So after listening to the most recent podcasts, I heard that the esteemed Dr. @Jordan_Feigenbaum is now a resident of America’s Finest City (San Diego for those who don’t know)!
As a rare native in a city of transplants, I wanted to welcome him and let him know (and anyone else that travels here) about the most important hidden gems any city has to offer: food.
So first off, there is Casa Machado (http://www.casamachadomex.com/) which is located at the Montgomery Airport. Fantastic Mexican food, amazing margaritas and a really cool ambiance being on the second floor of the terminal of the regional airport closest to downtown San Diego. You get to see lots of small planes and helicopters flying in and out all the time plus Harrison Ford comes through sometimes.
Next, is Market Bar and Grill (https://marketdelmar.com/) in Del Mar. Some of the best food I’ve had in my life (also first restaurant I went to that served an amuse bouche). They label themselves as California Fusion so there are a lot of influences and options. Their specialty is a braised beef short rib that was so tender that it was almost like a meat jelly.
Then there is Cafe Di Roma (https://www.cafediromaib.com/) in Imperial Beach. A really nice, intimate Italian restaurant run by a family that had parents from Italy, still regularly returns and also used to run a much larger and upscale restaurant in Coronado for years. Definitely a balling on a budget option because they have very reasonable prices for incredibly authentic food.
Sticking in the South Bay, Tacos El Gorda (http://tacoselgordobc.com/locations/) is one of the best taco shops in a city of brilliant taco shops. I would recommend going to the H Street location because it is the original and the best but be ready for a minimum of a 20 minute wait pretty much any time of day. Definitely worth it though and you’ll have the opportunity to try a much wider variety of tacos fillings than you will at many other shops.
Out East by where I live, there is an awesome deli called Sandwich Bags (http://www.sandwich-bags.com/). I am a big fan of the #8 which is a Chicken Pesto Panini but everything is fantastic plus the owner Art is a fantastic gentleman who managed upscale restaurants in La Jolla for years before living his dream of owning his own small place.
Lastly, in Fallbrook there is another amazing Italian restaurant called Trupiano’s (https://trupianorestaurantgroup.com/). I actually had my rehearsal dinner there and went back for my first wedding anniversary so I will admit some bias and that it holds a special place in my heart. However, everyone in my wedding part did think the food was awesome so it probably isn’t just me. Definitely make sure you have some tiramisu because it is the best I’ve had this side of my 2 month study abroad in Roma Capitale.
I will also warn you that people will probably tell you that you have to go to Phil’s Barbeque (https://philsbbq.net/) and if you get a hankering for BBQ it is probably your best bet in San Diego but with all that time in you life spent in St. Louis, I fear you’ll be underwhelmed.
Also, if there are any other natives or long time residents that want to give a shout out to their own hidden gems of the city, I would love to know what I haven’t yet discovered!
Thanks for the read everyone.