Staghorn ferns hang off the stone walls inside Starlite, a hip San Diego eatery.
Photo: c. Derek Plank

by Brook Wilkinson

Here in San Francisco, even the greasy diners and dives boast their green credentials: sustainably harvested food, organic cocktails, and the like. But as my friends in San Diego have taught me, things are very different down in SoCal. That's why they're all so happy that Starlite opened up last year. Much of the restaurant's produce comes from organic farms in nearby Escondido and Temecula, the chicken from a free-range farm in the Central Valley, and the cheese from an organic co-op. This is a rarity for my downstate neighbors, trust me. I had my first meal at Starlite this past weekend, and I can't wait to go back. The design is modern and eco-friendly--loved the cork wall behind my booth--but the atmosphere still manages to be warm and comfortable. The chefs make everything from scratch in a tiny kitchen behind the outdoor bar, and the servers must work off every calorie they eat, running the plates to the tables in the front dining room. The garlicky grilled country bread with juicy tomatoes and cool mozzarella might be my favorite dish of the summer. And the gruyere and caramelized onion-topped burger is a decadent steal at $13 (at least according to my meat-eating boyfriend). Cocktails are equally enticing: The Gunga Din is a mix of rum, Earl Grey tea, cardamom syrup, and Meyer lemon. Hungry yet? Starlite is open for dinner and drinks every evening, and serves food until midnight. You'll find it in Little Italy, just off I-5 near the airport.