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Issue link: http://ranchandcoast.uberflip.com/i/1545135
Sure, great pizza is subjective. Everyone has their own idea of the perfect pie. But for me, it's the Pizza Margherita on the lunch menu at Dora. Now, I know some people would call it plain — just dough, tomato sauce, and cheese — but simplicity is exactly how you judge a truly great pizza. The dough should be beautifully blistered, bendy, and have just the right chew (technical food critic terminology). The sauce should be lightly spread and not overloaded with herbs and random elements (not technical food critic terminology). And the cheese needs to be high-quality and properly distributed — not overdistributed. Dora hits her mark. The restaurant is primarily known for its refined Southern Italian cuisine, but this pizza — intended almost as a supporting player in the ensemble — ends up being a bit of a scene-stealer. Theater puns absolutely intended. T.G. Okay, I may be a bit biased because everyone knows I love Sami Ladeki, but he wasn't fooling around when he said he was bringing back Roppongi Restaurant & Lounge — the crown jewel of his impressive restaurant portfolio. The original Roppongi anchored the premier La Jolla corner of Prospect and Fay from 1998 to 2015, which is an impressive run. After a ten-year hiatus and a complete rebuild, Ladeki reopened a new version of Roppongi in the exact same location. And by "new version," I mean a gorgeous new design, some fresh new dishes, and a fun new cocktail menu. All the beloved originals are still there, so don't fret — your Mongolian Shrimp is waiting for you. T.G. There's a lot of great cornbread out there. But have you ever been served a bubbling cornbread casserole served with a gorgeous hunk of butter molded into the shape of a corn cob? Because I love this sort of thing. First, the cornbread itself clearly contains a more- than-ample amount of butter because the edges are incredibly crispy and delicious. Second, most restaurants never give you enough butter with cornbread, and this corn-shaped butter situation is gloriously excessive. The butter itself is crafted from beautiful, yellowy, slightly tangy European-style butter, and boy, does it melt well. Ponyboy is a little gem tucked inside the Pearl Hotel in Point Loma. Don't miss it. T.G. Roppongi Ponyboy Dora Ristorante PONYBOY: PHOTO BY TERRYL GAVRE DORA: PHOTO BY KIMBERLY MOTOS ROPPONGI: PHOTO COURTESY OF ROPPONGI RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2026 71 Best Pizza: Dora Ristorante at the La Jolla Playhouse Best New Restaurant: e Rebirth of Roppongi Best Culinary Innovation: e Cornbread & Butter at Ponyboy