I've occasionally been turned off by something a restaurant does and rarely return. With many other restaurants to chose from, it may be years before I'd get back. Yes, it may be silly and a form of revenge, but it's often these little things that we remember. Here are two examples:

Blanca - Blanca is conveniently located in an attractive strip shopping center with plenty of parking. Yet they block off the spaces around their location and charge $3 to valet park. Yes, you can park elsewhere, but this smacks of a ripoff even before entering. And if you're going to another location in the shopping center, they block off many empty spaces, that inconvenience potential customers.

Savory - On our first visit we had a very good meal but the simple green salad we ordered was $12. We assumed it must be large and asked for it to be split and the portions were tiny. We felt ripped off and didn't return for five years. But when we recently went back we had a terrific meal with great service. So it was both our loss and that of the restaurant for the five year lapse.

I'm curious if others feel the same way or have had similar experiences.

I rarely see Bay Park Fish mentioned. This is a terrific fish restaurant located off of Marina Blvd in Bay Park. Everything is fresh, delicious and well prepared. A favorite is their seafood stew that's incredible. They also serve sushi on a limited basis, and it's excellent.The restaurant/market is incredibly clean and inviting. They have a great wine list as well.

Just made the trip and there's nothing but fast food. The only semblance of a real restaurant is Harris Ranch, but the fast food is better.

Tastes in Encinitas is now closed. It was a wine-store-in a restaurant concept that served quite good food. Owner announced he was selling all his wine at half off while he developed a new concept. So far the concept is a closed sign in the window.

And skip Bouchon. Disappointing. Suggest Redd and AdHoc as much better choices.

Good question. I'm on a "salad diet" and have tried salads most everywhere. Here are my findings:
Pizza Nova: good variety from Chinese to Chipolte Lime to Caesar. Good portions and tasty, but not the best parts of the lettuce. B
Sammy's: Chopped salad is hard to beat and one of my favorites. A-
YanCan at Terminal 1 in airport: What a surprise. Their Chinese chicken salad is excellent, when they are not out of the ingredients. A
CPK: BBQ chicken salad. Mediocre, chain food style. C+
Bretts BBQ in Encinitas: A great salad with many fresh ingredients (jicama, corn, etc.) along with a choice of pulled pork, pulled chicken or brisket. A-
Milton's: Salads generally very good, particularly the mediterranean in a pita. Pricey when you add chicken. A-
Claim Jumper BBQ chicken salad. Very good and of course huge. B+
Fidel's: Chicken salad. Lots of cabbage, tortilla chips covered with cheese and white meat chicken. Not diet, but very good. B
Tender Greens: Excellent salads although not very imaginative and limited ingredients. But they use some of the best greens and the salads are really good. A

I think this is very good as well. Have had the baby back and beef ribs as well as the pulled pork, brisket and pull pork sandwiches. While not comparable to the best of Texas, the food is very good, reasonably priced, and the service is very attentive. It's become a regular for us.

ITrulli in Encinitas also has excellent cioppino for about $20, much better than Fish Market. And Bay Park fish off of Moreno Blvd has great fish stew.

While not a shack, but informal, try Bay Park Fish right off Morena Blvd (around the corner from Baci's). Some of the freshest fish and well prepared dishes of any fish restaurant in San Diego.

If you're looking for fried clams or a lobster roll, Studio Diner on Ruffin flies them in from New England and are excellent.

Don't think so. Check their on-line menu. Bison strip loin and chipotle glazed meatloaf is $33.75. Short ribs are now $34.95. Of the 10 entrees listed only the veggie tasting is under $25 (at $24.25). Everything else is $27.50 or higher. I agree with you that the food is the best in San Diego, just that prices have risen.

This has been a regular favorite of ours over the past couple of years. Our experience last night was not up to past experiences. Service was slow and drink refills took ten minutes or more, possibly due to the bar being slammed. A sliced steak ordered rare was well-done and the asst manager who brought it insisted it was rare when it was obviously brown in color. Food was excellent as usual but there's been a major price increase. Compared to the prices on their on-line menu and last time we were there, entrees are increased by about 20% ($5-$8), with most ranging from $28 to $38. We'll still frequent, but could it be losing its luster?

I go to Tracton's often for the rib roast, not the steaks. They're ordinary and can't compare to Ruth Chris', a few miles away. Cowboy Star is very good, BTW Niman Ranch is no longer what it once was, that verified in a recent article by Bill Niman, the founder. He sold to a large conglomerate and they immediately discarded his principles.

I did hear back from the company and they apologized, said they were providing more training to the staff, will be sending dining certificates and are refunding the amount I paid for the meal. Seems like a decent response.

Thanks for all your suggestions. I did email their customer service and received a response that they will contact the restaurant and have them research the matter. I'll let you know the outcome.

I took my grandchildren, wife and daughter to Benihana on Post St. this evening to celebrate my grandson's birthday. Now I didn't expect a fine dining experience or anything more than ordinary food. But we thought it would be fun for my grandchildren because of the entertainment.

After we were seated, two men were seated at the table. One appeared to have been drinking, as he was loud and slurring his words. I called this to the attention of the waitress. but nothing was done and they continued to serve him double shots of whiskey or scotch throughout the meal (4 or 5). At one point she asked the other man if the one drinking would be driving and was told no. We were able to ignore him through most of the meal as he quieted down while eating.

