Crown City Magazine October 2020 by Crown City Magazine

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Brewing? Joy of Dancing Artsy & Outdoorsy

OCTOBER 2020

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In Focus: Bay Dreaming

News from Coronado Schools Foundation

10 Local Entertainment & Events 12 What's Brewing? 20 Dancing with Dominique 28 Chef Clyde’s dish on Beer Brats 34 Entertainment: Ron's Garage 38 Island Girl Blog’s Public Art Walking Tour & App 46 Lifestyle: Wallpaper Makes a Comeback 48 The Art of a Handwritten Letter 52 Community: Ocean Inspired Artwork 58 Forks & Corks: The Art of Saiko Sushi

Front Cover: A watercolor painting called, “Hola Ocho” by Russell Linder, age 11. Russell created this nautical portrait of an octopus while attending Spring Dyer's Art Camp this past summer. His art teacher Spring Dyer says, “Russell Linder is a very focused and talented artist. It was a pleasure instructing him, I hope he continues exploring his artistic capabilities.” Nice job, Russell! Artist Credit: Russell Linder, age 11 In Focus: (pages 2 & 3): A beautiful photo cleverly named “Bay Dreaming” of the bay and the bridge at sunrise this past August, captured by local San Diego photographer, Barry Alman. Barry’s gorgeous photography is regularly featured on local news stations such as 10 News and KUSI News. Barry and his followers marvel that most of his shots are taken using only his cell phone! Photo Credit: Barry Alman | On Instagram: @BarryAlman Back Cover: A lovely oil on canvas painting called “Loma Lookout” by Spring Dyer, a local Coronado resin artist, painter and photographer. Spring’s artwork is currently on display at Leroy's and the Public Market in Liberty Station. To purchase artwork, sign up for art classes or to hire for commissioned work, please contact Spring Dyer directly by calling (360) 286-7205 or emailing SpringDyerPhotography@gmail.com. Artist Credit: Spring Dyer | On Instagram: @CoastLineCoronado | On Facebook: @CoastlineArt Website: CoastlineCoronado.com 6

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PUBLISHER | Amy Slack amy@crowncitypublishing.com

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER | Heather Canton heather@crowncitypublishing.com

EDITOR | Heather Canton heather@crowncitypublishing.com

CREATIVE DIRECTOR | Gina Falletta Design SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER | Gina Falletta Design COPY EDITORS Alex Larratt, Rose Wojnar CONTRIBUTING WRITERS & ARTISTS Russell Linder, Coronado Schools Foundation, Clyde Van Arsdall IV, Samantha Bey, David Throop, Christine Van Tuyl, Karyn Frazier, Jessica Nicolls, Aly Lawson, Spring Dyer, Mary Sue Anderson, Kreative Impulse CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Thorn Brewing Company, Mike Hess Brewing, Dominique Chapman, Kel Craft Casey, Christine Van Tuyl, Samantha Goh Photography, Aly Lawson, Spring Dyer Photography, Mary Sue Anderson ADVERTISING SALES Amy Slack Publisher

Heather Canton Advertising Director

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We make every effort to avoid errors, misspellings and omissions. If you find any, please bring them to our attention and accept our sincerest apologies.Thanks!

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Crown City Magazine is proudly printed by: SOUTHWEST OFFSET PRINTIING 13650 Gramercy Place • Gardena, CA 90249 (310) 323-0112 • southwestoffset.com Crown City Magazine is published monthly. No part of this publication may be used without written permission of the publisher. ©2020 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. CROWNCITYMAGAZINE.COM

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Get a Clue! Dine, drink and solve a crime with your family at the first-ever virtual CSF auction By Christine Van Tuyl Nothing is stopping this year’s Coronado Schools Foundation (CSF) Auction – not even a bad guy! During this year’s “Who Dunnit: A Coronado Mystery” themed event, families will dine at home, watch and participate in the virtual event, and solve a mystery for a chance to win some killer prizes. The event takes place on Saturday, October 17th from 5:30-8:30 p.m. (As CSF leaders explained, it would be a crime to miss it.) The annual CSF fundraiser, presented by Donna Salof, will invite families (yes, kids are invited too!) to dress in their “mystery best.” (Think: Clue-inspired, detective-garb, Sherlock Holmesswank.) And yes, there will be a costume contest and a prize for the sharpest-dressed detective team. Detectives will dine at home on tasty takeout packages crafted just for the event, and sip on specialty drinks from local restaurants. The mission? To solve a crime…and support Coronado schools. “It will be a family event in your own home,” explains Jeanmarie Bond, CSF President and CEO. “Families will buy their ‘Whodunnit’ mystery kit, and be tasked with solving the crime. The kit will have some hints and items in it, but you’ll have to watch and participate in the show to get all the clues.” Throughout the course of the evening, different clues will be revealed by local celebrities, such as the Coronado police chief, the mayor, and more. Parents and kids will have to use their Coronado smarts and clever crime-solving skills to piece together the mystery. “It’s really fun, because for the first time at this event we will get to actually include the kids in raising money for our kids and CSF,” says Leanne Anderson, Director of Development for CSF. This year – more than ever – CSF needs support from parents and community members to keep all their programs going. CSF leaders explain that funds raised from this year’s event aren’t applied to this 2020-2021 school year; all dollars go to the following school year. “This is our biggest fundraiser. All the money we raise will go towards next year, when we can all possibly be together again,” explains Leanne. “When we come back next year, we want our children to have iLab. We want our children to have choir. We want our children to have band. We want to have KCMS Broadcasting.” The three-hour event will include music and interactive dancing, as participants decipher and unravel clues throughout the evening. Detectives will also bid on a variety of exciting items as in years past, during a live auction. (If there’s a particular item you’re looking to bid on, CSF kindly asks that you email a request for the desired auction item to csf@csfkids.org.) Another fun add-on is the opportunity to purchase (and, potentially customize) a Coronado Clue game. All families are invited to participate in a raffle, where winners are bestowed with their own “spot” on the game of Coronado Clue to customize. “The Coronado Clue board game will feature different locations in Coronado, like the Hotel Del, and we’ve named the characters after Coronado streets,” explains Jeanmarie. “If you buy a raffle ticket, and you win, you get to personalize one of the locations on the Clue board. You could personalize with a family photo, a pet, or a family crest, or something else fun and memorable.” Donna Salof, who is the presenting sponsor of the CSF auction for the fifth year running, says this year’s event will be unlike any other. “Due to the current conditions, I enjoy doing this to help the kids,” says Donna. “It’s important now more than ever to help the community and the kids get through this difficult time.” Leanne echoes this statement. “From a community perspective, it’s about seeing your friends,” says Leanne. “I know that kids are missing that. This will be an opportunity for people – and kids – to feel connected again. Our community is amazing, and we are so lucky to be where we are. Hopefully we will bring a little bit of joy.” Keep your spyglass handy. Tickets will go on sale sometime in September at CSFkids.org.

