San Diego Fine Dining - Two Restaurant Reviews

Whether your San Diego restaurant taste buds crave the delightful simplicity of a good filet mignon or something more unusual like rabbit, the city has something for every eater. This guide reviews just two of the many fine dining eateries to be found in San Diego: Crab Catcher and Dussini Meditterranean Bistro.

Crab Catcher, 1298 Prospect St., La Jolla, CA 92037. Phone: 858.454.9587

Lunch hours: Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dinner hours: Sunday through Thursday, 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. Sunday brunch: 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Web site: http://www.crabcatcher.com

Don't let the seemingly simple name trick you - Crab Catcher, established in 1980, offers some of the finest dining in San Diego. Zagat rated this restaurant as excellent, and readers of San Diego's "Dining Out" magazine voted it "Best Seafood." In addition to its regular menu, which includes crab bisque, New Zealand lamb chops, lobster pasta, and filet mignon, a sushi bar is also offered Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. Both private and patio dining with ocean views are offered.

One of the more exotic culinary delights include ono stuffed with Alaskan king crab. The dish is topped with caramelized garlic hollandaise sauce and served with Peruvian purple potatoes. Another unique meal is macadamia-crusted halibut with coconut rice and a miso-honey sauce.

Dussini Mediterranean Bistro, 275 Fifth Ave., San Diego, CA 92101. Phone: 619.233.4323

Restaurant hours: Sunday through Thursday, 5 to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Bar hours: Sunday through Thursday, 4:30 p.m. to midnight; Friday and Saturday, 4:30 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Web site: http://www.dussini.com

This Gaslamp Quarter restaurant con bar offers an extensive wine menu and bar, an upstairs billiards room, wireless Internet access, and a constellation of fine cuisine. Dussini operates from a renovated 1898 building, and its features include a 10-foot fireplace which both wining and dining guests may enjoy. Cocktails include a raspberry and champagne mojito, and microbrews are also available. A variety of artwork, mostly food-inspired, adorns the walls.

The Mediterranean menu includes appetizers, smaller dishes, and regular-sized entrees. Ethnic food such as Moroccan chicken brochettes is served, as well as fusion items like Duck Confit en Brick and brie and asparagus tart. Grilled California lamb chops, lobster macaroni and cheese, a crisp-skinned duck breast, and even Spanish-inspired paella also come out of Dussini's kitchen. Appetizers are in the $10 and up range, while main courses start at about $25.