San Diego’s dining scene has long been overshadowed by its neighbors to the north, Los Angeles and San Francisco. But this spectacularly situated coastal city just 13 miles north of Mexico has been enjoying a culinary renaissance in the past decade, making sufficient use of fresh seafood, artisanal ingredients, and Mexican and other ethnic influences to put itself on the gastronomic map.
Top 5 Places to Eat in San Diego during your Mexico cruise, offering a range of prices and cuisines:
Island Prime (880 Harbor Island Dr.) combines an exceptional location on Harbor Island in San Diego Bay with food that matches the scenery. This is the place to come for a special meal of prime steaks, prime rib, or prime seafood, with an emphasis on lobster. A number of tables sport panoramic views of the city skyline and Coronado Island, and the restaurant sits on stilts over the bay, helping to give it the retro feel that chef Deborah Scott seeks both inside and out. And speaking of out, Island Prime’s more casual and less expensive sister restaurant, C Level — which shares the bar with Island Prime but has a different and more eclectic menu, also designed by Scott — features an outdoor dining patio that makes you feel like you’re dining right over the sea (which you are).
Places to Eat in San Diego During Your Mexico Cruise
Fans of the Food Network show “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” may remember host Guy Fieri raving about the fish tacos and other fresh seafood at San Diego’s Blue Water Seafood Market & Grill (3667 India St., in the Mission Hills area). Nothing fancy here – just fish — but it’s as fresh as any in town. The fish tacos come with your choice of seafood – ranging from seared ahi and Hawaiian wahoo to soft shell crab and jumbo scallops — marinated in a spicy chipotle. Or order from the “On the Grill” menu, which features more than a dozen choices of grilled seafood with seven choices of marinades, served in sandwiches, in a salad, on a plate with salad and jasmine rice, or simply ala carte. You can also get oysters on the half shell, seafood cocktails and other appetizers, including sashimi.
The top-notch tortillas that the Blue Water Grill uses for their fish tacos come from nearby El Indio (3695 India St.), which may have the most authentic Mexican food in the city. Come here for burritos – try the excellent carne asada (steak), shredded chicken, or carnitas (pork) – along with tacos, enchiladas, tamales, tostadas, quesadillas, and guacamole or salsa with house-made chips, which are thick, crispy, and the best around. El Indio is a casual, family-run place that’s been in business since 1940, when it started as a tortilla factory (you can still watch the tortillas being made). It’s open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Places to Eat in San Diego During Your Mexico CruisePhoto Courtesy of El Indio
Run by a married couple, Cesco and Franca, who hail from the culinary capital of Parma, Italy, Parma Cucina Italiana (3850 5th Avenue) serves up moderately priced but luxuriously delicious pastas and other Northern Italian fare in a setting that evokes the old country. Service is friendly and prompt. Start by sharing some of Cesco’s antipasti featuring some prosciutto di Parma and burrata cheese, followed by a pasta dish such as tagliatelle al ragu, and, if you still have room, a Brasato con polenta (beef braised in red wine with polenta). For dessert, Franca’s profiteroles alla Nutella (mascarpone cream-filled puffs with Nutella sauce) will send you waddling happily back to your ship.
Places to Eat in San Diego During Your Mexico Cruise.Photo courtesy of Parma Cucina Italina.
San Diego’s once sleepy downtown, which used to roll up at night, is now a bustling area filled with lively, attractive restaurants. One of the best is Escape Fish Bar (738 5th Avenue) in the trendy Gaslamp District. The owners were inspired by the seafood of the Pacific Northwest, and there are also a number of Japanese and Mexican-influenced dishes. Try the Japanese-style seafood tacos, with your choice of grilled or tempura fish – and nine different choices of fish, including Alaskan cod, wild Alaskan salmon, and local caught halibut. Tapas include tempura pickles, spicy Mexican carrots and taro, yam and plantain chips. Tempura battered fish and chips is a perennial favorite, and there are a few menu items appealing to non-seafood eaters.
To book your cruise to Mexico and dine your way through San Diego’s burgeoning food scene, call our expert agents today at 1-888-804-CRUISE (2784), visit us at www.CruiseExperts.com or email us at info@cruiseexperts.com to find out the best cruise deals for Mexico.