San Diego, CA

[bnacpa]

I spent last weekend in San Diego. Based on the reviews and recommendations in this thread by JParrot and Pete, my family tried Kiyo's Japanese Restaurant and the Sushi was wonderful. We enjoyed the salmon, fatty tuna, halibut, and shrimp tempura rolls.

Other places highly recommended are The Afghanistan Kyber Pass in Hillcrest, Hodad's burgers in Ocean Beach, and the Bar-b-que house for sandwiches in Ocean Beach.

[Ericandblueboy]

We spent a week at Solana Beach, between Carlsbad and San Diego.

Two reasonably priced restaurants (dinner, tip and drinks for 2 < $200) that we really enjoyed were (i) Blanca, and (ii) Mille Fleurs. Blanca is located in a strip mall on Hwy 101 in Solana Beach. Mille Fleurs is in Ranch Santa Fe (just east of Solana Beach). Both restaurants are nicely decorated inside, with good service. The food quality is on par with Vermillion.

[goldenticket]

On a work trip to the Camp Pendleton area, I was lucky enough to stumble upon (through Chowhound) Kaito Sushi in Encinitas, in the northern part of San Diego County. I felt like a special guest, as I was the only customer in the place, it being a little on the late side and a Monday night. I left the menu to Chef Kazuo Morita and he did right by me.

I enjoyed the following, very fresh, items (the order is not exact):

Kumomoto oysters

Hiramei (halibut)

Maguro (blue fin tuna) - with the thin strips of cartilage removed - described as being from the neck/head of the fish - so smooth

Kinmedai (New Zealand Snapper) - skin still on (scales removed), marinated and quickly seared - a touch of smoky flavor

Masu (saltwater trout) - a bit like salmon in color and texture, but not as strong in flavor

Ankimo (monkfish liver pate)

Mirugai (giant clam) - so fresh it moved when touched - crunchy and sort of sweet

Uni - from the California coast - creamy and on the mild side

Kanpachi (amber jack)

Anago (Saltwater Eel) - I don't think I can go back the freshwater stuff after this. It was so soft - not fleshy or oily like the other stuff - and served with a roasted length of the spine, chopped into small pieces.

Didn't quite realize how many courses I had (10!) until I typed them all out - but it was at my own pace and with a lot of interesting and informative conversation in between courses. Chef Kazuo was surprised folks from our coast like sushi - "Virginia people eat sushi??" he asked more than once. Thanks to Chef Abe and the offerings at Kotobuki, I was able to talk about kamameshi, ankimo, and oshizushi like an expert

While I've never been to San Diego, I'd say that Kaito is definitely worth the short drive north for a uniquely local experience.

[DPop]

I just remembered that I neglected to post about a fun experience I had at The Tractor Room in January. A really low key, fun place away from the Hoopla downtown and in PB with some really good happy hour specials. They had smaller portions of pretty much all of their appetizers for $5, all of which were good to really good, with my favorites being the pork ribs and salmon and shrimp cakes. The cocktail menu and beer list were also very impressive, I got an Old Fashioned and English Breakfast prior to the meal and a nice Allagash Black with dinner. Our mains were less impressive, as the Buffalo Stew is not nearly as good as it sounds (a little watery and extremely pricey for what amounts to a bowl of a regular soup with a scoop of braised buffalo in the bottom) and the Ribeye was good but not at Ray's quality, which might not be a fair comparison but is the benchmark I use now when I get steak.

If you're in the area, it's a nice switch from the chains and cheap taco stands that dominate the majority of PB, MB, Pointe Luma and the surrounding areas.

[Sundae in the Park]

Hi All,

Any recs (for food of all types) for northern San Diego County? I'll be in Escondido and Oceanside next week...

Thanks!

[LauraB]

I'm going to be in the San Diego/La Jolla area for a few days in July. I grew up in Los Angeles, so I was weaned on Mexican food. Really hoping to find some good Mexican food in San Diego. I've read the entire thread and haven't seen anything much about good Mexican, especially recently. Anyone have anything to report? Thanks.

[KMango]

I'm going to be in the San Diego/La Jolla area for a few days in July. I grew up in Los Angeles, so I was weaned on Mexican food. Really hoping to find some good Mexican food in San Diego. I've read the entire thread and haven't seen anything much about good Mexican, especially recently. Anyone have anything to report? Thanks.

I'm in San Diego this week. Will probably hit La Jolla soon and will report back if any Mexican hits evolve.

In the meantime, here's one for the wtf file: The Quinoa Burger ($7.95) at Burger Lounge on India Street.

wtf, why is San Diego's Little Italy on India Street?

wtf, how did I wind up at a burger joint instead of the obvious neighborhood signature? (as billboarded on every patio chair, see pic)

wtf, why did I venture into a joint with "burger" in the title and proceed to order a vegetarian meal?

wtf, why was the quinoa burger one of the best veggie burgers of my life?

wtf, why can't I have one of these places next to my house? (assumption: produce is of California quality)

After getting asked a series of questions about my order, my net ordering result was "vegetarian burger, no bun, no cheese, grilled onions, no dressing". Served between stacks of remarkably crunchy iceberg lettuce, the sweetness of the onions meandered into the nuttiness of the quinoa/brown rice/panko/other ingredients burger for a surprisingly interesting and well-seasoned sandwich. Damn that was satisfying and quick, and from an eco-conscious business model, no less.

The Fresh Vegetable Salad ($7.95), including radish sprouts, jicama, variety of lettuces, grilled corn, aged ricotta, and avocado ranch dressing was no slouch, either. But I'll stop there.

don't make me sing the song, ya'll

[Toogs]

Sushi Ota. Best sushi of my life. Pacific Beach I think, looks like nothing in a crappy little strip mall.

[DanielK]

Any updates for San Diego? Will be at the Marriott at the convention center in a few weeks, solo, no car. Adjacent to the Gaslamp district, so I'll shoot over to Kiyo's one night, but would love a line on good seafood and Mexican places.

And, a good sports bar - going to arrive just a couple of hours before the Super Bowl, and it would suck to watch in the hotel bar.

[brr]

Hey Dan

Any reports from your trip to SD?

Thanks

Niall

Any updates for San Diego? Will be at the Marriott at the convention center in a few weeks, solo, no car. Adjacent to the Gaslamp district, so I'll shoot over to Kiyo's one night, but would love a line on good seafood and Mexican places.

And, a good sports bar - going to arrive just a couple of hours before the Super Bowl, and it would suck to watch in the hotel bar.

[DanielK]

Ha. Landed up thankfully not eating *any* meals in Gaslamp. I was rescued by an old friend with a car, who took me out to the burbs for good vittles.

I did spend one evening drinking well-poured Guiness at THE FIELD while watching EPL replays on the telly.

[brr]

Kiyo's is still great!

[lekkerwijn]

I'll be in San Diego at the end of the month, staying near the convention center, no car. I've been tasked with finding a really great Mexican restaurant for a dinner. Dives are totally ok. Any suggestions?

[DanielK]

When I had the same question on Chowhound, surprisingly (given the proximity to the border) was told that there isn't any good Mexican downtown, other than one taco truck near the baseball field that is there inconsistently.

