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JILL AND HANK CHAMBERS’ SAN DIEGO FAVORITES

We’ve personally eaten at all of these restaurants and recommend them to

you. We’ve left off countless ones that weren’t so great and may not have

visited some new great ones.

There is a great map of San Diego in the Restaurant section of the Yellow

Pages. Of course there is Google and Yahoo as well. Also there is a map and

itinerary at the end of this list. (The numbers next to the restaurants refer to

that map)

Most of these will require reservations at least a few days in advance.

However, if you use www.opentable.com, there are often reservations

available even when the restaurant says that they don’t have any.

Another great website for restaurants and other activities with review is:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g60750-San_Diego_California-

Vacations.html

Pick up the ―Reader‖ at any supermarket or convenience store. It has the best

list of what’s happening in San Diego or go online to

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/home/

By the way an 858 prefix usually means north of the I-8, 619 south of the I-8

and 760 is North County

Our City San Diego Magazine Favorites June 2009

Best Place to find your inner solitude: Mount Soledad

Best Bookstore for Hour Long Lounging: Upstart Crow in Horton Plaza

Best Place to Buy Healthy Food: Whole Foods

Best Place to See the Sunset: La Jolla Shores Beach

Best Place for a Solo Meal: Zenbu in LaJolla and Cardiff-by-the-Sea

Best Healthy Restaurant: Tender Greens in Point Loma Liberty Station

Best Place to Pamper Yourself: The Spa at Rancho Bernardo Inn

Best Salon: MODA Hair Design 3754 Sixth Ave. 619-299-MODA

Best Gym: The Sporting Club 8930 University Center Lane 858-202-7320

Best Beach for Relaxation: Coronado Beach

Best Romantic Drive: Coast Highway 101

Best Place for a Romantic Candlelit Dinner: Bertrand at Mr A’s 2550 Fifth

Best Place for Antiquing: Downtown La Mesa

Best Pier for a Stroll: Ocean Beach Municipal Pier

Best Library for Kids: Central Library 820 E Street

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Best Beach for Kids: La Jolla Shores or Mission Bay

Best Spot for a Picnic: Balboa Park under the Fig Tree. By Natural History

Museum

Best Place to Fly a Kite: Mission Bay Park

Best Places to eat for Kids and Parents Together: Hodads 5010 Newport

Ave.

Best Place to shop with Kids: University Town Center

Best Place for Kids to Experience Nature: Torrey Pines State Park

Best Place to hear good Jazz Music: Anthology

Best Shopping Mall to Spend a Day at: Fashion Valley

Best Place to Watch a Game with your Buddies: PB Bar and Grill and Seau’s

Best Place for a Picnic with Friends: La Jolla Shores

Best Restaurants

* Nine-Ten Restaurant

910 Prospect Street, La Jolla (858-964-5400)

Comment: Our favorite when we’re feeling rich.

Get the ―Mercy of the Chef‖ with wine pairings ($100/person).

Very Expensive, but well worth an entire evening (Area 1)

* Market Restaurant and Bar

3702 Via de la Valle, Del Mar, CA (858) 523-0007

A mile or so east of the I-5

One of the best restaurants in San Diego, organic food. Menu

changes daily depending on what is fresh.

* Urban Solace

3823 30th Street, San Diego 92104 619-295-6464

www.urbansolace.net

In North Park. Fantastic eclectic menu. Small restaurant. Need

reservations. Our new favorite (9/2009)

* JRDN

723 Felspar Street 858-270-5736 (Area 2)

Located on Pacific Beach with a view of Crystal Pier

Excellent but very expensive food. Very loud with all of the

concrete and contemporary design, but the best place to see the

beautiful people of San Diego. This seems to be the place where

all of those swimsuit models (men and women) go.

3

Jack’s Restaurant

7863 Girard Ave (Corner of Wall St and Girard)

858-456-8111

Three different restaurants, five lounges. Very hip. Great décor,

Fantastic, but expensive food. Go for a special occasion.

Island Prime

880 Harbor Island Drive, San Diego, CA 619-298-6802

Great Food, One of the best views of the city possible!

Seafood and Steak. Upscale comfort food

Near the Airport on Harbor Island

Barbarella’s

In the LaJolla Shores area

2171 Avenida de la Playa

La Jolla, CA 92037

(858) 454-7373

Great local restaurant. Get the mushroom-truffle oil pizza at

least. (Area 1)

Laurel’s

505 Laurel Street (619-239-2222)

Recently listed as a Mobil 4 Star restaurant (only one in San

Diego (get their wine pairings menu!!!)

Excellent food and wine list (Area 8)

Arterra

11966 El Camino Real (in the Mariott Hotel)

858-369-6032 (Area 16)

Excellent California Cuisine. The chef was rated as the best

chef in California by James Beard Society.

Blue Point Coastal Cuisine

565 Fifth Avenue (619-233-6623), Downtown

Romantic dining with great food, service and martini bar. Great

seafood and lobster

(Area 8)

The Oceanaire Sea Food Room

400 J Street (619)858-BASS

Great downtown sea food. Most flown in or caught fresh daily.

It’s a very upscale chain restaurant. More food than you can eat

with great waitstaff (Area 8)

4

Roppongi

875 Prospect Street, La Jolla (858) 551-5252

Great Sushi Happy Hour

Asian Fusion Cuisine. Exquisite décor (Area 1)

Mille Fleurs

6009 Paseo Delicias, Inland North County (858-756-3085)

Very good and very expensive (Area 16)

WineSellar and Brasserie

9550 Waples Drive (in a Strip Mall off of Mira Mesa Road)

(858-450-9576)

Comment: Elegant restaurant with most extensive wine list in

town in surprising locale One of Scott Mubarak’s favorites (Area

16)

Parallel 33

Hillcrest

Restaurant with interesting combinations from cultures along

the 33rd parallel San Diego, India, Morocco, etc (Area 6)

Indigo Grill

1536 India St (Old Italy area) 619-234-6802

Very interesting décor and food spanning the Pacific Coast of

North America (from Alaska to Mexico) Highly recommended

(Area 5 or close to it)

Tupelos

340 5th Ave, Gaslamp 619-231-3140

Great food, especially the fish. Great Martini Bar (Area 9)

AR Valentien

The Lodge at Torrey Pines

11480 N Torrey Pines Rd. La Jolla 858-777-6635

Craftsman restaurant at Torrey Pines Lodge and Golf Course

Classic California Cuisine, organic food, Great View

Best Outdoor Dining in San Diego

*The Prado in Balboa Park

Great Restaurant right in the Park in the Museum area.

