Someone important lost their composure over a lobster concoction eaten at elevation, our food news writer went haywire and started eating dessert first, and our digital editor time-traveled back to an ’80s movie and rediscovered linguine and clams at Coronado’s newest restaurant-scene addition. These are the dishes and drinks that we feel you should search out this month if happiness is still a current pursuit.
Mister A’s
Lobster Cheese Sandwich
The great lie is that lobster automatically makes everything better. Restaurants will throw it in a burger, where it just becomes a meaningless brawl between surf and turf, both of their charms screaming into a great protein void while too much bread also makes a bunch of clatter.
But toss Maine lobster chunks with chives, and put it on housemade brioche with béchamel and a duo of cheeses (Comté, cave-aged cheddar) melted with lobster stock? And do it with just the right amounts of each so that it’s not like you’re digging through, trying to find a chunk in the lobster mac ’n’ cheese you fell for the upsell on? “Sent me to the heavens; no notes,” wrote a hyperventilatey San Diego Magazine CEO, Claire Johnson, after lunch at the city’s restaurant in the sky. –Troy Johnson
Toasted Gastrobrunch
Short Rib Benedict
You know those fancy earth-sheltered bus stops they have in posh, cold towns? The ones that look like a snow-town cenote? Imagine one of those, 100 times as big, with brunch in it, by the beach. That’s essentially Toasted in Oceanside. Chef Alfie Szeprethy—who rose up through some San Diego classics (Fleming’s, Banbu, Top of the Market, Roppongi)—swaps out the English muffin for the increased cargo capacity of grilled sourdough, then layers on slow-braised short rib, poached egg, pickled onions, and a lava flow of harissa hollandaise.
Short ribs in lesser hands lean too heavy on the sugar to caramelize the ribs; it ends up tasting like someone trusted their protein diet bro with making dessert. Szeprethy knows the crimes, avoids them, and this is how brunch should be done. He also says he can tell when you sneak BuzzBallz into his restaurant in your pockets, just FYI. —Troy Johnson
By the Sea
Linguine and Clams
To pre-launch locals’ summer, we ventured to Coronado’s newest restaurant from Nolita Hall’s owners, Doug and Lara Hamm. The couple was inspired by their travels through the Mediterranean coast, so By the Sea is Amalfi-style white oak, hand-stained willow reed thatching, Italian limestone, and exposed woodbeams.
The menu from chef Alex Carpio (ex-Ironside, Underbelly) features everything from a seafood tower to a 28-day dry-aged ribeye and caviar tastings. But sometimes simpler classics sing, namely the linguine and clams with good ole garlic, tomato, and parsley. Pro tip: Don’t split it. You’ll want the whole thing to yourself. —Nicolle Monico
Hong Kong Kitchen & Dim Sum
Black Gold Egg Yolk Cream Bun
Life is short, so why wait until the end of a meal to order dessert? That ethos is precisely why—whenever I dim sum—I tend to order sweet Cantonese steamed custard buns alongside my savory shumai, char siu bao, and xiao long bao. Hong Kong Kitchen & Dim Sum’s version is as eye-catching as it is drool-inducing. The first bite releases a gooey, molten sweet egg custard, pouring out of a jet-black bun, topped with a swipe of golden flair. It’s a beautiful, pillowy, sugar volcano. —Beth Demmon
Thai Time
Panang Curry
People in my life have clocked my love for Thai Time’s Panang curry and attempted to limit my consumption. (Sharing the exact frequency is too shameful; it’s higher than is decent to print.) But I will not be restrained. Creamy, spicy, and packed with perfectly cooked (snappy, but not raw) green beans, peas, and bell peppers, then given the trademark Thai basil. I only get it with tofu, but you can get duck, chicken, pork, even soft-shell crab. Need something refreshing to help cool the spice? Is the cucumber gimlet a cocktail or a spa tincture? It’s both. —Emma Veidt
