Cherryfish partners Dannielle and Carlos Becerra also run Palmy’s next door and Parq nightclub in downtown San Diego. They’ve seen the area change significantly over the past 20 years and believe the time is right for more upscale options.

“We have seen the growth and change happening. Being that we personally love a great meal, we felt there was something special missing in our local area and wanted to blend my love for design, our love of food and hospitality experience and bring something unique to PB,” she explains. 

The newly renovated building features a 2,800-square-foot indoor dining room, a 1,000-square-foot outdoor patio, and a private dining room next to the kitchen that seats up to 12 guests, who can enter through a private VIP entrance. The entire space’s decor is a mix of electric pink, lime green, and gold splashes with many curves and greenery hanging from the amoeba-shaped ceiling above the bar. Most artwork features big, swooshy, painterly brushstrokes—more controlled than Cy Twombly but equally energetic. It still has that element of PB fun but with a little more razzle-dazzle. 

The outside features many right angles, horizontal lines, and a handful of fire pits for communal gabbing. (Even the restrooms are lush—I anticipate a new addition to the sexiest bathrooms list in the coming future.) This elevated vibe doesn’t come across as the typical PB hangout spot. But if we’re grading on a bell curve, Cherryfish is raising the class average.

San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events

Chinese Pop-Up 24 Suns Debuts in Oceanside

The sign outside 3375 Mission Avenue in Oceanside may not read Swan & Fox yet, but at least it doesn’t say Angelina’s Bar and Grill anymore. On July 24, Chefs Nic Webber and Jacob Jordan officially launched their brick-and-mortar debut of 24 Suns, their Chinese cuisine pop-up now occupying the still-in-progress concept with IRS Cocktails slated to be completed later this year. In the meantime, the pair is now offering a seasonal summer dining and cocktail menu and will host a Community Table dinner at The Ecology Center in San Juan Capistrano on August 16, centering around the Chinese agricultural solar calendar. Tickets for the dinner are available here, and their current Oceanside hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. 

Tony Gwynn Day is August 3 at AleSmith Brewing Company

What are you waiting for if you haven’t been to the Tony Gwynn Museum at AleSmith in Miramar? Celebrate the 25th anniversary of Mr. Padre’s 3,000th major league hit on Saturday, August 3rd, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. It also happens to be the last chance to check out the museum before the brewery temporarily closes it for updates, so stop by for a pint, some live music, food, art, and baseball nerdery.

Beth’s Bites

• Forget stingrays—it’s chef shuffle season in San Diego, with former The Marine Room chef Alex Pailles taking over the culinary team at La Valencia Hotel, John Silva assuming the reins of executive chef at Hell’s Kitchen at Harrah’s Resort SoCal. Esteban Lluis of Damiana in Valle de Guadalupe is creating the menu at the forthcoming ​​Kaluú in Gaslamp District. 
• The Olympics are about to kick off, and if you didn’t manage to book a ticket to Paris to watch the myriad of San Diegans compete in breaking (that’s what we’re calling breakdancing now), cycling, skateboarding, volleyball, and much more, don’t fear. There are plenty of watch parties around town, including the opening ceremonies at Shakespeare’s in Mission Hills and ongoing coverage at Union Kitchen & Tap in PB, Draft at Belmont Park, all The Crack Shack locations, and Brickmans Restaurant & Bar in San Marcos to name just a few.
• Ask, and ye shall receive! I recently lamented the lack of Hawaiian food across San Diego. Still, the universe is already delivering results with the forthcoming The Haole Shack and Ono Hawaiian BBQ coming to Escondido. (Hey, cosmos, how about a bakery and ice cream shop in downtown La Mesa next?)

Have breaking news, exciting scoops, or great stories about new San Diego restaurants or the city’s food scene? Send your pitches to [email protected].

The post Cherryfish Bringing Japanese Fusion to Pacific Beach appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Longtime PB seafood star The Fishery has new owners, a new chef, and a whole new life; Nico’s Fish Market finally found a brick-and-mortar home; and cult chicken favorite The Crack Shack will open its fifth location on Mission Boulevard this summer. 

But there’s more to come on Thursday, June 20, when Southern California–based Baja Sharkeez Restaurant Group (Tower 12, Palmilla, Esperanza) opens Hideaway Pacific Beach on Mission Boulevard.

At first blush, Hideaway seems like a classic beachside eatery that makes tourists feel like locals and locals remember why we pay top dollar to live here. Crystal Pier is at the end of the block, the restaurant’s entire vibe centers around chilling out, and there’s a whole retro surf aesthetic going on that, thankfully, appears to be more tasteful than tacky. Owner Greg Newman says he spent months collecting authentic surf and skate memorabilia for the space.

“Everything in there that you see is all pictures from Pacific Beach history from the ‘70s and ‘80s—Gordon & Smith boards, every single surf and skate guy that you’ve ever heard of has stuff in there,” he says. 

Newman says he’s been looking to open a restaurant in Pacific Beach for the better part of 20 years, and while he strives to fit into the laid-back, social atmosphere of PB, he wants to be a restaurant first and bar second. “Every place [in PB] is great in its own different way, but there’s a lot of places that are kind of clubby. We don’t want to be that,” he explains. “There’s a lack of really good food places and that’s what we’re very focused on.”

There’s still plenty to choose from in the beverage program, of course. Beyond the typical beer, wine, and spirits are sections like Mini Party Kegs and Social Bowls meant for sharing. (I have a feeling the “Flaming Volcano Bowl” will be an Instagram favorite.) 

Hideaway’s food menu falls in line with standard beach prices—a half-pound All-American burger for $17 ($21 if you add fries). But there’s a range of options, from the more affordable shareables ($15-$25) like Hideaway Italian Meatballs to wood-fired pizzas and more elevated dishes like a 12-hour braised short rib or classic steak frites. Newman says they paid special attention to the pizzas, creating their own housemade dough that takes three days to fully prep before going into their woodfire pizza oven that can hold up to 10 pizzas at a time. There’s even a pizza bar with seating for 14 people to have front-row seats to the firing process.

With the promise of live music, brunch (eventually), 5,500 square feet of indoor and outdoor seating, and a decent-sized parking lot (hallelujah!), Hideaway is helping PB lean into its more refined years. 

“We just want to be a part of the restaurant and bar community down there,” says Newman. “You’ve got everything [in PB]. You’ve got young professionals, college students, seniors that are 21, cool families… We’ve pretty much nailed every beach city, and this was the last one that’s still a real, quintessential California beach city.” 

San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events

The 2nd Annual Lao Food Festival Is Coming June 22-23

I already put out the bat signal for finding more Laotian food around San Diego, and my distress call has paid off. The second annual Lao Food Festival returns to Mira Mesa Community Park on Saturday, June 22 and Sunday, June 23 with more than 50 vendors, carnival rides, beer garden, and a lot more. The family-friendly event put on by LAOSD sold out last year, but tickets for one or both days are still available here. 

Beth’s Bites

BASTA! by Sam the Cooking Guy officially opens on Thursday, June 6 in Little Italy’s Piazza della Famiglia. I’m particularly looking forward to the bone marrow garlic bread, which very well might be my new favorite collection of words.

