Zanzibar Cafe on the UC San Diego campus plays a supporting role during performances at The Loft, but when classes are in session, it takes center stage. Tucked into a corner on the second floor of Price Center East, it’s one of the restaurant’s two locations in San Diego. While Zanzibar Cafe’s downtown site is more of a full-service bistro, the UCSD counterpart is designed for quicker service.
Mere fathoms from the sandy beaches of Del Mar are the wooden decks of The Brigantine. The nautical-themed restaurant, on the corner of Camino del Mar and Via de la Valle, provides picturesque views of the nearby racetrack and the ocean. Guests often flock to the patio rail or as close to the deck’s large windows as possible, drinking in the panorama over a sunset-colored Brig Mai Tai or the sweet and smooth Millionaire Margarita made with Don Julio Añejo tequila.
Eureka!, we found it. Eureka! burger restaurant, that is. Situated in the Westfield UTC at 4545 La Jolla Village Drive, the burger and brew house is the latest upscale restaurant to open in the newly renovated shopping center.
Just a stone’s throw from busy Torrey Pines Road, Adobe El Restaurante is ensconced in the peaceful oasis of Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa. Breakfast and lunch are served in this Spanish-themed dining establishment that overlooks the resort’s courtyard.
From scrambled eggs to grilled chicken, The Broken Yolk Cafe offers something for everyone on its oval-shaped menu. The family-friendly restaurant — which has nine locations throughout San Diego County and in Temecula — advertises that its food is fresh and the portions are ample, as scales are not used for weighing. Customers won’t find dehydrated potatoes here; the hash browns and home fries are prepared from genuine spuds on site.
There are a number of dining establishments that serve gourmet food and offer stunning ocean views along the coastline of San Diego County. But very few are actually on the water. Flagship Cruises & Events is one of the exceptions, offering dinners, brunches, luncheons for private charters, and fare for other special occasions aboard yachts that cruise along 25 miles of San Diego Bay.
At the newly opened Seasons 52, guests won’t find the traditional calorie-laden foods of the holiday season. Instead, they may be delighted to discover that there is nothing on the menu over 475 calories — not even the desserts.
Here’s the skinny on Fat Fish Cantina Grill: It has an upscale menu, yet it maintains that casual Pacific Beach vibe. Located within walking distance from the sand and the Crystal Pier, it’s almost customary for flip-flops to part of guests’ garb at this restaurant, which offers “SoCal dining with a Latin flair.” But the fare leans toward contemporary Baja California cuisine rather than typical tacos from shops often found along the shore.
When brothers Alan and Eric Adler first tasted Chef Luis Gonzalez’ tacos, they loved them so much that they wanted to open a restaurant. “We’d tasted his cooking at catered parties in San Diego and Los Angeles, and teamed up with our cousin Isi Lombrozo to open Puesto in February (2012),” Eric Adler said. “We wanted to offer La Jolla an upscale Mexican restaurant serving his street food.”
Girard Gourmet may be based in La Jolla, but there’s a taste of Julian in its fresh fare, which appeals to people near and far. Twice a week, proprietor Francois Goedhuys travels to his farm, “Corgi’s Castle,” in the Pine Hills area of the mountain town and gathers ingredients from his organic gardens and orchards. This time of year is abundant with apples, pumpkins and pomegranates — broccoli and kale will be more plentiful in a couple of months. Summer will be prime time for heirloom tomatoes, peaches and plums.
North Coastal News