Excellent food and wine selection. Great ambiance.

One of Jill’s favorites. In an historic building.

5

Pamplemousse Grille

Across the street from the Del Mar Racetrack

514 Via de la Valle (858-792-9090)

Great menu, very pricey but great dining experience

Wine Vault and Bistro

http://www.winevaultbistro.com/

3731-A India Street (619) 295-3939

Great local food menu with wine parings. Usually the wines are

accompanied by the distributor or the vintner, so it’s educational

as well. Great deals on Fridays.

Great prices. A very nice evening. In Little Italy area (Area

5 but closer to downtown)

Best View with Great Food

* Trattoria Acqua

1298 Prospect St, La Jolla (858-454-0709) (Area 1)

* Island Prime/C Level Lounge

880 Harbor Island Drive (858-298-6802) (Harbor Island

near Lindberg Airport

Top of the Market

750 North Harbor Drive (619) 232-3474 (Area 10)

The Sky Room at the Hotel Valencia

1132 Prospect St, La Jolla (858-454-0771) (Area 1)

* Crab Catcher

1260 Prospect St, La Jolla (858-454-3031) (Area 1)

George’s at The Cove

1250 Prospect St, La Jolla (858-454-4244) (Area 1)

Peohe’s

1201 First St, Coronado Island (619-437-4474) (Area 11)

The Marine Room

2000 Spindrift Dr, La Jolla (858-459-7222) (Area 1)

Very expensive but fantastic dining

Go for brunch and watch the kayakers through a gigantic

window to the ocean

Il Fornaio Cucina Italiana

1333 First St, Coronado (619-437-4911) (Area 11)

Comment: View of Downtown San Diego across the Bay

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and

Del Mar Plaza, 1555 Camino Del Mar, Del Mar (858-755-8876)

(Area 16)

Comment: View of Del Mar and Great Sunsets

Pacifica Del Mar

1555 Camino del Mar (858)792-0476 (Area 16)

Comment: Great view of Del Mar. Outdoor eating with excellent

lunch menu

Brockton Villa

1235 Coast Blvd (858)454-7393 (Area 1)

Comment: Great view of La Jolla Cove and sunset

* JRDN

723 Felspar Street 858-270-5736 (Area 2)

Located on Pacific Beach with a view of Crystal Pier

Excellent but very expensive food. Very loud with all of the

concrete and contemporary design, but the best place to see the

beautiful people of San Diego. This seems to be the place where

all of those swimsuit models (men and women) go.

AR Valentien (see comments above)

Roys at the Marriott: See comments in Seafood.

Mexican

* El Agave

2304 San Diego Ave Old Town (619-220-0692)

Not your typical chips and salsa place. Real Mexican food

Several hundred different tequilas ( Area 5)

Alfonso’s

1251 Prospect St, La Jolla (858-454-2232) (Area 1)

Old Town Mexican Café

2489 San Diego Ave Old Town (619-297-4330)

Comment: Traditional American-Mexican food (Area 5)

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Italian

* Il Fornaio (See above under Best Views…)

Asti

728 Fifth Ave Downtown (619-232-8844) (Area 8)

Arrivederci

3rd Ave Hillcrest (619-299-6282)

Comment: Best Italian food by reader poll in San Diego

Magazine, 2000

Real Italians run this place and the food is outstanding!

(Area 6)

Trattoria Positanos

142 University Ave Hillcrest (619-294-6995)

Comment: Also excellent food, down the street from Arrivederci

(Area 6)

Piatti

2182 Avenida de la Playa ,La Jolla Shores (858-454-1589)

(Area 1)

Barolo

8953 Towne Center Dr (Golden Triangle Renaissance

Center. (858-622-1202)

Small Restaurant in UTC area.(East of Area 1) Excellent food

Sante

7811 Herschel Ave, La Jolla 858-454-1315 (Area 1)

Comment: Northern Italian Cuisine. Very small and elegant

Prego

Hazard Center (163 and Friar’s Road) 619-294-4700

Comment: Nice central location. Good food. (Area 15)

Vigilucci’s

All over North County. Our favorite is in Encinitas.(Area 16)

Pizza

* Embers

3824 W Point Loma Blvd (619-222-6877)

Comment: Great pizza, pasta, and family dining. Voted Best

Neighborhood Dining in San Diego. (Area 4)

Pizzeria Uno Chicago Bar & Grill

356 Fashion Valley (619-298-1866) (Area 15)

Chain, but good pizza

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California Pizza Kitchen

La Jolla Village Square, 3363 Nobel Dr (858-457-4222) (Area 1

And 16)

Sammy’s California Woodfired Pizza

702 Pearl St, La Jolla (858-456-5222) (Area 1)

770 4th Ave, Gaslamp District (619-230-8888) (Area 9)

Bronx Pizza

111 Washington Ave Hillcrest 619-291-3341

Comment: Most authentic NY pizza by reader poll, San Diego

Magazine 2000

Expatriate NewYorkers run this place and make the pizza!

(Area 6)

Round Table Pizza

All over town. Great gourmet pizzas.

Leucadia Pizza

All over town. Delivery. Choice of other Italian Food as well.

