Best Bites & Bars By COMIC CON 2010

SO love Comic Con, but hate waiting in enormous lines and spending wayyyy too much money on mediocre food inside the Convention Center? Of course you do: We do too.
SO here’s a little treat that may be right up your alley: Leave the convention center, and go explore, without having to stray too far from the geek-o-sphere or having to move your car out of that nice and expensive premium parking spot you paid good money for: Our favorite spots are literally a hop and a skip away from Twlight wonderland!

Quick Service + Casual Dining
Quick, Easy, Great Places to kick up your tired feet, put down your heavy goodie bags and masks and reeeelaxxxx.

BASIC urban kitchen & bar (By Petco Park: Approx 5 blks Southeast from Convention Center)
410 10th Ave.
(619) 531-8869

Website & Full Menu
Features:
Open: Mon-Sat 10:30am-2am; Sun 11:30am-2am
- Pizza, Full Bar, Late night menu, Pool Tables, Happy Hour 4-7pm, Live DJs nightly
The best place to hang out between panels hands down. BASIC’s relaxing, cool, urban atmosphere makes it the perfectly comfortable and lovable neighborhood hang. Stick around for a bit to enjoy their thin crust brick oven pizzas, where you can pick and choose your favorite toppings: Ranging from the “basic” to anything but. Definitely a must-visit spot in San Diego… FULL REVIEW.
Tips:
-Get the BASIC salad. It’s AWESOME
- White Pie with Clams is the house specialty.
- STRONG drinks, great prices.

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The Corner (By Petco Park: Approx 5 blks Southeast from Convention Center)
369 10th Avenue
(619) 531-8804

Features:
Open: Mon-Sun 11:30am-2am
- Gourmet Burgers, Full Bar, Happy Hour Specials, Neighborhood Bar Vibe, Live DJs on weekends
Head upstairs and gather your party in any of the comfortably furnished nooks and crannies of The Corner’s open space — that oozes East Village“chill”. Their gourmet burger selection offers a wide range of options, including a veggie friendly “Hippie Burger” with all the yummy fixings, such as caramelized onions. All burgers are served with Sweet potato or regular skinny fries, along with their addictive Wasabi Aioli. Their happy hour is from 4pm-7pm with specials on food and drinks varying daily; call ahead or check the chalkboard out front for details… FULL REVIEW
Tips:
-Great after Con spot for a more “out of the scene” friendly nightlife/bar experience.
- Board games keep the young, and the slightly older & buzzed ones, equally entertained.

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Chocolat Cremerie & Bistro (In Gaslamp: Approx 4 blks East from Convention Center)
509 5th Avenue
(619) 238-9400

Website & Full Menu
Features:
Open: Sun -Thurs: 9 am- 12am; Fri & Sat: 9am – 1am
-Espresso, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Crepes, Gelato, Wine, Beer, Outdoor Seating
Chocolat bistro and cremerie, nestled in the heart of the Gaslamp and merely a minor skip away from the Convention center, is the essence of Italian cool chic — without the price tag. Although this is a great spot to kick back and socialize, the service is great and the food comes out extremely quick. Extensive and wide ranging menus, including a HUGE selection of salads, flatbreads, pastas, and more, are satisfying with ingredients including gourmet cheeses, cured meats, and fresh produce… FULL REVIEW
Tips:
- A Selection of over 35 housemade gelatos
-Flatbreads are tasty and easy to share.

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Proper Gastro Pub/Wine Steals (INSIDE Petco Park: Approx 4 blks South of Convention Center)
795 J Street
(619) 255-7452

Website & Full Menu
Features:
Open: 11am – 2am
-Rooftop bar/dining, lunch, happy hour (4-7pm/7days a week), dinner, Full Bar, Wine Bar,
This yummy Gastro-pub and its adjoined neighborhood wine bar are extra awesome because you are able to intertwine the best of each in either restaurant. Our advice? Hit the rooftop bar, with a birds eye view inside Petco Park and the Ballpark itself. It’s the perfect place to catch a few of those famed San Diego sunshine rays and take in a gorgeous view with easy access to the bar and the entire menu from BOTH restaurants, including the killer happy hour… FULL REVIEW
Tips:
- Pizzas from adjoining Wine Steals are AMAZING; as is the selection of wines at neighborhood friendly prices.
- Happy Hour offers nearly all the appetizers at half-price, and great discounts on well drinks & draft beers at the bar.

Upscale/Corporate Dining
For those looking for the memorable and impressive upscale dining experience right in the heart of all the action.