After 27 years, you’re ghosting us now? Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza closed their longtime Mission Valley location without warning this week. The writing was on the wall already, but damn, that still feels cold. 

It’s no small feat to be named Critic’s Pick for Best Tacos in San Diego Magazine, but that’s exactly what Mike’s Red Tacos did in 2024. Their second location opens today in Point Loma. This news definitely helps ease the sting of Sammy’s loss…

Have breaking news, exciting scoops, or great stories about new San Diego restaurants or the city’s food scene? Send your pitches to [email protected].

The post New Surf-Inspired Restaurant and Bar Hideaway Opening appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

The caesar salad they serve here comes with jalapeños and an Al-Pacino-doing-coke-in-Scarface amount of Parmesan. It is glorious.

But back to the room. It is the friend whose shirt never has lint. Lint wouldn’t dare. Lint leaves the shirt of this place and jumps onto your shirt. The chairs are army green or martini olive green, warm yet also nontraditional—interesting enough to practice polyamory. Or maybe the color was invented specifically for this room because none of the rest of us could be trusted with this color. In our hands, it would’ve looked like an army surplus store.

The market oysters, meaning whichever are particularly thriving at that moment, are also very good. The accompanying yuzu kosho granité is the killer here. Yuzu is a tart Asian lemon, and yuzu kosho is a godly paste made from fermented chiles, salt, and yuzu zest. Mignonette, Tabasco, and grocery store lemons do fine, workmanlike work. This is the spiritual enlightenment of that idea.

This place used to be a piano showroom. Before Americans started buying our pianos and consumer thrills from Jeff Bezos, each American city had a glossy little piano farm. You walked in and someone was tickling the ivories beautifully, filling you with the spirit that you, too, might fancy a tickle. You sat down on one of those pianos and played the first few bars of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” and stopped after a few seconds because you never learned the rest of the song (that fact has led to more than one romantic breakup in your life). 

Large humans would deliver the piano to your house, where you played it furiously for six or seven days until you could do crimes because your fingerprints were rubbed fresh off. Then, for the next six or seven years, the piano would just kinda sit there, taking up an immodest amount of space (but looking really shiny and projecting your family’s false-front of artsiness) until you eventually forced it on some gullible relative who also enjoys musical delusions of grandeur.

Now that the place is Paradisaea, there’s still a piano in the room, and every Wednesday the principal of Rancho Bernardo High School comes down to play for everyone. After long days of contouring the brilliant and terrifying minds of teenagers, I bet playing here is therapy.

But, on most nights, the music you hear in this room is the ice being rhythmically thrashed about in the bartender’s shakers—that rocky-wet siren song of loose lips. The music is the sizzle and sear of hot pans in the open kitchen. The music is the muffled cultural discussions and gentle insider trading of Bird Rock regulars.

The bartenders make a damn good martini. Drink it while eating the carrots in smoked yogurt—a dish made well in many places around town (Fort Oak famously does a great one), simultaneously smoky and tangy and creamy and carrot-sweet. It’s a dish that makes us moan, tottering on that thin threshold between eating dinner and soundtracking smut.

Dry-aging fish is a fringe kitchen art that’s catching on (it’s honestly an ancient thing—sushi only gets its trademark silkiness by aging a bit). When you age it, it doesn’t get “fishier” in that moldy-dock sort of way; it’s just more rich and luscious. Paradisaea’s amberjack crudo comes with oro blanco (grapefruit-adjacent), shaved fennel, charred avocado, and burnt citrus oil. Fresh, bright, and burnt. That’s a good thing. 

I didn’t much care for the Ora King salmon. That was a tad fishy. But the 28-day ribeye with potato pave and morel mushrooms is an old song played well.

The steak knives are engraved with their island–Def Leppard logo on the side of the blade. That couldn’t have been cheap. You should probably just order the chefs’ tasting menu (at $105 for five courses, it has to be one of the best deals in the city)—each bite seems to come with its own custom utensil.

The post The Prettiest Restaurant in San Diego (& Some Delicious Carrots) appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Caroline’s Seaside Cafe

Originally published October 2021 | Updated March 2023

Outdoor Dining Spots / Rooftops

Pali Wine Co.

Little Italy can sometimes feel frenetic, but that all slips away on the second-floor patio of this stylish, serene wine bar. The Lompoc-based vintners specialize in pinot noirs and chardonnays, with some bold reds to sample, too. You can even take your vino in a growler to go.

Vintana

While we never thought dining and car dealerships could mix, Vintana proves us wrong. This fine dining spot has panoramic city and mountain views atop Escondido’s Lexus Centre, and the menu is as luxurious as the sedans below. Decadent items include filet mignon and lobster mac ’n’ cheese, and their Tuesday date night special includes two entrées and a bottle of wine for $50.

05 the-nolen-1.jpg

The Nolen

Some downtown rooftops can be, ahem, cheesy. Not so at this refined space atop the Courtyard San Diego Gaslamp. Enter through a dedicated, non-hotel doorway and head up to the 14th floor for views of downtown and the bay. The menu is mostly small bites, and the cocktails focus on barrel-aged and throwback concoctions.

Trilogy Sanctuary

Superfoods, ocean views, and yoga sound like a winning La Jolla trifecta, and that’s what you’ll get at this rooftop vegan and organic café that shares a space with a yoga studio. While dining on grain bowls, smoothies, and vegan nachos, you can scope out their cool aerial yoga classes. They also host virtual events for breath work and reiki training.

catania-view-sdm-0223.jpeg

Catania

The coastal panorama from this Italian restaurant’s La Jolla rooftop is award-worthy, but Michelin doesn’t give out stars for views. The food’s gotta be spectacular—and, in 2022, Catania’s wood-fired pizzas and housemade pastas landed them a coveted spot in the Guide. Try the duck sugo orecchiette with braised duck and porcini mushrooms.

Rustic Root

Take in the Gaslamp action from the comfort of this hip, open-air deck outfitted in rose gold seats, life-size animal topiaries, and market lights. The rooftop has its own menu, with shareables like poke tostadas and firecracker shrimp. They’re well-known for their old-school tipples and craft cocktail shots.

Mister A’s

The perch 350 feet above sea level means you’ll be dining at eye level with incoming planes—plus skyline and bay views. The restaurant is known for its five-star plates of prime beef selections and seafood, but you should definitely order the truffle mac ’n’ cheese to start.

Half Door Brewing Co.

Housed in an early–1900s building near Petco Park, this brewpub has a charming roof deck with a robust menu and plenty of beers brewed in–house. The pretzel bites and fried goat cheese with Sriracha aioli are crowd-pleasers; then move on to juicy burgers and red-ale-braised pork belly.

^ Back to top

Outdoor Dining Spots / Ocean Views

21-Hello-Betty.jpg

Hello Betty Fish House

The rooftop at this Oceanside seafood spot has all the beautiful ocean views without the stuffy, fine dining vibe (flip-flops are welcome). It’s an expansive space with picnic-style seating, where diners feast on fish tacos, oysters, and margaritas.

Il Fornaio Del Mar

In terms of outdoor dining, the top of Del Mar Plaza is a golden standard. Il Fornaio offers formal dining on its own (closed-in) patio, but for informal drinking and eating, snag a couch on the Plaza terrace. Pasta, pizzas, and a lengthy gluten-free menu are popular.

