would not be out of place in East LA. Perhaps it's not indicative of typical SD Mexican fare, but it certainly is a place worth seeking out, and it absolutely does not deserve to be left out of this thread. Do some further searches on Chowhound for "Super Cocina" to see what they offer. Mr Taster Wed Sep 16 11:51:32 -0700 2009 3173039 17579 Mr Taster 1 3214169 For caual italian, BYOW to Mama Mia's (fresh food). nine-ten, Sushi Oto (go for lunch, it is cheaper), the cottage and Brockton villa (get the steamers and enjoy the view) in LJ for breakfast. Love Goerges. Had a meal at baleen during restaurant week and it was pretty good, loved the starters. I would go back. Trattoria Aqua, nice food , ambiance and service. If you have kids I do like Pizza Nova, very loud, good pizza crust though I uaually just get the Mary Lou's half chicken salad. They have a decent selection of beer on tap not a lot just a few good choices. Wine list is good enough. It is where I go with the kids. Don't boohoo SD too much, I'm a native. Though the best meal as of yet, I ate at The Boulevard. I don't know it I'll ever have Fois like that again. Sun Dec 16 21:02:52 -0800 2007 2510917 91951 mcmama 1 3219993 No Particular order: South Beach - OB 3rd Corner - OB Sushi Bar Kazumi - Hillcrest Bombay Exotic Cuisine of India - Hillcrest Crown Bistro (Brunch is YUMMY!!!) - Coronado Azul - La Jolla Extraordinary Desserts - Bankers Hill + Downtown (dont know my neighborhoods very well) U-Mi Sushi - Shelter Island Rocky's (My vote for possibly the BEST Burgers in SD) - PB Pho Hoa Hiep Restaurant - Linda Vista I've noticed a Lot of people have LAUREL on their lists, And I just don't get it - We had a meal there ONCE and it was fairly awful - the only redeeming quality is the Shuttle to/from the Old Globe. We've also had great food at Terra (great crab cakes), but our last experience was so bad with undercooked food and incorrect orders (and an empty dinning room), we haven't been back in Months. Tue Dec 18 15:38:33 -0800 2007 2510917 58881 SRosie 1 3256414 A good friend came to SD to review Hot New Restaurants in San Diego for the NYTIMES. We spent two weeks eating on the Times, and he ended up with no story. (He said Vagabond was one of the worst meals he'd ever had.) He loved A R Valentien and George's, and thought they were distinctively, superbly San Diego. However, they didn't qualify as Hot and New, so he ended up writing about the Tijuana food scene. (He did enjoy the lobster burritos and enchiladas at Bahia Bird Rock, the fish sandwiches at El Pescador, and the Mexican market on Imperial Ave.) Thu Jan 03 07:28:15 -0800 2008 2510917 154091 pickypicky 2 3257003 I'd be interested in knowing what restaurants you tried. I'd think The Guild, Addison, Market, Cavaillon, Anthology, the restaurant in the Ivy and a couple of others I can't think of off the top of my head would all be worthy of mention. Without specificity to your apparant complaint, it becomes little more than: "San Diego Restaurants are Bad", and lets not go there again (and again and again...). Thu Jan 03 10:04:34 -0800 2008 3256414 57971 mikec 3 3257043 I take restaurant reviewer's opinions much like I take movie critics - with a grain of salt (no, not even grey smoked salt). Thu Jan 03 10:15:23 -0800 2008 3257003 11001 phee 2 3257353 Your friend missed the story. It wasn't Tijuana street food, it was the fact that SD still doesn't have a restaurant scene...or that you can't apply NYC standards to SD a city 3,500 miles away with (for better or worse) a different culture and a different mindset. He missed the opportunity to do an "emperor has no clothes" piece. No, SDs restaurants are not world class, but they aren't trash either. Just exactly what they are and what they're trying to be and where they're trying to go is open for debate :-). I think the problem is we're all trying to define who and what SD *is*, which is about like the blind men describing an elephant Thu Jan 03 11:24:29 -0800 2008 3256414 10506 DiningDiva 3 3258376 thank you! Thu Jan 03 15:10:35 -0800 2008 3257353 14086 kare_raisu 3 3258918 I'm glad they didn't write that article - what good would it do? I don't think it's really an issue of applying a NY mindset to the scene - they do pieces about cities all over the country, and they are great for bringing attention to the area, for better or worse. A NYTimes piece on Big Sur brought Deetjen's so much business they've been booked six months in advance ever since it came out. Conversely, a negative article about SD's restaurant scene could be really damaging for the restaurants