Thai

* Royal Thai

467 Fifth Ave (619-230-THAI) (Area 7)

737 Pearl St, La Jolla (858-551-THAI)

Comment: Best Thai in town! (Area 1)

Rama

327 Fourth Ave (619-501-8424)

San Diego Magazine rates it the best in town as well

California Style

Dakotas

901 Fifth Ave (619-238-5554)

Comment: Excellent food. Nice Atmosphere

(Area 9)

Kemo Sabe

3958 Fifth Ave (619-220-6802)

Comment: Southwestern-oriental food?

(Area 6)

Farmhouse Café

2121 Adams Ave (619-269-9662) (Area 7)

Supposedly French, but varied menu. Small but filling size

entrees. Quaint. Highly recommended.

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Adams Avenue Grill

2201 Adams Ave 619-298-8440 (Area 7)

Comment: Excellent comfort food: soups, meat loaf, barbecue,etc

Come On In!

1030-B Torry Pines Road (858)551-1863

Great sandwiches and salads but excellent entrees as well

(Area 1)

Natural Food

Kung Food

2949 Fifth Ave (619-298-7302

Comment: Gourmet vegetarian and vegan food

(Area 6)

Sipz Vegetarian Fuzion Cafe

5501 Clairemont Mesa Blvd 858-279-3747

Great rice bowls and noodles

(Just south of Golden Triangle (52 between I-5 and 805))

Jyoti Bihanga Restaurant

3351 Adams Ave 619-282-4116 (Area 13)

operated by followers of Sri Chimnoy

Get the ―Neat Loaf‖

The Linkery

3794 30th St at North Park Way

619-255-8778 (Area 7)

Located in a funky neighborhood of North Park

Farm-to-Table Restaurant with homemade sausage and

fantastic beer list.

Relatively inexpensive. Go to Ray Street before dinner for

Interesting art galleries.

Henry’s Marketplaces and Whole Foods Supermarkets all have great

delis inside their stores

10

Family Dining

Ember’s

See above in Pizza section

Corvette Grill

Liberty Station on the Harbour.

Comment: 50’s style diner with fries, shakes and fun-time

waiters (Area 6)

Fast Food

Rubio’s Baja Grill throughout the town. Famous for Fish Tacos

Seafood

Fish Market Restaurant and Top of the Market

750 North Harbor Drive

(619) 234-4867

Comment: Voted Best Seafood Restaurant by reader poll (San

Diego Magazine(Area 10, sort of)

* Blue Point Coastal Cuisine

565 5th Ave (619-233-6623 (Area 9)

* The Oceannaire Sea Food Room

400 J Street (619)858-BASS

Great downtown sea food. Most flown in fresh daily. It’s a very

Upscale chain restaurant. More food than you can eat

With great waitstaff

(Area 8)

McCormick and Schmicks Seafood Restaurant

675 L St (in the Omni Hotel attached to Petco Park)

619-645-6545

Chain restaurant with good food. Great to go there before a

Padres game

Roys

8670 Genesee Avenue, UTC area

Great fresh Hawaiian seafood. Way Overpriced wines! Bring

your own and pay a corkage fee

(Area 1, Golden Triangle)

and

Marriott Towers

Downtown.

Great View of the harbor and all of the saleboats. Great

food. Outside bar.

Star of the Sea

1360 North Harbor Dr (619-232-7408)

Comment: Very romantic. Great view and ambience. Great

Food (Area 9, sort of)

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Tutto Mare Ristorante

4365 Executive Dr University Towne Centre (858-597-1188)

(Area 1, Golden Triangle)

Harbor House

831 Harbor Drive Seaport Village (Area 10)

Chart House

La Jolla 858-459-8201

San Diego 619-233-7391

Anthony’s Fish Grottos

All over San Diego. There is one on the waterfront next door to

Star of the Sea (See above)

Comment: Locally owned, very good food and service. Similar to

Red Lobster in ambience. Very good for family and guests

Steak

Rainwater

1202 Kettner Blvd, Downtown (619-233-5757) (Downtown)

Morton’s of Chicago, Downtown

285 J St (619-696-3369)

Flemings

8970 University Center Lane (858-535-0078)

(Area 1, Golden Triangle)

Donovans

4340 La Jolla Village Drive (858) 450-6666

Typical Chop House. Great décor. Pricey. Attractive young

people hanging out

Indian

Star of India

1492 North Harbor Dr (619-234-9153) (Area 10, sort of)

1000 Prospect St, La Jolla (858-459-9620) (Area 1)

Bombay

3975 Fifth Ave, Hillcrest (619-298-3155) (Area 6)

Chinese

PF Chang’s China Bistro

4540 La Jolla Village Drive (858-458-9007) (Area 1, Golden

Triangle)

Fashion Valley (Area 15)

Emerald

3709 Convoy St. Kearney Mesa 858-565-6888

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Comment: Traditional Large Chinese place with thousands of

things on the menu.(a few miles north of #15)

Jasmine

4609 Convoy St. Kearney Mesa (858-268-0888)

Barbeque

Phil’s Barbecue

3750 Sports Arena Blvd, San Diego 619-226-6333

Point Loma/Sports Arena Area

Best BBQ in city. Get there early, or easier, call ahead, place

order, go to the left hand side of the entrance and walk to the

front. Just take the food home. (Towards Area 4 on map)

Brewery

** Stone Brewing Company

1999 Citracado Parkway Escondido

(760) 471-4999 (Area 16 about 25 miles north of downtown)

Great organic food. Excellent beer. Try the ―Arrogant Bastard

Ale‖

Karl Strauss

1157 Columbia Street (619) 234-2739 (Area 9)

1044 Wall St, La Jolla (858-551-2739) (Area 1)

Sports City

In UTC area 8657 Villa La Jolla Dr 858-450-3463

(Area 1, Golden Triangle)

Hops Bistro & Brewery

4353 La Jolla Village Dr, La Jolla (858-587-6677)

(Area 1, Golden Triangle)

Gordon Biersch

In Mission Valley

(Near #15)

Coronado Brewery (Area 11)

