Per Diem: How to live it up on the company dime in San Diego
By Erin Chambers, San Diego Editor
From traveling with no-limit credit card to pinching pennies and haggling with accounts payable, we've got your guide to living on an expense account in San Diego. You pick your daily per diem limit, and we handle the rest.
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Stout Public House
1125 6th Ave, San Diego, CA With drink specials, a friendly group of bartenders and old-school location in downtown San Diego's "Core" district (watch for bankers and politicos), Stout is the perfect place to have a few drinks with the local heavy hitters without breaking the bank.
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Coronado Ferry Landing
1201 1st St Ste K-6, Coronado, CA Boss says, "Wow these clients," but fails to give you an adequate budget? Try a scenic ferry ride across the harbor to Coronado. The fare is only a few bucks roundtrip, and once you get to the ferry landing in Coronado, coffee shops and inexpensive bistros line the mile of pathways with panoramic views of the city skyline.
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Basic Urban Kitchen and Bar
410 10th Ave, San Diego, CA For an inexpensive, but still so-San Diego dinner, try pizza and beer at Basic. Pizza comes with organic sauces (but still around $15 for a whole huge pie), and there are dozens of local microbrews on tap. Plus, the joint is built into an old warehouse just outside Petco Park, the city's swanky new baseball stadium that's open even in the offseason.
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Ortega's Mexican Bistro
141 University Ave, San Diego, CA Just north of the downtown city center, Hillcrest is home to a cluster of San Diego's foodie-favorite restaurants, including Ortega's rustic Mexican bistro. It's not cheap, but it's your best bet for fresh Baja lobster without the travel insurance and good tequila without the whistle.
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El Agave
2304 San Diego Ave Ste B, San Diego, CA If you're looking for a long lunch with a real taste of the city's history and culture, head to Old Town Historic Park, but avoid the kitschy, mariachi-and-margarita restaurants near the entrance. Instead, head way back up the hill on San Diego Ave to El Agave for the real deal: Authentic Mexican food and 2000 kinds of tequila for tasting, with an expert on staff to help make your selection.
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Neighborhood
777 G St, San Diego, CA Need to throw your interns or assistant a bone for helping out on the business trip? Or just need a low-key spot to grab a beer and get some emails done? Slip into Neighborhood in the hipster East Village neighborhood for gourmet burgers and local microbrews.
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Alexander's
3391 30th St, San Diego, CA Looking for an impressive, but not necessarily expensive spot for a client dinner? Try Alexander's (named for local restauranteur Alex Walters) up in the city's hot South Park 'hood. All-white interior glows with candles, and $125 will easily accommodate dinner for four with house wine.
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Red Pearl Kitchen
440 J St Ste 108, San Diego, CA The bar/lounge here buzzes with well-heeled downtown crows sipping $13 sake cocktails while waiting for a table in the dining room farther back. Make a reservation to guarantee a table, don't leave without trying the strawberry-cinnamon short ribs, mango fried rice or spicy cashew chicken.
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Nobu
207 Fifth Ave, San Diego, CA Robert DeNiro stopped in for the restaurant's opening, and no one has been able to get a reservation since. Try working your hotel concierge a day or so ahead of time to secure a good table, or settle for elbow-rubbing in the bar/lounge section up front where sake cocktails and the famous sashimi tacos don't come cheap.
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Mistral
4000 Coronado Bay Rd, Coronado, CA Religiously focused on local indredients, the chef specializes in a next-level, slow food style at one of Coronado's best-kept secrets. The price level keeps crowds away, but the views and the old-school service lure a steady, discerning clientele.
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ENO
1500 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA Exclusive wine bar in the Hotel Del Coronado, synomous with old-school elegance, specializes tastings and wine flights paired with cheese and gourmet chocolate. Between the sommelier (formerly of Bradley Ogden's Arterra), master pastry chef (Jack Fisher) and visiting cheese makers, the team in place at ENO is one of those rare trifecta food experiences not to be missed.
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Anthology
1337 India St, San Diego, CA For a different kind of dinner, book a plus, half-circle booth at Little Italy's prize jazz club and world-class restaurant. Bradley Ogden consulted on the menu and the dining room design, while the three-story stage's top-of-the-line acoustics attract world-class musicians for weekend shows. A dinner package runs upwards of $200 per person before wine pairings.
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Moonstone Lounge
207 Fifith Ave, San Diego, CA The guest-list only, bottle service, VIP vibe is as obnoxious as any Las Vegas hot spot. The rooftop decor blends firepits, cabanas and dressed-to-kill 20-somethings looking to be noticed. If you, your clients or your team are looking for exclusivity, head to the Hard Rock.
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30-Two
327 Fourth Ave, San Diego, CA Pony up the membership fee of $2500, and you've got access to owner Alex Thao's private, members-only club whenever you need it.
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George's at the Cove
1250 Prospect St, La Jolla, CA If money is no object for dinner, there are a dozen impressive options in La Jolla. But only one has the classy, old-school reputation as the first San Diego institution for fine dining. Watch for owner George Hauer who still works the room on occasion.
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Blanca
437 S Hwy 101, Solana Beach, CA Arguably the most cutting edge menu in the city, Blanca is the place to go if you're used to enjoying--and paying an arm and a leg prices for--great dining experiences in New York, La Vegas or Chicago. It's definitely worth the 25-minute drive north from downtown San Diego, but there's also a coaster shuttle that runs until 9pm from Santa Fe Station to Solana Beach.
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1500 Ocean
1500 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA The Del finally brings modern fine dining back to "The Island" with 1500 ocean. $200 pre-fix dinners are absolutely worth the expense, as you get not only the freshest local ingredients and access to the owners' personal wine cellar, but also those only-at-the-Del ocean views.
