Roger’s Picks is the selective part of SD Foodie: places Roger would send a friend. It does not include every published place, and a high historical rating does not automatically make a restaurant a pick.
Picks come from two kinds of evidence. Some, such as Robataya Oton, M.O.M Kitchen and TP Tea — San Diego, rest on Roger’s own dated Google Maps reviews. Others come from the San Diego favorites he named in a 2022 interview. Each place page says which source it rests on and when that source was published.
A pick also has to be open. When a recommended place closes, or closes temporarily for a major change, it comes off the short list but keeps its page, its original source and a clear status note. Madison and Chi Chocolat are the first two places to go through that process.
What-to-order notes and best-for guidance are drawn from the existing record. They are not a live menu or a guarantee that a particular dish is available. The accompanying visit date lets the reader judge how recent the underlying experience is.
Worth Trying is a separate verdict, used when there is a clear reason to visit without the same unqualified endorsement. Mixed or negative experiences should remain honest and dated, with criticism tied to the experience rather than aimed at the people behind the restaurant.
The guiding rule is independence. No business can buy a ranking. Hosted meals or material relationships must be disclosed, and the archive should keep its history even when a later visit changes the verdict.
