DECEMBER 2014 // HOLIDAY
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40 YEARS
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VOLUME 2 * ISSUE 10 * DECEMBER 2014
PUBLISHER/EDITOR CHRIS LAPHAM DIRECTOR OF SALES/SENIOR EDITOR STEVE KANG SENIOR MANAGING EDITOR CORY WATERHOUSE
Well folks, I made it. Thirty days of mustachio misery, but I came out unscathed. It should be noted that I also avoided jail time, primarily because I kept a minimum distance of 500 feet from all schools and parks. I can’t tell you how great it feels to have a smooth upper lip again.
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING PETE ROCKY CREATIVE CONSULTANT/PHOTO EDITOR JOHN SCHNACK
Movember was once again a huge success, and yes, the peeps at 4L did our part. Stacy Cafagna Pollard was able to catch up with Movember co-founder Adam Garone for a follow up to last month’s feature, which is a very interesting read. (Page 52)
ONLINE EDITOR JERAN FRASER RESEARCHER MATT FAIRBANKS
At press time, the 2015 Movember campaign has raised a stunning $68 million dollars and I would like to personally thank all the ladies and gentleman who rocked the fuzzy face for a very worthy cause. Great job to everyone who participated.
CONTRIBUTORS Meghan Balser, Mike “Mikey Beats” Beltran, Michelle Lyn, Erik Martin, Lara Miller, Bridget Najour, Brady Phelps, Stacy Cafagna Pollard, Miles Roberson, Brian Shire, Jason Stewart, Max Wettstein, Steve Woods
As I sit here writing this the holidays are in full swing, and we all know what that means. Congested traffic, short tempers and needless stress and anxiety. I personally believe the Holidays bring out not only the very best in people, but also the very worst. I was in a Costco last week and it was like a war zone.
PHOTOGRAPHERS Lauren Fraser, John Schnack ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVES Tim Knowles (Senior Account Executive) Marissa Goodbody, Jason Stewart, Teresa Strom
I would like to remind all of our incredible readers that the holidays should be a time of celebration. It’s about friends and family and hopefully a time of giving, especially to those who are less fortunate. There are a lot of people out there who can use our help.
ACCOUNTING Jessica Murphy
Next time you feel a bump against your shopping cart by some crazy, freaked out shopper, take a deep breath and say hello neighbor, Merry Christmas. The only red you should be seeing this holiday season is Rudolph’s nose.
DECEMBER
AY 2014 // HOLID
SanDiego
g Celebratin
40 YEARS
2014 was interesting year in many ways. For me, it’s that time to sit back and reflect on the good, the bad and the ugly. I’m taking this time to really focus and try to become a better person. I’ve never really been a “New Years resolution” kind of guy, but I’m going to try it out. Who knows, maybe it just might work.
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Best wishes to everyone for a safe, happy holiday season and 2015. Cheers!
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I’d like to thank all of our wonderful readers, advertisers and amazing people and companies that we were fortunate enough to work with over the last 12 months. You help make it an enjoyable ride everyday.
OCTOB
HOLIDAY
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4L Magazine is published monthly except Dec/Jan is bi-monthly. The known office of publication is 1880 Diamond St., San Marcos, CA 92078. 4L is published by Known Publishing Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Articles and stories appearing in 4L may not necessarily represent the views and opinions of 4L Magazine. Reproduction in whole or in part without prior written consent is strictly prohibited.
FITNESS NUTRITIO N FOOD & DRINK TRAVEL
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CONTENTS
FEATURES & DEPARTMENTS
GAMBLING 46 TIPS: Never Dos
PAGE 16
BELLY UP PAGE 20
‘TIS THE SEASON, SD! FITNESS 8 FAST BREAK: Hard Work 10 MAX WETTSTEIN:
FITNESS & NUTRITION
FOOD/DRINK 22 EVOTEK Charger’s Tailgate Party 24 CHEF’S TABLE: Chris Gentile, Double Standard 26 BEATS & EATS: Barrio Star + Schoeny 30 RESTAURANT REVIEWS: Level 9 + Le Parfait Paris 34 UNCORKED: Gifts for Winos 38 CRAFTY: Duck Dive + Marker’s Mark Cask Strength 42 HAPPIEST HOUR: Hooters
ON PAR 48 GOLF TIPS: Amy vs. Lucy — Closest to the Pin
RELATIONSHIPS 52 MUSINGS: Adam Garone
FASHION 54 Crack the Code
STUNNING SAN DIEGO 56 Tara Johnson
RHYTHM
66 HOT WIRE: Concerts and Show Dates
AROUND TOWN 70 DECEMBER EVENTS: Local happenings and things to do
44 TENDER: Stephanie Valencia
64 ALL HANDS ON TECH: Lust-worthy gadgets that we all don’t need 6 4L MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2014
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FITNESS
FAST BREAK
HARD WORK BY JASON STEWART
We hear this term all the time. We use it in sports and in business often. What is hard work? What does that phrase mean to you? Recently, I was stopped at a red traffic light next to a woman in a brand new Panamera Porsche. She pulled up to me and rolled her window down and asked me if I needed some help (thinking I had honked my horn for her attention). I explained that it was not me who used my horn, but I did have a question for her. I proceeded to ask, “How do I turn this Honda Accord into a car like yours?” She paused, smirked and almost laughed toward the sky and replied simply “Hard work, that’s it”.
There are different types of people in the working world.
I thought about her response for the next several days. It made me think about the basketball players I come in contact with or coach. Her statement made me think about myself and my days as an aspiring athlete. Did I really know what hard work was when I was young and inexperienced? No, I didn’t.
The Regular Worker: This person does all that is required of them. They do their job and are steady in their industry/sport.
I remember being a junior and then a senior in high school wanting to play for the University of Arizona. I would go play in games around my neighborhood all the time. If you had of asked me, I would have told you I was working hard. I was giving extra effort in games, not taking plays off and doing all I could to be effective in every productive statistical category. This was my idea of hard work. I would have been emotionally upset if you told me I was not working hard. However, I was missing several huge pieces of the puzzle. I didn’t know what hard work was until I started working with my mentor/trainer. He would take me to the court and make me shoot basketball consistently for an hour and a half. We’d take a break and return to do dribbling for another hour. Then he would make me run sprints!! Later in the same day, I would return to the basketball court to play in games against guys who were bigger and stronger than me. I did this every day for the 90 days between high school senior year and college freshman year. This is how a 5’9” senior who weighed 159 lbs walked on at the University of Arizona. I had to do a lot of things I didn’t feel like doing at times during the day I didn’t feel like doing it. The huge piece of the puzzle was I simply didn’t know what it took. When you seek success, it is important to find not just a trainer who has been where you want to go, but someone who is willing to build a relationship with you as a mentor. This is valuable because when learning to do things you don’t feel comfortable with you need to have someone help you change your mindset as well as your habits. As an adult in business, once you have decided which career path you are going to take you will need to start the same process as the young athlete. Find a mentor who shares the same values as you do and then learn from them what “hard work” means in your industry.
The Lazy Worker: This is the person who doesn’t do very much of anything. They say they want to be involved, but all they really do is show up for work and take up space.
The Hard Worker: This person goes beyond what is required of them in the office or on the court. Outside of the office or mandated practice and games, they are consistently looking for opportunities to improve and evolve. Most hard workers seek a mentor. So which one are you and why? First you must begin to answer that question with a question, “What are your short term and long term life goals?” You must have a clear vision of what your end goal is. Once you have that you then must begin to ask yourself if you are not in the “hard working” category, “Why?”. This is a very hard question to answer. For many people the answer will be fear, for others, pride. The answer is not always obvious. It will take days of thinking and asking yourself questions to get to the bottom line. Whatever “working category” you decide to be in will ultimately communicate to yourself and everyone around you what your values are. It will eventually be clear how important reaching certain goals are to you. We all are sacrificing something. Understanding what your sacrifice will be is perhaps the greatest education you could attain.
Jason Stewart can be reached through his website at www.ProUniversity.Net or by email at Coach@ProUniversity.net 8 4L MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2014
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FITNESS
with Max Wettstein
HOLISTIC HEALTH
Ideology and Lifestyle Tips DISCLAIMER Not medical advice. Opinion only.
10 4L MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2014
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Holistic does not imply religion. It simply means treating your body as a whole physical, spiritual, psychological entity and approaching your health from all these aspects with equal attention and nurturing. It means welcoming all healthy living philosophies and strategies, as to learn from all of them, take what works best, and blend them into your own lifestyle. I certainly did not invent the holistic ideology, but I have been making an effort to incorporate holistic concepts into my lifestyle and have noticed a positive difference, from less illness to how I manage stress. And it turns out that a holistic-health lifestyle will also promote longevity and ideal body composition – optimal leanness and therefore an aesthetically appealing physique! I have compiled a short list of 12 things you can do daily to incorporate a holistic method into your life. Some will seem very simple and even common sense. In fact you may already be doing many of these little acts, but all combined they are powerful! This list is by no means all inclusive and this is not an exact science, but rather an ideology. Remember too, that this list spans all holistic-lifestyle aspects to include physical, psychological and spiritual. Feel free to add to this list and tailor it to your needs – it is a process of constant evolution and awareness for all of us. It’s a journey.
IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER: 01 Brush your teeth, gums and tongue and floss daily. Mouth bacteria enters directly into the bloodstream when you have gum disease. Flossing disrupts bacterial colonies. 02 Supplement with probiotic bacteria (healthy bacteria) to support colon health and help fight against yeast-overrun and colon-based pathogens. Natural yogurts and cottage-cheeses and Kombucha tea will also contain live cultures of beneficial bacteria. Pathogens and disease can also enter through an unhealthy ‘leaky’ colon if ‘good’ bacteria are not thriving and regular bowel movements aren’t occurring. We actually carry up to ten times as many bacteria cells on and in our bodies as human cells, and we are meant to coexist and utilize these bacteria! It’s a symbiotic relationship to be nurtured!
03 Alkalanize/Alkalize daily with GREEN and RAW veggies and nuts and chlorophyllcontaining drinks throughout the day. The goal here is to consume foods with basepH or greater than 7.0 pH to offset all the acid-forming, refined foods and animal-based foods we eat. As a general rule of thumb, if it is GREEN or plant-based then it is alkaline and raw is usually best. There are many fantastic supplement greens’ powders out there for those on the go! 04 Eat multiple Super-Foods daily. By ‘super’ I mean foods that possess powerful healing, energizing or cancer-fighting power. Foods such as olive oil, garlic, honey, lemon, Green-Tea, coconut, eggs, apples, raw nuts, wild cold-water fish and many more. Feel free to supplement with extracts from these super-foods or other vitamins and supplements as needed! We’re not perfect eaters and never will be!
05 Cleanse and detox daily. This is very simple: Eat clean, whole-foods, organic when possible, plenty of raw fruits and green veggies and drink pure water! Our bodies do a thorough job of detoxing on their own via our liver, lymphatic, sweat glands, lungs, mucus, kidneys and colon, etc. All we have to do is provide toxin-free foods and water, perhaps along with some teas and herbs. Our bodies will do the rest! Exercise also helps our bodies to eliminate toxins, through sweat and moving lymphatic fluid. Consider incorporating occasional, short-term periods of fasting, also known as Intermittent Fasting, which is linked to longevity, Growth Hormone trigger, and increased resting metabolism. 06 Exercise or be ACTIVE every day! At least 20 minutes of moderate-to-high intensity exercise daily to focus mainly on cardio fitness but also to include strength training at least 2 days per week to prevent natural atrophy, protect bone-density and boost resting-metabolism. The benefits of consistent exercise are literally equivalent to the fountainof-youth and are too many to list. Plus, it is proven that exercise is the only anti-thesis to combat a sedentary lifestyle. Sedentary lifestyle contributes to early-death, insulin-resistance and slow-metabolism. Plus exercise triggers dopamine and Growth Hormone! When possible try and exercise OUTDOORS for cleaner air and exposure to sunlight which boosts serotonin (the pleasure-neurotransmitter), vitamin-D and helps us sleep better at night by establishing better Circadian Rhythm. 07 Be productive and creative every day. It makes us feel good to be productive, contribute and be creative. It gives us a chance to express ourselves and totally engage mentally in the precious present moment. Creating gets the reward-neurotransmitter dopamine firing and anytime we can do that naturally, THAT is health and happiness at its most organic!
DECEMBER 2014 | Fully cultured, yet unshaven | 4L MAGAZINE 11
FITNESS with Max Wettstein
08 Build and nurture social relationships within your life. Social media doesn’t count! Spending quality time with family and friends does. Whether it’s a club or a team or just hanging out, it is human nature to nurture relationships with others – the forum doesn’t matter. Try to work in some hugs too – hugs heal! Love is all-powerful and healing. Nurturing your libido is good too. Do not underestimate the healing effects of bonding with a pet. Having an animal companion can add years to your life! Karma cannot be ignored either: Part of the holistic ideology is cause and effect. We reap what we sow. If you’re simply terrible interacting with other humans then consider buying a pet! 09 There is a ‘higher-power.’ ‘Holistic’ does not evoke religion but it does require spirituality and belief in an infinite-power or higher-intelligence, or whatever you desire to call it. At least acknowledging that the universe is much greater than us and that we are accountable to and humbled by it and all there is an infinite amount available to learn and incredible energy that surrounds us. When one brings children into this world there is incredible love experienced and a spiritual awakening occurs. Again karma exists in holistic ideology.
10 Q uality sleep is absolutely essential. Sleep is the basis for holistic health. I don’t believe there is an exact quantity that is requisite for everyone, but what sleep you do get needs to be uninterrupted and quality. Deep-Sleep Phase is when we humans get our greatest Growth Hormone secretion, which heals, restores and makes us LEAN. Obviously in the real world, our sleep window is compressed and interrupted, but that’s why we all can benefit from learning the art of the power-nap and being able to sneak one in whenever possible! Seriously, if you’re chronically sleep-deprived EVERYTHING else in your life and health is suffering too. Trust me on this one. 11 Manage STRESS effectively. In the real world there will always be stress. Some stress actually improves our performance and is beneficial. But chronic stress will lead to premature death. There are many ‘tools’ out there to help us deal and vent, so find what works for you: Exercise, relaxation breathing, massage, a friend who is a good listener, a glass of wine and a hotshower, making
priority lists, delegating, whatever works for you. Or how about simply ‘unplugging’? It’s okay to ask for help! When it comes to disagreements with others, most old married folk have learned that taking ‘time-outs’ works for adults too. 12 We’re responsible for our own happiness. Lower your expectations of others and raise them for yourself. You’ll be less disappointed. We all have our problems and we can blame all we want, but at the end of the day, nobody is responsible for making you happy but you. If you don’t want to be victimized than choose not to be a victim. I realize it is not always this simple or easy, but examine the relationships you’re in and be prepared to make significant changes if somebody is holding you back, has nothing positive to offer or is unwilling to compromise.
NOTE: Some folks are naive enough to believe that if they eat ‘perfectly’ (as if that is even possible) and live ideally, then disease will never enter or thrive in their body...so they think they never need to visit a doctor for an actual check-up. We are all carry genetic traits and a long family-history that may or may not cause us to be at high-risk for developing some diseases. How well do you know your family history? Don’t be naive and don’t be ignorant: Go get a general physical examination to include a blood-panel once per year, and visit a Dermatologist once per year if you’re over age 35. If you’re over age 40 check your prostate annually. If you’re over age 50, get a colonoscopy once per year. YES, these check ups with actual M.D.s are an important part of holistic-health! Do the basic age-marker tests and check-ups! Prevention is best, as is addressing the disease cause, (rather than just treating the symptoms), however a combination of naturopathic and western medicine is best.
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DECEMBER 2014 | Fully cultured, yet unshaven | 4L MAGAZINE 13
NUTRITION with Max Wettstein
HOLIDAY EATING
+ DIET STRATEGY Do You Need One?
Summer is over, the shorts and swimsuits are put away, replaced with heavier, baggier clothing and jackets that conceal our physiques from public view. The holiday season is upon us as well and this means its time to gather, eat, drink and be merry because that is what Americans do!
DISCLAIMER Not medical advice. Opinion only.
