Herringbone; La Jolla, California (Rest.)

*****
Two TC alumni are behind this inventive surf-and-turf spot. For his fifth restaurant, Top Chef: Miami’s Brian Malarkey tapped Top Chef: Washington, DC contestant Amanda Baumgarten to oversee a menu with dishes such as clam-and-bone marrow pizza and local uni with lardo. Malarkey’s plans for the next five years revolve around national expansion, starting with an outpost of his flagship seafood restaurant, Searsucker, opening in Scottsdale in November 2012. http://herringboneeats.com