Coasterra

It’s not a view; it’s the view. The Mexican American restaurant has a massive outdoor deck that overlooks the bay, harbor, and downtown, and is a popular spot for sunset viewing, preferably with a Deb’s Coconut Margarita in hand, and chips and fresh guacamole made tableside. Plus, a location by the airport means it’s the perfect stop for hungry out-of-towners—hello, holiday visitors!—who’ve just landed.

09 wonderland-ob-1.jpg

Wonderland Ocean Pub

You’d be hard-pressed to find a better place to catch the sunset. This Ocean Beach pub is famous for their amazing ocean view and daily “sunset toast,” a complimentary shot of the bartender’s choice. Enjoy taco specials and $5 margaritas on Wednesdays, half-off mussels and oysters on Mondays, and other happy hour specials the rest of the week.

Jimmy’s Famous American Tavern

Set along the harbor between Shelter and Harbor islands, Jimmy’s balances the calming marina view with a lively atmosphere. The patio promises nautical eye candy—from the boats to the sailors boarding them—and the menu is full of burgers and bloody marys.

hudson-nash-patio-sdm-0223.jpeg

Hudson & Nash

Located near the San Diego Convention Center in downtown, Hudson & Nash provides killer Comic-Con people watching—if you can tear your eyes from the seascape. Watch boats pass and cosplayers clash (faux swords only, fear not) with a tiki drink in one hand and a sweet chili chicken wing in the other.

Poseidon

At a place named after a water god, ocean views are a must. And this Del Mar restaurant delivers as one of the few places with patio dining right on the beach. Take a break from tanning and sandwiches to feast on fresh seafood plates and tacos instead.

12 georges-ocean-terrace-2.jpg

George’s at the Cove

The La Jolla institution is known for many things: a commitment to farm-to-table ethics, an outstanding bar program, and amazing views from its Ocean Terrace rooftop. It’s polished, not pretentious—a happy medium between California Modern’s fine dining on the ground floor and the relaxed second-floor bar, Level2. It’s so popular for golden hour that they update their website every day with sunset times.

The Grill at Torrey Pines

This restaurant at The Lodge at Torrey Pines looks out over the iconic Torrey Pines Golf Course and onto the ocean, but without any of the stuffiness that usually presides at five-star resorts. The menu embraces fire-themed cooking, with dishes like wood-roasted vegetables and the must-try Drugstore Hamburger on a fluffy steamed bun.

the-shores-outdoor-sdm-0223.jpeg

The Shores

San Diego’s at its shiniest at the La Jolla Shores Hotel’s beachfront restaurant—both in the gorgeous coastal tableau and in the food, California-inspired and sourced from local farmers. Get the muscles, which are harvested in Carlsbad then served with ancho chiles, chorizo, roasted garlic, anejo tequila, and lime, plus ciabatta to soak up that spicy sauce.

Chandler’s

Chandler’s at the Cape Rey hotel is one of the few spots in Carlsbad to catch a view of the water. The Pacific is just far enough away to avoid sand in your hair, but close enough to smell the sea salt. The open fireplaces make for a comfortable spot to lounge, dine, and listen to seasonal live music. They also have their bases covered for accommodating kids, including coloring activities and room to roam by the pool, hotel grounds, and lobby.

jrdn-outdoor-dining-sdm-0223.jpeg

JRDN

The ideal vantage point for armchair-judging surf competitions in Pacific Beach, Tower23 Hotel’s JRDN elevates classic post-beach food (fish tacos, burgers) with local ingredients and housemade sauces at lunchtime. Dinner offerings are even more sumptuous—think lamb lollipops, braised short rib, and lots of sushi.

World Famous

Situated on the Pacific Beach boardwalk, this surf-and-turf eatery claims one of the city’s best ocean views. You’re going to spot the water no matter where you sit, but the most impressive seats are along the railing facing the ocean. Time it right, and you can be sipping on a Surfside Margarita while taking in the sunset.

Carnitas’ Snack Shack

While we’ll always come back for the food, it’s the view at their Embarcadero waterfront location that seals the deal. The counter service and no-frills modern decor create a relaxed happy hour environment to sip on a cocktail or two, order some carnitas tacos, and watch the cruise ships go by.

^ Back to top

Outdoor Dining Spots / Sidewalk

18-underbelly.jpg

Underbelly

Now that summer’s over, it’s socially acceptable to slurp ramen again, and UnderBelly’s chic North Park patio is the perfect spot to mix sipping with sidewalk seating. New menu items for fall include yakitori grilled oysters with yuzu butter and a Japanese Scotch egg.

Buona Forchetta

The Neapolitan pizza pros’ original South Park location has the liveliness, twinkly lights, and friendly Italian servers with those velvety accents who first won our hungry hearts. It’s no longer a secret, so be prepared for hour-ish wait times unless you have a reservation for a party of six or more. The good news? Stylish vegan restaurant Kindred across the street has a sidewalk patio for a pre-dinner tipple.

grand-ole-bbq-sdm-0223.jpeg

Grand Ole BBQ

Owner Andy Harris toured the States’ most storied BBQ meccas (Kansas City, Memphis, Texas) as delicious research for his own smokehouse in North Park. Enjoy the spoils of his hero’s journey—brisket, tri tip, smoked lamb by the pound—on Grand Ole BBQ’s homey patio. On Sundays, the place converts into an Argentine asado, serving chorizo sandwiches, entraña skirt steak, and morcilla.

Le Parfait Paris

This bakery offers a charming respite from the bustling bars and restaurants of downtown. All pastries, including the pillow-soft almond chocolate croissant, are made in house, and they also serve heartier fare like quiches and granola bowls. The petite patio overlooks G Street, a good spot to take in the Gaslamp revelers—with a cappuccino and macaron in hand.

The Roxy

This popular Encinitas bar and restaurant comes with a 1920s theme, complete with contemporaneous antiques and old-school cocktails. Take a seat on the charming patio for a menu that runs the gamut from healthy (salads and fig crostini) to indulgent (a cheesy falafel burger and gnocchi carbonara). Check their site for live music events.

15 cafe-madeleine-1.jpg

Café Madeleine

We feel totally transported to France every time we take a seat on this charming patio in South Park. Though best known for serving Illy coffee and piping-hot croissants—get ’em fresh from the oven when they open at 7 a.m.—they also serve savory crepes, quiches, and panini. You’ll see a mix of neighborhood regulars reading the paper solo, young families, and couples with four-legged friends.

^ Back to top

Outdoor Dining Spots / Gardens

22-atypical-waffle.jpg

Atypical Waffle

Enter through the alley on the right side of 30th Street Laundromat and step into a backyard café with succulent decor and a fire pit. The menu is filled with Belgian waffles—both sweet and savory—as well as lemonades and coffee. Try the crowd favorite Number Seven with bacon, avocado, and goat cheese.

Davanti Enoteca

This Italian eatery boasts a leafy, tree-filled patio. All the better to enjoy their famous focaccia di Recco appetizer, a Ligurian flatbread stuffed with cheese and topped with oozy honeycomb. Dinner includes pizzas and pastas, but we’re partial to Davanti’s weekend brunch, when they roll out their extensive DIY bloody mary bar, with olives, house-pickled veggies, prosciutto-wrapped asparagus, and more than 100 hot sauces.