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Click here!

Virtual Events

The Coronado Cultural Arts Commission makes it easy to find local virtual activities with an online calendar. Check out the array of activities offered at www.coronadoarts.com/artsonline. We thank everyone offering virtual events for their commitment to the arts and our community, and we encourage you to stay home, stay safe, tune in and tip out! Let's come together online to give them our support, too. VIRTUAL ART LESSONS & CLASSES Anna Woerman of CoSA - Instagram #nadoartchallenge Joan Green - Art Programs Carole Jensen - Cooking Classes Lisa Solis - Music Classes for Kids Coronado Arts Academy - Music Lessons Joyce Chapman - Online Journaling Ms. Mariah's Music - Piano Lessons The Coronado Library - Activities for All Ages Diane Alexander - Voice Lessons Coronado Scribes - Local Writing Club Emily Boyle - Piano Lessons VIRTUAL FITNESS & WELLNESS Coronado Fitness Club Coronado Yoga & Wellness Center Deep Blue Sea Sanctuary Martial Arts America Sweat Equity Island Yoga Yoga on C 10

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VIRTUAL LIVE MUSIC CONCERTS Fish and the Seaweeds Mariah Gillespie Jerry Gontang Michael Gonzales (Gonzo) Matt Heinecke Phil Lean Ron Wheeler of Ron's Garage Trish Naval Doug Booth Jake Lyons Miss Demeanor VIRTUAL SOCIAL EVENTS Wine A Bit - Virtual Wine Tastings • For a complete listing of events, visit www. coronadoarts.com/artsonline. • To add an event to the calendar, please e-mail Arts Education Commissioner Mariah Gillespie at mariah@msmariahsmusic.com.

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h a s always been my favorite month for two reasons, my birthday and beer. October is the month Germans, and so many others around the globe celebrate Oktoberfest which is the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest beer festival. Beer is worth celebrating, it is the oldest recorded recipe in the world. The ancient Egyptians documented the process of brewing beer on papyrus scrolls around 5000 BC. Beer is the reason man gave up his nomadic ways, settled down and began farming. A steady supply of beer needs a steady supply of ingredients to brew it. Settling down assured that everyone had a good local source of fresh beer. Before prohibition there were over 1356 breweries running in the US, only 40% of those survived the 13-year dry spell. After prohibition most small breweries were absorbed by large breweries such as Anheuser-Busch, Miller, and Coors. Most Americans chose a major brand of beer they liked and that is what they drank, there was not a lot of crossover. The two main styles of beer that dominated the market were pilsners and lagers as most of the major brewers were German and those were the styles they brought from home. This lack of choice would not last forever as most things of quality always come back around. The craft beer movement which consists of smaller independently owned breweries had a resurgence in the 1970s and has been growing ever since. Today there are over 7500 breweries of various sizes all over the US, we have over 150 craft breweries in San Diego alone. Currently there are 75 different styles of beer in play so now we have a lot more to choose from when choosing a beer. CROWNCITYMAGAZINE.COM

The craft beer journey for us here in San Diego started with a handful of craft breweries: Karl Strauss, Stone, Ale Smith, and Green Flash. They all hit the scene nearly 20 years ago. When these breweries first started most establishments pouring draft beer had no place for them to sell their product. The taps literally belonged to large national breweries that put the draft taps in for free to assure that their brand of beer was sold exclusively. The agreement was one or two taps could be used for local beers and the rest belonged to the brand that installed them. The battle of the beers was on, the craft breweries in town became fierce rivals competing for the few taps that were available to them. It was a long journey, but today local breweries no longer have that problem. Draft beer taps (also referred to as handles) are now almost entirely dedicated to local brews, in fact, unless it is a hotel or chain restaurant it is unusual to find a handle dedicated to a national brand. San Diego now has so many craft breweries, instead of competing with the national brands they are now competing amongst themselves. There are so many world class beers available to us, gone is the day when you had a favorite beer and that is all you ever ordered. Most beer lovers have a favorite style of beer, and they look for the best local versions of that style. Lagers, Pale Ales, IPAs, and Stouts, you can find award winning examples of your favorite style just about anywhere in town. I mentioned there are 75 different styles of beer, but for San Diego there is one style in particular, and one type of beer that every local should have on their radar, the India Pale Ale (IPA) and Session beers. San Diego does some of the best India Pale Ales in the world, that is just a fact. Session beers are important because of our warm weather and our love of playing outdoors. They are lighter in alcohol and are great if drinking beer is something you plan to do throughout the day. The most iconic style of beer to San Diego is the IPA short for India Pale Ale. San Diego is part of a larger West Coast tradition of extremely hoppy IPAs, known now around the world as a “West Coast IPA.” The name IPA goes way back to the British rule of India, also known as the British Raj, when India was a colony of Great Britain. Supplies were sent to India from England and one of the most requested items from home was beer. India can be brutally hot, so you cannot blame the colonists for wanting something refreshing and familiar to drink.Unfortunately, the beer would arrive spoiled after its long hot journey by boat. The answer was to increase the hops and the alcohol content to prevent it from spoiling. A hop forward, refreshing beer with a punch was born. India Pale Ales come in many different types, West Coast (very hoppy), East Coast (lighter on the hops), and recently “Hazy” or, unfiltered IPAs have been all the rage. The other beer type that should be on every local beer lovers’ radar, especially in the warmer months, are session beers. These beers are lighter in alcohol content, between 4 and 5 %, and they come in many styles such as: pale ale, blonde, lager, even IPA. The feature that makes them a session beer is the lower alcohol. A session beer keeps the focus on flavor with less alcohol so you can drink more without getting smashed. These beers are great for long days playing outside, boating, barbequing, or mowing the lawn. So many craft beers pack a punch when it comes to alcohol content, so if you are having more than 14

