February 2023

Food & Drink HOT PLATES

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MABEL’S GONE FISHING SWORDFISH SCHNITZEL The swordfish schnitzel at this buzzy, new-ish North Park seafood joint is layered with charred lemon and tonnato, needing not a drop more of anything, and sticking to the unofficial southern European cooking rule that only a few ingredients, well-sourced and prepared, are truly necessary for food to shine. –JB

Get Some SDM staff shouts out our favorite food finds this month

BY JACKIE BRYANT, MATEO HOKE, TROY JOHNSON, SAMANTHA LACY, DAVID MARTIN, AND NICOLLE MONICO

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COMMON STOCK CHARRED CAULIFLOWER Hillcrest’s Common Stock is one spot in town that does flavorful veggies right. Fresh on its menu is charred

e eat. And drink. A lot. As a magazine staff 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. Enjoy this 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. W

cauliflower with mango vinaigrette,

pickled Fresno chiles, harissa cream, masala almonds, & coconut. –JB

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MARISI GEMELLI

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Newer on the menu at the semi-outdoor- indoor La Jolla Italian restaurant is gemelli, a spiral pasta with clams, smoked butter, kale, bottarga (cured fish roe), and breadcrumbs. Tack on a chopped salad to start, paired with white vermouth, and you’ve got a perfect order. –JB

BALLAST POINT (LITTLE ITALY)

KIMCHEESE BURGER During the shutdowns, BP Little Italy’s GM and chef tinkered and tinkered with burgers and that R&D yielded this odd-delicious one: Angus beef patty, American cheese, kimchi, smoked pear (the secret weapon), charred scallion aioli, thick cut bacon on a brioche. Tangy, just sweet enough, smokey-delicious. –TJ

EL BARBECUE UDON BRISKET BIRRIA SOUP Japanese, Mexican, and

American barbeque fusion, sounds good, right? Turn that into a soup? Knock our fusion socks off. El Barbecue serves up this delicious winter warmer. Tender shredded brisket with just the right amount of smoke, swimming in a rich birria broth, with Udon noodles, cilantro, onions and radish slices. Order up a side of the Elote Pasta Salad and Hillbilly Beans to top off your meal at this Sherman Heights barbeque gem. –DM

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WORMWOOD OYSTERS

Wormwood’s outdoor patio is the kind of dreamy date night vibe that makes me almost consider downloading Bumble again. It may also be why securing a reservation can be so difficult. But single or not, the French restaurant’s oysters, made with salted kiwi, lemon gel, and absinthe foam are better than… well ... –NM

20 FEBRUARY 2023

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