In preparation for an upcoming trip I have excerpted about half of my restaurant research to post. It has the kind of links I wish my friends could give me when I ask questions about a strange/new travel destination.

I'm sensitive to criticism, so if it's too long or you can't use it, just skip and read something else...

San Diego Restaurant Research

Frommer’s List of 52 Recommended Restaurants
http://www.frommers.com/destinations...28_inddin.html

Fodor’s List of San Diego Restaurants
http://www.fodors.com/world/north%20...nam_20002.html
Hundreds of Restaurant listings; categorized alphabetically, by cuisine, by location,m and by cost (nice touch…) but wish that they had included web links for easy transport to see individual restaurant’s websites/menus, prices, etc.

*Where to Eat in San Diego - LINKS
http://gocalifornia.about.com/od/cas...and_Dining.htm

San Diego Tribune Visitor’s Guide
http://entertainment.signonsandiego.com/visitors-guide/
Really FABULOUSLY designed website. Easy to navigate!

Categories: Where to Stay, Where to Eat, What to see, Where to Go, Where to Play, Best of San Diego

http://gaslamp.org
http://www.gaslamp.org/articles/arti...mp_insider.htm
Really good listings of who has specials!

GO TO www.SanDiego.org for COUPONS and Discounts

San Diego Reader Coupons
This Website is a GOLDMINE For LOCALS and VISITORS!!!

*To see/print all coupons more easily:

http://www.sdreader.com/php/coupons.php?prefix=rest
BONUS- At the TOP of the Page You Can Click to Search By AREA (Downtown, Beaches, Etc.) And Remember to KEEP clicking on “NEXT 10 Coupons” GOOD DEALS like

Buy 1 Breakfast/Get 1 Breakfast @ the Dublin Restaurant at 555 4th Avenue Downtown;
Buy 1 Entrée Get 1 Entrée Free at Ole Madrid 751 Fifth Avenue, Downtown, 619-557-0146 – Added BONUS! - Flamenco on Friday and Saturday Nights!; Ole Madrid wins mention Reader’s Picks San Diego Magazine Best Spanish – Tapas
Buy 1 Entrée / Get 1 Entrée Free @ the Boathouse on Harbor Island Drive;
$1 off entrée @ Richard Walker’s Pancake House in Downtown;
Buy 1 Wine Tasting and Get 1 Wine Tasting Free @ Wine Encounters ;
50% off one glass of wine @ Wine Steals after 8:00 P.M. – both in Hillcrest;
20% Off at House of Blues - 1055 5th Ave., downtown, 619-299-BLUE
Free Comedy Store tickets when you eat at Café Milano on Weds or Thurs. – La Jolla)

Archives of Naomi Wise San Diego Reader Restaurant Reviews
http://www.sdreader.com/published/ar...e_archive.html

Archives of Tin Fork’s San Diego Reader Restaurant Reviews
http://www.sdreader.com/published/ar...k_archive.html
Mentions Cake Chateau and Laurel for Happy Hour!

Best of San Diego magazine
http://www.sandiegomagazine.com/medi...azine/Best-Of/
San Diego Magazine CRITICS Picks Best Restaurants
http://www.sandiegomagazine.com/medi...Critics-Picks/
San Diego Magazine READER’S Picks Best Restaurants
http://www.sandiegomagazine.com/medi...rs-Poll-Picks/

Restaurants - Best of City Search SAN DIEGO
http://sandiego.citysearch.com/bestof/categories

http://sandiego.citysearch.com/brows...dups/list.html

Best of City Search SAN DIEGO
http://sandiego.citysearch.com/bestof/categories

Best DOWNTOWN San Diego
http://sandiego.citysearch.com/besto...own_restaurant

BEST BREAKFAST
http://sandiego.citysearch.com/bestof/winners/breakfast

*Happy Hours!!! (Call first to confirm information is correct)
Most were in Hillcrest or Pacific Beach, but a few in Gaslamp, La Jolla, Carlsbad, etc…

Check Happy Hours at (Caveat! Below is MY Extracted List from various sources. Use the links above or find your own choices!)

http://sandiego.about.com/cs/dining/...ownmexican.htm
Old Town Mexican Café -2489 San Diego Ave - (619) 297-4330
One of the best bargains in San Diego. After dinner, stroll through Old Town. Get the crispy carnitas; Split one Plate for average appetites!
HAPPY HOUR 3:00-7:00 and 10:00 until Closing = ½ Price appetizers; Well Drinks and Regular Margaritas = $3.00! San Diego Magazine Award Winner! (Maybe arrive early for discounted Happy Hour, then stay for dinner…)