mentioned. Thu Jan 03 17:52:47 -0800 2008 3257353 11803 Alice Q 4 3259484 My point wasn't that he should have written a negative piece about specific restaurants. Some newspapers and magazines wouldn't print that kind of article anyway, though I think the NYTimes isn't particularly shy about that. The point is that there are a lot of people out there saying SD restaurants are really great and wonderful. If after eating around the county that doesn't bear out, then write about it. You don't have to write about specific places, and it doesn't have to be a hatchet job, but it would be refreshing to hear what didn't work and why, not necessarily where Was it the menus (which do tend to all look more or less the same here, i.e. flat iron steak, short ribs, diver scallops), was it the creative use of the ingredients, or lack of creativity, or even the quality of the products, was the service lacking and why? We live here, we've learned to what palaces work for us or not, someone from out of the area is going to eat around town with a totally different perspective than you or I. L.A. Magazine ran that glowing piece last year that basically said SD dining was on par or better than LA dining. I think a similar article by someone from Chicago or New York would be equally interesting and would most likely have a completely different take on things than did LA Mag. We don't know where Pickypicky and her friend actually ate, and at this point that's actually moot. But if it was fine dining, that is not now, nor has it ever been San Diego's strong point. And while there is a great deal of movement and improvement in SDs fine dining restaurants, I find the mid-range to upper mid-range places the most interesting and exciting. The Linkery certainly deserves mention with it's commitment to sustainability and Jay's untiring and unflagging detective work in sourcing products. No, not everything works at The Linkery but so much of it does and there are very few completely sustainable restaurants in the U.S., let alone SD. La Bastide, Bite and Urban Solace would certainly fall into the superior mid-range category, so would Cafe 1-3, Cafe Chloe and it's sounding like Better Half may as well. I know I sound like a broken record, but the best meal San Diego does is breakfast. It's almost impossible to get a bad breakfast in this city, Omelette Factory in Snatee not withstanding ;-). My god, even IHOP does a respectable breakfast here. And finally there is the whole issue of expectations, yours, mine and everyone elses. Most of us have such a hard time checking our expectations at the door when we walk into a restaurant. We've been conditioned to expect certain things, or we learned what we do and don't like, that it's really hard to walk into a place and turn your mind and taste buds into a blank slate. When I moved back here after 10 years in San Francisco, it was culture and food shock. There were certain products and services I wanted that I just could find or get. At first I thought I'd need to lower my expectations, instead I learned I didn't need to lower expectations, just change them to fit my life and environment. In other words the filters I used in San Francisco no longer fit and no longer worked. So no matter how hard someone tries to put aside their expectations about someplace we tend to bring them with us anyway. If someone comes here from NYC, or Chicago, or even Phoenix they're bringing a whole set of dining expectations and filters with them and whether they know it or not they're going to use them in every single restaurant in which they eat. So if you're eating in SD with a set of NYC filters, yeah, maybe it's not going to seem to measure up to the expectations you walked in the door with. Whether it's this thread, the service thread or the SD restaurants are bad thread, basically what we're all trying to do is define SD in terms of food, which is particularly difficult since SD doesn't define itself in terms of food. NYC does, Chicago does, SF does, and so do any many other cities, and even a few states. Really it's about ennui and SD. The U/T did a great article on this local phenomenon last year. I posted the link at that time but the list mods deleted it. The article focused on the exact same discussions we have here on CH but used our local sports teams as the example, not restaurants. San Diego isn't a sports town any more than it is a food town. I've tried to find the article but the U/T archives aren't exactly very user friendly. Now there are some interesting food stories to be found in San Diego, they just aren't always