Romantic Restaurants, Getaway Places in North Pacific Beach

"In the heart of downtown San Diego, Balboa Park is 1,400 gorgeous acres of green space. (By comparison, New York City’s Central Park is 842 acres.) In 1915, Balboa Park was the setting for the Panama-California Exposition celebrating the opening of the Panama Canal and securing San Diego’s place as a port, which is why several of the city’s oldest and most ornate buildings can be found here. Many of those historic buildings now house robust museums such as the San Diego Museum of Man, San Diego Museum of Art and family-friendly San Diego Natural History Museum (theNAT)."

"Packed with trails, gardens, museums, zoos, theaters, concert stages and recreational facilities, it’s one of the biggest tourist attractions in the entire state of California. Nature lovers can stroll through dozens of landscapes that include everything from lily ponds to zen gardens. History buffs can take tours through museums, memorials, art houses, science centers and cultural institutes."

"This 1,400-acre site encompasses historical buildings, numerous museums, gardens, and green space. The park was created for the Panama California Exhibition of 1915-1916, and most of the buildings remain from that event. The predominant architecture is Spanish-style, with low-rise buildings that blend in with the natural surroundings."

"The Gaslamp District is giddy about the patio reopening at their neighborhood Italian staple, Operacaffe!. Slated to welcome back guests starting on Wednesday, February 3rd, the restaurant will keep their menu full of crave-worthy creations like their Gnocchi Gorgonzola e Mirtilli with sweet gorgonzola cheese and blueberries, and Penne Speperina with spicy sausage, mascarpone cheese and mint. Patio dining hours will be Wednesday through Sunday from 4PM to 9:30PM, and Friday through Saturday from 4PM to 9:30PM."

"Located in the Gaslamp District, Operacaffe serves award-winning food in a romantic Italian-style setting. Owner Patrizia Branchi grew up in Florence and later opened a restaurant there, and today Operacaffe serves many of the same Tuscan dishes that her previous restaurant's Italian customers knew and loved. The menu offers appetizers, soups, gourmet pasta dishes including some special seafood options, meat and fish entrees, pizzas, and a wide variety of healthy salads."

"For a truly romantic night out in San Diego, head to Operacaffe, a warm and intimate spot located on 4th Avenue in the Gaslight District. Here they are passionate about their culin..."

"Farm-to-table fanatics will delight in the options at Downtown’s Biga, where owner, chef, and Culinary Institute of America graduate Tae Dickey makes his own mozzarella, sausages, and other charcuterie. He's also obsessive about sourcing fresh and local ingredients and works directly with farms and farmers markets to stock his menu. Dickey is particularly famous for his pizzas, which he cooks in two custom-built, 900-degree ovens, but the menu spans pastas and other mains, too, along with regular specials and pop-up dinners."

"San Diego’s best-kept secret, Biga bustles at lunch, but it’s at dinner, when the artful, artisan pasta appears on the menu, that this casual, farm-fresh eatery really shines. Carbo-phobes beware: the pizza and focaccia are also addictive; biga, after all, is Italian for dough starter. 950 6th Ave., downtown San Diego."

"950 Sixth Ave C, San Diego, CA 92101(619) 794-0444Save Your Table Here$$ | Italian | Coffee. As a foodie, I appreciate places like BIGA (bee-gah). Not only are they a farm to table restaurant, they use their local ingredients to create authentic Italian dishes."

"You decide on a sauce, you decide on a pasta style, and you’ll soon be in pasta heaven. Start with some small plates to share like the thinly slice prosciutto or fried risotto balls, and don’t worry about trying to influence your date to get something you want to try because trust me, whatever they order you will want to try it. Industrial setting is a bit cold but don’t let that turn you off."

"There’s no better place for a bowl of carbs in San Diego, where multiple varieties, ranging from fusilli to gnocchi, are made fresh daily. Design your own bowl by selecting the sauce and pasta type. If you’ve never tried the salsiccia (Italian sausage in a spicy tomato sauce) with a broad noodle, like tagliatelle or pappardelle, now's the time."

"Mission BeachEnormous TVs blasting sportsball and endless beer options draw a rowdy crowd to this beachfront bar in Belmont Park, but there are also some prime boardwalk-facing tables away from the din that will reward you with priceless ocean views. The twice-daily happy hour (4-6pm and 9-11pm) is a nice bonus. If you want to avoid the crowds, come in for an early brunch (but be prepared to head directly back to bed... portions are big and the food tends to be heavy)."

"San Diego is known to have one of the top craft brew scenes in the country. Being gluten free we can’t explore it too much, but we did find a gluten free beer on the menu at Draft!. Grab a seat on the front porch at South Draft Mission, and a nice cold beer (they do plenty of local brews) and a plate of ginormous shredded beef nachos to share."

"Mon-Thu 11:00 AM–10:00 PM, Fri 11:00 AM – 12:00 AM, Sat 9:00 AM – 12:00 AM, Sun 9:00 AM – 10:00 PM"

"While this isn’t a Mom & Pop place, we felt it was worth adding simply because the food here is always just so darn good. The first Original Pancake House opened in Portland in 1953. The owners had many years of experience in the culinary field, including an extensive working knowledge of authentic national and ethnic pancake recipes."

"This is the place to go when you’re craving straightforward, comforting breakfast in a classic diner atmosphere. As the name implies, pancakes are the specialty, from buttermilk to Swedish, blueberry, and potato, but the restaurant also offers waffles, crepes, and egg-based favorites."

"Go traditional with a fluffy buttermilk short stack topped with maple syrup and butter. Kids will go crazy for the chocolate chip pancakes served with chocolate chips, chocolate syrup and whipped cream. Grown-ups will dig the Dutch pancake which is fluffy and topped with lemon."

"If enjoying yummy lattes on an upscale, palm-tree surrounded terrace that overlooks shimmering Pacific waves crashing against miles of pristine sandy beaches sounds like the preferred breakfast method to you, then Caroline’s Seaside Cafe is the place to be. Located a stone’s throw north of La Jolla cove, on the UCSD Scripps Institution of Oceanography campus, they serve healthy and creative California-style cuisine made from organic and sustainably sourced ingredients. A hot summer’s day may even lead you to throw a bathing suit on, your shoes off, and caution to the wind as you go for a dip into some irresistibly cool blue water."

"Caroline’s Seaside Cafe is the essence of California cuisine. The view is spectacular as the restaurant sits on a cliff above La Jolla Shores Beach, near Scripps Pier. Both the breakfast and lunch menu are packed with healthy choices, and everything comes from sustainable and organic sources."

"Caroline’s Seaside Cafe, located at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography campus, is the perfect spot. Brunch is offered from 8am to 2pm. What to get: Beef short ribs “hash” & eggs served with peppers, onions, potatoes and toast ($12)."