A Few Great Hidden San Diego Restaurants, According to a Boston Restaurant Reviewer

So it looks like another weekend of heavy rain inbut
Boston.worth seeking out.Just before you reach San Diego,
This is, what, the 7th or 8th weekend in a row withyou hit La Jolla, a tony
rain? Icommunity that seems to have more investment
love Boston, but this is ridiculous.With the rain, myplaces
daydreams of San Diego, CA, seem tothan restaurants. I like La Jolla, though, with its
keep popping up more and more (call it Californiaspectacular
dreaming). The other night, I was listening to a greatdowntown park above the ocean cliffs, and its
rocknarrow,
station from Encinitas on Internet radio. It got me tocrooked lanes. Just south of the center of La Jolla is
thinkinga little
about Encinitas, where my cousins used to liverestaurant called Bahia Don Bravo. The owners of
before theythis
moved up the coast to La Costa.One of myauthentic Mexican restaurant have a few branches in
favorite restaurants in Encinitas is the 101 Diner.San
Located about 4 blocks from my favorite beach inDiego, but this one is special, since you can order
the worldthe food
(Moonlight Beach), the 101 Diner has everything,to go and walk a few blocks down a side street to
from greatone of the
breakfast and lunch entrees to outdoor seating to amost spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean that
friendly,you will
all-around nice guy of an owner. Almost as good,ever see. And there is even a bench where the
and justview is, so
down the street, is Kim's Restaurant, which hasyou can eat in relative comfort. Bahia Don Bravo has
terrificthe type
Vietnamese food. Better yet, neither of theseof Mexican food that you just can't find in Boston. I
restaurants isalways go
well-known (if you have looked at the site Ithere when traveling to San Diego, and always miss
founded,it when
Boston's Hidden Restaurants, you would know II'm back in Boston.Finally, you reach the wonderful
have acity of San Diego. Where to
thing for great restaurants that haven't beengo for food? Well, there are too many great places
discovered).Heading south toward San Diego, anotherto
memorable, butmention here. A couple of standouts are Point Loma
little-known, restaurant can be found in beautiful
Cardiff-by-the-Sea. Pipes Cafe is a breakfast spotSeafood, with its memorable view of the city across
that isthe
mainly frequented by surfers and Cardiff residentsharbor, and the Coyote Cafe in Old Town. But my
lookingfavorite is
to show up late to work (word is, Trevor Hoffman,a little hamburger joint in Ocean Beach called
the greatHodad's,
reliever for the San Diego Padres, is also a regularwhich is where I had the best cheeseburger I have
here).had
Pipes has fantastic breakfast plates, and the dininganywhere in the country (and I've had a lot of
outdoors on the patio is a must.As you continuecheeseburgers!). Juicy, thick, hearty, and smothered
down the coast, you come to artsy Solanain
Beach, home to Fidel's, which is fairly well-known,cheese, the burgers here are impossibly good.
and forHodad's is
good reason; Fidel's may be the best Mexicantruly amazing.Well, I guess my daydream of eating
restaurantmy way through San
north of San Diego (though I have my personalDiego is about done. As I look out my window and
favorite,see the
which I'll mention in a minute). Fidel's is tough to find,skyline of Boston, I realize that I do live in a great
sincecity. I just
it's hidden in a neighborhood away from the ocean,wish it wouldn't rain so much.