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two, I suggest you check these out. Mass produced beer such as Budweiser or Miller contain 3-5% alcohol by volume (ABV) while most craft beers weigh in at 7% plus, that is close to double the alcohol. Good beer doesn’t travel well. It is always best when consumed fresh and close to where it was brewed, so don’t let good beer come to you, instead make a trip to drink good beer at its source, your local brewery. We have our own brewery here in town, Coronado Brewing Company. CBC has a great family friendly brew pub that serves good food and a fun line up of beers, some that are old favorites and a rotating line up of seasonal creations. Branching out to other great beer drinking destinations is easy. A short drive South down the Silver Strand will get you to Hess Brewing Company located on the main drag at the corner of Sea Coast Drive and Date, a mere 70 feet from the beach. They have a great lineup of craft beers, a fun “IB Biergarten” with outdoor seating, corn hole games, and amazing food from City Tacos. City Tacos is amazing. If you have not tried them at one of their other San Diego locations you are in luck, now they are right down the street. The Hop Cloud IPA (7% ABV) is a tasty version of a Hazy, unfiltered IPA. The Solis IPA (7.5% ABV) is simply a solid India Pale Ale with a touch of citrus. Easy Drankin’ a session blonde ale (5.7% ABV) is a beer that hits the higher end of the session range but is still, as the name states, easy to drink. Hess has several locations around San Diego, one of my favorites is in South Park just down the street from the original City Tacos. The North Park location is fun because to enter the tasting room you have to walk a bridge that takes you directly over the brewing equipment, which is busy pumping out all the great beer they make in house. Hess beers are for sale on tap and in cans all over San Diego. CROWNCITYMAGAZINE.COM

Driving over the bridge will land you in Barrio Logan where there are two fun breweries in the neighborhood that are unique and offer some great beers. Border X Brewing is across the street from the iconic taco shop Salud on Logan Avenue. It is a brewery that embraces its location in the Barrio and its proximity to Mexico with a Chicano vibe, an amazing taco kitchen on its back patio, and fun beers made with regional ingredients like horchata and chocolate. The Chiquitin, a session India pale ale (4.4% ABV) is low in alcohol while still rocking all the hoppy goodness of an IPA. The Saladito, a German style gose (4.2% ABV) is a true session beer with a hint of salt that makes you want to have just one more. The Abuelita’s Chocolate Stout (7.5% ABV) is unique and delicious, it is a perfect example of what they do best. Keeping true to their roots Boarder X also offers several versions of a beer cocktail called a michelada. What is a michelada you ask? A michelada is a beer cocktail made of beer and spiced up Clamato juice. It is served over ice with lime and a salted rim, like a Bloody Mary, but with beer. Border X beers are not currently available in stores so head on over for drinks and some killer tacos. Thorn Brewing Company is one of San Diego’s favorite local breweries. I was so excited when they opened the Barrio Logan location right on National Avenue. This is more of a large-scale brewing operation with a tasting room. The layout is open in a warehouse setting with large roll up garage doors. They do not have a kitchen, but food trucks are often part of the mix. Barrio Lager, a Baja style lager (4.5% ABV) is available only in the Barrio Logan tasting room. It is a fun example of a session beer with a nod to the beers we grew up drinking in Mexico. The Hopster Pot, a New England style hazy IPA (7% ABV) is one of my favorites, the fact that it is not filtered adds to the enjoyment. Relay is a West Coast style IPA (7.2% AVB) with the characteristic hoppy punch San Diego IPAs are known for. These two beers are amazing and are tasting room favorites. Thorn also offers tribute to their surroundings with tasty michelada made with their Barrio Lager. Thorn has several tasting rooms around San Diego, one of my favorites being the charming North Park location. Their beers are for sale on tap and in cans all over town. Once you cast your stone into San Diego’s large pool of breweries the ripple effect is never ending. The further out you travel the more beers there are to discover. A growler is an easy way to take your favorite beer home with you. A growler is a reusable glass jug that when purchased, will be filled with your favorite beer to go. Warning, beer tasting and brewery hopping is addictive so, pace yourself, UBER, or bring a designated driver. There used to be a “Trails and Ales” tour offered through the senior center, a fun walking tour of local breweries so keep your eyes open, hopefully it will resurface. Cheers, drink responsibly! • Clyde Van Arsdall IV is an executive chef and lives in Coronado with his family.

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The simple joy of dancing for oneself instead of others By Samantha Bey Photos courtesy of Dominique Chapman 20

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ominique Chapman was barely past toddlerhood when she began her journey with dance. Though her mother had introduced her to Flamenco when she was about two, Dominique began taking formal ballet lessons at a dance studio in Mission Hills where her family lived. The quintessential cuteness of a little girl practicing dance, Dominique Chapman was barely past toddlerhood when she began her journey with dance. Though her mother had introduced her to Flamenco when she was about two, Dominique began taking formal ballet lessons at a dance studio in Mission Hills where her family lived. The quintessential cuteness of a little girl practicing dance positions in a tutu would eventually shift as Dominique blossomed into a dancer who found her true passion simply by listening to her own body and moving in ways that felt good. A dedicated ballerina from the start, Dominique continued with ballet lessons all through her elementary and middle school years. Her father, Rick Chapman, had opened the now world-renowned Coronado Brewing Company in 1996, so though the Chapman family continued living in Mission Hills where Dominique practiced ballet, she attended school in Coronado. Because of her dedication to the practice, she didn’t have the typical Coronado kid riding-bikes-to-the-beach summers. She spent most of her time between school years traveling from city to city to take monthslong, highly acclaimed ballet intensives in places like Taos, Chicago, and New York, and even spent time with the San Francisco Dance Conservatory - all before she started high school. By the time she started high school, at the ripe age of 13, she was already feeling the toll that intense ballet practice takes on a body. “Ballet is so hard on little girls’ bodies,” she explained. “The point shoes, the long hours, the stretching of our legs farther than they really should go - it’s a lot.” Not to mention, as she entered teenagerhood, many of the ballet movements started to feel more forced as she began to feel differently in her body. She entered the dance program at the Coronado School of the Arts (CoSA) at Coronado High School at the beginning of her freshman year, and quickly found herself intrigued by the different movement and theory behind modern dance. “As a teenager I was starting to feel weird about my body, and something about modern dance felt naturally easier for me. I felt like I had more freedom of expression and it felt really good,” she said. Dominique discovered this in a class she took on “Gaga,” a contemporary movement language with Israeli roots developed by Ohad Naharin, which teaches students to improvise body movements based on imagery described by the teacher. The imagery is designed to promote CROWNCITYMAGAZINE.COM

