The local's guide to San Diego eats

San Diego eats it!

2006-01-18T19:51:00.000-08:00

I had such fun with this blog that I quit my job and I plan to make this my business. You read that right.

After a few months of work and collaboration with some very talented individuals, we've launched an early version of SanDiego.eats.it, an interactive guidebook, written by locals, on our favorite places in San Diego.

If you're a San Diegan with a long list of favorite restaurants, please stop by and write a few recommendations! I've already been introduced to some great places in the city. Please stop by and check it out.

http://sandiego.eats.it

15,000 visitors and counting!

2006-01-18T19:45:00.000-08:00

Wow. I have had 15,000 visitors to the six reviews done so far. This is very exciting-- I had no idea this many people would be interested. Off to the Turf Supper Club to cook me up a steak.

Turf Supper Club

2005-06-26T22:00:00.000-07:00

One of San Diego's best watering holes is quite literally a bar and grill.

Synopsis
A grill-yer-own steak joint for the swinging hipster set. It has an attitude that newer places strive for.

Data
Turf Supper Club • 1116 25th St • San Diego, CA 92101-2105 • map
(619) 234-6363

Neighborhood: Golden Hill
Dress code: Skin art and vintage threads

Hours:
Sunday 1pm - midnight
Monday & Tuesday 5pm - midnight
Wednesday - Friday 5pm - 2am
Saturday 1pm - 2am

Comments
Tucked into an unassuming neighborhood, the Turf Club is one of San Diego's unique restaurant experiences. The place feels like it was pulled from some long lost time in American history, when it was ok to use horseshoes as decoration, stiff cocktails were served with little umbrellas, the women wore dresses, and the men wore hats. Also, everyone grilled their own meat.

The patrons and staff are a noisy, friendly bunch, smartly dressed and sporting more tattoos than necessary. On weekends, it is intimately crowded at night. Wait for your table at the bar, where the strong cocktails are prepared by experts.

The meat arrives raw, wrapped in plastic. You're in charge of cooking your beef and toasting your bread. The Turf Club provides a small grill, a pair of tongs, a spatula for everyone to share. Here's a grillwork hint: rub more salt than expected onto each side of your steak, apply black pepper, and grill away. Ignore the temptations of the communal bottles of ketchup, steak sauce, mustard, and worcestershire sauce.

The jukebox has a good mix of Hank Williams, Ella Fitzgerald, the Squirrel Nut Zippers, and Devo. Sunday evenings, there's a guy playing the piano, and it's fascinating to hear him bridge from The Girl from Ipanema through The Smiths and into the theme from The Jeffersons.

Finally, do not wear anything you do not want to smell like meat. The Turf Club stays with you long after you leave.

Menu

Links

If you know of anything else that belongs here, let me know. I just might add it.

Extraordinary Desserts

2005-05-14T23:29:00.000-07:00

I know people who moved to San Diego for this cake. Seriously.

Synopsis
If you ever want to see a woman melt, ask one of the many, many fans of Karen Krasne's Extraordinary Desserts to describe this restaurant. She will lose coherence as she starts gushing about cake, chocolate, sauces, and flower petals. There's little on the menu here other than sweet, sinful decadence.

Data
Extraordinary Desserts • 2929 Fifth Avenue • San Diego, CA • 92103-5919 • map
(619) 294-2132

Neighborhood: Hillcrest
Dress code: Casual, but look good

Hours:
Monday-Thursday: 8:30am - 11pm
Friday: 8:30am - midnight
Saturday: 10am - midnight
Sunday: 10am - 11pm

Comments
This is truly one of San Diego's great restaurants, even though you can not order a proper meal here. It's all desserts, all the time. Extravagantly rich desserts, colorfully plated with sauces and flower petals. Straight from the menu, I present:

Gianduia. This exciting combination of bittersweet chocolate cake, touched with Meyer's rum, is layered with hazelnut buttercream, chocolate mousse, homemade boysenberry preserves and covered with crushed prailine.

Ivoire Impérial. An exquisite torte made of fine layers of vanilla bean soaked pound cakes and creamy white chocolate mousse bursting with fresh raspberries and cranberries. This delicate mousse torte is hidden by white chocolate shavings dusted with powdered sugar.