Casa Guadalajara Restaurant
http://bazaardelmundo.com/guad2006.shtml
Happy Hour Monday-Friday Drink Specials;Free appetizers

Sevilla - 555 Fourth Ave - (619) 233-5979
5:00-6:00 ½ price wines (Tues Only?) – 5:00-6:30 Half off drinks/tapas – 5 days
Sunday to Thursday 9:30pm to 11pm and 11pm to 1am Friday and Saturday.
9:00-2:00 $2 shots, mojitos (Mon Only?) (Wins Reader’s Picks San Diego Magazine Best Spanish – Tapas?)
Could go for Happy Hour on Friday night 12/28 and then stay for “Art of Flamenco” at 7:30

Wine Steals Wine Bar in Hillcrest – 1243 University Avenue - (619) 295-1188
4:00-6:30 ½ price wine at the bar (Tues/Thurs Only?)
4:00-6:30 Sampling Saturday – Up to 30 (?) wines with antipasti $10!
Second Wine Steals Location at 2970 Truxtun Rd @ Point Loma - Phone: (619) 221-1959 - It's right in the same parking lot as the newly-updated Sail Ho golf course.
4:00-6:00, variety of reds and whites at $3.00 a glass (also recommended by Paul from Conference)

Ichiban in Hillcrest - 1449 University Ave - (619) 299-7203
3:00-7:00 / M-F Only? – Selected Half price sushi rolls

The Local http://thelocalsandiego.com/ (Think Global, Drink Local!)
Taco Tuesdays = $3 Coronas., $1.50 Beef/Chicken Tacos, $2 Fish Tacos, $3 Shrimp/Lobster Tacos
$3 Thursdays = $3 beers and $3 Lobster Tacos til 10 p.m.!?
Also: Mad Motion Mondays, Aloha Fridays
1065 Fourth Avenue, (between C St. and Broadway), Downtown, 619-231-4447

The Brigantine at Coronado
brigantine.com
(Fish Tacos at Happy Hour as recommended by TahitiTams blogger on Fodors)

Laurel Restaurant
505 Laurel Street - 619-239-2222 (Between Hillcrest and Downtown, near Balboa Park)
http://www.laurelrestaurant.com

Laurel’s 7 items Plus 7 drinks before 7:00 for $7.00
Lamby Joe Sliders, Today’s Soup With Crostini, Mediterranean Museels, Shrimp Falafel, Seafood Salad, Short Rib Spring Roll, Braised Duck and Stonefruit Flatbread; Cosmos, Mangotini, Dragon Blood Sangria, Chardonnay, Veltliner, Malbec, Pinor Noir.)

CitySearch $5.00 Finds
http://sandiego.citysearch.com/roundup/42313

BARGAIN BITES: SignOnSanDiego Bargain Bites
http://www.signonsandiego.com/featur...ain_bites.html

SignOnSanDiego BEST of 2007 Happy Hours
http://bestof.signonsandiego.com/200...st-happy-hour/

I’m not sure I’m getting how these places were chosen by the readership (?) They seem to be restaurant listings, rather than what I would think of as Happy Hour descriptions…

Laurel Pre Theatre dinner 5:00-6:30 3 courses for $35.00 3 courses with wine $55.00
One soup or seasonal greens, one ravioli-chicken-or duck, one pot de creme

Laurel has Prix Fixe for $55/$65/$75 per person http://www.laurelrestaurant.com/Prix...enu-Laurel.pdf
(Also features:

Chive – 558 4th Ave Downtown 619 - 232-4483;
Chive has Prix Fixe for $55/$65/$75 per person
Frommer’s also recommends Chive
http://www.frommers.com/destinations...go/D51599.html
Live Jazz on Saturday nights

Kensington Grill - 4055 Adams / 619 - 281-4014 Northeast of Balboa Park
Kensington Grill has Prix Fixe for $36/$40/$46 person
Believe it or not, the $36 version seemed the most appetizing and best value of all the set menus listed…(Grilled Peach Salad with watercress, Goat Cheese, almonds; Pannee’d Sea Bass; Chocolate Pot De Crème)

Two blocks from Kensington Grill is Kensington Vine
http://www.signonsandiego.com/entert...ut_at_the.html
Kensington Vine
4191 Adams Avenue in Kensington (619) 282-8463.
They have Happy Hour M-F 3:00-6:00 p.m.
Many wines $5 a glass; cheese plate with bread, olives, grapes $5
Could go here for Happy Hour and then proceed to Kensington Grill

