As you walk by your local bistros featuring al fresco dining, you may notice a recent phenomenon: more and more restaurants are welcoming well-behaved pooches to their terraces and patios. Many surveys have shown that a growing percentage of Americans regard their pets as part of their family. Who wants to leave their best buddy and family member home when it’s time to go out for brunch, dinner or drinks? While most cats prefer to order their “staff” to deliver their meals, many well-trained hounds and some birds happily accompany their humans for a meal on the town, especially if the dining establishments offer tasty treats. San Diego’s growing number of pet-friendly restaurants is one reason the city was named the best dog-friendly city in the U.S. by DogFriendl.com. San Diego’s friendliness toward dogs, based on growing amenities, continues unabated. While this list of pet-friendly restaurants in San Diego County is only a sampling, it includes recommendations from knowledgeable “foodies.” Travel and food mavens Maggie Espinosa, travel writer and author of “The Privileged Pooch: Luxury Travel with Your Pet in Southern California” (written with the collaboration of her Bichon Frisé, Marcel); Caron Golden, food writer and blogger extraordinaire (visit her San Diego Foodstuff blog for latest updates on the local food scene at www.sandiegofoodstuff.com) and mom to Rhodesian ridgebacks Ketzel and Shayna and “obedient servant” to felines Benny and Lily; foodie Doug Poirier, dad to Mr. Frosty the Famous Flying Dog; and dog-moms Sharon Corrigan, a devoted foodie, and Therapy Dog International advocate and practitioner Shirley Colman. Most of the “yappy hour” venues listed are also dog-friendly restaurants, while many coffee bars with outdoor seating also welcome canines. • Terra, 3900 Vermont St., Hillcrest, (619) 293-7088. This fine-dining, art-filled casual eatery, renowned for its award-winning food and wine list, also offers “Tail Waggin’ Specials” for pooches’ dining pleasure on the patio. • Café Chloe, 721 Ninth Ave., Downtown, (619) 232-3242. This casual bistro, which is gaining national recognition for the quality of its dining experience, welcomes well-mannered dogs at their sidewalk café. • McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant, 675 L St., at The Omni Hotel, East Village, (619) 645-6545. Dogs may join their humans for patio dining at this San Diego bastion of the national chain. • Pacific Coast Grill, 437 S. Hwy. 101, Solana Beach, (858) 794-4632. The dog-loving owners of this casual coastal bistro offer both excellent food and a dog-friendly garden patio. • Pacifica Del Mar & Pacifica Breeze Café, Del Mar Plaza, 1555 Camino Del Mar, Del Mar, (858) 792-0476. The fine-dining upstairs restaurant and its casual downstairs café provide outdoor pet-friendly dining, complete with breath-taking ocean views. • Trattoria Acqua, 1298 Prospect St., La Jolla, (858) 454-0709. Known for its fine Italian cuisine, the Trattoria hosts four-footed friends in its leafy courtyard. • Burger Lounge, 1101 Wall St., La Jolla, (858) 456-0196. Dogs are welcome at this gourmet burger chain, where it’s easy to share with your furry friend. • Fig Tree Café, 5119 Cass St., Pacific Beach, (858) 274-2233. This primarily outdoor restaurant has a large, pretty, pet-friendly terrace, shaded by a large fig tree, where many dogs and birds share their humans’ breakfast and lunch. Open Thursdays-Sundays. • O’Bistro Café, 4934 Voltaire St., Ocean Beach, (619) 223-2202. This typically laid-back OB eatery offers a varied, casual menu and an outdoor dining room filled with happy, relaxed canines. • Maria’s Café & Deli, Sunroad Marina, 955 Harbor Island Drive, Harbor Island, (619) 220-0455. This café, offering sweeping views of San Diego Bay and boats from its two terraces, provides dogs with water bowls and serves mainly breakfast and lunch, with dinner on weekends. • Po Pazzo, 1917 India St., (619) 238-1917, Little Italy, and its sister Busalacchi group restaurants, Trattoria Fantastica at 1735 India St., Café Zucchero at 1731 India St., and Zia’s Bistro at 1845 India St. Call (619) 450-2462 for central reservations, all welcome mannerly dogs on their terraces while their humans enjoy well-crafted Italian dishes. • Downtown Café, 182 E. Main St., El Cajon, (619) 440-5687. This friendly East County eatery hosts dogs on their patio and offers tacos, ribs and fajitas, with live music several evenings weekly. Since the hospitality industry sees frequent changes, be sure to call to ask about the restaurant’s pet-friendly status before bringing your dog to a new location. California Health Department regulations prohibit pets inside a dining establishment, except for assistance animals, and require pets to remain in outdoor dining areas. _________________ ‘Yappy Hours’ and petfriendly wine bars Gary Laliberté, owner of City Dog, located at 550 Park Blvd. in the East Village, has organized “yappy hours,” social hours for people and their canine companions, at downtown locations for several years. He feels they have a natural life-span, and as one yappy hour disappears, another fresh venue emerges offering human-canine gatherings. Currently, he’s organizing monthly events at the Indigo Hotel downtown and Porto Vista Hotel in Little Italy. Visit his website at www.citydogsd.com or call (619) 269-0201 for the latest information on City Dog-organized yappy hours and other events. Here’s a sampling of current yappy hours. Be sure to call to check the status of these and other venues before going. Included are two pet-friendly wine bars that welcome and “treat” well-behaved dogs on their terraces: • Porto Vista Hotel, 1835 Columbia St., Little Italy, (619) 564-3998, yappy hour first Friday of the month, on the Ripassi Rooftop Deck, 5:30 to 9 p.m. • Hotel Indigo, 509 9th Ave., Downtown, (619) 727-4000, monthly themed yappy hour with varied dates. Call hotel or City Dog for details. • Sally’s Seafood at the Manchester Grand Hyatt, One Market Place, Embarcadero, (619) 358-6740, yappy hour on their patio every Thursday, 2:30 to 7 p.m. • St. Germain’s Café, 1010 S. Coast Hwy. 101, Encinitas, (760) 753-5411, yappy hour Fridays and Saturdays 4 to 9:30 p.m. through July 31. • Andiamo Ristorante Italiano, 5959 Santo Road, Tierrasanta, (858) 277-3501, K-9s and Cocktails, last Wednesday of the month, 5 p.m. • Wine Cabana, 2539 Congress St., Old Town, (619) 574-9463, dogs welcome on patio; monthly Sunday afternoon canine event with treats. Call for dates. • The Wine Pub, 2907 Shelter Island Drive, #108, Point Loma, (619) 758-9325, pooch-friendly patio with treats available. (Note portrait of “owner” Clarence the beagle on the bar.)