170 Orange Avenue Coronado, CA (619-437-4452)

Food and Entertainment

Croce’s

802 Fifth Ave, Downtown (619-233-4355)

Comment: Jazz and good food

(Area 9)

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Dick’s Last Resort

345 Fourth Ave Gaslamp (619-231-9100) and in Pacific Beach by

Crystal Pier

Comment: Purposely rude waiters, party atmosphere

(Area 9)

Seau’s Sports Bar

1640 Camino Del Rio North (619-291-7328)

Best Place to see a game. Surprisingly good food

(Near area 15)

Bars and Nightclubs

Altitude Skybar

Beach/Living Veranda

Belly Up Tavern

The Bitter End

Croce’s Jazz Bar

Envy/Eden

House of Blues

J6 Bar

Ocean House

On Broadway

Onyx/Thin

Stingaree

Universal

Can’t say I’ve been to all of these, but got these from the young

hipsters who go to these things. As many of these come and go, go to their

websites and see if they’re still open. (June 2009)

Breakfast

Original Pancake House

3906 Convoy St, Clairemont (858-565-1740)

Hash House a Go Go

3628 5th Avenue, San Diego in the Park Area

(619) 298 4646

Great food, great atmosphere. Very busy place

Café 222

222 Island Ave Downtown near Convention Center

(858-794-6838)

Get Peanut Butter and Banana Stuffed French Toast

Crest Cafe

425 Robinson Avenue, 619-295-2510

Richard Walker’s Pancake House

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520 Front Street, Downtown near convention center

619-231-7777

Sunday Brunch

Hotel Del Coronado (619-435-6611) (Area 11)

La Valencia Hotel(858-454-071) (Area 1)

Roppongi (see under Best Restaurants)

Desserts

Extraordinary Desserts (2929 Fifth Avenue, 619-294-7001)

(Area 6)

Gambling

Viejas

On I-8 east of Alpine (about 45 minutes east of Downtown)

A few good restaurants, great outlet mall and gambling

Barona Casino

Bit of a drive, but very good restaurants and golf course

Shopping

Downtown La Jolla, Prospect Street and environs

Upscale shopping and strolling through the village. Great views

of the ocean with good restaurants near by. Spend an afternoon

here. (Area 1)

Horton Plaza – Westfield Shoppingtown

4th and Broadway,Downtown

Great shopping in an architectural award winning mall. Easy

access downtown, adjacent to the Gaslamp District for great

restaurants and night life (Area 9)

Seaport Village

North Harbor Blvd

Comment: Quaint shops on the waterfront, o.k. restaurants

(Area 10)

Fashion Valley- Westfield Shoppingtown

6899 Friars Road

Upscale shopping area with Nordstroms, Saks, etc

(Area15)

Mission Valley Center – Westfield Shoppingtown

1640 Camino Del Rio North(Near Area 15)

University Towne Centre – Westfield Shoppingtown

La Jolla Village Drive, La Jolla)

Upscale shopping with Nordstroms, Macy’s, Robinson’s May, etc

(Area 1, Golden Triangle)

Books: Barnes and Nobles, Borders

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View of the City

Top of Mount Soledad

Top of Hyatt Grand Manchester or Marriott , Downtown

Coronado Island at the Ferry Landing

Point Loma at the Lighthouse and State Park

Beaches

La Jolla Shores

Comment: Great family beach

Pacific & Mission Beaches

Comment: Younger, Generation X crowd, (ergo Great Body

Watching)

Take a walk on the Crystal Pier (historical landmark)

La Jolla Cove

Bird Rock (Between La Jolla & Pacific Beach)

WindAnSea near Bird Rock

Ocean Beach Fishing Pier

Torrey Pines State Beach

Del Mar

Things To Do, Places To See

San Diego Zoo

Wild Animal Park – Outside San Diego, up highway 15 North

Sea World – 500 Sea World Drive

Balboa Park – Museums, see a play at the Old Globe Theatre,

Botanical Gardens, free concerts at the Organ Pavilion,

IMAX and Space Museum– Balboa Park

Point Loma Light House and Tidal Pool at Bottom of the Road

Great views of the city and Coronado. Hiking for the kids

Walk out on Crystal Pier in Pacific Beach. For more of a hippie and

maybe biker experience, walk on the pier on Ocean Beach

Sunset Cliffs

Spanish Village Art Center in Balboa Park

Hotel Del Coronado

Just walk around the grounds

Coronado Ferry Landing

Small stores, a few good restaurants

Sea Port Village

Gaslamp District downtown

San Diego Padres – Downtown Petco Stadium

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San Diego Chargers – Qualcomm Stadium in Mission Valley

La Jolla Village: art galleries, upscale clothes, restaurants and views

Contemporary Art Museum in La Jolla

Lego Land in Carlsbad

*Hike in Torrey Pines State Park

San Diego Botanical Gardens in North County

Cedros Street Design District in Solana Beach

http://www.cedrosdesigndistrict.net/

Old Globe Theater in Balboa Park for great plays and ambience

Tickets

Ticketmaster all around town or online

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Downtown Hotels

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March 5, 2004

36 HOURS

In San Diego

By FELICIA PAIK

WITH 70 miles of sandy beaches matched by postcard-perfect weather and a

laid-back atmosphere, San Diego is a destination for sun seekers the world

over. But this Southern California city is not that one-dimensional: it also

has history. Spanish explorers noted its natural harbor in 1542; in 1602

another expedition named it San Diego. It was finally colonized in the mid

1700's, making it the oldest port on the West Coast. In 1769, the Mission San

Diego de Alcalá was the first of the 21 missions built by Spanish friars

throughout the state. In modern times, the city has become closely associated

with its naval station and home to such famous attractions as the San Diego

Zoo and SeaWorld. It also has a cultural centerpiece in Balboa Park, one of

the country's best urban parks. The city, however, may be most famous for its

glorious sunsets over the Pacific.

Friday

5 p.m.