[mdt]

Any new updates on dining in SD?

[jparrott]

Kiyo's is still awesome for what it is.

Neighborhood has an excellent burger. And Noble Experiment, the "speakeasy" that you walk through N'hood to get to, is excellent and very welcoming. Anthony Schmidt is an excellent classicist bartender, much in the mold of DC's own Dan Searing. The other two bars from the same crew, El Dorado (SD's answer to The Passenger in some ways) and Craft & Commerce (think of a larger, scene-ier Room 11) are also excellent hangouts, though very different.

[DonRocks]

I'll be in San Diego at the end of the month, staying near the convention center, no car. I've been tasked with finding a really great Mexican restaurant for a dinner. Dives are totally ok. Any suggestions?

[i'm working hard on revamping the top part of this thread - you won't be wasting your time if you go back to post #1, and read it through like a book. That said, you'll quickly find where I've left off (it's where all the linking stops), and you can stop reading there. Let me know how I'm doing? I'm hell-bent on preserving the value of posts even from many years ago. I want this to be a living, breathing document.]

[The Doctor]

I'm headed to San Diego on Monday, November 12, and leaving Sunday, November 18. I've received recommendations (from people whose food-appreciation credentials I know little about) for Kiyo, J Six, Searsucker, and Cucina Urbana. And one foodie friend said I had to try Roberto's for "Cali-style burritos," but now I have to double check Roberto's since a google search shows there may be more than one. Does anyone have any insight on these or other places I should try?

[SeanMike]

I was there last week.

Lion's Share had some great cocktails. The exotic sausage plate was good, if a bit greasy, and the bread very salty. The antelope sliders were FANTASTIC.

Neighborhood (which hosts Noble Experiment) had a good beer selection. Their steak frites was okay, but I wish it'd said that the steak was chopped up and mixed together with the fries and peppers. I wouldn't have ordered it if I'd known.

Noble Experiment was fantastic.

[The Doctor]

I was there last week.

Lion's Share had some great cocktails. The exotic sausage plate was good, if a bit greasy, and the bread very salty. The antelope sliders were FANTASTIC.

Neighborhood (which hosts Noble Experiment) had a good beer selection. Their steak frites was okay, but I wish it'd said that the steak was chopped up and mixed together with the fries and peppers. I wouldn't have ordered it if I'd known.

Noble Experiment was fantastic.

Thanks for the tip on Noble Experiment/Neighborhood. Their website landing page is somewhat ... sacrilicious?

[SeanMike]

Thanks for the tip on Noble Experiment/Neighborhood. Their website landing page is somewhat ... sacrilicious?

It makes me giggle.

A note: I went to Neighborhood early, and asked my waitress about NE. They also take reservations for NE a week in advance by text or phone. I was lucky to get in, it seems, as it was slow, but keep that in mind. If you e-mail them, they'll respond back with their contact info.

[ALB]

Any recent trips to Fins? Going to the San Diego zoo tomorrow and we were thinking of stopping on the way home (I'll call to check that they are open on easter). Or alternatively another good place for fish/shrimp tacos in the SD area.

[cheezepowder]

Lots of recommendations here for Kiyo's, but sadly it seems to have closed.

[cheezepowder]

Some places I visited in San Diego:

Prohibition (Gaslamp district)- Located behind a door that says Law Office of Eddie O'Hare, Esq. We visited on a Saturday night so it was full of partiers and some folks dressed in twenties attire. Given the partying atmosphere, I wasn't sure how good this bar would be, but it turned out to be our favorite (we liked this bar and its cocktails better than Noble Experiment). Two bartenders at the bar, and you order drinks at the bar. It was a little difficult to get drinks among the crowd and took some time, but we were impressed with how good the cocktails were. I had 3 (but I liked the first one so much I got it for my 3rd drink). There was a live band playing. Standing room and limited seating.

Noble Experiment (Gaslamp district) - Make reservations by text message no more than 1 week in advance (starting at midnight). Located in Neighborhood restaurant (go to the back right of the restaurant towards the bathrooms, turn right and push the wall of kegs at the end of the hall). Table and bar seating, and a bartender came to our table and drink orders. The cocktails didn't seem as well balanced for my taste as the ones at Prohibition.

Craft and Commerce (Little Italy) - Restaurant/bar. Same owners as Neighborhood and Noble Experiment. I would totally be a regular here if I lived in San Diego. Good cocktails, good music (they were playing alternative), and a casual vibe. The bar wasn't a straight line but was square/rectangular sections, and the restaurant was on a slight slope so you'd walk down a step here and there as you walked from one end of the bar to the other.

We only ordered beignets for food, and they were more like crunchy doughnut holes than beignets. The bartender forgot to put in our order, which we didn't care about. She was apologetic when we asked about them, though, and on her own initiative, she took them off the check.

Searsucker (Gaslamp district) - We visited on a Sunday night, which I thought would be a slower night, but there was a nightlife crowd (including a couple making out on a couch) with loud music playing. Standing room only at the bar. We only had a couple of snacks at the bar. The cheddar puffers (a handful of gougeres) seemed really cheap at $2. Yet, the artichoke heards + gruyere + tomato (a cheesy artichoke dip) seemed pricey at $13.

(As an aside, I thought the website touting "Celebrity Chef Brian Malarkey's New American Classic" was playing up the "celebrity chef" angle too much.)

Cafe Coyote (Old Town) - My dish was nothing special. The spicy salsa sampler had some really spicy salsas, but they tasted peppery with almost a bitter flavor in one or two of them.

Katsuya (Gaslamp district) - Sushi place in the Andaz Hotel. Not much to say. My sushi was fine.

Monsoon (Gaslamp district) - I wasn't impressed with the food here. The jalapeno naan and the mock duck with saag were primarily salty.

Vin de Syrah (Gaslamp district) - Cute entrance and decor (someone said it's like Alice in Wonderland). You go down a stairway, and there's a not-immediately-obvious door to get in. I only had sangria here during happy hour so don't have much to say about their drink selection.

[Sundae in the Park]

We had a nice dinner at Prepkitchen in Little Italy.  Its vibe is Portlandish trendy (some servers wearing plaid, farm-to-table everything, etc) and loud, w/ very little soft surfaces for moderating noise.  Chicken and farro soup and beet salads were excellent, as was the house-made dark chocolate ice cream. Our mains didn't work as well - we both go the pan-fried corvina, which had a great crusty top but odd dressings of charred frisee, grapes, not-crisy lardons, and sunchokes in a gruyere sauce.  Good things, but not great together.  Lots of the pasta dishes coming out on other tables looked great. Warm and efficient team service.  They also have a late night service on the weekends. I'd go again and order slightly differently.

I've never really liked Cafe Coyote in Old Town, but YMMV and I'm usually coming off the genuinely great Mexican food in the Imperial Valley before I get to SD.  It's fun and loud and my coworkers always want to go, but I'd much rather not, as the food just isn't interesting.

I've always had very good to great meals at the Ocean terrace at George's at the Cove in La Jolla, and you can't beat the view (this time a bunch of human swimmers were playing with the seals/sea lions).  I only realized this trip that the bar level is also open-air, so you still get the sea breezes without the sun exposure.  I always get the smoked chicken and black bean soup.  It's been on the menu forever for a reason, and has an almost creole flavor profile.  Salads are always good, and this visit I got a lovely plate of seared gnocchi with lots of mushrooms, wee scallops, spinach, and roasted fennel.  It was heavy for lunch but delicious.

