San Diego dining is all about feasting on the region’s freshest ingredients.  Fishermen deliver fresh tuna, wahoo, mahi-mahi, and Pacific spiny lobster to restaurants all over town.  Gardeners produce baby vegetables and herbs for gourmet kitchens.  Whether you dine at an elegant restaurant or humble taco stand, you can be sure your indulgences are both delicious and healthy at these local standouts.

Catch of the Day
Lobsters wave their antennas in giant tanks and glass cases display a mouthwatering array of fresh and smoked fish at Point Loma Seafoods in—you guessed it—Point Loma.  Sit at an outdoor table within full view of sneaky seagulls eyeing your fish and chips.

Seafood from all over the world arrives daily at the Gaslamp Quarter’s The Oceanaire Seafood Room, where the glamorous 1930s cruise-liner décor inspires romance and the urge to splurge on oysters Rockefeller or fresh shrimp atop a platter of crushed ice.

Every linen-draped table at the Star of the Sea overlooks downtown’s harbor and San Diego Bay. Lobster, swordfish, tuna and salmon are imaginatively paired with spring truffles or baby fennel. Don’t miss the Belgian chocolate soufflé.

Rooms with a View
Waves crashing against the windows during high tide barely distract diners from the contemporary French creations at La Jolla’s Marine Room.  The menu is always innovative and exciting and the view especially dramatic during high tide.

Romance reigns in the elegant dining room at George’s at the Cove, but the views are better from the rooftop bistro overlooking La Jolla Cove.  Appetites fueled by ocean breezes are easily sated by the Angus burger with blue cheese and sweet onion marmalade.

When it comes to waterfront dining, you won’t want to miss the extraordinary bay and marina views at Humphrey’s by the Bay. After dinner, step into Humphrey’s Backstage Lounge and enjoy live entertainment from some of SD’s hottest bands.

And for a truly spectacular view of San Diego Bay—or Big Bay, as locals call it—why not dine in it?  Experience San Diego on a Hornblower Dinner Cruise, where the celebration begins the moment you come aboard.  Start with cocktails on the deck, then relax as the gracious crew transports you to a world of ease, luxury and gourmet dining.

Family Favorites
You haven’t really tasted the flavors of San Diego until you’ve visited one of Rubio’s taco stands (there’s one at the airport for a quick last fix).  You’ll quickly get hooked on their fish tacos with fresh tortillas wrapped around grilled or fried fish topped with shredded cabbage and special salsa.

Trendy trattorias are popping up all over Little Italy, but they’ll never outlast Filippi’s Pizza Grotto. Customers edge their way past cases of fragrant cheeses to reach the pizza oven and grotto-like dining room.  The pastas, pizzas and lasagna taste like they came straight from the old country.

Arnold Schwarzenegger garnered a few San Diego fans by stopping by the Old Town Mexican Café while running for governor in 2003.  Happy eaters greeted the Terminator while feasting on platters heaped high with hunks of marinated pork (carnitas) served with cilantro, onions, guacamole, and tortillas.

Just Desserts
Karen Krasne takes cookies and cakes to new heights at Extraordinary Desserts in Hillcrest and Little Italy.  Her flower-bedecked creations are worth every pricey bite.  Linger over a slice of white chocolate cheesecake or triple-berry torte with a cup of Parisian tea for a sublime experience.

The original Ghiradelli Chocolate Shop may be a San Francisco highlight, but San Diego’s version in a movie theater turned soda fountain can’t be beat.  The famed chocolates wrapped in shiny paper are great souvenirs, and shopping is painless when followed by a hot fudge sundae.