We are doing some work in the dining room and would like to install can lights. We live in California and the house is built in 1948... So, currently the dining room walls and ceiling are stripped to studs and joists/rafters for some structural work and before we close them up - lighting will need to be put in.
Can you guys recommend a couple of options what to install (manufacturer/type of can light)?
Electrician came out to look at this and said that he would go with old fashioned cans and use LED/retrofits (whatever that means) but from reading on this site I am getting that this is not exactly legal in Cali. We will probably get another electrician to come out look at the job but our own Education I'd like to gather as much info as possible. Thank you!

The dining room must have the high efficacy lighting or be controlled by an occupancy sensor or dimmer. The "insert" your electrician is proposing replaces the regular incandescent screw in socket with an LED module. This meets the definition of the high efficacy fixture. Just screwing in CF or LED bulbs into a fixture that takes a regular incandescent bulb doesn't qualify the installation as high efficacy.

I'm not sure why he espouses retrofit on what is essentially a new installation. LED fixtures are not substantially different in price from what he is proposing.