There are some magnificent views of the harbor and coastline at the Cabrillo National Monument.  Highly recommended for walking and photography.  I intend to go back during the whale migration in the winter.

[eatruneat]

I'm spending the next two weeks in San Diego with the family for Christmas and some quality family time. I'll be posting here intermittently to avoid one super long post -- my posts are long enough as they are -- once I get back to DC.

A few things of note. San Diego is a sprawling city of various pockets of good food. For the most part, not many restaurants are worth trekking up and down the 5 for as each region has its own Vietnamese, Chinese, Mexican, etc., restaurants that are on par with another region's. But I will write of my experiences and try to note the neighborhoods in case anyone here is in that area in the future. I am staying with my older brother in Eastlake (a community of the city of Chula Vista), which is south (like five minutes from the border) and east of San Diego. I will also be visiting friends and family in La Mesa, La Jolla, and Scripps Ranch. I'll probably go to the beach and the Gaslamp District a few times but in general I try to avoid those places. I find the Gaslamp to be pricey and the restaurants to be not particularly good so often not worth the drive and parking difficulties.

Anyway...onto the reviews.

Barleymash (Gaslamp) -- My flight arrive at 11am on Sunday and I was desperately hungry, not having eaten anything before my flight. My brother wanted to watch the football games and drove us to Barleymash. Lots of TVs playing the various games, a good selection of food and beer, and friendly service. I ordered the Bourbon BBQ burger (medium rare) with a side of chili beer slaw. The burger came out medium to my disappointment but the patty wasn't dry so I didn't mind too much. The burger was good and hit the spot but I really disliked the "tabacco onions." These were nothing more than French's fried onion, or something like that. I would have preferred just regular rings of onions or sautéed onions. This is one of my big problems with dining in the Gaslamp District. There's a lot of stuff that goes onto the plate and much of it doesn't add much to the finished product. It's a bunch of hot foods du jour thrown together and the end product isn't much better than a regular burger. With all the stuff on the burger, I could barely taste the cheese which was supposed to be aged cheddar but I couldn't tell. The bacon was good though. My brother ordered the beer brined chicken wings BBQ style. He enjoyed them and I thought the one wing I had was fine but back to my thoughts on overthinking dishes...do chicken wings need to be brined much less beer brined? Why can't places just serve a darn good order of wings? Despite all these complaints I had a good experience here mainly because I was starved and the service was friendly.

Pho Hiep Grille (Eastlake) -- My brother and I go here often when I am in town. It is a five minute drive from his place and coincidentally we know the owners through our uncle. The pho here is good but that is not what we order when we are here. We enjoy the Vietnamese style calamari, the Vietnamese crepe, and the grilled catfish. Yesterday, though, we were there for the hot pot. We started with the calamari (half priced for happy hour) and the spring rolls (a bit disappointing). Then, joined by my brother's friend, we went to town with the hot pot. Since my brother is a regular at this place, we let him do the ordering. He decided to do a whole pot of the spicy sate broth (usually you can choose two broths) and a combo plate of tofu, bok choy, lettuce, enoki mushrooms, and noodles (we substituted egg noodles for vermicelli noodles). We also added plates of the shrimp balls, fish balls, and squid. This was super good. The broth was flavorful and spicy and the vegetables and fish were very fresh. I love the addition of the egg noodles. I haven't had hot pot in DC but this is the standard to which I judge all other hot pots. Next time we are here, we will order the grilled catfish.

More eating to come...

[thistle]

My son was asking me today, if we had to move away from here, where would I want to live? San Diego was in the top 5 (over Hawaii, because of quarantine for the dogs). if any of you guys had to leave, where would you want to go?

[eatruneat]

Pizzeria Mozza (Harbor)

When my brother and I drove by Seaport Village after picking me up at the airport, I remarked about how I hadn't been there for so long and how touristy it is. My brother said that San Diego has revamped the area to try to attract more people (tourists?) and opened an area called the Headquarters adjacent to Seaport Village in what was once a police headquarter. The Headquarters is anchored by four chain restaurants: Puesta (local upscale/mediocre Mexican chain), Seasons 52, Cheesecake Factory, and Pizzeria Mozza. Mozza is the Nancy Silverton/Joe Bastianich import from LA which I have heard good things about so I suggested my brother and I head there for lunch and to fuel up before some downtown Christmas shopping. We split orders of the bone marrow, chopped salad, and meatlovers pizza.

The bone marrow came out on a large plate with three smallish bones filled with unctuous marrow alongside four pieces of grilled bread and small dishes of roasted garlic in olive oil, sea salt, and cilantro for our garnishing pleasure. While I have had bigger bones when ordering bone marrow, they have often had very little marrow in it so I was glad that while the bones were on the smaller side here, it was filled with marrow. Both my brother and I enjoyed this a lot.

The chopped salad (enough for an entrée or for three people to split as an appetizer) was served piled high on a plate and sprinkled with oregano. It made for a great presentation but tricky serving, especially since my brother and I were sitting at the bar. The salad contained iceberg lettuce, radicchio, red onions, slices of provolone and salami, chickpeas, a smattering of cherry tomatoes and a nice dressing. My brother thought the radicchio made the salad was too bitter so I ate most of the salad (guess who got the third bone marrow?) which I really enjoyed.

The meat lovers pizza isn't really called that but the menu just lists the ingredients on the pizza and when we ordered it the bartender proclaimed it the meat lovers so we went with it. On the pizza came about five large meatballs, bacon, guanciale, and pepperoni. The pizza was really disappointing. The center of the pizza was swimming in oil and the crust was soggy for it. The edges of the crust weren't soggy but pretty crisp in a not very pleasant way. The best part of the pizza was the meatballs and I would have gladly just had a side order of that in some marinara. I understand the pizza may have come out poorly because of our choice of order but for a place with such a pedigree, I really expected more.

Pizzeria Mozza has only been open for a month though so I really hope they can work out their issues and serve the pizza that is acclaimed across LA. Unless, this is what LA pizza is supposed to be like, in which case

Hopping Pig (Gaslamp)

Ever the city dweller, I convinced my brother to walk the mile to Lululemon with promises of drinks in between. Our first stop was forgettable but our second was pretty good. Hopping Pig is on 5th between F&G and serves some good (if some overly wrought) drinks and an extensive beer list. There were three barrel aged cocktails that were being hyped (Viex Carre, Sazerac, Manhattan) but only the Manhattan (with Old Overholt) was available. I enjoyed it enough but didn't think the barrel aging added anything. Not sure if the culprit is the concept, the choice of rye, or what else. My second drink was a smoked Old Fashioned, with cold smoked bourbon, bacon syrup, and candied bacon as a garnish. It was good enough and I enjoyed the candied bacon but in the end, I just really really wanted a good old fashioned.