Old Venice

It doesn’t get more romantic than this Point Loma landmark. The back patio, a popular spot for private parties, is draped in whites, candles, and market lights. Pastas and pizza keep diners coming back, but don’t miss their lunch special, which includes a half-portion pasta plus salad for $12.

20-stone-brewing.jpg

Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens

Dining at this sprawling Escondido outpost feels like you’re reading a fairy tale while drinking a cold one. The outdoor patio is adjacent to the property’s one-acre garden, dotted with fruit trees, herb gardens, and a stone bridge over a running brook. Sustainability is also key, as chefs use mostly local, organic produce and naturally raised meats.

Casa Guadalajara

The extensive menu of cheesy enchiladas and pollo tamales matches the maximalist decor at this Old Town staple that sports colorful umbrellas and live mariachi music. There’s a candlelit garden room, as well as a courtyard with a 200-year-old pepper tree. During their weekday happy hour, along with their famous “bird bath” margaritas, they dish out a gratis spread of appetizers. Fiesta!

^ Back to top

Outdoor Dining Spots / Kids

Panama66

The team behind Blind Lady Alehouse renovated the space next to the San Diego Museum of Art into a stylish, all-outdoors spot for a pre-theater meal or Sunday Funday drinks within Balboa Park. The counter-service menu includes gastropub hallmarks like burgers and charcuterie boards.

13 park-101-1.jpg

Park 101

At this all-outdoors space in Carlsbad you can order counter-service barbecue sandwiches, as well as acai bowls, salads, and donuts on the ground floor. Or, head upstairs for a more adult-friendly deck with small plates, wine, and fire pits.

Caroline’s Seaside Cafe

When you’re located on the campus of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, water views are a given. But this charming rooftop also serves up classic breakfast fare, like buttermilk pancakes and egg scrambles, plus sandwiches and salads for lunch. Counter service makes it an easy choice when dining with kids, and you can walk directly down to the beach after your meal.

Bagby Beer Company

A part of Oceanside’s recent cool-ification, Bagby Beer was launched by a former Pizza Port brewmaster and is known for every color of the beer rainbow—IPAs, pilsners, blondes, and German-style lagers. There’s a sidewalk porch, a back patio, and even a rooftop to enjoy the smoked chicken wings and various pizzas.

Puesto

This restaurant is the centerpiece of The Headquarters at Seaport Village and the newly-opened Mission Valley location packs the same punch. Their outdoor patio fills up quickly with a mix of families, couples, and small groups who feast on the popular taco trio plates and Parmesan guacamole.

Station Tavern & Burgers

This South Park gastropub is known for burgers, beers, and a half trolley, a nod to the site’s history as a mid-1900s trolley easement station. Daily specials range from beer brats on Sundays to Saturday’s Train Wreck Tots—potato fritters with sloppy joe mix, cheese sauce, and green onions.

The Crack Shack

Families and hipsters alike flock to this counter service spot that serves chicken and egg dishes using high-quality proteins. Their fried chicken sandwiches and duck fat fries are popular choices, but save room for the soft serve, which is customizable with unlimited toppings.

^ Back to top

The post 41 Outdoor Dining Spots to Try in San Diego appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Squid ink risotto with warm chili oil from Chef Mike Reidy at The Fishery

Eric Wolfinger

Confession: I’m a 37-year-old mom, and I love PB. Admitting it feels like admitting that I sometimes don a bikini and rollerskate with my pet boa, but I’m adamant that Pacific Beach has hidden depths. I lived in PB for most of my twenties and thirties before making the move to the ’burbs. And even now that mom jeans are a necessity instead of a fad, the neighborhood is still one of my favorites.

Pacific Beach has a well-earned reputation for debauchery. SDSU co-eds learn the meaning of life at Moondoggies, the PB Street Fair properly pops off, and there’s an endless selection of overcrowded beachfront watering holes. But demographics are shifting, and the food scene along with it.

“The majority of the people living here [are] young Millennials—the median age hovers around 32. Pacific Beach has always attracted college students, surfers, and people who prefer an easy-going lifestyle,” says Andra Hopulele of real estate data website Point2. But, she adds, “the median age is on the rise, and local residents are slowly becoming older and more affluent due to rising property and rental costs.” Renters remain the majority—almost 70 percent of all residents. But that might be changing as well. According to the most recent data, the total number of renters is down 2.6 percent year-over-year.

Point is, a small market correction in the ratio of 2AM alcohol-mop grub to something better has been coming for a while. Those in the know will find from-scratch bakeries and cocktail bars, and upscale seafood restaurants that rival neighboring La Jolla. From long-standing San Diego institutions like Sushi Ota to soon-to-open concepts like Captain’s Quarters (a gin lounge on Grand Avenue inside tiki palace The Grass Skirt), it’s possible to ditch the boardwalk booze slushies in favor of sunset sangria and seafood towers. We rounded up a few grown-up delights.

Waterbar

On the PB boardwalk, sandwiched between mayhem and two-for-one margaritas, is Waterbar, a veritable oasis. Try the flavorful mussels coconut adobo, inspired by the Filipino heritage of executive chef DJ Tangalin (ex-Bivouac, Whisknladle). Bivalves are roasted with garlic, shallot, and mushrooms, then deglazed with chardonnay and steamed with coconut adobo sauce and monter au beurre (that’s French for a lot of butter).

Ambrogio15

There’s plenty of pizza in PB, but the gourmet Milan-style offerings at Ambrogio15 are more date night than late night, crafted by chef Patrick Money, formerly of Cesarina. Try the burrata e prosciutto crudo, a thin crust salty and creamy pie.

JRDN At Tower23

Oceanfront JRDN is a must-visit for the views – both the sunset and the sunbathing co-eds – but the food by chef Stephen Gage is worth a visit on its own. Post up at the open-air bar with a cocktail and a plate of ahi tuna nachos, housemade wonton chips topped with raw tuna, avocado, and mango, drizzled with Sriracha aioli.

La Clochette Du Coin

Anyone dreaming about visiting Paris to eat pastries at charming French bistros should stroll down to La Clochette Du Coin for inspiration. On weekends, arrive early, avoid the long lines, and sink into a croque madame: a croissant loaf (from baker Justin Gaspar at sister concept Hommage Bakehouse) is made more decadent with Gruyere, cured ham, and bechamel. As if that weren’t enough, it’s topped with a free-range egg.

The Fishery

Nestled in a quiet spot on Cass Street, The Fishery strives for classic instead of trendy, serving sustainable seafood as a combination restaurant and fish marketplace. Chef Mike Reidy created an exceptional squid ink risotto, showcasing squid from Long Beach, Acquerello-aged risotto rice, and warm chili oil.

The post Main Dish: October 2022 appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Campfire and Jeune et Jolie

These two Carlsbad restaurants, both co-owned by John Resnick, will be offering a holiday sangria and cocktail recipe in addition to their takeout menu all season long. Try the Grizzly Folk, a bourbon beverage with mulled cider, tamarind, and lemon.

