Located in North Park, Urban Solace provides a unique combination of fine dining and American comfort food. That isn’t a combination you often hear about. Yet, it is a fun combination that both warms the heart and satisfies the taste buds.

With unique menu items like Duckaroni (Cheese, pasta, and duck) and “Not Your Mama’s Meatloaf” you know you’re in the hands of an experienced, confident chef. (Both of those entrees are great!) There are just enough menu items here to give everyone in your party something fun to enjoy without overwhelming you with a million choices. Add to that very reasonable prices and live music and I’m confident you’ll be pleased with a trip to Urban Solace.

But this isn’t just a place for foodies to oogle over. This is an approachable neighborhood restaurant which feels miles away from the touristy areas of the city. Located just off of University on 30th Street, it’s really easy to get to. You’ll find a combination of neighborhood residents, tourists, business folks, and locals people enjoying great food, fantastic wait staff, and a fun-loving vibe nestled into an intimate bistro-like setting.

When planning a visit to Urban Solace I’d recommend calling ahead to reserve a table. If the weather is nice I highly suggest being seated outside. Come early, enjoy a pre-meal glass of wine and save room for dessert.

If you venture to only one restaurant off the beaten path in San Diego, it should be Crazee Burger in North Park. Tucked into a nondescript brick building on 30th Street between El Cajon Boulevard and University Avenue is the up-and-coming wine bar recently featured on the Food Network’s Diner, Drive-ins and Dives.

I’m not sure which category Crazee Burger fits into, but we’ll call it a dive bar. Technically, chef Lothar Manz and his co-creator Wolfgang Peter Schlicht label this place a wine bar. While they seem to have a great selection of both, in my four visits I’ve never had a glass of wine or one of of the many beers on tap. Let’s face a fact… with a name like “Crazee Burger” and the media attention to the burgers I’d prefer to talk about the food than the beverage.

Now, let’s talk about the burgers. With 33 burgers to chose from chef Lothar has something for everyone. There are two basic categories. First, you have your beef hamburgers with themed toppings. My favorite is the Aloha burger. It’s a great burger topped with a pineapple ring, Teriaki sauce, and swiss cheese. Second, you’ve got the adventurous burgers. This is where the fun begins. A few of my favorites. The Santorini burger is half beef, half lamb, and topped with homemade Tsatsiki sauce. The Gator burger is grilled alligator meat topped with a sweet curry fruit topping. The thing that strikes me about this exotic burger is how sweet it is! And the Kangaroo burger. If you didn’t know it was Kangaroo you’d think it was just lean beef. What really makes this burger stand out is the great creamy horseradish sauce. All of the burgers come with a side of fries which are memorable because they are topped with Parmesan cheese.

Crazee Burger is one of those places where the enitre experience is the meal. From waiting in line and ordering from their fantastic staff at the bar, to finding a table in the tight seating area, to the uniquely local and quirky art on the walls, to one of the owners pitching in to deliver orders to tables… Crazee Burger is a 360 degree San Diego experience.

Great burgers, fun atmosphere, and nightly happy hour should escalate Crazee Burger to the top of anyone’s list of places to visit in San Diego. My only fear is that it’ll get too popular and I’ll have to wait longer for a table. Let me make one last suggestion for Crazee burger. Go with a group of friends and each order something different. When the food comes, share!