Catania

On our lists of the best special-occasion restaurants and restaurants with a view in San Diego.

Executive chef Vince Schofield, previously of Nombe and Taco Libre in San Francisco, runs a kitchen built around a five-thousand-pound wood-fired oven the staff calls Beatrice, turning out crudo, handmade pasta, and pizza. Stained wood-and-glass la cantina doors open the dining room onto a 45-seat patio with a view of the Grand Colonial Hotel framed by the Pacific. Restaurateur Arturo Kassel's local group, which also runs Whisknladle and Prepkitchen, gives the space its casually upscale feel.