Los Angeles & Southern California - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [275]
And then along came Jack. Jack’s La Jolla (Map; 858-456-8111; 7863 Girard Av; mains $9-42) opened in 2006 and was instantly named one of the 10 best restaurants in America. Its seven venues offer something for everybody, each executed with panache: piano bar, sidewalk café selling pizza and croissants, wine bar, grill and more. It’s overseen by chef Tony di Salvo, who cut his teeth at Jean-Georges in New York City.
George’s responded by keeping the bar as it was but redoing the dining room in a style so futuristic it’s called George’s California Modern, and ramping up the imagination quotient in the seasonal menu.
Which is better? We ain’t gonna go there. We were taught to keep to yourself when two guys bigger than you are dukin’ it out. And besides, we think a little competition makes better players of everyone.
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Girard Gourmet (Map; 858-454-3321; 7837 Girard Ave; dishes under $8; 7am-9pm Mon-Sat, 7am-7pm Sun) There’s everything from chicken salad to chocolate cake at this Belgian delicatessen, which makes its own pastries and serves pre-plated hot foods you select from the glass case. La Jolla’s best bargain.
Harry’s Coffee Shop (Map; 858-454-7381; 7545 Girard Ave; dishes $4-11; 6am-3pm; ) This classic 1960 coffee shop has tufted brown-and-gold vinyl booths and a posse of regulars from blue-haired socialites to sports celebs. The cooking is standard-issue American – pancakes, tuna melts and iceberg-lettuce salads – but it’s the aura of the place that makes it special.
Midrange
Cottage (Map; 858-454-8409; 7702 Fay Ave; mains breakfast $7-10, lunch $10-14, dinner $11-20; breakfast & lunch daily, dinner in summer; ) Shhh! Don’t tell anybody that the buttermilk coffee cake, crab Benedict, fish tacos and granola-crusted mahimahi make this place a local favorite. It’s crowded enough as it is, especially on weekends for brunch.
My Place (Map; 858-454-3535; 7777 Girard Ave; mains lunch $8-17, dinner $13-20; lunch daily, dinner Tue-Sat) Francophiles love this casual sidewalk eatery that serves Cal-French café cuisine, including moules mariniére (mussels in white wine) with hand-cut fries, grilled sardines with lemon-pesto, steak-frites, and blue-corn-battered calamari.
Trattoria Acqua (Map; 858-454-0709; 1298 Prospect St; mains lunch $10-18, dinner $17-35) Set into the hillside with a variety of spaces laid out like a treehouse, Acqua serves scrumptious Northern Italian cuisine.
Roppongi (Map; 858-551-5252; 875 Prospect St, La Jolla; tapas $10-25, mains $18-32; 11:30am-9:30pm) Tapas-style Asian-fusion really shines at this gorgeous eatery with clever lighting that makes everyone look good. The Polynesian crab stack, piled high and tossed at table, is a killer choice, and the ahi (yellowfin) tuna with watermelon a surprising flavor bomb. Great wines and sakes, too.
Top End
Nine-Ten (Map; 858-964-5400; 910 Prospect St; mains lunch $9-14, dinner $21-34; breakfast, lunch & dinner) Modern art adorns the walls at this sleek, understated downtowner that serves up-to-the-minute contemporary cuisine like striped bass and Hudson Valley duck. It’s also the only morning-till-night restaurant in La Jolla. The $24 three-course lunch is a steal. Great burgers, too.
Marine Room (Map; 858-459-7222; 2000 Spindrift Dr; mains $27-42; dinner daily) When money is no object and you want high-drama cooking and views, book a sunset table at this fancy dining room outside the town center. You’ll feast on highly stylized contemporary-fusion meats and seafood, while waves splash against the window at high tide. Lounge menu too (from 4pm).
Tapénade (Map; 858-551-7500; 7612 Fay Ave; mains lunch $13-18, dinner $30-36; lunch Mon-Fri, dinner daily) Foodies thrill for the brilliant, sunny flavors of Tapénade, San Diego’s finest for Provençal French (think ratatouille and wine reductions, not potatoes and cream-based sauces). Consistently voted one of San Diego’s top restaurants,