Stay Classy San Diego

I didn’t expect to have the best dessert in my life in San Diego. Depending on who you ask, the city is best known for its tattoos (sailors), waves (surfers), killer whales (kids) or shiny new condos at 35 percent off (realtors). But its chops as a foodie’s destination have always lagged behind that of its northern neighbours, San Fran and L.A. In fact, it was at the temple of locavorism-Berkeley’s Chez Panisse-that San Diego, culinary hotspot, first occurred to me. There on the menu were several references to Chino Farms as a supplier of the ripest luscious produce imaginable. I assumed, this being Berkeley, that the farm was a few hundred metres away.

"Nah," replied my server. "It’s just outside San Diego."

Legoland is likewise just outside San Diego. I have two kids.

I booked some tickets.

The trip began on an ominous note. I had booked us into the classic Hotel Del Coronado (1500 Orange Ave., Coronado, 800-468-3533, hoteldel.com) and several people told me that I just had to try the famous Sunday brunch at the Crown Room. I’m not really a brunch person-I prefer to gorge myself for all three meals, so combining two makes no sense-but I made an exception and even lined up to take in the late-morning extravaganza. As we made our way to the front, something caught my eye-it looked like a sign advertising a travel deal or maybe a car lease. All I could make out was the price: $74.50. On closer inspection, you guessed it, that was the price, per person, for the brunch. I was trapped in line, which-hooray-was now moving faster. Luckily the Del also has an on-site candy store so I was able to bribe my kids out of the line with the sad pandering of sweets. We ended up having a fantastic brunch at the hotel’s fine dining room, 1500 Ocean; the meal was so large that my mind still reels at what sort of orgiastic gluttony must go on at the Crown Room.

The next stop was a welcome trip to some down-market authenticity. If there is a signature dish of San Diego, it would be the fish taco. Most local menus feature some variation on it, but like shawarma and pulled pork, it benefits greatly from basic, even dodgy, environs to reach its highest expression. Which is why I was heading toward the area’s massive naval base through a neighbourhood that featured lots of portable billboards advertising rock-bottom cigarette prices. This is the home of Point Loma Seafoods (2805 Emerson St., 619-223-1109, pointlomaseafoods.com), a working fish shop tucked beside the least romantic pier in all of Southern California. Seating was on concrete benches outside and everything was served on disposable paper plates, which was oddly reassuring. I went for the Fish Taco Plate, which, though not cheap at $11.13, came with a chunk of moist swordfish with beautifully placed grill marks, a flour tortilla and some fresh salsa verde, which paired beautifully with the Big Gulp-size Budweiser I ordered. Never mess with the beer and fish taco bond. Just when I thought my smile couldn’t get any bigger I found that my rental had not been stolen nor vandalized-the perfect end to the perfect evening.

My final stop was La Jolla, the swank community just north of downtown. This is San Diego at its most SoCal. The town is perched high on a bluff and has the feel of a fishing village, if fishing paid as much as bond trading. Even then my first stop, George’s at the Cove (1250 Prospect St., La Jolla, 858-454-4244, georgesatthecove.com), would still be a special occasion restaurant. It’s been around since 1984 and has kept a stranglehold on fine dining in this area pretty much since. I stopped by on a Tuesday night in the fall and, notwithstanding the famed view was dark, the bar and the restaurant were hopping. A meal here is like defending Omaha Beach in Gucci loafers and madras shorts-wave after wave of California cuisine comes until, when the end is near, you finally flee your post. But it was a light dish-carrots in Indian spiced yogurt, honey and persimmon-that made the biggest impression on me. That and the awesome wine list, which was packed with a swack of interesting picks under $60.

The following night it was the new, more casual, Whisknladle (1044 Wall St., La Jolla, 858-551-7575, whisknladle.com), which is a few blocks away and is now the home of The Dessert. It’s a big airy open concept in a smartly casual sort of way. Here it’s all Chino, all the time: confit of suckling pig with Chino Brussels sprouts, Conchiglie pasta with shrimp chorizo and Chino sweet potato, Chino Ranch salad bowl.

Looking back I don’t even know what compelled me to order the butterscotch buddino for dessert. (It’s essentially Italian pudding.) But there was something about the simplicity of the buddino that seemed sweet. And it was sweet, with a denseness normally associated with night school and a smooth texture like melted puppies. It was simply the greatest dessert ever, and way better than Legoland.