Ash&9th

Chef Travis Swikard comes back to his hometown wreathed in glory, having earned his wings helming restaurants for culinary icon Daniel Boulud in New York City. Hip locals can now reap the benefits of the years he spent honing his craft in fine dining kitchens at this sharply designed and boisterous spot.The cuisine takes advantage of the best ingredients SoCal has to offer in highly shareable dishes featuring the bold, sunny flavors of the Mediterranean. Vegetables and seafood steal the show, with spice as a key supporting character. Behold the kampachi crudo with an herb-y Israeli hot sauce a

It's strictly breakfast and brunch only at this Little Italy spot, which isn't however just for the bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. The playful décor may look feminine with its plush booths, pink-and-green marble floors and a champagne vending machine but look closer and you'll find a few skulls and dark touches. Inside, it's always jumping and there's a wait, so plan ahead.It's all about familiar-seeming favorites and of-the-moment meals—hello, avocado toast and shakshuka. Fluffy soufflé pancakes or chicken and waffles are worth waking up for, and fried rice with pork belly plus two eggs with r

Cucina Urbana, like the other siblings in the Urban Kitchen Group family, is an amiable place that promises a good time. It’s casual, festive and popular with the locals—the kind of spot where nearly every table is filled on a Tuesday afternoon.The California-Italian menu has seasonal offerings, such as a burrata and stone fruit salad, as well as a variety of brick oven pizzas with playful twists, like a pepperoni pizza with Calabrian chili and a honey drizzle. Fresh pastas, including the torchio alla norma with eggplant, chili flakes and ricotta salata with basil, are always a good bet. Wine

Set in a converted home in the heart of Barrio Logan, this warm and welcoming osteria is headed by Chef Mario Cassineri. The quaint former living room now hosts a deli counter (where your bill will be settled) but tables in the welcoming, tree-lined courtyard are most coveted. Despite their limited space, the kitchen team turns out an impressive menu, with more than a dozen handmade pastas (three of them gluten-free). As a freebie, you’ll get to sample the feather-light focaccia with a spicy, savory mascarpone-ricotta dip, but the decadently cheesy mushroom flan and delicate olive-flecked tuna

Channel your best Ernest Hemingway before entering this place, designed to the hilt and a feast for the eyes with its library-meets-hunting lodge look. From its mounted trophies to the taxidermy specimens on loan from the Natural History Museum, this may not be the wisest pick for your PETA-supporting pal, but it definitely appeals to the trendy set.The kitchen dishes out contemporary comfort food with glimmers of Asian influences. The menu is packed with hearty selections. Dig in to a dish of plump mussels in a thick red Thai coconut curry studded with pan-seared fennel slices, roasted garlic

No expense was spared making this wildly polished, upscale steakhouse that resembles a midcentury, art deco dream lined with black-and-white photos of old-school rap legends. There is a glassed-in meat cutting room in the back; and a lovely, open-air rooftop bar overlooking Little Italy. Waiters dressed in tuxedos and Converse shoes drift between tables, pushing nostalgic tableside carts where they whip up starters on the spot or pour Manhattans and martinis to order. Certainly, you’re here for the impeccably cooked steaks, but don’t miss the tartare, prepared tableside with quail egg, capers

Brother and sister team—Uthan Dejcomrunkul and Jumi Pitiwartarlai—have made it their mission to bring the authentic flavors of the Isaan region of Northeastern Thailand to San Diego, and this East Village outpost clearly succeeds. You'll be hard-pressed to make a wrong choice on the menu, whose small assortment of dishes are each made with unmistakable pride.Diners might start with spicy fermented pork sausage (nicely paired with a side of purple sticky rice and an ice-cold Singha); then move on to a spin on khao soi, or coconut curry noodles, given extra heft thanks to a crispy leg of duck co