Best ceviche in San Diego (and other tourist-like questions) (Chula Vista: eat, farmers market)

[cruitr]

Originally Posted by TacoSoup

JV’s in Bay Park on Morena Blvd

JV's has excellent customer service. We showed up @ 11:05pm (after they were closed) and they opened the front door for us. "Order anything you want" the manager said. Now that's 5-Star+ service.

Right next door is Plaza Donuts. Get a bear claw in the morning. It's the best donut in town.

[Ramblnways]

Originally Posted by cruitr

Right next door is Plaza Donuts. Get a bear claw in the morning. It's the best donut in town.

Oh man, I forgot to even plan out where to get donuts/desserts, thanks for the reminder!

[Ramblnways]

Originally Posted by TacoSoup

My wife and I always order ceviche as an appetizer when we go out and these are some of the best regardless of price.

I made this post with the assumption that I would be getting recommendations on taco shops that also sell ceviche and have been pleasantly surprised to learn that there are places that specifically market themselves as cevicherias. I will also be trying tacos at your recommended joints

[Ramblnways]

Originally Posted by RosieSD

Try Latin Chef in Pacific Beach. Latin Chef | San Diego, CA 92109 | Menu | Order Online

Pacific Beach would be a good place to stay. Very walkable and there are a lot of restaurants and nightlife there. Also take a look at Hillcrest, North Park, and Normal Heights/University Heights for options. Lestats is a local coffee house with several locations that I personally like. (Home - Lestat's)

The only three places in San Diego that I think are totally touristy and steer clear of are Seaport Village, Sea World and Old Town San Diego.

The Zoo is fun for a morning and I wouldn't let fear of tourists scare you away. Try to go on a weekday if possible as it's usually less crowded.

The Zoo is located in Balboa Park, which is a destination of its own. On a weekend, the Prado can be a lot of fun, and I like to have drinks at Panama 66 there which has some good craft beers. There is a ton of things to do and see in Balboa Park. It's sort of like San Diego's backyard. You can bring your dogs to walk around the Prado, although that will limit you in terms of going into buildings and such. https://www.balboapark.org/explore

Speaking of your dogs, here's a list of dog parks and dog beaches in the city of San Diego. https://www.sandiego.gov/park-and-recreation/parks/dogs We really like taking our dogs to Fiesta Island as it is spread out so they get good exercise. It's on the bay, not the ocean, and there is enough beach space that it never feels too crowded with dogs. Be cautious if you take your dogs to the dog park at Ocean Beach. We find the dogs can get rowdier there at times, so keep an eye on your dogs there.

There are additional dog beaches and off leash parks in many other parts of San Diego county as well, so don't limit yourself just to parks/beaches within the city limits.

Here is a list of breweries that allow dogs on their patios: https://www.sandiego.org/articles/br...breweries.aspx

The same site (https://www.sandiego.org) has tons of discount offers and good overviews of all of the neighborhoods in the City and much of the county. It is a great planning resource for anyone visiting the San Diego area. Heck, I live here and often use it myself.


The following may or may not be for you, and they are not in the city of San Diego, but if you want non-touristy things to do/see and have a spare day, these options would be worth considering.

1. If you'd like to take your dogs on a hike in areas that aren't over run with tourists, Los Penasquitos Canyon (https://www.sandiego.gov/park-and-re...lospenasquitos) and Mission Trails Regional Park (https://mtrp.org/) are both great options within a half hour drive of downtown. Both allow dogs on leash.

2. Do a winery tour in the Ramona Valley. Milagro Winery is our personal favorite, and they often have live music on the weekends. https://www.ramonavalleyvineyards.com/map/ Then head over to Rancho Cuyamaca State Park or Mount Laguna for a short hike to work off the wine. (Julian is on the way, but has become pretty touristy). You can make a full day loop out of it if you do this. Some of the trails allow dogs on leash and some of the winery tasting rooms allow dogs on their patios.

3. This time of year, the San Diego desert is starting to cool off. It's a bit of a drive (about two and a half hours from SD), but Salvation Mountain and East Jesus, out by the Salton Sea are interesting and quirky destinations for a day trip. East Jesus Salvation Mountain - Official Website - Niland, California (I wouldn't take dogs to either of these places)

4. Anza Borrego Desert State Park is a bit closer to the coast, and one of my favorite places in San Diego County when I want to get away from the hordes. Stop at the visitors center in Borrego Springs and ask for suggestions on hikes and drives through the park.
https://www.visitcalifornia.com/dest...ert-state-park Again, allow a full day for this trip. (As long as it is not too hot, dogs could do this road trip, but bring plenty of water for the dogs).



Enjoy your trip!

Thanks so much for all of the dog-specific recommendations! I will definitely check out the recommended neighborhoods. We do plan on going on plenty of hikes, so we will probably check out Anza Borrego. Fiesta Island also looks like a real treat for the dogs.

[Ramblnways]

Originally Posted by sprez33

(Until your post I'd been happily moving through live believing that there was just one type of ceviche. Now I have to deal with the added complexity of multiple types of ceviche. )

https://www.sandiego.org/articles/br...reet-beer.aspx
Farm-to-Table: Smoking Goat + One Door North, Waypoint Public, Jayne's Gastropub,

Sorry! It might be helpful to know that there is not too big a difference between the different regional types. Coastal Ecuadoreans tend to make it more like very citrusy soup and prefer shrimp over fish. Peruvians use less liquid and like to add popcorn or hard corn kernels, and some parts of Mexico eat it with very little liquid on top of a tostada.