Nobu: Hard Rock Hotel San Diego (Gaslamp: 1 Blk East of Convention Center Center)
207 5th Ave
(619) 814-4124

Full Menu & Website
Features:
Open: 11:30am-2am
–Serving Lunch & Dinner, Private Room Available, Late night menu, Full Bar, Sushi Bar, Place to be Seen, Upscale Traditional Japanese Cuisine
If you’re looking for a meal that will undoubtedly leave an impression on your guests, Nobu is the only upscale locale that is guaranteed to impress any table, that has a bit of extra coin to drop. Sure the restaurant is expensive; but with world class cuisine, the world’s most elite sushi chefs, fish flown in whole daily to be masterfully prepared in house or even served still live to adventurous patrons, and their unmatched, impeccable service, it is money well spent for a genuinely, memorable experience.
Tips:
-*MAKE RESERVATIONS*
- Open for Lunch & Dinner
- It’s tradition at ALL Nobu restaurants to start with the Yellowtail Jalapeño. It’s delicious, worth every penny, and it would be rude not to.
- King Crab Tempura w/ Amazu Ponzu is to die for.
- ALL Desserts are made in house daily — ask your server to create a custom dessert platter to get the best the house has to offer.
- Every Server is a Serious Foodie — Let them Prepare the menu for you, they never fail to impress*.
*Skip the “World Famous” “Black Cod w/ Miso in Lettuce Cups”.Black Cod isn’t caught locally (therefore not freshest available offering) and it’s a horrible and unpleasant-tasting dish.

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Searsucker (Gaslamp: 6 blks East of Convention Center)
611 5th Ave
(619) 233-7327

Website
Features:
Open: 5:30pm-12am
-New to San Diego, Celebrity Chef, Full Bar, Seafood, Corporate Dinner, close to ALL nightlife, “New American Classic Cuisine”
With its culinary lead by famed local chef and former Top Chef competitor Brian Malarkey alongside San Diego’s nightlife pioneer, James Brennan, Searsucker is in the hands of SD’s most prominent and renowned leaders for delivering top-of-the-market quality and premiere customer service. Stay true to the San Diego lifestyle and indulge in one of the assumed many fresh seafood delicacies, prepared by Malarkey himself, who’s famed expertise lies in his impeccably crafted and unique culinary presentations, using only the freshest and finest local offerings available.
Tips:
- MAKE RESERVATIONS
- Ladies ~ Beautiful eyes aka Brian Malarkey, is one handsome gent. Ask your waitress to send him out so you can personally compliment the chef at the end of your meal.

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BICE (Gaslamp: 4 blks East of Convention Center)
425 Island Avenue
(619) 239-2423

Website & Full Menu
Features:
Open: 5PM Daily
-Upscale Italian Cuisine, Extensive Wine List, Full Bar, Perfect Pastas, Cheese & Salumi Bar*, Happy Hour (5pm-7pm) Elegant yet Social Atmosphere.
Everything at BICE Ristorante is absolutely-to-die-for. Fresh Pastas tossed in beautiful & expertly prepared sauces. Bowls filled with gorgeously tender Calamari rings that have been spared from the typical breaded and fried doom and instead have been lusciously bathed in fragrant broths and paired with fresh and crunchy bread. A special bar designated exclusively for Formaggi e Salumi (Cheese & Cured Meats) with an array of tempting and smoldering gourmet cheeses and so very delicately-sliced charcuterie makes me weak in the knees just at the very thought.
To top with a wine selection that cannot be surpassed, and served at the most perfect temperature, BICE is the Gaslamp’s gem of exquisite Italian Cuisine.
Tips:
- Happy Hour is from 5pm-7pm daily with an extensive menu of tempting $5 offerings. Mussels in a white wine, garlic and parsley broth are consistent winners.
- Special Wine and Cheese flight offered exclusively at the Formaggi e Salumi bar . (Also, 5pm-7pm daily)
- GET THE HOMEMADE BUFALA MOZZARELLA — it’s made fresh daily, and it is stunning.

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Red Pearl Kitchen
440 J Street Suite 108
(619) 231-1100

Website & Full Menu
Open: 4pm – 2am
Features:
Gluten-Free Options, Family-Style Eating, Reservations Accepted, Full Bar, Late-Night Menu, Downtown Nightlife Atmosphere, Pan-Asian Cuisine
For a “nightlife-esque” atmosphere, a sexy red glow, cute waitresses bouncing around, and upbeat, loud music to kick start the long night ahead of you off right, Red Pearl Kitchen is the life of the party. Once things get busy, the kitchen gets flustered easily; order ahead of time with your waitress to ensure the night goes smoothly. The Hot Pots are deliciously bursting with bright flavors and these tantalizing concoctions, served over fluffy clusters of Jasmine rice, are perfect to split between two friends. The Shittake-Vegetable Spring Rolls are the best way to begin the meal, and are all-around crowd pleasers. The chef usually has a daily menu of gluten-free selections prepared upon request, so call ahead to avoid disappointment.
Tips:
- The Jade Mistress cocktail, made with Chili-infused Vodka and Thai Basil Lemon Sugar, is not for the faint of heart, but it remains a house-specialty as it’s beloved by those can take the heat.
-Happy Hour is 4pm-7pm with $5 appetizers & $4 Draft Beer

After you dine, check out the best in nightlife planned for each and every night during Comic Con with our ultimate guide to the best COMIC CON AFTER PARTIES.

Also if you’re looking for the best parking tips, dos and don’ts, and our TOP recommendations for panels, print out our awesome COMIC CON Cheat Sheet.

By: Taylor Doms