Lou and Mickeys (Gaslamp)

My brother and I ended our shenanigans at Lou and Mickeys. This is a steakhouse that is one concept of a restaurant group in Southern California known for a chain of King's Fish House. Here I got my Old Fashioned fix (though I did have to instruct the bartender to hold the muddled fruit). I saw that there were $1 oysters for happy hour so, being a fool for dollar oysters, ordered myself a half dozen. Out came a great plate of Rappahannock Oysters with the standard garnishes. The oysters were enjoyable, but I couldn't believe I traveled 3,000 miles for oysters I could have gotten at Eat the Rich, a mile up the road from my apartment.

[eatruneat]

San Diego's (very) Little Saigon

With pockets of Vietnamese restaurants popping up around San Diego, the original pocket lobbied and won Little Saigon designation earlier this year. This is a six block corridor along El Cajon Blvd. in the City Heights neighborhood of San Diego. These are the places my family and I have in our rotation.

Pho Hoa

This is the best pho I have ever had. The restaurant used to be some sort of community hall and the ambience clearly reflects that. Furniture and ambience are bare bones to say the least. You walk in and someone who works there will ask you how many to which most people (even Vietnamese speakers) use their fingers to respond. The person takes you to a table (if it's busy you may be asked to sit with another party separated by just a seat or two) and drops off laminated menus. The operation sticks to the K.I.S.S. principle and serves only beef pho (you can pick which cuts of meat you want to top your bowl off with). I haven't looked at the menu in years so can't remember the price but I believe it's about $7 for a bowl. With one exception, all the bowls are the same size, and by that I mean LARGE. As a point of pride, I always finish a bowl but it is a struggle. The broth is clear and very flavorful. The meat is very generous and the herbs are always fresh. The one thing that sets this place apart from others in the area is the use of fresh pho noodles. This is not to mean that the noodles are made in house, but they use fresh noodles rather than dry noodles. It really does set the pho apart from other very good offerings. The pho is usually served within five minutes of ordering. Service is quick if not particularly friendly.

Also of note at Pho Hoa is the Vietnamese iced coffee. In recent years places have taken to bringing out your order of Vietnamese iced coffee pre mixed, which allows them to fill a plastic cup full of ice and fudge on the espresso and condensed milk. Not here. Pho Hoa brings the coffee out in a drip along with a glass of ice. Once the coffee has finished dripping you can mix it, dump out the water from any melted ice as well as excess ice, and make your own iced coffee.

Pho King (yes, seriously)

A few years ago, this strip of hole in the wall Vietnamese places started blowing up. New and pretty and bright restaurants started moving in and Pho King was one of them. My family first tried Pho King because of the name but stayed because it just seemed cleaner and brighter. They also preferred this because there are options rather than pho and for a time my brother dated a girl who did not like pho so we went here so she can order something else. The pho here, while not as great as Pho Hoa, is still very good. There is also a chicken pho option. There are also a variety of non-pho options. My family thinks that the Hu Tieu options are the best, particularly the Hu Tieu Mi Tho Kho. It is a large bowl of translucent rice noodle topped with shrimp, fish balls, squid, imitation crab sticks, slices of roast pork, ground pork, liver, intestine, and heart. The broth is served on the side. Honestly, the first and only time I have had this dish it did not sit well in my stomach but I want to throw it out there for the adventurous especially since everyone else in my family loves this dish so much. Fortunately, my brother broke up with that girl and I can get my pho fix at Pho Hoa.

Hoai Hue

This place used to be a small hole in the wall restaurant that mainly did catered orders and takeout. Within the past years they have moved on up to a larger space and now it is a restaurant proper. My family does a lot of catering from here, usually ordering Banh Bot Lot (steamed pork and shrimp or vegetarian tapioca dumplings in banana leaves), Banh Nam (steamed flat rice flower dumplings with ground shrimp in banana leaves), and Banh Beo (steamed rice cakes topped with pork rinds, ground shrimp, and green onions) by the dozens. We also get our pork loaves there. This places is also known for their Bun Bo Hue (spicy beef noodle soup) which has always been fantastic when I have had it.

Minh Ky

This is actually a Chinese/Vietnamese mashup of a place that, while serving a variety of dishes, specializes in egg noodle soups. I usually order the Mi Sate Bo Kho, which is a bowl of egg noodles topped with slices of beef in a sate sauce with some onions and with the broth served on the side. It is a very oily dish so when I want something lighter I usually go with Dumpling and Won Ton Noodle Soup, served with egg noodles. The duck leg egg noodle soup is also very good.

A Chau

In the same lot as Minh Ky, this place has the best banh mi sandwiches. I usually order several of the special banh mi (with all the cold cuts and pate) and take them home to eat for lunch over the next several days. Sometimes I even pick a few up to eat on the plane back to DC and/or eat while in DC.

There are lots of other restaurants in this six block strip of Little Saigon. Definitely an area worth exploring if you are interested.

[eatruneat]

Jasmine Seafood Restaurant (Kearny Mesa)

While this restaurant serves good Chinese food, the best reason to stop by is for the dim sum, served daily from 10am - 3pm. It is better to arrive on the early side in order to find a parking spot and a prime table. Dim sum here is served in carts and ordering is done by looking at the contents of a cart once it pulls up to your table and pointing to what you want. The dishes are priced according to a tier system and after the lady delivers your picks, she will circle or stamp the number of dishes you ordered and what tier they belong to. Soy sauce is provided on the table but hot chili oil needs to be requested.

Favorites of mine are any of the dumplings (shrimp and pork preferred), steamed bbq pork buns, pan fried taro cake (cooked to order), rice crepes, and sticky rice in banana leaves. Also recommended are the tripe and chicken feet for the adventurous as well as a very good rice porridge and tofu in ginger syrup. There are several other dishes so you can eat to your hearts content but with limited stomach space I usually stick to my favorite dishes, only trying one or two new things at each visit. Finally, if there is something you want but cannot find a cart carrying it, you can hail a waiter who will get it for you.

Tacos and Tarros (Eastlake)

This is a really great Mexican spot specializing in Mexican street food, specifically tacos. The places is set up in the mall (sadly in between a Panda Express and a Jersey Mike's Sub Shop) and has framed itself as a sports bar. This is definitely away from the divey taco shops I liked to go to back in the day, but I actually like the non-divey restaurant serving very good food. For yesterday's stop after a few strolls around the mall, I had the grilled fish taco, the marlin style fish taco, and an al pastor. The grilled fish taco was good but nothing special. The marlin style taco is actually tuna but served with sautéed onions, chiles, and salsa. This was also very good and probably my favorite of the lot. The al pastor (while more adobada than al pastor) was chopped marinated pork. I really enjoyed this as well. My brother also highly enjoyed his chori-lingua taco (chorizo and beef tongue). The hot sauce is *very* hot, but very good. I really like this spot for a quick lunch or light dinner.

Venissimo Cheese (San Diego Harbor, Del Mar, and Mission Hills)

I forgot to write about this when I wrote about Pizzeria Mozza, but if you are in the SD Harbor area there is a delicious cheese shop (much like Cowgirl Creamery) next door. In addition to a very good variety of cheese (and very friendly with the tastes), there is also plenty of charcuterie, and a small selection of olives, preserves, and bread. I can definitely imagine buying some to stash in my hotel room were I here for a conference and stuck with mediocre conference food.

