by Frank Sabatini Jr.

—[ top five ]—

The Sky Room • 1132 Prospect St., La Jolla • 858-551-3744
The newly refurbished Sky Room, perched on the tenth floor of the La Valencia Hotel overlooking La Jolla Cove, sets the stage for exquisite seasonal menus that may include A-5 certified Kobe beef, steaming soufflés and masterful seafood preparations, all crafted by veteran Chef Vaughan G. Mabee. The restaurant is also home to San Diego’s most expensive appetizer, called Stars in the Sky. For $2,100, you and a companion are afforded two glasses of vintage bubbly served in Baccarat crystal flutes for the keeping, an ounce of fine caviar and four Royal Miyagi oysters, one of them revealing a Tahitian black pearl that ends up in a ring box to go. The wine list is sensational and service is highly personalized.

Molly’s • 333 W. Harbor Drive • 619-230-8909
Chef Timothy Au and Sommelier Lisa Redwine team up to take patrons on an outstanding food-and-wine journey in stately quietude compared to the bustling atmospheres indigenous to other downtown restaurants. Located a floor below the lobby of the San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina, the food is clean and precise with rolling flavors, as evidenced in Au’s signature Eggplant Napolean, layered with organic prosciutto, sage and white pesto. While the chef infuses fresh doses of Mother Nature into all of his dishes, Redwine strikes a match with rare and juicy vinos from around the globe.

Addison • 5200 Grand Del Mar Way • 858-314-1900
Sheer opulence and astute wait service are the trademarks of this Mediterranean-revival palace, housed in The Grand Del Mar resort. Chef William Bradley’s savvy approach to artisanal cooking awes the palate with seasonal dishes that reveal formidable, complex flavors tied together with meticulous precision. A team of pastry chefs augments the rich experience if you make it to the finish line. The 6,000-square foot restaurant is a wonderland of architectural details, replete with stately rotundas, towering archways, mosaic marble floors and breezy verandas.

Vivace • 7100 Four Seasons Point, Carlsbad • 760-603-6800
Italian restaurants are a dime a dozen, but Vivace at the Four Seasons Resort Aviara ups the ante with a posh ambience that gives way to velvety seating, floor-to-ceiling windows, a marble fireplace, an outdoor terrace and aristocratic Mediterranean fare. Hand-cut pastas and creamy risottos take center stage, along with wood-fired guinea hens and 40-ounce aged sirloins finished off with garlic olive oil. A recommended starter is the antipasti comprised of Crow’s Pass persimmon, basil, balsamic and gnocchi fritti.

El Bizcocho • 17550 Bernardo Oaks Drive • 858-675-8550
Stacked with Old World charm, El Bizcocho has netted high honors by Zagat Survey for its superb, contemporary French cuisine, plus special tasting menus and a wine list boasting 1,600 labels. Denim and tennis shoes are forbidden — a telling clue of the restaurant’s formal approach to food and service. Diners can behold such dishes as maple leaf duck, Australian lamb and monkfish picatta, or they can defer to the chef for a “spontaneous menu” that delivers gourmet adventure to the taste buds. The restaurant is located in the elegant Rancho Bernardo Inn Hotel.