14 4L MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2014
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NUTRITION with Max Wettstein
For the majority of us, every weekend for the next two months will be marked with some sort of social event where much food and refreshment is available, including but not limited to burgers, dogs, pizza, soda, beer, chips, dips, fried-foods, holiday cookies, breads, and candies. On top of that, mix in a few multi-course holiday dinner celebrations and the calorie intake starts adding up. The days are the shortest they’ve been all year and colder too, so we’re inside more and most likely a lot less active. This further contributes to a potential for accumulating a huge calorie surplus eventually adding unwanted pounds and inches. Okay, so now I’m a Grinch who doesn’t believe in holiday and football season traditions, and perhaps even un-American too, right?! Tell you “…something you don’t know”, right? Well I’m really on your side, and in fact my wife has dragged me to three parties in the last two weeks, and I wasn’t exactly fasting. The empty, liquid calories were definitely being consumed on my part if you know what I mean, but I did recover and you can too. The key to recovery is moderation during the rest of the week, in between social engagements. Moderation – really - is all it takes. Don’t let your Saturday night or Sunday afternoon binge-fest snowball and sabotage your exercise and eating habits the rest of the week. Come Monday, get back on the fitness wagon and have an ounce of discipline. Stay motivated and on your fitness plan during the week, (or during the days leading up to and following your social event), and you will deserve to indulge alongside everyone else during the festivities, whatever the occasion may be. The beauty of this aside from not morphing into a fat-body come January, is you will be able to really enjoy yourself, guilt free while celebrating. And, you won’t have to include the
long-clichéd weight-loss goal as part of your New Year’s resolutions. The logic is simple: five days of disciplined and sensible eating and exercise followed by one to two days of over indulging, does not equal an overall calorie surplus and consequential fat gain for the entire week. In other words, one or two “cheat days” will not cancel out the progress attained in five or six ‘good days’. There are several physiological factors in contributing to this logic: Long term dieting slows the metabolism and that one ‘cheat day’ of indulging and over-eating will stimulate the metabolism. The process of digesting large amounts of food in itself requires a tremendous amount of energy in itself. What’s more, the body’s muscles and liver have the ability to store huge amounts of carbs/calories in the form of glycogen - a phenomenon known to athletes as ‘carbo-loading’. This muscle-glycogen stores with a lot of water, filling out your muscles and causing temporary weight gain. Although you will now suddenly weigh more and your clothes may fit tighter, by no means have you gotten fatter, and in a day’s time you should be back to your normal weight. Additionally, chips, dips, pizza, fried foods, sauces and gravies are loaded with sodium. This sodium causes even more water retention, again, causing a temporary weight gain and puffiness. A day or two back into your normal eating and exercising habits you should be back to normal. All this being said, it wouldn’t hurt to perform a little extra cardio exercise prior to your holiday event, as this will create a calorie deficit and make your muscles and liver insulin-sensitive and more glycogen efficient so you uptake glucose/carbs more readily for replenishment. So now fast-forward to January 2nd, 2015, (Happy New Year!) I know football season
is not over yet, but at least the holidays are behind you. At this point you’re probably more concerned about how in debt you are financially, but I can’t help you there. However a recovery plan may also be in order for your health and your weight at this time. Once the new year arrives I’ll address this again, but post-holiday season is the time of year where strategic intermittent fasting and some detoxing are in order. Hopefully you gained very little weight/fat if any, but even so a total body cleanse or at the very least a colon and liver cleanse would be a good New Year’s resolution and a great way to start the year. Don’t be alarmed by the sound of “colon-cleanse”, as you don’t need to do a colonic or an enema, or anything extreme like that. Just short term water or raw-juice fasting, along with some cleansing-herb capsules and herbal teas, and some Probiotics, (friendly intestinal bacteria), are all that is comprised. Heck, even a short, pure water fast is usually all that is needed to let your body fix itself and reset to normal. Drinking lots of water, raw juices, herbal cleansing-teas and taking herbs such as Milk Thistle can go along way in helping your liver health, especially if you consume large amounts of alcohol. I’ll go further into detail in January. In conclusion, once again, it is clear that moderation is essential. If you binge and over indulge one weekend, don’t give up or feel overcome with guilt. Just write the day off and move on, and get back to your normal, sensible lifestyle as soon as you can. If it helps, tell yourself you just stimulated your metabolism and then give a little extra during your next workout. Just because you may not wear a bathing suit again until May, doesn’t mean you should lose your focus or stop exercising.
DECEMBER 2014 | Fully cultured, yet unshaven | 4L MAGAZINE 15
As every entrepreneur can attest to, running your own successful business is a stressful balancing act between money coming in and money going out where, hopefully, the scales tip toward money coming in. Maintaining profitability in any business is the goal and in a live venue it’s tough to do, especially for many years. Belly Up in Solana Beach is celebrating 40 years of being in business, with the past 10 years being under current owners Steve Goldberg and partner Phil Berkovitz. I was able to tap the business knowledge of Goldberg as well as the show promotions expertise of Meryl Klemow, who both also shared their experiences at the legendary live venue. BY MIKE BELTRAN | PHOTOS BY PIXEL PERFECT IMAGES
Mikey Beats: With both you and Phil Berkovitz
having run your own businesses prior to buying Belly Up, what successful processes did you put into place or improved upon when you took over?
ally worked hard to build our happy hour. Some days our happy hour Fridays, with our premier happy hour band Atomic Groove, sells out from 5 to 8 p.m.
Steve Goldberg: Dave Hodges created an amazing club that would be impossible to duplicate today. We had a lot to work with since all of the elements were there, but they needed to be fine tuned and managed. The times have changed, though. It’s not just a hangout bar with a great vibe anymore, it’s a business and it isn’t a trade secret, the key is to not lose money on shows. First and foremost we had to eliminate losses. In other words, do a better job of booking shows so that we could not lose money and then work on figuring out what a good formula would be. For example, we re-
The challenge is building a group of bands that we have at our disposal that fits that formula. It’s a lot of formulas that have to be established for a very esoteric business. The key is to have the right people in place who can actually manage something that has that many moving parts. To be able to start with such an experienced core as we did at Belly Up certainly made it easier. We try to be closed as little as possible so we are able to book entertainment seven days a week. Finding winning shows is not an easy task. Another thing that turned a corner for us at Belly Up was hiring Chris Goldsmith, a
16 4L MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2014
seven-time Grammy Award winning producer, to head up our talent department.
I do believe that would be a huge help. Please describe the benefits of having “Goldie” come in and be the music guidance counselor. Well, the benefit is that he’s been on both sides of the business transaction. He was an agent for years, having worked out of Belly Up, at the Falk and Morrow agency, produced music festivals, produced bands and artists and his knowledge of the business, with his pragmatic approach to making money in the business, is really for our club and exceeds what you would normally be able to find for someone in that position.
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Yeah, he is badass! He is a badass! We worked for a long time to get him on board. He really loves Belly Up, so that made it perfect, but we had to make a compelling deal and look at what we could do on a long-term basis that went beyond just booking shows at the club. The additional business of ventures that we’ve embarked upon has really been an interest to all of us here. Goldie is looking at more than just to be someone involved with booking a club.
I had the great honor of interviewing Goldie before for the magazine started, and he is a great guy to have in the driver’s seat in regards to entertainment. Now, being a successful business owner for many years, tasks and responsibilities have to be delegated to other people so that frees up your time to concentrate on the bigger picture. Can you tell me about how you pass your business philosophy on to your management? Well, I manage multiple businesses in San Diego and Colorado. The key to being able to do so is to have someone who you can train to understand your business philosophy and to be able to execute that philosophy. In San Diego, my partner Phil started as a general manager many years ago at my first restaurant, Paradise Grill in Encinitas. We worked together extensively, and over the years he learned my viewpoint on suc-
cess and of managing a business. So if you have someone who understands your philosophy and has the tools as Phil does, you have a great chance to succeed in passing that down to the other managers at these establishments, and they pass them on to the employees. The key is that everyone working for you understands the mission, your philosophy, which is paramount to running a successful establishment and differentiating yourself from the same people trying to do a similar thing at another establishment.
What is your business philosophy? Our philosophy is that you cannot forget the importance of taking care of every last customer and doing the best job you can while understanding that we are there to make them happy. This is the hospitality and entertainment industry so every customer is another opportunity to make someone happy, whether that’s providing the right bands or the right food along with it or the right bar selection. We love what we do. Music is such a unifier. There is so much good music out there and we do our best to provide the absolute best entertainment we can for the people who come in, but if people didn’t support live music and respond to the investment that we make, none of this would be possible. It really comes down to the customers, the people buying tickets. I can’t tell you how much we really appreciate their business and
them allowing us to deliver an experience to take them away from their every day lives for that twoand-a-half- to three-hour show.
Excellent, I love your philosophy and that’s why I am a loyal customer. Now, in business, sometimes there is crossover into personal life where an associate becomes a close personal friend. Have you become close with any of your longtime employees or any of notable friendships with band members? I’ve become really good friends with Phil, he’s like family to me, as well as Chris Goldsmith. We travel together and have a good time and enjoy what we do in this business. If we didn’t, we would be doing something else.
Amen. Lucas Nelson, Willie Nelson’s kid. He’s a good friend and stays with us out in Aspen when he plays out here. We hang out in Hawaii occasionally. There are a lot of people who have gone through here that have become friends. Zach Sciacca (a.k.a. DJ Z-Trip) is a guy we know and love. There are people you get to know in life in the business who are just like anybody else that you get to become friends with. It’s not the easiest environment to spend time with people who just come through here, but some people through friends or other acquaintances, you just hang out with. They come
in town and we grab dinner before their shows, so there’s quite a few we call friends.
Gotcha. Who is your longest lasting employee and what is the key to keeping them around? We like to keep people here and turnover is expensive so we do what we can to keep them happy. But, most importantly, we don’t keep people unless they get what we do and want to be a part of it. We definitely take pride in providing a really good environment for people to work in and be part of our family. Our chef, Izzy Balderas, started off as a dishwasher at the Paradise Grill in Encinitas 24 years ago. He continues to this day and is the overseer of the kitchen at the Wild Note [and] the food at Belly Up and Pacific Coast Grill. Jeff Keeping has been here since day one; he preceded us. A lot of people that we inherited are still here like Mickey, the manager at the Wild Note, who used to be a bartender. Claudia, the bar manager, Sammy and Steve, they’ve all been there for well over 20-30 years.
Mikey Beats: Now it’s time for a little fun with
you, Meryl Klemow; what is up with the big shark in the club?
Meryl Klemow: [Laughs] Our old owner, Dave Hodges, I think he spent some time and created it himself with a group of friends, so it’s been up there since the beginning when the club opened in 1974. Yeah, we added red laser eyes to the shark and we’ve also had a shark cam in here. That is just a one-off for a taping, so it’s not on all the time.
Which show created the most nudity and sexual acts in the club?
18 4L MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2014
In addition to them, we have many other great additions to the team; Pete McDevitt, who is our head talent buyer who works with Chad Waldorf, who is our local talent buyer. When you book a show, people have to know the show exists, so there’s our marketing marketing department with Meryl, of course, and Beth Bennett; they both do a phenomenal job of letting people know we have these shows. From there, then it’s operations and we’ve had a great production staff for years, people who physically put the shows on and make sure the sound and lights are correct. Then there is food and beverage, the management staff and our security staff, all of whom are excellent. We have to take care of our customers, which means we have excellent bartenders and wait people and a really desirable selection, so it all has to work together. It is all orchestrated and all comes together really well. I wanted to point out the people who are so important to making the whole experience, this whole operation, flawless is our Belly Up family.
Sure, we have Belly Up Entertainment, which is a booking service that we provide for a lot of different venues and individuals. Through that we book the Fiesta Del Sol in Solana Beach and Music Cherries for Solana Beach and Encinitas. We book the OMBAC Festival and we also book the Rock N Roll Marathons throughout the country. We have Belly Up Booking, which is under Belly Up Entertainment, and then we have Belly Up Records, which is a little record company that sells recordings of our live shows. If you see a great show at Belly Up, you can hear it as long as you want if we get a chance to record it by gaining permission from the artist. We do a bunch of side projects that are extensions of the music business because we have had such a great reputation and such a strong brand with presence in our area for so many years.
Your business knowledge, lessons and experiences are unparalleled, Steve, thank you. ***
Can you discuss business diversification and the multiple revenue streams that Belly Up has?
For me, which Beth [Bennett] mentioned was one of her favorites too, was the band Gogol Bordello—they were nuts. It was just so hot and sweaty and crazy in the club that people, both men and women, were just taking their shirts off. Lucky for them, they have a very lean audience so people were looking good. But ... um ... it was very hot and energetic; it just spawned into that kind of stuff.
I bet that smelled nice. What is the most random object left after a show in the backstage area? I know this and that’s so funny you just asked this because it was going to tie into the nudity, but one of the top rock bands, I can’t say exactly who, but the lead singer left his thong here! And it
was my job to get on my hands and knees and dig underneath the couch and underneath the fridge and look for his thong the next day. I guess it was some special thong, like a good luck one, and he specifically wears it. And he lost it here, and no one has found it yet …
The shark has it. Yes, the shark might have it! Or, I think one of our maintenance men stole it and is secretly wearing it.
Oh, it’s totally on e-Bay and already gone. What about in the front? What’s the most random object found left by audience members?
4Lmagazine.com
I’m always amazed at how people will lose one shoe or a leg warmer. I’m like, “How do you lose a large object that you wore?” People have called looking for pairs of skinny jeans. Why are you people losing your skinny jeans at a Gogol Bordello show?
What I’ve learned when the light turns on: Always look in the corners. You always find money, drugs, credit cards and sometimes used condoms. Anyways, which live shows will Belly Up not do? Of course, every artist has the freedom to express themselves, but we as a club try not to book an artist who promotes violence or graphic nature. There’s a fine line between leaving your artistic sensibilities away when booking shows. People talk about drugs and sex, so what we book doesn’t always align with us totally, as a booking team. At the end of the day, it’s all in the interest of the audience. But anything that would promote violence or graphic stuff is a no show. We always think about the type of crowd it’ll bring in. If we know that it’s a crowd that would destroy Solana Beach and leave a bunch of graffiti, then no way.
So no Insane Clown Posse shows? It would have to be an acoustic one …
… but leave the Fago at home. Name a well-known artist who has played here under a different moniker. Green Day came in as Foxboro Hot Tubs.
What is it about this place that keeps you clocking in? It really is a family environment working here. There are people who have been working here for over 20plus years. I’m coming up on my eighth year and so
is Beth. In terms of venues, we’re one of the longest running venues in the nation that has withstood the test of time. It makes me proud to be a part of it! It’s just the way that these guys do business night after night that is really impressive to me. A lot of artists on the road when I talk to them are like, “You’re not going to believe where we just came from, they haven’t paid us yet.” Just the typical music industry things that people picture when you think of the sleazy side of the music industry. Belly Up is the exact opposite of that where Steve and Phil really run it as a successful business and not just a music venue. I think it comes through in our bookings, too. We just keep getting more high-level acts. It’s a testament to how amazing the club is because we’re able to get these kind of acts that are out of our capacity. We had Tears for Fears play, who barely play at all, and then when they do, it’s at an amphitheater or arenas. The word gets out that Belly Up is a premier venue, and then agents hear about it and more bands hear about it.
What’s you most memorable show experience? I’m definitely a ‘90s girl and I love my ‘90s rock. I loved the Gin Blossoms and all those bands that played here. One of them was Toad the Wet Sprocket, who we have play once or twice a year and they were doing their sound check and it just happened that no one else was in the venue besides the box office girl and myself. So, she was busy up in the front and it was Toad the Wet Sprocket doing the full sound check. Instead of noodling around, they
did their full set, so I sat and watched. I feel like that is people’s lifelong dream: have their favorite band play an entire concert when you’re the only person in the room. I put my phone away and was like, “I’m going to live in the moment and not be texting about this.” That was really, really special. It was amazing and I was on a high for three weeks. Another one was my other favorite band growing up, Live. That was pretty much why I wanted to go into music in the first place. I saw Live and was really inspired by them and wanted to learn how to publicize a show like that and that’s what got me into all of this industry. It was always my dream to have Live play a show where I worked, or have Ed from Live play. We got him last year and it was an amazing show. Personally, it felt like I had accomplished my goal. Like, “OK, Ed has played here at Belly Up, my worlds have collided in terms of my musical hero coming to see how great the place that I work at is.” It’s those special moments that benchmark why we’re doing what we’re doing.
I feel like that is the Belly Up’s legacy: making dream shows come to you.
DECEMBER 2014 | Fully cultured, yet unshaven | 4L MAGAZINE 19
‘TIS THE SEASON,
San Diego! BY MICHELLE LYN
Even though the sun is shining and people are still on the beaches, the holiday season is in full swing here in San Diego. I found myself complaining that it was too hot on Thanksgiving, too hard to get into the holiday spirit and pick out a Christmas tree when it was 80 degrees, but let’s be honest: It’s pretty cool to be able to go ice skating on the beach at Christmas. Here’s our roundup of the best holiday experiences in town.