[Curious.In.California]

Originally Posted by Ramblnways

Food and coffee question: My husband and I are in our late 20s, into hipster coffee shops, farm-to-table restaurants, burritos, and Korean food. We will have a rental car but would like to walk as much as possible. My husband is into craft beer as well.

Neighborhood question: we will be traveling with our two dogs and prefer to stay in an Airbnb because in general, we have found those to be way more pet-friendly than most hotels. What neighborhoods would you all recommend for walkability to coffee shops that are not Peet's or Starbucks? Or even a rec for a neighborhood that has one coffee shop that I could frequent for my daily fix of coffee and people watching? We are ambivalent to being close to the beach (we have a car, after all) and noise doesn't really bother us.

Originally Posted by Ramblnways

Oh man, I forgot to even plan out where to get donuts/desserts

Hi Rambln!

For coffee spots, I recommend Better Buzz Coffee. They have a few locations around SD, all good, but my favorite is the one in Encinitas -- good for people watching and checking out the other local shops and eateries in the area:
Encinitas: https://www.yelp.com/biz/better-buzz...er+buzz+coffee
Pacific Beach: https://www.yelp.com/biz/better-buzz...er+buzz+coffee
Point Loma: https://www.yelp.com/biz/better-buzz...er+buzz+coffee
Hillcrest: https://www.yelp.com/biz/better-buzz...er+buzz+coffee
Mission Beach: https://www.yelp.com/biz/better-buzz...er+buzz+coffee

For restaurants, I recommend these:
Farmer's Bottega (Mission Hills): https://www.yelp.com/biz/farmers-bot...rant-san-diego
Kettner Exchange (Little Italy): https://www.yelp.com/biz/kettner-exchange-san-diego
Whisknladle (La Jolla): https://www.yelp.com/biz/whisknladle...sq=Whisknladle
Cody's (La Jolla): https://www.yelp.com/biz/codys-la-jolla-la-jolla
Juniper & Ivy (Little Italy): https://www.yelp.com/biz/juniper-and-ivy-san-diego-2
The Patio on Goldfinch (Mission Hills):https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-patio-o...o+on+Goldfinch
Brooklyn Girl (Mission Hills):https://www.yelp.com/biz/brooklyn-gi...=Brooklyn+Girl
BO-beau Kitchen (Ocean Beach): https://www.yelp.com/biz/bo-beau-kit...ar-san-diego-2
OB Noodle House (Ocean Beach) This restaurant has been featured on the Food Network a few times: https://www.yelp.com/biz/ob-noodle-house-san-diego

I'm not sure about ceviche ... but my co-worker really likes this place:
Pisco Rotisserie & Cevicheria (Point Loma): https://www.yelp.com/biz/pisco-rotis...%26+Cevicheria

As for dessert ... a MUST try:
Extraordinary Desserts (Little Italy): https://www.yelp.com/biz/extraordina...ts-san-diego-2

Donuts:
Donut Bar (downtown): https://www.yelp.com/biz/donut-bar-san-diego
Devil's Dozen Donut Shop (Little Italy -- my personal fave): https://www.yelp.com/biz/devils-doze...shop-san-diego

[bloom]

Originally Posted by T. Damon

AARGHH!!! SHHHHH!!!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrQSMcU_IRQ

:

this fellow in the video seems happy, but needs to moderate his diet

[tstieber]

OP, wishing you a great trip to SD! We are Bay Area transplants and love it here!

There are great suggestions here already, so I'll just add a few things:

I'm big into third wave hipster coffee places too. Eater (SD.eater.com) just updated their list of essential coffee shops. I think there are more here than in the Bay Area, some featuring well known out of town roasters like Ritual, Sightglass, Stumptown, or Temple, but many roasting their own. Check out the list for sure. My favorites are Holsem, Dark Horse, Communal Coffee, Coffee & Tea Collective, and Caffe Calabria in North Park; Bird Rock Roasting, Lofty Coffee, Influx, and James in Little Italy (or Portland's Coava nearby); Copa Vida and Genteel in East Village; Better Buzz, The West Bean, Cafe Bassam, and Extraordinary Desserts in Banker's Hill/Hillcrest; Hawthorn in Normal Heights; and Influx on Golden Hill. Many of these are roasters and have a few additional locations too. My favorites for atmosphere/vibe are Better Buzz in Hillcrest, James in Little Italy, Holsem, and Copa Vida in East Village.

Also check out Eater for restaurant lists. Can't add much re ceviche, so hopefully the recommendations are good ones! I've also heard that that seafood truck in South Park is amazing. I don't know that SD is known for ceviche specifically, but it's around!

For touristy things, the zoo is expensive but seriously worth it. Balboa Park can't be missed. A harbor cruise is super fun. The coastline in La Jolla is spectacular and full of sea life. Carrillo Monument and the Pt Loma lighthouse is great, plus there are tidepools. A harbor cruise around the Bay is fun. A ferry to Coronado is great.

And RosieSD had great ideas about the wineries and hiking in our local back country. Tourists usually ignore our mountains, but they're beautiful.

Another positive for dog lovers: from November 1 through March 31, dogs are allowed on ALL beaches all day on leash and off leash after 4 pm.

Lastly, make sure to visit the Liberty Public Market with its food Hall, restaurants, brewery, boutiques, and quirky shops. Moniker General is really cool!

Have a great time!

[hitman619]

I'll Chime in
Mariscos el Mazateno in Tijuana has the best Ceviche ive ever tasted.
There is another place in Ensenada that makes it fresh in front of you, but i can't remember the name.

[CNYC]

Los Arcos or Lion Fish in Tijuana. Hands Down. I usually order a tostada which is ceviche on a tostada (crisp tortilla).

Years ago I would buy great ceviche from trucks in Venice Beach. I don't see those in SD.