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CUBAN SANDWICH EL CHINGON BADASS MEXICAN Honestly thought this was just a nightclub for thump-thump. But its Cuban with slow-roasted pork, deli ham, melted Swiss, pickles, and mustard on Cuban bread dispensed with my preconceived typecasting
CRUDO CEVICHERIA & OYSTER BAR TIRADITO MIXTO Head here with girlfriends after the Little Italy
WOLF IN THE WOODS WINTER SMOKED TROUT ROE Good things come on toast. Those things might be pickled, smoked, creamy, eggy. I do not discriminate. If it’s this dish it’s all of the above; a trifle of sorts—layers of whipped goat cheese, cornichons, boiled egg, shallots, mascarpone, and of course that heavenly wild trout caviar, ready to be mixed and matched on a buttery brioche toast point. It’s a good thing. –SL 11
Farmers Market on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Order some bubbly and catch up over the Tiradito Mixto made with tuna, shrimp, callo de hacha, red onions, XO sauce, and greens. It’s a salty, crisp,
real quick. The key is the pork— tender-juicy, flavorful, almost like a porchetta. –TJ
and refreshing dish perfectly made for catching up on all the latest tea. –NM
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SUGAR AND SCRIBE BLAZIN’ CHILAQUILES SKILLET After a dozen servers paraded through the Sugar and Scribe patio with chilaquiles, I took a cue from my fellow brunch-goers. The Blazin’ Chilaquiles are aptly named—pickled Fresnos and salsa roja pack a punch, while feta subdues the heat. (To mellow it out even further, add sliced avocado.) Notably, the chips strike that ideal balance between crunchy and salsa-softened. –EH
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OFFICINE BUONA FORCHETTA SERGIO PIZZA I will go to my grave
SWEET CRAFT DOLCERIA
PANNA COTTA The best sea salt caramel panna cotta in San Diego quite possibly comes sealed in glass. Sweet Craft serves up
declaring that this is the best gluten-free pizza in all of San Diego. The family-owned eatery has found a way to help us non-grain-eaters remember the good ol’ days. Fluffy, moist, raised (!!), beautiful—these crusts are perfection, and I will hear no
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tiny desserts in tiny jars and perfects this delicate Italian dolce with salted caramel. It's creamy and soft and fits in my purse. –CJ
other arguments. –NM
FURN SAJ BEEF SHAWARMA
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Furn is the name of the oven, and saj the name of the flatbread that’s common in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food. Furn Saj made its name in LA, opening its first San Diego spot in Hillcrest. The bread itself is chewy-char good, but for me it’s the shawarma beef (and the spiced lamb) I could eat like snack chips. –TJ
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VARIOUS LOCATIONS HOT MAMA JAMZ Pepper jelly with no kick is
ROSEMARIE’S WE HAVE EGGPLANT
Next to Harland Brewing, a little orange trailer with a painting of chef Nick Balsamo’s Sicilian grandma (Rosemarie) has been slinging top-notch sliders (using things like Wagyu, Kewpie mayo, brioche, koji) since 2019. Get the classic burger, but also try the WHE—fried eggplant with Korean bbq sauce, house- pickled cabbage, and Kewpie. Nick's opening a permanent spot on Mission Ave in PB. –TJ
like a year without rain: warm and disappointing. Hot Mama makes a pineapple-habanero with enough heat to keep you eating to curb the burn. My kind of torture. Made in a home kitchen, it's available at very select markets and farm stands sprinkled through the county. Hot Mama makes REALLY spicy flavors, too. Here come the rain and the pain. –MH
25 SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE
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