Just as South Africa is a melting pot of African, Indian, and European cultures, so too is CapeTown, a restaurant brought to life by people who once called the Rainbow Nation home. Owner Alan Davis and Executive Chef Gary Grassi are both Johannesburg natives, with Gary boasting more than 30 years of experience manning restaurants in both South Africa and San Diego. The two pride themselves on creating authentic recipes from scratch, introducing San Diegans to dishes they may not have tried if they've never flown to Africa for lunch.

Cook Umberto Grassi is particularly passionate—now in his 80s, he still shows up five days a week to help prepare the dishes he fell for upon moving to South Africa from Italy. It was there he learned to spice and hang his own meats, making him a natural at specialties such as boerewors: house-made sausage with polenta made from ground maize. The influence of other countries is seen throughout the menu, thanks to peri-peri chicken, samosas, and fish and chips. If you're not sure what to order, ask your server—waiter Chris is from Durban.