LA JOLLA PLAYHOUSE
The Second City’s Nut-Cracking Holiday Revue (through Dec. 21) Following the enormously successful run last summer of The Second City’s original San Diegocentric show, The Good, the Bad and the I-5, the Playhouse presents The Second City’s Nut-Cracking Holiday Revue this season. This hilarious new holiday production captures all the magic, mystery and mayhem of the season with original songs, sketches and improv. The perfect antidote to the annual office party, The Second City’s Nut-Cracking Holiday Revue will make a fantastic addition to your list of holiday traditions. LaJollaPlayHouse.org
20 4L MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2014
THE OLD GLOBE THEATER
Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (through Dec. 27) Back for its 17th incredible year, this family favorite is a wonderful, whimsical musical based upon the classic Dr. Seuss book and features the songs “This Time of Year,” “Santa for a Day” and “Fah Who Doraze,” the delightful carol from the popular animated version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Celebrate the holidays as the Old Globe Theater is transformed into the snow-covered Whoville, right down to the last can of Who-hash. TheOldGlobe.org
LEGOLAND
Holiday Snow Days and Winter Nights (through Jan. 4) Build a snowman with Lego accessories and throw real snowballs at colorful targets. Ride snow tubes down a hill. And brand new this year: ice skating! Experience the magic of Winter Nights with shows, music and twinkling lights. There’s even a food truck with yummy treats served by Santa’s elves. Stay for the nightly fireworks over Miniland USA, Dec. 2630. Witness the lighting of a 30-foot tall Lego Christmas Tree and enjoy live entertainment with Lego Friends Live. A life-sized Lego Brick Santa and Reindeer make the perfect family photo. Legoland.com
4Lmagazine.com
HOTEL DEL CORONADO
Skating by the Sea (through Jan. 4) Skating by the Sea returns to Hotel del Coronado for the 11th year. This spectacular rink is located on the Windsor Lawn and features stunning views of Coronado beach. Skating sessions are offered daily, with a portion of the proceeds benefitting the Make-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego. Sunday Brunch with Santa (Sundays Dec. 7, 14 and 21) During The Del’s festive Sunday Brunch, kids of all ages can visit jolly ol’ St. Nick in the Crown Room. An American Christmas (daily Dec. 15-27) The Del presents the 23rd annual production of An American Christmas performed by the award-winning Lamb’s Players Theatre, for a limited engagement in the Ballroom. The Marshall family welcomes you to an interactive, lavish feast and celebration set in the year 1914. The Marshalls— a group of 27 multi-talented performers—entertain and regale guests with stories, songs, dance and laughter, all woven around a sumptuous five-course holiday meal prepared by The Del’s master chefs. HotelDel.com
SAN DIEGO SYMPHONY
Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker (Dec. 16) Moscow Ballet’s spectacular Great Russian Nutcracker is the must-see event this holiday season! Celebrate the beloved Christmas tradition with the whole family as 40 world-class Russian artists bring this charming classic to life. Experience Tchaikovsky’s master score this Christmas with the magic of larger than-life-puppets, a growing Christmas tree and lifesized Matrushka dolls!
San Diego Ballet presents The Nutcracker (December 27th & 28th) In its 25th anniversary year, this family friendly ballet fantasy delights with more than 100 beautifully costumed dancers reveling in Tchaikovsky’s beloved score. San Diego Ballet’s The Nutcracker features professional dancers from China, Japan, Russia, South Africa, Mexico and the United States, as well as San Diego School of Ballet’s children from across San Diego County. Join the San Diego Ballet on an enchanting journey through a landscape of Yuletide dreams. SanDiegoSymphony.org
THE INN AT RANCHO SANTA FE
Ice Skating Rink (through Jan. 4) Guests are transported to a winter wonderland as The Inn has unveiled its first-ever outdoor synthetic ice-skating rink, which they plan to bring back annually. Enjoy skating in the ranch under the allure of festive twinkle lights and the stately 25-foot Christmas tree on the front lawn of The Inn. TheInnatRSF.com
PARADISE POINT RESORT & SPA
SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration (through Jan. 5) Although the Celebration runs through Jan. 5, you can hop aboard Paradise Point’s private SeaWorld water taxi Dec. 25-31 and enter the park through a VIP entrance just for resort guests. A wonderland of holiday spectaculars await including sledding, the all-new Shamu Christmas Miracles Show, gleaming light displays, a wintery white SnowWorld and more. Hot Buttered Run & Kids’ Kandy Kane Race (Dec. 21) Take advantage of San Diego’s sunny winter days with a festive holiday run that starts at a Christmas tree-lined chute then wraps around Vacation Isle and Paradise Point’s tropical grounds. Both the 10k and 1k kids course end at a seasonal reception of live music, drinks and a special visit from Santa Claus. Jingle Shells Bay Sail (Dec. 27) Set sail this season aboard a holiday-themed water taxi and take in the sights around Mission Bay. The 45-minute scenic cruise showcases the beautiful bay and festive light displays along the shores and includes warm beverages, blankets, music and more. The taxi leaves from Paradise Point Resort at 3:45 p.m. and ticket price includes hot cocoa for little ones, and beer or wine for those who wish to imbibe. Afternoon Cookie & Cocoa Break (Dec. 24-31) From 3-5 p.m. every afternoon between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, curl up at Tidal’s bayfront lounge with warm winter drinks for the adults and complimentary cookies and hot cocoa for the kids. ParadisePoint.com
DECEMBER 2014 | Fully cultured, yet unshaven | 4L MAGAZINE 21
FOOD/DRINK
TAILGATE PARTY
LIVE
LOVE
LEARN
Magazine LAUGH
SanDiego It doesn’t stop there, the event was catered with a seafood bonanza as well as traditional Mexican fare. After seeing mountains of lobster being deconstructed for the savory lobster rolls, you actually think you’re in Boston. These bad boys were actually West Coast spiny lobsters, which in my humble opinion, tastes better than the East Coast Maine lobster, so you’re welcome East Coast transplants. After several hours of fun in the sun, consuming mass quantities of quality food and drink, playing games, and socializing with the industries top people, what is there left to do? Oh yeah, THE GAME! We shut down the RV and all headed towards the stadium. The Chargers looked strong and it seemed like they might have a good chance with a one point lead after the first half. But alas, the Chargers bowed to the consistency of the Patriots and end up losing by nine. It may have been a loss for the Chargers but the day was definitely a win for EVOTEK, their customers, partners, and friends.
EVOTEK Solutions has done it again! They continue to throw events that are larger than life. This time around they treated 52 customers to a Chargers game versus the Patriots. For EVOTEK, just rolling into the game and simply tailgating isn’t enough. They procured a 36 foot luxury RV with two pull outs and rocked a tailgate party that won’t soon be forgotten. When the party is this great, you get tailgater neighbors and friends that join in too. There were 90 people going in and out of this unbelievable event. Beautiful Mai and Tara were slinging drinks and making the entire party that much better. Beer, wine, cocktails, shots….you call it, they got it. Tara is also this month’s Stunning San Diego model for 4L Magazine, so you know these ladies are a wonderful addition to any gathering. Furthermore, their warm personalities made everybody feel like they were celebrating amongst royalty.
22 4L MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2014
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ABOUT EVOTEK EVOTEK Solutions help companies with their IT initiatives. By providing them with modular solutions, companies can meet their current business requirements but can also be upgraded for future needs through a IT service delivery framework. They specialize in customizing IT solutions for customers at all levels. For those who have not yet fully developed a formal IT strategy or road map, the will help them develop a Data Center plan that is in alignment with their business objectives Their goal is to understand the customer’s business, examine all the opportunities, then provide them with point solutions that will fit into the future state of the customer’s Data Center. They don’t simply hook you up with hardware, they are customer advocates that provide services from A to Z.
EVOTEK Solutions Inc. | EvotekSolutions.com
DECEMBER 2014 | Fully cultured, yet unshaven | 4L MAGAZINE 23
FOOD/DRINK
CHEF’S TABLE
CHRIS GENTILE DOUBLE STANDARD BY MICHELLE LYN
The new kid on the downtown block just opened and it’s a stunner. Double Standard opened its doors in December and the modern, open air concept brings the indoors out, right onto their grassy sidewalk patios. Chef Chris Gentile infuses Southern warmth and hospitality into the menu that boasts housemade pasta, Neapolitan-inspired pizzas and house meats. Don’t read the menu unless you plan on booking a table right after. 4L: What was the inspiration behind Double Standard? Chris Gentile: We offer high-quality food and drink in a beautiful atmosphere, but at an affordable price. The perception is that you can’t have both, and have to choose fine dining or casual eateries. We offer the components of a fine dining experience in terms of food, décor and service, but at a price that’s for every occasion – the Double Standard. How does your Southern background come through on an Italian heavy menu? I was raised by a traditional, Italian family. Most of my inspiration comes from what I grew up eating, which consisted of the best ingredients and cooking from scratch. This works well at Double Standard, where what we put into the food matters, from ingredients to the timeless techniques. What kind of dining experience can we expect at Double Standard? The restaurant was designed to be a great space to gather and enjoy good food and drink. It’s a space where one feels welcome and comfortable at any age. When you come in and dine, you are at our house – part of the family. Where do you like to eat when you’re not working? I go out often, but since I’m in the industry, most of us love to get together and cook at each other’s houses. This allows us to see what others are doing and connect with purveyors and colleagues. What holiday activities do you most look forward to in SD? I usually work the holidays, so I miss getting together with family and cooking together. Here, my industry colleagues did a Friendsgiving last month, which brought us all together and it’s a great new tradition for me. Top three items on the menu that can’t be missed? · Meatball Al Forno - Veal meatball, organic San Marzano tomatoes, Gioia fresh ricotta and pesto · Bistecca Bone - In Ribeye for 2 - a 32 oz. prime 28 day dry aged ribeye with roasted vegetables and salsa verde · Ricotta & Egg Raviolo – With browned butter, crispy sage and pecorino
DOUBLE STANDARD | 695 6th Ave., San Diego | Neighborhood: Gaslamp | (619) 269-9676 | DoubleStandardSD.com
24 4L MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2014
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barleymash DECEMBER 2014 | Fully cultured, yet unshaven | 4L MAGAZINE 25
FOOD/DRINK
BEATS & EATS
BEATS&EATS What’s RAD about
BEATS & EATS? The food and the music!
BY MIKEY BEATS
BARRIO STAR + DJ PRODUCERS SCHOENY
26 4L MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2014
In this edition of Beats & Eats I picked the spot to grind, so I jumped in my soccer mom minivan and drove up Banker’s Hill to Isabel Cruz’s Barrio Star where I met up with one of San Diego’s up-and-coming dance music producers DJ Schoeny. 4Lmagazine.com
BARRIO STAR 2706 5th Ave., San Diego » Neighborhood: Banker’s Hill » (619) 501-7827 » facebook.com/BarrioStarSD
You may not know Isabel Cruz by name but you may know her by taste. She originally set up shop in Mission Beach at a spot called The Mission and later moved on to create one of my personal favorite eateries in Pacific Beach, Isabel’s Cantina. If you have never had her rosemary bread or rosemary potatoes, track them down and devour these carb-filled delights. When I found out she had a place I hadn’t eaten at yet, I had to get at it. When I arrived at the spot, the wonderfully helpful and sweet Danica introduced me to some new Isabel deliciousness that couldn’t disappoint. Mikey: When did you open? Danica: Do you remember that earthquake that happened back on Easter Sunday years ago? We opened up two days after that in April of 2009. I had an interview with Isabel and then that earthquake hit. Mikey: So the interview was off the Richter scale, right?
(The sound of crickets came out of nowhere after my attempt at humor and Danica walked off to put in an order for us.) Mikey: Well now, Mr. Schoeny, I definitely met you the first year you came to San Diego at a long since closed bar called Fleetwood. The main
reason I wanted to interview you is because I’m a fan of your production and it has become increasingly better over the years. I see you grind harder than most in this city and it’s quite impressive. You started as an open format DJ and have since started producing, correct?
those in my mouth and am impressed by the refreshing flavors. I take a sip of the blood orange margarita and the tanginess triggers a saliva tsunami in my mouth. I take another swig, then a gulp and it’s gone. I wasn’t thirsty, I just couldn’t help myself but guzzle it all down, it was that good.)
Schoeny: Yeah. I am still an open format DJ when I play out because I like to go through so many genres when I DJ and play anything I can get away with it.
Mikey: I’m very aware of your latest project with a good buddy of ours, Cheyenne Giles, called All Gold. Tell me about the project.
Mikey: I’ve heard you rock the shit out of Hanson’s “Mmm Bop.” Schoeny: Oh yeah, ha-ha. I think every song has its place to be played at a certain time, everywhere. You’ll have some people laugh and hate on it, but most people love it. Mikey: You’re right. Tell me a little about yourself as a producer and your styles you like to produce. Schoeny: In the studio I work on everything, man. I’ve done trap remixes, electro, regular house, rock remixes, anything and almost everything, basically whatever I’m into at the moment.
(A roasted jalapeño blackberry margarita and blood orange margarita are dropped off on the table accompanied by cucumbers that are sliced and served with cumin vinaigrette, cilantro lime sauce, some chili and cilantro. I immediately pop about four of
Schoeny: We’ve been working together for about 6-7 months. Right now, 80 percent of our time is in the studio making original tracks. Basically we produce anything that makes people dance. Mikey: You guys performed at arguably Southern California’s best pool party, which is Dive at the Harrah’s Rincon presented by the Five Group. Schoeny: Yeah, we played with Flosstradamus and Borgeous for two shows. Those were great! The third time we headlined Dive and that was such a great party. The crowd was definitely in the right mindset for an All Gold set. Mikey: Where can people find All Gold and your own tracks? Schoeny: All our social media handles are @AllGoldOfficial and our website is www.AllGoldOfficial.com. Mine is www.DJSchoeny.com.
DECEMBER 2014 | Fully cultured, yet unshaven | 4L MAGAZINE 27
FOOD/DRINK
BEATS & EATS
(The wonderfully awesome Danica walks up behind the servers who drop off a couple plates.)
hard or too soft, but this is absolutely perfect. The red cabbage gives it a good crunch too.
(The friendly and chipper Danica comes back with the main entrees.)
Danica: This is our Guadalajara grilled corn that we grill over a flame, rolled in our roasted jalapeño butter and sprinkled with chili, cotija cheese and cilantro. I also started you with two different soups. One is our red chicken pozole that is spiced up with chili and comes with chunks of hominy, carrots, onions, celery while topped off with red cabbage, cilantro and lime sauce. The other is our roasted red chili guajillo tortilla soup mixed with chipotle corn, salsa, cilantro lime sauce, tortilla chips and topped with cotija cheese. Enjoy!
Schoeny: Nothing is overpowering. Everything compliments the other. (Schoeny is also speaking with mouth full.) The chicken tortilla soup is outstanding. The roasted red chili guajillo really stands out … the taste and the flavor … mmm.
Danica: Here we have the Brazil Bowl with jasmine coconut rice, black beans, steamed greens, a mango salsa and topped with chicken that is sautéed in our house made teriyaki sauce. It is served with our coconut chili sauce on the side. You might want to give it a little pour over and it’ll make it amazing.
(We both reach for the corn first and go through the motions reminiscent of an old manual type writer with kernels flying everywhere.) Schoeny: I’ve never eaten corn this fast. Mikey: My goodness, this is seriously explosive. You can taste the jalapeño in the butter and that cotija cheese is magnificent. Schoeny: This is my best interview ever because usually when I do interviews, I’m hungry or my mind is elsewhere. Right now, I am in the zone with this food. Ask me anything, I am yours. Mikey: Ha-ha, noted. I am now getting my pozole on. (Speaking with my mouth full of hominy.) The hominy in the pozole is friggin’ perfect. Sometimes it is too
28 4L MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2014
Mikey: Back to the beats …What is the difference between an EDM DJ and an EDM producer? No, this isn’t a DJ joke. Schoeny: An EDM DJ is someone who plays someone else’s tracks our their own in a club, bar or festival. An EDM producer actually makes the music and may not be a DJ at all. Those words have been cheapened in the last six years because when most people think of a producer, they think of EDM guys like Avicii or David Guetta on stage pushing buttons and playing the air piano. There is much more that goes into their music than air hearts. The last track I worked on, I had a pianist come in who played under a vocalist. I did everything else with the electronics and the synths and drums. Everyone does their piece under my direction and it’s my job to bring it together. That is producing. Mikey: There are some DJs who can’t produce and some producers who can’t DJ. I don’t think most those DJ producers at the big festivals are even DJing, just using pre-recorded mixes or just hitting the sync button to auto mix everything.
We press all our tortillas to order, so the tacos are very special to us and I gave you guys a mixed taco plate to sample the steak and the fish. The sirloin steak is topped with jack cheese, our avocado sauce, cilantro sauce and pico de gallo. The fish taco is seabass today and resting on a bed of our Thai slaw that has the fish right on top, a little avocado sauce, chipotle aioli and our pico de gallo. It’s served with our jasmine coconut rice that is topped with black beans and topped with jack cheese, chipotle cream and our chipotle corn salsa. It all comes with our Amalia sauce, named after the person who created it. She cooks at Isabel’s Cantina in Pacific Beach and that is our hot taco sauce. Pour it over your taco for a little zing.
(We both jump into the Brazil Bowl first with the speed of hungry pumas.)
4Lmagazine.com
Mikey: The thing I love about Isabel’s Brazil Bowl here is that it comes with black beans which is spot on with what they use in Brazil. What we are missing though is the fried plantains that I have had on the Brazil Bowl at her Cantina in PB but don’t think that is a bad thing, this is fantastic without the plantains. This is an entree erection for sure! Schoeny: Amen. Mikey: I am going to wash this down with my first taste of the spicy blackberry jalapeño margarita. Schoeny: Don’t be scared.