[eatruneat]

Bo-Beau Kitchen & Bar (Ocean Beach)

Bo-Beau Kitchen & Garden (La Mesa)

When this place first opened, Bo Beau was short for bohemian boyfriend which is kind of a dumb name for such a great restaurant. When I think of having a bohemian boyfriend (which would never happen), I think of a penniless surfer who couldn't afford to take me to dinner, much less a French bistro, so I never understood the point of that name. That had always bothered me until recently when I found out that Bo-Beau now refers to bohemian beautiful, which is slightly better but still kind of odd.

Fortunately, the food at Bo-Beau surpasses the naming weirdness and the location in OB is probably my favorite American restaurant in the San Diego area, though it has a heavy French bistro influence. The restaurant is a little off the beaten path in OB (a good thing!) and the atmosphere is like a beach bungalow. High school friends took me here when it first opened years ago and I have tried to go back at least once each time I am in San Diego. The cooking here is very well executed and my favorite dishes are the duck confit fettuccine, mussels in curry broth, and the chicken fricasse, though I have enjoyed everything I have had here. There is also a nice patio out back with an oven for the flatbreads which is fun to watch. The wine list here is also very good and reasonable. There is also a gluten-free menu here, which I have never tried.

The popularity of Bo-Beau (OB) has paved way for a Bo-Beau in La Mesa, a suburb just east of downtown San Diego. La Mesa also happens to be my hometown and when my brother told me that Bo-Beau had opened up around the corner from where we used to take piano lessons, I was overjoyed. La Mesa is moving on up!

Side note: Bo-Beau La Mesa is in the space where a restaurant called Gingham used to be. Gingham was a part of the Brian Malarkey (of Top Chef and other reality television fame) restaurant group which had restaurants named after various fabrics such as Searsucker and Herringbone and is also the reason (I think) why Tom Power had to change the name of what is now Baby Wale a few times before opening that restaurant. 

I have gone to Bo-Beau La Mesa twice already since it is closer to where I am staying while here in San Diego and for nostalgia purposes. Revisiting La Mesa is always a treat to me. The menu here is far simpler than the one in OB and there are fewer options on the menu in general and the options are not as exciting and adventurous. There is little French influence outside of three different types of mussels. While the different menu was a little disappointing, it is also understandable as this location serves suburban population that is likely to have lots of kids. In fact, there is not only a kids menu but also a school bus in the back outdoor space for kids to play in while adults eat and drink. Still, the atmosphere does not exude chaos but a cozy restaurant in the downtown square of a small town.

The food here, while not what I hoped for, is still very well executed. Everything I have had here has been really good. I enjoyed the mussels in curry, brussels sprouts with pancetta and balsamic, pork shank, and fried chicken. There is also a good selection of wine by the glass here at reasonable prices. The upside to Bo-Beau La Mesa is that it is less expense than the one in OB. I was surprised when I only paid $45 (including tax +tip) for my most recent meal there which included splitting an appetizer and dessert with friends, a cup of coffee, entree, and glass of wine.

[eatruneat]

South Beach Bar & Grill (Ocean Beach)

This is a 21+, cash only, divey place on the ocean in OB. It also happens my favorite fish taco place in San Diego. The baja fish taco (fried) is a must, despite any desire I may have to be a little healthy and go for a grilled fish taco. There is also a great draft beer list which can be ordered by the pint or by the pitcher. I happened to stop by with a friend on a late Thursday afternoon, which has all day happy hour: $3 tacos (except lobster) and $3 selected pint. My friend and I decided to go for a pitcher of Green Flash West Coast IPA even though it wasn't a happy hour special. I started with one baja fish taco and one grilled wahoo. Both were very good. Still a bit hungry and not quite ready to bow out after only two fish tacos, I ordered another baja fish taco. Service here can be pretty inattentive/non-existent and the kitchen is on the slow side but the great fish tacos make up for that.

WhiskandLadle (La Jolla)

I generally like to grab light happy hour bites or a nice-ish dinner here when I am in the area. This time around, I grabbed lunch here with my brother and two cousins. Unbeknownst to me at the time, I was in the early stages of a stomach bug so nothing on the menu appealed to me. Our table ordered the charcuterie and cheeseboard, which was skimpy on the meats and cheeses and heavy on the olives. Way overpriced for $22. I stuck with a warm brussels sprouts salad which was good and a good portion for $13. My brother and cousin had the lamb ragu and gnocchi which was good. Another cousin had the salmon, lentils, and beets which was also good. My only issue with the lunch prices here is that they were on the expensive side. I'll probably stick to happy hour and dinner here in the future.

PB Fish Shop (Pacific Beach)

I wasn't able to stop here this time, but I also enjoy the Fish Shop for fish tacos. The daily fish options are displayed in a refrigerated case, which hopefully means the fish is fresh. You choose your fish, a marinade, and style and the plate is served to you. A little bit of a higher price point than South Beach Bar and Grill, but a good option if you are in PB or just want something different. There is also a selection of local draft beers. Thursday is $1 Oyster Night. My recommendation is to go here during the day for lunch because PB turns into Adams Morgan-like madness at night.

[Sundae in the Park]

Thanks for all your posts, Eatruneat! We were recreating my October trip this time, but I have a bunch of the places you've mentioned earmarked for the next trip...

We stopped on Carlsbad on the way down from LA to grab a bite at Swami's Cafe. It's the archetypical casual eatery that comes to mind when thinking about California - healthy foods, great brunch, a variety of mock meats, smoothies, and a welcoming patio heavy on the dogs and sunshine. Take in the rays while eating your killer eggs benedict or grilled shrimp tacos (excellent salsa with corn) and watch folks bike by or carry their surfboards to the ocean.

Otherwise, I had the same trip as last time, though we ordered better at Prepkitchen (grouper with potatoes and greens in a soupy sauce they went together very well) so I liked all of my food.

Note that George's at the Cove is participating in a law suit against the city regarding the animal odors from the La Jolla Cove.  The times I've been to the restaurant I haven't noticed anything worse than some briny sea smells, but you have been warned!

We saw at least two, maybe three whales spouting off in the distance during our couple of hours at Cabrillo Ntl. Monument. You can only watch the sun set in the park in December around solstice, as the park is located on a Navy base and closes at 5.  It is definitely worth it going to watch from the cliffs.

[eatruneat]

Thanks for all your posts, Eatruneat! We were recreating my October trip this time, but I have a bunch of the places you've mentioned earmarked for the next trip...

We stopped on Carlsbad on the way down from LA to grab a bite at Swami's Cafe. It's the archetypical casual eatery that comes to mind when thinking about California - healthy foods, great brunch, a variety of mock meats, smoothies, and a welcoming patio heavy on the dogs and sunshine. Take in the rays while eating your killer eggs benedict or grilled shrimp tacos (excellent salsa with corn) and watch folks bike by or carry their surfboards to the ocean.

Otherwise, I had the same trip as last time, though we ordered better at Prepkitchen (grouper with potatoes and greens in a soupy sauce they went together very well) so I liked all of my food.

Note that George's at the Cove is participating in a law suit against the city regarding the animal odors from the La Jolla Cove.  The times I've been to the restaurant I haven't noticed anything worse than some briny sea smells, but you have been warned!

