STYLE/BEAUTY
Edition
Yenny GARCIA STOPS US IN OUR TRACKS DRESSED FOR DEL MAR’S OPENING DAY
RANCHO MISSION VIEJO RIDING PARK AT SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO
PHOTO BY: Nancy Villere
TEAM
the
I was born in the summer, and I live for it. I have never longed for the snow or cold climates. I do not have a collection of sweaters or jackets. Even though occasionally I like to spend a rainy day on the couch — cuddled up watching Netflix — it is not something I long for, or quite honestly, could stand for more than a few random days. I crave long, warm nights and days at the beach. I love sun tea made on my porch and storing up bonfire wood. I would rather be sunburnt, sand covering my legs, wearing board shorts and flip flops than most anything else. I love watermelon and bike rides, fireworks and BBQs. I crave summer.
summer sun in a blanket of mist and coastal eddies. June camps on the edge of summer and pretends she is fall. She makes us wait. She teases us.
That is why this month always perplexes me. The inevitable “June gloom” always makes me wait. It covers up our coastal
We hope you enjoy this pre-summer issue. The forecast on these pages is sunny and warm.
We are here to rescue you. We have decided to pump summer in. We went out and found it, and are delivering warmer temps all throughout the pages of this issue. We have a swimwear fashion shoot at three of the hottest pools in Las Vegas, an extended festival season fashion profile from Joshua Tree (it's always hot there), and we look forward to the warm month of July as we preview Opening Day at Del Mar.
ERIK HALE PUBLISHER
ASHLEY HICKSON, COO/CO-FOUNDER Born and raised in New Jersey, Ashley Hickson has enjoyed living in sunny Southern California since she was 17. After graduating from Chapman University in Old Town Orange, Ashley joined forces with Erik to create LOCALE Magazine. Known as Erik’s right and left arm, Ashley is THE go-to girl for everything LOCALE. She enjoys being an intricate piece to LOCALE’s puzzle and is proud of the down-to-earth, innovative magazine.
MIKE TODD SMITH, MARKET MANAGER Mike was born in Los Angeles, raised in Laguna Beach and has created a home in San Diego. After graduating the University of Arizona, Mike helped build ECCO Restaurant and then later a custom golf car company, LUXE. Mike found his true passion within LOCALE and now wakes up inspired everyday.
REILLY KAVANAUGH, DESIGNER With a Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design under her belt, this Redlands native has produced creative for major fashion labels, institutions and ad firms. Reilly Kavanaugh is a tiny artist, at 4 feet 11 inches, who is much tougher than she looks. As the most artistic member of LOCALE, she exhibits a youthful energy and fierce, current designs.
ALEXA ERICKSON, PRINT EDITOR Born and raised on the coast of Maine, Alexa flew south to sunny Florida to receive her Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing and Journalism at the University of Tampa. Upon graduation in 2011, she ventured west to Newport Beach where she now resides. Alexa is thrilled to be a part of LOCALE, as working in editorial has always been her passion.
MICHELLE SLIEFF, WEB EDITOR Michelle is a local of Southern California's coastal cities. She received her BA in Creative Writing from CSULB. She enjoys hiking, poetry, and cured meats, but not necessarily in that order. If she's not at the table next to you in your favorite restaurant, then she's writing content for LOCALE magazine’s website as web editor.
ERIN PRICE, SALES AND MARKETING COORDINATOR
RICK RAMIREZ, DISTRIBUTION
Erin is a California native with a sense of adventure. Raised in Long Beach, she yearns for travel. Her curiosity leads her on adventures and her outgoing personality allows her to make friends easily. Her position at LOCALE Magazine as Sales and Marketing Coordinator is exactly suited to her talents. Her main focus is to make new friends and keep our partners happy.
Rick is a California native, and has lived in Orange County all of his life. A lover of nature, Rick is an avid camper, with an extensive knowledge of Southern California's beautiful mountain and forest regions. He further expresses his connection with nature artistically, through his unique watercolor paintings. Among his many other interests are cooking, history and music.
JASON KOSKY, MARKET MANAGER
BRIANNA ROMANO, EVENT COORDINATOR
Jason was born and raised in South County with the Dana Point Harbor as his backyard. He is proud to call such a beautiful place home. Family has always been most important to him, and now, he is a father to two beautiful girls and a husband to a wonderful wife. Jason says, “As long as I have my family and my health, I am a rich man.”
