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San Diego Dining
Although most of San Diego's major attractions lie outside the downtown area, the city center lures visitors with its trendy shopping areas, vibrant nightlife, sports and convention venues, dozens of hotels and many of San Diego's top restaurants. Epicenter of all the colorful goings-on is the historic Gaslamp Quarter, which extends several blocks along 4th and 5th avenues. Among the Quarter's carefully restored 19th-century buildings you'll find Monsoon, which welcomes guests to its spacious dining area with a bubbling fountain, subdued lighting and paintings of India.
As you'd expect from the decor, Monsoon serves authentic Indian cuisine--Northern Indian to be precise--with the chef's specialty being malai kofta, vegetarian meatballs in a creamy sauce. There are entrees to please both vegetarian and meat-lovers alike. If you favor spicy food, try the jahl frezi, a dish seasoned with cumin seeds, ginger, onion and garlic. (Be sure to specify that you want your curry mild or medium if you're not used to spice.) Monsoon is a great place for families, and the patio area will give you a front-row seat for the Gaslamp Quarter's happenings.
Just a few blocks south on 4th Avenue you'll come to J Street and The Oceanaire, where the dark, rich interiors and nautical details evoke a 1930s ocean liner. Guests navigate a grand, winding staircase to the sprawling dining room filled with plush booths and tables. The oyster bar is very popular during the week thanks to its half-price oysters and shrimp cocktail, and traditional caviar service also is available. Seasonal specialties may include jumbo lump crab cakes, Alaskan halibut "T-Bone," Gulf of Mexico red snapper and, of course, Maine lobster. Portions are generous so you may want to share a side dish--asparagus, green beans amandine or the sour cream and onion mashed potatoes. Be sure to save room for dessert like the classic 95-cent root beer float.
Another block south in the Gaslamp Quarter, on K Street within walking distance of San Diego's Convention Center and Petco Park, is Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, where cuts ranging from the 8-ounce filet mignon to the 20-ounce bone-in New York strip steak are served a la carte. And what meal at Fleming's would be complete without one of the fit-for-sharing side dishes such as sautéed spinach or creamy jalapeno-cheese potatoes? Not a steak lover? Fleming's also offers seafood, and the extensive wine list boasts more than 100 varieties by the glass. What's more, the dining room's dark, rich woods and soft amber lighting create a relaxing setting in which to enjoy the food.
Just around the corner on 3rd Avenue, Candelas offers an inviting Mexican hacienda-style atmosphere. The chef prepares dishes with Mexican ingredients utilizing French cooking techniques. His specialty is langosta baeza--lobster stuffed with mushrooms, chiles, onions and bacon accented with a hint of aged tequila. The menu also includes entrees featuring beef, fowl or seafood with select vegetables and spices. The wine list is modest and includes products of several Mexican vineyards.
Four blocks west of the Gaslamp Quarter, Molly's provides an intimate, clubby atmosphere on San Diego Bay. The chef uses the freshest regional ingredients and focuses on California cuisine. Start with a crispy soft shell crab accompanied by baby spinach and passion fruit, or the diver scallops with truffle-herbed risotto. Entrees may include Chilean sea bass, a filet mignon topped with grilled shrimp, New York steak with broccoli rabe or seared rib-eye tuna with toasted sesame, nori crust and caviar sauce. You can select from pasta and vegetarian dishes, too.
Although businesses along the nearby Embarcadero--downtown's waterfront district between Market and Grape streets--tend to cater to out-of-towners, both locals and tourists alike enjoy The Fish Market & Top of the Market. The downstairs market offers fresh fish takeout, while in the dining room upstairs an enormous menu printed daily lists more than a dozen fresh catches, all grilled over mesquite. Selections may include ahi, grouper, mako and mahi mahi. The oyster bar at the heart of the restaurant offers such favorites as bay shrimp and Dungeness crab cocktail and baked clams, as well as a sampler of their smoked fish.
Two other seafood restaurants share the same address about a half mile farther north on the Embarcadero. There's Anthony's Fish Grotto, part of a family-owned chain where you can enjoy bay views while savoring a variety of seasonal catches that may include swordfish, Pacific red snapper, Alaskan crab legs and broiled lobster. Anthony's is a great place for families.
Star of the Sea, Anthony's upscale sister restaurant, makes the most of its bayside locale with massive floor-to-ceiling windows providing great views of the bay and Southern California's trademark sunsets. The contemporary setting's casual elegance provides a wonderful dining experience. The menu features lobster, scallops, swordfish and red snapper; you may find the Alaskan halibut with Yukon gold gnocchi particularly satisfying. Limited beef and lamb dishes are available as well.
Adjacent to the Embarcadero, San Diego's Little Italy is home to Cafe Zucchero, a popular café serving panini sandwiches, pizza and a few pasta and risotto dishes. In the evening, the menu features entrees with chicken, veal and seafood. You must try one of the many desserts made daily on the premises, which include tempting homemade cakes, marzipan creations, ice cream and gelato.
One of San Diego's most visited districts, Old Town lies just north of downtown in Mission Valley. This state historic park re-creates 19th-century San Diego as it looked during its Mexican and early American periods, and it's here you'll encounter the festive, colorful atmosphere of Casa Guadalajara, a favorite spot enjoyed by both San Diegans and tourists. Authentic regional flavors include such specialties as pescado a la naranja, pollo a la Mexicana and tequila lime shrimp. There are a number of "heart smart" dishes as well as the traditional Mexican favorites. If weather permits, ask for a seat on one their two garden patios.
Another wonderful place to enjoy Southern California's mild weather is the covered patio at Baci's, a San Diego institution since 1979. Conveniently located near Mission Valley, Mission Bay and La Jolla, Baci's has three inviting, indoor dining areas with cozy seating, while its patio's golden colors create a soothing outdoor space infused with light. Here you can relish such tasty Northern Italian cuisine as broiled veal chops, sweet clams and mussels, osso buco and veal Marsala.
A bit farther north in fashionable La Jolla, Donovan's Steak & Chop House has a relaxed club atmosphere enhanced by plush booths, imported mahogany walls and an extensive art collection. USDA Prime beef is the star and is always prepared to your liking whether you opt for the filet mignon, the 20-ounce porterhouse or the 24-ounce rib-eye chop. For the non-steak lover there's pork chops, rack of lamb or Australian lobster along with a range of other entrees. Because of Donovan's popularity you might want to make reservations.
Continuing north beyond La Jolla and Marine Corps Air Station-Miramar you'll arrive at the Sorrento Mesa area. Here in a warehouse district near I-805 is a wine shop with a restaurant upstairs known as The WineSellar & Brasserie. The chef here presents French-influenced dishes using the freshest, seasonal ingredients. Specials may include grilled yellowfin tuna, Pacific scallops or pan-roasted pheasant stuffed with summer root vegetables. Complementing the delicious food is WineSellar's unsurprisingly extensive wine list, which has been declared one of the world's best by Wine Spectator Magazine.
To get to Rancho Bernardo and El Bizcocho Restaurant, you'll need to travel northeast to the Rancho Bernardo Inn. El Bizcocho's charming dining room delights guests with contemporary, French-inspired cuisine. Dishes change seasonally, and may feature day-boat scallops with snap pea froth or braised Kobe beef short ribs. Longtime favorites like lobster bisque with Armagnac and Chateaubriand for two remain on the menu. A wine-paired tasting menu also is available.
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