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I'm always happy to find an off-the-beaten-path gem, and Playa Kitchen is just that. It's tucked into the Torrey Pines Science Park and is the brainchild of the Clique Hospitality group, who really know what they're doing. I've visited several of their venues and they run a first-class operation across the board. At Playa, they offer a well-rounded menu perfect for breakfast or lunch. e vibe is casual with counter ordering, but the furniture and décor are surprisingly upscale — great for lounging while you wait — and there's a cornhole setup on the patio if you're feeling competitive. e menu offers well-made hot and cold sandwiches, burgers, wraps, bowls, baked goods, coffee, and smoothies. I went twice and ordered the poke bowl both times. It's that good — fresh ingredients, every component thoughtful and well executed. My son, who joined me after his class at UC San Diego, had the burger, and we split a smoothie and a cookie for dessert. It's a bit of a drive north, but I can't say enough about Finca, located in San Juan Capistrano's River Street Marketplace. It's not a mall so much as a collective of fashionable shops and restaurants beautifully arranged around an outdoor grassy area with plenty of patio space. ere's also an upscale food hall and the most darling little petting zoo. My 21-year-old daughter and I fed baby goats (so cute), llamas, ponies, and pigs and loved it to no end. (Watch out for the emus though — they will take your fingernail clean off !) ere are also pony rides for the kids, plus mini tractors and dump trucks they can operate themselves. But back to Finca. It's the latest restaurant from veteran Orange County restaurateur David Pratt, who has been a force on the food scene up there since the early 2000s. e concept is farm-to-fire-to-table. Pratt works with local farms, sources everything locally and cooks most of his dishes over wood fire. Every dish carries an extra layer of flavor from that cooking method, and if you sit indoors, you'll walk out smelling a hint of wood smoke, which honestly isn't a bad thing. He does an amazing burger — I've had it twice. What I've also ordered twice is the Grilled Corn Appetizer: local corn sautéed and served over a bed of soft polenta, cotija cheese, and crema, with house-made corn chips for dipping. Ask for a few extra — you'll need them. Playa Kitchen @ranchandcoast RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE JULY 2026 65 Finca