Comic Con: Eating and Drinking

Eating in the Gaslamp and around the convention center can be really expensive, and it's a lot of chain restaurants or otherwise poor food for the price. There are a few exceptions. Burger Lounge just (as in a day or two ago) opened up their Gaslamp location. While I recommend checking out their Hillcrest, Little Italy, or Kensington locations, I can't deny that this one is the closest to the convention center. They've got a super great turkey burger and yummy fresh french fries. Sushi Deli is super crowded most days, so I'm sure comic-con won't help the situation, but for super cheap sushi it's better than most. Whatever you do don't go to Sushi Itto, I should've realized how bad it was going to be when I realized that the owners were Russian. Something about a trendy neighborhood attracts terrible sushi places. For California style food Sammy's Woodfired Pizza is a good local chain with an inventive menu. I normally abhor places that try to do too much, but Sammy's tends to get it right.

When it comes to drinking in the gaslamp in my experience the place is mostly full of horny businessmen excited to get away from their wives and women that fancy themselves cougars. However I've really enjoyed myself at The Tipsy Crow (why do I always bring up crows?) and The Field. The Tipsy Crow has three levels, a downstairs dance floor (which is usually dead, but has a bar with faster service!), an awesome pub with games and a young professional crowd on the main level, and an upstairs lounge. It's a very fun environment with a great beer selection. I love the Field, which is an irish pub, because I once had three firefighters and a swiss guy propose to me there it's intimate and casual with, of course: a good beer selection.

Of course what everyone really wants to know about San Diego is where the good Mexican food is. My favorite spot is Miguel's Cocina. I really enjoy their Point Loma location as it's got a beautiful view of the city and bay, not to mention lots of lobster specials, but it's a little further from the convention center. They recently opened up a location in Old Town with a beautiful patio area. They've got an amazing white salsa and be sure to ask for the free pickled vegetables if they don't bring them to the table. Their albondigas soup is great and if you're not up for seafood I highly recommend the flank steak which isn't on the menu, but is always a special.

I'm ashamed to admit it, but I've never had the best fish tacos in San Diego. Based on many, many recommendations from trusted friends I feel comfortable saying South Beach Bar and Grill in Ocean Beach (or O.B.) has the best fish tacos in the city.

But the best place to get San Diego specialties like carne asada fries and california burritos are any local taqueria, known as "berto's." Everyone has a favorite, but you know it's good if the name ends in "berto's." They're pretty much all hole in the wall places and you can find them in almost every shopping center. Try to not let the bars between the cash register and you intimidate you, because Humberto's really is the best. The thing that makes San Diego taco shops different than even the San Diego style taco shops in Sacramento is that they've always got red and green sauce rather than a salsa bar. Every place has their own recipe.

I could probably eat Mexican food every day, but if you want to branch out I recommend Tioli's Crazee Burger and Bleu Boheme. Tioli's has crazee burgers like antelope and gator (which is why it was featured on Diner's, Drive Inns, and Dives), but also tamer choices with great toppings Their fries are the bomb diggity and they've got a pretty sweet beer selection. Bleu Boheme is an upscale, but not outrageous, french bistro. It's in a great neighborhood and they've got delicious mimosas with lavender lemonade. For dessert you can't go wrong with Extraordinary Desserts which has locations in Little Italy and Banker's Hill. Forgo the Dulce De Leche which they are so famous for and get the chocolate croissant bread pudding or white chocolate macadamia cheesecake if they've got it that day.

Like the Gaslamp, PB (aka Pacific Beach) has a lot of bars, but I prefer to spend my time elsewhere.  My go to spots were always Live Wire, Bar Pink, The Tower Bar, Fiesta Cantina, and the college bar, Effins. The Whistle Stop comes highly recommended and I look forward to checking it out next time I visit. Live Wire is my personal favorite though as they have awesome bartenders (and one not so awesome one), pool tables, buck hunter, dogs, and a great jukebox. It's probably the place I miss most in San Diego.