2725 State Street, Carlsbad

2659 State Street, Suite 102, Carlsbad

Civico by the Park

Civico by the Park

The Bankers Hill outpost of this Italian eatery is offering four cocktails to go for their Cocktails di Natale menu. The drinks are classic recipes with a holiday twist, like the Holiday in Manhattan with black walnut bitters and a Punt e Mes aperitivo, or the Espresso Martini with a housemade vanilla bean syrup and a cinnamon garnish.

2550 Fifth Avenue, Suite 120, Bankers Hill

Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa

Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa

Head to the hotel’s Greenfinch Holiday Pop-Up Bar for fun holiday-themed boozy beverages every Friday and Saturday in December. Go for the English Ginger Snap, made with Earl Grey–infused Tito’s vodka, Amar Nonino, persimmons, and ginger beer. Rum fans will want the Santa Smokes Cigars, a smoky and spicy sipper with locally distilled Malahat rum.

9700 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla

The Grass Skirt

The Grass Skirt

The Grass Skirt’s “Tiki Christmas” continues with their cocktail boxes. This week’s theme (the last one!) is Sippin’ Santa, an aged rum and Italian amaro–based cocktail completed with fresh lemon, orange juice, and a garnish of ginger and nutmeg. The box also comes with their signature Surfin’ Santa mug and a special edition The Grass Skirt stocking.

910 Grand Avenue, Pacific Beach

Kindred

Kindred’s popular takeout cocktails received the holiday treatment with a menu rollout of five seasonal libations. Find their takes on classics like a hot toddy or mulled cider, or go for something more unique like the Loxian Gate with gin, aquavit, sherry, lemon, cherry, rosemary, and allspice bitters.

1503 30th Street, South Park

Fallen Apple at Lionfish

Lionfish

Take your festive fix to go with one of Lionfish’s seasonal cocktails. The Fallen Apple, for example, puts the fruit forward with an apple spice syrup and apple brandy. They also have holiday classics for the traditionalists, like a spiced mulled wine and eggnog.

435 Fifth Avenue, Gaslamp Quarter

Moniker General

This Liberty Station hangout put together festive cocktail baskets for a boozy at-home celebration to last through the holidays. Each basket comes with staples like a Spiced Pear aperitif or their signature margarita; then you have the option to upgrade your kit with extras like their custom-blend Woodford Reserve or a Wildsong Sauvignon Blanc. Each basket comes with servings for 10–12 cocktails for you to hunker down and sip 2020 away.

2860 Sims Road, Liberty Station

Mr. Trustee

Mr. Trustee

Stop by the Mr. Trustee pickup window at Cardellino restaurant Fridays through Sundays to warm up with some hot holiday drinks. The beverages—think candy cane hot chocolate and a classic apple cider—are naturally nonalcoholic (and delicious), but you can make it a true “holiday spirit” for an extra $6.

4033 Goldfinch Street, Mission Hills

Nolita Hall

James Tran

Nolita Hall

Bar Manager Corey Tighe rolled out a tongue-in-cheek menu of holiday cocktails as part of Nolita Hall’s “F*ck 2020” takeout pizza pop-up. Try the Certify for Benefits, made with blanco tequila, apple cider, blonde ale, ginger, cinnamon, and lemon. Or the Melting Giuliani, a butternut squash eggnog with Malahat spiced rum.

2305 India Street, Little Italy

Realm of the 52 Remedies

The beloved speakeasy’s Home Therapy cocktail service continues with timely seasonal additions, like Nutcracker-themed tinctures. Each kit comes with a bottle of the selected spirit, all the garnishes and mixers to make 10–12 cocktails, recipe cards, and special gifts and barware.

4805 Convoy Street, Kearny Mesa

Grizzy Folk at Campfire and Jeune et Jolie

The post 10 Places to Get Festive Holiday Cocktails To Go in San Diego appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Breakfast Republic

With a string of locations around San Diego from East Village to North County, this popular brunch spot is known for more than just a never-ending supply of chicken puns, egg decor, and eclectic pop culture references. Brunch lovers can flock here for Oreo pancakes, shrimp and grits, s’mores French toast, and breakfast cocktails.

Eight locations, see website for details

Brockton Villa Restaurant

Salty sea air, the sounds of seagulls and waves, and a stunning view of La Jolla Cove. Housed in one of La Jolla’s original beach cottages, Brockton Villa offers a fusion of American, Mexican, and Mediterranean flavors sprinkled throughout their menu items. But before letting your eyes wander the menu for too long, look for the house specialty: Coast Toast. The popular French toast, similar to a soufflé, is a must-try for first-timers. The award-winning dish has a hint of orange, and if you’re really in the mood to splurge, you can get it à la mode.

1235 Coast Boulevard, La Jolla | 858-454-7393

Broken Yolk Cafe

Started in 1979 in Pacific Beach, the hometown favorite has grown to 15 locations in San Diego County. Try their Tiki Toast (Hawaiian bread made into French toast), or their Golden State Benedict, a toasted English muffin topped with grilled tomato, avocado, applewood-smoked bacon, poached eggs, hollandaise, and a Sriracha drizzle.

15 locations, see website for details

Cafe 21

Experience the culture of Azerbaijan at Cafe 21, from their fusion dishes to their style of service and everything in between. Their concept is small plates, which allows for variety and the experience of trying different tastes and flavors—the bread and housemade jam is a must at breakfast, it goes well with the organic Peruvian blend. 802 Fifth Avenue, Downtown | 619-795-0721

2736 Adams Avenue, University Heights | 619-640-2121

Caroline’s Seaside Cafe

The cafe is on the campus of UCSD Scripps Institution of Oceanography, in the Seaside Forum, in walking distance from Scripps Pier. Relax on their ocean-view patio and enjoy the Mediterranean egg scramble while you watch the waves. Espresso drinks and baked goods are available all day at the counter.

8610 Charles F. Kennel Way, La Jolla | 858-202-0569

Claire’s on Cedros and Claire’s Too

Located in the heart of Solana Beach, this quaint cafe and bakery specializes in homemade breads, pastries, and desserts like peach cobbler coffee cake. They grind their coffee beans and juice their Valencia oranges daily on-site. If you’re on the go, make a quick stop for coffee, salads, or baked treats at Claire’s Too, whose bakery counter is just across from the restaurant entrance.

246 North Cedros Avenue, Solana Beach | 858-259-8597

Crushed

Crushed

Offering selections from American, Mexican, and Italian fare, this family-owned and operated brunch spot is known for their drinks just as much as their food. Try one of their “bresserts” (breakfast desserts), like the popular cinnamon roll pancakes, with some craft beer, mimosa, or wine. If you’re hoping to get a trendy Instagram post out of your visit, start off your morning with their mimosa flight and choose three different flavors, such as elderflower or ginger lychee, that are sure to brighten up any picture.

967 Garnet Avenue, Pacific Beach | 858-230-6567

Farmer’s Table

This restaurant brings together locally sourced organic ingredients with wood-fired pizzas and flatbreads, omeletes, and skillets. They’re famous for The Barn Yard bloody mary, a pitcher topped with an entire roasted chicken (made for four people or more). There’s also a kids’ brunch menu.