We saw at least two, maybe three whales spouting off in the distance during our couple of hours at Cabrillo Ntl. Monument. You can only watch the sun set in the park in December around solstice, as the park is located on a Navy base and closes at 5.  It is definitely worth it going to watch from the cliffs.

I'm glad at least one person has found my ramblings useful. I mostly stuck with places I visited during my stay in my reports but have a few other restaurants I didn't get to. I'm happy to send along recommendations for your next visit to America's Finest City.

Also, Prepkitchen and Whisknladle are in the same restaurant group. I haven't made it to Prepkitchen yet though.

[Sundae in the Park]

Ah, eatruneat, I see now what you mean about the sprawling neighborhoods of the greater SD area! We meant to check out some of your recs on our last trip but didn't end up conveniently close the neighborhoods you covered. We did have a great time, however, and finally tried some new activities/ate at new places:

Juniper and Ivy (edge of Little Italy) - is new and hopping and loud and fun! Though how much of the atmosphere is defined by the loudness and our general starvation for "City" or fine dining is hard for me to say  It's a beautiful space - high ceilings, lots of wood, exposed ductwork, and a crazy high wine wall filled with the beautiful people but the food still manages to be quite good. We  had a teeny and perfect squash blossom relleno (shatteringly crisp outside, delicate and balanced tastes inside) and some tasty corn fritters, the corn agnolotti, and an enormous lamb leg (special). The other dishes were very good and the price points made sense for the general vibe of the place and the care with which they were prepared, but the lamb shank was ridiculous, almost surely a mistake?, with enough meat to feed three (in a fine-dining portion)!! And yet the lamb was tender (Well mostly, except for the outer edge of course) and not overdone, and while the accompaniments were very fall/woodsy (mushrooms, dark wine sauce, leafy greens), we both really liked it and got to take away leftovers.

The Kebab Shop (downtown/East Village and other locations) - local chain of fast-casual doner kebab shops. Get the doner box and fill it with it with whatever you please! The rice and fries (well-seasoned) are both worth eating and the meat is quite good (we preferred the more flavorful lamb/beef over the kofte but both were polished off with no problem). Quick, easy, cheap, and good. What more do you want? Oh yeah, this location is an easy walk to the ball field or the Gaslamp District.

J&T Thai Street Food (UCSD-ish) - another fast-casual spot that mostly serves the university crowd, but the menu has a couple of interesting items - pad prik king pork and the duck noodle soup - plus the fried items are decent. Also, you can get your entrees over rice or with a side of steamed vegetables, which is a nice touch. The duck noodle soup is dark and fragrant and the red curry base for the pork is wonderful (though the pork itself wasn't the nicest pieces). Fried tofu and wings are good but ordinary.

Sab-E-Lee Thai (UCSD-ish) - Tiny, busy place with glorious Isaan food! Balanced dishes and amazing sauces and HEAT! So what if the Penang curry had frozen (I'm pretty sure) peas and carrots for the vegetables? The sauce was the best I've had since Vegas and the craggy fried tofu I picked to accompany it paired beautifully. Bright and crunchy papaya salad, bright and tangy grilled marinated beef (lime/chili sauce), and very good (but fairly ordinary) basil eggplant. As advised we ordered everything at a 3 (out of 10) and it was hot enough for some mild tears and great flavor, without too-serious burn. Probably a medium/medium high-hot at a regular Thai joint, so be warned if you go higher than that! Loved it! (Though it is difficult to eat spicy food without being able to eat rice  )

Carnitas Snack Shack (North Park) - SD's self-proclaimed fast-casual porkhouse, this place is apparently on All Of The Lists at the moment and set to expand. At the original location you stand in the (pretty much guaranteed) line in the street and order at the window, then take your number back to the outdoor patio where there is lots of seating, serve-yourself utensils/water, and an open-air bar atmosphere (very convivial, great for the college hang-out crowd, welcoming to families and out-of town food folks, etc.). Pretty much everything, including the desserts, prominently feature at least one kind of pork. While I liked my carnitas torta (great bread, for the one bite I got!), I have to say that it wasn't overly flavorful and not as tasty as what I'd expect in any typical SoCal taco filling. The triple threat pork sandwich (schnitzel, pulled pork, and bacon), however, is jam packed with porky goodness and genuinely different. My favorite dish was actually the pork belly appetizer - the sauce was a little heavy and sweet for my taste but the belly itself was well-crisped all over with meltingly tender inner shreds and the frisee salad was much needed at the table. My husband enjoyed the porky truffles for dessert, though he said that the they were a little grainier than expected.

***

We toured the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier, which is permanently parked in the harbor, and I found it far more interesting than expected. The inner living spaces in the bowels of the ship provide great scope for imagining life on board and the veterans ready to answer questions and tell stories are generally a real treat. There are a bunch of planes on the flight deck and lots of machines that you can climb in to take pictures and press buttons. We spent about 5 hours there, which is about double my usual tolerance for museums.

We hiked at Cabrillo Ntl. Monument again and played at the tide pools, then went over to Balboa Park. The open-air organ (largest or soon-to-be-again the largest in the Western hemisphere) there is AMAZING!!!!! There is a free concert every Sunday afternoon and, during the summer, free concerts on Monday nights. The rest of the Park is also an absurdity of architectural and cultural riches, with museum after museum and beautiful buildings and strolling grounds (plus the rose garden). 

The San Diego Zoo Safari Park is the least depressing zoo I've ever visited. I went once as a kid but it holds up for adults. The savanna safari is truly impressive - if you go to the Water Hole, you can have a drink (or just look around) while you view the wandering animals at fairly close proximity (we had a whole clump of rhinos!). My favorite part was the shows - cheetah run and free-flying birds, and the show-and-tell animals brought out by the keepers. Very impressive! Even better, there was a Living Social running a major discount just as we visited so we were able to get in for about half price. So it's worth checking around the coupon sites before you go!

[eatruneat]

Sundae in the Park, seems like we explore San Diego from opposite ends. While you come in from the northern part of the county and venture south, I stay with my brother in Eastlake (about five miles from the border) and venture north. La Jolla is about as far north as we get. Glad to see the good review of Juniper and Ivy. My little brother really wanted to go there, but we didn't make it.

My boyfriend accompanied me this trip so I took him to my favorite spots and only went to two new spots. The first was Supernatural Sandwiches in Miramar (they also have a stand at the Hillcrest farmers market). It's a gourmet sandwich shop specializing in seafood sandwiches. My little brother works there so I may be biased, but the blackened ahi tuna sandwich I had was excellent. All the sandwiches looked really good. You may be wondering why go to Miramar? Well, there's not a lot of reasons except it is a great spot for beer tasting. We went to Ballast Point in Scripps Ranch that day and followed it with some beers at Saint Archers. We got a late start so didn't go to more but wanted to stop by Green Flash, Rough Draft, Societe, Mike Hess Brewing, and a few more.  

Our second new place is Harney Sushi in Old Town. Like every other place in Old Town San Diego, it was average. Here is my chance for a DonRockwell.com PSA: DO NOT EAT AT ANY PLACE IN OLD TOWN SAN DIEGO. You're welcome. 

