3 Best Restaurants in North County and Around, California

Veggies with a view could be the subtitle for this venerable Cardiff restaurant that grew from a simple juice shack. Ki’s is well known for heart-healthy, gluten-free, vegan, locally sourced, ovo-lacto, vegetarian-friendly dishes like huevos rancheros, filling tofu scrambles, taco plates, chopped salads with feta and nuts, seasonal juice, and carrot ice-cream smoothies. "The Kicker" juice is packed with nutrients like kale, apple, ginger, cilantro, and spinach. From 4 to 8 pm, the menu takes a step forward with macadamia-coconut mahi-mahi, miso-glazed salmon, and filet mignon topped with a mushroom Cabernet sauce.

Zero waste with root-to-stem consumption has this plant-based restaurant turning beets into catchup, cashews into cheese, and carrot tops into pesto. Sustainability rules the menu created with fresh produce from local farms and the regenerative gardens out back. Tastebuds are in for a pleasant surprise with the Kombu cauliflower, the Cubano (mojo marinated shredded jackfruit), and the kimchi bowl with red-lentil "spam." Weekend brunch rolls out “chicken” and oat-milk waffles along with other classics with a healthy spin like “sausage” and biscuits. If you can’t finish your meal, never fear. Leftovers are composted and nothing goes to waste, including veggie stock that makes its way into risotto and banana peels turned into tacos.

Veggies with a view could be the subtitle for this venerable Cardiff-by-the-Sea restaurant that grew from a simple juice shack. Ki's is well known for heart-healthy, gluten-free, vegan, locally sourced, ovo-lacto, vegetarian-friendly dishes like huevos rancheros, filling tofu scrambles, taco plates, chopped salads with feta and nuts, watermelon juice, and carrot ice-cream smoothies. The menu also includes turkey wraps piled on wheat bread and dinner entrées such as Thai seafood curry, roasted Jidori chicken, or Asian salmon salad on a bed of organic greens, all prepared with minimal fat. Get a table up top for incomparable ocean views, but be prepared for a wait, as service is rather slow.