An unresolved financial crisis looms over the city of San Diego (thanks to a mismanaged city pension fund) but that hasn't seemed to put a crimp in the plans of many restaurateurs and developers. New eateries, clubs and hotels are still opening on a seemingly weekly basis, sending San Diego's sophistication quotient to ever-higher levels.
One bit of city business has been taken care of, though: Smoking has been banned at all city beaches and parks. This includes Mission Bay Park and Balboa Park. With city coffers bare, it remains to be seen how merciful law enforcement will be with this new ordinance. Be forewarned -- fines start at $250.
Where to Stay
Style mavens take note: Pininfarina, the Italian design group that is the driving force behind Ferrari and Maserati, is making its first foray into hotel design right here in San Diego. Scheduled to open in the fall, the Keating Hotel, 432 F St. (tel. 877/753-2846; www.keatinghotel.com) is located in the heart of the downtown Gaslamp Quarter in a gorgeous RomanesqueÂ?style structure built in 1890. The Keating will be boutique in size (35 rooms) and feature sleek, modern interiors and luxury amenities (including in-room espresso machines). A signature restaurant and rooftop glass-bottom pool will be added in a second phase. This hotel could be something special.
Scheduled for a November opening is the Ivy Hotel, 845 Sixth Ave. (tel. 619/814-1000; www.theivyhotel.com). Built in 1914 and originally known as the Maryland Hotel, this $75 million project brings more high style to the Gaslamp Quarter. The Ivy will feature 159 rooms (with interior design by a firm best-known for its work creating Hollywood sets), a street-side restaurant, a four-level nightclub, and the de rigueur rooftop terrace and pool.
Those looking for budget accommodations in a great central location won't be left out in the cold with the Hotel Occidental, 410 Elm St. (tel. 800/205-9897; www.hoteloccidental-sandiego.com). Featuring attractive MissionÂ?style architecture, the hotel is situated near Balboa Park, downtown and Little Italy, and rates start as low as $69. All rooms are outfitted with a kitchenette, there's free wireless Internet access, and a continental breakfast is served daily.
Where to Dine
Livening up the sedate Bankers Hill neighborhood between downtown and Hillcrest is Modus, 2202 Fourth Ave. (tel. 619/236-8516; www.modusbarlounge.com), a hip and sexy "gastro-lounge." The kitchen is anchored by a third-generation San Diego restaurateur, Nathan Coulon -- desserts, in fact, come from his mom's restaurant in La Jolla. The contemporary European fare is a hit, as are the creative cocktails. Best of all, food is served until 1am.
Happening University Heights has added another worthwhile establishment to its dining and drinking scene: Lei Restaurant, 4622 Park Blvd. (tel. 619/813-2272; www.leilounge.com). There is a lovely patio in back with spacious cabanas (make a reservation for one) and fire pits. Enjoy a moonlit night and graze through a menu of global tapas and quaff drinks like the pomegranate martini or poached pear and ginger daiquiri.
Downtown visitors have a much-needed new option for breakfast with the opening of Richard Walker's Pancake House, 520 Front St. (tel. 619/231-7777; www.richardwalkers.com). This upscale breakfast spot has Midwestern roots and features gourmet griddle cakes -- like the baked apple pancake -- omelets, and crepes. Some lunch items are also served.
Star of the Sea, a San Diego fine-dining institution, has been scuttled. The Ghio family, which opened the restaurant in 1966, has decided to re-image the location as Ghio's Seafood and Steaks (1360 N. Harbor Drive; tel. 619/232-7408; www.gofishanthonys.com). Aiming for a more informal, less adventurous experience, Ghio's will open in the fall. And no matter what's on the menu, the location -- over the water at the Embarcadero -- is still one of the city's best.
In the North County, Paradise Grille, 2690 Via de la Valle (tel. 858/350-0808; www.paradisegrille.com), has opened in Del Mar's Flower Hill Mall. Close by the Del Mar Fairgrounds, Paradise Grille serves a seasonal California cuisine menu in a casually sophisticated, multilevel space. The restaurant's patio is nestled in one of the upscale shopping center's courtyards and features an outdoor bar, central fire pit, and live music Wednesday through Saturday.
What to See & Do
Two entities are up and running tours of haunted San Diego. Ghostly Tours in History (tel. 877/220-4844; www.ghostlytoursinhistory.com) offers three different itineraries, including visits to the fantastical mansion known as Villa Montezuma, the Gaslamp Quarter, and the Star of India, the world's oldest active sailing ship. The tours are not recommended for small children. Self-described ghost hunter Michael Brown and his Haunted Tours (tel. 619/972-3900; www.tghmb.com) specialize in family-friendly walking tours of Old Town. Brown does a late tour that will have you checking out paranormal sites at the stroke of midnight.
Legoland (tel. 760/918-5346; www.legoland.com) has unveiled its largest-ever expansion, Pirate Shores. New buccaneer-themed rides include Splash Battle and Treasure Falls; and if you aren't wet enough after a ride on those, the squirt cannons and water fountains at the Swabbies Deck play area should do the trick. At Soak-N-Sail, kids can clamber over an elaborate jungle gym resembling a shipwrecked pirate vessel as more than 60 interactive features spray and pump water -- but that's nothing compared to the 300 gallons of water that can spill on you at any moment from a giant bucket overhead.
After Dark
Downtown's East Village has a cool new place to grab a slice of pizza and play a game of pool (a free, full-size table with actual pockets, no less). This is no dingy pool hall, though -- Basic, 410 10th Ave. (tel. 619/531-8869; www.barbasic.com), has an industrially chic setting, with exposed brick and beams, chain mail curtains, and minimalist daybeds mounted on casters. Two huge roll-up doors give the place a gloriously open, airy feeling.
Dormant for more than a year, Middletown's Club Montage, 2028 Hancock St. (tel. 619/294-9590; www.clubmontage.com), is once again happily thumping away. The three-level dance club, one of San Diego's original urban-glam venues, usually operates Wednesday through Sunday. The rooftop patio features a sushi bar and bay views; and while San Diego is not known for its after-hours clubs, Club Montage often stays open until "you decide." Saturdays are "all about the boys."
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