Wining and Dining in San Diego
 

I have a week-long conference coming up in San Diego and I've never been there. I should have 2 or 3 evenings free to sample some of the local sights.

Any suggestions?

lrd, last time I was there a person on the airplane recommended the Crab Catcher and George at the Cove as 2 restaurants on the water with good seafood. I went to George's just in time to catch a gorgeous sunset and get warm.

Downtown SD was OK to explore, but the San Diego Zoo was total fun. It was much more "open" of a zoo (less restrictive cages) than any other I'd been too.

FrontSight

Where in San Diego will you be? It is a very large place.

We'll be at the Doubletree Club Hotel on Hotel Circle South. Does that help?


FS -- Thanks for the recommendations. :)

lrd

I am from San Diego (well, Alpine, to be precise). As they said before, San Diego is a very big place.

If you like good bars, I'd go down to the Gaslamp (Quarter). Lots of cool places down there. George at the Cove is supposedly a good place (too pricey for me).... but if you like seafood and aren't too highbrow, any of the Anthony's Fish Grotto places are pretty good. For nightlife, I'd go for Gaslamp or PB (Pacific Beach) areas for fun and hot chic... er, fine young ladies.

For more respectable entertainment, try the SD Zoo (best in the world!), Wild Animal Park, or Balboa Park (lots of cool museums, learn a lot, and a very chill place to have a picnic/lunch).

If you're a real savage, head east about 20-30 miles to Alpine/Descanso/Guatay, find a bar, and pick a fight. I'm sure NDD would like to hear the AAR. :lifter

Any other specific questions, feel free to PM.

I like good bars, good seafood and open zoos. I'll be with a bunch of guys, so I'll pass the word about the hot chic... er, fine young ladies.

However...
I think I'll take door number three. I'll let you all know what happens.

Thanks, Dan.

Check out Pubcrawler.com and you can search by City/State for what might be in the area as well as reviews on the places.

They have more then breweries listed so you can find a taproom/resturants on there.

Yes. While there may be good restaurants on Hotel Circle, I have only eaten at places that are not unique, like TGI Friday's. Downtown and the Gaslamp Quarter are close to Hotel Circle, and you should think about driving there for dinner.

The best steak and seafood place I know of in that area is Rainwater's, 1202 Kettner Blvd. (at West B St.), (619) 233-5757.

I also like this little hole in the wall called Dobson's. It's on Broadway right next to the mall.

I recommend trying to get across the bridge to Coronado. Brunch at the Hotel del Coronado is pretty good, not so much because the food is so great, but because the hotel is really something. The beaches are better there also, if you want that.

I think Sea World is a far better attraction than the others. If you get to the park, definitely try to do "Dine with Shamu" and the Arctic Tour if they are offering it. If you have kids with you, try to get up to Legoland. You'll need a car to get there, and the drive is about 45 minutes.

HTH. Have fun!

San Diego
 

My read:

Gaslamp area is a place to visit, I think I dined at Dakota's, o.k. OTOH, find a place that serves fish tacos, they're are a must. I frequented a place a bit west of the Gaslamp Sq. area. We were stayng at the Grant. There is a super mall across the street from the hotel. Now, if the little tram way goes out to Old Town, do it. A cab is a close second. My trip to T-town was a bust. Listen to the taxi guys after you get off the tram...the Avenue of the Revolution is supposed to be neat. My wife & I walked T-town near the border. When we were not panhandled by a 12 year old with a child, we were followed by some young dudes after my camera. The Mexican food was simply superb, everywhere.

Thanks, brewmonkey and RL. Between your suggestions and those by FS and Dan, I should be able to keep myself wined, dined and entertained. I'll be on Coronado one day, so I'll make sure to stop by the Hotel del Coronado.

I'll be without transportation, so the tram sounds great. I haven't had good Mexican food since I left Texas, so that is definately a must. Thanks for the info!

Like DanUCSB, I'm a native San Diegan. If you're going to be on Coronado, I recommend Peoi's (sp?) on the bay side, right next to the ferry landing. It's a great seafood/steak restaurant looking out over the water and downtown.
For pubs/nightlife, I'll have to third the Gaslamp. Lots of good places to fill your belly and kill your liver. The best advice I can give, though, would be enjoy the weather. Not many places in the States that can boast blue skys and 75º+ tempratures this time of year. Ah to be home again...

Hotel del Coronado
 

Watch out for the SEALs.

Exactly.

TR

I love this forum!