Around Town

Surfboards hanging from the ceiling; order to go and walk to the beach. Get the enchiladas, crispy taco, and/or DIY California burrito with crispy hash browns.

Classic taco shack; excels at burritos, especially the "King Burrito" with carne asada, fajita vegetables, cheese, and sour cream.

A newer birria-style taco establishment in Old Town that features affordable bone marrow for your opulent pleasure.

San Diego's champion so-good-it's-painful authentic Mexican place. Chorizo con huevos, deep-fried tacos, lard-heavy tortillas that will rocket you into the astral plane. Schedule a siesta for immediately after.

A special place in our heart. Classic cocktails, naugahyde booths, cheap & good steaks served raw that you cook yourself around a communal grill. Brittany's mutual love of this place meant Beau was comfortable continuing to date her.

Our good friend's Italian restaurant that is repeatedly awarded for its (1) food, (2) extensive wines, AND (3) service. Near Friday's mini golf!

A new, well-regarded Vietnamese/French place with "California sensibility." Despite that description, truly excellent.

Great raw seafood, drinks, atmosphere from the purveyors of a wine bar we love (The Rose).

Extremely dialed-in atmosphere, lighting, music, interior design ... food and drinks, too. Possibly SD's best burger. Humble about its role in bringing great cocktails to the city. Beloved by those in the know!

An additional oyster opportunity for you, and also quite close to our house. Fantastic food, drinks, service. We'd walk here every other night for dinner if we could.

Unpretentious, boisterous neighborhood bar in Hillcrest. The "no-frills" option.

Enter-through-the-freezer, indoor pyrotechnics, water-feature, wall-to-wall-and-ceiling tiki ephemera, top-tier tropical cocktails. Each classic drink has a new/updated version that is also great. The "tiki" option.

Snacks and extensive natural wines — Brittany's favorites — conveniently in one place. The "wine" option (east of Balboa Park).

Snacks and extensive natural wines — Brittany's favorites — conveniently in one place. The "wine" option (west of Balboa Park).

No-menu craft cocktails, coursed into an "appetizer," "main," and "dessert," in an intimate, impeccably-decorated lounge. From NYC's Attaboy proprietor. Consider eating before. The "cocktail connoisseur" option.

More craft cocktails, but served much more quickly. Recent negative press was probably unearned. Extremely fun area if you need to get on a list and come back 45 minutes later. The "cocktail connoisseur (if you're not ordering three at a time)" option.

Everything good in one place. Low-key and excellent, if you wander Downtown. Beau used to attempt to learn iOS programming in the coffee shop that used to be here. It was replaced with something much, much better. The "no-brainer" option.

It's that good. World-class, award-winning, every animal (no pandas; sore subject). A full day isn't enough. You can get beers and/or margaritas and walk them around while looking at monkeys.

One of SD's crown jewels, a large green area composed of numerous museums, gardens, theaters, and attractions (including the Zoo). Some faves: its Model Railroad Museum, insanely huge fig tree, Japanese garden, cactus garden, Aerospace Museum, Natural History Museum, and — last but not least — Prado, where Beau's parents Anne & Skip were married!

A wonderful stroll or bikeride through Pacific Beach and Mission Beach that shows off a lot of SD's beach scene (and Beau's childhood). Don't forget to walk out to the end of the pier.

Extremely beautiful hiking trails of varying difficulty. Nearby: a gliderport people routinely jump off, a nude beach, one of the best public golf courses in the world, and the Salk Institute (one of the best buildings in the world).

A site of much controversy, be sure not to let anyone tell you the seals "were here first." They were not. But they are fun to look at! Less fun to smell. A short walk from the wedding venue, but don't get seal stank on your formalwear...

An excellent option if you're bringing kids. Amusement park style rides, a decent [tiki] mini golf course, and a wooden roller coaster a la the Coney Island Cyclone.