2004 Restaurant Guide: San Diego

Where to eat right now in 30 American cities

It's a little like the chicken-and-egg conundrum: Would Trey Foshee of George's at the Cove be the same chef without Chino Farms? Would the extraordinary produce the Chinos grow taste so profound in someone else's hands?

This much is clear: Together, the chef and the farmer create sublime moments in George's formal Ocean View Room, which recently underwent an elegant face lift for its 20th birthday. Consider the beyond-succulent prime short ribs with mustard greens and spring onions; the beautiful ragout of spring vegetables with troll-caught king salmon; and an anything-but-ordinary carrot cake with candied Chino carrots. From the "Chino Farms Vegetable Preparations" on the menu, you can order roasted new potatoes "unearthed this morning" and the sweetest white and yellow corn on the planet — and you should.

San Diegans have always thought of George's as the city's big-deal restaurant. Now that the food soars, it really is.

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