unconventional movement to help students discover how to listen to their own bodies and selves and move in intuitive, rather than choreographed, ways. “All my ballet training had been based on being performative - moving my body in ways designed to look pretty to other people watching me. It was all about tutus and hair slicked back into tight buns and perfect movements and structure,” explained Dominique. “But Gaga was all about doing what felt good naturally in my body - what felt good for me and no one else, and not caring what others think. It was so liberating.” Dominique felt that until then she’d been close-minded as to what dance was supposed to look like. “But that class really opened my eyes to what dancing is supposed to be. All I could think was ‘Oh! This is what I’m supposed to be doing!” Gaga was her gateway to many other forms of dance like hip hop, African, and especially modern, which she explored over her four years at CoSA (2011-2015). Her passion for modern dance continued to flourish in a class she took with Gina Bolles during her senior year, where she and her fellow students were pushed outside their comfort zones. “Some teachers would have kids dance to popular pop music like Train and John Mayer that felt sort of safe to teenagers,” Dominique said. “But Gina really intimidated us. She had us dance to this very avante-garde music and had us do these bizarre body movements,” explained Dominique. “When we first started her class we were like, ‘You want us to do WHAT in front of the entire high school?!’” she remembered, laughing. “But the truth is she didn’t look at us like selfconscious teenagers. She looked at us like professional dancers, like adults, and she held us to an artist’s standards. She knew we’d get there, and we did. After all, art is supposed to be weird!” Dominique looked forward to Gina’s class every week. “I just couldn’t wait to get in there and do something that felt so good for my body.” Toward the end of the year, Dominique was challenged again when she was assigned a piece called “Rainbow around my Shoulder,” an acclaimed modern dance classic by Donald McKayle depicting the plight of a chain gang of prisoners in the American South. “My teacher handed me a tape of a recorded performance and told me to learn it. It was intimidating, but I knew this is how it would be as a professional dancer, so I took it and I taught myself,” she said. “I felt really honored to get to perform it - it’s a really celebrated piece of modern dance history with an important cultural story to tell. It’s even been performed by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, which is a big deal. I was really proud to do it.” But in 2015 the looming realities of the world outside of high school began to close in on her as graduation approached and she prepared to head off to the University of Oregon. As more and more people asked her the typical questions about what she planned to study and do in the years beyond college, she found herself questioning whether or not she was a dancer. “It’s very hard to commit to calling yourself an artist,” she said. “My friends’ parents would ask me what I wanted to do. When I would tell them I wanted to be a dancer they’d say, ‘Oh that’s fun...but what will you do for money?’ There was a lot of pressure.” Grappling with her adult future, she started college as a psychology major. But little by little, she found herself enrolling in more and more dance classes. Whereas she trudged her way through her psychology classes, there was simply an unmatched 22

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passion and joy she felt in her dance classes. Again tuning into her own instincts, she drowned out the voices that had made her question her true calling. “I realized that college is about exploring what you love and what you’re into. I thought, ‘you know what? This is awesome. Screw it, I’m a dancer.” From there, her dance career has continued to blossom and thrive. In 2019 as a college senior, Dominique was assigned a project she calls her “pride and joy.” She choreographed an entirely new piece, held auditions, trained her cast and put on a performance. She titled it “Amoeba,” and hired two women and one man as her dancers. The piece, much like her ever-evolving experience with dance, was about the human experience of morphing and transitioning in all its forms. “It doesn’t actually tell a story,” she explained. “It’s just about movement itself, and it’s open to people’s own interpretations of change - they can put their own stories to it. I worked really hard on it for almost a year. It was raw and real and it made me feel like a true artist,” she said. Others agreed; the University of Oregon presented her with the coveted Emerging Artist Award - a “one to watch” recognition among her senior class - as she graduated. After graduation she jetted off to New York City where she started teaching at a dance charter school for Kindergarten through fourth grade. And, oh yeah, as she just sort of casually mentioned toward the end of our interview, landed a role as a dancer in Moulin Rouge on Broadway. “It was a real eye-opener,” she said. “You think you’re all good until you’re around a bunch of dancers on Broadway who’ve done the same things you have all their lives but better.” Dominique was exhilarated by the challenge and well into rehearsals for her newest adventure in dance when it was time for a different kind of pivot. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit earlier this year she left New York and returned home.

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But a body in motion stays in motion, so as soon as she settled back in San Diego she got to work starting her new company, Crown City Dance, teaching Coronado kids the art she loves so much. “I think it’s really cool to be back teaching in the community where I grew up!” she said. Taking into account different families’ comfort levels, she offers socially distanced private lessons, group lessons in a park setting, and also Zoom lessons. Students of all ages - from toddlers to teenagers aspiring to join her CoSA alma mater, learn techniques in modern, African, ballet, and hip hop dance. During a time when the world feels heavy, Dominique knows how light we can feel when we relish in simple movement. “Dance and movement are how we communicate. We come out of the womb using our body language to communicate and with a natural ability to move our bodies with joy. But it gets lost in translation over the years. People convince themselves they’re not good at it and self-consciousness makes it feel out of boundaries. But we’re all meant to move. Who cares if you look weird? We’re all different and we’re all a little weird - and that’s the fun part!” For more information on Crown City Dance, call (619) 313-3864. • Samantha Bey is a freelance writer who lives in Coronado with her husband and children.