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ANDRE MATAELE, MARKET MANAGER Born and raised in Hawaii, Andre has made Southern California his home for the past four years. His position at LOCALE in sales allows him to continue building relationships with people who he values greatly. If he’s not working hard, you can find him laughing with his friends or in the water.
| JUNE 2015
Brianna is California native with an eclectic taste in fashion, music, and activities. After graduating with a degree in Fashion and Textiles, she became a jack of all trades, juggling multiple jobs from fashion stylist and makeup artist to professional organizer. After interning for LOCALE, she finally decided to plant her feet in a place where she can utilize all her talents. She loves traveling, making dinner for friends, a good beer, and taking Instagram photos of her dog George.
the CONTRIBUTORS J U N E 2 01 5
WRITERS
GENESIS GONZALEZ NICOLE FERA IG @San_dee_ayGirl
KYLE ANDERSON
www.genesisgonzalez123. wordpress.com
TASO PAPADAKIS
CURTIS KIM
www.tasophoto.com
www.kimcurtisphotography.com IG @kimcurtisphotography
FASHION STYLISTS
MARY MCNULTY GRETCHEN HACKMANN www.Nubry.com IG @nubry
KIM CONLAN
VALERIE KON www.valeriekon.com IG @Valerie_Kon
www.portofsoundrecords.com IG @kimconlan FB /portofsound TW @kimAconlan
JILLI JOFFE www.justjilli.com IG @imjustjilli FB /jilli.joffe TW @justjilli
SUSAN KRUPA TW @TraevelPhoudee
NATALIE GUZY BRITT HACKMANN www.Nubry.com IG @nubry
MARISSA WRIGHT
PHOTOGRAPHERS
www.natalieguzyphotography.com IG @nat_guzy
IG @headovertail FB /head.over.tail
REBECCA ARAOZ TAILORED TANTRUMS
MICHAEL WESLEY LINDSAY DELONG www.iLikeLindsay.com
HANBYUL CHUNG
www.bluewesley.com www.surfart.co IG @bluewesley FB /bluewesleyphoto
TARA SIMON www.TaraSimonPhotography.com IG @tarasimonphoto
www.tailoredtantrums.com IG @tailoredtantrums FB /TailoredTantrums TW @Tailoredtantrum
BEAUTY STYLISTS
FELICIDAD DE LUCAS ROXANA BARHAGHI IG @Roxanaivy FB /RoxanaBarhaghi
SAMANTHA TANCREDI www.the-magnolia-kitchen.com IG @themagnoliakitchen @samanthatancredi
DHRUMIL DESAI www.dhrumildesai.me IG @desaidhrumil FB /DhrumilSDesaiPhotography TW @DhrumilDesai
JENNA RAE KUHNS
AUDRA LEIGH www.sandiegocheers.com
DIONNE EVANS
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IG @Jenna_Rae_Photography
JESSICA GOMES www.thenakedbohemian.com IG @jessicalynngomes FB /JessicaLynnGomes TW @itsjessgomes
www.dionneevans.contently.com FB /dionne.evans.35
www.felicidaddelucas.com IG @felicidad FB /felicidadphotoart
JOSIE GONZALES
TIFFANI PEREZ www.tiffaniperezmakeup.com IG @_visionsofbeauty
BRIE LEACH CROUSE www.briedoesmakeup.com IG @briedoesmakeup FB /briedoesmakeup
Q S PHOTOGRAPHY www.qsphotography.com IG @josgonzales FB /quasistudios
KARL GARRISON www.karlgarrison.com IG @karlgphoto TW @karlgphoto
*FOR FULL INFORMATION ON OUR CONTRIBUTORS GO TO www.localemagazine.com/about
LOCALE MAGAZINE
Contents JUNE 2015
THIS ISSUE: Style/Beauty
STYLE FEATURE
101
82
Click and Mortar
The Web’s Success Stories Come to Their Own Store Near You LOCALE LOOKS
Laps of Luxury
Sink or Swim at These Three Las Vegas Pools
STYLE & BEAUTY EXPERTS
73
The Facade Squad
San Diego Fashion and Beauty Mavens Prove Great Style Comes With Great Confidence 16 |
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108
THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID FASHION SPREAD
Electric Native
Spread Your Wings for a Desert Escape to Joshua Tree
123
Seaside Scene
Classic Meets Contemporary at This Monument Turned Entertainment Destination
LOCALE MAGAZINE
Contents JUNE 2015
24 NATIVE KNOWLEDGE
151 DEL MAR OPENING DAY GUIDE
Monday Through Sunday, by Locals
Saddle Up!
