Frankly, late-night meals aren't a big part of San Diego life outside downtown, but there are a few good choices.

Downtown--The kitchen at Croce's stays open till midnight all week. You can order appetizers from the eclectic menu, or opt for a full (expensive) meal. Kansas City Barbecue, across the street from the Hyatt, serves meals until 1am nightly. The stylish coffeehouse Café Lulu, a block from Horton Plaza, stays open till 1am Sunday through Thursday and 3am Friday and Saturday. It serves health-conscious vegetarian meals, and bread from Bread & Cie.

Hillcrest/Uptown--The relentlessly 1950s-themed Corvette Diner serves up terrific coffee shop-style food and a page-long menu of fountain favorites; it stays open till midnight Friday and Saturday. Or satisfy your sweet tooth with a sublime creation from Extraordinary Desserts, which also serves imported teas and coffees along with not-so-sweet scones and tea cakes. Crest Café, 425 Robinson Ave. (tel. 619/295-2510), is a friendly neighborhood joint for burgers, pastas, and sandwiches; it's open till midnight Sunday through Thursday, till 1am Friday and Saturday. The kitschy Red Fox Room in North Park serves steaks and seafood till midnight Monday through Thursday, till 1am Friday and Saturday, and till 11pm Sunday.

Elsewhere--In Old Town, the irrepressible Old Town Mexican Café stays open for basic Mexican and tasty margaritas until 11pm Sunday through Thursday, and serves until "about" midnight on Friday and Saturday. Day or night, it's hard to top the Chinese seafood delicacies found at Emerald Restaurant in Kearny Mesa, and it's open until midnight daily. In Pacific Beach, Nick's at the Beach, 809 Thomas Ave. (tel. 858/270-1730), is open until 1am nightly and serves laid-back seafood; nearby Saska's, 3768 Mission Blvd. (tel. 858/488-7311), stays open till 12:45am Sunday through Thursday, till 1:45am Friday and Saturday, serving steaks, fresh fish, and pasta.