Trust Restaurant in San Diego is Brad Wise's Hillcrest neighborhood room since 2016, the small-plates wood-fire kitchen that anchors Wise's Trust Restaurant Group.
Signature dishes: Wood-grilled octopus, Cauliflower steak, Whole roasted fish
Must order: The wood-grilled octopus on a smear of harissa; the cauliflower steak as the vegetarian centrepiece.
Tip: Book counter seats for the open-fire kitchen view; the Group also runs Fort Oak and Rare Society if Trust is full.
Address: 3752 Park Blvd, San Diego, CA 92103
Cesarina in San Diego is Cesarina Mezzoni's Point Loma trattoria on Voltaire Street, a glass-walled pastificio where you can watch hand-rolled eggless pasta being made through the window.
Signature: Handmade tagliatelle, Tortelli di zucca, Eggless pasta
Order: The tortelli di zucca with butter and sage; the tagliatelle al ragu finished tableside.
Tip: The eggless dough is unusual; ask for it explicitly if you want the canonical Cesarina experience.
Buona Forchetta in San Diego is Matteo Cattaneo's South Park pizzeria on 30th and Beech since 2011, the Naples-style wood-fire room that holds the Gambero Rosso Pizza Accreditation 2022.
Signature: Pizza margherita, Pizza Sofia, Burrata appetiser
Order: The pizza Sofia with prosciutto and burrata; the margherita is the test of the dough.
Tip: No reservations on the patio; arrive by 5:30pm or after 8:30pm to skip the worst of the line.
Soichi Sushi in San Diego is Soichi Kadoya's Michelin-starred (since 2022) omakase room in University Heights, an intimate counter with a six-piece omakase and a handful of a la carte plates.
Signature: Omakase, Local yellowtail sashimi, Hokkaido scallop
Order: The full omakase, sat at the counter; the local yellowtail is the room's recurring star.
Tip: Two omakase seatings nightly; book three weeks ahead on Tock for either.
Sushi Tadokoro in San Diego is Mitsui Tadokoro's Old Town omakase counter, the long-running Michelin Guide-listed Japanese kitchen with traditional Tokyo-style preparation.
Signature: Omakase, Toro sashimi, Tempura
Order: The omakase nigiri course; the toro sashimi with grated wasabi made tableside.
Tip: Reservations strongly recommended; the counter seats twelve and books out a week ahead.
Sushi Ota in San Diego is Yukito Ota's Mission Bay Drive room since 1990, the strip-mall sushi counter that has trained more San Diego sushi chefs than any other kitchen in the city.
Signature: Omakase, Uni nigiri, Kanpachi sashimi
Order: The omakase, ordered by sitting at the counter and saying so; the uni nigiri is the indicator of the day's catch.
Tip: Book the counter, not the dining room. The strip-mall location is intentional; ignore the parking lot and step inside.
Cowboy Star in San Diego is the East Village steakhouse and butcher shop on 10th Avenue, with an in-house dry-aging programme, an oyster bar and the city's deepest American Wagyu list.
Signature: Dry-aged ribeye, Wagyu burger, Wagyu tartare
Order: The dry-aged bone-in ribeye for two; the Wagyu burger at lunch.
Tip: The butcher shop sells the same cuts at retail; if the menu is booked, buy and cook at home.