Opening Day at Del Mar, Your Complete Guide to San Diego’s Most Anticipated Event of the Year
EAT/DRINK
HOME/AWAY
65 DRINK FEATURE 32 EAT EXPERT
Raising the Standard
Celebrity Chef Chris Gentile Cooks Up Italian Perfection
Liberated Libations
Raise Your Spirits With Next Level Cocktail Creations at The Compass Carlsbad
GO/DO
164 HOME EXPERT
Sweet Suits and Smart Sales
Meet the Men Who Hold the Keys to San Diego
36 EAT FEATURE
The Bread Winners
Made With Brotherly Love, the Anselmi Brothers Bring a Taste of Italy to San Diego
132 FIRST TIMER’S GUIDE
44 EAT EXPERT
Learning the Ropes of Sailing the Big Blue Aboard the Zen Yatta
Vitamin Sea
168 SETTING THE TABLE
Vintage Vineyards
Celebrate or Relax at This Historic, FamilyOwned Winery
Boarder Patrol
North County’s Favorite Sandwich Shop Spreads its Wings Throughout San Diego 50 MEALS DECONSTRUCTED
Food for Thought
A Fresh Take on Eating Well, True Food Kitchen Invites You to Indulge in Honest Flavors
138 DO EXPERT
Shape Shifters
Unleash Your Inner Athlete With La Jolla’s Brand New Press Fitness
172 AWAY EXPERT
Coasting on a Dream
Del Mar’s Most Decadent Centerpiece, Welcome to Your New Favorite Getaway
144 DO FEATURE 56 DRINK EXPERT
That’s the Spirit
The Mad Scientist of San Diego 18 |
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Pause for the Applause
Taking a Time Out With Grouplove’s Lead Man Christian Zucconi
176 SU CASA
Cliffside Classic
Where Comfort Meets the Ocean
All rights reserved © 2014, the entire contents of this publication are protected by copyright. No part of this publication can be reproduced, stored in retrieval system or transmitted in any forms or by any means without express written prior permission of the copyright owner.
LOCALE MAGAZINE ph: 858.848.9101 | fax: 949.682.4807 info@localemagazine.com COVER Photographed By: Dhrumil Desai, www.dhrumildesai.me Model: Yenny Garcia of Wilhelmina Models, www.wilhelmina.com Styled By: Jilli Joffe, www.justjilli.com Makeup & Hair By: Brie Leach Crouse, www.briedoesmakeup.com Location: Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park at San Juan Capistrano, www.showpark.com Horse Provided By: Nicole Kane of South Shore Farms, www.southshorefarms.com Apparel Provided By: BCBG, www.bcbg.com Accessories Provided By: BCBG, www.bcbg.com
Making THE ISSUE
In preparation for the racetrack season in Del Mar, fashion photographer Dhrumil Desai, wardrobe stylist Jilli Joffe, beauty stylist Brie Leach Crouse and model Yenny Garcia worked together to create this gorgeous cover shot. Fashion photographer Dhrumil Desai worked with a Nikon D810 and a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens throughout the shoot. Since the shoot was scheduled during a perfectly sunny day at San Juan Capistrano’s very open-aired Blenheim EquiSports, the lens had to be outfitted with a Hoya ND8 filter to cut down on the sunlight. Thus, studio strobes could be used on location while still allowing for a shallow depth of field to blur out the very busy background at the equestrian center. Dhrumil’s photography assistants, Josie Gonzales and Jamie Dickerson, were at the heart of keeping the set moving smoothly from one location to the next while he focused on creating the best imagery with the creative team. Wardrobe stylist Jilli Joffe was inspired by this issue's Del Mar Thoroughbred Club theme, as well as the shoot location, but also wanted to stay away from the traditional racetrack garb. So in the spirit of changing things up, she tried to inspire modern, unique and wearable looks from BCBG this racing season. Beauty stylist Brie Leach Crouse used Make Up For Ever foundation for the base, lightly defined her brows with Anastasia Brow Wiz and since she knew given the location that they were going to be roughing it, Brie used L’Oreal Infallible eyeshadow so that it would stay bright and stay put all day. Since the model was so vibrant, Brie wanted her to have a dewey, fresh finish and so she lightly blushed her cheeks with peach using Laura Mercier's cream blush. Various shades of NYX lip liners and Butter London cream lipsticks and L’Oreal's voluminous mascara in carbon black were also utilized. For the hair, Brie created volume with a flat iron and spritz with KMS sea salt spray. Model Yenny Garcia, who was born and raised in the paradise of the Dominican Republic, moved to NYC at a very young age to start modeling. She began working for clients like Vera Wang, David's Bridal, Bloomingdales, Marc Jacobs, Natory, Neiman Marcus, Oscar De La Renta, Target, Old Navy and beauty campaigns like Mac, Target and Sephora. Most recently, she moved to LA to continue modeling and pursue acting.
