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1433 Garnet Ave., Pacific Beach San Diego, CA 92109 (858) 270-4455
World Curry represents the finest in curries from all over the world. They have fine curry dishes from India (of course), Japan, and the Caribbean. From what I understand, Brits will be able to find a decent curry at this place — they have Keema and Vindaloo curries. You can also get a lovely Thai salad, and since you can substitute tofu in most of the dishes, they cater to the vegetarian palate as well.
My favorites are the Thai Panang curry, the good Thai chicken salad, and the curry puffs — a dollop of one of the curry dishes and some cream cheese, wrapped up in a delicious pastry dough and deep fried.
We usually go here for lunch or for takeout when we need it. The dishes are yummy, everything is fresh and well-made, and it’s a great value.
1830 Sunset Cliffs Boulevard, Ocean Beach San Diego, CA 92107 (619) 226-7619 Map
4705 Point Loma Avenue, Ocean Beach/Point Loma San Diego, CA 92107 (619) 224-9815 Map
3910 30th Street, North Park San Diego, CA 92104 (619) 574-1288 Map
Rancho’s Cocina (known simply as Rancho’s) is one of the better Mexican restaurants in San Diego. It’s very unassuming, but their food is excellent and inexpensive.
Traditional Mexican fare (tacos, burritos, etc.) can be found on the menu, sometimes with a twist, along with some more obscure dishes, as well as some of their own creation. Their grilled fish tacos are among the better found in San Diego, and their fried calamari appetizer is amazing — fresh and tender, not a trace of the chewiness one might find at a lesser establishment.
They also have a good deal of breakfast items on the menu, as well as smoothies (liquados) made from fresh fruit.
Over half of their menu consists of vegetarian items, some with just vegetables, others with tofu or other meat substitutes. Every ingredient they use is fresh; we once had to walk through the back area to get to a bathroom at the original location on Point Loma Ave. (which also contains their grocery store), and the owner proudly pointed out that the only thing that came from a can was tomato paste — everything else was in fresh bundles from their suppliers.
They’re usually busy, so every now and then it can take a little time for the food to arrive, but it’s always worth the wait. The only thing cheaper are the “*berto’s” restaurants one finds interspersed around San Diego, but it’s worth the extra buck or two for real, quality Mexican food.
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2302 El Cajon Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92104
(619) 297-4007 (297-for-james-bond)
(Note, not 100% sure if the website is official, but it does have most of the menu on it.)
Pomegranate is an absolutely amazing Russian/Georgian restaurant. A small, unassuming place on El Cajon Boulevard a block west of Texas Street, you will never walk out of there hungry or disappointed.
They do prefer if you make reservations, but you can walk in unannounced if necessary.
One of the owners, Marko, sits at a table in the corner, watching over the diners like a godfather, and he’s always up for a chat if you’re in the mood. The other owner, Jon, runs the kitchen and produces finer food than comes out of the more expensive restaurants in the gaslamp.
If it’s your first time there, try the 7-salad sampler of appetizers that’s not on the menu; that will give you a good taste of the food finery one can expect. For an entree, try the Georgian Eagle (half chicken stewed in spices), the Golubtsi (meat wrapped up in cabbage leaves and cooked), or any of the other delicious items. If you’re not feeling as adventurous, there’s always the beef stroganoff, which is also impeccably cooked.
For dessert, I like the Babushka’s Surprise — baked apple filled with nuts and fruits and served next to ice cream. If you’re looking for something to double your pulse rate and kick your inevitable food coma, try the Toad Sweat ice cream along with the Turkish Coffee — both excellent items.
My S.O. likes the samovar tea (but don’t ask for it to be iced!); I like the Georgian wheat beer and the medium-strength ginger ale (they have a strong spicy ginger ale that I haven’t dared try yet).
All of the staff want to make sure that your entree is to your liking; once when I ordered the falling-apart barbecue beef, the chef noticed that I was cutting away the fat (I’m that kind of person) and brought me a new cut of meat without the fat.
Pomegranate is one place where we’re never disappointed by what’s served, and we always feel like we get more than our money’s worth.
