Timeless Teachings

Written by Aaron Barnes

Quick Introduction:

For four years I have been fortunate enough to call San Diego my home. I was raised in northern California and had moved to San Diego from Flagstaff, Arizona after graduating from college. I have worked in varying styles of restaurants, serving different types of cuisine throughout my life, so I have always appreciated rich and authentic food. As a child and rebellious teen, I was lucky that both of my parents loved to cook as well. They would make a strong effort to always provide a nutritious, organic, and healthy meal almost every night. At home, I love to experiment in the kitchen and typically prefer a home-cooked meal rather than spending the resources needed to go out. With that brief introduction through, I would love to share some places where I feel provide the best value and best flavors for summer!

Food around the City:

Costa Brava

If you find yourself in Pacific Beach, and searching for something adventurous, hearty or light, exotic and western Mediterranean, I highly recommend Costa Brava for truly authentic Spanish Cuisine! Costa Brava is named after a stretch of coastline in between France and Barcelona. Most of the servers there are from various provinces of Spain, you can hear the Spanish accents ringing through the restaurant as they pitch their recommendations to guests in order to deliver a comprehensive meal where the flavors compliment one another. This is primarily a tapas restaurant with menu items ranging from roasted rabbit, delectable sardines, roasted and garlicky olives, freshwater snails (for the more adventurous guests), and much more. Costa Brava offers an expansive menu with vegetarian and seafood options, main courses, as well as a variety of desserts. This restaurant is also well known for their vast variety of Spanish and European wines which perfectly compliment their tapas.

My dinner consisted of their famous Pulpo a la Gallega, or Galician-style octopus, the Tapa de Conejo, or rabbit appetizer, the Papas a la Brava, or well-done potatoes, and the Sardinas en Aceite, or sardines in oil. Of course, I recommend ordering extra bread for the table in order to soak up the sauce left behind by these incredible dishes. I ordered a delicious, crisp, buttery and dry Chardonnay from Valencia to best compliment the seafood in my dinner, and the oiliness of the rabbit. I find dryer wines with mild acidity to best cut the fat and oil to cleanse the palette after each bite.

Also, Costa Brava hosts Spanish guitar nights where talented flamenco guitarists display their cultural heritage as passionate musicians. This adds to the ambience and authenticity of this San Diego gem.

Costa Brava offers indoor and outdoor, as well as bar seating within the restaurant. Weekends can get busy, so I would recommend making a reservation; however, I was able to get a seat without waiting longer than 10 minutes without a reservation on a Friday in the past.

Casa Gabriela

La Mesa is a quant and up and coming community in east county, San Diego. This is a historic town which absolutely escapes the hustle and bustle of the beach cities and San Diego proper. Also, it should be noted, that La Mesa sits comfortably near Mission Trails Regional Park, a beautiful area for hiking which I will speak more on in the following section. If you are craving Mexican food that is more upscale and varied than the countless taquerias and taco trucks scattered throughout the city, visit Casa Gabriela in downtown La Mesa.

Casa Gabriela‘s menu varies from well-known favorites like carne asada tacos, ceviche and enchiladas suizas to rarer offerings such as seafood or asada molcajetes, mole de pollo, and pescado Veracruz. To see more regarding their decadent offerings, I have provided a link to the menu here!

I personally recommend their guacamole con chicharrones as an appetizer. It is incredibly refreshing and served with fried pork skins. This is a low carb option and contains more protein and less simple carbs than tortilla chips. Also, the smokiness of the pork compliments the refreshing and mild flavor of the guacamole. Their enchilads mariscos are extremely satisfying and a healthy option to choose. They are filled with real crab meat, bay scallops and plump shrimp. Their salsas are hearty and homemade and compliment every dish perfectly. Finally, althought it is a seasonal offering, their Mexican hot chocolate is exquisite. It is spicy and rich, creamy and thick. It is the best hot chocolate I have ever tasted! But like I said, unfortunately it is only offered during the weeks around Christmas and New Year.

Casa Gabriela is a great choice for brunch or a dinner date. Their indoor seating is accommodating and comfortable since they provide large bay windows with views to the street for prime people watching with a breeze; however, I recommend you opt to sit in their spacious patio. Their patio is well decorated with both contemporary and traditional Mexican art and sculptures, Baja California native plants, and enclosed with living walls of ivy enclosing the dining area from the street. On hot days, it is breezy, on cold nights, they provide space heaters and have strategically placed fire pits that make you feel comfortable.

For pictures of the restaurant and select menu items, please check out their Instagram here!

Siamo Napoli

Siamo Napoli is located in the trendy and youthful neighborhood of North Park. The area is known for its assortment of restaurants, breweries, speak easies and trendy bars, and a couple of music venues. It attracts young professionals and people who want a good balance of liveliness and peace. In my opinion, many of the restaurants in the area reflect this concept.

Siamo Napoli is a family operated restaurant with a number of their servers, bartenders and staff coming straight from Naples and Sicily to work in the restaurant to provide an authentic experience and to build their restaurant into one of the most reputable Italian restaurants in the area. To me and many other locals, Little Italy in downtown San Diego is a tourist trap with over priced restaurants, and worst of all, their food is below average compared to the better local gems. This location is perfect for a date night or a quick bite before hitting the North Park nightlife.

Siamo Napoli hosts a pizza oven which is clad in patterned ceramic tiles in their dining area so that guests can observe the different pizzas being baked and crafted. The restaurant smells heavenly because of the layout which puts their pizza oven front and center. However, they also host a full kitchen and full bar within the restaurant.

The menu obviously has a selection of delicious Napoli-style pizza; however, I prefer the pastas and the antipasti. For example, their Cozze, or steamed mussels, are the best I have ever had. They are locally caught in Carslbad in north county, San Diego. They are plump and fresh, then prepared with a light tomato and olive oil sauce. Best served with extra lemon. Be sure to order a side of their freshly baked ciabatta or focaccia bread to soak up the sauce, or a side of plain linguini. This dish goes so well with a nice Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, or a bright Riesling of which there are many choice selections offered. Also, their Penne Arrabiata is my favorite pasta dish they offer. Slightly spicy with calabrian/napoli chili peppers, with a garlicky tomato sauce and pungent shallots. A glass of their Pinot Noir or Bordeaux wines pefectly cut through the lightly acidic tomato sauce.

They can get very crowded due to their popularity, so I advise making a reservation for more than a party of two, unless you do not mind sitting at the bar or high top bench-style table. For a glance at their menu follow this link!

Takeaway

All in all, there are many delicious options in San Diego. We are fortunate enough to have a very diverse population with many talented and visionary chefs and restaurant owners. These options above would make an excellent choice for an intimate date night, a bold new option, a dinner with family or friends, or a quick bite to eat for yourself. Since there are so many options to choose from, this will be just one article from a collection focused on naming the most unique and delicious restaurants in town!