Petco Park
7:56 pm 5/17/2015
ESTEBAN JIMENEZ Nikon 323 500 8336 instagram.com/copterpilot
Native Knowledge BY LOCALS FOR LOCALS // Where to be Monday - Sunday
“
Los Taco in Oceanside is the only place I know that has authentic Mexican food. On Taco Tuesday, they have $1.25 tacos, which is a great deal considering how good their food is.”
ALISON CHOI Owner, Royalie
LORI HELIE Owner, Luella Boutique
It’s back to the grind! Starting my morning at Xtend Barre by the sea in South Oceanside. This is by far my favorite workout routine. Their classes focus on strengthening, lengthening and chiseling the body. You’ll be hooked once you get started—trust me! www.xtendbarre.com
For lunch, I often walk down to Oscar’s for the freshest grilled fish tacos and ceviche. They are so good that I had them cater my wedding! INSIDE SCOOP: They have 99 cent fish tacos Monday-Thursday 2:30-5:30pm.
I’m always at my clothing store on Tuesday, and after a long day, I’m all about eating something quick and easy. Los Taco in Oceanside is the only place I know that has authentic Mexican food. On Taco Tuesday, they have $1.25 tacos, which is a great deal considering how good their food is.
Bird Rock Yoga is my place to center my mind and strengthen my body. This studio near the sea offers many different styles of yoga. GOOD TO KNOW: They have a sister studio in Little Italy! www.birdrockyoga.com
www.goodtacos.com
Heading over to Isabel’s Cantina for some Double Happiness! This place is a must for healthy balanced Asian and Latin-inspired cuisine. Do not pass up on their Cucumber Honey Mimosa. Yum! www.isabelscantinasd.com
M
M
www.oscarsmexicanseafood.com
T
T
W
I love my coffee and The Cup in Oceanside has the best coffee in town. In addition, they offer small bites and draft beers too! This place is definitely a cool kick-it spot for locals and even tourists. The owners of The Cup are extremely supportive of small, local businesses; hosting trunk shows and selling art from local artisans! W
I enjoy going to the morning farmers market in Oceanside to pick up fresh flowers and local, organic produce. They also have some really great food vendors if you’re hungry. MainStreet Oceanside Farmers Market is every Thursday morning from 9am – 1pm, and if you can’t make it to the morning farmers market, they also have a sunset market from 5pm – 9pm! www.mainstreetoceanside.com
I hop across the street to The Bar Key, my favorite neighborhood bar and grill, for an after work beverage. This is a place where everybody knows your name! MUST TRY: Their amazing margaritas and tenderloin bites! www.barkeypb.com T
T
My girlfriends and I like to catch up on Friday F at Master’s Kitchen and Cocktail in Oceanside. I always order their Grey Goose dirty martini with blue cheese stuffed olives. And for those who don’t like blue cheese, they serve it with regular olives too. www.mastersoceanside.com
I normally work half-days on Saturday so I can kickstart my weekend. The lagoon in Carlsbad is where you will find me with my fiancé and our Shiba Inu, Kuma. We love coming here because it’s dog-friendly, and we can get away and spend some quiet time together. We end our day by going grocery shopping at Frazier Farms in Oceanside, and will cook dinner together at home. S
www.frazierfarmsmarket.com
Sunday Funday brunch at LTH (Local Tap House) in Oceanside is my go-to spot for brunch! For all you bacon lovers, their Bloody Mary mix is house-made, rimmed with bacon salt and served with agave bacon, olives and baby green tomatoes. It’s absolutely delicious, and I highly recommend trying it! www.localtaphouse.com S
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“
Happy Hour Fridays here at Luella Boutique! Sip on a glass of wine while you check out the new styles that came in for the week! INSIDE SCOOP: You get 20 percent off during your birthday week. www.luellaboutique.com F
Xtend Barre is by far my favorite workout routine. Their classes focus on strengthening, lengthening and chiseling the body. You’ll be hooked once you get started—trust me!”