in restaurants. Thu Jan 03 21:18:44 -0800 2008 3258918 10506 DiningDiva 5 3259672 I still hold out hope that San Diego can become a food town, but maybe I'm tilting at windmills. Re: breakfast - The Omelette Factory is truly horrendous, we can agree on that. We've actually been liking Cafe on Park lately. Not crowded, and close to the Hillcrest Farmers Market. Thu Jan 03 23:19:10 -0800 2008 3259484 11803 Alice Q 5 3259713 DD, I know it is a cultural thing and it very much depends on where you were born and lived most parts of your life and I know you often emphasize on how good breakfast is in SD but I can't see it. Breakfast options in SD are very limited. They are good if you like pancakes, egg-based stuff (scambled eggs, omlettes) and some more Mexican influenced items. But breakfast can be so much more if you look especially more towards Europe. I would like so see a good place with excellent self-made real yogurt (no no-fat or low-fat crap) (typical for Swiss and Austria), or a place which serves excellent cold cuts, cheese and jams with a good variety of breads and rolls (typical for Germany, Denmark, Dutch, part of Scandinavia), or a place with good crepes, croissant or good cappucchino and cantuccini (more typical for France, Italy. Wired is reasonable but breakfast (and dinner) is definitely not their strength). I don't see any of these here in SD because of the relative low influence of European immigrants in SD compared to the east coast, SF where I had much less problems to get at least some of these breakfast items. To be honest I always feel that brekfast was and is the very weak part of the SD food scene because it is very limited and often boring whereas lunch and dinner options were and are much better and constantly improving. Fri Jan 04 00:06:21 -0800 2008 3259484 13239 honkman 6 3260647 Honkman, you understood my point entirely!! And, you're right. Trying to find a European-style breakfast here in SD *is* very difficult and you're right in attributing that difficulty to the lack of strong European immigrant influence. Edited to add - my comments are truly reflective of the filters I use and how I view breakfast...clearly NOT from the European POV ;-). It's easy to assume we all like the same things and all view meals and food the same way. We don't and your comments really pont that out. "Eggs and stuff" pays tribute to the post-war immigration of Midwesterns (especially Iowans) to SD. The worst breakfast I've ever had in SD was downtown at Richard Walker's Pancake House, and it was truly awful. But people line up out the door for it and that perplexes me. Even the food at The Omelette Factory was better than Richard Walkers, and people line up there too which perplexes me even more. Fri Jan 04 09:22:34 -0800 2008 3259713 10506 DiningDiva 5 3260253 Amen, DD. Food, besides being tasty, is a metaphorof a culture. Was it Brillat Savarin who said Show me what you eat and I'll tell you who you are? To ponder SD food is also to think about this place in which I live, as I try to understand it. I repeat, I do not want SD to be anything other than what it is. I just want to know what it is-- good and bad. I sometimes believe the good is obscured by the promotion of the bad. For instance, a social historian like Mike Davis might say that the reason there's so little good Mexican food -- or that's it's segregated to Old Town by the city fathers-- is evidence of SD's racism (desire to promote itself as a "white" place.) But glory be, thanks to these posts, I'm finally hearing about some good places to try and to know that my instincts that took me to the Mexican Market on Imperial were right on. I've lived, eaten and explored in many other US cities, and I refuse to let SD daunt me. Thanks for the help. Oh, and I did not name the places where my SO and I ate where the food/service/rationale for existence was subpar because I'm trying to be positive in 2008. However, I did write of my experience at Addison on the Service thread. As for breakfast, I respectfully disagree SD has tons of options. That's one meal my SO and I eat out regularly because of his schedule. Cafe Chloe and The Pancake House are the only places we return to again and again without fear of disappointment. Fri Jan 04 07:42:19 -0800 2008 3259484 154091 pickypicky 5 3260565 I think DD stated my thoughts about the SD dining scene much better than I could have done myself. I would like to add one thing that has cheezed me about some of the posters at this site. That there are so many people that take a condescending and patronizing tone when talking