[Al Dente]

I'm off to San Diego in a few weeks to visit my grandparents. They just celebrated their 90th birthdays and 70th anniversary. I can't imagine...

Anyway, I'd like to take them to dinner while there. However, they're not into fine dining nor are they very adventurous. My grandfather's culinary highlight of each week is going to Costco with his buddies for a hot dog. Children of the Great Depression and all...

I'm not going to Costco. I suppose this meal will be more for me than them, but I'd like to keep them happy. I'm thinking perhaps Mexican, but the fresh ingredient variety not the refried beans and rice under gooey cheese variety. Or maybe Italian for some simple but well prepared dishes.

They're in the El Cajon/La Mesa area, but I'm willing to take a drive. I'm sure they'll be good sports about wherever we go (they never complain about anything), but obviously I'd like for them to enjoy themselves.

Almost forgot-- the restaurant can't be really loud since my grandfather wears a hearing aid.

Any guidance would be much appreciated!

Al

[eatruneat]

I'm off to San Diego in a few weeks to visit my grandparents. They just celebrated their 90th birthdays and 70th anniversary. I can't imagine...

Anyway, I'd like to take them to dinner while there. However, they're not into fine dining nor are they very adventurous. My grandfather's culinary highlight of each week is going to Costco with his buddies for a hot dog. Children of the Great Depression and all...

I'm not going to Costco. I suppose this meal will be more for me than them, but I'd like to keep them happy. I'm thinking perhaps Mexican, but the fresh ingredient variety not the refried beans and rice under gooey cheese variety. Or maybe Italian for some simple but well prepared dishes.

They're in the El Cajon/La Mesa area, but I'm willing to take a drive. I'm sure they'll be good sports about wherever we go (they never complain about anything), but obviously I'd like for them to enjoy themselves.

Almost forgot-- the restaurant can't be really loud since my grandfather wears a hearing aid.

Any guidance would be much appreciated!

Al

La Mesa is my hometown! I can't remember whether the Bo Beau in La Mesa is loud or not but the food is delicious. The menu takes in mind the residents of La Mesa, so hopefully your grandparents will find something on the menu they like. They also take reservations and you can ask them to seat you in a quieter area.

[Kibbee Nayee]

Enjoyed a few nice meals in San Diego this past weekend, but the standout was Puesto for fish tacos in beautiful La Jolla. Notwithstanding the locale, the food here is first-rate Mexican, and the Baja Fish Tacos are the real deal. I could have eaten a dozen of these babies.

[eatruneat]

My brother moved from the southern edge of San Diego to a more central spot in Bankers Hill so I was able to explore a lot of new restaurants over my trip there for Christmas. Unfortunately, much of it was mediocre but some of it was great. The standout of trip was Crack Shack in Little Italy, affiliated with and adjacent to Juniper and Ivy. The place specializes in chicken -- fried chicken sandwiches, chicken nuggets, lollipop chicken -- served with a myriad of different housemade sauces. A fun outdoors place to eat and drink the day away. I only had the chicken nuggets and the lollipop chicken on my one visit there, and really liked it. A similar place in DC would go gangbusters!

[squidsdc]

I seem to recall seeing more posts about San Diego previously--not too many recent ones! Hope someone out there has been to Cork and Craft/Abnormal Beer Co. in RB though...and if so, any recommendations on a must try dish? We are eating there for lunch. And to choose just one beer to try is going to be very difficult! (I'm a lightweight so I'm hoping they have a tasting!)

We are also hoping to get to Extraordinary Desserts and to hit the Liberty Public Market. And will be having lunch one day at Wilson Creek winery in Temecula. A short trip, but also want to add in a place that has Hawaiian food. Any current recommendations for that as well will be much appreciated!

 

 

[eatruneat]

I reached out to my little brother who is in the San Diego restaurant industry for his recommendations for Hawaiian food. There are a lot of poke places in SD. For strictly Hawaiian food he suggests Island Style Cafe and The Lanai Leucadia. Guahan Grill for Chamorro Island style food as well. Can't vouch for any of those myself though. 

[Kibbee Nayee]

On 6/29/2016 at 2:46 PM, squidsdc said:

And will be having lunch one day at Wilson Creek winery in Temecula. A short trip, but also want to add in a place that has Hawaiian food. Any current recommendations for that as well will be much appreciated!

Temecula finally landed on my radar, and it's there to stay. Just got back from a wedding there, and aside from the incredible weather and beautiful scenery, the wines of Temecula were a revelation to me. So much so that a mixed case from Wilson Creek is on its way to Springfield....I never tasted a white cabernet sauvignon until I was in the tasting room at Wilson Creek winery, and it was amazing. As was the Founder's Reserve Zin and Cabernet. They also have a whole section of their tasting menu dedicated to sparklers. My 22-year-old daughter enjoyed the almond champagne, which I did not.

I thought Wilson Creek was the exception to the rule, until I stopped at Ponte Winery. Here they have a wonderful assortment of Italian-inspired wines. The Torrontes 2015, as well as the Pinot Grigio 2015, were ideal hot weather sips. And the NV Port was absolutely perfect.

I had never before tasted Temecula wines, and I have plenty of experience with good Sonoma and Napa wines. I doubt Temecula can aspire to the high end of Sonoma and Napa, but for everyday quaffs in the $40-and-under category, they're neck and neck with the big boys.

 

[eatruneat]

@MichaelBDC and I ate our way around San Diego earlier this month. We were able to hit some old favorites (Pho Hoa and dim sum at Jasmine top the list) and try some new places recommended by my brothers. A few reports:

La Vecindad (Hillcrest/Bankers Hill) - This casual taco shop was our favorite new stop during our trip. My brother and his friend took us here after we arrived in San Diego and dropped off our luggage. We started with the ceviche and aguachiles de camaron, both of which were excellent. We asked for the aguachiles to be very spicy and it certainly was. Loved the self serve salsa station with three options and pickled carrots. After my mouth recovered from the spice of the aguachiles, I had the taco al pastor while MichaelBDC had a sope. The al pastor was one of the best I have had. MichaelBDC enjoyed his sope but regretted not getting a taco. We did not have any regrets about the bottle of tequila the four of us (with the help of the bartender/owner) managed to finish. We enjoyed this place so much that MichaelBDC and I returned for our last meal before heading back to DC. I had a taco with shrimp wrapped bacon and MichaelBDC had the carne asada taco. We also split an order of ceviche. This place is definitely worth a stop if you are in the area or near Balboa Park. 

Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot (Claremont Mesa) - My brother, MichaelBDC, and I had dinner at the San Diego branch of this chain hot pot restaurant out of China. We have done Vietnamese style hot pot before but it was our first experience with Mongolian hot pot. We went for a whole pot of the house spicy broth and ordered mushrooms, various meats (including meatballs), squid, and egg noodles. The broth was very good and I really enjoyed the szechuan peppercorns, but it could have used a bit more depth. Overall we had a good time here and ended up bringing about half of our order home. I just read that Little Sheep will be opening a location in the Eden Center soon. Good to have another hot pot option in the area. 