BEST SEAFOOD
http://sandiego.citysearch.com/bestof/winners/seafood

BEST WATERFRONT
http://sandiego.citysearch.com/besto...erfront_dining

BEST MARGARITAS
http://sandiego.citysearch.com/bestof/winners/margarita

BEST MEXICAN
http://sandiego.citysearch.com/besto...s/mexican_food

BEST SPANISH
http://sandiego.citysearch.com/besto...s/spanish_food

BEST MEDITERRANEAN
http://sandiego.citysearch.com/besto...terranean_food

BEST FRENCH
http://sandiego.citysearch.com/besto...rs/french_food

BEST ROMANTIC DINING
http://sandiego.citysearch.com/besto...omantic_dining

BEST THAI
http://sandiego.citysearch.com/bestof/winners/thai_food

BEST VIETNAMESE
http://sandiego.citysearch.com/besto...ietnamese_food

BEST BURGERS
http://sandiego.citysearch.com/bestof/winners/hamburger

BEST BAKERY
http://sandiego.citysearch.com/bestof/winners/bakery

BEST DESSERTS
http://sandiego.citysearch.com/bestof/winners/dessert

DESSERT WINNERS IN LA JOLLA
http://sandiego.citysearch.com/bestof/winners/dessert

SignOnSanDiego Visitor’s Guide
http://entertainment.signonsandiego.com/visitors-guide/

2007 New SignOnSanDiego Restaurant Dining Guide Overview
http://www.signonsandiego.com/featur...ng-guide-2007/

2007 New SignOnSanDiego New Restaurants
http://www.signonsandiego.com/featur...staurants.html

2007 New SignOnSanDiego Gaslamp Restaurants
http://www.signonsandiego.com/featur...mpquarter.html

SignOnSanDiego General Restaurant Overview
http://entertainment.signonsandiego....s/restaurants/

SignOnSanDiego TOP TEN Essentials:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/feature/essential-eats/

SignOnSanDiego Bars & Nightlife
http://entertainment.signonsandiego....ons/nightlife/

2007SignOnSanDiego Best Cocktails
http://bestof.signonsandiego.com/200...est-cocktails/

Best of 2007 seems harder to navigate – doesn’t have links for restaurants’ websites.
Information is more balkanized and requires clicking on more links, but could be useful, especially as a cross reference.

bookmarking for nephew.

WOW!!!!
That is super impressive!
Thanks for the props on the fish tacos at the Brigantine..one of the best seafood happy hours.

Thank you again jlsct!

jeez! I though I did a lot of research before a trip..
Deb

DebitNm - This is about half of what I did for SD restaurants and I have a somewhat similar file for our LA portion of the trip. I can't stand the thought of a bad meal on vacation. The last place I want to end up is at McDonald's...If you'd like the complete files, I'll be happy to e-mail them to you...

(I did the same amount of work to find our Hotel -the Omni in LA at $104 a night, although the Manchester Grand in SD @ $110 a night pretty much fell into my lap...)

Right now, I am figuring out how many museums, etc., we can squish into our LA portion of the trip; next SD!

Would like to add a great little breakfast place in Pacific Beach is called KONOS. It is right next to the Cyrstal Pier.
It is family owned and a great atmosphere and great food! The lines are long so get their early or go mid-week.

Bookmarking for trip to SD in January--thank you, jlsct!

My gosh, this is wonderful. I am headed to San Diego in January, too. I am staying at the Sophia (great rate, $99 for double queen room).
Any discoveries about good shopping? I have recently lost some weight (thank you, Fodors girls for the encouragement and support) and want to buy a new dress or two. I have not been too engaged by the stores at the Horton Plaza. Should I just go straight to LaJolla?

Hi cmcfong,

I will be there Jan 20-26 (DH has a meeting) if you happen to be there at the same time and would like to get together. We're staying at the Westin.

Hi Ann Marie,
I am meeting a bunch of friends from high school for a four day party over MLK weekend. We are spending the 20th in Mexico and leaving am on the 21st, so I think I will miss this chance to meet you. Lo siento. Perhaps our paths will cross again soon. I have a feeling we would have a good time!

Oh, my gosh, cmcfong, how fun! Enjoy!

I think we will have a blast. We certainly are great friends. Travel safely.

bkmarking

jlsct:
thank you for sharing. Can't wait to see your trip report

jlsct, Thank you!!! Did you go on your trip yet? I am going in April, going to attempt Priceline and then use you post for just about everything.