San Diego Essentials

By Aaron Heier, FrontDoor.com | Published: 1/14/2009

Henry's Farmers Markets sell natural and organic produce from local farmers. Aaron Heier

Food and Drink Essentials: Best Places to...

BUY GROCERIES

Henry's Farmers Markets
Locations throughout San Diego County, 877-743-6797
The pinnacle of natural and organic food stores in the city, people shop here to find the best produce available from the region's local farmers and purveyors.

GET SOME CHEAP EATS

Tioli's Crazy Burger
4201 30th St. in North Park, 619-282-6044
If the Food Network's Guy Fieri thinks this place is hot, then there's definitely something genius behind Crazy Burger. Two German immigrants turned an Italian fine-dining restaurant into one of the best burger joints in the west, with a menu that will not only pique your interest but most likely send you over the edge.

The sheer madness of the plethora of burger concoctions being churned from its kitchen puts Crazy Burger on the map of cutting-edge eateries. Inventive burger options include: alligator, ostrich, buffalo, pork, turkey, salmon, venison, kangaroo, antelope and good ole USDA Prime beef all made with signature accompaniments and add-ons that give each a distinct and delicious flavor profile. The best part is the price -- cheap! Full meals, including burgers, fries or onion rings, and a drink are less than $10 (depending on patty) and daily combo specials run $6.50 for the lot. Beat that McDonald's!

GET DINNER AND A CELEB SIGHTING OR TWO

Confidential Restaurant + Loft
901 Fourth Ave., 619-696-8888
Chic and VIP-ish, sans the attitude, Confidential is the arbiter of San Diego's small plate (tapas) dining destinations. Not only is TV's Bachelor contestant, Andrew Firestone, an investor, but also helming the kitchen is one of Top Chef's most lovable personalities, Season 5 cheftestant Rich Sweeney.

EAT ETHNIC FOOD

Tajima Japanese Noodle House
4681 Convoy St. #1, 858-576-7244
It may not be Japantown, but it's as authentic a Japanese noodle restaurant as you're going to get without being in Tokyo. Known for a predominantly Asian clientele, this no frills eatery, whose wait list often exceeds an hour, serves up some of the best wide-noodle spicy ramen this side of the Pacific.

Super Cocina
3627 University Avenue (between 36th and Cherokee), 619-584-6244
An unassuming gem offering true Mexican comfort food, cafeteria style, Super Cocina doesn't serve America's beloved tacos and tostadas. Rather, its specialty is homemade (literally from Mexican women's home kitchens around the city) stews from various regions of the country. To-die-for mole, pozole, cocido, slow-stewed carnitas and even menudo all served with a fresh batch of piping hot tortillas, rice and beans. Muy bueno!

GRAB A BEER

Shakespeare Pub & Grille
3701 India St., 619-299-0230
San Diego's original British-style pub, Shakespeare's offers a wide selection of both bottle and draught beers and authentic pub food at reasonable prices. One of the few bar rooms around with cork dartboards, it's known for blaring sports, primarily rugby and footie (soccer) matches, on its TVs daily.

The Hole
2820 Lytton St., 619-226-9019
A dive bar whose roots reach back to the days of prohibition, the Hole got its name from its location being just north of the adjacent golf course's 19th hole. Its predominantly gay clientele takes over the huge outdoor patio pit for the legendary Sunday Beer Bust with $5 mini pitchers of domestics and micro brews all afternoon while televised sports and DJs spinning classic hard rock add to the ambiance.

GRAB A LATE NIGHT BITE

Brians' American Eatery
1451 Washington St., 619-296-8268
Yes, the apostrophe is after the s in Brians', since it's two of them who own the joint. A cool, contemporary diner serving ginormous portions of breakfast, lunch and supper vittles well into the post-clubbing wee hours. They're known for the nightly specials, like Saturday's all-you-can-eat BBQ beef ribs, and a plethora of down-home comfort breakfasts that will cure any late-night buzz.

SIP A LATTE

Mystic Mocha
2105 Mission Ave. (619) 688-0858
Leave the lattes in Seattle because here, it's all about the mochas. Every kind of house-made mocha imaginable, using top quality espresso beans and any number of decadent add-ins like chile pepper spice, peanut butter, raspberry, almond orange, turtle sundae and the list goes on and on. Its cozy, casual village-y vibe makes it feel like it belongs in small-town middle America, not big-city Southern California.

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