Two of the best dining advisors are my friends Jessica and Sara Hanson. They are sisters. They like...no... they INSIST on good food. Sara has been around these parts before, sharing her wine recommendations. If you've listened to These Days (please, just lie and say you listen all the time) you've heard Jess on Weekend Preview, talking about what's happening over the weekend in San Diego. She also writes an extremely entertaining blog.

I asked the Hanson sisters where they've been eating lately. This sparked a discussion about recent dining adventures. Thankfully, there's a little bird that transcribes everything they say. He works for breadcrumbs. Here's the report he sent me:

Sara just moved into one of the only walkable neighborhoods in San Diego. After three days of unpacking, two trips to IKEA and endless picture hanging wall banging with what might as well be a toy hammer (note: do NOT buy tools at Rite Aid), the first order of biz was to set out on foot to check out the neighborhood dining options. Exhausted and haggard from the move, they stopped approximately 50 feet past the apartment with the first smell of food. Bonus: it was a charming pizzeria complete with checkered tablecloths and a waiter straight from the old country. Double bonus: another restaurant, similar name and same owner, stood just a few feet away.

Pizzeria Arrivederci and plain old Arrivederci have been in Hillcrest for several years, garnering rave reviews and loyal diners. Somehow, these two gems never made it onto their radar - probably because they've been busy sampling all the shiny new eateries popping up in San Diego, leaving them in a grilled, braised, saut?ed, marinated and emulsified stupor.

They were so smitten, they hit both Arrivederci spots in the same week, starting with the pizzeria...

Me and my Zagat San Diego and my newly painted office

The popular Zagat guides just published a San Diego version after a 7 year hiatus. The small company, which started in 1979, publishes about 40 guides a year and only cities like New York, San Francisco and LA get revised each year.

According to spokesperson Michael Mahle, Zagat decided to revisit San Diego because they heard the restaurant scene had changed in recent years. From the guide: "With an influx of celebrity chefs and cutting-edge cuisine concepts, once trend-resistant San Diego is well on its way to becoming a world-class dining city - and with that comes world-class prices." Trend-resistant? Maybe. Expensive? Definitely.

The guide covers 472 eateries in San Diego County, plus 460 Orange County and Palm Springs restaurants. The ratings are based on the experiences of 2,453 surveyors and the 411,000 meals they ate out in the past year.

Here's what Zagat discovered about the cost of eating out in San Diego: 68% of surveyors report they are paying more for their meals than they were two years ago. The average cost of a meal in San Diego is $35.78, which is above the national average ($33.15) and more expensive than Los Angeles ($33.29) and Chicago ($33.75). However, here's the good news: the average meal among the 20 most expensive San Diego restaurants is $62.33, which is below the national average ($71.62). So rich people who eat out a lot chose to live in an affordable city for their income bracket. Whew. I was really worried how they would fare in this whole thing.

By the way, while I had Michael on the phone, I asked him about the proper pronunciation of Zagat, having heard multiple versions over the years. He confirmed that it is ze-gat, which rhymes with "the cat." So there you go.

Now, are the prices worth it? Where is the good food in San Diego? As far as restaurant ratings go, Sushi Ota came out on top, earning the highest rating in food quality. WineSellar/Brasserie came in a very close second. George's Ocean Terrace was voted most popular - on a top five list that included Pamplemousse Grille, Prado at Balboa Park, Sammy's Pizza and Roppongi.

Voted top five newcomers to the scene are Market Restaurant/Bar, Phil's BBQ, Saigon on Fifth, Blanca, and Blue Coral. There's a list of notable newcomers in the guide, which includes The Guild, Lei Lounge, Tractor Room, Modus, and Basic Urban. Obviously, the guide was published before some of my new favorites in town, such as Starlite and The Pearl.

When rating the San Diego dining scene as a whole, surveyors were critical, giving the city's Culinary Creativity a 16 on the Zagat 30-point scale. They gave choice and diversity an 18. Apparently, these are among the lowest grades handed out anywhere in the country!

One other thing, we are apparently bad tippers on the left coast. Local diners give an 18.7% average tip, slightly below the national average. We aren't alone in our cheapness, as Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle rate similarly. East coasters in New Jersey and Philly put us to shame, tipping an average of 19.2% and 19.4%, respectively!

