Little Italy in San Diego named California's 'best food neighborhood'

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- San Diego beat out hundreds of other cities for having the best neighborhood for food in the entire state of California. That's according to a recent list by foodie guide, LoveFood.

The list, published in September, compiled the best neighborhoods serving up delicious eats in each U.S. state, from well-known districts in major cities to up-and-coming areas that are more popular among locals.

San Diego's Little Italy was deemed the best place for food in the Golden State based on user reviews, awards and accolades, according to the website.

According to the Little Italy Association of San Diego, the neighborhood was established in the 1920s and is downtown's oldest continuous neighborhood-business district. It was home to more than 6,000 Italian families at one point in time, many of whom helped put San Diego on the map as part of the world's tuna industry.

Dining destinations in Little Italy include the Michelin-recognized restaurants Juniper & Ivy and Morning Glory, as well as the elevated Mediterranean restaurant Herb & Wood owned by celebrity chef Brian Malarkey.

"Covering 48 square blocks, it's the largest Little Italy in the U.S. and is awash with amazing restaurants and bustling patios, including the original location of popular California chain Filippi's Pizza Grotto," the description on LoveFood reads.

Other notable neighborhoods on the list include Nob Hill in Albuquerque, N.M., Pike Place Market in Seattle, Wash., Logan Square in Chicago, Ill. and Old Port in Portland, Maine.