1) Sunset at the Del

Fans of Billy Wilder's "Some Like It Hot," which has been designated as the

funniest movie of all time by the American Film Institute, may be surprised

to learn that although the story was set in Miami, the beach that Marilyn

Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon actually frolicked on was San

Diego's, at the Hotel del Coronado (1500 Orange Avenue, Coronado, 619-

435-6611). This Victorian-era hotel, with its tall cupolas and red turrets,

remains one of the best places in town at which to view the setting sun. Have

a cocktail at the Palm Court and imagine what it was like when Charles

Lindbergh and Greta Garbo frequented the Del.

6:30 p.m.

2) On the Waterfront

Star of the Sea (1360 North Harbor Drive, 619-232-7408), a San Diego

bastion built on a pier, offers diners floor-to-ceiling windows with views of

San Diego Harbor. Known for decades as Anthony's Star of the Sea Room, a

wood-paneled, old-guard establishment, it has been revitalized with a new

look and a new chef. Now one of the city's most fashionable dining rooms, it is

decorated in muted tones and with light fixtures that resemble sails floating

19

above the tables and contemporary-style banquettes. Try the Pacific lobster

tempura ($16), diver scallops ($28) or Stars of the Sea ($20), a platter of fresh

oysters, clams, shrimp, crab and mussels.

Saturday

8 a.m.

3) Breakfast at a Diner

Grab a hearty breakfast at the Crest Cafe (425 Robinson Avenue, 619-295-

2510) in the newly sleek Hillcrest neighborhood. With booth-style seating

and meals served on Fiestaware, this old-fashioned diner serves bacon and

eggs, pancakes, omelets and the like. Try the chicken hash ($6.95).

8:30 a.m.

4) Do the Zoo

It is almost impossible to not visit the 100-acre San Diego Zoo (2920 Zoo

Drive, 619-231-1515), home to more than 4,000 creatures in habitats ranging

from a showcase for Indonesian orangutans and siamangs (the first time

these two apes are living together at the zoo), to the polar bear plunge.

Mornings, when it's still cool, are far preferable to afternoons. The zoo doesn't

open till 9 a.m., but get to the parking lot a half hour early to minimize the

walk to the entrance. Consider taking the 40-minute bus tour first: It covers

75 percent of the zoo, and you can always go back to visit favorite animals. If

you're planning on seeing the zoo's pair of giant pandas and their 6-month-

old cub, Mei Sheng, call the hotline first (888-697-2632) because the animals

aren't always on display. Admission is $32 for adults, $19.75 for ages 3 to 11

and includes the bus tour.

1 p.m.

5)Lunch with Jim

The street lights are now electric, but the Gaslamp Quarter, a 16-block

national historic district, remains the city's historic and entertainment hub.

In the heart of the quarter, Croce's Restaurant and Bars (802 Fifth

Avenue, 619-233-4355), opened by Ingrid Croce in memory of her late

husband, the singer-songwriter Jim Croce, features contemporary American

cuisine like sesame seared sashimi ahi ($29.95) and tournado of grilled

salmon with mango-walnut chutney ($24.95). As background music, of

course, are Croce hits like "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" and "Time in a Bottle."

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3 p.m.

6) A Little Dickens?

Several blocks from the Gaslamp Quarter, Wahrenbrock's Book House

(726 Broadway, 619-232-0132) has more than 250,000 rare, used and

antiquarian books on three floors. In business since 1935, it has a section

devoted to first editions, including Winston Churchill's "Arms of the

Covenant" for $25,000 and "Oliver Twist" by Charles Dickens for $5,000.

There are also deeply stocked sections devoted to California history.

7 p.m.

7) Just North of the Border

Since San Diego is just 16 miles from Mexico, it makes sense that the city's

signature fare, after seafood, is Mexican. El Agave Tequileria (2304 San

Diego Avenue, 619-220-0692) boasts more than 1,000 different kinds of

tequila. Though the menu is full of familiar dishes (like an appetizer

assortment of quesadillas, empanadas and taquitos, $19.75), there are also

more unusual choices like the Nopalli Nopal, a cactus-leaf salad ($9.25), or

sea bass tenochtitlan, a marinated fillet surrounded with chile pasilla-prune

sauce ($26.25).

9:30 p.m.

8) A Sweet Wait

On Saturday nights, the line outside Extraordinary Desserts (2929 Fifth

Avenue, 619-294-7001) can extend onto the sidewalk. But once you've tasted

Karen Krasne's creations, you'll forget about the wait. There is inside seating

at about a dozen tables, plus about twice that on the heated patio. Or if you

can't get a seat, you can always enjoy the torta misu, roasted coconut cream

torte or toasted macadamia caramel cheesecake ($7 to $10 a slice) in the

comfort of your own hotel room. The Viking, a chocolate crème brulee cake

with caramel, milk chocolate whipped cream and crushed chocolate almond

pralines, is particularly decadent.

Sunday

10 a.m.

9) Sunday in the Park

Balboa Park, a 1,200-acre urban oasis, is San Diego's answer to New York's

Central Park. Created in 1868, it is the city's cultural centerpiece with

extensive gardens and playgrounds, and more than 10 museums, many of

them housed in Spanish-Colonial style buildings originally constructed for

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the 1915-16 Panama-California Exposition. Highlights include the San Diego

Museum of Art's collection of Spanish Baroque paintings as well as works by

American artists like Georgia O'Keeffe and Thomas Eakins. This summer the

museum will host "St. Peter and the Vatican: The Legacy of the Popes," the

largest collection of objects from the Vatican ever to tour North America. The

San Diego Model Railroad Museum has six permanent scale-model railroads,

while the San Diego Aerospace Museum focuses on local aviation history,

including Charles Lindbergh's "Spirit of St. Louis," which was built in San

Diego.

2 p.m.

