San Diego Recommendations?

 Craig H. wrote:
 > Lots of choices... In La Jolla, Georges at the Cove is great for
 > lunch... for an expensive and wonderful dinner try the Sky Room at
 > La Velincia Hotel or Top of the Cove. ...

 George's also has a dining room where you can drop some bucks -- I
 have not dined at La Valencia or Top of The Cove so I can't make any
 direct comparisons.  Just for the record, there are three parts to
 George's, a roof-top terrace (where the poster probably had lunch), a
 bar area in the middle floor, and a downstairs full-up dining room.
 Each area has a separate menu, as you might guess.  The roof-top
 terrace has a killer view.  [Also for the record, I should mention
 that the executive chef and part owner of George's is a friend and
 that my SO does occasional graphics design and computer work for GAC,
 so I may have a bias.  I, however, do not have a piece of the action,
 though I oft times wish I did, since the terrace, alone, is a license
 to print money.:-)]

 >                                    ... Alfonso's is a good Mexican
 > choice, also in La Jolla. ...

 Alfonso's has never done it for me -- long waits and uninteresting
 food.  IMHO, strictly for the turistas (but, then, most of Prospect is
 like that).  Of course, my preference is for hole-in-the-wall places
 when it comes to Mexican food -- I mourn the loss of the Market Cafe
 in Solana Beach.

 >                        ... If you head a little north to Del Mar,
 > try Epezoti, a southwestern place with a wonderful view. ...

 If you're heading as far north as Del Mar, go *EAST* on Via de la
 Valle and head for Cilantro's instead of Epazote.  Much better food
 and service, though the view, I admit, is not as striking -- you do
 get a view of the polo fields, however.  Oddly enough, Epazote and
 Cilantro's are owned by the same people but you'd never know it.
 Epazote is more upscale Mexican the Southwestern.  Cilantro's is,
 however, most definitely Southwestern.  I've not had a bad meal or
 experience at Cilantro's and I've been there dozens of times.  Can't
 say that for Epazote -- service is uneven at best.

 If you're looking for killer view as well as killer menu, I'd suggest
 Pacifica Del Mar, which is in the same complex as Epazote -- right
 next door, in fact.  The mixed seafood grille is one of my personal
 favorites -- I've got all but one of the sauces figured out. :-)

 There are two other restaurants in that complex -- Il Forniao, part of
 a chain of Italian restaurants, which I used to like but have since
 reformed my ways (the service can be quite snippy), and Chez Henri, a
 small French restaurant.  I've only had lunch at Chez Henri and while
 it was enjoyable and well prepared and presented (very well prepared
 and presented, in fact), my companion and I felt a bit out of place
 not being able to speak fluent Parisian French (a table of
 Francophones next to us seemed to get the lion's share of the service
 -- perhaps they were friends of the chef/owner).

 >                                                       ... The bar
 > atop the Hyatt downtown has a wonderful view and is good for drinks
 > or a coffee. ...

 Never been there, so I can't really comment.  I don't do much
 downtown.

 Speaking of the Hyatt, directly across from the Hyatt in La Jolla (as
 opposed to downtown) is Cafe Japengo, one of the San Diego's top three
 restaurants, IMHO.  A friend describes it as "nouvelle Pacific Rim"
 and "Blade Runner without the rain."  Definitely on the trendy side
 but the menu is generally pretty interesting and the sushi chef swings
 a mean knife. :-)

 >           ... Have a great time in America's Finest City.

 Just don't cross the America's Trigger Happiest Cops. :-/

                                           spl