Beach day at Tourmaline Surfing Park! I go for a morning run, an afternoon surf, and then build sand castles with my 3-year-old. It’s a perfect day off! BONUS: It has bathrooms! S
We walk down to Stehly Farms Market to stock up on fresh produce from their local farms. You feel good just inhaling the scents as you walk through! Check out their fresh pressed juice bar! S
www.stehlyfarmsmarket.com
“
Isabel’s Cantina is a must for healthy balanced Asian and Latin-inspired cuisine.”
BY LOCALS FOR LOCALS // Where to be Monday - Sunday
“
We always find time to sneak away for the much anticipated Tuesday specials from our neighbors at the Lumberyard Tavern.”
NICOLE & DOMINIQUE RICHARDS Owners, Reign & Clover
RYAN WEEDEN Owner, Salon Spruce
Coffee is a must! We head to Lofty Coffee for a tasty salted caramel latte before walking a few doors down to Vohg Hair to get beautified by the talented owner and stylist, Carly Saturnino. Then, it’s off to Reign & Clover, and it’s all business from there!
Go dog go! We take our pup to Del Mar Dog Beach to romp in the sun. Then, we head over to Board & Brew for craft beers and the Baja Chicken. Yum.
www.vohghair.com | www.loftycoffeeco.com
As a top stylist in La Jolla, you have to be on point all day. What better way to start your day than with a barista perfecting your morning latte? Also, you can’t leave without an almond scone.
M
AKA Monday number two! It’s is a full day at the store, but we always find time to sneak away for the much anticipated Tuesday specials from our neighbors at the Lumberyard Tavern. They feature Seaside Market’s delicious mouthwatering tri-tip “Cardiff Crack.” T
www.lumberyard101.com
Another day at Reign & Clover. We rearrange the store, work on orders, style our customers, and keep up on social media (@reignandclover on Instagram). We possibly throw together an impromptu shoot with our fave local model, Nikola (@nnikola on Instagram). W
M
www.boardandbrew.com
T
www.brickandbell.com
Surf’s up! Living at the beach has its perks. Before the sun rises, I’m up, in my wetsuit, and headed to catch the morning surf at Crystal Pier. W
It’s date night. Turquoise Cellars’ menu is constantly changing from delicious flatbreads to tantalizing desserts. What’s even better is every Thursday from 7-9pm, they host an acoustic set with a local musician. T
www.turquoisecellars.com
www.reignandclover.com
Reign & Clover doesn’t run itself, so it’s T another day immersed in fashion, which is pretty amazing. We head to Bar Leucadian to visit our good friends/bartenders Sunie and Aly for some good humor and great Thursday specials: $3.50 microbrew drafts! After yet another full day at the store, it’s time to unwind! We head over to the Shelter, located in the heart of Encinitas, with good friends for some yummy specialty cocktails. We enjoy the good vibes and dance the night away! F
www.shelterencinitas.com
Day off! It’s a good thing, too because we had way too much fun last night! We’re spending the day by the pool, and relaxing with our family at La Costa Resort. S
After a long day of work, it’s nice to be able to stroll across the street into our favorite local bistro and wine bar, Finch’s. The Ahi Poke Wontons are a must have! F
www.finchslajolla.com
Get off your couch and into the seaside cliffs of Torrey Pines. Endless trails mean boundless amounts of picturesque scenery and great cardio. S
www.torreypine.org
After a relaxing morning with our horse at a private estate in Rancho Santa Fe, we saunter to The Pony Room at Rancho Valencia. Try The Pony Express cocktail and Lobster Tacos while lounging on their pristine patio. S
www.ranchovalencia.com
www.omnihotels.com/hotels/san-diego-la-costa
Sunday Funday! Catch the coaster to Little Italy in downtown San Diego for some brunch with our girls and bottomless mimosas. S
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“
Turquoise Cellars’ menu is constantly changing from delicious flatbreads to tantalizing desserts.”