about the SD dining scene. I do not travel a lot out of state, but I do go to out of state CE meetings at least once a year. Many of these cities may not be the epicurian capitals of the world, but with a little research, I can find some great meals. They may not be the finest compared to the best NYC has to offer, but they are still great.You take what every place has to offer and enjoy it. I went to Cincy last year for a meeting and I had some very enjoyable meals, and all I kept hearing at the meeting was this town sucks, there is nothing to eat here. When you take Cincy for what it is, you can have a good time. The same is true for SD. We may not have the French Laundry, but I eat fine. I know I am not going to get great deli in SD, but I have plenty of other options, so I really don't care, and when I go visit my mom in LA, then I may go for a Brents run. SD is not LA or SF (thanks) but enjoy our dining scene. Fri Jan 04 09:01:33 -0800 2008 3259484 67683 littlestevie 2 3258881 It sounds like that was pretty recent - did you try the Guild, Starlite, the Linkery, Market, Jayne's Gastropub, Bite, Blanca, ? Those should all qualify as hot and new - and there are more opening as we speak. I'm not crazy about Vagabond - or Bleu Boheme, which is related. The atmosphere is good but the food is a bit weak (except for the creme fraiche mussels, which I've heard they took off the menu at Vagabond.) Do you have a link to the article he wrote about Tijuana? I'd love to see it, I did a search on the NY Times website and it didn't seem to come up. Thu Jan 03 17:44:31 -0800 2008 3256414 11803 Alice Q 3 3259232 Here's the Tijuana article: http://travel.nytimes.com/2006/08/25/travel/escapes/25tijuana.html It's silly to fear outside coverage or an east coast mindset. Bill is a talented, seasoned features writer (not a food critic) who has more experience with food than my chef boyfriend. He came here to eat and write. He ate. When the story was too negative, he chose not to write it, and he wrote a great article on Tijuana. He'll be back. He loves San Diego more than I do, which is why having an outside perspective is so important. Sometimes we miss what is right under our noses. Which is exactly why I am happy to be here, on CHOW, benefiting from your intrepid adventures and your belief in our fair city. Thank you all. I've been a grinch too long, and I am thrilled with all the places you've ferreted out for me (and Bill on his next visit) to try. Thu Jan 03 19:34:50 -0800 2008 3258881 154091 pickypicky 4 3259674 Thanks for the link, I will check it out. Thu Jan 03 23:20:33 -0800 2008 3259232 11803 Alice Q 5 3303304 I'm almost afraid to join this thread, but I kind of need to! My husband and I met in San Diego over ten years ago, and will be returning in May for our tenth wedding anniversary. As we haven't lived there since 1998, we're totally clueless as to what restaurants are still good. I've read this entire thread, believe it or not, and have a little list going, but could you help me out even more? Best Sushi Best Thai (we loved Thai House Cuisine, didn't see it on any of your lists, not sure if it's still there/good) Most Romantic (for our big anniversary night out, money no object) We'll be leaving our son with his grandma in S.D. and staying at a hotel, so we'll probably have three or maybe four nights to go out to dinner. Suggestions? Thanks in advance! Wed Jan 16 19:06:53 -0800 2008 3259674 115313 lizzy69 1 3303498 It all depends--sometimes you want lovely and wonderful, othertimes just good and casual and sometimes in the middle and sometimes a special ethnicity. Here are ones I like: Tapenade, Oceanaire, George's, Better Half, Toshi-San, Piatti, Bandar, Karinya Thai, Saffron, Point Loma Seafood, Cafe Athena...it goes on and I do love Mister Sushi in PB as my home-base sushi place. It's a different world than SF but still very good and I honestly don't care that we don't have the French Laundry here. Wed Jan 16 20:19:03 -0800 2008 2510917 154561 keena 2 3303533 Thanks so much, it seems like Oceanaire, Tapenade and George's have been on almost everyone's list. What do you think of Sushi Ota or Sushi Ono? Have you been to Thai House Cuisine (I think it's in either Clairemont or Mira Mesa)? Wed Jan 16 20:29:54 -0800 2008 3303498 115313 lizzy69 3 3304953 Sushi Ono's good if you're into fusion-style rolls and enjoy a hip atmosphere with good drinks. However, the rolls are pretty expensive. I usually do happy hour (it's calmer around 5-6pm anyway) with a drink and a roll. Their soft-shell crab roll is fabulous. Sushi Ota's traditional