We eat. And drink. A lot. We’re constantly poking our heads into kitchens across the city. We tell the stories of the people in them. And along the way, we taste some pretty remarkable things. So we decided to create this two-page spread—a monthly hit list of dishes and drinks and places and things in the food and drink scene we think will bring you decent if not great amounts of joy. Turn it into a bingo card. Go nuts.
Wayfarer Bread
Cinnamon Bun
Like cinnamon toast refracted through a three-way mirror, delicate laminations of spiced pastry seem to go on forever. Bite through the outer crust, let it shatter into pieces both in your mouth and on your lap, you are not here to be delicate. Then savor the soft inner center, the gooey, yielding heart of the bun. Sit, eyes closed. Reflect on the good decisions you’ve made. –SL
Callie
Line-Caught Fish
The fish varies, depending on whatever the freshest thing is on the boats when they pull up to the restaurant that day. It’s done in a signature Travis Swikard way: marinated in Moroccan red chermoula (lemon, green olives, barberries, lemon oil), on a bed of preserved lemon and saffron labneh (basically, yogurt of the gods). The labneh’s the bass note, the chermoula is the hi-hat. –TJ
Youngblood
Pick Your Poison
Youngblood is about letting go. Enter this not-so-secret speakeasy and let the talent behind the bar make the tough choices for you with a three round cocktail experience. Some of the most imaginative libations in the city can be found here among the warm lights and erotic carpet. I asked for amaro and got two kinds, with bitters, rye, and banana liqueur. Call that an easy decision. –MH
White Rice
Lechon Kawali
That crispy, juicy, fall-off-the-bone lechon on top of a bed of garlic rice with spicy atchara pickles and a sunny side up egg. I instantly became a fan of chef Philip Esteban after trying this dish. It’s a reminder of home, even if that home is nowhere near the Phillipines. –NM
Charminar
Hyderabadi Goat Dum Biryani
Two styles of biryani are always competing for our love: Lakhnawi or Hyberadi. The latter is spicier, just unloads the collected works of the spice rack. Since biryani is mostly rice, I choose Hyberadi almost every time. To stand up to that atomic bouquet, best to choose a protein with ample personality, and goat is no wallflower protein. –TJ
Q’ero
Calamari a La Diablada
The best home cook I know pitched this spot as her favorite restaurant in the county—and insisted I try the calamari. Erase your mental image of rubbery, deep-fried suckers. Q’ero’s spicy Peruvian version is tender and lightly crispy, studded with mushrooms, richly sauced with a slow-burn heat. –AR
Shank & Bône
Signature Pho
Shank’s signature pho is so good I got a tattoo of it. The shank, oxtail, brisket, and (my favorite) the bone marrow, compliment the bone broth to perfection (simmered for hours until the steam is intense anise and clove). Get the noodles on the side and add them at will, then order a side of the broth to-go and sip on it for breakfast like coffee. –DM
Steamy Piggy
Chili Wontons
First off, order all three soup dumpling options. That’s a given. Then get the chili wontons with pork, shrimp and sweet-spicy chili sauce for yourself. You may be tempted to skip over them, but the tangy and subtle heat of these wontons will hit just right as a precursor to your ramen of choice. –NM
Wormwood
Wagyu Tartare
Wormwood—that antique patio, that beautifully decrepit piano, that secret urban garden—is one of the most romantic rooms in San Diego. And the Wagyu tartare lives up to that brand of special—tossed in roasted bone marrow, spiked with guajillo and Dijon, served in the charred and roasted bone. Spread it on toast, congratulate yourself on being you. –TJ
Mr. A’s
Bananas Foster Milk Punch
The greatest part of the Mister A’s reinvention is the new bar overlooking Fifth Ave. It’s no longer just a special-occasion spot (though occasions will still be specialed here). The baris a bit of a scene every night, and on weekends for their new jazz brunch. Order the po’boy and the gumbo benedict over biscuits, and the fairly incredible milk punch—a bananas foster-flavored glass of sweet, mid-morning danger. –TJ
Cantina Mayahuel
Blood Orange Margarita
For a marg that verges more towards the sweet versus the sour, the blood orange margarita at Normal Heights’ Cantina Mayahuel is definitely a crowd favorite. And the crowd here should know: the lowkey bar and restaurant is a beloved industry hotspot. –JI
Northside Shack
Magic Mushroom Horchata
The thing that makes Northside Shack stand out is that they take their smoothies seriously. Here the blenders aren’t afterthoughts to the espresso machine, they’re the little countertop 2-horse-power engines that keep this place running. Get the horchata—with Lion’s Mane mushrooms, cacao nibs, dates, almonds, and cinnamon—it’s supremely spiced and not-too-sweet. Giddyup.–MH
Are you a restaurant or food- or drink-maker with something delicious that should be on SDM’s Hit List? Send the editors an email at edit@sdmag.com and tell us what you think we should try!
