ESRI UC Blog

Places to Eat Near the San Diego Convention Center

Great quiet place for inexpensive breakfast or lunch – Brickyard Coffee and Tea

675 West G Street at the corner of G and Kettner at Seaport Village Trolley station. 92101. 6am to 2pm (8pm Thur, Fri, Sat). Friendly and un-crowded neighborhood coffee house with huge shady outdoor patio. Bob (an artist whose work you can see on the walls) bakes their own fruit muffins fresh every morning. Breakfast burritos too. Sandwiches, salads, etc. at lunch. One block north of Hyatt Hotel, two blocks north of Marriott. Cross over Harbor Drive and the rail lines then turn left and follow the pedestrian path along the linear park next to the rail lines northwest. While you’re there, figure out how you'd represent the intersection of G and Kettner in your GIS: two streets, a rail line, two trolley lines, a trolley station, and a bike path all converge. On the other side of G Street is Pantoja Park, an urban oasis planned out in 1850.

Breakfast and lunch place in cool building – Café 222

222 Island Avenue at the corner of Island and 2nd Avenue. 92101. 7am to 1:45pm.

European style breakfast and lunch place designed by local architect Rob Wellington Quigley with famous orange pecan pancakes and indoor or outdoor seating. Can be busy so get there early for breakfast. Two blocks north of convention center. Quigley also designed the wonderful new Children's Museum with the three sloping solar panel roofs and heat exchange chimney you can see across the road from the convention center, and he lives and works downtown in Little Italy. http://www.cafe222.com

Breakfast and lunch place in historic 1878 building – The Mission

1250 J St at 13th Avenue. 92101. 7am to 3pm.

A few blocks northeast of Petco Park in the rapidly “densifying” East Village warehouse district. The Mission is a lively fun atmosphere with nicely presented food, baked goods, and coffees at excellent prices. Anything with their rosemary potatoes or rosemary bread is especially good. The Mission French cinnamon toast with berry puree is also killer. Seven or eight block from the convention center area but worth it. You'll feel like an urban pioneer, probably like Theodore Roosevelt did when he stayed in this building back when it was originally a hotel. They also have a really popular branch at Mission Beach and another in the super hip North Park neighborhood. http://www.themissionsoma.signonsandiego.com

Stock up on goodies – Ralphs Supermarket

101 G Street at the corner of First Avenue 92101. 24 hours

Everyone at the conference finds this eventually. We should set up monitors and give demos at the check out lines. Large deli counter, salad bar, ready-made sandwiches, etc. Four blocks north of convention center. Cross over Harbor Drive and walk north on any street to G Street, then look for the corner with 1st Avenue. Horton Plaza, the fun outdoor mall that helped set off downtown's revival, is across the road

Quick place to get inexpensive light meal or grab a take out – Beach City Market

Horton Plaza south west entrance near corner of G Street and 1st Avenue, just across the road from Ralphs supermarket. 6am (7am Sat/Sun) till 9pm.

Most people go to Ralphs but this is much faster with bigger to-go food selection. Located just inside Horton Plaza. Four blocks north of convention center. From Ralphs, cross over G Street, walk past Nordstrom on 1st Avenue, and turn right into Horton Plaza. Take out or eat on patio. Freshly made entrees, salads, sandwiches, sushi, coffee, pasta, etc. http://www.beachcitymarket.com

A friendly brew pub off the beaten track – Karl Strauss Brewery

1157 Columbia Street between C and B Street, next to the W Hotel. Bar closes 11pm (midnight Fri & Sat). Kitchen closes one hour earlier)

This is your best bet if you are staying north of Broadway in hotels like the Wyndham or the W, and you want a fun dinner place without having to walk very far. Usual brew pub food in a historic building with wooden beams. Afterwards, check out the cool W Hotel, especially the rooftop Beach bar with sand and fire pits, then go to Extraordinary Desserts (listed below). http://www.karlstrauss.com

Industrial style bar and pizza place – BASIC Urban Kitchen

410 10th Avenue (corner of J Street) just north of Petco Park. Closes at 2am every night.