The food was as expected and the kids enjoyed the cook's performance. But as we were finishing our main course, the man that had been drinking threw up - it seemed for almost for 5 minutes continuously. It was gross, of course, and we all were disgusted by it.

I had to get the waitress' attention to get someone to clean up the floor. I asked to speak to the manager, but he would not come out. I found him behind the bar and told him what happened. He seemed oblivious to the situation, saying he couldn't be responsible for his customers. He offered to move us, but we were finishing up our meal and the table and floor were already cleaned up. We all felt a little ill and couldn't think about eating more food.

I then received the bill for the full amount. I sent it back to the manager and asked for an adjustment. He did cut the bill in half. But it's likely I will never go here again.

What could the restaurant have done?
1. Not seat a man that was loud and had been drinking at a table with young kids
2. Not keep serving alcohol to someone that is drunk or well on his way
3. When the problem occurred the manager should have been anxious to please and not to be asked for an adjustment.

In all my dining experiences, this had to be the worst ever.

If you happen to be in the neighborhood? Sound reasoning.

I've been following this thread with some amusement. It's no brainer to me. CP is a terrific, sometimes extraordinary restaurant. It's famous, deservingly so, and should not be missed. While others may have their personal favorites, CP is highly respected, not only for its history, but for its continuing success at providing delicious food in a tradition that they invented. What more could you ask for?

Bety's is great, but it's a little dive, not a real sit down restaurant.

I've been a big fan of Flemings in La Jolla for years, primarily for the excellent steaks and great wine selection. I've gone there many times and it's been consistently good. Tonight four of us took advantage of their prime rib special dinner available on Sunday's for $34 that included entree, salad, vegetable and dessert.

While the sides and desserts were fine, the prime rib was a huge disappointment. The beef looked nothing like the brochure, showing a thick slice of a pink colored rib roast. The meat served, in fact, was very unappetizing looking. While all four pieces were ordered medium rare (and were inside), they all seemed to have a dark surface that was explained to us as from being browned in the oven. The sizes of each portion varied widely and one portion looked to be about 6-8 ounces, not the 12 ounces promoted. I'm used to good prime rib at Red Tracton's, but this was much inferior, and a big disappointment. Considering it was an advertised special it's even a bigger letdown.

Fidels in Solana Beach, one town north of Del Mar. Try the steak or chicken Fajitas with chili's. The dish has been a favorite of ours for years and is about $12-$13. Friends from Austin flock to Fidel's when they are in town for the races.

Studio Diner?

Studio 24, a large diner on Ruffin Rd near the intersection of Balboa, flies in clams each day from New England and serves a fried clam roll and a fried clam plate (bellies included). Pretty decent.

I like the onion rings at Roppongi's. While the batter is more like tempura and somewhat thick, they are delicious, particularly with the dipping sauce.

I've never been back to Savory after seeing an appetizer-size salad priced at $11. Prices are too high to publish :)

BTW one of the best places for hamburgers, including a house-made turkey burger is at Sage Grill.

Piatti's is another chain and nothing special. Recommend Roppongi's as well. It's unique, has a great variety and is fine for kids. You can order a variety of small plates and need not order an entry for each.

I live nearby and their bagels are very good, the best I've had in San Diego. Unfortunately the store seems to be struggling as a Panera Bread opened up nearby in the same shopping center. Of course their bagels can't compare.

Cohn restaurants seem to be responsible for giving San Diego a reputation for mediocre restaurants. Fortunately there are now some excellent restaurants that provide much better food for similar pricing. Restaurants like Market, Oceanaire, and others. More attention seems to be placed in the restaurant's themes than in the quality of the ingredients and the menu. But I may be a little biased; I was soliciting donations for a deserving charity auction, and while nearly every restaurant donated gift certificates for $50, $75 or $100, Cohn donated $25 and said that was their limit.

I love Market, but live closer to Blanca. The one time I went to Blanca, the prices were close to absurd, while the food was not as good as Market. But what really ticks me off about Blanca is that they have cordoned off part of the free parking area (including many of the handicapped spaces) in the shopping center where they're located and force you to pay $3.00 to use a valet to move the car 30 feet. I certainly don't mind paying for valet, and often pay $20 when dining downtown, but not when it's totally unneeded.

Some good suggestions, but as a resident of Solana Beach here are my selections of don't miss".
1. El Qero, a Peruvian restaurant on Coast Highway 101 between D and E Street. This is one of the best restaurants in the area. The food is not exotic, but simply delicious there's a wide variety, including chicken, steak, lamb and fish dishes. A wide variety. It's a small family owned restaurant that's just wonderful.
2. Market in Del Mar. Agree with all that's been said.

Other excellent choices:
1. Arterra in the Marriott in the Del Mar Hilton
2. Pampelmousse in Solana Beach. Excellent but pricey
3. Red Tracton's if you like roast beef. But I think the steak at Ruths' Chris in nearby Del Mar is better.

Bargains/Low cost
1. Fidel's - Solana Beach - very good Mexican food, particularly the Fajitas
2. Pacific Coast Grill - 101 in Solana Beach. Half price and 40% off entrees and apetizers before 7pm

Better Half is a great recommendation. We went a few weeks ago and were delighted by the quality of the food and the service. We'll go back.