Taverna Blu, San Diego

Taverna Blu brings the Mediterranean coastline to California with its pub-style menu of Greek-inspired cuisine. The chefs fully commit to Mediterranean flavors by importing feta cheese from the Old World. In addition to the favorite Athenian cheeseburger, they assemble hefty sampler platters—laden with everything from falafel and spanakopita to tiger shrimp and calamari—and also create sharable, tapas-style plates of warm stuffed grape leaves and Greek-style tacos loaded with gyro meat that can be paired with international wines and craft beer on tap. For a satisfyingly sweet end to a meal, "be sure not to skip the baklava vanilla ice cream sundae," says Gayot in its review of the Del Mar location, a recommendation echoed by the Carmel Valley News.