Delightful & Altruistic Dining

The modern San Diego restaurant scene is known for innovation and spinning comfort food into delicious delicacies; we are a town that knows how to eat.  Starting on Sunday, September 20th, over 180 restaurants will be participating in San Diego Restaurant Week (SDRW) for the next eight days.  Many exclusive and five-star restaurants will be offering a prix fixe lunch or dinner menu selected from fans’ and chefs’ favorites.

First thing’s first, with so many dining options, where to begin?  There is a detailed Search System where you can choose a restaurant by genre, location, price or by name.  With so many fabulous participants, we’ve decided to help narrow down your search time by suggesting some of our best-loved places, all conveniently located near Mission Bay, of course.  Great joints that we’ve already mentioned, like Cannonball and The Patio on Lamont Street, are included in the SDRW list, but here are four more choices that guarantee enticing food and will maybe become your new favorite eatery.

Bo-beau kitchen + bar is a cozy, romantic Ocean Beach eatery that is known for its perfect mix of French and Mediterranean menu.  This hoppin' bistro allows you to eat al fresco or in one of the intimate dining rooms inside.  You cannot go wrong with any of the options on their three-course Restaurant Week menu ($30).  

One of the best deals of SDRW can be found at the tasty Greek joint, Cafe Athena.  A $20 three-course meal offers delectable choices like homemade ‘hummos,’ lightly baked Tilapia and light and flakey baklava.  It’s easy to see why this unassuming Pacific Beach cafe is a beloved spot for locals.

 The popular Pacific Beach Backyard Kitchen & Tap will require multiple visits during Restaurant Week, as they are one of the few places offering a two-course lunch ($15) and a three-course dinner ($30).  And, while all the food is amazing, and there are no wrong decisions, one of the dessert choices during dinner is the not-to-be-missed S’More’s Pie.  

Another restaurant that is offering both lunch and dinner prix fixe options is the charming Mission Beach bakery, The French Gourmet.  For $15 you can select a two-course lunch with choices like house pate, steak pommes frites, or creme brulee.  The three-course dinner (at a bargain price of $20, we might add) lets you chose from classic French fare like escargot, Cabernet braised short ribs, and Ratatouille.  

 By frequenting these restaurants, you will not only be getting great prices on delicious food, but you will also have the opportunity to help in a great cause.  Sysco will donate $1 to the San Diego Food Bank for every photo you post on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.  The San Diego Food Bank’s Food 4 Kids Backpack Program provides weekend food packages to  elementary school students from low-income households who are at risk of hunger.  First, chose your restaurant from the SDRW list, order from the Restaurant Week prix fixe menu, take a photo of you in the restaurant or of your meal (you can be creative as you like), tag the restaurant and then use the hashtag #Food4Kids.  

Restaurant Week allows you to sample some of San Diego’s finest eateries for a fraction of the price.  Check out the SDRW Website for more info; they also have a page where award-winning chefs share some of their most Requested Recipes.  Let Mission Bay Vacation Rentals be your starting off point for an appetizing foodie vacation, you will not be disappointed.