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1976 San Diego guide to elegant restaurants

Anthony's, Westgate, Grant GRill, Mr. A's, La Costa

Poshness in restaurants depends on all-over elegance: in the preparation of the food and the attitude of the menu; in the presentation of the food and wine, that is, the service; and in the physical stance of the dining room itself. The quality of the cuisine should, in theory, be of the highest excellence. In truth, the service and decor often overshadow the cuisine. Anyway, for one reason or another, the following are among the poshest dining places in town.

  1. Anthony's Star of the Sea. Harbor Drive and Ash. Reservations necessary. Excellent view, service, food. With wine, entree, and dessert, approximately $18 per person.
  2. Brunch at Westgate Plaza. 1055 2nd Avenue. Omelettes prepared individually. Very fine selection of food, unhurried Old World atmosphere. Approximately $6 per person.
  3. Fontainebleau Room of Westgate Plaza. Food is very good but not spectacular. The room and service are formal, and most people dress accordingly. A la carte menu. Approximately $20 to $25 per person with wine.
  4. Le Pavilion. Overlooking Mission Valley in the Town and Country Hotel, Hotel Circle. French cuisine served tableside. New to our town and still to be proved. In the $20 per person price range.
  5. Lubach's. 210 N. Harbor Drive. Perseveres as one of the best restaurants in San Diego. $20 per person and up.
  6. Grant Grill. 326 Broadway in the U.S. Grant Hotel. First-rate steak, sea food, prime rib. Beautiful service. With wine and dessert. $20.
  7. Tambo de Oro Club. 530 B Street (California First Bank Building). Not as well publicized as some of the others, but worth a try for service and continental cuisine.
  8. Mr. As. 2550 5th. The tourist delight. Food secondary to surroundings and service. Expensive and often uneven.

The following also try hard, but don't quite make it.

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  1. Casina Valadier. 4445 La-mont Street. Pacific Beach. Beautiful appointments, china, service. Food not quite haute gourmet. With wine, approximately SI5 per person.
  2. Main Dining Room, La Costa Spa. Pretentious, but does not deliver the goods. Food is good, not outstanding. SI5 per person and up and up and up.
  3. The Restaurant, 4509 Adams, Carlsbad. Self-conscious, self-congratulatory, expensive, but not quite first-rate. Old beach house redecorated.
  4. Mon Ami. 731 South Highway 101, Solana Beach. Prix fixe. SI2.95. add four or five dollars each for wine. Well-intentioned. but limited menu (mostly beef), too many courses, insufficient variety, cheese and ordinary fruit for dessert.
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Poshness in restaurants depends on all-over elegance: in the preparation of the food and the attitude of the menu; in the presentation of the food and wine, that is, the service; and in the physical stance of the dining room itself. The quality of the cuisine should, in theory, be of the highest excellence. In truth, the service and decor often overshadow the cuisine. Anyway, for one reason or another, the following are among the poshest dining places in town.

  1. Anthony's Star of the Sea. Harbor Drive and Ash. Reservations necessary. Excellent view, service, food. With wine, entree, and dessert, approximately $18 per person.
  2. Brunch at Westgate Plaza. 1055 2nd Avenue. Omelettes prepared individually. Very fine selection of food, unhurried Old World atmosphere. Approximately $6 per person.
  3. Fontainebleau Room of Westgate Plaza. Food is very good but not spectacular. The room and service are formal, and most people dress accordingly. A la carte menu. Approximately $20 to $25 per person with wine.
  4. Le Pavilion. Overlooking Mission Valley in the Town and Country Hotel, Hotel Circle. French cuisine served tableside. New to our town and still to be proved. In the $20 per person price range.
  5. Lubach's. 210 N. Harbor Drive. Perseveres as one of the best restaurants in San Diego. $20 per person and up.
  6. Grant Grill. 326 Broadway in the U.S. Grant Hotel. First-rate steak, sea food, prime rib. Beautiful service. With wine and dessert. $20.
  7. Tambo de Oro Club. 530 B Street (California First Bank Building). Not as well publicized as some of the others, but worth a try for service and continental cuisine.
  8. Mr. As. 2550 5th. The tourist delight. Food secondary to surroundings and service. Expensive and often uneven.

The following also try hard, but don't quite make it.

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  1. Casina Valadier. 4445 La-mont Street. Pacific Beach. Beautiful appointments, china, service. Food not quite haute gourmet. With wine, approximately SI5 per person.
  2. Main Dining Room, La Costa Spa. Pretentious, but does not deliver the goods. Food is good, not outstanding. SI5 per person and up and up and up.
  3. The Restaurant, 4509 Adams, Carlsbad. Self-conscious, self-congratulatory, expensive, but not quite first-rate. Old beach house redecorated.
  4. Mon Ami. 731 South Highway 101, Solana Beach. Prix fixe. SI2.95. add four or five dollars each for wine. Well-intentioned. but limited menu (mostly beef), too many courses, insufficient variety, cheese and ordinary fruit for dessert.
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4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
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