PHOTOS - Lumberyard Tavern: Patrick Martin | Board & Brew: Anh Nguyen | Rancho Valencia: Dhrumil Desai
Native Knowledge
PHOTO BY: Josie Gonzales
eat /drink
Month June Y2E0A 1 5R
32 EAT EXPERT Catching Up With Celebrity Chef Chris Gentile of San Diego’s Double Standard Kitchenetta and Craft Bar
36 EAT FEATURE Escape to Italy With the Anselmi Brothers’ Newest Concept
44 EAT EXPERT Freshly Focused Sandwich Shop Board & Brew Expands to New Locations in San Diego
50 MEALS DECONSTRUCTED Feel Good Food, Liven Up Your Diet With the Worldly Options From True Food Kitchen
56 DRINK EXPERT
32
Michael Skubic Gets Crafty With the Release of His Southwestern Gin
EAT EXPERT Raising the Standard 65 DRINK FEATURE DOUBLE STANDARD KITCHENETTA AND CRAFT BAR 695 6th Ave San Diego, CA 92101 619.269.9676 www.doublestandardsd.com
Mixing it up in Carlsbad, The Compass Creates Elevated Cocktail Creations to Please Your Palate
31
JUNE 2015
RAISING THE
Standard Celebrity Chef Chris Gentile Cooks Up Italian Perfection
WRITTEN BY: NICOLE FERA PHOTOGRAPHED BY: JOSIE GONZALES
THE EXPERT CHRIS GENTILE Head Chef and Partner, Double Standard
Favorite Double Standard Menu Item: N’duja Mussels and Clams
As I walk down 6th Avenue to meet up with Celebrity Chef Chris Gentile, I can’t help but realize again just how amazing San Diego’s downtown is. It has just enough hustle and bustle to feel like a city with the perfect amount of sunshine and color to make it unique. I arrive at Double Standard, a newer restaurant on the culinary scene and am immediately drawn in. Even if I weren't set up to go there that day, I would have wanted to stop and check out what it is all about. An outside patio consists of oversized, whimsical chairs, fake grass and chic tables. Inside, the bar is center stage in this open, airy venue. A large bookshelf wall is to my right and catches my eye with all of the colors and textures on, and around it. It’s the perfect blend of modern and comfort, much like what the menu seems to be at first glance. After introducing myself,
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CHRIS GENTILE, Head Chef and Partner CERVANTES MAGANA, Bar Manager
DOUBLE STANDARD KITCHENETTA AND CRAFT BAR 695 6th Ave San Diego, CA 92101 619.269.9676 www.doublestandardsd.com | JUNE 2015 | 33
“I’m lucky to have had all of my hard work pay off for me along the way because I’ve taken something with me from everywhere that I’ve been. I think that reflects a lot in my food and style of cooking.” – CHRIS GENTILE
CHRIS’
TOP 3
Favorite Places to Eat When He’s Not Working: 1. OB Noodle House
2. Nine-Ten
3. Juniper & Ivy
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| JUNE 2015
they let me know that Chris would be right out, and a few minutes later, one of the most passionate people I have ever met emerged from the kitchen. Chris Gentile is a young, energetic, friendly, chaotic character who seems to dive right into what’s in front of him and is truly present in the moment. He was kind enough to sit down and talk to me about this new restaurant, his career and everything in between, and he did it with such enthusiasm it was intoxicating. Not only does he have a clear, unique vision for the food that he puts out, his love for what he does is truly inspiring and has taken him to some pretty amazing places so far. Here’s what I learned. Q: So first off, are you a rare San Diego local or did you make your way here like most of us living in paradise? Chris Gentile: I’m actually a Florida native, but I grew up in Asheville, North Carolina. Q: What brought you out here? CG: I really just wanted a change of pace, so a little over 4 years ago, I packed up and moved to San Diego to try something new. I love the vibe of this city and the beach community where I live and hang out when I’m not working. Q: Did you start cooking when you made the move? CG: I started cooking when I was really young; I always had a passion for it, and I got my first taste when I was working as a
busboy. Whenever the restaurant would get slammed, they’d throw me on the fryer to help out, and from there, I started working my way up the line. Q: That’s a very humble start that I’m sure you learned a lot from as you grew and advanced. Can you tell me a little bit about how you went from dishwashing to becoming what we consider a celebrity chef? CG: I’ve worked in tons of places, and cooked in different cities all over the country, but there have definitely been a lot of noteworthy restaurants and people along the way. This started back when I was working at the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina. I worked at the Inn on the property, and that estate is a five-star, five-diamond establishment, so there’s a lot to be said about it, and I learned from the chefs who work there. I went from being a dish washer to a sous chef in only 3 years by just working hard and absorbing everything that I could. Q: Wow, that’s a pretty amazing start to your resume already. Where did you find yourself after that? CG: I had actually met a lot of people while I was working at the Biltmore who were from New York City or heading that way to work, so I went up there for a while to work in restaurants in Hyde Park. I would crash with them and just loved to be doing something new,
