Originally Posted by SanDiego1K

For you, from north to south:

Oceanside:
Matsu - 626 S Tremont St, Oceanside, CA 92054 - modern Japanese, 10 course tasting menu or a la carte - chef is on a quest to earn a Michelin star and it surprises local food reviewers that it has yet to achieve it
Vallle, front of Mission Pacific Hotel, overlooking Oceanside pier. One star Michelin. Chef is from the Guadalupe Valley of Baja California and is well known for his cooking there. Modern Mexican (but don't think of it as any Mexican food you know)
Dija Mara, 232 S. Coast Hwy., Oceanside, 92054, USA, bib gourmand, very casual, superb Indonesian food - friends came from Phoenix and chose it. I really liked it.

Carlsbad:
Jeune et Jolie - 2659 State St Suite 102, Carlsbad, one star Michelin - set-price menu of imaginative French dishes
Campfire - same owners as Jeune et Jolie. I'll be honest, I haven't been here post covid, but I loved it pre Covid. Michelin description: Located in a midcentury Quonset hut enlivened with eclectic outdoorsy decorations, this rough-and-tumble counterpart to more glamorous nearby Jeune et Jolie has plenty of fun with its theme, down to the teepee on the patio.
Ricks on State - ate here with girlfriends this week and loved it.

Encinitas:
Herb & Sea, 131 W D St, Encinitas, Brian Malarkey restaurant - modern eclectic seafood restaurant - my preference is to sit on the outdoor deck -

Solana Beach
Rare Society, 330 S Cedros Ave, Solana Beach - high end steak

Del Mar
Market - my favorite - really good food that I enjoy eating, 3 course menu Blue cheese souffle is insanely good and a great appetizer. Well priced for all you get.

Encinitas and Carlsbad both have a remarkable line up of restaurants in the core coastal area of each town and are more what I go to on a regular basis. Matsu and Jeune et Jolie are ones where I only go when I want fancy.