(I place my lips on the margarita and start making out with it like we were long lost lovers until the freaky drink kicked me in my throat like I made the wrong move on a first date!) Mikey: Holy shit! I wasn’t expecting that! Ooo, but it’s spicy and stiff. Two of these and someone is getting laid. Danica: It makes you feel alive inside … Mikey: …and will probably burn when it comes through out the frontside.
(We both move on to the tacos.) Schoeny: Unbelievable. Mikey: This are perfect. I want to talk about these tortillas. They make the corn tortillas in house. Without a doubt, it is the best pressed corn tortilla I’ve had in a very long time. They beat anything in Old Town. It’s not hard to make your own corn tortillas in house, but it is hard to make it really tasty. These are fluffy and absolutely delicious. Those tortillas are outstanding. Everything we have had gets an A+. I love Isabel!
(We sort of break from the interview and I start yapping with Chris and Steve from the mag; they usually sit in on the interviews. We all start arguing over some bet about how many Grammys Goldie from the Belly Up had been involved with. The loser of the bet had to pound a Trumer Pilsner filled pint glass. Well, we all lost and we all pounded a beer together with Steve coming in first, me second and Chris left behind sipping on it like he’s watching a football game. Times like these make these interviews super fun! I burp and wrap up the interview.) Mikey: Is this the best interview you’ve ever done in your life? Schoeny: Oh, for sure. I’m so focused right now. I’m gonna hit up all my other friends to see if I have any other interviews today because I’m so focused.
DECEMBER 2014 | Fully cultured, yet unshaven | 4L MAGAZINE 29
FOOD/DRINK
RESTAURANT REVIEW
LEVEL 9 ROOFTOP BAR & LOUNGE
The whole hotel is LEED certified, which means that it is a non-smoking vessel, construction is made from recycled materials, and the food is local and organic. In other words, it’s super green! 30 4L MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2014
LEVEL 9 509 9th Avenue, San Diego (619) 727-4000 Neighborhood: East Village HotelinSD.com
TYPE OF CUISINE:
American / Lounge
4Lmagazine.com
WHAT WE ATE & DRANK:
04 BAJA FISH TACOS
(Fish from the Pacific, cabbage, grilled pineapple salsa and cilantro sauce) These were made with grilled salmon! Who does that? It’s so light and flavorful. Paired with Wipeout IPA
01 9TH AVE. BURGER
(Smoked cheddar, grilled onions, lettuce, tomato and roasted tomato aioli on a bun from San Diego’s Bread & Cie; served with fries) I got it with the sweet potato fries
and the jalapeno cheese sauce and highly recommend it. The burger is oozing with grilled onions and cheese with fresh lettuce and tomato on top. This thing is organic and local and it sure does make a huge difference.
(7% by Port Brewing)
Paired with Bourbon Eclipse
(House-infused apple cinnamon Knob Creek, ginger and vanilla) Hit
This great offering from Port is strong but not too overbearing for the light salmon. Good choice!
me with a cinnamon stick. This nice little concoction reminds me of an Old Fashioned with more comforts.
THE JOINT
02 CALAMARI
(Salt and pepper calamari served with sweet chili sauce)
I’m not sure if it’s the breading or the actual calamari but these little rings are nice and tender. Don’t worry about getting rubber bands here because they melt in your mouth. Paired with Bad Habit
(House-infused ginger and Asian pear vodka, Peychaud bitters, grapefruit and ginger beer)
The fresh ginger root gives it the extra kick. Bartender Stacia calls it a party in your mouth.
03 CAJUN QUESADILLA
(White cheddar cheese and salsa verde with steak)
They get their cheese from Venissimo, a local SD cheese maker, which makes this old school for locals only … cheeses, that is. Also, the fact that it is on a whole wheat tortilla and you can get your steak cooked however you want make this the best snack to share or have for dinner for yourself. Paired with So-Cal Margarita
(House-infused jalapeno and pineapple tequila, orange and agave) The orange and pineapple give it
a nice sweet for the spicy jalapeno. This drink keeps the dish south of the border.
It’s a down-to-earth spot, literally. Jen the bar supervisor will make you feel at ease and tell you funny jokes in a Minnesota accent … dontcha know! When I walked in and saw the cool and hip atmosphere, I expected bar food. When I started eating, I realized that this joint really gets cooking. Everything is fresh and melts in your mouth. The views are amazing … a great place to impress a date.
DECEMBER 2014 | Fully cultured, yet unshaven | 4L MAGAZINE 31
FOOD/DRINK
RESTAURANT REVIEW
I walked in and Laura from New York greeted me with a big smile and a darling disposition. She was so passionate and knowledgeable about everything. I finally convinced her to pose while torching a cheesecake and she didn’t disappoint.
LE PARFAIT PARIS
01 Le Parfait Signature
(Almonds biscuit and crispy praline combined with a dark chocolate mousse)
Rich, decadent and dark … everything I love in a cake. The crispy praline on the bottom gives it the perfect texture to the smoothness of the mousse.
02 Le Bavarois
(Almond biscuit layered with vanilla mousse, and a fine coat of natural berries)
The fresh berries inside and out make this light dish extra special. It so aesthetically pleasing that I’m not sure if my mouth is the winner or my eyes.
03 Ludi’s Macaroons (Oversized macaroons with organic raspberries and pistachio custard filling)
Absolutely amazing! To be honest with you, I grew up eating Twinkies and Ding Dongs. As an adult, I just never got dessert because I thought I would be getting much of the same. Boy, was I wrong! I feel enlightened or maybe spoiled. I’m not sure if anything else can compare.
04 Le Cheesecake
(A light and exquisite “French touch” cheesecake; torched crème brûlée top is optional)
If I were to ever get dessert, it would generally be a cheesecake. They take this to the next level. The flame thrown crispy top and the crunchy sable Breton crust sandwiches this extra fluffy and light cheesecake into perfection.
THE JOINT: This place has modern décor with warm wood accents. The establishment has clean lines with attention to detail and function. This translates right into their pastries. Everything is as beautiful as it tastes. You might walk in here with your girlfriend because she makes you, but after you have a taste, you’ll be back alone … secretly. LE PARFAIT PARIS | 555 G Street, San Diego | Neighborhood: Gaslamp | (619) 245-4457 | LeParfaitParis.com 32 4L MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2014
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HAPPY HOUR 3-6PM (Monday – Friday)
$2.50 Hooters Girl Size Domestic Drafts $4.50 Man Size Domestic Drafts LATE NIGHT HAPPY HOUR Daily from 10pm - Close $4.50 ANY Man Size 22oz Beer Only Half Off Appetizers (Select Apps)
All You Can Eat Wings
(Includes an Order of Fries)
Monday and Tuesday For Only $12.99
Oceanside 3186 Vista Way #100 | (760) 433-4668 San Marcos 775 Center Drive | (858) 451-6000 Mission Valley 1400 Camino De La Reina | (619) 299-4668 Gaslamp 410 Market Street | (619) 235-4668
WestCoastHooters.com
California Custom Carpentry is dedicated to achieving perfection. With over 10 years of experience we specialize in custom doors, windows,
CCCBUILD.COM 760-274-4570 LICENSED BONDED INSURED
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FOOD/DRINK
UNCORKED
WINE GIFTING
Fa To M vo y rit e En joy Wino !
WRAP UP THE GIFT OF WINE IN A UNIQUE WAY THIS YEAR Swing over the vines, get a little jerky or sip and store your specialty bottles with our holiday gift suggestions this year. Think outside the box when shopping for that special wine lover in your life. Or yourself. Cheers! BY MICHELLE LYN
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{ FOR THE FOODIES } 01 Palmina Truffle Pack ($65) Best of the best for your wine loving foodie friends. Thoughtfully curated pack includes 2008 Palmina Nebbiolo, Palmina Provisions Truffle Oil (200 ml), Palmina Provisions Cask 10 Balsamic (60 ml) and Potter’s Artisan Crackers. PalminaWines.com 02 Clif Family Winery Wine & Chocolate Gift Set ($68) Includes a bottle of Clif Family Winery 2011 Gary’s Improv Zinfandel with a tin each of Clif Family Kitchen Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Almonds, Dark Chocolate Chipotle Almonds and Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels. ClifFamilyWinery.com 03 Clos du Bois KRAVE Jerky ($65) Packaged in a rustic wooden box, this set includes a bottle of Clos du Bois Russian River Valley Chardonnay and Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon as well gourmet all-natural purveyor, KRAVE Jerky’s innovative jerky flavors– Chardonnay Honey Rosemary Turkey and Cabernet Sauvignon Blackberry Balsamic, both infused by CDB wine. ClosDuBois.com
04 Bianchi Winery’s “Taste of the Central Coast” package ($70) Includes a bottle 2011 Bianchi Estate Zinfandel from Paso Robles, a jar of Salted & Roasted Pistachio Butter from Cayucos, a jar of La Bella Olives from Oceano, a jar of TheraBee Honey from Atascadero and a jar of Cahoots Catering House Rub from Paso Robles. BianchiWinery.com (03)
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{ FOR THE ENVIRONMENTALISTS } 01 Recycled Wine Rack ($148) Go with this recycled wine rack for a conversation starter. People will think you made it. OliveandCocoa.com 02 Pelcor Cork (prices vary) Cork is cool. And very sustainable, which makes it even more cool. Please guys and girls alike with Pelcor products that range from umbrellas and purses to laptop and tablet sleeves. PelcorUSA.com
{ FOR THE GLOBETROTTERS }
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01 Cheval des Andes, 2008 ($80) A joint venture between the legendary Chateau Cheval Blanc of Bordeaux and Terrazas de los Andes from Argentina produced the perfect gift for Bordeaux blend lovers looking to try something unique, produced outside of the Bordeaux region. ChevalDesAndes.com 02 Blandy’s 10 Year Sercial Madeira ($30) Straight from the island of Madeira to your next cocktail party. Perfect for sharing over a cheese plate. Blandys.com 03 Trapiche 2011 Broquel Malbec ($18) A big Malbec from Argentina that is food friendly and modestly priced. Trapiche.com
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{ FOR THE WINE GADGET LOVER } 01 Vinnebago by Corkcicle ($30) The ideal way to enjoy perfect temperature beverages on the go— cold or hot. Vinnebago can fit a full 750 ml (bottle of wine) inside and will keep it cool for 25 hours or hot for 12. Great for white wine or hot mulled wine. Corkcicle.com
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02 Corkcicle.AIR ($25) Keeps your wine at the proper temperature, aerates your wine and acts as a pourer, all in one device. All of these features help enhance the flavor profile of your wine. Enjoy perfect wine every time. Corkcicle.com (02)
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{ FOR THE CONOISSEURS }
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01 Brewer-Clifton Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir ($40) Hot bottle of the year—Wine Spectator just named it the best American wine of 2014—and it won’t break the bank! BrewerClifton.com
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02 Coravin 1000Wine Access System ($300) The Coravin 1000 System allows you to access, pour and enjoy your favorite (or most expensive) wines by the glass whenever you would like, without pulling the cork. Its innovative design keeps your wine safe from oxidation, allowing it to continue to age naturally, giving you the freedom to pour a glass from nearly any bottle at any time. Coravin.com 03 Ferguson Crest Fergalicious ($40) It just sounds regal, doesn’t it? A passion project between Fergie and her father, who tends the vines daily, this red blend is big, bold and, yep, Fergalicious. FergusonCrest.com
{ FOR THE OPENMINDED }
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01 Margarita Adventures Zipline Canopy Tour ($99) Zipline tours on the historic Santa Margarita Ranch, home to Ancient Peaks Winery’s estate Margarita Vineyard. One of the ziplines, The Pinot Express, flies 1,800 feet right over the vineyard that is between Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo. Guests are driven out to the ranch, where they learn about the seasons in the vineyard, sustainable wine growing, the ranch’s wildlife and its unique history and role as part of California’s original mission trail. Margarita-Adventures.com 02 Terroir Life by Terroir, Inc. (prices vary) TerroirLife.com is a new lifestyle branch of the well-known wine and hospitality company that offers a highly curated collection of luxury wine-focused products that combine both high quality wine and the products that enhance the experience of drinking it. TerroirLife.com 03 Terra d’Oro Port ($12 for 375mL) This holiday season try adding port to your favorite cocktails for a luxurious texture and intense dark fruit flavors. TerraDOro.com
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FOOD/DRINK
CRAFTY Hours: Daily - 11am to 2am
(with breakfast hours in the near future) Happy Hour: Monday to Friday 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
DUCK DIVE ELEVATED COCKTAILS AT THE BEACH BY MILES ROBERSON
Walking into The Duck Dive on a warm December Saturday at high noon, I was greeted by a grand, open air, boisterous space filled with a clamorous youthful crowd. I immediately thought “what a great place for day drinking”, one of my favorite things to do. I can tell many of the patrons had the same idea.
My expectations for a superior cocktail experience however, wasn’t very high. I thought this place is too busy, too loud, and too young of a crowd to appreciate a hand crafted libation. The bartenders don’t have time to put the love and care needed to create something special. I figured the Duck Dive is a place for shots,
beers and Bloody Mary’s. To my surprise, as Lloyd from Dumb and Dumber would say “I was way off”! GM and Bartender Rob McShae has brought an upscale drinking experience into a casual beach atmosphere.
MIXOLOGY MINUTE FISH & OYSTER Bloody Mary: The name “Bloody Mary” is associated with a number of historical figures — particularly Queen Mary I of England, who was nicknamed as such for attempting to re-establish the Catholic Church in England. Some drink aficionados believe the inspiration for the name was Hollywood star Mary Pickford. Others trace the name to a waitress named Mary who worked at a Chicago bar called the Bucket of Blood. However, another argument for the origin of “Bloody Mary”, that the name in English simply arose from “a failure to pronounce the Slav syllables of a drink called Vladimir “ gains some credibility from the observation that the customer at Harry’s Bar in Paris for whom Fernand Petiot prepared the drink in 1920 was Vladimir Smirnov, of the Smirnoff vodka family.
DUCK DIVE | 4650 Mission Blvd., San Diego | Neighborhood: Pacific Beach | (858) 273-DUCK (3825) | TheDuckDive.com 38 4L MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2014
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Check em’ out: 01
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THE BLACK WALNUT MANHATTAN
AWARD Rob took 7th place at the 2014 Woodford Reserve Master of the Manhattan 5th annual Manhattan WINNER ALERT Experience. I’m a Manhattan fan and this one threw me for a loop. Starting with a premium small batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey in Woodford Reserve, Rob adds sherry, Nocello which is a walnut and hazelnut flavored liqueur from Italy, fig preserves, cinnamon and fig infused bitters. What a perfect fall drink. For me it’s the Nocello that brings this to life, though I must say the cinnamon and fig notes the bitters brings to the party gives the drink more depth, too. The brilliance in this one, though, lies in the ratio of Rye whiskey to sherry. Sherry can take charge of a drink if it isn’t used judiciously, and Rob hit the nail on the head when he formulated this one.
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TAKE ME TO MEXICO
Ready to spice it up a little? San Diego is a margarita kind of town but there are only a handful of truly great ones. The “Take Me to Mexico” is one of the best in my opinion. Consisting of Olmeca Altos 100-percent agave silver tequila, house infused with fresh watermelon, basil and jalapeno, this one’s handcrafted and shaken with muddled watermelon, agave nectar and lemon. Delicately balanced between sweet and spicy, the “Take Me to Mexico” is fresh, clean, and refreshing. Salud!!
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THE BLACK AND BLUE
This sophisticated, seasonal cocktail is created and suggested to pare with the pan seared duck and blueberry risotto but you can drink it a la carte, I did. Made with Rye whiskey, blackberry and Elderflower infused Pimm, fresh lemon juice and garnished with fresh blueberries and frothed with egg whites, this is both delicious and aesthetically pleasing. Served in a coupe, drink like a gentleman and order one of these. Unless you’re a woman of course, then drink like a lady! Either way, you know what I mean.
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JAMAICAN ME CRAZY BLOODY MARY
AWARD The true definition of a Bloody Mary is a cocktail made with vodka and a spicy tomato juice. The WINNER ALERT Jamaican Me Crazy is far from that but obviously doesn’t matter because this not so Bloody Mary is an award winner! Rob’s creation was voted Food Networks Chopped 2014, Best Bloody Mary in all of California and came in 2nd place in the nation!!! I would say that’s quite prestigious and impressive! Consisting of Absolut Citron vodka, yellow Heirloom tomato puree which is an impressive recipe in itself, house made “Bloody Jerk” mix, agave nectar, fresh lemon juice and garnished with a jerk rubbed prawns and a grilled mango chip, I wasn’t sure if I should eat it, drink it, or stare at it. My advice? Do all 3. A great way to begin your hangover ridden Saturday and on your way to day drinking which you swore you weren’t going to do!