550 West Date Street, Little Italy | 619-255-0958

8141 La Mesa Boulevard, La Mesa | 619-724-6465

3055 Clairemont Drive, Bay Park | 619-359-4485

Great Maple/Hash House a Go Go

For over two decades, Hash House has brought a little country to the coast with its fresh spin on classic Midwestern comfort food. The most popular meal, Andy’s World Famous Sage Fried Chicken, is a must-try, and they’re famous for their bloody marys. Great Maple, a second location from Hash House’s founder, is a modern eatery with fresh housemade pies, Benedicts, and French toast logs. For anyone with a sweet tooth, the Fruity Pebbles pancakes (a limited offer on the secret menu) and the maple bacon donuts are must-trys.

1451 Washington Street, Hillcrest | 619-255-2282

3628 Fifth Avenue, Hillcrest | 619-298-4646

Hob Nob Hill

Hob Nob Hill

Located in the heart of San Diego, Hob Nob Hill has been serving scratch-made food to generations of San Diegans and visitors alike since 1944. They recently built an expansive outdoor space on First Avenue. Try the crab Benedict or bone-in pork chops and eggs.

2271 First Avenue, Bankers Hill | 619-239-8176

Jrdn Restaurant

Jrdn is the place to go for sushi, cocktails, and people-watching—all with an ocean backdrop. It’s right on the Pacific Beach boardwalk and features both a breakfast and an all-day menu with their own take on surf ‘n’ turf cuisine. Catch them in the morning for a refreshing acai bowl or a hearty veggie scramble, or treat yourself to a lobster roll or poke bowl anytime after 11 a.m. If you’re in the mood to complement the view with a drink, pick from an extensive wine list or build your own mimosa.

723 Felspar Street, Pacific Beach | 858-270-2323

Luca Restaurant

Tucked away in an alfresco courtyard adjacent to The Guild Hotel’s central lobby, Luca features Mediterranean and North African flavors, such as deviled eggs with tobiko caviar truffle oil and a unique take on ​avocado toast​, served with poached eggs, arugula salad, tomato jam, and quinoa popcorn. Let your travel-deprived self enjoy the French Riviera ambience in some dreamy brunch-time.

500 West Broadway, Downtown | 619-764-5160

Madison on Park

Try the carnitas stack, a Belgian waffle made with manchego cheese, drizzled with avocado sauce and topped with carnitas and a poached egg. This University Heights hangout also serves brunch cocktails, including the Motor Bike, which is El Jimador tequila blanco with aperol and hints of watermelon, ginger, and lime.

4622 Park Boulevard, North Park | 619-269-6566

Morning Glory

If you’re looking for ambience that will stun you just as much as the food, Morning Glory’s got you covered way beyond your expectations. Come up to the second floor in the heart of Little Italy to enjoy the trendy Japanese soufflé pancakes or the pork belly fried rice. Or just sit and gape at the pink Champagne vending machine and the giant electric-pink flower looming overhead. Either way, you’ll be living any Millennial’s *aesthetic* brunch dreams.

550 West Date Street, Little Italy | 619-629-0302

Parc Bistro-Brasserie

Getting a table on the charming patio at this modern bistro is like taking a quick escape to a Parisian cafe for a couple of hours. Start off the weekend with crepes, quiche, a croque monsieur with Bayonne ham, or go all out with a seafood tower. There’s several French wines served by the glass, mocktails, and mimosas to wash it all down. Brunch is served Saturdays and Sundays until 3 p.m.

2760 Fifth Ave., Bankers Hill | 619-795-1501

Sheldon’s Service Station

Pair an iced tea, iced coffee, or ice-cold beer with something from the cafe’s pastry bar or with their popular Service Station Benedict, and enjoy the San Diego weather on the covered patio, complete with refreshing misters. And make sure to keep up to date on the avocado toast special of the week.

8401 La Mesa Boulevard, La Mesa | 619-741-8276

Snooze, an A.M. Eatery

This breakfast eatery aims to foster a more sustainable food system, serving seasonal foods with local and organic ingredients. Whether you follow a strict diet, have food allergies, or you’re just plain picky, their breakfast and brunch menu features something for anyone with an appetite, from paleo to vegetarian and vegan, to dairy-free and gluten-free options. The restaurants also feature a full bar serving mimosas, bloody marys, margaritas, and local craft beers.

3940 Fifth Avenue, Hillcrest | 619-500-3344

8861 Villa La Jolla Drive, #509, La Jolla | 858-483-5556

3435 Del Mar Heights Road, Suite D3, Del Mar | 858-703-5300

Toast Gastrobrunch

Toast does wonders with its namesake, but hungry brunchers can expect a range of dishes, from prime beef and eggs to the signature Eggs in Purgatory, a sourdough bread bowl with poached eggs in a spicy shakshuka sauce, mushrooms, pork belly, feta, egg, scallions, and mint. Their house specialty is coconut pistachio kanafee, which is shredded phyllo with a ricotta and jack cheese filling, served with an orange blossom syrup and toasted brioche, topped with pistachios. They also offer a selection of bloody marys, bellinis, mimosas, draft beers, and cocktails like espresso martinis.

5970 Avenida Encinas, Carlsbad | 760-438-1212

Urban Mo’s Bar and Grill

The famous buffet at this bar in the heart of San Diego’s LGBTQ+ community may be no more, but you can still get a flavorful breakfast every day until 1 p.m. with dishes like country fried steak, chocolate chip pancakes, or a filling breakfast burrito. Don’t forget to complement your meal with a mimosa.

308 University Avenue, Hillcrest | 619-491-0400

The Westgate Hotel

Show up for Sunday brunch in your Sunday best. Visit their new alfresco dining at Veranda at Westgate Room and try their French-inspired cuisine featuring fresh California flavors. Indulge in the lemon ricotta pancakes with blueberry marmalade and maple syrup or the house brioche French toast with cinnamon butter and crème fraiche.

1055 Second Avenue, Downtown | 800-522-1564

Morning Glory

The post 21 Brunch Spots with a Patio in San Diego appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

BoxFit

The North Park boxing gym has brought their jabs, hooks, and uppercuts to the Lafayette Hotel every Thursday night. Classes are an hour long and include a variety of mit work to strengthen your technique and let off a little steam, too. Bring your own gloves and wraps, and be sure to reserve your spot ahead of time!

2223 El Cajon Boulevard, North Park

Double Barrel Fitness

If strength training is your focus, you’ll find plenty of opportunities at Double Barrel Fitness. The San Marcos gym moved their programs outside, with widely spaced markers and individual caddies, sanitizing spray, and a towel for each visitor. Join them for a Functional Fitness class, which includes skill progression and a workout routine that changes each day.

456 East Mission Road, San Marcos

Elevate Training

Elevate Training

Elevate Training’s Solana Beach and downtown locations have both transitioned outdoors. With a special focus on the Lagree Method, a full-body conditioning technique, this 40-minute class takes place entirely on the resistance megaformer. It’s a low-impact workout that focuses on high-intensity moves in a format that’s safe for your body.

437 South Highway 101, Suite 201, Solana Beach

900 Bayfront Court, Downtown

PB Fitness

PB Fitness was already an outdoor gym before the pandemic guidelines went into place. With three rooftop decks to choose from, you’ll find plenty of space to get your workout in. They offer boot-camp training, which includes a mix of strength and cardio circuits and weekly challenges to stay motivated.

