The movies would have you believe that journalists run on caffeine and whiskey, yet that’s… only partially true. Our blood type is at least 30 percent espresso, but the modern reporter also nourishes their curious brain and fast-typing fingers with plates any 19th-century newsie would envy: beef carpaccio, popcorn chicken, creamy ramen. And then, as good scriveners do, we share it here for you. Extra! Extra! Read all about it!
American Sampler Sando
Smallgoods
This artisan La Jolla deli, voted “Best Sandwiches” in town by our readers, makes a killer version of an Italian sub with all US-produced inputs. It’s got mortadella from San Francisco, Golden Nugget ham, finocchiona salami, sheep milk Alpine cheese, local Big Bill on the Hill’s mustard, mayo, baby arugula from Fred’s Urban farm, and Breadbar seeded loaf slices. It’s perfect. —JB
Chawanmushi
Omakase by Ambrely
Savory Japanese egg custard, known as chawanmushi, isn’t often served outside traditional Japanese restaurants in the US. Chef Ambrely Ouimette‘s spin on the classic dish showcases her experience behind the sushi bar, using eggs, celery tsukudani, and maitake mushrooms. One blissful bite transported me straight back to a ryokan in Kyoto. —BD
Turon Crème Brülée Latte
Mostra Coffee
One could argue that coffee culture is jumping the shark wearing a DayGlo tutu. Blame Instagram. If a drink doesn’t look like it’s headed to the Met Gala, it’s getting booted from the menu. The camera caffeinates first, after all. Enter this crunchy sugar-crusted, jackfruit-syruped, housemade-banana-milked Lady Gaga of a beverage in Bankers Hill (among other locations). It knows its angles, secretly loves paparazzi, and tastes like it went to private school. —MH
Chicken Fried Rice
Cross Street Chicken And Beer
A restaurant that shares a parking lot with a Ralphs might not inspire culinary confidence, but Del Mar plays by its own real estate rules. The Korean fried chicken at Cross Street (also in Convoy) is crispy and comforting. Get it on sandos, in salads, or alongside fluffy fried rice with a perfectly runny egg. Plus, an easy grocery run after. Win-win. —MH
Fig Leaf Old Fashioned
Roma Norte
The menu at this Seaport Village hotspot is encyclopedic, but ask the bartenders to bring you their favorite and you may get this ceramic teacup full of intrigue. You’ll need to leave the small talk at home-with butter-washed bourbon, fig leaf cordial, and cacao bitters, this slow sipper is made for deep conversation. Make sure you’ve done your reading. —MH
Local Sheepshead “Zarandeado”
Vistal Bar + Restaurant
Great things rarely come from restaurants that require staff name tags, but the seafood program at this fine-dining-establishment-meets-airport-lounge in the Intercontinental lobby is doing flavorful things with a top-notch locally caught fish program. Pretty cool considering the US imports upwards of 80 percent of its seafood. This dish is Tommy Gomes-supplied local sheepshead (whitefish, bouncy on the palate), baked Nayarit-style, then sauced (but not drowned atop poblano polenta. Memorably good, no name tag required. —MH
Panang
World Curry
I’ve always been tickled by World Curry‘s concept: curries from cuisines all over the planet-including the cozy Thai panang-available in one laidback restaurant. (Side note: Someone should do the same thing with different cultures’ fried chicken.) Though the longtime PB institution closes its doors in December, there’s still time for spicy excursions. —AR
Piña Colada Slushie
Bay Hill Tavern
With gloomy skies outside and my friends locked in to a football game on one of several TVs in Bay Park’s Bay Hill Tavern, summer couldn’t feel further away… until a vacation vessel of sweet slush lands on the table. It’s not a poolside cabana, but it’s close, and, since it’s sweetened only with pineapple juice, the cocktail won’t trigger Vegas-esque sugar headaches. Touchdown? —AR
Pad Thai
Sab Lai Thai Kitchen
Would I recommend taking your partner’s parents to dinner by simply plucking a restaurant name off a map? No. But it worked out, and now you don’t have to repeat my folly. Sab Lai is an underrated (see: not crowded) joint serving satisfying noodles and stir-fries in the Gaslamp. A friendly spot for pre-gaming a bar hop, fueling up for Petco concerts, or wooing the in-laws. —AR
Beef Carpaccio
The Amalfi Llama
Opened in March, Amalfi Llama at Westfield UTC is all about Patagonian live-fire cooking techniques mixed with Italian ingredients. It’s one of the few places in San Diego using this method to cook meat, adding that delicious charred flavor to the dishes. While all of the cuts are worth a try, don’t skip the beef carpaccio as an app. It’s incredibly thin slices make you feel like you’re eating clouds, and what’s not to love about that? —NM
No-Loko
J & Tony’s Discount Cured Meats and Negroni Warehouse
I recognize that the zero-proof version of an espresso martini is simply a latte. But the No-Loko at this East Village haunt endlessly streaming The Sopranos is complex enough to earn its spot on the cocktail menu. Café de olla syrup, coffee concentrate, cold brew, grated cinnamon. Don’t fuhgeddaboudit. —AR
Creamy Chicken Ramen
Tajima Ramen
Cooler weather means one thing: ramen season. Tajima on Adams Avenue is no-frills in the right ways. A solid joint to drop in for a quick hit of soup like vou’d stop for a quick beer (they have both). Sit at the bar and watch the kitchen cranking out an impressive number of to-go tubs while sipping on creamy chicken broth that isn’t just rich, it’s wealthy. Come on, thermostat, drop. —MH
Mini Burritos
John’s Market
Sequestered in the cuts of Solana Beach, John’s serves up some of the most soul-nourishing, family-recipe Mexican this side of Tecate. The mini burritos ($2.75) with housemade refried beans taste like a morning in some small coastal town 3,000 miles south. Machaca, chorizo, you can’t miss. Simple, made with amor. A true Mexican market with handwritten prices, hidden in a residential neighborhood. Oro. —MH
Kraken Roll
Ototo Sushi Co.
On the south end of Liberty Station, where the parking is plentiful and the patios are quiet, Ototo (also in Clairemont) anchors an oft-forgotten corner of Point Loma, next to an old landlocked Navy training ship. Bringing work or a book along for happy hour when the sun is out? Very SD. The Kraken is a can’t-go-wrong choice: yellowtail, cucumber, and avocado topped with more tuna, crispy onions, and garlic soy. —MH
