Once, the staff of SDM accidentally catered uncooked pasta to the office. We don’t have a stove, so there were many increasingly hangry attempts to microwave, air-fry, and YouTube-hack the stuff into palatability until we accepted defeat. It’s a piece of sad office lore that lives on alongside stories of incredible meals and legendary podcast guests—which is to say, food is serious and silly business here. These 15 dishes fête the wackiness (doctored-up Dr Pepper) and the wonder (a Michelin-approved seabass) of our local cuisine. Go get some.
31ThirtyOne
Striped Seabass Lode
The first Michelin guide in Mexico awarded six stars total, and Drew Deckman got two of them—one for each of his restaurants in Baja. His new place in North Park (a collab with Joe Musgrove) is a hyper-local, seasonal show of California and Mexico (mostly San Diego and Baja). This dish is essentially a seafood tartare, but with raw Baja oyster chopped and tossed with cubes of sushi-grade striped bass and topped with kaluga caviar and in-season puntarelle. Get Deckman’s chef’s counter experience—he’s got a massive food-nerd brain and loves to talk about each ingredient.
Miracle Potion Coffee
Iced Pink Miracle Coffee Latte
Ever wanted to guzzle a whole rose bouquet at 8 a.m.? No? Well, this latte from downtown café Miracle Potion will change your mind. It’s the ultimate spring reset—floral, earthy, and just caffeinated enough to revive me. I may have accidentally swallowed a rose petal, but my doctor says I’ll live. The color? So pretty, I thought I was getting a gender reveal order by mistake. What a delicious wake-up call in a cup.
Panama 66
Reclining Buddha
A few weeks into my sober 2025, I finally emerged from hibernation for a night out with friends at Panama 66’s regular Wednesday night jazz sesh in Balboa Park. Of the three mocktails on the menu, the Reclining Buddha is everything I want in a drink, minus the booze: a bright mix of orange, lemon, pineapple, and orgeat, topped with dehydrated citrus and the ultimate mixer, ginger beer. One sip in, I wondered why I hadn’t ditched alcohol sooner.
Comedor Nishi
Torta De Cochinita Pibil
One of the most famous Mexican chefs in the world—Enrique Olvera of Pujol and Cosme and a billion other restaurants—had chef Pancho Ibáñez as his right-hand man for years. Now Ibáñez and his wife, Daniela, are in La Jolla. He’s the chef and she’s the baker of Comedor Nishi, a breakfast and lunch spot in the former Coffee Cup location. It’s not fussy Michelin. It’s homestyle Mexican with a three-star chef’s touch. For this torta, he smashes a baguette down on slightly sweet, axiote-marinated pork and pickled red onion xnipec (an incredible Yucatan salsa).
Et Voilà! French Bistro
Plat-de-côtes Braisé À La Truffe
Last year, I made my way through the French countryside devouring all the breads, cheeses, and wines I could—it was pure bliss. To help satisfy my Francophile cravings, I checked out Et Voilà! in North Park. Along with a robust wine list, the bistro serves homemade pastas, fresh-baked breads, French classics like escargot, and specials such as braised Angus beef short ribs made with garlic potato purée, smoked Brussels sprouts, kale chips, blackberry-bourbon reduction, and black truffles. C’est bon!
Fort Oak
Ahi Tartare
My first visit to Fort Oak in Mission Hills came with sky-high expectations after I heard endless praise for the roasted carrots, pork chops, and maple leaf duck. But the real highlight? The ahi tartare, a decadent mix of pickled onion, capers, crispy shallots, cured egg yolk, and smoked oyster mayo atop perfectly toasted brioche. The rich harmony of flavors had me questioning if other food has a taste or if my long Covid is finally cured.
Coco Playa
Beach, Please
I’m usually a sipper, not a chugger, but the second the “Beach, Please” (Dr Pepper, cherry syrup, vanilla cream) hit my hands at this newish outpost for coffee, cookies, and zhuzhed-up sodas in Point Loma, all dignity evaporated. Honestly? I get why that 106-year-old swore Dr Pepper was the key to immortality (Google it). In 90 years, that’s me—cookie in one hand, dirty soda in the other, cackling at the haters.
Trattoria Da Sofia
Spicy Rigatoni Vodka
This new-ish, Sicilian-inspired spot in Kensington was packed and cacophonous when I snagged a table on a recent Friday night. (Don’t come here to catch up with an old friend. Do come to chit-chat and gossip without inhibition.) The spicy rigatoni vodka, which I topped with a hunk of burrata, was everything I dreamed it would be: zesty but not too hot, creamy but not too rich. The Goldilocks of pasta.
Rad Habits Juice Co.
Master P.taya
This smoothie’s electric-pink hue (courtesy dragon fruit, with banana, pineapple, coconut milk, and lime as back-up dancers) is eye-catching enough that a man in line cooed, “Ooh, so pretty” as it hit the counter at South Park’s Rad Habits. Plus, waiting for your order is fun here, since you can browse a vast selection of supplements and healthy alts to indulgent snacks (miso Rice Krispies treat, I’m coming back for you).
Mal Al Sham
Platter For Three People
When this platter of chicken and beef kebabs, skewers, and shawarma arrived, my friends and I gazed in awe at the glorious heap of grilled and seasoned perfection. Within seconds, we tore into it, attempting (and probably failing) to maintain some semblance of manners at this unassuming Syrian gem in the heart of El Cajon’s Middle Eastern restaurant row.
Harland Brewing Co.
Chicken Sando
Listen—it’s a fried chicken sandwich. Hard to go wrong here regardless, but if you, like me, are digging in after an accidental days-long protein deficit, a crispy sando at this laid-back, family-friendly brewery in South Park is going to hit like the first full day of vacation, especially with the sunny addition of pickled chilis. Go on a weekday during happy hour (3–6 p.m.) to add a lager for three bucks extra.
Bencotto Italian Kitchen
Pesto Gnocchi
I’m a creature of habit, and gnocchi with pesto alla Genovese is my ultimate weakness. Bencotto in Little Italy nails it. The magic of this pesto lies in the generous use of pine nuts, which help emulsify the garlic, olive oil, and Parmigiano into a herby, viscous sauce rather than a dressing with odd chopped-up basil leaves merely suspended in oil.