PHOTOS (CLOCKWISE L-R) Dominique and college dance partner Ryan Fish during rehearsals for their piece “The Duet of Many Faces.” Dominique practicing poses during her years as a ballet student. Dominique with her “Amoeba” cast. From left: Lindsey Dryer, Irvin Torres, Dominique Chapman, Katie Suh Dominique with long-time friend Madeleine Mortier (left) before a childhood dance performance. After having to leave her upcoming role as a dancer in Moulin Rouge on Broadway during the pandemic, Dominique has returned to Coronado to share her love of dance with local kids.

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raveling in Germany, you can smell the sausages grilling as your train pulls into the station. Once on the platform, one is greeted with the sounds and smells of the sausage venders hawking their goods. What they are selling is simple grilled sausage, some amazingly fresh bread with a smear of good mustard and perhaps some sauerkraut or grilled onions. This simple pleasure is mind blowing, the flavors are incredible together and so addictive. The sausages are tasty hot off the grill, the bread is soft with a nice crust, the mustard robust and full of flavor. Brats, short for bratwursts, are so very German. The word bratwurst can be broken down into two parts; the word brat from the verb braten, which means to pan fry or roast, and the term wurst, which means sausage. Brats are a bit bigger than hotdogs; the most popular versions are made from coarsely ground pork. When you are talking about brats the mention of beer is never far behind. This is not because beer and brats taste so good together. They are called beer brats because they are cooked in beer before grilling. The regional term for grilling brats is ‘frying.” If you are from America’s Dairyland you say you’re having a “brat fry” instead of saying your grilling brats. When you decide to “fry” some brats, why pre cook them? You do not cook hotdogs in beer before grilling. Hotdogs are already cooked. They are not raw, you are simply heating them up and adding some char for flavor. Brats are raw and quite a bit thicker than hotdogs so they take longer to cook. If you throw them directly on the grill they tend to split and dry out. The solution is delicious and ingenious. You cook them in beer before grilling. This is known as a “Sheboygan Hot Tub.” Sheboygan is a town in Wisconsin full of German immigrants and they know how to correctly cook bratwurst. The hot tub is a simple mixture of beer, onions, and butter; the brats are gently simmered in the beer bath until cooked through. There is no need to poke holes in your brats before cooking. Simmer, do not boil your brats, then cook them slowly on the grill so they won’t burst, and you won’t lose all that wonderful fat. The original Sheboygan hot tub contained local Pabst Blue Ribbon (PBR) beer. Locally we have Coronado Brewing Company so why not substitute PBR for one of their great beers. CBC’s restaurant here in town does brats in October and they use their blonde boat beer, “Salty Crew.” The sausages are cooked then stored in the beer bath until ready to grill. Once the brats are grilled the beer bath can be used to keep the brats hot, moist, and delicious before making their way to a bun or plate. Johnsonville Brats are popular and very traditional. Johnsonville is a family run company also from Sheboygan, and they can be found at the grocery store here in town. If you want to try a local handmade brat there are several places nearby to find them: Boney’s Bayside Market here in town, Siesel’s Meats in Bay Park and Iowa Meat Farms on Mission Gorge Road. The bread, condiments and toppings you use are also important. The bun should be sturdy, but soft. Find a roll you like; hot dog buns are too small and soft to handle the moisture of the brat and its condiments. The fresh Italian rolls sold at Mona Lisa’s Market in Little Italy work great, as do the ciabatta rolls made by Bread and Cie. When it comes to mustard I love the good stuff, Pommery Meaux Mustard, or Maille Old Style, both are rather hearty French mustards. The only other condiment worth mentioning is the “Secret Stadium Sauce” loved by Milwaukee Brewers fans. It is like a BBQ ketchup. Secret Stadium Sauce can be purchased on Amazon or a sauce that comes close in flavor is Heinz 57 Sauce. Grilled onions and sauerkraut are two of my favorite toppings. If you choose sauerkraut, find a fresh product or make your own. Beer and Brats are a match made in heaven, and I like acrisp beer that compliments everything and cuts through some of the wonderful grease. The Marine Corps League of Coronado has an annual brat fry at the end of October, and if conditions allow you can experience a brat fry here in town. The word on the street is that 30

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Sergeant at Arms, Patrick Duffey, Wisconsin’s own will be frying the brats this year. Check out their site at www. CoronadoMarines.org. If you feel like a project, I have posted a recipe for both homemade sauerkraut and beer mustard on my website www. TheSupperClubChronicles. com - they are worth the effort, believe you me. • Clyde Van Arsdall IV is an executive chef and lives in Coronado with his children.

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on’s Garage originated in the spring of 1994 as a trio devoted primarily to acoustic music. It did, indeed, come to fruition in a garage in Coronado, California. Showcasing a variety of cover tunes, the band plays hard rock, classic rock, pop music, and country. With such a wide range of musical standards, bandmembers Ron Wheeler playing rhythm guitar and vocals, Claudio Martin on lead guitar and vocals, Gary Taylor on drums and Phil Lean playing bass and vocals provide the best in musical entertainment in the San Diego County area and have earned a large following.

