Missing Oscar's was my big regret of that trip.

I hadn't heard of Robataya Oton, Puppy. All I could find menu-wise is a tiny gif image that's barely readable (no website?). What I could make out looks like it's a little more complex/creative than the classics at Yakyudori. Would you say that's accurate?

Since this thread is in play, and we are headed there for our summer vacation, could I add my usual request for spots that will accommodate picking-eating young teens while not torturing their parents? TIA.

The smoked fish at Oscar's is darn tasty.

@Dom, I wouldn't say more creative (everything is exactly what you would expect of robatayaki, plus a few other cooked items). The menu is wider and the quality is more consistent than Yakyudori. It is the sister restaurant of Wa Dining Okan, which you may or may not have visited

boudreaulicious wrote:Since this thread is in play, and we are headed there for our summer vacation, could I add my usual request for spots that will accommodate picking-eating young teens while not torturing their parents? TIA.

Hodad's for burgers and shakes.

Linkery is closed.

Boy, I get to be the bearer of bad news as frequently as I get out here.
A good friend of mine said that The Green Flash was sold to a company that has a chain of same-menu places with different names, and the food has gone way downhill. No longer recommended (but I have not been back). And I've got a hankering for Dan Dan noodles but San Diego doesn't have a good rep for Chinese food.

Meanwhile, a couple of positive data points:

First Avenue Bar & Grille, in The Bristol Hotel, has a damn fine burger: The BB Burger has a "half pound house ground beef & brisket, vermont white cheddar, applewood bacon jam, arugula & aioli on griddled brioche bun, served with twice cooked thyme Yukon gold fries." The fries were nothing special, but the burger was juicy, beefy, and a delicious mess. A little gooey from the aioli and jam, but spot-on medium rare: get extra napkins. ($11.50). They stock Bundaberg ginger beef for cocktails -- I was too tired for a Moscow Mule, but it went nicely with the burger by itself.

First Avenue Bar & Grille
www.firstavenuegrille.com
1055 1st Ave, San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 232-6141

Escape Fish Bar looks like a hole in the wall, and a relatively limited menu: several types of fish, served grilled, "tacones," tempura fish and chips or on a salad -- the online menu says sandwich, plus some apps, a burger and chicken or beef teriyaki. I went for the tacones which include pumpkin seed slaw, pickled jicama and onions, daikon sprouts and a smoked chili avocado sauce. They're rolled in cones (hence the name) something like a cross between a burrito and a hand-roll sushi. They end up kind of drippy, but delicious (I had them with local halibut, $18 with a side). My only mistake was ordering the fried pickles by myself: Five corn dog-sized tempura'd pickle spears, with "double-horseradish tartar sauce." Really really good, should not have eaten them all ($8).

Escape Fish Bar
www.escapefishbar.com
738 5th Ave, San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 702-9200

Sorry to hear about Escape; I was just in San Diego and finally decided against it after lengthy consideration in favor of what turned out to be undistinguished dining (Spike Africa's). I'll add a few notes of my own, though. I had middling Mexican food at The Blind Burro but their ceviche appetizer was absolutely top-notch. Some of the best ceviche I can remember having.

Also, I found a hole-in-the-wall kinda place for Mexican food that is family-owned and operated. Not mind-blowingly good but solid, well-executed food, open for breakfast as well. Try Maria's Mexican Cocina downtown.

I had a very nice but ultimately disappointing (and overpriced) breakfast at Cafe Chloe. I also revisited Cafe 222 for breakfast since it was so good last time: not this visit. The corned beef hash, though made with the real thing, was very salty and, although I'm used to seeing green peppers, I'm not used to seeing carrots (and don't want to again). I also can't recall the last time I paid a bill in cash that the server decided not to bother with the (small) change. My bill came to $12.91; I paid with a $20 and got $7 in change. Nine cents is hardly worth noting except for the presumptuousness of the server in pocketing it.

Also stopped in for the obligatory burger at Hodad's. It was a terrific lunch--the burger was excellent: it appeared to be hand-made, fresh, and juicy. It was also messy (I ordered it with everything). The chocolate malt (shake) was also worth going back for. If you hankering for a burger, I'd recommend it. I'd go back with no hesitation.

The Blind Burro
639 J St
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 795-7880
http://www.theblindburro.com

Maria's Mexican Cocina
1059 4th Ave
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 231-2820
http://www.marias4thave.com

Hodad's
945 Broadway
San Diego CA 92101
(619) 234-6323
http://www.hodadies.com

A couple other loci:

Full Moon on Fifth just south of Broadway serves very nice sushi. Somewhat pricey but not overly so for the Gaslamp district. The few reviews on Yelp loved it, but the place was empty on a Wednesday night. Really good fish, rice could use some finesse. The best of the night was the seared toro and the alphonsino. Nearby Taka is a little cheaper, maybe better sushi, but lower ambience. FM has robata items but we didn't try any.