10) Spreckels Organ Pavilion

One of the biggest sensations at the 1915 exposition, was a massive pipe

organ donated by the sugar magnates John D. and Adolph B. Spreckels. With

its 73 ranks of 4,518 individual pipes ranging in size from one quarter of an

inch to 32 feet, it is still the world's largest outdoor pipe organ. Hour-long free

concerts are held every Sunday afternoon at 2 at the Spreckels Organ

Pavilion (619-702-8138), an open-air 2,500-seat amphitheater just south of

museum row. (Take a hat or umbrella for sun protection.) Carol Williams, the

pavilion's artistic director, performs classical or popular works every week.

Try to fit a drive to the top of Mt Soledad in La Jolla and a visit to

the beach.

January 20, 2006 36 Hours

Downtown San Diego

By JANELLE BROWN

UNTIL the mid-1970's, San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter was a seedy red-light

district habituated almost exclusively by sailors on leave from local military

installations. But a huge development project has turned the zone into a

buzzing center for night life, and surrounding downtown neighborhoods like

East Village, Hillcrest and Little Italy are now peppered with cranes putting

up new loft buildings, destination restaurants and high-end boutiques. All of

which is to say that it has become easy for the culturati and the hip to spend

a weekend totally free of the city's more vanilla family-friendly

entertainments. San Diego isn't just about Shamu the whale and the Wild

Animal Park anymore.

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Friday 3 p.m. 1) High Art

Start your weekend with a survey of the art scene. The stunning location of

San Diego's Museum of Contemporary Art - perched on a cliff overlooking the

ocean in La Jolla - is strong competition for the art inside. Besides housing a

collection of pieces from Robert Irwin, Ed Ruscha, Robert Therrien and Bill

Viola, the museum also showcases emerging artists and special exhibitions

by pioneers like Andy Goldsworthy. At the museum's downtown outpost, a

loft space that shows more avant-garde pieces, you can see its Cerca Series,

dedicated to the art and artists of Los Angeles, San Diego and Baja

California. Admission is $6 in La Jolla; free downtown. (700 Prospect Street,

La Jolla; 858-454-3541; and 1001 Kettner Boulevard, downtown; 619-234-

1001.)

5 p.m. 2) Sunset on Roof Beach

The only beach in downtown San Diego is actually on a roof at the W Hotel

(421 West B Street, 619-231-8220). When happy hour starts on Fridays, the

pretty young things shed their stilettos and nab cabanas inside the hotel's

Beach bar for cocktails in plastic cups. Watch the sun set over the

skyscrapers with your feet planted in three tons of heated (yes, heated) sand,

warmed by the fire pit and the sounds of lounge music. It's easy to forget that

the ocean is actually nowhere in sight.

8 p.m. 3) Wine or Lemonade

Settle in with a glass of Côtes du Rhône and a bowl of mussels ($14.50) at

Cafe Chloe (721 Ninth Avenue, 619-232-3242), a cozy bistro tucked on a

corner in East Village, a few blocks east of the Gaslamp Quarter. The sign

over the door is a cameo portrait of an owner's daughter, and the atmosphere

is homey, despite the chic European décor. Open from 7 a.m. till 10 p.m. most

days (and slightly later on weekends), the bistro multitasks as a cafe, a wine

bar and a full-fledged restaurant for lunch and dinner. Don't miss the tasty

lavender lemonade ($3.50) or the steak frites ($18).

Saturday

9 a.m. 4) Harborside Morning

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The busy harbor off San Diego's downtown is lined with miles of paths, which

make for a picturesque morning stroll. Start out by the cruise ship terminal

(Broadway and Harbor Drive) and wander south along the waterfront toward

touristy Seaport Village, checking out the trawlers, aircraft carriers and, in

the marina, enormous private yachts. The paths belong to the morning

joggers and dog-walkers, the skies to the helicopters that occasionally buzz

overhead.

10:30 a.m. 5) San Diego Recharger

The Mission restaurant is a San Diego institution, serving Mexican-inspired

breakfasts and lunches at three outposts. The branch (1250 J Street, 619-

232-7662) in SOMA (for South of Market, but no one calls it that), in an old

plantation-style building that sits in the shadow of the Petco Park baseball

stadium, is light, airy and filled with young hipsters from the surrounding

lofts. Try a breakfast quesadilla ($6.50) or a Mission croissant stuffed with

eggs and cheese ($6.95).

Noon 6) From Red-Light to Gaslamp

Look up. Those modern storefronts in the Gaslamp Quarter are actually part

of some of San Diego's most historic architecture: multistory Victorian

commercial buildings from the 1870's and 80's, put up by developers from

San Francisco after the start of the Gold Rush. The neighborhood

subsequently endured more than a century of booms and busts - including

grim periods when it was called Rabbitville, Flea Town and Stingaree - and

was a red-light district from the late 1880's through the early 1970's. But the

neighborhood somehow avoided the urban redevelopment blight of the mid-

20th century, and today, nearly 100 buildings have been meticulously

restored. Pick up an architectural walking-tour map ($2) at the Gaslamp

Quarter Historical Foundation in the William Heath Davis House (410 Island

Avenue, 619-233-4692), the area's oldest building (it was built in Portland,

Me., shipped around Cape Horn and reassembled in 1850). Or join the two-

hour guided tour that begins there every Saturday at 11 a.m. ($10).

3 p.m. 7) Art, Design, Commerce

San Diego's answer to SoHo is the emerging neighborhood of Little Italy,

where boutiques and galleries have banded together to form the Art & Design

District. Don't miss Cathedral Home (611 West Fir Street), for Jonathan

Adler textiles, or Niche Boutique (621 West Fir Street), for Marc Jacobs

shoes. Both are in the colorful strip of boutiques known as the Fir Street

Cottage Shops. Nearby, you'll find home design stores like Vetro (1760

Kettner Boulevard), which sells colorful vintage handblown glass; Disegno

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Italiano (1605 India Street), for Alessi accessories; and Mixture (2210 Kettner

Boulevard), for contemporary furniture. Check taddsd.com to find out about

Kettner Nights, a sporadic Friday night block party.