Some honorable mentions include the zesty, spicy, Hair of the Dog Michelada with Cazadores Reposado, Worcestershire, Cholula, Pacifico with a Tajin rim. You may walk in saying Hay Caramba mi cabeza but doing El Jarabe Tapatío after drinking one of these. Mules are all the rage and The Duck Dive has something for you if you’re a fan. They offer the traditional Moscow Mule in addition to a Gin Mule, Kentucky Mule with bourbon, Jameson Mule, Tequila Mule and even a Jägermeister Mule. Whew! Only $5 on Mondays. They also offer $30 cleverly named punch bowls like The Jack Talk Thai, in tribute to Meet the Parents. These will serve 4-6 people or Barney Gumble. Rob and the team at The Duck Dive are committed to offering an elevated drinking experience at the beach. In addition to some top notch cocktails, they also feature a lineup of local and micro brewed beer offerings. So just because a place doesn’t have taxidermy on the wall, isn’t hidden in a back alley or doesn’t need a password to enter or they allow sneakers, doesn’t mean they don’t make a great cocktail. Cheers.
DECEMBER 2014 | Fully cultured, yet unshaven | 4L MAGAZINE 39
FOOD/DRINK
IMBIBING
MAKER’S MARK CASK STRENGTH
BY MEGHAN BALSER
An Anticipated Arrival Makers Mark is a household name in the Bourbon category. Most likely you can find it at your local bar, neighborhood package store, or in your grandma’s cupboard. The iconic red wax seal and square shaped bottle help distinguish it from the other bottles lined up on the shelf. Making whiskey has been a family business of the Samuels since 1783, first produced for personal consumption by Robert Samuels. The first commercial distillery for producing what was then a “rugged” spirit was built in 1840. After a brief hiatus during prohibition and slightly thereafter. The Samuels would continue their legacy in making the brown spirit when Bill Samuels built a new distillery in Loretto,
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Kentucky in 1953-But not until he ceremoniously set fire to the 170 year-old recipe, accidentally torching the family’s drapes in the process. With a fire under his ass (literally) he started from scratch to transform the brand and the whiskey business to what we know it as today. He wanted to take the bitterness out of the accepted flavor of the old bourbon style. He wanted to create a smoother tasting bourbon-and he did, adding winter wheat into the mash bill to give his bourbon a softer character than most other bourbons on the market. Thought of nothing more than just a hobby by others, Bill spent six years perfecting his recipe into what is now the most well known “wheated” bourbon that we drink today.
Every Fall, there are new releases in the bourbon world. This Fall Makers Mark plans on releasing a limited edition cask strength expression of their whiskey. Cask Strength, also known as barrel proof, is untouched, and literally comes straight from the barrel that was used to help mature it. Cask Strength whiskey isn’t diluted to take down the abv (alcohol by volume), which is a usual practice in the spirits world to bring the abv down to a palatable level for the masses. The bottling strength for each batch of Makers CS will vary from 54%57%, or 108-114 proof. In terms of flavor, cask strength packs a punch, as you are tasting the true representation of the spirit. So already knowing that Makers Mark is a wheated bourbon, with a softer character, and has sweeter palate with oak and vanilla notes, the cask version should have an amplified palate with these same flavors. The cask strength Makers will be a limited release product and will be a great addition to any Bourbon cocktail.
“WOMAN BEHIND THE WAX” The iconic red wax seal on a bottle of Makers Mark is the design of Bill Samuels wife, Marjorie. Wax had been used for years to seal bottles, but the wax on a Makers bottle is a design aesthetic. To this day the bottle is hand-dipped by one of four lovely ladies before it is sold. She was also the woman that gave Makers Mark it’s name. Margie was a collector of fine pewter and was inspired by the marks that pewtersmiths put on their best work.
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DECEMBER 2014 | Fully cultured, yet unshaven | 4L MAGAZINE 41
FOOD/DRINK
HAPPIEST HOUR
HAPPY HOUR Monday-Friday from 3-6 p.m.
Oceanside: 3186 Vista Way #100 / 760-433-4668 San Marcos: 775 Center Drive / 858-451-6000 Mission Valley: 1400 Camino De La Reina / 619-299-4668 Gaslamp: 410 Market Street / 619-235-4668
We have all been to Hooters, which is famous for its wings and beautiful staff. What you may not know is the full menu that is filled with other great items, as well as the full bar. It truly is the Happiest Hour when you get discounted food and drinks, all while being surrounded by the lovely ladies!
Half Off All Appetizers and Boneless Wings (excludes appetizer platter) $4.50 for all 22 oz. Domestic Beers (excludes craft beers) $4.00 for All Wells
Lately Night Happy Hour every day after 10 p.m. Half Off All Appetizers and Boneless Wings (excludes appetizer platter) $4.50 for all 22 oz. Domestic Beers (includes craft beers) $4.00 for All Wells
WestCoastHooters.com
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WHAT WE ATE & DRANK FRIED PICKLES
(Sliced pickles hand breaded to order served with tangy dipping sauce)
I generally enjoy eating fried pickles. A lot of places do them as spears, but Hooters keeps them the old school by making them chips. This makes them crunchier and with more seasoning since there is more surface area to volume … yum.
FRIED PICKLES
LOTS-A-TOTS
(Tater Tots covered with bacon, cheese, sour cream and chives)
They’re not lying: There are a lot of tots. They are cheesy with bacon bits. What makes the whole experience better is they’re served by a smokin’ hot Hooters girl, not the cafeteria lady with a hairnet you had in fourth grade. CHILI CHEESE NACHOS
LOTS-A-TOTS
(Fresh chips loaded and baked with chili, cheddar and Monterrey jack cheese. Topped with lettuce, pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream and fresh sliced jalapeños with chicken or steak) There is no sign of a naked chip. This thing is racked and stacked with flavor and toppings. It’s nacho average dish, it’s better! BURGER SLIDERS
(Fresh ground beef sliders topped with cheese, mustard and a pickle on fresh mini buns, served with onion tanglers)
CHILI CHEESE NACHOS
These little monsters have a fluffy bun covering a healthy chunk of beef, slapped with cheese and a pickle. If you can eat all four of these, you’re either a big bad dude or training for an eating contest. BONELESS WINGS
(These delicious chunks of chicken can’t be beat. Hand breaded to order and tossed in your favorite wing sauce)
I love me some tender, moist, juicy chicken wings. There’s no bones about it, just pop them in your mouth and you will have a spicy, tangy mouth explosion.
BURGER SLIDERS
ALL SERVED WITH: 22 oz. Bud Light Everyone’s go to sessionable beer. There is a time and a place for everything, and when you just need a light beer you can guzzle throughout the day, not a bad choice. 22 oz. Ballast Point Sculpin One of San Diego’s premier beers, so you can’t go wrong with this one. With the bazillion IPA’s out, when it’s hard to choose, you can always go to the Sculpin.
BONELESS WINGS
THE JOINT
Hot and Filthy Martini It’s hot and it’s making me feel filthy. It’s got extra dirty, so it’s not for the weak of heart. Christina Aguilera probably drinks this one all day because it’s DIRTY!
When you walk into the San Marcos location, you immediately know it’s special. It has the same familiar Hooters feel but even better. They have a huge dining area, a giant bar as well as great outdoor seating with a fire pit. You can just kick back and relax while enjoying the cool environment or get excited catching your favorite game since there are televisions everywhere.
DECEMBER 2014 | Fully cultured, yet unshaven | 4L MAGAZINE 43
FOOD/DRINK
TENDER
NEIGHBORHOOD TENDER
STEPHANIE VALENCIA ORIGIN: Long Beach, moved here about a year ago because I heard a lot of great things about San Diego. I left my office job because I wasn’t meeting enough interesting people. CREDENTIALS: I started serving at the Yard House and I moved up to bartending at the Neighborhood. SHIFTS: Randomly four days a week. WORDS OF WISDOM: Please and thank you gets you everywhere in life ... and read the flippin’ draft list! SIGNATURE DRINK: Tequila and Mezcal
As soon as you sit down, you can tell how passionate the staff is about beer. I overheard a discussion about what the perfect amount of head on a pint of Pliny the Elder. People here are fun and don’t take themselves too seriously like the do their beer. One day if you’re lucky enough, you’ll discover their little secret. In the meantime, sit back, relax, eat, and drink. DRINKS MADE TODAY: Balls Deep In Cider (Julian Hard Cider with a shot of Neighborhood
home made spice cinnamon whiskey)
It’s spicy, delicious, and a good time. It’s like a warm Christmasy pie. Next time you want to go deep, go Balls Deep In Cider. Jack N Juice (Jack Daniels with fresh cold press of pear, pineapple, and
ginger juice from Juice)
I say that drinks are refreshing all the time but this guy truly embodies it. Maybe it’s because I’m hung over but it’s making me feel effervescent. Pliny the Elder (Russian River) They get it twice a month! If you never had this beer icon, you must because you will know what all the hype is about. It sets the standard for IPA. It’s truly a craft beer. They don’t just throw in a bunch of hops that mask the taste. HISTORY: I was born and raised in the LBC. Went through the whole school system, went to Long Beach Poly where Snoop Dogg and Cameron Diaz attended. Both my parents are dentists and small business owners. My dad retired and started his own tequila called Marquez De Valencia.
THE JOINT
Neighborhood set out to counter the dominance of Crap Beer in the local social, and dining landscape. As a pioneer in the proliferation of San Diego’s “gastropub culture”, Neighborhood fights the perception of what a beer establishment can and should be – successfully combining quality beer, locally sourced food, and intelligent design.
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FIVE QUESTIONS 01 When you get hit on while your working, how do you let them down easy? Stephanie: I smile, thank them, and tell them they can always meet me here when I’m working. 02 What’s the most interesting thing that’s happened here at the Neighborhood? When we tapped Pliny the Younger and the Elder at the same time. It was standing room only and we tapped out in an hour and a half. Sadly, some people were chugging instead of enjoying. 03 What do you consider sexy? Intelligence, killer sarcasm, and not giving a shit. 04 If there was a sliding scale of 10 with intelligence and looks, what number would you pick for each? 8 intelligence, 2 looks. I’ve dating some ugs but at least they keep me entertained and laughing. Boredom is not a burden that anybody should bear. 05 What do you love about the Neighborhood? The staff. I feel like all the stars aligned and they selected the most bad ass people who love serving, learning, and drinking beer.
NEIGHBORHOOD
777 G St, San Diego // Neighborhood: Gaslamp (619) 446-0002 www.NeighborhoodSD.com 4Lmagazine.com
North County RECOMMENDATIONS
CRAFT BEER SEÑOR GRUBBY’S
HEADLINE HERE
Señor Grubby’s was started by a group of local guys looking to put a twist on the local Mexican fair. After numerous trips south of the border and not so great American breakfast spots, they noticed missing elements that they wanted to highlight and put their own creative twist on. They called this new fusion of flavor “California Grub”. So now you know how Grubby’s got its name, but we bet that you didn’t know is that they have a great variety of local and craft beer!
377 Carlsbad Village Dr., Carlsbad 760.729.0903 • EatGrubbys.com
ENCINITAS ALE HOUSE
TAP THAT
Encinitas Ale House has laid claim to bombass burgers and a helluvalot of specialty ales. It’s tough (but entirely fun) to choose from their rotating 32 taps of not only local but many hard to find craft, import and microbrews. To add to the bliss, they throw in a selection of over 350 bottled beers. A good idea may be to move within walking distance (or crawling) distance of this mecca. They boast to have meats that are humanely raised: beef, bison, goose, alligator, venison, lamb, duck, rabbit, wild boar and of course... ostrich!
A San Diego Brewery Tour in one place! Tap That sells only local beer in their bottle shop and on draft. Visit the Tap That Tap Room and enjoy a cold draft brew from one of their local San Diego area breweries! With 20 local beers on tap every day and over 100 bottled craft beers to-go, Tap That has something for every beer-lover’s tastes.
3207 Roymar Road, Oceanside 760.433.4827 • TapThatKegNow.com
1044 S. Coast Highway 101 • Encinitas 760.943.7180 • EncinitasAleHouse.com
RESTAURANTS CANTINA MAS FINA
IGNITE BISTRO
HOOKED ON SUSHI Seemingly hard to find, but once you do you will be back for sure! Yes, Hooked on Sushi is a fitting name for this ever popular raw fish locale. Through the years, Hooked on Sushi has remained committed to serving not only the freshest but the tastiest sushi in town. Your head will spin and your taste buds will be tantalized, as you try to pick which could be your favorite roll. Is it the Mexican’s Gone Wild, El Fuego or the Zombie? Hmmm...it’s a good thing they have big to-go boxes here.
With some of the cheapest and strongest drinks in town, plenty of flat screens, great food and friendly locals, it’s no wonder that this place routinely has a packed house. Throw in a diverse menu that is not just filled with Mexican favorites, but American ones as well. The gamut is fully covered, from ridiculously addicting pizzas to crab enchiladas. If you are in the mood to just eat, drink and “hang” with a fun crowd, then mark “The Cantina” on your hit list.
2508 El Camino Real, Carlsbad 760.434.8811 • HookedOnSushiSD.com
2780 State St., Carlsbad 760.434.3497 • MasFinaCantina.com
Serving fresh, approachable and sustainable food that has a local connection and means something to the community. Ignite Bistro also features “The Oyster Bar” with fresh, sustainable oysters from Northern California and the Pacific Northwest. With NFL Sunday Ticket, Big Ten and SEC Network you can see ALL the games! Add some bottomless mimosas for $8 on Sundays and you have some pretty happy campers! They offer Happy Hour from 3 to 6 p.m. daily and Dollar Oyster Bar Saturday through Thursday from 6 to 7 p.m.
6996 El Camino Real, Carlsbad 760.438.7800 • IgniteCarlsbad.com
DECEMBER 2014 | Fully cultured, yet unshaven | 4L MAGAZINE 45
GAMBLING
TIPS
NEVER DOs
BLACKJACK GAMBLING TIPS BROUGHT TO YOU BY SYCUAN CASINO
A nine-part series to play the odds in your favor
To win at Blackjack, a player must have a better hand than the dealer by getting closer to 21 without going over. If the player or dealer goes over 21, it is considered a “bust” and is automatically out of the hand. The player must finalize their hand before the dealer so they have the first chance to bust and thereby an advantage. When it comes to Blackjack, there are many factors involved that can help you reduce your losses and increase your winnings. Here are some things that are simply beyond statistical play. NEVER BELIEVE THAT SOME TABLES OR DEALERS ARE BETTER OR WORSE THAN OTHERS The gambling Gods do not bless some tables or some dealers. Everything is random chance. The one thing you do have control over is how many people are sitting at the table, the number of decks being used, the betting limits, and how the people at the table are playing. If you’re not comfortable in any situation, don’t sit down simply because it’s the only spot available. If you stick to your strategy and still lose, you don’t want to walk away blaming it on bad juju or karma. NEVER BELIEVE TIPPING INCREASES YOUR ODDS Tipping is a great gesture from any patron to anyone performing a service to you. Unless the dealer is cheating, it has zero outcome on your winning percentage. Don’t walk away angry thinking that the dealer did not help you out when you were placing “bet tips” for them. Tip your dealer because you are generous and it’s the right thing to do, not because you think it will help you win. NEVER “MARATHON” PLAY When your body is tired, your mind will follow. Remember to take breaks and rejuvenate yourself. You can sit out a hand without losing your spot at the table. Take a water break, bathroom break or just a breather by getting up and walking around a little bit. The fresher your body and mind are, the less likely you will make mistakes that go against your own strategy.
NEVER DRINK TOO MUCH If you are looking to win, you need to stay sharp enough to make the right decisions at the right time. If you have been heavily drinking, your judgment will be impaired and thereby you will do things that you wouldn’t ordinarily do. If your goal is to have a good time whether you win or lose, by all means, have fun and have drinks but know your limits with the cocktails as well as your bets. NEVER LET YOUR EMOTIONS AFFECT YOUR LOGIC For a strategy to work, you must implement and follow it at all times. This way, you will reduce your losses and increase your odds of winning. If you let your mood change your behavior, you will never have consistency so you will never know if you have a winning strategy or a losing one. This game is by the numbers. If you think that your mood has any influence, there is some land on the moon we’d like to sell you.
When you arrive at Sycuan to play Blackjack, find yourself a nice table that you’re comfortable with, especially the limits. If you ever wonder what you’re supposed to do, the dealer will always be nice enough to tell you what the “book” says. Remember, most people play the “book” so if you decide to go against it and it causes the players at the table to lose, people may get upset with you. It’s always awesome when the whole table wins but it’s never fun when you are the cause to the house winning. Be respectful of the dealer and the other players but never forget to always have fun!