My conference ended at noon, and a couple colleagues were talking about going to Old Town for fish tacos. I needed to get my luggage and to the airport this afternoon, so it didn't seem a good fit. So I was walking back from the Convention Center and spied Gaslamp BBQ, advertising tri-tip. Not so good: the somewhat scanty amount of meat was full of gristle and virtually no smoke. The sandwich was supposed to have thin slices, it was more like hacked chunks. The side of onion rings dripped oil. Sauce tasted commercial. I kept thinking, "You're in San Diego. What part of 'fish tacos' didn't you understand?"

San Diego Mexican Recommendations

I may have met the PIGMON of San Diego, a guy named Art. He’s a self-described “food obsessive” who has roots in Baja California and grew up eating braised sea turtle cooked by his grandfather the traditional way - in the shell. Although I didn’t get to do much exploration on this trip, I have a list for the next one. I’ll pass along Art’s recommendations with a few notes.

Opening Soon:
(Early May)in Little Italy, San Diego: Brasero Cocina is Art’s pick for the most promising new spot in town. The chef, Javier Placencia has a highly regarded place in Baja and just did a stint in London.

Also coming soon to downtown is another outpost of Romesco, a tapas spot with Mexican influence that has a popular original location in Bonita. The Antojitos de la Casa on the Tapas menu look very promising.

Open NOW:
Also in San Diego proper, near downtown, the convention center just across from Petco Park: Comun Kitchen and Tavern.

http://www.comunsd.com

Of course, I had to ask about Birria, since I am missing the Zaragoza clan and their cooking! Here is Art’s choice in San Diego: Birria y Menuderia Guadalajara in Chula Vista. This is a family-run place and the birria is made with the grandmother’s recipe.

In National City: Asi es Jalisco is another of Art's recommendations for birria.

Also in Chula Vista: Tacos el Gordo for Tiajuana-style tacos. Seems like this is a chain with outposts in Vegas as well.

http://tacoselgordobc.com

Las Quatro Milpas (since 1933) for rolled tacos and tamales. Hot-Doug’s-style line out the door every day, apparently. Here is a link to a San Diego READER article on LQM. Clearly, there is no Sula level reviewer on deck, but you get the idea.

Mariscos Shop El Kiki #2 - was a food truck & now a brick and mortar location. They have a Facebook page with photos of tacos piled high with seafood and avocado.

BTW - Art is an Uber driver and can be hired for a food tour around San Diego or down into Mexico. When I said goodbye, Art regaled me with one more food pic from his iPhone: a glistening platter of raw tuna simply sauced from a chef friend of his in Rosarita. PM me if you want his contact info. He said he'd love to take some LTH-ers on a tour of his favorite spots.

Bracero Cocina
1490 Kettner Blvd.
San Diego (Little Italy)
(no phone yet)

Comun Kitchen and Tavern
935 J St, San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 358-9707

Romesco (Original Location)
4346 Bonita Rd, Bonita, CA 91902

Birrieria Y Menuderia Guadalajara
396 Broadway
Chula Vista, CA 91910

Asi Es Jalisco
1037 Broadway, Chula Vista, CA 91911
(619) 426-1140

Tacos El Gordo
689 H St, Chula Vista, CA 91910
(619) 691-8848

Las Quatro Milpas
1857 Logan Ave, San Diego, CA 92113
(619) 234-4460

Any recent recs for San Diego? Having our honeymoon there soon and with all the wedding planning, it's been tough to lay out a good food and drink plan.

If it, or something else, is still there the "Top Gun" bar is a kick. It is/was on the inside turn near the convention center. Bar scenes from Top Gun were filmed there, and you can actually tell where. Other than that just a bar.

We spent the holidays in San Diego and came up with a couple of very solid dinner spots. One of the best and most astonishing meals of my life were had at Bracero Cocina, which could not have been better on any dimension, from drinks to food to service. Atmosphere is not really my focus in general. I'd put Bracero in the hip and happening category, (one that I no longer match demographically) for those who care. Location is favorable in Little Italy, with valet parking.

So, what did I love? First, the Margarita. A new tradition for us, made with Mandarine Napoleon and Tequila Ocho. Subtle, powerful, and not too sweet.

The appetizer - sort of a mixed poke with avocado. The fish tasted like it was caught that morning and the treatment did not mask the freshness.
The entrees ranged from tacos (my husband was in rapture with all 6 meat options) to my whole grilled snapper and my daughter's lamb shank. The snapper was charred on a wood fire, half off-the-bone, with the other half intact, set atop a little tomato-infused vinaigrette and clouds of potato puree with shavings of roasted crisp garlic. The potato clouds were themselves a curiosity, neither heavy nor oily, but light, as if a potato and an egg white had mated and produced fluffy babies. It seems to me there was something green on the plate as well, but I was blown away by the freshness and perfect cook on the snapper.

The lamb shank was a curious beast. Enormous and ebony blackened, it was smoky and tender and served under a sheaf of some pale yellow straws that tasted of corn. Turns out they were corn sprouts. Has anyone here seen them before? I'd be interested to hear the details.