8 p.m. 8) Chive Talking

The Gaslamp Quarter is lined with restaurants, many of which are drowning

in neon and sardined full of rowdy tourists and college students. For a more

refined dining experience, go to Chive (558 Fourth Avenue, 619-232-4483),

one of three chic restaurants, including Laurel and Kensington Grill, owned

by the locally renowned Tracy Borkum. Inside this minimal gray room, Chive

serves warm edamame instead of a bread basket, and dishes like Hawaiian

sunfish with wild mushroom egg rolls ($26) or savory pork chops with white

cheddar and pancetta bread pudding ($24). Not so hungry? There's also a

grazing menu with snacks like feta fries ($5) and duck nachos ($8).

9:30 p.m. 9) All Night Long

If your feet still have it in them, take your pick of the Gaslamp Quarter's

countless bars and clubs. The newest and trendiest club is Stingaree (454

Sixth Avenue, 619-544-9500), a three-story turquoise-and-orange warren of

rooms that resembles something from "A Clockwork Orange." Twenty dollars

and snappy clothes will get you in the door to dance beside San Diego's

designer-clad night-crawling set. Get there early to avoid lines, or, if you're

really committed, dine at Stingaree's restaurant before 8:30 to guarantee

admittance.

Sunday

9 a.m. 10) Breakfast Challenge

O.K., so maybe you overdid it last night. Hash House A Go Go (3628 Fifth

Avenue, 619-298-4646), a farm-equipment-themed diner in the stylish

Hillcrest neighborhood, has the cure for you: O'Hare of the Dog, a 24-ounce

Budweiser with a side of bacon ($6.95). Or maybe you'd prefer Snickers

flapjacks with whipped cream ($6.95), meatloaf hash tossed with crispy

potatoes, topped with two eggs and served in a cast-iron skillet ($11.95) or

the more traditional eggs Benedict ($10.95). Regardless, portions are

enormous and guaranteed to put you in a food coma.

10:30 a.m. 11) Beneath the California Sun

Maybe you're not feeling much like a bikini by this point, but no trip to San

25

Diego is complete without a visit to one or another of the city's 70 miles of

beaches. Bohemian Pacific Beach, above (near the intersection of Grand

Avenue and Mission Boulevard), is San Diego's version of Venice Beach - a

two-mile stretch of sand populated by the eternal young, lined with crab

shacks and modest cottages. Watch the surfers from the end of the

picturesque Crystal Pier, if you're not brave enough to test the waves

yourself.

The Basics

The San Diego International Airport is just minutes from downtown (the

approach brings planes alarmingly low over the neighborhood). A rental car

is useful if you're headed to the beaches or outer neighborhoods. The Flyer

Route 992 bus (619-685-4900, www.sdcommute.com) offers service between

the airport and downtown ($2.25); other buses and the local trolley

thoroughly cover the downtown neighborhoods.

Although the Gaslamp Quarter has plenty of generic chain hotels - including

an enormous Marriott, a Hyatt and a Hilton - it also recently gained two

designer hotels. Hotel Solamar (435 Sixth Avenue, 877-230-0300;

www.hotelsolamar.com), from the Kimpton Hotel group, has 235 spacious

rooms decorated in a curious

Op Art/Arabian Nights/beach motif, and a pleasant rooftop pool and bar.

Standard rooms start at $249.

San Diego's W Hotel (421 West B Street, 619-231-8220;

www.whotels.com/sandiego) is done in a colorful California-beach-meets-

urban-chic décor, and its three bars and its restaurant are popular

destinations for a fashionable local set. The 259 standard rooms and suites

start at $239 a night.

September 7, 2008

36 Hours in San Diego

By BROOKS BARNES

IF San Diego feels half empty, that's because it is. At any given time, swarms

of residents have decamped a few miles south to Mexico or a few miles north

to upscale resort towns. Also, the Navy is the area's largest employer, so a

sizable chunk is presumably floating around on aircraft carriers somewhere.

Is it any wonder, then, that the town leans so heavily on big tourist

attractions (Shamu, the zoo)? A deeper look, however, will reveal more

personality than you think. A necklace of quirky, sun-kissed neighborhoods

rings downtown, from surfer hangouts like Pacific Beach to gentrifying

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neighborhoods like University Heights. Restaurants are flourishing, too.

There is even an emphasis on preserving history, which, for Southern

California, is a headline in itself.

Friday

5 p.m.

1) EASE ON DOWN

There's no better indoctrination to San Diego's laid-back style than a stroll

along the Embarcadero, a two-mile stretch of downtown waterfront where a

gentle sea breeze will lull you into a zombie-like state in no time. The

decommissioned aircraft carrier Midway sits nearby and can be admired from

Tuna Harbor Park, a shady nook next to the touristy but tasty Fish Market

(750 North Harbor Drive; 619-232-3474; www.thefishmarket.com). Warning:

Skip Seaport Village, a shopping plaza on the boardwalk, unless you're into

pushy pedicab drivers and shops that sell obnoxious T-shirts.

7:30 p.m.

2) GASLAMP GLAMOUR

Much energy and money have been spent gussying up the Gaslamp Quarter,

a 16-block downtown neighborhood that was once an archetype of urban

blight. The jumble of frat bars is still rather depressing, but several boutique

hotels have opened attractive lounges and restaurants. Avoid the W with its

hipper-than-thou staff and head to the sleek but comfy Ivy (600 F Street; 619-

814-1000; www.ivyhotel.com). Hollywood bigwigs roost there when attending

Comic-Con, the annual comic-book convention and movie marketing

extravaganza in July. The Ivy's restaurant, Quarter Kitchen, tries a little

hard — the hostesses are hilariously outfitted in full-length shimmery gowns

— but the menu (by Damon Gordon, formerly head chef for Ian Schrager's

constellation of hotels) and modern décor have A-list locals practically moving

in. The caviar tacos with horseradish cream ($26) are a favorite but don't

overlook the Code 7 ($10), a trio of chocolate glazed, jelly and cinnamon-

sugared doughnuts.

10 p.m.