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DECEMBER 2014 | Fully cultured, yet unshaven | 4L MAGAZINE 47
ON PAR
GOLF TIPS
The Crossings at Carlsbad Presents
AMY TILLEY VS. THE WORLD (AT GOLF) BY STEVE KANG
LUCY: - After she hits her first couple of shots, it’s clear Lucy is a ringer. She has nerves of steel and the giant rushing water fall right in front of her feet doesn’t even seem to phase her. - She gets a few very near the hole but because of the plateau, a few role back towards the front and a few role down the left side. - She only hits one off the green but it’s still in the first cut right of the back of the green - Then she nails one just three feet away and sticks it - Lucy ends up with nine balls on the green with her three closest ones at 15ft, 8ft, and 3ft which gives her a total of 26ft
THE BATTLE BEGINS!
AMY VS. LUCY – CLOSEST TO THE PIN
AMY: - She seems a little nervous. Her first couple of shots plopped in the drink, one into the waterfall and one in the lake. - She is having difficulty figuring out if she wants to hit it off the tee or off the grass part of the mat. - She chooses the tee but it’s a bit too high for a lob wedge so it’s making her hit the ball just a bit too thin or just a bit too fat. She proceeds to hit another two balls into the water. - She finally turns the mat around and starts hitting it off the artificial grass side. - Boom, she lands the remaining six balls on the green. - Her three closest ones are 12ft, 10ft, and 7ft which gives her a total of 29ft - Looks like her slow start really cost her on this round
THE SET UP: - Hole #7 par 5 at the Crossings at Carlsbad - We set up in a small clearing next to the signature waterfall at 60 yards out - The flag was on the back right of the green on a small plateau - The format was 1 round with 10 consecutive shots a piece - 3 closest balls with the least amount of cumulative feet to the hole wins -They are hitting from a 1’x2’ mat in muddy conditions
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CONCLUSION: Lucy wins by three feet. I can’t believe how well they were hitting from that spot. A small muddy clearing with a big waterfall just a few feet away from their feet, over a lake to a pin placement that is sitting high and right on a plateau in the back of the green. Furthermore, the mat they were using was something you might use to goof around in your backyard hitting into a net. To top it all off, it was also sprinkling. Good job ladies, in my opinion, you are both winners.
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BUYER TIPS Make sure you are working with the best. Get pre-approved with a great lender before writing an offer and work with an experienced real estate agent who can help you navigate through any challenges that come up during a transaction. Now is the time to buy. If you are on the fence about buying, this is the year to jump in. Prices have stalled, there is less buyer competition and rates will likely be close to 5 percent by the end of 2015. SELLER TIPS Marketing, Marketing, Marketing! With prices stalling, marketing has never been more important. Ensure your agent has a comprehensive plan and a proven track record for results. Their marketing initiatives should reach local buyers as well as international buyers since they make up 10 percent of San Diego sales. Don’t try to gouge potential buyers. Overpricing a home will end up costing a seller as they sit on the market for an extended period of time and ultimately have to reduce the price. Having the right price from day one ensures the highest sales price for a seller.
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etting ready to sell your home or buy one? You can create an advantage for yourself by doing research, learning about the past and current market trends and then making educated decisions. Psst ... read on for the inside scoop before the end of the year.
San Diego’s market tends to be more extreme in both directions compared to national averages so it is difficult to listen to national trends and assume the same thing is happening here, but we’re going to help you out by sharing what we know about the local market so that you can make smart decisions when looking toward buying or selling in 2015. This year we saw single digit home price appreciation throughout most of San Diego County. While this is a sustainable appreciation, it felt as if the market stalled compared to the previous year where we saw 20 to 30 percent appreciation. We predict home price appreciation will continue in 2015, though it will not be large, double-digit gains. Interest rates continued to remain close to historic lows, which was great for buyers and as we enter 2015, specifically the second half of the year, rates will likely increase.
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Led by husband and wife team Paul and Emily Hervieux, The Hervieux Real Estate Group brings a pleasant familiarity to the stressful process of buying or selling a home with a one-of-a-kind approach. The Hervieux Real Estate Group sold more homes in 2013 than any of the nearly 20,000 agents in San Diego County. Along with their team, Paul and Emily have a passion to help homeowners by presenting free monthly seminars to teach potential sellers how to prepare their homes to bring in the highest price, including tips for feasible fix-ups, staging, marketing and negotiating in the current market.
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DECEMBER 2014 | Fully cultured, yet unshaven | 4L MAGAZINE 51
RELATIONSHIPS
MUSINGS
Two friends at a pub. Beer and verbal shenanigans. Nothing too out of the ordinary, right? But, on a night such as this, in a quiet pub in Australia about 10 years ago, something extraordinary was born from a simple question: Where had the mustache gone, and could these friends bring it back? In answering this question with a resounding yes, a multimillion dollar charitable endeavor, Movember, was launched, destined to reshape the face of men’s health. Last month’s 4L featured a story about Movember, the global charity that raises both awareness and funds for prostate cancer, testicular cancer and men’s mental health issues. In the decade since its innocuous beginning, Movember has become the top promoter of men’s health issues and has funded extensive and groundbreaking medical research in these areas.
“Movember is the global men’s health charity where men grow and women support the mustache during November. Movember is about bringing back the moustache (Mo), having fun, 52 4L MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2014
creating conversations and awareness, and raising funds for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health problems.”
a vision of it becoming national and certainly not global,” says Adam Garone, Movember Foundation CEO and co-founder.
The men behind Movember didn’t set out to change the world and never dreamed they were destined to become such an influential force. And that’s what makes the foundation’s success story all the more intriguing: that a group of friends (Adam Garone, along with his brother Travis and friend Luke Slattery, the two men at the pub) set out to do something positive for the community (with a fun spin) and were able to morph worldwide mustache-growing enthusiasm into something influential and life-changing.
But global it did become—and in a relatively short time. “Since 2004 the Movember community has raised over $550 million* and has funded more than 800 programs to date, in 21 countries.” (Movember.com)
*Does not include 2014 funds raised. Last month, just as mustaches around the world were really taking shape and Movember was on its way to raising roughly $68 million, I caught up with Garone, hoping to gather his perspective on the past 10 years of the Movember phenomenon.
“Our motivation was to do something good in the community and for men’s health; we never had 4Lmagazine.com
THE SIT DOWN... Stacy Cafagna Pollard: When did you know you had something big with Movember? Adam Garone: After the second year. We raised $54,000 in 2004 and donated it to the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia. It was the single largest donation they had ever seen. In 2005, we raised $1.5 million. We were just doing this as volunteers, after hours and weekends. That was the year that we realized this could be huge … Without a personal connection to one of these specific issues, why men’s health? Adam Garone: We were at a pivotal point in our lives when we wanted to do something good, to give back. We were genuinely inspired by women around us (raising money and awareness for breast cancer). We noticed there was nothing for men’s health; the state of this issue is poor. It’s been called the gender disparity that no one’s talking about. Men die six years younger than women (on average) with no biological reason. The point of Movember is to get men educated, to encourage them to seek help and be proactive. It’s been amazing, what’s happened over time. Do you have any stories to share of men who have been touched by the Movember movement? Adam Garone: Hundreds, thousands. Movember is creating an environment where men feel comfortable about their health. We get emails all the time from men sharing that because of Movember, they knew the symptoms of testicular cancer and were diagnosed early, which was key.
Musings from the Other Side of 40 BY STACY CAFAGNA POLLARD
We get emails from men worried about going home for Thanksgiving with this mustache. But for first time ever perhaps, a family is talking about men’s health; it’s the first time someone may learn that a grandfather had been diagnosed with prostate cancer; (the Movember participant) encourages the father to get screened (leading to an early diagnosis and in turn successful treatment.) …That conversation just changed the course of that family’s lives. ***
More from Stacy: The Movember Foundation goes beyond just raising awareness the world over. Funds raised are helping to finance significant research breakthroughs, which Garone was excited to share. Recent research led by Dr. Robert Bristow of the Princess Margaret Cancer Center in Toronto helped to develop a genetic test to identify which men are at the highest risk for prostate cancer to return after having localized treatment with surgery or radiotherapy. “For patients who have aggressive prostate cancer, this will now allow doctors to build a more tailored treatment plan. A personalized medicine approach will improve cure rates in patients with aggressive prostate cancer and also allow doctors to avoid overtreating patients who do not have aggressive forms of the disease.” (Movember.com) “Our vision is to cure this–it won’t be one cure, it will be many,” says Garone. “It will take more time and more funds but we’re on that path.” Adam’s closing words were most touching. Asked to reflect on his work and the magnitude of Movember, he said, “It’s humbling and amazing–the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done.” *** Who would have dreamed that a month of mustache growing would have a profound, worldwide impact on the cancer and mental health communities? Aside from the tangible positives of saving lives and facilitating innovative treatments, the Movember story provides an additional message, one which I strive to instill in my kids, as they rapidly approach the finish line of their childhood: Take a chance. Find something which is satisfying and rewarding, even if it’s beyond the mainstream. Fill your lives with something which is significant to you. The men of Movember didn’t start with the goal of changing men’s health the world over, but they were inspired to do something beyond themselves. And, one mustache at a time, they have touched countless lives.
A special thank you to Adam Garone
Stacy Cafagna Pollard, a San Diego native, is a graduate of the University of Southern California and holds a teaching credential from UC San Diego. She is currently working on a book detailing Craig’s story. DECEMBER 2014 | Fully cultured, yet unshaven | 4L MAGAZINE 53
TRENDING
STYLEWATCH
Crack the Code
Tis the season … of credit card debt, overeating and a shitload of holiday parties. From friends and family to co-workers and sweaty strangers, you’re about to frolic through the 12 days of Christmas and straight on into the New Year. With all that you’ve got going on, the last thing you need to worry about is your wardrobe. BY BRIDGET NAJOUR
From formal to fun, we’ve decoded the dress code lingo... NEW YEAR’S EVE Dress Code: Cocktail Attire Let’s face it, unless you’re watching the ball drop on your couch, the stakes are high on New Year’s Eve. Every bar and club turns into a VIP event, so even if you’re not heading to that swanky, rooftop party, you better dress the part. Put together a top-notch look that’s stylish but not stuffy. Stick with the suit and tie, but try a dark suit in navy or gray. Add a pop of color with your socks, tie or a pocket square, but make sure they all coordinate. Finish the look off with a pair of well-maintained Oxfords.
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WORK PARTY Dress Code: Dressy Casual Does this sound like a contradiction? We think so, too. But as far as formalities go, you’ve hit the holiday party jackpot. As the most laid back of the formal-wear options, you get to look good and be comfortable. This is your chance to be unbuttoned, literally and figuratively. Ditch the button down and try out a hybrid look, mixing and matching casual and dressy elements. Pair a t-shirt with a patterned sport coat and dark jeans, or combine a v-neck sweater with khakis or cords.
UGLY SWEATER PARTY Dress Code: Festive You are bound to be invited to at least one of these celebrations of fugly as they are the season’s fastest growing trend. Don’t be a scrooge! This is the one holiday party where you don’t have to be buttoned up. Embrace your inner ugly and head to the nearest thrift store, raid your own closet or grab some tinsel and an old sweatshirt for a DIY version. For a toned down yet equally festive look, trade out the sweater for seasonal tie or a holiday colored flannel.
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waterproof weatherproof sweatproof sound. secure fit design for athletes. Powered by H2O Audio’s patented waterproof technology, the Surge ear buds come with 5 ear tip sizes, guaranteeing a comfortable and secure fit for running, biking and swimming. Add the Amphibx Fit waterproof armband for your device or the Interval system for swimming to bring your training soundtrack to any climate or terrain. Breaking the Barriers of sound at X-1.com DECEMBER 2014 | Fully cultured, yet unshaven | 4L MAGAZINE 55
STUNNING SAN DIEGO
TARA JOHNSON
WEARING TAB CLOTHING | PHOTOGRAPHED AT L’AUBERGE | MAKE-UP BY WHITNEY TEAL WOOD
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TARA JOHNSON SAN DIEGO CONNECTION: I came to visit a few years back. I decided to move to San Diego because there are a lot more creative outlets here compared to Boston. So I saved up my money, and now I’m here. PROFESSION: Founder of TAB Custom Design, a small independent clothing line for women (www.tabcustomdesign.com). HOBBIES: Sewing and design. Creative writing; I write non-fiction short stories. I’m a blogger and editor for The Art Elephant and hopefully soon with 4L Magazine. OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES: Swimming, road biking, hiking, surfing and running FAVORITE FOOD: Swedish oven pancake; it’s like a baked pancake … after all, my heritage is Swedish. Also sushi and, yes, I eat raw fish … fo’ sho’. FAVORITE LIBATION: Jameson, Bulleit Rye and a proper Old Fashioned, of course.
GROWING UP: I’m from New England, grew up in Massachusetts. I have a younger sister and an older brother; yes, I am a middle child. I spent a lot of time in the woods and doing outdoor activities with my family. We went skiing, snowboarding, swimming and spent a lot of time on the Cape in the summer. My dad is a music lover so I grew up listening to the oldies. My mom is a super Type A personality, so I got my strength and independence from her.
CAREER: I was a local news reporter on the East Coast. I also worked for Time magazine. When I got to Southern California, I wanted to move away from hard news to creative writing. So I started exploring the different side of publishing. TAB is a hobby I started with my sister with little projects, but we decided to turn it into a brand so we’re working on it today. She still lives on the East Coast, but we have runway shows on both sides. It really keeps us connected and we hope to see it turn into a great brand some day.
PASSION: I’m passionate about where I am in life right now. I didn’t know anybody when I first moved out here, but now I have networked with a lot of photographers, make-up artists, graphic designers, hairstylists and more. I’m eager to collaborate with everybody so that we can all help each other to succeed and do what we are truly passionate about.
DECEMBER 2014 | Fully cultured, yet unshaven | 4L MAGAZINE 57
TRAVEL
WEEKENDER & LOCALE
DestinationLA
SUNSET MARQUIS BY MICHELLE LYN
For the past 50 years, the Sunset Marquis has been the home away from home for actors, artists, filmmakers, fashion designers and perhaps most notably, rock stars. The legendary hotel at 1200 Alta Loma Road became a safe haven for those in the know to escape the chaos of the Sunset Strip and such famous clubs as the Whisky a Go Go, The Roxy and the Troubadour. After a major $35 million renovation, the property is comprised of 154 suites and villas that expand over four acres in the heart of West Hollywood. Nondescript from the outside, the Sunset Marquis is modern, hip and has an undeniable cool factor that is reinforced by the constant reminders of rock memorabilia all over the hotel.
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04
03
01Sunset Marquis Villa Pool 02 Spa Treatment Room 01
03 Spa Garden 04 Cavatina Restaruant – Outdoor Patio
01
need for a child … mini bath robes, a highchair, crib, child-sized fruit plate, you name it. And once you’ve settled in a bit, they even send over a personalized gift for your child, like a little rocker tee and coloring books. Although I have to admit, the coolest part of their kids program might be the Future Rocker Passport. Each child receives a passport book that instructs them to go to the front desk to take a photo and then they embark on a scavenger hunt around the property that yields fun facts with a guided tour and ultimately ends in prizes for each passport stamp accrued. It’s fun for hours, if you’re game to play along.
02
MORNINGS The best way to start your morning is with a walk a few blocks down to Urth Caffe for coffee and then work your way over to Runyon Canyon for an easy hike to scope out a view of L.A. from the top. Work your way back down and head to The Hudson for a leisurely breakfast of brioche french toast or a short rib benedict—you did just go for a hike, after all. Back at the hotel, take advantage of the quiet time—no early risers here—and stroll through the property, checking out all of the framed photos of rock legends during their time at the Sunset Marquis. You’ll feel cool just for being there.
AFTERNOONS
If it’s nice out (and chances are it will be), go for a dip in the Villa pool and spend the afternoon lounging in a cabana, with a break for lunch at Cavatina, the hotel’s open-air restaurant. Don’t be surprised to find yourself dining next to a supermodel or musician, but don’t geek out either. Celebs come to the Sunset Marquis for the privacy and the ability to relax undisturbed.
If you’re visiting kid-free, spend the rest of the afternoon in the Spa’s 1,800 square feet of relaxation. Indulge in one of the massages or body treatments while sprawled out in one of the spacious treatment rooms, on one of the massage beds by Porsche (yes, Porsche). If romance is in the cards, go for the couple’s massage with rose petals and candlelight in a private suite, complete with a rainfall shower for two. 04
At such an exclusive hotel, you might not expect it to be family friendly. Not true at all in this case. In fact, upon check in, the staff is more than happy to set your room up with anything you could possibly
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TRAVEL
WEEKENDER
01
EVENINGS The Sunset Marquis is in 02 A Room at the such a prime Sunset Marquis location for 03 Presidential dining out, the Bathroom possibilities are endless. You can’t go wrong with trendy gastropub The Churchill or Pace, a cozy Italian gem up Laurel Canyon. Once you’ve fueled up for the night, check out a show or bar hop around town with drinks at Chateau Marmont, Harlowe, Grandpa Johnson’s or The Secret Club on Fairfax (Google it).
PLANNING AHEAD
Getting There The Sunset Marquis is located in the heart of West Hollywood, just off of the Sunset Strip. From San Diego, it’s around a twohour drive, depending on traffic.