Not the place for a peaceful meal but lively, noisy, and happening, especially when there is a ballgame going on. Another East Village warehouse conversion. This once strictly industrial area now has thousands of new residents. http://www.barbasic.com

Two great new places a few blocks from the Gaslamp but without the crowds and high prices. These occupy two corners of the same building – The Neighborhood

777 G Street on corner of 8th Avenue. Closes at midnight every night.

I think these are the best, freshest hamburgers in town. Friendly local atmosphere and staff

Zanzibar Cafe and Wine Bar

707 G Street on corner of 7th Avenue.

Great selection of well priced dishes in a less frenetic environment than is common in this area. http://www.zanzibarcafe.com/

Quieter alternative to the Gaslamp District for evenings – Little Italy

Centered long India Street between Ash and Hawthorn Street. (The east-west streets are named after trees and ordered alphabetically here in ascending order northwards so you can't get lost).

The Gaslamp District is great, but if you want to get away from all the bustle, try the restaurants and cafés in Little Italy. Twenty minutes walk northwest from convention center or take a cab, rickshaw, or trolley (to the County Center/Little Italy station). In addition to the Italian restaurants, try the Indigo Grill or the Princess British Pub. La Pensione Hotel at India and Date is a great, inexpensive alternative to the convention hotels but it fills up fast. Best café is Caffé Italia in the same building as La Pensione. http://www.littleitalysd.com/WalkingMap.asp

Possibly the most amazing bakery you have ever seen – Extraordinary Desserts

1430 Union Street, between Ash and Beech in Little Italy. Open daily till 11pm (midnight Fri/Sat).

Huge café and bakery in a restored industrial warehouse. This is where to go for a special treat or late night GIS design session with your team. Off the beaten track but worth it. From India Street in Little Italy (see above), walk three blocks east on Beech Street, then south on Union Street. Or just take cab or rickshaw. Just when you think you’re lost, you'll see a 25-footlong glass counter full of beautifully presented stuff. Coffees, teas, desserts, cheeses, and light meals. http://www.extraordinarydesserts.com/

Best seafood dinner with views of the bay – The Fish Market

750 North Harbor Dr, 92101. Opens 11am. Closes 9:30pm (Mon-Thur) 10pm (Fri/Sat/Sun)

Big busy fish place with separate oyster bar and sushi bar. Also has a quieter but more expensive 'Top Of the Market' restaurant upstairs. Short walk northwest along the waterfront from the convention center hotels or take a rickshaw. Just head for the aircraft carrier (the Midway), and it’s at the end of the huge parking lot to your left before you reach the ship. Check out the controversial sculpture "Unconditional Surrender" based on Alfred Eisenstadt's famous photograph right next to the restaurant. http://www.thefishmarket.com/locations.aspx?id=6

Nice place to go for quiet evening meal with views of the city – Coronado Island ferry landing

From the convention center, look across the bay. You are looking at Coronado Island (a peninsula actually) and its passenger ferry landing. This makes a really fun evening excursion. To get there by boat, the public ferry runs every hour from Broadway Pier, which is a 15 minute walk north along the waterfront from the convention center. More convenient is the Marriott water taxi, which leaves from the Marriott's Marina twice an hour. Just go to the dock and pay the pilot (you don't have to be a hotel guest). There is also a Water Taxi service you can call: (619) 235-8294 (TAXI). The Water Taxi also serves the hotels on Harbor Island near the airport, Seaport Village, and the famous Hotel Del Coronado, which is on the ocean side of Coronado (the opposite side to the ferry landing). Water taxi info is at: http://www.sdro.com/sdhe/taxi.htm. At the ferry landing, the best restaurant is Il Fornaio, part of an upscale chain with a huge open kitchen. For the ace food, great view of downtown's towers, and moderate prices, I think this is best deal in the city. Eat in the enormous dining room or on one of the two patios. Either way, it's like having dinner in a Roman villa. http://www.ilfornaio.com/?page=138&restaurant_id=3146

Note: These recommendations and opinions are by Rupert Essinger and don't reflect any official endorsement by ESRI. Please double-check opening hours and seating availability if taking big groups.