If those sound good, there are about twenty other cakes, tortes and confections available on their menu. Don't read the descriptions and get your heart set on a particular dessert, as only a handful are available at any one time. Before waiting in a long line, savvy customers sneak in the side door, next to the water cooler, to check the selection in the case so they can mull their options as they wait. The lines are long at night, especially on weekends, so you could be mulling for 30 minutes. Apparently, there are many others like me who are willing to wait in a long line for the opportunity to pay $8 for a slice of cake.

The clientele is largely composed of petite females, choosing to make their one meal in the last 72 hours a sinfully decadent one, covered in berry coulis and decorated with flower petals. A girl's gotta eat, you know.

Finally, a quick nod to their newer location at 1430 Union Street in Little Italy. As of late 2004, you can get your dessert on in this more spacious location with a wine bar. There's even a savory menu, for those willing to try "grains", "proteins", and "vegetables".

Menu

Links

Extraordinary Desserts website

Articles on their other location, in Little Italy:

SD Reader article February 2005
Union Tribune restaurant review November 2004
San Diego Magazine October 2004

If you know of anything else that belongs here, let me know. I just might add it.

San Diego Chicken Pie Shop

2005-05-08T20:40:00.000-07:00

A campy San Diego original.

Synopsis
Somewhere between your midwestern mother's kitchen and your elementary school cafeteria lies the San Diego Chicken Pie Shop.

Data
San Diego Chicken Pie Shop • 2633 El Cajon Blvd • San Diego, CA • 92104 • map
(619) 295-0156

Neighborhood: North Park
Dress code: Sensible shoes

Hours:
7 days a week, 10am - 8pm

Comments
The San Diego Chicken Pie Shop is a classic-- they have been in business since 1938, and from what I can tell, they have changed very little over the years. Waitresses with their hair in buns scurry from table to table, taking orders and returning with wheeled carts overflowing with plates of food.

The chicken pie dinner is the most popular item on the menu. $5.25 gets you a chicken pie, potatoes, mixed vegetables, cole slaw, a roll with butter, and a slice of pie for dessert. Read that again to let it sink in. The chicken pie itself is a tasty celebration of carbohydrate-laden comfort food: flaky crust, generous with the meat, and rich gravy. Their pies are also available to-go, in both baked or unbaked form.

Their cole slaw is the best I have found in San Diego, so if you like your slaw on the sweet and creamy side, give it a taste. The roll is the kind your grandmother made: simple, fluffy and warm. A pat of butter, thoughtfully provided with the meal, provides the perfect complement.

The atmoshere is a cross between a dining hall and diner, with lots of chicken kitsch decor. The patrons are a big part of the Chicken Pie Shop experience-- the restaurant is big with the senior crowd. In fact, if the gray haired patrons ever challenged the others to a pickup rugby game, my money is on the seniors-- what they might lack in strength and agility, they more than make up for in sheer numbers.

No checks, no credit cards, no debit cards. It has been a cash business since 1938.

Menu

Links

If you know of anything else that belongs here, let me know. I just might add it.

Brickyard Coffee & Tea

2005-05-02T00:13:00.000-07:00

The most comfortable coffeeshop in San Diego.

Synopsis
This is one of my favorite places to spend a lazy Sunday morning with a newspaper, bagel, and latte. The brick walls, couch, tasteful artwork, and supply of newspapers and magazines nicely complement their coffee drinks and unpretentious menu. Brickyard is also a great place for a simple morning or midday meal for those who work downtown.

Data
Brickyard Coffee & Tea • 675 West G Street • San Diego, CA 92101 • map
(619) 696-7220

Neighborhood: Downtown
Dress code: coffeeshop relaxed

Hours:
Weekdays 6am - 3pm
Weekends 7am - 3pm
Closed Christmas

Comments
What a great place for a casual meal or cup of coffee. For morning fare, you can choose from their small assortment of pastries and bagels, cereals from your childhood packaged in serving size cups, granola, and other assorted goodies. Should you want hot food, you will be having a breakfast burrito or an eggy dish. For afternoons, you can enjoy a limited selection of tasty sandwiches, soups, salads and chili.

The food is not the point at Brickyard, though. It is a place to get lost in an enormous coffee drink as you listen to their music, read their magazines, and relax in their cozy room. Unlike other comfortable coffee shops in San Diego, Brickyard is not overrun with young squatters occupying tables for hours on end as they finish their term papers. People leaf through a paper or two as they eat, enjoy a quick conversation, and leave.

