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4. The Linkery Jay Porter and team are passionate about local foods – the menu gives you scads of information about each ingredient's provenance. They're also wild about beer, going out of their way to befriend local brewers. (Not a bad policy, actually.) DINER'S CHOICE: The sausage tacos ($11.50) are fun and filling. There's a rotating menu of links; order the spiciest available. DRINKER'S CHOICE: Like Hamilton's, Linkery always offers "real ale" ($3 for 5 ounces, $5.50 for 10, $8.25 for 15). This is cask-conditioned beer served through a pumplike "beer engine" instead of a tap. Because taps use CO2 to propel the beer, "real ale" is not as bubbly. Give this a try – whatever's on cask, it'll be smooth, creamy, dreamy. 5. Urban Solace From the wrought-iron grillwork outside to the high ceiling and long wooden bar inside, Urban Solace has a sophisticated (as opposed to a bombed-on-Hurricanes) New Orleans vibe. Beer runs behind wine here, but it's a close second. DINER'S CHOICE: The watermelon, tomato and cucumber salad ($8.25), adorned with pine nuts, feta cheese and a pomegranate vinaigrette, is healthy – and so sweet and refreshing, you don't mind in the least. DRINKER'S CHOICE: With a light lunch, it's hard to beat Trumer Pils, the great Salzberg lager now made in Berkeley. Seeking something with more balance? Try Stone Pale Ale. More hop bite? Racer 5 IPA. All on tap, all $4.50 – except happy hour, when they're $1 less. 6. Toronado San Diego Narrow, minimally decorated and with a limited kitchen, TSD is all about the beer. We're not complaining – beer lovers are greeted by 50 taps and about 75 bottles, many rare and all worth a tipple. DINER'S CHOICE: Whatever's being served. On recent visits, that has been grilled sausage topped with onions and peppers ($5.50) or a few sandwiches for a few dollars more. DRINKER'S CHOICE: AleSmith's Speedway Stout is routinely ranked among the world's great beers; score 13 ounces of this dark nectar here ($5). Or try a great sour Belgian, Rodenbach ($7); or Signature ($8.50), a joint U.S.-Belgium stunner concocted by a team that included Lost Abbey's Tomme Arthur; or bottles of legendary Rochefort 6 ($10), 8 ($10) or 10 ($12). Now that's beer hunting! 7. The Ritual Tavern For a great food-and-beer combo, Escondido's Stone World Bistro may be the county's champion. But Ritual is a worthy challenger. And like the Linkery, Ritual serves mostly organic foods from small farms and ranches within a day's drive. DINER'S CHOICE: Plenty of tempting dishes (the Niman burger, the gumbo, the lamb). But if the tomato soup ($5 for a small bowl, $8 for a large one) is offered, don't think twice. It's tart, vine-fresh, and as soothing as a free week in a beach cottage. DRINKER'S CHOICE: Port Brewing's Sharkbite Red ($3.50) is a favorite, its caramel sweetness savagely undercut by a lacerating hoppiness. Among the lengthy bottle list's stars: Radermacher, a Belgian blond ale brewed with a splash of gin ($15 for the 750-milliliter bottle). 8. Tioli's Crazee Burger Tioli's takes burgers to extremes. Hankering for an alligator burger with a curried fruit tapenade? Kangaroo burger with a blast of horseradish? Go Crazee. But the 10 beers on taps are smart, not insane. DINER'S CHOICE: Salt-and-parmesan doused fries ($1.99) and pepper Jack "CheeeeeeeeeeSeeeeeeeey Burger" ($5.49) may sound dull – that's beef between the buns, not 'roo. But these classics hit the traditional spot. DRINKER'S CHOICE: Try the unfiltered Kolsch from Lightning, Poway's under-appreciated German-style brewer ($4.99). Light-bodied but zesty. 9. Jayne's Gastropub A neighborhood hangout that serves outstanding dinners and a handful of hard-to-find beers, Jayne's has a devoted following. Arrive early or make reservations, and allow ample time to linger over hearty, simple fare, done proud. DINER'S CHOICE: Sea bass fish and chips ($18.50) is a delicious way to ingest healthful omega-3 oils. DRINKER'S CHOICE: Green Flash West Coast IPA ($5.50) is a new American classic, breathtakingly hoppy. Belgium's famed Delirium Tremens ($8 a bottle) is a fruity, full-bodied treat capable of standing up to Jayne's rich pork porterhouse ($24). stuffing swollen belly beer beer wholesalers and minority owned breweries