01 Bar 1200
Eventually find your way back to the Sunset Marquis and hit up Bar 1200— the hotel’s bar that is not your ordinary hotel bar—for a dark and sultry nightcap. Who knows who you’ll rub elbows with.
When to Go Check upcoming concert calendars and make a weekend out of it. Anything at the Hollywood Bowl or the Greek Theater completes the L.A. experience! 02
LOVE It’s all you need. Well, that along with a luxury villa to crash in after you and your partner indulge in couple’s massage ritual. Package includes accommodations in a deluxe villa for two guests, a couple’s spa ritual, breakfast and valet parking.
Book It Rates start around $300 for a standard room and go up if you choose a suite or a villa. Reservations can be made online at sunsetmarquis.com. Sunset Marquis 1200 Alta Loma Road West Hollywood, CA 90069
SUNSET 2 SUNRISE Party like a rock star on Sunset Boulevard and then crash in luxury and recover with a delectable breakfast so you can do it all over again. Package includes accommodations in a suite or villa, breakfast, Sunset Strip All Access VIP passes, Equinox passes and valet parking. STAY & PLAY No need to bring your own axe. Borrow one of theirs and jam in your room till your ears bleed. Package includes a one night stay in a deluxe villa for two, use of an EG-1 Traveler Guitar (including headsets) for duration of stay, passes to Equinox Health Club, breakfast vouchers, a Sunset Strip All Access VIP pass and valet parking.
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DestinationLA
OUR NEIGHBOR
TO THE NORTH BY ERIK H. MARTIN
It’s as though it’s our civic duty as San Diego residents to slander our neighbor to the north. We tend to describe Los Angeles as dirty, congested, superficial and fake; a place to which we venture only for family obligations or to catch a less expensive international flight. However, if we can avoid subscribing to the “rat race” that tends to define the city and allow ourselves to leisurely see, smell, hear, taste and feel all that this iconic metropolis has to offer, we’d find our “older, uglier sister” to be quite pleasant and beautiful. With her world-class hotels, restaurants, shopping, entertainment and beaches, Los Angeles offers everything one could want in a weekend getaway.
After making the drive up the coast, the setting sun’s orange light falling upon the palm trees and perfectly manicured lawns of Westwood is a warm welcome to Los Angeles. Upon entering the centrally located Hotel Palomar Westwood, your drive to LA is immediately forgotten as the attentive staff and complimentary wine hour welcome you. A DJ spins chill lounge music that softly resonates throughout the sleek lobby, creating an ambiance of New York City chic crossed with Los Angeles attitude. This urban angle continues its flow through the sumptuously designed rooms. Whether it’s unwinding in the room’s Fuji soaking tub or taking in the magnificent views of the ocean and city skyline from the room’s loveseat, Hotel Palomar Westwood offers a quiet and comfortable escape. Just around the corner, LA’s attitude embraces Southeast Asia with the upscale, casual restaurant RockSugar. Restaurateur David Overton and highly
acclaimed Executive Chef Mohan Ismail have created a restaurant with the same color and magic of an Ang Lee movie. Glowing temple candles, ornate Buddha statues and a 30-foot, hand-carved wood ceiling are only overshadowed by Chef Ismail’s creative dishes. Showcasing the cuisines of Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and India, along with several recipes passed down from his family, Ismail’s menu is exemplary. Appetizers such as Crispy Chicken Samosas and Crunchy Calamari are complemented perfectly by inimitable drinks like their Lemongrass Cucumber Martini, Blood Orange Sangria and RockSugar Mojito. As for the entrees, it would be blasphemous if the Shaking Beef, Indonesian Grilled Cilantro Shrimp, Coconut Chicken Soup or Lemongrass Roasted Chicken were served in any other setting. Enlightenment, however, can only be achieved after experiencing RockSugar’s Caramelized Banana Custard Cake.
Burn off that sugar-high by going dancing at one of LA’s many clubs; just look for the long lines, expensive cars and paparazzi to know which clubs are the best. If you want live music, take a look at a concert calendar, as the city is a mecca for all the top artists and bands. Smaller venues, such as the Whiskey a Go Go and The Roxy, cater to up-and-coming artists and groups; The Doors, Neil Young, Van Halen, Oingo Boingo, Red Hot Chili Peppers, N.W.A., Guns N’ Roses, Metallica and Maroon 5 all got their start in the city’s smaller venues.
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TRAVEL
LOCALE
02
01
01 Casa Del Mar Deck
Los Angeles also hosts many of the 02 Riding along the Coast top Broadway plays in the city’s various iconic theaters, such as the Pantages Theater. The Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon, Les Misérables, Wicked and hundreds of other famous Broadway plays have made their way west with their star-studded casts.
both are short 2-mile walks from Hotel Palomar Westwood.
Along with top music and theater artists, Los Angeles also boasts some of the best athletes in the world. Both UCLA and USC produce two of the most competitive football and basketball teams in the NCAA; to see a game at the Rose Bowl, Coliseum or Pauley Pavilion is to experience college sports at its best. When it comes to basketball, however, Los Angeles’s true pride and joy are the Lakers. Rub elbows with celebrities such as Jack Nicholson, Denzel Washington and The Hoff while sitting court side to watch one of the NBA’s most successful teams in history. If you’d rather rub elbows with the likes of Steven Tyler or Tom Hanks, attend a Kings’ game and watch the 2012 and 2014 Stanley Cup champions hip-check and skate circles around the rest of the NHL. Want to attend a baseball game? … Stay in San Diego.
As in San Diego, the beaches of Los Angeles can be enjoyed year-round. Smell the ocean air and drive along the base of the Santa Monica Mountains to spend the day surfing at the legendary beaches of Malibu. Or spend the day enjoying the beautiful beaches of Santa Monica and taking a stroll along its historic pier with its ferris wheel, roller coaster and arcade games. However, the best way to experience the beaches of Los Angeles is to hire a bike from Santa Monica Bike Center and cruise from Santa Monica to Venice Beach. Sitting comfortably on one of SMBC’s beach cruisers, feeling the warm sun on your face, and watching the joggers, inline skaters, roller skaters and other cruisers snake their way along the sand-swept beach path is energizing and relaxing. Once in Venice Beach, soak in the spectacle that one might compare to a traveling circus; incredibly talented musicians, eccentric clowns on skates, phenomenal basketball players, colossal bodybuilders and the bearded lady and her two dwarf assistants all vie for your attention.
Whether the professional athletes or the beautiful people of Los Angeles drive you to be physically fit, outdoor activities abound throughout the city. Call it cliché or touristy, a hike through Runyon Canyon Park will not only have you cross paths with Hollywood’s celebrities and provide you one of the best views of Los Angeles and the Hollywood sign, it will also offer a physical challenge to visitors of all fitness levels. If a casual stroll is more to your liking, wander among the worldfamous shops of Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive;
After one experiences the sensory overload that is Venice Beach, a healthy dose of normalcy is often required and Hotel Casa del Mar delivers. However, one could argue that Hotel Casa del Mar is abnormal in the sense that it offers a level of luxury that goes beyond expectations. Set on the sands of Santa Monica Beach, the 1926 beach club hotel is picture-perfect if you want to spend the majority of your time in Los Angeles near the water. With floor-to-ceiling glass windows, guests are always accompanied
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by the hills of Palos Verdes to the south, the mountains of Malibu to the north, and the golden beaches that rest between the two. Enjoy the view of the Santa Monica Pier, the swaying palm trees and the glittering Pacific Ocean from the two restaurants and/or pool, as the favorable staff cares for your every need and want. After a long day of surfing, stand-up paddling, hiking, riding bikes or just sitting poolside, the cozy rooms with their hydrotherapy tubs invite you to retire in comfort. Embraced by beautiful antique décor, luxurious bedding and a soft sea breeze, you’ll fall sound asleep to the whisper of the nearby waves. Whether it’s the relaxation that can be found at Hotel Casa del Mar and Hotel Palomar Westwood, the world-class dining like that of RockSugar, or the excitement of all the entertainment and sports the city has to offer, Los Angeles is a place that makes the “dreams” of many come true. Therefore, it may well be time that we put our grudges aside and make mends with our “older, uglier sister” and frequent her more often.
SIDE NOTES
General Information Hotel Palomar Westwood HotelPalomar-LAwestwood.com (800) 472-8556 Hotel Casa del Mar HotelCasaDelMar.com (310) 581-5533 RockSugar Pan Asian Kitchen RockSugarPanAsianKitchen.com (310) 522-9988 Santa Monica Bike Center SMbikecenter.com (310) 656-8500
4Lmagazine.com
Donna Wettstein.
North County Specialist.
AN EXCEPTIONAL REALTOR® FOR AN EXCEPTIONAL NEIGHBORHOOD. Donna helped me sell and buy our home. She is a top notch professional. She keeps you informed and definitely makes extra efforts to understand exactly what your needs are and meet them. She will go out of her way for you, and is a wonderful advocate. She sold my home in 5 days and found me a home before it even hit the market! We might not have gotten our dream home had she not went above and beyond what most agents usually do. Donna is amazing and I give her the highest of recommendations! Thao Le-Thanh Ha
My commitment to all of you is to work SMART and DILIGENTLY, paying special attention to YOUR individual desires and needs, and to make it a fun journey... YOU WON’T WANT TO MISS!
C: 619.884.1884 DonnaWettstein@yahoo.com EncinitasDreamHomes.com CalBRE: 01380900 DECEMBER 2014 | Fully cultured, yet unshaven | 4L MAGAZINE 63
GADGETS & GEAR
REVIEWS
TECH ALL HANDS ON
The Macallan 64 Year Old in Lalique Cire Perdue Price: $460K
According to presenters: “... To mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of René Lalique, the founder of one of the world’s foremost crystal artisans, Macallan combined the creativity and craftsmanship of The Macallan and Lalique to produce the world’s most valuable decanter of whisky. A decanter made by Lalique used the ‘lost wax’ procedure to create a truly unique, one-off piece of art.” 4L Magazine’s take: The worst part is that I couldn’t help but do the math. You get right around 21 shots per bottle, divided by $460k. Yeah, take a breath, swallow down that vomit feeling: Almost $22,000 per glass of single malt. Happy New Year’s, assholes! TheMacallan.com
BY CORY WATERHOUSE
Baron Shave Kit Price: $80
According to presenters: “The safety razor and the timeless ritual that ensures a perfect shave every time have fallen into obscurity over the last century. The Baron Razor, Brush, and Stand + Travel Case are constructed from the highest quality materials available. Each component is precision machined with optimum performance, ergonomics, and durability in mind.” 4L Magazine’s take: Since we’re done being furry scumbags for charity, I think we owe it to ourselves to buy the same razors and kits our grandfathers would have used. You know, that guy who was part of the Greatest Generation. Yeah, him. Go tell him about you needing five razors because your face is just so much more manly than his was. In Korea. And Vietnam. BaronShave.com
Aston Martin Vanquish Carbon Black Price: $TBA
According to presenters: “The beating heart of Vanquish Carbon Edition is the latest version of their iconic 6.0 liter V12 masterpiece: AM29. Sophisticated new engine management frees even more power, working seamlessly with the new eight-speed Touchtronic III automatic gearbox. This new lighter, faster gearbox executes gearshifts with greater precision, and with 568 bhp (576 PS) to draw upon, Vanquish Carbon is capable of 0-60 mph in just 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 201 mph.”
CRAZY CAR
LOVE
4L Magazine’s take: I’m not sure what my infatuation with superhero cars is, but I want one. Or four. I’m not choosy. Just send them this way. And I’ll fight crime—when I’m done peeling the paint of the 5 North. AstonMartin.com
64 4L MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2014
4Lmagazine.com
Coil
Price: $200
According to presenters: “There’s been more development in the coffee industry over the last 10 years than ever before. Even though so much energy has been put into better harvesting, better roasting and better brewing, when it comes to making iced coffee you lose all of that hard work; quality roasted beans become generic, under extracted and often watered down. That’s why we wanted to make a new way for you to drink iced coffee in your home. It’s called Coil, and without ever touching ice it can drop the temperature of your freshly made coffee from 210° to 48° in under four minutes.” 4L Magazine’s take: I’ve been known to drink days old coffee. Why? Because it’s there. And no black pot of fantastic energy should ever go to waste. But if you’re a wimp, and you need it cold (like me), then the Coil will get the job done in four minutes. Because waiting is for those with patience. Misc-Goods-Co.com
Arlo HD All-Weather Wireless Security Camera Price: $350
According to presenters: “One hundred percent wire-free Arlo cameras go anywhere. Indoors or out, in daylight or darkness, they’ll keep an HD eye on everything. Keep peace of mind in your pocket with motion alerts and simultaneous viewing of up to four cameras, using the intuitive free Arlo mobile app. With Arlo, you’ll always be connected to what matters most.”
Amazon Echo Price: $200
According to presenters: “Tucked under Echo’s light ring is an array of seven microphones. These sensors use beam-forming technology to hear you from any direction. With enhanced noise cancellation, Echo can hear you ask a question even while it’s playing music. Echo uses on-device keyword spotting to detect the wake word. When Echo detects the wake word, it lights up and streams audio to the cloud, where they leverage the power of Amazon Web Services to recognize and respond to your request.”
4L Magazine’s take: I think a security camera would sound fantastic, seeing as how I have two young children, but I have a feeling it would be a lot of alerts about the postal worker dropping off Amazon boxes of more cool gadgetry I don’t need. “But safety first ... right?” he says, unconvincingly to his wife. Arlo.com
4L Magazine’s take: A real robot ... in my living room. The future is here! Granted, it does nothing to repel alien attacks or or stop malicious cyber terror, but I guess it can hear me request a song or ask about Wikipedia. Amazon.com
IF YOU’D LIKE TO HAVE YOUR PRODUCT REVIEWED BY 4L MAGAZINE, E-MAIL CORY@FOURELMAGAZINE.COM DECEMBER 2014 | Fully cultured, yet unshaven | 4L MAGAZINE 65
MUSIC LISTINGS
HOT WIRE
CONCERT DATES
RHYTHM
12/02
FLEETWOOD MAC Viejas Arena at SDSU
66 4L MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2014
4Lmagazine.com
12/07
THE ATARIS The Casbah
12/02
ALEX CLARE House of Blues 12/02 6 P.M. ALEX CLARE House of Blues Alex Clare grew up in London as the son of a jazz enthusiast, which lured him to the world of blues and soul, where he became familiar with the likes of Donnie Hathaway and Stevie Wonder. Although he began on drums and trumpet, he eventually placed his emphasis on guitar and songwriting. A demo of his gained him a signing with Island Records in the U.K. and an introduction to the producers Diplo and Switch, who helped him create his first album. 12/02 8 P.M. FLEETWOOD MAC Viejas Arena at SDSU The band underwent Jurassic genre changes over the length of a decade, shifting from a hardedged blues group to a pop/rock outfit. After the departure of two members, the band added a soft rock duo to their lineup and decided shortly after to journey into pop/rock. The only consistent members of the group who have remained throughout the life of the band are drummer Mick Fleetwood and bassist John Mcvie. 12/05 8 P.M. PHILLIP PHILLIPS RIMAC Arena - UCSD American Idol’s 11th season winner and owner of two first names holds a soulful style that mixes well with jam-oriented rock. During his time on American Idol, he went through several surgeries to remove stones from his kidneys, powering through pain and remaining focused on the current competition to achieve his goal. He both recovered from his surgery and grasped the No. 1 spot. 12/07 6 P.M. TRISTAN PRETTYMAN & ERIC HUTCHINSON House of Blues The sexy San Diego native and former Quicksilver/Roxy model graced the first issue of 4L San Diego. Her breakthrough began with a surf film in 2001 that featured one of her songs on the soundtrack, followed by successful tours with G. Love & Special Sauce and San Diego folk/pop artist Jason Mraz. The artist continued to endure success after a signing with Virgin Records. 12/07 8:30 P.M. THE ATARIS The Casbah This pop-punk act is full of heart-felt lyrics that depict beautiful mistakes. Vandals founder Joe Escalante gave songwriter Kris Roe an opportunity, after meeting at a Vandals concert, to put together a band and record for Escalante’s label Kung-Fu Records. After several successful tours, The Ataris found their breakthrough with many album sales and appearances on MTV.
12/08
AUGUSTANA House of Blues
12/08 6 P.M. AUGUSTANA House of Blues The band’s rootsy heartland rock sound is reminiscent of Coldplay and Keane mixed with a bit of ‘90s alternative. Most of the group originally formed in southern Illinois while studying music at Greenville College. But the environment proved too suffocating for a breakthrough, so two of them moved to San Diego, found a new drummer and finally found what they were looking for in Los Angeles with an eventual signing to Epic Records. 12/10 6 P.M. THREE OF CLUBS TOUR featuring RDGLDGRN, KANEHOLLER, THE YOUNG WILD House of Blues The vowel absent and unpronounceable RDGLDGRN is comprised of a trio who go by the names of Red, Gold and Green. The group preforms an odd and interesting mixture of indie rock with a hip-hop twang. The first notable single was a reference to the first Anchorman movie after Steve Carell’s line, “I Love Lamp.” Their snowballing success led them to the involvement of some of the music industry’s key power players.
