Crab Catcher Restaurant, La Jolla

Perched on a cliff in La Jolla, Crab Catcher's sea-foam-green dining room surveys the source of its acclaimed dishes: the ocean. Chefs specialize in trap-to-table dining, showcasing fresh catches from Alaska's Dutch Harbor and the Bering Sea. Guests will enjoy a celebratory feast if they visit during La Jolla's local spiny lobster season, when daily, live lobster pulls entertain diners. Others may simply kick back and enjoy the menu's seafood signatures, including famous Maine lobsters, dungeness crab, Florida stone crabs, Kona lobsters from Hawaii, and fresh Mexican white shrimp accented with cilantro-garlic butter. Patrons seated inside at lofty wicker chairs or hiding under the patio's tables complement their meals with wines hailing from vineyards nearby or as far as Australia.