No matter your culinary taste, one thing’s for certain — San Diego’s dining scene is hotter than ever. Just decades ago, it used to be that only a handful of restaurants — Mister A’s, Mon Ami, Lubach’s, Dobson’s — rose to the top of any “best restaurants” list. While two of the aforementioned still thrive today, they’re now accompanied by countless others who’ve helped to land America’s Finest City on the national dining radar.
Some might say that a handful of chefs were instrumental in charging us forward. For instance, Jeff Jackson, who honed his chops at Shutters on the Beach and Casa Del Mar in Santa Monica prior to joining The Lodge at Torrey Pines, has mastered his own trademark style of market-driven seasonal cooking based on sound craftsmanship. There’s also Mary Kay Waters, founder of Waters Fine Catering, a key force behind local, seasonal, and handcrafted practices. In more recent years, the pairing of super chef Bradley Ogden with Carl Schroeder at Arterra sparked a new wave of culinary enthusiasm. It’s also safe to say our cuisine has been elevated by Rancho Santa Fe’s own Chino Farm, which has been harvesting famously delicious produce for more than five decades. And TV has more recently embraced food, thereby ultimately creating celebrity chefs — many of whom live right here in S.D. The list goes on.
No matter the reason (it’s undoubtedly a combination of factors), we’re thrilled to be living in a city with such dining excellence. Which leads us to our Readers’ Choice Best Restaurants 2011 ballot. It’s time once again to vote for all of your favorites (the winners will be revealed in February). Click here to fill out the ballot.
Here are a few dynamos worth checking out. MIA STEFANKO
Dolce Pane E Vino — Chris O'Donnell
Giuseppe Restaurants & Fine Catering — Giuseppe Ciuffa
The Marine Room — Bernard Guillas
The Mediterranean Room — Sean Eastwood
Quality Social — Jared Van Camp
Savory Casual Fare — Pascal Vignau
Top Of The Market — Michael McDonald
Twenty/20 Grill & Wine Bar — Steven Patrick
West Steak & Seafood — Eugenio Martignago
