As a resort booming with renewed vigor, San Diego has shucked a reputation for culinary mediocrity to become a magnet for restaurateurs and chefs from just about everywhere.

Part of the allure is seasonal bounty from San Diego County agriculture, and appreciative patrons revel in chef-prepared flavors at their peak.

Downtown’s Gaslamp Quarter brims with dozens of restaurants, from chic to funky holdovers from pre-restoration days. Fifth Avenue’s restaurant row showcases Italian and French favorites along with hotspots for tapas, steaks and other American staples. Ethnic cuisines including Afghan, Cambodian, Ethiopian, and Laotian have joined the Chinese, Italian, and Mexican line-up.

In fact, San Diego is packed with highly Americanized Mexican places cranking out satisfying combo plates heaped with melted cheddar cheese. Yet it also has gems like El Agave and Escondido's Hacienda de Vega, serving true south-of-the-border cuisine. The humble fish taco is perhaps the oceanside area's favorite fast food. Many of Greater San Diego's priciest eateries are in La Jolla, offering some of the city’s most exquisite dining. Excellent fare also is served in nearby Chula Vista and in Coronado -- the peninsula city across San Diego Bay -- where casual outposts are interspersed with grand restaurants overlooking the water.

Suburbs of Del Mar, Solana Beach, and Rancho Santa Fe also are known for diverse cuisine. Restaurants reeling in accolades include George’s at the Cove in La Jolla, Parallel 33 in Mission Hills, Hillcrest’s Region, and downtown’s Café Cerise, the latter with a retro-inspired décor complimenting a menu of re-imagined classics. In La Jolla, the Marine Room and the Fresh Seafood Restaurant & Bar are hot. At the San Diego Marriott Gaslamp Quarter, Soleil @ K generates downtown dining scene buzz with low-key sophistication capitalizing on proximity to PETCO Park, San Diego's new baseball stadium. Given the region's overall informality, attire at most restaurants is casual, but reservations are advised, particularly on weekends.