Japanese and they're busy, so make reservations before you go. I've sat at the tables and the sushi bar and both are great. The sushi is really good and the cooked food is also excellent. Also pricey, but I think traditional sushi's worth paying a little more money for. On the other hand, with the fusion places, I occasionally have a hard time paying a lot for a California roll, no matter how good it is. My BF and I met here, too, but our anniversary tradition started when we were poor students and the date always fell during finals week. So, we went to Outback Steakhouse. Years later, we still go to Outback Steakhouse on our anniversary. It's romantic to us. Is there anywhere in San Diego that brings back memories for you? Thu Jan 17 09:51:08 -0800 2008 3303533 93901 geekyfoodie 4 3306489 Thanks, I think we'll go with Sushi Ota. We lived in L.A. for eight years after SD and have had enough of the "scene". I think Thai House Cuisine (the amazing Thai place in Clairmont/Mira Mesa I mentioned above) brings back the best memories for us. We used to just love going there and eating until we were sick! I love your story about Outback Steakhouse, and at least you know it'll be consistent! Thu Jan 17 17:13:33 -0800 2008 3304953 115313 lizzy69 5 3306541 I'm occasionally ribbed for not expecting more, but it's just not an anniversary dinner without a Bloomin' Onion. ;) Hilariously, I was just about to tell you that I'd never been to Thai House Cuisine, but I looked it up and it turns out that I had been before. Many years ago, but I do remember it being very good Thai food. Current reviews on another (but less trustworthy, methinks) review site indicate that the restaurant's still good. Have you done a search of this board for it? Maybe it was discussed on a much older post buried in the latter pages of the thread. Thu Jan 17 17:31:54 -0800 2008 3306489 93901 geekyfoodie 1 3303746 Try Roppongi in La Jolla, the Kobe Beef burgers are Dy-NO-Mite! Indigo Grill in Little Italy is pretty good, the service has always been great when I have been there. Oh Yeah, Cafe Chloe in Downtown is good too. Wed Jan 16 22:24:42 -0800 2008 2510917 157199 milojon 2 3304017 Thanks, I've heard a lot about Cafe Chloe, it's on the list! Thu Jan 17 05:35:26 -0800 2008 3303746 115313 lizzy69 1 3901477 So many complaints, for good reason, about SD food. I agree as a former San Francisco/Oakland resident that the basic quality of food is not so great. So, I would say, if you are planning on moving to San Diego, buy a nice house with a nice stove, and get cooking. Spend the money you would spend on going out to eat on some good knives, exquisite ingredients and possibly on someone to clean your kitchen once a week. Then you've turned a complaint into a challenge. I am currently obsessing over the various greens (pea shoots, Mizuna, and shiratake) and mushrooms (enoki, shitake, and king trumpets) at Mitsuwa. And the only place to get consistently good Japanese cucumbers! They've got great sushi quality fish and well-marbled meat for sukiyaki or shabu shabu. The best place to eat in San Diego, I must say, is my own kitchen. Other suggestions for food would be: A.R. Valentien (my favorite spot because I got married there), but also objectively the best meal/ambience/service in San Diego, make sure to get an outdoor table. Opera Cafe for pastries, cakes, and the cutest and most delicious macarroons (thank god they just opened again in Sorrento Valley) (Bread & Cie is good for crusty bread, but their pastries are disgusting monstrosities.) Yakitori in Hillcrest for killer yakitori made with real Japanese charcoal and the coldest beer in San Diego (and you people need to learn how to eat yakitori. It's shared! Eat the meat first and you get the soup/rice dishes afterward! And no, not all Japanese restaurants have Dragon Rolls!) Pomegranate for just plain good meat dishes. It's so satisfying! Fri Jul 25 12:08:53 -0700 2008 2510917 213071 perfectbroth 2 3901853 "... but also objectively the best meal/ambience/service in San Diego, make sure to get an outdoor table" That is a "dangerous" sentence for CH. I think most people on this board might have a very different opinion about this. Fri Jul 25 13:52:21 -0700 2008 3901477 13239 honkman 2 3902828 "the coldest beer in San Diego " Is it frozen? Do they use liquid nitrogen? I'm not so sure claiming coldest beer is a good thing; typically good beers aren't meant to be drank ice cold because it masks the flavors. It does "help" piss beers though. Also, I'm not so sure why perfectbroth chose this 6 month old thread for their