Snooze - An a.m. eatery (Hillcrest) - A very popular (chain) breakfast spot with a lot of options and large portions. I had a wonderful breakfast burrito that I barely managed to finish and left the hash browns untouched. MichaelBDC had a breakfast pot pie with sausage gravy and sunnyside up egg which he said was good. 

[gibmrm]

Hi,

I will be visiting San Diego early next year. What are some of the ethnic food places one can find? Obviously Mexican, but anything else worth going to? In terms of Mexican, does any one know more hole-in-the-wall kind of places in San Diego? And finally, any restaurants/dishes that one should really go to when visiting?

[mr food]

Cafe Chloe-chef owner and operated.  Friendly, vibrant scene with excellent food and wine.

[eatruneat]

On 10/12/2016 at 11:14 AM, gibmrm said:

Hi,

I will be visiting San Diego early next year. What are some of the ethnic food places one can find? Obviously Mexican, but anything else worth going to? In terms of Mexican, does any one know more hole-in-the-wall kind of places in San Diego? And finally, any restaurants/dishes that one should really go to when visiting?

Where are you staying? 

I stand by the reviews I wrote above but want to highlight Pho Hoa, Minh Ky, and Hoai Hue on El Cajon Blvd. for great Vietnamese food. 

As for hole-in-the wall Mexican food, you are going to have to go into the heavily Mexican neighborhoods and get pretty close to the border like Chula Vista and National City. In San Diego proper, the Barrio Logan neighborhood has a few of those as well. Tacos El Gordo is probably the most popular. Acqui es Texcoco got the Andrew Zimmern treatment. 

[MichaelBDC]

On 12/20/2013 at 0:18 PM, eatruneat said:

San Diego's (very) Little Saigon

With pockets of Vietnamese restaurants popping up around San Diego, the original pocket lobbied and won Little Saigon designation earlier this year. This is a six block corridor along El Cajon Blvd. in the City Heights neighborhood of San Diego. These are the places my family and I have in our rotation.

Pho Hoa

This is the best pho I have ever had. The restaurant used to be some sort of community hall and the ambience clearly reflects that. Furniture and ambience are bare bones to say the least. You walk in and someone who works there will ask you how many to which most people (even Vietnamese speakers) use their fingers to respond. The person takes you to a table (if it's busy you may be asked to sit with another party separated by just a seat or two) and drops off laminated menus. The operation sticks to the K.I.S.S. principle and serves only beef pho (you can pick which cuts of meat you want to top your bowl off with). I haven't looked at the menu in years so can't remember the price but I believe it's about $7 for a bowl. With one exception, all the bowls are the same size, and by that I mean LARGE. As a point of pride, I always finish a bowl but it is a struggle. The broth is clear and very flavorful. The meat is very generous and the herbs are always fresh. The one thing that sets this place apart from others in the area is the use of fresh pho noodles. This is not to mean that the noodles are made in house, but they use fresh noodles rather than dry noodles. It really does set the pho apart from other very good offerings. The pho is usually served within five minutes of ordering. Service is quick if not particularly friendly.

Also of note at Pho Hoa is the Vietnamese iced coffee. In recent years places have taken to bringing out your order of Vietnamese iced coffee pre mixed, which allows them to fill a plastic cup full of ice and fudge on the espresso and condensed milk. Not here. Pho Hoa brings the coffee out in a drip along with a glass of ice. Once the coffee has finished dripping you can mix it, dump out the water from any melted ice as well as excess ice, and make your own iced coffee.

Pho King (yes, seriously)

A few years ago, this strip of hole in the wall Vietnamese places started blowing up. New and pretty and bright restaurants started moving in and Pho King was one of them. My family first tried Pho King because of the name but stayed because it just seemed cleaner and brighter. They also preferred this because there are options rather than pho and for a time my brother dated a girl who did not like pho so we went here so she can order something else. The pho here, while not as great as Pho Hoa, is still very good. There is also a chicken pho option. There are also a variety of non-pho options. My family thinks that the Hu Tieu options are the best, particularly the Hu Tieu Mi Tho Kho. It is a large bowl of translucent rice noodle topped with shrimp, fish balls, squid, imitation crab sticks, slices of roast pork, ground pork, liver, intestine, and heart. The broth is served on the side. Honestly, the first and only time I have had this dish it did not sit well in my stomach but I want to throw it out there for the adventurous especially since everyone else in my family loves this dish so much. Fortunately, my brother broke up with that girl and I can get my pho fix at Pho Hoa.

Hoai Hue

This place used to be a small hole in the wall restaurant that mainly did catered orders and takeout. Within the past years they have moved on up to a larger space and now it is a restaurant proper. My family does a lot of catering from here, usually ordering Banh Bot Lot (steamed pork and shrimp or vegetarian tapioca dumplings in banana leaves), Banh Nam (steamed flat rice flower dumplings with ground shrimp in banana leaves), and Banh Beo (steamed rice cakes topped with pork rinds, ground shrimp, and green onions) by the dozens. We also get our pork loaves there. This places is also known for their Bun Bo Hue (spicy beef noodle soup) which has always been fantastic when I have had it.

Minh Ky

This is actually a Chinese/Vietnamese mashup of a place that, while serving a variety of dishes, specializes in egg noodle soups. I usually order the Mi Sate Bo Kho, which is a bowl of egg noodles topped with slices of beef in a sate sauce with some onions and with the broth served on the side. It is a very oily dish so when I want something lighter I usually go with Dumpling and Won Ton Noodle Soup, served with egg noodles. The duck leg egg noodle soup is also very good.

A Chau

In the same lot as Minh Ky, this place has the best banh mi sandwiches. I usually order several of the special banh mi (with all the cold cuts and pate) and take them home to eat for lunch over the next several days. Sometimes I even pick a few up to eat on the plane back to DC and/or eat while in DC.

There are lots of other restaurants in this six block strip of Little Saigon. Definitely an area worth exploring if you are interested.

If you like your pho...and I mean really like your pho, then Pho Hoa is not to be missed.  The delicious pho and great sparkling 'limeade' more than makes up for what might be the worst restaurant parking lot to be found on earth.  I also second Snooze - if you can get a table - and La Vecindad for outstanding ceviche.  The only thing @eatruneat left out was In-N-Out Burger!  Even though the fries suck, it's always a treat for me when on the west coast.  

[Mark Dedrick]

We'll be here in about ten days or so for a couple of days (on the front and back ends of our trip to Mexico). Anybody been recently? I've spent a lot of my life in San Diego but haven't been for a few years. 

[Mark Dedrick]

We stayed for three nights in San Diego on the front and back ends of our Mexican adventure, but didn't have that many restaurant experiences. This was due to the fact that we arrived late on the first night, and spent both of the first two nights with a friend of ours in Encinidas. I do recommend the "Cardiff Crack" which is the burgundy-pepper marinaded tri tip they sell at the Seaside Market. 

On our return, we grabbed seats at the bar at Herb and Wood, located in Little Italy. We were definitely fans of the drinks, food and service. We had the beet salad, the tuna tartare (with gochujang), the grilled king trumpet mushrooms (killer), roasted branzino, grilled venison loin (also killer) and a gnocchi with an oxtail ragu. everything was very good. I'd recommend it.