Nearby street parking is metered, so if you bring a car, bring some quarters. Except on Sundays. (Thank God for that! No, really.)

The trolley stops right outside their doors, so you will hear, see, and if you choose to dine on the patio, feel the trolleys as they pass. The trolley stop is technically the Seaport Village stop, but the soulless pit of tourist despair that is Seaport Village is really a few blocks away.

Menu

Link

San Diego Reader review

If you know of anything else that belongs here, let me know. I just might add it.

Sushi Deli

2005-04-26T22:50:00.000-07:00

The only downtown sushi I ever need:

Synopsis
The food is great, the prices are low, and the place is packed with funky local flavor. You can get sushi, noodles, tempura and the other usual Japanese suspects here. Sapporo is sold by the pint or the pitcher. There's usually a short wait on the sidewalk before you can get in, but you can always do the take-out thing.

Data
Sushi Deli • 828 Broadway • San Diego, CA 92101 • map
(619) 231-9597

Neighborhood: East Village
Dress code: ironic t-shirts

Hours:
lunch hours: available, but unknown to me right now
Sunday - Thursday: 5pm - 9pm
Friday - Saturday: 5pm - 10pm

Comments
85¢ for a bowl of Miso Soup with tempura crunchies? Are you kidding me? This is, by far and away, the single best deal on anything served at a restaurant in San Diego. Across the board, the prices here are low, the food is outstanding, the clientele is loyal, and the tables are full.

The small, shared, sweet complimentary noodle salad they serve always whets my appetite like it has never been whet before. I do not know of another place that allows customers to order single pieces of nigiri, and a mere 50¢ will get you fried tofu nigiri.

The spicy crab handroll is the best thing on the menu, and it could be the best handroll I have ever had anywhere, at any price. The Keith's Special Roll is consistently good, and I'm always a sucker for their tempura vegetables.

They really know how to pack them in at Sushi Deli, as the tables and small sushi bar are cramped. Odds are pretty good that you will be sitting fewer than twelve inches from a complete stranger, but it is probable they will be an interesting stranger.

This wouldn't be complete without a nod to Sushi Deli 2, which is a few blocks away on Broadway. Same menu, but for some reason, the atmosphere is not as enjoyable.

Menu

Page one of their takeout menu
Page two

Links

Sushi Deli website

If you know of anything else that belongs here, let me know. I just might add it.

Bronx Pizza

2005-04-20T22:00:00.000-07:00

The best pizza in California.

Synopsis
If you like your pizza with a thin crust, you must try Bronx Pizza. Sold by the slice or by the pie, this pizza and the guys who make it for you will make you forget that you are 15 miles from Mexico. Order in or take out. Bronx is usually crowded, but service is fast.

Data
Bronx Pizza • 111 Washington Street • San Diego, CA 92103 • map
(619) 291-3341

Neighborhood: Hillcrest
Dress code: shirt and shoes, please.

Hours:
Sunday - Thursday 11am - 10pm
Friday - Saturday 11am - 12am

Comments
My first post simply had to be about Bronx Pizza-- in fact, the Bronx experience was one of the inspirations for the blog you are now reading. This place is everything I want to glorify on these pages: it is unpretentious, the food is outstanding, and despite the name, it is truly a local San Diego experience.

My advice to you: try a slice of plain cheese pizza. At most other pizza places, I adore the toppings. Toppings are good here (see the above pepperoni-ricotta and mushroom slices), but for simple mouthwatering goodness, try the cheese. The tomato sauce is otherworldly, and the cheese is perfect.

Should you choose to eat there, order at the counter, fill your own drinks, and be listen for your name to be called by one of the guys. "Jimmy. One cheese, one pepperoni mushroom for JimMEE." Pictures of boxers, some famous, some not so famous, cover the walls.

If you get it to go, do not let the pizza sit in the cardboard box too long... you will steam your pizza and the crust will lose some of its satisfying crispness. Not a big deal, though. I have steamed many of their pies, and they were still good.

They don't deliver. Someone should start a business that does nothing but deliver their pies.