4965 Cass Street, Pacific Beach

Salt Hot Pilates

Salt’s popular Spicy Flows still pack a punch, even outside. Their 50-minute workouts are held each day at 12 and 5:30 p.m. in the park outside the Intercontinental hotel. You’ll catch a cool breeze from the bay while you’re breaking a sweat with mat Pilates toning. Salt also recently launched a streaming platform with nearly 100 workouts to choose from, ranging in level, duration, and training focus.

901 Bayfront Court, Downtown

Studio Barre Mission Hills

The Mission Hills branch of this local franchise partnered with Andaz San Diego to host their barre classes on the rooftop of the hotel every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. With a sweeping view of the city, sweat your way through a 60-minute calorie-torching workout that focuses on small, isolated movements to lift, tone, and energize your body. No equipment necessary!

600 F Street, Downtown

Trilogy Sanctuary

Trilogy Sanctuary

This vegan rooftop café doubles as a rooftop yoga space to stretch, relax, and reconnect with your mind. Soak up the ocean views and take your pick from a variety of classes, from vinyasa to aerial yoga. The latter combines traditional yoga poses with Pilates and dance in a suspended hammock.

7650 Girard Avenue, Suite 400, La Jolla

Verve Studios

Verve on the Lot offers the same high-intensity class of rhythm-based cycling and upper body strength training as their indoor classes, just with an extra breeze to help you out. Reserve your seat online, and be sure to grab a hat and sunscreen for the workouts later on in the day.

2630 Del Mar Heights Road, Del Mar

Salt Hot Pilates

The post 8 Outdoor Workout Classes in San Diego appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

But both the general public and local farmers need them to reopen soon—not only in San Diego, but across American cities—in a new form. Not as a gathering or a festival. But as a safe, socially distanced way for local families to get nutrient-dense food and leave.

Organizers of the markets needed to retool their operations. Catt White, whose San Diego Markets operates two of the city’s biggest markets in Little Italy and Pacific Beach, says she has done that and will make every tweak necessary as the new markets are rolled out. She has “gotten rid of all the fun” (music, art, etc.) and streamlined her markets to be groceries-only operations with social distancing both planned for and enforced. She’s now appealing to the city to let her reopen them as essential businesses during the quarantine.

I’d argue that farmers markets are an essential food business during the pandemic. If chain grocery stores are open, quarantine-proofed farmers markets also need to be open.

Why?

First, food security is critically important in a crisis, and experts say it’s a real concern during this pandemic. Anyone who’s been to a grocery store recently and seen the shelves without bread and produce is beginning to understand the need for better food distribution. Local farmers have lost most of their restaurant accounts. If they can’t sell their current crops, they’re facing financial strain or ruin. If they fail, our national food system comes closer to failure. “If that happens, in six months what are we going to eat?” asks White.

Second, during a health crisis we need nutrient-dense foods to support our immune systems. And it’s a well-established fact that fruits and veggies begin to lose nutrients as soon as they’re harvested. Studies conducted by UC Davis showed a pretty dramatic loss (spinach stored at room temp can lose up to 100% of its vitamin C in less than four days, for instance). So the faster we can get the food from soil to plate, the more nutrients we get. And farmers markets—mostly selling fruits and veggies picked a day or two prior—are the best way to do that.

Third, White also suggests that her new, quarantine version of the markets is safer than traditional grocery stores. She’s established what she calls “one-touch shopping.” A customer points at, say, an apple. The farmer grabs it and puts it in the bag. Compare this to traditional grocery stores, where the general public is touching all of the produce to test for ripeness.

Again, stopping this virus from spreading is the most important thing. But people need food. Ideally, nutrient-dense food that helps both our local farmers and security of the local food system. It makes little to no sense that a grocery store can be open right now, depleted of produce by the early afternoon, as we close down outlets to local farm produce, letting it and local farmers go to rot.

Do it right, do it safe, but do it.

“Our goal right now is to tell people, ‘We love you, if you’re here not here to shop, go home. If you are here to shop, get your groceries, and go home,’” says White.

(NOTE: Farmers markets in the county of San Diego are open, including Poway and Vista on Saturdays, Coronado on Tuesdays, and Santee on Wednesdays).

Here are some insights from my conversation with White:

Why do we need to get the markets open soon?

Our farmers need to sell the stuff they just spent four to six months investing in, they’ve paid for seeds, water, labor. The stuff is fresh now, it’ll be dead in two weeks. If they can’t sell it, they’ll have to plow it into compost, and they’re not going to be able to plant for the next cycle. And with imported food supply chains breaking down, we have borders closing, we have shipping methods that are being shut down right now, our supply chain is broken in terms of stuff that comes from beyond our local area. If we also break our local food system, what are we going to eat? In four to six months when this all catches up, what are we going to eat? And honestly, it’s healthier than going to Costco. Sorry, Costco.

How are your farmers doing?

They don’t know how they’re going to keep going. Farmers, like small restaurateurs, are not guys who are making a ton of money. They’re doing it because they’ve got a passion for what they do. They want to raise their families outside, they care about what’s going on. Like a lot of Americans, they generally don’t have a lot of reserve. A couple of weeks without income and they’re done. It’s scary, it’s really hard. I had a farmer call me and say, ‘You know that farmer suicide in America is already a thing.’ That’s where they are.

How did you change the markets?

Our booths were real spread out. We took it down to just farmers and essential grocery items. We very conscientiously eliminated the fun. No hanging out and listening to music, no art, no prepared food. The idea was to give people an alternative to buying groceries. Our usual goal is to get everyone we can to the market to support our farmers. Our goal right now is to tell people, ‘we love you, if you’re not here to shop, go home.’ If you are here to shop, get your groceries, and go home. They aren’t gatherings, they are just places to get groceries.

Why are farmers markets essential?

There’s really nowhere else to get nutrient dense fresh food. In our opinion, shopping at farmers market, the way they’re operated now, is so much safer than going into a grocery store. Every single one of our products has a vendor or a farmer standing there, controlling who touches it. We call it one-touch shopping. You point, they will take the produce or the yogurt and drop it in your shopping bag. Whereas if you’re in the grocery store and you reach for a can of soup, how many people have picked it up and said, ‘Oh, no, the sodium’s too high not gonna buy that one.’ You don’t know how many people have touched that item by the time you pick it up.

You were allowed to be open, and then that changed last weekend. What happened?

People were really cooperative, and they did a fantastic job at social distancing. It was a little bit tricky because I had talked to a couple at the market and said, ‘Folks, you’re going to have to move six feet apart.’ And she said, ‘Well, I sleep with him. We’re married.’ Luckily the people from the SDPD were there and said, ‘You know, you can take that down a notch, people who are related can be next to each other.’ Unfortunately, the optics of that are difficult for somebody from the outside to figure out what’s happening. So we had a couple neighbors say, ‘Oh you guys aren’t keeping people apart.’ And so their concern, and I’m sure it’s all coming from fear, probably convinced the mayor to take a broad brush and close anything that could possibly put people together. Unfortunately, with all the other crowd control issues at the beaches and the parks and what have you, they approved our plan on Monday morning and then two hours later called and said all farmers markets are closed again.

What’s next?