DECEMBER 2014 | Fully cultured, yet unshaven | 4L MAGAZINE 67
RHYTHM
MUSIC LISTINGS
12/11
BUSH
12/11
COOLIO The Tin Roof
Del Mar Racetrack
12/11 6 P.M. LOUD @ featuring BUSH
Lafayette Hotel, Swim Club & Bungalows
Bush became the first post Nirvana band from Britain to find success in America. Their earlier material was made up of screaming, angst-ridden guitar and guttural vocals. As their breakthrough to fame continued, they took on a more alternative pop approach to their style. Despite the mixed reviews on later albums, the band still holds a loyal following resulting in sold out tour dates.
12/11 7 P.M. COOLIO The Tin Roof The artist was one of the first to cross pop music with gritty, street-rooted subject matter. Several setbacks due to inactivity, legal troubles and newly emerging rap stars impeded the consistent rise to fame, but the groundwork he laid out was enough to maintain his notable status in the world of rap. 12/12 7 P.M. PEPPER Belly Up Despite Pepper’s Hawaiian roots, they chose to ditch the style for a punk/reggae/dubrock sound. Pepper has gained influence by Three Plus in addition to more popular acts, such as Sublime. Initially the trio was signed to an independent LA record label called Volcom Entertainment before starting their own label titled LAW Records. The group had some successful tours with the likes of 311 and Snoop Dogg.
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12/12 5:30 P.M. WREX THE HALLS Valley View Casino Center Wrex The Halls is an annual music event hosted by 91x featuring popular acts such as Cage The Elephant, Alt-J, Interpol, Billy Idol, Spoon, Banks and Schitzophonics. 12/13 8:30 P.M. STRUNG OUT Brick By Brick The quintet that formed in Simi Valley in 1989 first found initial success after signing with Fat Mike’s Fat Wreck Chords label in 1993. The sound offers an interesting mixture of punk rock and heavy metal. 12/14 6 P.M. IN THIS MOMENT TOUR House of Blues In this moment quickly grew from producing local LA club hits to gaining a cult following as a Myspace phenomenon. The breakthrough began with a signing to Century Media Records that led to several successful U.S. tours. 12/15 7:30 P.M. RYAN ADAMS & JENNY LEWIS Copley Symphony Hall The look of a garage rocker, the sound of country pop, Ryan Adams is a man who refused to be defined by any genre. He first found interest in punk rock before seeing potential in his melodic country rock influences. Jenny Lewis is an artist from Las Vegas who is also known as the primary vocalist for Rilo Kiley. Like Ryan Adams, Jenny also pulls from a country influence but holds more of an indie-rock sound.
4Lmagazine.com
12/18
JOHNNY MARR Belly Up
12/18 7 P.M. HIM - Love Metal Archives Tour House of Blues The Finland natives constructed a creative mix between metal, goth and hard rock that they refer to as love metal. The band released their first official album in 1997 titled Greatest Love Songs, Vol. 666. The band gained professional skateboarder Bam Margera as a fan, which led to his desire to promote the group on his TV show Viva La Bam. 12/18 8 P.M. JOHNNY MARR Belly Up Johnny Marr found initial success as the guitarist for the iconic ‘80s band The Smiths and remains a very influential player in the music industry. The band, unfortunately, found its demise after it was agreed that the music had gone stale. Though he remained fairly hidden during the ‘90s, Marr continued to weave in and out of several notable bands before turning to a solo career and the release of the very strongly reviewed The Messenger album, followed by another called Playland that was released earlier this year.
12/21
MIGHTY MIGHTY BOSSTONES House of Blues
12/30
CAMPER VAN BEETHOVEN Belly Up
12/31
FISHBONE
Hilton San Diego Bayfront
12/30 7 P.M. CRACKER and CAMPER VAN BEETHOVEN Belly Up David Lowery spent most of the ‘80s as front man for Camper Van Beethoven, which brought an interesting mixture between punk, folk and ska music before he constructed a new project that he titled Cracker. Cracker’s guitar-driven pop/country/ rock songs found their way to the top of the charts in both America and the U.K.
12/19 6 P.M. WHERE’S THE BAND TOUR House of Blues Where’s The Band? is a tour featuring solo acoustic performances by the frontmen of successful rock groups including: Dustin Kensrue (Thrice), Dan Andriano (Alkaline Trio), Casey Crescenzo (The Dear Hunter), Matt Pryor (The Get Up Kids) and Andy Jackson (Hot Rod Circuit).
12/31 9 P.M. DONAVON FRANKENREITER Belly Up Before committing to a solo career as the protégé of Jack Johnson, Frankenreiter, like his superior, began his professional life as a surfer. As a teenager he moved to Hawaii after obtaining a sponsorship with Billabong and rented out a home from Johnson’s parents. The two became friends while learning guitar together and taking trips to the beach. Johnson’s career had taken off by the time Frankenreiter became confident enough to begin a solo career.
12/21 6 P.M. MIGHTY MIGHTY BOSSTONES House of Blues It’s like the high-energy ska/punk scene of the late ‘90s had a baby with heavy metal and named it Mighty Mighty Bosstones. Despite the loyal fan base that the band gathered, they never could match the commercial success of No Doubt and Sublime. They did, however, end up producing a well-deserved radio hit called “The Impression That I Get.”
12/31 8 P.M. FISHBONE Hilton San Diego Bayfront The group originally formed while they were still in junior high school and managed to successfully mesh deep funk, high-energy punk rock and eclectic ska during their rise in the late ‘80s while obtaining a signing with Columbia Records. They also managed to gather a loyal cult following due to their high-energy performances and unique, goofy style despite their inability to break into the mainstream audience.
DECEMBER 2014 | Fully cultured, yet unshaven | 4L MAGAZINE 69
LOCAL EVENTS
HAPPENINGS
AROUND TOWN
AROUND TOWN
BY CORY WATERHOUSE
JAN. 1
NEW YEAR’S DAY BRUNCH CRUISE Hornblower Cruises & Events
Wallet: $61.95 per person Locale: Downtown 70 4L MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2014
According to presenters: “Toast to the New Year with a delicious Champagne brunch, free-flowing Champagne and amazing San Diego Bay views.” 4L Magazine’s take: Channel your inner Gatsby without all the pretentiousness and assholery. Interesting side note: “Free-flowing Champagne” is an alternate spelling of “skullsplitting hangover.”
JAN. 18-19
HIGH TIDE BREAKFAST - DINE ON THE SURF Wallet: $38 per person Venue: Marine Room - La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club Locale: La Jolla
According to presenters: “The panoramic ocean views of La Jolla Cove only get better during High Tide Breakfast at The Marine Room. Enjoy a seasonal breakfast buffet as the tide brings the waves right up to the picture windows.” 4L Magazine’s take: Please fight the urge to call your significant other “Muffy” or “Buffy.” Those blue bloods can instantly sense an impoverished impostor and will put your ass in the kitchen, washing their silver spoons.
JAN. 15-18
SAN DIEGO ADULT TRADITIONAL JAZZ CAMP America’s Finest City Dixieland Jazz Society
Wallet: $420 tuition ($60 off if you’re a guest of the hotel) Venue: Lafayette Hotel Locale: Downtown
According to presenters: “The faculty will demonstrate vintage instrumental techniques for performing classic jazz in a classroom setting and supervise sessions played by the students in rotating groups. Instruction will include sectionals for front line and rhythm.” 4L Magazine’s take: I come from a punk rock background. That should flow seamlessly with jazz musicians, no? Mesa Boogie and Miles Davis … together again! JAN. 23-24
KEVIN NEALON JAN. 2
Wallet: $30 Venue: The American Comedy Company Locale: Gaslamp
Wallet: $10 Venue: The New Children’s Museum Locale: Downtown
According to presenters: “With his unique sense of humor, profound dry wit and likable demeanor, Kevin Nealon has established himself as one of the premier television, theatrical and stand-up comedians of his generation.”
According to presenters: “Join the staff for a fun and festive story time at The New Children’s Museum.”
4L Magazine’s take: SNL royalty Kevin Nealon is a giant in the comedy community. He’s 6-foot-4.
4L Magazine’s take: I promise your kids will just love being out and about at the museum. Plus, books.
{{ Dad joke inserted. }}
FIRST 5 FIRST FRIDAY: STORY TIME
DECEMBER 2014 | Fully cultured, yet unshaven | 4L MAGAZINE 71
AROUND TOWN
LOCAL EVENTS
JAN. 15-17
JOEY DIAZ Wallet: $18 Venue: The American Comedy Company Locale: Gaslamp
According to presenters: “Born in Havana, Cuba, and raised in North Bergen, NJ, Joey ‘Coco’ Diaz has quickly become one of the most sought after actors and comedians in the entertainment industry today. His love of storytelling is reflected in each role he takes.” 4L Magazine’s take: Joe Rogan likes him, so he’s gotta be kinda funny. I do believe he’s been on Rogan’s podcast quite often … but I’m much too lazy to look. So, yes. They’re pals.
JAN. 23
UKULELE ORCHESTRA OF GREAT BRITAIN Wallet: $25-$65 Venue: La Jolla Music Society Locale: La Jolla
According to presenters: “In concert, The Ukulele Orchestra offers a funny, virtuosic, twanging, awesome, foot-stomping evening, jumping from Tchaikovsky to Nirvana via Otis Redding and Spaghetti Western soundtracks.” 4L Magazine’s take: Ook-uh-lay-lee is how it’s pronounced. Trust me, I watched almost 25 minutes of a two-hour documentary about a ukulele musician. JAN. 18
SALT WATER JAZZ - MINGLE @ THE MINGEI Wallet: $25-$30 Venue: Camarada Locale: Hillcrest
ONGOING
According to presenters: “In the relentless pursuit of rich and oneof-a-kind artistic experiences, Camarada’s mission is to seek dynamic musical repertoire and fearlessly blend diverse artistic elements to present programs that are approachable, uplifting and stimulating.”
Wallet: $85 Venue: A.R. Valentien - The Lodge at Torrey Pines Locale: La Jolla
4L Magazine’s take: I heard there would be taffy and jazz, but that is most likely not true. I’ll bring some taffy. I will not be sharing.
JAN. 2-18
MAGIC TREE HOUSE: DINOSAURS BEFORE DARK Wallet: $11-$15 Venue: San Diego Junior Theatre Locale: Downtown
According to presenters: “When siblings Jack and Annie accidentally stumble upon a tree house time machine, they find themselves transported back to the time of the dinosaurs.” 4L Magazine’s take: I don’t get that. Why the hell would you go back to Mesozoic Era? You know that any shenanigans you get into or butterflies you step on will make this planet uninhabitable. Me? I don’t do time travel anymore. Not since that one thing. You would have heard about it, but you know, paradox. I fixed it. You’re welcome. 72 4L MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2014
ARTISAN TABLE DINNER
According to presenters: “A unique farm-to-table San Diego dining experience at A.R. Valentien in the charming seaside community of La Jolla.” 4L Magazine’s take: Not a lot of farms in La Jolla … and yet, plenty of farmers markets. Think on that.
JAN. 10-31
SATURDAY STEAM SERIES: SPIN BOTS Wallet: $200-$220 Venue: The New Children’s Museum Locale: Downtown
According to presenters: “Design, decorate and animate your own creature! Using electronic components, children will learn about basic circuitry as they bring their creatures to life—and pit them against each other in exciting races and battles.” 4L Magazine’s take: Steampunk Spinbot is my DJ name. 4Lmagazine.com
JAN. 11-ONGOING
INTERACTIVE DINNER DETECTIVE MURDER MYSTERY SHOW Wallet: $64.95 per person Venue: The Dinner Detective San Diego Locale: Downtown
According to presenters: “Downtown San Diego’s only incognito murder mystery dinner show! Come and enjoy a night of nefarious and funny crimes where everyone is a suspect!”
ONGOING
4L Magazine’s take: Obligatory Murder Mystery Dinner Show Beg.
AMAZING SCAVENGER HUNT ADVENTURE
ONGOING
Wallet: $40 for a team of up to 5 players Locale: Downtown
Wallet: included with admission Venue: San Diego Museum of Art Locale: Downtown
According to presenters: “Solve clues and complete challenges as you discover the hidden gems of San Diego on this smartphone guided scavenger hunt walking adventure.”
GAUGUIN TO WARHOL: 20TH CENTURY ICONS
According to presenters: “Gauguin to Warhol: 20th Century Icons from the Albright-Knox Art Gallery traces the path of Modern art through a survey of iconic 20th century works from the Albright-Knox Art Gallery’s renowned collection.” 4L Magazine’s take: Mix in some art with your pub crawls and bacon gluttony … you scruffy looking Nerf Herder.
ONGOING
HARBOR CRUISES & SEA LION ADVENTURES TourGuide Tim Reveals San Diego
Wallet: $29 for adults Venue: Hornblower Cruises & Events Locale: Downtown
According to presenters: “For the best views of San Diego, get onboard for a oneor two-hour Harbor Cruise & Sea Lion Adventure. You’ll see natural wonders, marine wildlife, historic military landmarks and amazing city views!” 4L Magazine’s take: After extensive research, I’ve learned sea lions aren’t the zaftig, chummy beasts you’d think them to be. They mostly wanna eat your face and poop you out. But I’m sure this won’t include any of that.
Amazing Scavenger Hunts by Urban Adventure Quest
4L Magazine’s take: A smartphone-guided adventure seems a bit like it’s making it a tad too easy, but what do I know? I’ve never been on a scavenger hunt. Except in college, when we pretended to need “just one light beer” from each house in a four block radius. How no one caught on to this, I’ll never know ...
ONGOING
NAKED: 20TH CENTURY NUDES FROM DIJKSTRA COLLECTION Wallet: $8 general admission Venue: Oceanside Museum of Art Locale: Oceanside
According to presenters: ““Oceanside Museum of Art is proud to present NAKED: 20th Century Nudes from the Dijkstra Collection, the second exhibition within the Museum’s ‘Collectors Initiative’ launched in 2012.” 4L Magazine’s take: Oh grow up, seriously guys … you have to … Oh, Look … BOOBS! DECEMBER 2014 | Fully cultured, yet unshaven | 4L MAGAZINE 73
AROUND TOWN
LOCAL EVENTS
ONGOING
BREWERIES OF SAN DIEGO - TROLLEY TOUR ONGOING
THE DISCOVERY OF KING TUT Wallet: $15-$27 Venue: San Diego Natural History Museum Locale: Downtown
According to presenters: “The Discovery of King Tut recreates one of the greatest moments of the 20th century: the discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922.” 4L Magazine’s take: I’ve recently seen a few digital recreations of what King Tut looked like … and he was a mess. Hobbled, tubby and a club foot. More like … King Picked-Last-In-Gym-Class-Hamun.
Wallet: $84 per person; trolley ticket sold separately Venue: San Diego Beer and Wine Tours Locale: Downtown
According to presenters: “Drink, don’t drive. Hop aboard the San Diego Beer Train Tour and enjoy ample tastes of local craft beer and , behind the scenes guided brewery tour. Travel by rail, enjoy brewery lunch, awesome beer, games and prizes. No need to drive, take the train.” 4L Magazine’s take: All jokes aside, if you drink and drive, you’re a colossal asshead. Don’t be that guy. Or girl.
THROUGH JAN. 4
ONGOING
MONSTERS! Wallet: Included with admission Venue: San Diego Museum of Man Locale: Downtown
According to presenters: “See beasts familiar and strange, real and imagined, kind-hearted and troublesome, from across the span of human history and culture! You’ll learn where they come from, what they look like, how they behave, and how to defeat them!” 4L Magazine’s take: I’m really going to this, so if you see a tall, skittish dad with a little blond girl scolding him for being afraid of monsters, say hi. ONGOING
PUB CRAWL CRUISE Wallet: $499 Venue: Classic Bay Cruise Locale: Mission Bay
According to presenters: “Channel your inner pirate for a seafaring adventure no-nay-never to be forgotten! The cruise includes stops at two waterfront taverns to partake of a libation at each (included bounty) and then pillages forth at the whim of your merciless Captain!” 4L Magazine’s take: This is the pub crawl I was speaking of. Your first drink must be tipped with pinky up. And no Fireball. No one over the age of 12 should be drinking that swill. 74 4L MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2014
JUNGLE BELLS AT THE SAN DIEGO ZOO Wallet: Free with admission Venue: San Diego Zoo Locale: Downtown
According to presenters: “During Jungle Bells, the San Diego Zoo is transformed into a magical winter wonderland. Guests enjoy lighted animal sculptures, live animal presentations, festive music, holiday treats, storytelling and, of course, Santa Claus.” 4L Magazine’s take: In my mind, I just keep seeing a scenario where Santa crash lands into the lion’s cage. And the ensuing chaos of Rudolph’s nose becoming a homing beacon for the lions. But that’s me. I’m a tad dark around the holidays.
striving to make a
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