They’ve played at many prestigious venues over the years around San Diego. They include The Catamaran, Humphrey’s Backstage, Barefoot Bar (Paradise Point Resort), Patrick’s Gaslamp Pub and Dick’s Last Resort in downtown San Diego, Amaya in La Jolla, Hennessy’s in Carlsbad and Pacific Beach and BNS Brewery in Santee. On island, Ron’s Garage has played gigs at McP’s Irish Pub, Costa Azul, The Boathouse (now Bluewater Boathouse Seafood Grill), the Hotel del Coronado, The Firehouse (that has since closed) and Island Sports and Sprits (that has also since closed) and the Coronado Brewing Company. The longest-running of these gigs has been at the Hotel del Coronado, where Ron’s Garage enjoyed an unprecedented 19-year run on the “Sun Deck.” They played every summer from May through October, Friday through Sunday, where the audience would dance, sing and drink to all their favorite rock tunes. Having played their last live in-person performance in mid-March, 2020, has left Ron Wheeler of Ron’s Garage a little discouraged. “Everyone’s going through something right now,” he says over the phone. “It’s been hard because, for me, I’ve always tried to take care of my guys in the band. Before all of this, we were a hard-working band, playing 4-5 gigs a week. And for now, that’s gone.” Due to all we’ve all had to adapt to, Ron is hopeful that, in the meantime, there are ways to perform and share their music. “We’ve found a way to perform, connect and play through streaming on various formats like Facebook Live.” Ron’s (Rhythm Guitar/Vocals) performances are Mondays from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. on his personal Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/ronsgarage), and on the Ron’s Garage page that he operates and shares on his band’s YouTube channel . “In addition to my show on Monday’s, our full list of streaming is Claudio Martin (lead guitar/vocals) who does various clips during the week on his personal FaceBook page, while Phil Lean (bass/vocals) performs every Thursday night, 6 p.m. - 8 p.m., on his Facebook page.” “It’s not the same experience as in-person live performances. Still, it’s fun because I get to play, obviously, and share an experience with the fans and with my wife Juliette, who works to interact with viewers and manage the comments and requests during the shows.” One of the benefits of the Facebook live shows, Ron shares, is the ability to dive deep into his songbook and add some tunes that have long-been shelved or he hasn’t played in a while. Ron’s Garage isn’t just a bar band or streaming gig though. In addition to playing several live venues around San Diego, the list of private and corporate events have been many, most notably the Bank of America corporate gigs in Bermuda, Palm Desert, and Los Angeles. Ron’s Garage has also performed many shows at the Hotel del Coronado, La Jolla, Laguna Beach, Las Vegas, NV., Phoenix, AZ., Surprise, AZ., Scottsdale, AZ., Tucson, AZ., Loews Coronado, Hard Rock Hotel downtown San Diego and local yacht clubs in the San Diego area (Coronado Yacht Club,

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Coronado Cays Yacht Club, San Diego Yacht Club, Southwest San Diego Yacht Club). When asked about the future of live music, there’s a lot of uncertainties, but as Ron shares, “It’s easy to go down that hole, …it’s dark. But stay positive, and that’s my function in the moment with people. To help them, comfort them, give them a sense of normalcy and comfort. Music is a great healer.” • David Throop is a freelance writer from Coronado who now lives in Imperial Beach with his wife and child.

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A RO UN D TOW N | C H R I ST I NE VA N T U Y L

Bronze sculpture "Penelope" at Tidelands Park

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Seaside Seating at Tidelands Park

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El DÃa del Mercado mural

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Stainless steel kinetic sculpture "Freedom"

"Sea Passage" sculpture to reflect the coastline of the ocean and bay

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SAMANTHA GOH PHOTOGRAPHY

LIFESTYLE | BY KARYN FRAZIER + JESSICA NICOLLS

e love wallpaper and we aren’t talking about your grandma’s living room wallpaper. With such a range of styles, textures, and patterns, there are endless possibilities. Some of our favorite places to use wallpaper are powder rooms, kids’ rooms, laundry rooms, and as accent walls in bedrooms. Here are some tips on how to make wallpaper work in your home.

• Karyn Frazier and Jessica Nicolls

are the owners of the interior design firm Bungalow 56.

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SAMANTHA GOH PHOTOGRAPHY

Determine how you want the wallpaper to function. Is it to make a wall pop or to add subtle texture and interest? Not ready to commit to a glue on wallpaper? There are many peel and stick options that are just as gorgeous! Even decals can create the look of wallpaper without breaking the bank. A great way to break up the look of wallpaper for just a hint of pattern is to use it on the wall space above wainscoting or paneling. Once you are ready to order have the square footage of the area you want to wallpaper ready. (multiply width x length to get square feet). Wallpaper terminology can be tricky as many companies list the price of a single roll but only sell wallpaper in double rolls. Just remember that if the wallpaper you love is priced in a single roll you will need to double it to calculate the price and if that is too complicated for you call your local interior designer to help with the process! The â&#x20AC;&#x153;repeatâ&#x20AC;? listed on wallpaper descriptions will tell you how much space there is between when the pattern repeats again vertically. If you are doing a small room or wallpaper above paneling, we like to use a smaller repeat and when doing a large wall we look for a larger scale pattern. CROWNCITYMAGAZINE.COM

The art of writing to someone is for everyone Story and Photos by Aly Lawson o one has to write a letter anymore. We don’t need to write on paper ever, unless we’re a kid learning the craft. Notepads and sticky notes are replaced with apps. Tests, reports, manuscripts, and other documents are electronic – even typewriters are a novelty. It’s not a historical war-torn time when no one will know you’re alright if you don’t send a letter on the Pony Express or get a message through by telegraph. We now live in a time that when we want to check in on how someone is doing or share something, we pick up the phone and call or text, send a direct message or meme, or post it to social media. But it’s the thought that still counts. And sometimes a handwritten note placed in a mailbox (maybe with a red flag up), embarking on the postal service journey to arrive at a destination with our own words and effort imprinted, makes the sentiment stronger. From the start of the shelter-in-place quarantine, local boutique Scottish Treasures Celtic Corner offers to send your friends & loved ones a beautiful handkerchief or mask with a personalized calligraphy note, all for a nominal cost. Thoughtful letter writing like this is especially meaningful in a time when a pandemic keeps us away from those we care about. 48

