COOL PLACES WITH YOU

Where we are when we're not here. There's plenty of other great places, too, we just can't frequent them all.

CLOSER THAN YOU THINK

If I get to eat a meal at one restaurant in California -- or maybe anywhere -- it's at Laja.

Also in our extended neighborhood, check out the beautiful Silvestre in the Guadalupe Valley wine region, and Manzanilla and Muelle Tres in Ensenada. Chef Benito Molina's accolades are deserved.

30TH STREET

Ritual Tavern is the project of Linkery alumni Mike Flores, and it features handmade food, local and craft ingredients, and first rate beer and wine.

Further up the street, Jayne's Gastropub makes ever-so-slightly posh dishes from great ingredients, and serves them in their stylish neighborhood dining room and patio.

30th Street is home to one of San Diego's premier craft beer venues, Hamilton's Tavern. When drinking at Hamilton's, one eats at Hamilton's Cafe. One is happy.

30th Street is also about to be home to the San Diego outpost of San Francisco's premiere craft beer bar, Toronado. Coming in May!

FARM-TO-TABLE I COULD BIKE TO

Starlite offers up delicious slow food and sleek style, all with a neighborhood friendliness and a serious approach to cocktails.

The folks at The Pearl are modern-chic but they do substance too: local produce, house cured meats, and great meals.

AND MORE TO EAT

Our mates at The Bondi have built an actual Aussie "hotel" (a kind of pub) in the Gaslamp, with (as is typical for city hotels in Oz) superb draft beer and thoughtful food.

Burger Lounge makes well-conceived and tasty "California"-style burgers from grass-fed Kansas beef, in Kensington and La Jolla.

I don't know much about izakaya, but I know what I like. I like Yumeya, which, as you'll notice, starts with "yum".

A little further afield, Stone World Bistro rocks their commitment to local, fresh, slow, handcrafted food and beer. In a beautiful environment, as well.

Even further afield, we send our friends to American Flatbread Company in Los Alamos, Range in Santa Margarita, Slow Club in San Francisco, Mendo Bistro in Fort Bragg, Lantern in Chapel Hill, Diner and Back Forty in NYC, and the incomparable Farm 255 in Athens, Gee Aay.

BOOZE

Everyone already knows about the Turf Supper Club, so we'll just mention that we particularly recommend listening to Kevcav Kevcav's replacements tickle the ivories the first and third Sunday of each month.

We are proud to be an allied member of the San Diego Brewers Guild. Their website includes event listings involving America's Finest Brew City (OK, I just made that up, but the craft beer in this town is excellent). Check them and go drink a local cask beer!

SURF

Seth Godin is our marketing inspiration, where marketing means "doing something so remarkable that people not only buy it, they also feel compelled to talk about it." Click his head!