Menu
Pizza by the slice
Pizza by the slice (Cheese).........$2.00
Pizza by the slice (w/ Topping).....$2.50
Soft Drink................................$1.50

Pizza by the Pie
Cheese Pizza (18").............$12.00
Extra Topping.....................$1.50

The Special
Any two slices and a drink......$6.00

Pizza Toppings/Calzone Fillings
Pepperoni, Sausage, Meatball, Mushroom, Green Bell Pepper,
Roasted Red Pepper, Broccoli, Spinach, Olive, Anchovies, Onion,
Garlic, Marinated Artichokes, Pesto, Eggplant, Tomatoes,
Extra Cheese

Specialty Pizza Pies
White Stone.......................................$13.50
(Ricotta, Mozzarella, Parmesan, Garlic)

Primavera.........................................$17.00
(Mushroom, Peppers, Spinach, Broccoli, Garlic)

Bronx Deluxe ....................................$18.00
(Sausage, Pepperoni, Onion, Mushroom, Olive, Peppers, Garlic)

Porko................................................$16.50
(Sausage, Pepperoni, Meatball)

Calzone..............................................$6.50
(extra fillings).....................................$0.50

Links

If you know of anything else that belongs here, let me know. I just might add it.

The list: work in progress

2005-04-16T00:49:00.000-07:00

My favorite places in San Diego are below, neatly divided into four groups. Establishments in the higher groups are my personal favorites. This list is a work in progress-- I'll link these restaurants to their reviews as I write them.

Bronx Pizza......The best pizza in California.
Café 222......Great low-key downtown breakfast.
Café Chloe....Chic and cozy French bistro. Wear brown.
DZ Akins......Good Jewish food in San Diego? Yes.
El Agave......My favorite upscale Mexican restaurant.
Ichiban......Japanese noodle house. Mmm... udon.
Just Fabulous......The best dessert shop in San Diego.
La Posta......Everyone likes a good 24-hour burrito stand.
Lefty's Chicago Pizzeria......The best deep dish and dogs in town.
Mama Testa......Most original Mexican restaurant in the city.
Niederfrank's......Old fashioned ice cream.
Peet's Coffee......I know it's not local. It's still the best coffee in town.
Saigon......Tasty Vietnamese fare.
Sushi Deli......Great downtown sushi. Funky local flavor.
San Diego Chicken Pie Shop......Campy comfort food.
The Field......The best pub in the county.
The Turf Club......A hipster grill-yer-own-meat bar and grill.

Amarin Thai
Apertivo.....Italian tapas in North Park.
Bread & Cie......Remarkable breads and pastries. Try the breakfast plate.
Brickyard Coffee & Tea......The city's coziest coffee shop.
Café on Park
Hash House
Pete's Meats......Three men with mustaches, one grill, six items on the menu. Eat up.
Pokez
Princess Pub
Region......Upscale dining featuring the freshest locally-produced ingredients.
Ruth's Chris
St. Tropez
Station Sushi
The Mission......Mmmm, breakfast.
The Prado
Vincenzo's......The best Italian food in Little Italy.
Wine Steals.......Unpretentious, comfortable Hillcrest wine bar.

Beach Bar (W Hotel)
Café Italia
Capriotti's
Chive
City Wok
Kitima Thai
Phil's BBQ
Pipes
Sevilla
Sipz
The Fish Market
The Waterfront......A landmark neighborhood watering hole. Loyal following.

Arrivaderci
Big Kitchen
Café Cerise
Chilangos
Crest Café
Extraordinary Desserts......Extravagance, thy name is dessert.
Hodad's
North Park Deli
Nunu's
Pizza Port
Point Loma Seafoods
Voyage

What is this?

2005-04-14T22:00:00.000-07:00

I live in San Diego, and I enjoy finding unique, local restaurants. In the years that I have lived there, I have found quite a few, and I am about to share my favorites with you.

In this day of mass merchandising and indistinguishable strip malls, I find myself increasingly drawn to honest, local flavor. If you are similar, you might enjoy this site.

I started this work in April 2005 as a hobby. I hope to produce a new review every few days, so the list is always growing. Poke around. If you like it here, remember me the next time you're looking to do something different and need an idea.

Here's the list of restaurants I plan to tackle.

Here's a link to the front page, proudly featuring my latest work.

Enjoy yourself.