Hello and welcome to my first food recommendation post. I’m in San Diego, and I’ve lived here for three years, so let me talk about some of the amazing food happenings in our ‘finest’ city.
LINKERY http://thelinkery.com/blog/
First off, one of my favorite places to take friends and family is the Linkery. On a scale of 1 to 3, I would rank this restaurant at 3 for being most expensive, but definitely worth it. All their food is Farm to Table, and they have an excellent drink menu and beer on tap selection. They hand cure all their meats in house, and I’ve eaten there at least 5 times over the years and never had a bad meal. I always recommend the picnic plate with your choice of sausage, coleslaw, potato salad and beer bread, along with the Julian hard cider and an order of fancy fries. This sounds vaguely German, which appealed to me initially, because that was my major in college. I also imagine that for a trendy North Park restaurant, it vaguely reminds me of how people might have eaten at a pub in New England hundreds of years ago with the cider and vaguely German/English type food. They also have an amazing dessert with caramelized bacon on top that cant go unnoticed.
PREP KITCHEN http://www.prepkitchen.com/
My next place of choice is the restaurant Prep Kitchen. They are also farm to table and rank at a number 2 for mediumly priced. They are owned by the same people that own the fancy La Jolla restaurant Whisk n Ladle, and the food is just as good. They make the best bolognese, and they have great Sangrias, along with an awesome happy hour with big portions for 3 dollar plates. They also flavor their water which makes me happy.
My third choice is in Del Mar at the Grand Hotel. I pick this restaurant Amaya for a lunch where you want to impress someone. It’s ranked at a 2 in price for lunch, probably a 3 for dinner, but this hotel is on par with Pelican Hill in Orange County or Beverly Hills and worth the cost. The hotel is traditional and ornate, and if you sit on the patio by the pool, the weather and view outside is idyllic and stunning. Green grass, rolling hills, patio umbrellas and delicious food. They also have a homemade gelato bar upstairs and the best hotel burger I’ve eaten.
SPRINKLES http://sprinkles.com/
My fourth restaurant is not San Diego based or a restaurant at all. I can’t live without Sprinkles cupcakes though so I have to talk about them. I LOVE their lemon coconut flavor and their seasonal flavors as well. Salted Caramel and Key Lime also rank high on my non-chocolate list. For chocolate lovers, definitely the Black and White or Peanut Butter Chocolate one seem to be favorites. I recently went to their ice cream store in Beverly Hills and got a cupcake on top of my ice cream. NOT DISAPPOINTED. They know what they’re doing and they donate funds to great causes and charities.
My fifth restaurant is not San Diego based either but they have a great location in the Gaslamp downtown. Nobu Sushi is in the amazing Hard Rock Hotel and as snobby as they are, their food lives up to their reputation. They also have the best martini I have ever had: Passionfruit white chocolate. (Martini number two is the Watermelon drop at Melting Pot). Their sushi is fantastic and their desserts are so fancy, watch out for small portions and a 3 for high prices.
SEARSUCKER http://www.searsucker.com/
Searsucker is a super busy and loud restaurant in the Gaslamp district that gets a 3 out of 3 for expensive. The menu is innovative and you can have a crazy 5 or 6 course meal if you’re willing to spend. They’re run by the same people as Burlap in Del Mar and their food is amazing, along with excellent service. Not quiet and romantic if that’s what you’re looking for. Out of all the restaurants aforementioned, they have the BEST food.
BURLAP http://www.burlapeats.com/
Burlap is in Del Mar and takes asian fusion and california cuisine to the next level. Also a happening busy place with trendy cushion style seating arranged haphazardly, this place is tough to get a table because it’s so popular. Try their crispy rice with fiery spicy tuna on top or many of their other small plates which are great to share.
BURGER LOUNGE http://www.burgerlounge.com/
Burger Lounge is the best burger you will ever eat. Organic and gigantic, this tasty place beats In n Out by a long mile. Great service and premium ingredients, any of their juicy burgers are delicious and I have tried them all. They make an awesome root beer float and ask for their barbecue sauce for your fries. YUMMY. If you’re vegetarian, this is the place for you with their delicious quinoa based burger.
Chuao Chocolatier isn’t a restaurant, but their chocolate is the gift that everybody wants. Created by UC San Diego Alumni, they put Godiva, Sees Candies and Ghiradelli to shame. This is chocolate done right, with weird ingredients you would never expect, and they still taste amazing. The only chocolate that might even come close is the brand Vosges sold at Whole Foods, based in Ohio.
STACKED http://stacked.com/
Another burger place that recently opened at Fashion Valley, Stacked is also a busy burger joint, known for ordering from their ipad menus. You can customize your own shake to put cookie pieces and caramel in it, or order from their prescribed favorites. They have pretzel buns for your burger and cranberry mayo, along with any other ingredient you can think of.
TENDERGREENS http://www.tendergreensfood.com/
Tendergreens is a new sit down restaurant in the UTC Westfield mall by the food court that serves amazing salads and HUGE portions. I have tried their steak sandwich and Chinese chicken salad and both were amazing. They also have wine and beer, but what makes them extra awesome is their giant salted white chocolate oatmeal cookies. Probably ranked mediumly expensive, but you get a lot of food for your money.
These next two places aren’t in San Diego, but I have to give an Orange County shout out.
BRUXIE http://bruxie.com/
They need to bring one of these to San Diego pronto. Waffle sandwiches, waffle everything. Two locations in Orange and Brea and awesome cheap prices. Strawberry lemonade is a must, and anything you order here is tasty.
UMAMI BURGER http://www.umami.com/umami-burger/
Los Angeles based, with a location in Costa Mesa, Umami Burger is a rich delicious burger with truffle butter if that’s what you want. They have lots of options and delicious organic sodas. Their fries are amazing with garlic aoli and you won’t be disappointed no matter what you order. Unique and delicious, they need to add a San Diego location soon.
Thanks for reading and I will definitely include more foodie recommendations soon!
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