6 Best Restaurants in Temecula, North County and Around

Every morning at 3 am, chefs are hard at work in this scratch, stone-hearth kitchen where nearly everything is produced in-house, including the sauces, dressings, and breads baked with a sourdough starter dating back 120 years. Handcrafted sandwiches range from steak-mushroom melts with smoked blue cheese to turkey with aged Brie and balsamic compote, and the pizzas are large enough to share, though most people find themselves walking out with a to-go box—especially if they start with “Mother’s Meatballs,” made with Kobe beef, bubbling in a cast-iron skillet. If you didn’t save room for dessert, take a leisurely stroll around Old Town and come back for the bread pudding, a treat that lures people time and again.

Void of GMOs, colorings, preservatives, or enhancers, this family-owned business taps into locally sourced ingredients to offer great food at a remarkable price. Located on the edge of Old Town Temecula, it's as simple as point, grab, and go with an online kitchen firing up bowls, burgers, sandwiches, and entrées like grass-fed tri-tip, free-range chicken, and sustainable salmon. The Thai-chicken curry bowl comes with coconut, lemongrass, and chilies, while the En Fuego Burger is piled high with double-smoked bacon, organic avocado, and jalapeno aioli. There’s plenty of gluten-free and vegan options, as well as family packs, perfect for four.

The understated chocolate chip cookie might be the best you’ve ever had.

With its flowering trellises and vineyard views, the spacious patio at Thornton Winery's café is the perfect place to lunch on a sunny day. The kitchen, which faces the French country–style dining room, turns out lobster ravioli, margarita flatbread, sandwiches, and other hearty fare. The reasonably priced wines include the winery's signature sparklers.

California native Blythe Wilson and Sardinian-born chef Pietro Cinus met while Wilson was exploring the Tuscan countryside and together they brought all things Italian to Temecula. Grab a seat at a wooden table—built by the chef—and try gnocchi, ravioli, and soft breads all made by hand; the bustling scratch kitchen integrates spicy sausage and aged pecorino imported from Italy. The carpaccio di polpo (octopus) is bathed in olive oil, and the risotto is mixed with a medley of fresh seafood.

Step into South Coast Winery's dimly lit restaurant, where prices are high but wine pours are generous. Wooden pillars divide L-shape booths, and stained-glass windows of red roses that pay tribute to the name are the backdrop to a menu that delivers favorites like the charcuterie platter, Jidori chicken, and roasted salmon with heirloom tomato marmalade; hearty eaters will appreciate the selection of pork chop, Scottish salmon, and grilled filet mignon. Outdoor tables overlooking the lawn illuminated with market lights are equally romantic. Guests at South Coast Winery, or neighboring Carter Estate Resort, can charge their bill to the room.