The Zagat San Diego is chock full of categories and ratings, including Best Buys, Outdoor Dining (we have to beat the nation on this one...), Romantic Places and Singles Scenes.

It also has a category for Late Night Dining, which I always thought didn't exist in San Diego. Looking at the list of establishments deemed "late night", the majority close at midnight, which is what I suspected and doesn't really mean "late night" to me. The few 2am spots included Basic Urban (East Village), Cass St. B&G (Pacific Beach), Fred's (Gaslamp) Hong Kong (Hillcrest and open until 2:30am), McP's Irish Pub (Coronado), and Old Town Mex (Old Town). A favorite among some friends of mine (you know who you are) is Rudford's Diner on El Cajon, which is open 24 hours. It didn't even make the list! I mean, I've been there, it's definitely a step above Denny's.

Oversights aside, you should get your Zagat San Diego... it's a great stocking stuffer!

Cheers

Turkey is the cornerstone to every Thanksgiving, but often it's the spread around the turkey that makes a memorable meal. And let's face it, whether you're serving family or friends, alcohol can make it especially memorable, as well as forgettable where it needs to be.

Everybody seems to know something about wine since we've become a food obsessed culture. We've moved from a 90's obsession with luxury items to the current obsession with gourmet items, but that's for another post.

I know very little about wine, but I appreciate a good glass, even if I can't detect a subtle mix of clove and blackberry. Wondering if others might be scratching their heads over wines for Thanksgiving, I contacted Sara Hanson, a close friend and wine buff. She's also the food and beverage manager at The Pearl, a hip new boutique hotel and restaurant in Point Loma. I asked her what her current favorite wines are for pairing with a turkey dinner. Sara sent me the following email to share with Culture Lust readers:

Here's what I would suggest...

For a good time call: Beaujolais Nouveau!

Beaujolais Nouveau is a very young wine grown from the Gamay grape in the Beaujolais region of Burgundy. This wine is released annually on the third Thursday of every November. Beaujolais Nouveau is fun and whimsical--full of acidity and bright fruit. It is perfectly and traditionally paired with Thanksgiving dinner. This wine is not meant to be aged or savored. As Kermit Lynch says, "Beaujolais should not be a civilized society lady; it is the one night stand of wines." Kermit Lynch actually puts out a good one that does not break the bank, by any means. For this sort of libertine consumption, however, I'd go straight for the commercial Georges Duboeuf--it's a rite of passage and it's practically free.

For a sparkling time call: Duval Leroy Champagne Rose de Saignee

I find rose champagnes are versatile enough to meet the wide range of Thanksgiving flavors, from savory to sweet. It's also the perfect starter (gets you through the laborious turkey carving, if you know what I mean). The Duval Leroy leans towards yeast and grains, but is equally matched with delicate fruit.

For a more sophisticated evening: 2006 Adelsheim Pinot Noir Willamette Valley

One of my favorite Oregon Pinot producers is Adelsheim. It might be hard to track down, but this classy, Burgundian-influenced Pinot is worth it. Refined texture, layers of plum and good acidity--it is sure to be a crowning compliment to the bird. Adelsheim consistently gets good ratings and national recognition. Affordable, yet impressive, this wine runs about $30.

Crossing the finish line: 2006 Inniskillin Vidal Icewine

A Canadian dream is what this is...the vidal grapes are naturally frozen on the vine and picked at the climax of Niagra's cold winter when the temperature drops below 10 C. Only a few drops of juice can be extracted from each grape, which is why it's a little pricey. But trust me -- "money-schmoney" will be the first words out of your mouth once you take a sip of this sweet nectar. Peach, apricot, honey and pineapple. Try it with your pumpkin pie and you wont be sorry....opposites attract!

The Food Network just announced the eight chefs who will compete on their new reality series The Next Iron Chef and San Diego gets a shout out!

Gavin Kaysen, Chef de Cuisine at El Bizcocho at Rancho Bernard Inn will compete to be an Iron Chef. If Kaysen wins, he's off to the famed Kitchen Stadium to compete in the popular series Iron Chef America.

The new reality series premieres on Sunday, October 7th at 9 pm ET/PT on the Food Network.

-- Angela Carone produces arts and culture programming for These Days and Culture Lust. Please read our guidelines before posting comments