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Conveniently, Coronado is home to shops such as Adorn, Bay Books, and Seaside Papery, offering stationary and literary goods, all on Orange Avenue. Browse these local boutiques to find all the fun letter or note-writing tools you need, including modern greeting cards which somehow say just the right thing when you feel like you can’t. Discover pretty island postcards, cute miniature notecards to include with packages, a variety of fountain pens and personalized sender address stamps. Love letter note cards inspire old-fashioned, yet timeless romance. At Seaside Papery, there’s even special postage stamps from an antique machine. The gift to make someone laugh out loud and feel better about something specific or life in general is right at your fingertips. At Bay Books you can pick up a humorous grammar guide to brush up on your writing style in an entertaining, memorable way. At Adorn, you’ll find journals which instigate messaging between family members. The stores also provide options for children and youth. Seaside’s owner Jori Fentiman has been offering stationary supplies and other curated goods for 16 years. The store is bright yet calming, a delightful stroll for creative finds or a precise need, drawing in shoppers even when offering curbside service during the pandemic’s closures. The idea for the Papery came when family members would drive half an hour to order personalized stationary. “We just kind of went for it,” Fentiman says of the store and its services. “And it worked.” Since she was a kid, Fentiman has loved all things pens and paper. She has a background in graphic arts and moved to Coronado from San Diego when she was seven, with most of her family still living here, including herself and her husband. Fentiman says it’s just so nice to get something in the mail other than a bill. “I think it’s even just sending a birthday card or a thank you note that’s handwritten from the heart and someone getting that in their mailbox,” she explains, “makes that person feel good. Someone took the time to think about you. Even if it’s just a quick note, write something down and send it.” She adds how people are finding that writing is the perfect way to stay connected since we don’t see each other nearly as much. When Fentiman realized COVID-19 wasn’t going away soon, she started ordering social distancing and quarantine themed cards. She mentions how some people notice many blank cards and question, “Are these all blank?” But Fentiman likes and encourages blank cards, giving you a chance to come up with something yourself. What a person has to say or feels in their own words is often the best message to send. Hand-writing your thoughts can also be therapeutic and relaxing. While cursive handwriting isn’t necessary at all to write a letter and was dropped from the Common Core public school curriculum, nearly half of states have reintroduced the practice in some form for various reasons including tradition and preparation; adding a more decorative spin to your messaging can also be enjoyable. If you’re curious about calligraphy, check with Emerald C Gallery, which hosts workshops from time to time taught by local calligrapher Nancy Lee, Artist by the Sea. Call (619) 996-3315 to sign up for a class or visit their website, EmeraldC.com to view their Events and Workshop Calendar. Handwriting classes abound online, whether you’re looking to improve your handwriting legibility, cursive or style — or searching for artistic lettering methods in different mediums or seeking how to use various flourishes. CourseHorse.com offers a virtual calligraphy and hand lettering class in San Diego that’s $25. Beginners learn how to use a brush pen in a modern and free way that’s also unique to each person. Other workshops exist for more advanced letter artists or as you progress. LadybugArtStudio.com in San Diego has calligraphy classes with private instruction available in a garden area. Youth ages 12 and older are welcome and supplies are included in the cost. Call (619) 563-0082 to sign up for a class that works for you. If you’re looking for someone to correspond with, maybe someone in need of communication, CROWNCITYMAGAZINE.COM

there are plenty of sources online (when vetted properly), from Facebook groups to Yelp listings. Letter-writers can be connected to senior citizens or retired individuals around town, soldiers stationed abroad, prison inmates, or children overseas. You can also write a note to someone on the island and take joy in the walk or bike ride to drop it off. Try driving the conversation and include what you’ve observed lately, your favorite hobbies or food and find things in common previously unknown. A child’s picture, poem, or printed photos can likewise be a wonderful surprise or great way to say thank you, make a new friend, or get to know your neighbors. And when you explore a local business to find some exciting, tangible message-writing supplies, you’ll be greeted with plenty of space, warm people, as well as some of the best-smelling hand sanitizers upon entry. • Aly is a freelance writer who lives in Coronado with her husband and children.

Coronado Retirement Village (619) 437-1777 Write to local senior citizens! 299 Prospect Place, Coronado, CA 92118

Photos by Holidais Morais 50

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D E N T I S T R Y

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While you are sleeping there is a secret world of wildlife just waking up. From opossums to raccoons, they are exploring the island looking for food and shelter for their families. Raccoons are scavengers, eating rats and mice, as well as wasp larvae and fallen fruit. Opossums are North Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only marsupial. They are considered beneficial, eating cockroaches, slugs, snails, rodents, and fruit on the ground. So if you find an occasional pot knocked over, or a muddy bowl of water, you will know they stopped by during the night.

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F O R KS & CO R KS | SA I KO S U S H I

Salmon Roe infused with Coronado Brewing Company's Orange Avenue Wit 58

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nthony Pascale, sushi chef and owner at Saiko Sushi, doesn’t want to make sushi like everyone else. And he doesn’t want to make sushi in the style of a Japanese sushi chef. “Sushi is a Japanese thing, but I’m not Japanese,” says Anthony. “No one here at the restaurant is Japanese, aside from my wife and daughter. So, we’re not going to do that.” At Saiko Sushi, the artistic approach comes from a completely different angle: a local one. “For us, it’s all about reinventing and reinterpreting a very traditional thing, by what’s going on here in San Diego,” says Anthony. “We don’t do traditional sushi. We’ve all learned how to do it and we’ve been trained that way, but it’s just not what we do here.” Anthony prefers to source all of his fish locally; almost none of it goes on a plane. And it’s the same for the produce; he seeks out fresh fruits, veggies and other products from local farms. “I always think, how can I show off this fish with the sushi chef training that I have, and the other cool stuff that’s going on in San Diego, in terms of farms and product and style?” says Anthony. “For me, it really starts with the fish, and how I can make this fish shine.” In fact, that’s where Anthony gets much of his inspiration…from local fisherman and fishmongers. “I see how hard they work, and I see them get really excited about the fish they are catching,” says Anthony, who usually buys fish right off the docks. But it all comes down to one burning question.

“What would sushi look like, if these [Japanese sushi chefs] grew up here, instead of Japan?” asks Anthony. And that’s the idea behind Saiko Sushi. Humble Beginnings at a '90s Hotspot

It all started in Park City, Utah at Mikado, a local hotspot and sushi bar. Anthony was new to sushi, working as an apprentice under sushi chef Drue Lang. He loved his job and was working hard, but it wasn’t an easy gig. “Being a sushi apprentice was really, really hard, but I just got really into it,” said Anthony. “I would go early by myself, and geek out on all the prep. I’d try to make sure everything was perfect, and the technique was just perfect, and I was always there, learning, learning, learning.” Anthony says he fell in love with the lifestyle: skiing by day and making sushi at night. He also had his share of celebrity encounters. He spilled soy sauce on Kerri Russell from “Felicity,” (she was cool about it) and even chatted up Billy Corgan, lead singer and guitarist from Smashing Pumpkins. Anthony said Billy would come in with the Chicago Bulls, but the players would take

Above: Candid photos of Saiko Sushi chef, Anthony Pascale making sushi in the '90s. 60

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up all the bar space in front of the head sushi chef. “So, Billy got stuck sitting across from me, the apprentice,” says Anthony. “I think he ordered chicken.” He also had a run-in with Valerie Bertinelli, wife of Eddie Van Halen, and star of “Touched by an Angel.” She called to make a reservation for herself and Van Halen. But, at the time, Mikado had a strict “no reservations” policy, and a long-running joke that they would make an exception “for (Bruce) Springsteen only.” Anthony didn’t believe it was her when she called, and answered, “No way, lady. Everyone knows reservations are for Springsteen only,” and hung up. Bertinelli didn’t think this was very funny. She called the sushi bar’s corporate office, and ended up having a personal chat with Anthony in regards to his lackluster approach to customer service. “But Eddie thought it was funny,” said Anthony.

