A Beach Grass Cafe favorite Moroccan crab cakes served with lemony tartar. There have been so many important openings since last fall Royale Brasserie Bar, Baleen, Prime 10, Roy s and Aubergine among them. But as summer 2001 prepares to stretch out on the beach with a stack of sultry novels, it seems time to relax at a couple of laid-back eateries where the cooking sparkles like sunbathing wavecrests. Outdoor tables are sheltered under a wrought-iron sign that spells out the restaurant s name in thin, spidery calligraphy.
Diners find the cuisine memorable.
Those who indulge can expect to return home stuffed and happy. The name means midday, the time in Italy at which it is customary to enjoy the first serious meal of the day, but this attractively redecorated establishment could as well have been christened Two Gentlemen of Palermo in honor of the partners shared birthplace. Desserts include good homemade versions of tiramisu and cannoli. Mezzogiorno serves lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday, and Sunday dinner from 4 p.m., at 3667 India Street in San Diego.