September 2026 Dining Diary: San Diego dining favorites from our Food Editor-at-Large

Falling squarely into the shiny-new-thing category is Zuma, the recently opened hot spot downtown at The Guild Hotel and the sixth U.S. location for this international contemporary Japanese concept. It had not been open more than two weeks the night I dined, and by 7pm, it was standing room only. In other words, reservations are essential. The restaurant offers sushi, robata, and hot and cold dishes, all designed for sharing.  The presentations are works of art — so thoughtful and perfectly plated that no one wants to be the first to disturb the aesthetic. The special sushi rolls are amazing, and the multilevel sushi platters are stunning. My favorite, though, was a hot dish: the Miso-Marinated Black Cod, presented wrapped in a hoba leaf. The cod flaked off in juicy chunks, with the rich combination of butter and miso making every bite overwhelmingly delicious.

Also living up to copious amounts of online hype is By The Sea. We reported on the opening of this new addition to the Coronado dining scene last month, and it has been a tough table to book ever since. I snuck in right at opening time, which offers the best chance of getting a table, and tried a few dishes. The space has an easy-breezy, Ralph Lauren-meets-Coronado-beach vibe. The walls, floors, and furniture are all whitewashed — practically in sunshine — creating a soft canvas for the gorgeous cuisine. I am still thinking about the Lamb Cavatelli. What looks like a simple dish is anything but, let me tell you firsthand. With homemade pasta, lamb, fennel, chives, and breadcrumbs, it is a delicate masterpiece.

The standout dish — and a must-order — is The Mezze Platter. A variety of dips and crudités arrives alongside hunky, house-made pita bread. Hummus, herbed labneh, creamy feta dip, miso baba ghanoush, pickled vegetables, and briny olives make for a fabulous way to begin your meal. The pita is made to tear and plunge into the dips, so don’t be dainty. Be sure to order a couple of extras — you will need them to finish every last bite. Or you could do what I did and polish off the remaining dips with your spoon. They are simply too good to go back uneaten.

A darling spot that needs to be on your downtown radar the next time you have an event — or head to the theater — is a new wine bar called Wine Girl. The interiors are bright and playful, with lots of flowers, pink and white, and marble — exactly befitting of its name. You will find this cheerful shop chock-full of “madres” pre-Padres games, and on weekends it fills up with well-dressed date-night-outers. Wine Girl offers beer as well as wine cocktails, along with a very approachable wine list. The small menu of plates, including cheese, wood-fired pizzas, and charcuterie boards, is designed to be shared and paired with the wines. The staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and of course, with a name like Wine Girl, it’s very Instagrammable.

Chef JoJo Ruiz has always been a favorite of mine, and the new menu at Lionfish only bolsters my opinion further. The cuisine is described as Modern Coastal Cuisine and features a lot of seafood, with products found along our California coastal waters and farms, along with some steaks and sushi that round out the menu. I often stop in for a hand roll or two before a ballgame or event but recently enjoyed a couple of dishes that were more than noteworthy.

The Mexican Corn Soup, made from roasted corn, lime, and chile powder, and garnished with micro cilantro, is both rich and light at the same time. I also really liked the Korean-style Bulgogi Short Rib Skewers. Sweet, savory, and garlicky, they are packed with umami and go great with a beer.

Like most of you, I am a creature of habit.  Much like my standing order of the burger, I will also almost always order a pollo asado burrito if it is on the menu. The Pollo Asado Burrito at South of Nick’s in Carmel Valley is the size of one of my son’s Jordan 4’s — it is a monster. When my server placed one in front of me, I laughed and said, “Well I will definitely need a to-go box.” (I didn’t.) It’s a behemoth of a burrito, but somehow, it’s not heavy and filling. It is stuffed with mostly shredded white chicken breast, a small amount of cheese, and some pico. The red sauce is light, not too spicy, and I have managed to eat the entire thing on two separate occasions.