A Dinner 25 Years in the Making

When it comes to perfecting the art of sushi, time is of the essence. Anthony’s years as a sushi apprentice — and all the jobs in between — have definitely paid off. Not only is Saiko celebrating its ninth year in business (no short tenure for a Coronado restaurant) but it’s known as the go-to spot for locals seeking fresh, inventive sushi. “It took me years to perfect my skills,” says Anthony. “I probably got my first clue at about five years in. I started to get pretty good about eight to ten years in. I’m now in of sushi making.” Anthony’s sushi prowess when you order a example,

my 25th year

disarmingly obvious special dish. Take, for the sashimi with New Zealand Bluefin Tuna and purple carrots, chanterelle mushrooms, lemon and cherry tomatoes – a special plate we got to enjoy when we dined there recently. “I just kept seeing these fall vegetables, and found this amazing fish, and thought I would put it all together,” says Anthony. The melt-in-your-mouth tuna was insanely decadent and tasty and the veggies were an unexpected and amazing compliment. Topped with Thai basil pesto, fig balsamic and cilantro oil, it’s a party in your mouth. A rager, actually.

Anthony Pascale, sushi chef and owner of Saiko Sushi. CROWNCITYMAGAZINE.COM

Not only was the platter beyond impressive to our palates, but it made for an epic spread. In fact, multiple passerbys stopped to “ooh” and “ah” over our plate. This, of course, was no accident. Just how important is the proper plating and presentation of sushi? “It’s critical,” says Anthony. “It’s really, really important. But a very wise man once told me, presentation starts in your case, and on your cutting board.” Anthony says that having a cool-looking plate of sushi starts in the morning when he first gets the fish. It’s imperative to make sure it’s cut properly, and arranged well in the case. It’s crucial to constantly tidy-up the cutting board, and make sure it’s clean and sanitary. “So, when you finally get to the point of putting food on the plate, you’ve already kind of been doing this presentation stuff all day long,” says Anthony. “It just flows into that.” Next, we enjoyed a platter of nigiri like no other. The inventive and beautiful combinations produced a wow-worthy display we didn’t even want to touch…which, of course, we did, and we quickly devoured it. The dish included six types of nigiri: bluefin belly with Chinese eggplant puree; Saiko salmon, white soy, grilled avocado and fried radish leaf; seared halibut fin, dragon fruit chutney, cayenne and cilantro; seared albacore belly, tiger stripe fig and kimchi reduction; and smoked salmon, miso-mustard glaze, grilled peach and black lava salt. The tastes, textures, flavors and colors all bounced off of each other, creating a Holy Grail of nigiri viewing and eating. Again, this reaction was intended and soulfully backed by purpose. “There are some rules I like to use, on how to plate what, and how to put things together, and making sure the color contrasts are there,” says Anthony. “I constantly think about that.”

Next, we were served a dish to die for, a sushi roll with yellowtail, avocado and spicy albacore tartare. We loved the crunch of the tempura asparagus inside and the fire roasted poblano chili puree and salmon roe. The best part? The salmon roe was infused with Orange Avenue Wit from Coronado Brewing Company. No joke. 62

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Sashimi with New Zealand Bluefin Tuna Nigiri Spread

Lobster Tacos

The Bahn Mi Burger

Salmon Roe infused with CBC Orange Avenue Wit

Tempura Fried Bananas

Again, another highly Instagrammable dish. When it comes to presentation, just how much has social media changed how sushi chefs serve and plate their dishes? “The rise of social media certainly hasn’t hurt sushi presentations,” laughs Anthony. “It’s led people to start making things really over-the-top, and things that look really cool on social media.” And how important is it to sushi chefs to be on social media, and have a social media following? Do they even care? “Everybody wants to be on social media,” says Anthony. “I don’t care how many people talk down about it, like they’re too cool for it, or they’re above it. It’s really cool to have people take pictures of your stuff and share it on social media. It’s a compliment.” Next, we got to sink our chopsticks into grilled yellowfin tuna collar, shishito, and blood orange glaze. Although certainly not the prettiest dish, the artistry and culinary aptitude was evident in every single bite. One of those dishes you really have to “get after,” we ended up grabbing forks to get into the tender goodness of the fish. Again, delicious and satisfying. For our last course, we savored tempura fried bananas (my favorite) with black sesame crème and macadamia. I could have sworn the black cream was dark chocolate, but it was actually sesame seeds and it was ah-mazing. The perfect ending to an over-the-top feast of sushi madness.

As you can see from the pictures, each dish was artfully and thoughtfully prepared with the passion of someone who’s been in the business a long time, but isn’t afraid to try something new. But there’s one piece of the “art” that is the most important. That’s the art of interacting with the customer and making something they like. “Interacting with people is the most fun part of being a sushi chef,” says Anthony. “I could make sushi that I like all day long, but to me, there’s a lot more satisfaction when I make something that someone else likes.” Anthony says he loves talking to the restaurant guests, learning a little about them, and talking about the things they like to eat. “Then, I get to use that information to make something they think is really cool. That’s by far the biggest satisfaction.” After all, true beauty is in the eye of the beholder. • Christine Van Tuyl is a freelance writer who lives in Coronado with her husband and two children. CROWNCITYMAGAZINE.COM

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“The Sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” — JACQUES COUSTEAU