We’re taking a little breath. We’re letting the mayor’s office sort things out a little bit. We absolutely sympathize with our city and county officials. They’re under a lot of pressure from so many different directions. We’re going to see if we can solve this quietly without adding to their burden. But if that doesn’t work then we think it would be valuable for them to understand how badly their constituents want fresh food and want to keep farmers alive. We are going to be talking to them about how we can tighten down just a little bit farther and maybe only allow one person per household in so that it’s really obvious that we’re maintaining social distancing and take another swing at it.

Do you want people to voice their concern to the city?

I don’t want to add to their stress by having consumers call or email. If the city continues to keep them closed, then maybe they need to hear from their constituents how dedicated consumers are to their local farmers and local food system. Some of them understand. We have people from the mayor’s office and city council that shop the markets. But there are some who are removed and think of them as festivals. And honestly there are pieces that are festivals. There are blocks that are real grocery-centric and there are pieces that are fun. We got rid of the fun, so that’s not happening.

How can locals buy direct from the farmers in the meantime?

SD Sustainable has done a good job of aggregating a really good list. We’ll be aggregating our vendors and putting it out in our next newsletter. We’ll put a link to that everywhere we can to see where their favorite farmer is, and they can access them that way. The other thing people can do is search out ways to buy from those farmers, and direct from small foodmakers. We’ll help you find that information. Check your favorite farmer’s Instagram. They’re really supporting each other. We’ve got some older farmers who are pretty analog. But some of the younger farmers are wrapping an older farmers’ produce into their operation, so that’s helpful.

The post Why Farmers Markets Are an ‘Essential Business’ During the Pandemic appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

When this issue is released, my inbox starts to swell with people’s opinions on it. They range from “THANK YOU!” to “YOU’RE AN IDIOT!” to “AMAZING!” to “IT’S RIGGED!” to “YOU’RE AN IDIOT!”

So this year, I figured I would answer a few of the questions I usually get, to hopefully clarify things ahead of time.

Q: Do advertisers pay to win categories? Is it rigged?

A: No. Absolutely not. Nyet. The Best Restaurants list is divided into two sections: Readers’ Pick and Critic’s Pick. The readers make their votes, and those votes are tabulated using a non-subjective tool called math. We do not insert advertisers in there, or give them extra votes, or help them in any way. This list is as pure as we can make it. The only thing that could change the readers’ pick is bad math or if it looks like a restaurant stuffed the ballot box (see below).

The Critic’s Choice is simply me and the hamster in my brain. I keep a list throughout the year of the best things I’ve been lucky enough to put in my mouth. It’s my little black book of San Diego’s most amazing food. In seven years as San Diego Magazine’s food critic, I have never, ever been asked by someone from the magazine to include an advertiser. I just fill out my ballot like the readers, based on my personal experience. A few restaurants have, however, offered upwards of a couple thousand dollars to name them a winner. I declined, which may explain my current living situation.

Q: Are Readers’ Picks a popularity contest? Can’t restaurants stuff the ballot box?

A: They can, and they do. But we have ways of sniffing out shenanigans. One way is that we can look at IP addresses and see if one was used hundreds of times. We also notice when a voter names the same restaurant in every category, e.g. an Indian restaurant wins every field, including “Best Mexican” and “Best Restaurant That’s Anything But Indian.” We don’t allow spam, and we account for that, but restaurants are allowed to promote and campaign.

Q: How the hell did readers pick XX Restaurant as Best XX?

A: The readers like what they like. I learned a while ago that my aesthetic tastes are not universal. My palate was not dipped in the River Styx. And therefore I will not begrudge the readers their favorites. After all, I named William Bradley my favorite chef in town, but I’ve been known to crush a rotisserie chicken in my car on the way home from Sprouts. And Thomas Keller, a very fine world-famous French chef, famously purchased In N Out for a staff party.

Q: Why isn’t my restaurant included?

A: To be honest, I don’t like naming restaurants “best.” Restaurant culture isn’t a tennis match. And because, with any category, there are usually a handful of restaurants that could “win” a category for me. For instance, with “Best New Restaurant,” I was hemming and hawing between Trust in Hillcrest and Herb & Wood in Little Italy. The ultimate deciding factor for me was that the team at Trust didn’t have the “name” going into this project that chef Brian Malarkey does at Herb & Wood. Malarkey’s restaurant is excellent, and beautiful, and deserving. But he also had more resources and momentum. The fact that Trust pulled off what they did with fewer resources inspired me. They MacGyvered a really great restaurant.

Also, every year I forget restaurants, or fail to get restaurants into the list. Last year, I completely spaced on Kindred, winner of this year’s “Best Vegetarian/Vegan.” This year, I’m ticked off that Flying Pig (Oceanside and Vista) and Land & Water Co. (Carlsbad) aren’t included in my picks. Those are two of my favorite restaurants in town that somehow didn’t fit the puzzle. And that’s what a list like this is—a puzzle.

Q: How is Sushi Ota not your Best Sushi Restaurant? Is your mouth injured? Everyone knows Master Ota is untouchable!

A: For those of you who still don’t know about Master Ota, do yourself a favor and find his restaurant. It’s in Pacific Beach, next to a 7/11 and a freeway. Ota has, and will be during his time on earth, the apex of sushi in San Diego. Local fishermen literally make all other restaurants wait at the docks until Master Ota has had his pick of the day’s very best catch.

That said, our sushi scene has evolved, and there are very excellent sushi chefs who deserve a nod. For me as a critic, sustainability plays a huge part. Our oceans have been looted, and they’re in danger of collapsing. Sushi is a major contributor to that plundering. That’s why, last year, I gave the award to Land & Water Co.—whose chef-owner, Rob Ruiz, is now one of the country’s top sustainable seafood experts, and runs his restaurant as such.

And this year, I picked another sustainable sushi chef who’s got major chops: Davin Waite of Wrench & Rodent in Oceanside. First of all, Davin’s a punk and has built a little skate-zen place that’s fun to hang out in. Second, he’s a really good, respectful, obsessive sushi chef. Third, he’s as sustainable as it gets. Ota will always be the yoda of the scene, but younger jedis deserve credit for helping in saving the universe.

Q: Hey, Critic! You chose Kettner Exchange as “Best of the Best, Casual”? That’s a fancy restaurant whose chef has cooked at the James Beard House!

A: You’re right. That’s odd. And not quite right on my part. Here’s what happened. There was no ignoring George’s California Modern this year as “Best of the Best, Fancy.” Trey Foshee has been one of the country’s top chefs for decades. This year they underwent a massive renovation of their bar area, and bartender Stephen Kurpinsky has become a real inspiration and innovator for the city’s cocktail scene. It was the year to honor one of the country’s best restaurants.

I had actually considered Kettner Exchange for that award, since it’s a beautifully designed spot and Brian Redzikowski’s food absolutely blew me away over the last year. So, I reasoned—Kettner has two very active bars, which makes it a social scene as much as a dining one, and aren’t bar areas, even nicer ones like theirs, casual? It may be flawed reasoning, but it was mine. And I wanted to shine as much light on KEX and Redzikowski and bartender Steven Tuttle as possible.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to leave them in the comments section below and I will answer as many as possible. Thanks, guys. Hope you enjoy the issue.

Behind the Best Restaurants Issue

Critic’s Pick for Best Caterer 2017: Miho. | Photo: Sam Wells

The post Behind the Best Restaurants Issue appeared first on San Diego Magazine.