“I thrive on being able to create new things and constantly teaching my team and myself. I have a pretty laid-back approach when it comes to the kitchen, and I don’t believe that there needs to be screaming and yelling to get things done.” – CHRIS GENTILE
with so much to learn and take in. I also worked in Charleston for a while before that, and I have an uncle who is pretty big in the food scene in Chicago, so I’ve been all over the place. I’m lucky to have had all of my hard work pay off for me along the way because I’ve taken something with me from everywhere that I’ve been. I think that reflects a lot in my food and style of cooking. Q: Eventually you made the decision to head west, and in 2011, you landed in San Diego. Where did you find yourself cooking? CG: I’ve actually bounced around from a lot of different places in the area. I worked at Searsucker for a long time under Brian Malarkey, who I know we all know. I also worked at 1540 under Jon Bautista for a while, but when he left, they changed their food style, and it didn’t really work with what I do. I left shortly after that change and went to Nine-Ten in La Jolla. That’s where I worked under Jason Knibb, who is just such an amazing person and chef as well. Q: It sounds like you’ve gotten to work for some pretty amazing people and huge restaurants in the San Diego food scene, and now you’re the head chef and partner here at Double Standard. What kind of food do you focus on here? CG: My style of food is fancy, yet approachable. You always eat with your eyes first, so you want the presentation to be the main attraction so that people want to dive in. I use a lot of comforting flavors and elevating classic dishes, and make even the simplest things more high-end. I think my style also goes well with the downtown city vibe of SD, so we’re happy to be down here cranking out some awesome food. Q: I’ve had some of the food before, and it was honestly amazing. The Uni Spaghetti was so fresh and flavorful, not to mention it really did look beautiful when it came out. Do you make the pasta in-house? CG: Oh, definitely. We make as much as we can by hand, and we’re all about the pasta. We have seven different dough recipes that we use to make all of the pasta fresh every single day. It really does make a huge difference because if you’re going to make it and then have it for a few days, you might as well just buy it.
Q: What would you say inspires you in the kitchen and as a leader to the other chefs? CG: I thrive on being able to create new things and constantly teaching my team and myself. I have a pretty laid-back approach when it comes to the kitchen, and I don’t believe that there needs to be screaming and yelling to get things done. I’ve worked in a lot of restaurants where there’s such high pressure, and everyone is just screaming at each other, and that’s not the way I like to do things around here. We have a great staff, and we get things done while enjoying what we do and learning from each other. Q: What would you say is your favorite thing on the menu? CG: That’s a tough call, but I think right now I’d have to say my favorite is our N’duja Mussels and Clams dish. It’s the kind of dish that reminds me of just sitting outside in the sun, drinking some beer, and enjoying some fresh seafood. We also use fennel pollen in the dish, and I am just a huge fan of that taste and flavor. Q: Not only have you had major success with all of your past endeavors and now this new restaurant, but you’ve managed to earn the title of Celebrity Chef as well. How did this happen? CG: I’ve actually competed and won a few different culinary challenges, but my claim to fame, for now, is when I won “Cutthroat Kitchen” on Food Network. I had actually cooked for Alton Brown, the host of the show, a few times before, so he recognized me when I got there. It was pretty tough, but I ended up being able to hold on to $17,000, which was one of the highest winnings so far. Q: What are some things that you had to deal with? CG: During one of the rounds, I had to work with a potato masher tied to my hands, which was pretty rough. It also earned me the nickname “masher hand” for a while. I had to make gnocchi with potatoes that I had to pick out of clam chowder, which was interesting, and I lost the use of my stove for the final 5 minutes. All of that was difficult, but for me the hardest part about doing any kind of show or challenge like that is that you don’t know where anything is! | JUNE 2015 | 35
