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Sunday morning outside the Broken Yolk Cafe
attending a convention
he likes to pose
in gaslamp
My family is meeting in San Diego in September'09 to celebrate my mother's 70th birthday. She loves San Diego and we want to take her out for a special birthday dinner. She isn't into high tech cuisine, but she's is a good cook who appreciates good food. She's not a big seafood fan (except for salmon and shell fish).
We're looking for a restaurant that is classy without being pretentious with a warm and inviting atmosphere and really great food. Any suggestions?
Your question has got me thinking. First, I don't really know what "high tech cuisine" is so am not sure if my suggestions would fall into that category or not.
Thinking of a special birthday dinner, The Marine Room in La Jolla comes to mind. It's not exactly cozy, but the employees are welcoming and the service is very accommodating, the view is awesome, especially if you are there during high tide. The ocean waves actually hit against the windows. The food is really creative and well flavored.
Georges at the Cove and the restaurant at the Valencia Hotel, both in La Jolla, also might work for you.
In the downtown SD area, I thought of Rei do Gado, a Brazilian barbecue, all meats--no fish. It's an "all-you-can-eat" pricing system but not typically so. You can eat as much as you'd like at one price for all, in a nice dining room situation. Also, at the top level of Horton Plaza the Panda Inn is an excellent Chinese restaruant.
Croce's downtown is popular, the food is good and next door the bar offers live jazz for entertainment.
On Harbor Island there are several places to choose and my favorite is Island Prime, indoor/outdoor dining relaxed atmosphere and good food.
On Shelter Island I really like Bali Hai, which offer's Polynesian cuisine, good views of the Bay and SD Skyline as well as good food.
You can read more about these places on my La Jolla and San Diego pages under Restaurant Tips.
This restaurant in the gas lamp district may fit your requirements:
Cowboy Star
640 10th Ave. (between G & Market Sts.) San Diego, CA 92101
Phone: 619-450-5880
Maybe less formal but I think it would still fit your bill:
http://www.hashhouseagogo.com/
Thanks for all the great restaurant suggestions. I checked the website for Bali Hai before and it looks like a great dining experience and the fact that you've confirmed that the food is good as well makes it a likely choice for a special dinner. I love the fact that it's on an island. I'll check out the others you suggested as well. Cheers.
Thanks for the suggestion.
Thanks. I'll check it out.
Chinese: Panda Inn atop Horton Plaza is a great place to celebrate birthdays. They have a private room oat the back that can accomodate 10-12 people. It's perfect if you have kids with you as then they can be noisy without annoying other diners.
There's also Bucca di Beppo (a chain restaurant) that has a larger room.
The Marine Room is great but pretty pricey. There's also a lot of steps for your mom to navigate. The atmosphere is one of those hushed ones that calls for no noise.
Good luck
vist the San Diego Zoo and Sea World! We attened the wedding of a special former student of mine. I knew here when she was in the seventh and eighth grades in NJ...she was the lead role in my productions of THE KING & I, and OKLAHOMA...what a voice, what personality...A real beautiful person. It was a thrill and honor to have been remembered by her to be invited to her wedding!!
FOR LOW BUDGET VISITORS:
- walk around Gaslamp District,
- do window shopping hehe in Horton Plaza,
- walk around Balboa Park (use FREE Balboa Tram), visit free Botanical Garden and a few FREE mueums on each Tuesday,
- go (trolley $2.5 each way) to San Isidro and walk to Tijuana, Mexico for a dinner/lunch + drinks (less expensive than in San Diego),
- go to a free public beach,
- walk around residential areas (the most beautiful are close to the ocean, I suppose),
- go to public library to get FREE internet access,
- eat good breakfasts (lunches and dinners are more expensive) or eat in supermarkets (sandwiches, chicken, sometimes Mexican food),
- if you have a car: watch gas prices (you can save even up to 10-15%), look for free parkings (there are around Balboa Park) or less expensive (sometimes they want $5 for up to 1-2 hour)
DETAILS: in my Must See Activity tips.
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My trip to San Diego was just a day trip and primarily to see Sea World and have a quick excursion around some of the other sights. It was pretty extensive despite being rushed but I am sure there are much more interesting sights I have yet to see, and shops I've yet to shop.
You simply cannot come to California, and not check out the surfers! Stop along any stretch of beach, and there are many, and you'll find surfers trying to catch a wave. Even on foggy, calm days, they will be there, waiting for the perfect curl.
We saw many people surfing at Imperial Beach, including this guy. If you're taking pictures, be patient. These folks will be there all day, so they won't just jump on any bump in the surf!
I met this painter just by the Lake of the Flowers in Balboa Park.
He looked Spanish/Mexican and was busy painting Spanish architecture, talking with somebody by a cell phone but despite this he said hello to us at the same time :-).
Btw do you like his picture? Hmm...
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Address: 5592 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, I-805/Inland Freeway, San Diego, California, 92117, United States
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