We could not do dessert. And, regrettably, we could not return for lunch, when they serve birria. However, we did finish a bottle of a Mexican wine from Baja California that the server had recommended. It was terrific and we searched online for it, but it is not available. Another reason to visit Bracero Cocina on our next trip to San Diego.

Another spot I can recommend is Juniper and Ivy. We were there on a busy night, Christmas Eve, and it worked well to sit on the terrace under heat lamps to have a quiet table and conversation. (This is another hip and happening spot.) The amuse was a petite gougere with cheese and chives. I found my swordfish astonishing. It was a thin escalope of pale fish studded with charred knobs of something - what were those delicious blobs? A bit of reflection yielded the answer: Jerusalem artichokes cooked in embers, no doubt. A persimmon dessert was equally rustic and refined, and the perfect ending to a Christmas Eve: A nubbly textured cake, Yule-log style, with a persimmon mousse filling and a crust of not-too-sweet cocoa nibs. The other guests enjoyed their food, but I was pretty wrapped up in my own plates. . . sorry.

A stop at Point Loma Seafoods was good for lunch. A breaded halibut sandwich on fresh sourdough was very good. Other things I've had there in the past, (such as the Dungeness cocktail) have been good as well. I did not realize that there was a dining room where you can take your order to eat. It's cozy in December, but I would have been willing to eat my sandwich at one of the outdoor tables.

The Drunken Goat and Underbelly (for ramen and some izakaya-type dishes) are also good, if not in the same category as Bracero Cocina and Juniper and Ivy. Also, if you are cooking, as we were, (thanks, AirBnb!), I can recommend the North Park butcher shop, Heart and Trotter, where I scored an organic turkey and some house-made sausage. I also saw a couple leaving with a whole pig and a whole lamb for the spit. (Sigh!)

San Diego has become our winter "getaway" when we get tired of being in the Sonoran desert. We prefer the winter evenings in the 50s as opposed to the 30s.

I am not generally one to recommend casino buffets. However, the Viejas Casino Buffet has some very excellent dishes that warrant consideration.

When you first walk in, you are presented with a wide variety of juices, a good number of artisan cheeses, charcuterie, and some excellent salads. The presentation is very nice.
We thought that that station alone warranted the $20 meal. They had a great selection of roasted meats and a very good selection of carved, roasted meats.

The desserts were very well done - all in individual containers so that you could select basically a tasting of 5-10 different desserts and we took full opportunity of that experience.

The rest of the buffet was very good but nothing really spectacular. The service was very attentive on the order of a place like the Bellagio.

Viejas Casino
5000 Willows Road
Alpine, CA 91901
http://viejas.com/dining/buffet-viejas-san-diego
===================

If you are looking for the best deli, one that will make you forget anything in New York or Los Angeles, this is NOT a place that you will be happy about.

If you are looking for a good meal that is satisfying, this is probably your best deli choice in San Diego and is fairly reasonably priced. I thought that the soups were excellent.


D.Z. Akins
6930 Alvarado Rd
San Diego, CA 92120
http://dzakinsdeli.com/

I neglected to mention in my post upthread that the Sunday brunch at the Del Coronado Hotel was a big disappointment and a ripoff. I am generally loathe to complain if the price/quality ratio is good. But this really was a ripoff. $90/person for a seriously understaffed arrangement, with messy buffet tables in need of attention, off-tasting shrimp, stale pastries, and Sara Lee-level desserts. The carving station was the only bright spot. The grande dame hotel setting is unique and special, but super-crowded (at least during the holidays) and teeming with gawkers just passing through. A half-hour wait at the ladies' room was the last straw.

Josephine wrote:I neglected to mention in my post upthread that the Sunday brunch at the Del Coronado Hotel was a big disappointment and a ripoff. I am generally loathe to complain if the price/quality ratio is good. But this really was a ripoff. $90/person for a seriously understaffed arrangement, with messy buffet tables in need of attention, off-tasting shrimp, stale pastries, and Sara Lee-level desserts. The carving station was the only bright spot. The grande dame hotel setting is unique and special, but super-crowded (at least during the holidays) and teeming with gawkers just passing through. A half-hour wait at the ladies' room was the last straw.

Sorry to hear that! That's a marked contrast to my visit a few years ago, when the Sunday brunch was STUPENDOUS.

^^^
Not to mention the $30 parking.

Hi all,

I am travelling to SD in August for a few days with a ladyfriend. We are looking for great places to eat - ranging from casual to formal; as long as it's good. I've never been to SD, so just starting from some casual internet research I've come across the following places:

Casa Guadalajara - casual SoCal style Mexican food.
The Grill at Torrey Pines - live fire / farm-to-table
Bar Bodega - tapas
The Marine Room - seafood

This is a crap-shoot based on internet research. Any recs from those that have spent some time in SD? I'm especially interested in good seafood; no sushi sadly, the lady doesn't eat raw fish; and So-Cal style Mexican.

Thanks,

H

For seafood in San Diego I've enjoyed The Fishery in Pacific Beach and Jake's in Del Mar. Jake's has the added benefit of being right on the water!