3) CULTURE CLASH

How adventurous are you feeling? If the answer is not very, then perhaps top

off the night with a sashay through the Ivy's multilevel nightclub, Envy. For

the stronger at heart, there is the Casbah, as in ―Rock the ...‖ Conjuring the

1982 hit from the English punk rockers Clash, the Casbah (2501 Kettner

Boulevard; 619-232-4355; www.casbahmusic.com) is a venerable, if a tad

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dingy, music club where Nirvana, the Smashing Pumpkins and the

Lemonheads cultivated an audience. Don't be frightened by the scull-and-

cross-guitars logo; the club also features more mainstream acts à la Alanis

Morissette.

Saturday

8:30 a.m.

4) GREENSWARD GIANT

No visit to San Diego is complete without taking in Balboa Park (1549 El

Prado; 619-239-0512; www.balboapark.org), the 1,200-acre public park that is

home to the Old Globe theater, a gargantuan outdoor pipe organ and a half-

dozen major museums. A morning walk or jog along the park's central

thoroughfare is a perfect way to experience it. If some of those Spanish

Baroque Revival buildings look familiar, it's because they starred as Xanadu,

the over-the-top estate in ―Citizen Kane.‖

10 a.m.

5) CALIFORNIA PAST

Tucked in an easy-to-miss enclave just north of downtown, Old Town

(www.oldtownsandiego.org) offers a peek into what life was like in San Diego

when agave plants still outnumbered people. Start at the Old Town Mexican

Café (2489 San Diego Avenue; 619-297-4330; www.oldtownmexcafe.com),

where the ―tortilla ladies,‖ visible through giant windows, can be seen

frantically hand-rolling corn and flour tortillas, some 7,000 on a busy day, the

restaurant says. Don't stop to eat: those tortillas are better seen than tasted.

Rather, wander into the Old Town San Diego State Historic Park

(www.parks.ca.gov/?page_ID=663) to explore exhibitions like the 143-year-old

Mason Street School, a one-room shack decorated with pictures of

schoolmarms past. Shops scattered around the Old Town grounds sell the

wares of local crafts makers. Large glazed ceramic tiles ($120 to $200) are big

sellers.

Noon

6) TACO TREAT

This is a desert, after all, and the sun can be exhausting. Recharge at Casa

de Reyes, a traditional Mexican restaurant at the Plaza del Pasado (2754

Calhoun Street; 619-220-5040; www.plazadelpasado.com). Tucked behind a

luscious flower garden, the open-air but breezy restaurant provides a festive

atmosphere with folkloric dancers and a mariachi band. Sit by the burbling

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fountain and try the tacos, preferably stuffed with crispy-edged carnitas

($9.95.).

1:30 p.m.

7) BEACH BOUND

There are dozens of beaches, but none are more authentic than Ocean Beach,

a funky surfers' haven that has stayed frozen in time because of strict zoning

rules from the 1970s. Wander through the stuffed-to-the-rafters Ocean Beach

Antique Mall (4926 Newport Avenue; 619-223-6170;

www.obantiquedistrict.com). The sidewalk along Newport Avenue, the main

drag, is an attraction in itself. As part of a business district improvement

effort, the community sells inscribed sidewalk tiles to anybody with $125 and

a printable message. The results are oddly touching. (―Jeff Loves Rosie.‖) O.B.

is a locals' favorite, so you might feel conspicuous without a surfboard or bare

feet. Just call everyone dude and you'll be fine.

4 p.m.

8) SALTY SEA AIR

Just to the south of the Ocean Beach Pier is a newly constructed concrete

path that leads to one of Southern California's most spectacular stretches of

shoreline. Sunset Cliffs (www.sandiego.gov/park-and-

recreation/parks/shoreline/sunset.shtml) spans 68 acres. Stretch out on the

grass, fly a kite (as many locals do) or explore the bluffs and tidal pools.

6:30 p.m.

9) DINNER AT A DINER

You've sampled one of San Diego's new haute restaurants, now go the other

way and check out one of the diners that locals gush over. Hash House a Go

Go (3628 Fifth Avenue; 619-298-4646; www.hashhouseagogo.com), promises

―twisted farm food.‖ It's mobbed at breakfast and lunch but more manageable

at dinner. Try the griddled chili crusted Indiana maple duck breasts ($24).

Little ones in tow? Then the ticket is the tricked-out Corvette (3946 Fifth

Avenue; 619-542-1476; www.cohnrestaurants.com), where beehive-coiffed

waitresses hand out square pieces of Bazooka Bubble Gum to ease the wait

for a table.

9 p.m.

10) THE FOX ROCKS

If the Regal Beagle, the pub from the 1970s TV sitcom ―Three's Company‖

ever had a twin, this would be it. Except that the Red Fox Steak House (2223

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El Cajon Boulevard; 619-297-1313) is also a piano bar. Dimly lighted with red

Naugahyde booths, the lounge at the Red Fox attracts a diverse crowd from

hipsters to elderly couples. Everybody sings along after a couple of drinks.

Give the adjacent dining room a peek; the room was originally built in 1642

in England but was dismantled and shipped to California in 1926 by the

actress Marion Davies, who used it as part of a summer home.

Sunday

10 a.m.

11) IF THEY BUILD IT

Tour the hot San Diego Zoo if you must. The preferable option, especially for

families with younger children, is Legoland (1 Legoland Drive; Carlsbad; 760-

918-5346; www.legoland.com). No lines, immaculate grounds and a

surprising lack of pressure to buy souvenirs. This is an amusement park?

Come before the masses discover it (annual attendance is about a million

compared with nearly four million for the zoo). The 128-acre park focuses on

interactive, educational attractions like the new Lost Kingdom Adventure, a

ride themed around recovering hidden treasure in 1920s Egypt. For Lego

fans — admit it, they're not just for kids — the park features a cavernous

store that sells hard-to-find sets as well as little colored bricks in bulk ($7.99

for a quarter pound).

All of these articles from

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Golf In San Diego

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