The short list
Places Roger would recommend to a friend without hesitation. No sponsorships, no pay-to-play rankings.
Roger's 2022 answer for Mexican food in North Park, built around a surf 'n turf he described as bigger than most people's forearms.
One of the two omakase counters Roger named when asked where to take a visiting friend for sushi in 2022.
Roger's University Heights omakase recommendation from 2022, paired with Tadokoro as his two go-to sushi counters.
A Mission Hills dinner-and-drinks choice with a menu built for a proper night out, especially when pork chops and whiskey cocktails are the brief.
Vegan soul food with enough savory, fried and comforting appeal to bring meat-eaters to the table without an apology tour.
A vegetarian Thai favorite where the panang curry is Roger's personal starting point and the menu gives mixed groups plenty of room.
A Little Italy coffee stop for serious brewed coffee, with nitro cold brew as the dependable move and Geisha pour-over as the special occasion.
A longtime Convoy-area Japanese favorite for robata, small plates, and an intimate dinner that rewards ordering across the menu.
Comforting Hong Kong-style cooking in Clairemont, with the kind of unfussy menu that makes repeat visits easy.
A tea-first boba shop that stands out for brewing with real leaves instead of leaning on powder and artificial flavoring.
A made-to-order Asian fusion kitchen on Third Avenue that Roger gave five stars across food, service and atmosphere, calling its chicken wings some of the juiciest he has had anywhere.
A small-batch roaster where, in Roger’s words, Ethiopian coffees are imported straight in and roasted in-house — and should be drunk black.
A Poway lunch spot where Roger always orders the steak with chimichurri and recommends Steve’s Sandwich.
One of Roger’s favorite spots for bún bò Huế and bún riêu, with seafood dishes he says you rarely see at typical pho houses. Cash only.
A Barrio Logan coffee roaster and cafe that became one of Roger's favorites: beans roasted in-house, a 24-hour brew he preferred over the popular V12, quick wifi, ample seating and even a bike fixing station out front.
A Normal Heights beer bar Roger had been visiting for years by the time he finally reviewed it, drawn by the in-house Automatic Brewing Co. IPAs and pizzas and salads with enough vegetarian-friendly options to work for mixed groups.
Roger rated this 5 stars, calling it the bomb for authentic Japanese grub — open late every night, with bomb ramen and raw octopus.
Roger rated this 4 stars, praising the bomb salmon and filet mignon alongside a huge wine selection and just a $5 corkage fee.
Roger's longtime SDSU-area coffeehouse pick near Rolando, open late and a good spot to chillax.
San Diego's only restaurant-winery-brewery combo under one roof, in Rancho Bernardo, where Roger called the food bomb alongside great service and a full lineup of wine and craft beer.
A Hokkaido-style ramen counter inside Mitsuwa Marketplace's Kearny Mesa food court, which Roger rated 4 stars and called awesome for its salmon-roe-topped noodles.
A Chula Vista Mexican restaurant specializing in Texcoco-style lamb barbacoa, where Roger called the lamb 'Bomb' alongside grasshoppers and quail.
North Park Mexican restaurant with a full menu of vegetarian and vegan dishes alongside traditional plates; Roger's 5-star visit was pure enthusiasm, calling it 'bombizzle natural Mexicano.'
A North Park Mexican counter where Roger rated the cali burrito "bomb" in 2008 -- real enthusiasm even at three stars overall.
Roger gave this Little Italy rooftop restaurant and cocktail bar a perfect 5 stars with an enthusiastic 'Bomb' — real praise for a spot that's since earned Michelin recognition.
Roger's one-word 'bomb' 4-star verdict on this Colombian kitchen, visited in 2015 at its original Logan Heights location before its 2020 move a few blocks up Imperial Avenue to its current spot.