first post and chose to generally bash San Diego food. "The best place to eat in San Diego, I must say, is my own kitchen." Perhaps he/she is inviting us all over for dinner this weekend? Fri Jul 25 21:24:41 -0700 2008 3901477 72231 DougOLis 1 3908086 OK San Diego and relocated San Franciscan, It’s finally here, the place we’ve been searching for – great food at a cool down to earth neighborhood café (just out of downtown) with an awsome little bar, live jazz music and lots of atmosphere. To top it all it has incredibly easy parking. Just a minute away from the Gas Lamp. The Indigo Café (no not Indigo Grill) is a local’s secret that we’ve just discovered. We stopped in on a whim just as the sunset was outlining the spire of an old mission building against the San Diego skyline (nice view). The place fairly sizzled with fragrant grilling spices and the velvety voice of Anna Troy, a local jazz and blues artist. Try their calamari app, it was super tender and they had lots of great salads – I had the Tiffany Salad with field greens, roasted almonds, dried cranberries and feta cheese in a light sesame dressing. For an entrée I ordered their new mustard crusted flat iron steak with creamy mac and cheese- that blew my socks off. It was perfectly grilled in a mustard, thyme, garlic crust that I will be craving for weeks. My husband has a huge pork chop stuffed with shrimp and topped with an etouffee sauce. Prices are really reasonable and they have a nice outdoor street patio. Anyway, it’s the Indigo Café on 6th between Ash and Beech – seriously chowhounds this is a great find. Mon Jul 28 10:13:19 -0700 2008 2510917 213868 lesleymg 2 3908128 It is great, leselymg. For people who don't want to drive downtown during the week, and who don't care about atmosphere, Indigo Cafe on Clairmont Mesa at Ruffin is run by the same people, with a varying menu based on available ingredients, but only open from 7-5 M-F www.indigocafeandcatering.com Mon Jul 28 10:23:44 -0700 2008 3908086 12123 Cathy 1 4945298 I want to thank everyone for the great suggestions. My girlfriend and I will be spending some time in SD and LA next week and the week after, and I got some amazing ideas for places to eat. Thanks! Thu Aug 13 20:03:38 -0700 2009 2510917 1100140 NJLightning01 2 4945433 you realize this is a pretty old thread right? Thu Aug 13 20:59:27 -0700 2009 4945298 72231 DougOLis 1 5031659 Lotus Thai--Hillcrest. Best Thai ever. Lunch is a great deal. Tue Sep 15 10:43:48 -0700 2009 2510917 1109535 KWTucson 2 5034667 Oy gevalt I think the near unanimous consensus among Chowhounds is that among San Diego's very limited Thai offerings, Sab-E-Lee is hands down the best (and only real) Thai food in San Diego. The owner is from the northern Issan region of Thailand and there are several Issan specialties on the menu. This place wouldn't be out of place in Los Angeles, but among the modified Thai food of San Diego it is a shining star. http://www.sab-e-lee.webs.com/ http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2009/feb/25/last-true-thai/ By the way-- don't go in there, order the pad thai or beef and broccoli and come out saying how it's no good. Do your homework-- read about Issan food and how it is different from Bangkok food (and Americanized Thai food) or even southern Thai food (which is still a rarity to find even in Los Angeles) and then come back here and share your experiences with us. Mr Taster Wed Sep 16 12:14:40 -0700 2009 5031659 17579 Mr Taster 3 5034953 Mr. Taster: Those are some strict rules you are asking us to follow. I just know what tastes good to me and what does not. Wed Sep 16 13:56:18 -0700 2009 5034667 21396 normalheightsfoodie 4 5036103 If you're looking for standard Americanized Thai/Chinese food, or standard San Diego Amerimex, Chowhound can help you find the best iterations of those kinds of foods among the hundreds that exist all over the county. But I feel Chowhound really shines when it helps people to find those extraordinary needle-in-the-haystack places like Sab-E-Lee and Super Cocina, which far too few San Diegans really know about... outrageously delicious food at extraordinarily low prices. What's not to like? If all you know is Americanized pad thai and orange cheese tacos, they may well be tasty but you'll never truly know how great Thai and Mexican cooking can be. Some people might be okay with that, but those people aren't Chowhounds. I'm just doing my part to spread the gospel and raise the bar, to make San Diego a tastier town for all of us to enjoy. Mr Taster Thu Sep 17 00:01:55 -0700 2009 5034953 17579 Mr Taster