The
Bread WINNERS
MADE WITH BROTHERLY LOVE, THE ANSELMI BROTHERS BRING A TASTE OF ITALY TO SAN DIEGO WRITTEN BY: HANBYUL CHUNG | PHOTOGRAPHED BY: MICHAEL WESLEY
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PAN BON 1450 Kettner Blvd San Diego, CA 92101 619.373.5780 www.panbon.us
E
ntering Pan Bon is like walking down a long aisle to get married. Immediately upon taking the first step inside, your heart thumps harder as you try to take in the view of an enchanting cascade of delectable Italian goods that glisten and stretch to the back of the restaurant. Even the mere word “restaurant” fails to appropriately describe Pan Bon. Rather, it is also a gastronomy, café and bakery with a wide dessert and pastry section. Mignons, or small desserts, first greet customers as they try to decide between mouthwatering cannolis and tiramisus. As if that entire selection wasn’t tempting enough, various pastries and semifreddos, or what are known as half-gelatos and half-cakes, sit in front of warm baguettes and focaccias, along with five other types of bread made fresh every morning. Pan Bon also offers savory items, such as the distinct tuna and caper miniature pizza along with more commonly known pepperoni and cheese pizzas. The long line of counters continue, showcasing six different types of sandwiches and an expansive array of cold-cut meats and cheeses, all ready to be either taken out or enjoyed in the sleek dining area with a warm cup of Italian espresso, cappuccino or latte. The last section holds large white bowls with classic Italian dishes like hearty lasagna. If you prefer to make your own lunch, 32 ingredients await you at the salad bar.
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A
lthough, many assume Pan Bon is just a café, it has a full breakfast, lunch and dinner menu offering gourmet burgers, larger pizzas named after the chefs, and, of course, Italian pasta dishes like the Calamarata Carbonara. After taking in all of this, I talked to the masterminds behind Pan Bon. Brothers Luciano and Giancarlo Anselmi are experts in the baking industry, equipped with a 30-year experience that they developed in Verona, Italy, their hometown. A vacation 3 years ago to San Diego impelled them to begin a new career challenge — take a bakery and expand it to a restaurant. With a strong opening of Pan Bon here in Downtown, they’ve proved that a true passion for one’s craft can break down cultural and language differences. At the core of their goal is a wish to offer an authentic piece of Italy 6,000 miles away here in Little Italy, to share precisely what Pan Bon means — good bread. Before leaving, I glanced at a customer savoring a Pan Bon dish and she gasped — a small but meaningful affirmation for the Anselmi brothers.
Q: Congratulations on Pan Bon’s opening! It’s a bakery, café and restaurant all rolled into one. What was the most difficult part in getting it ready? Luciano Anselmi: At the very beginning, it was the difference of cultures — the language barrier. My English is not so good, but I can understand and communicate with others. In Italy, we’re used to doing stuff in a different way. The construction process, for example, was very hard for us to understand. But thankfully, our superintendent, who was in charge of it, was very good. The way to finalize a contract was very different. It was of a different mind, basically. Q: Three years ago, you visited San Diego together on a vacation. What about this city inspired you to open up a restaurant here? LA: We came to San Diego for the first time in 2011. The story starts with a friend of ours, Norma. She was our neighbor from Verona, and she moved to San Diego about 20 years ago. She’s married to Sean, the owner of El Pescador in La Jolla. She came into Pan Bon in Verona 3 or 4 years ago while on a vacation with her husband and invited us to San Diego. The economic and political situations in Italy are very bad. Italy is not a strange place, but it is difficult to understand if you don’t live there. I love Italy and Verona, which is not a big city, like San Diego. But even though San Diego is a big city, it feels like a small town. We don’t like chaos. In Verona, winters are cold and summers are very hot. San Diego is perfect; it is one of the eight places in the world that has an endless summer. To increase our quality of life, San Diego is a good starting point for us. Q: What is it like to work together as brothers? Giancarlo Anselmi: When your partner is your brother, you have a guarantee; a
security because that person is your family. It’s not an external person. It’s not a friend. He’s your family. You can sleep well knowing this. Q: What is it like to have run a bakery — also called Pan Bon — in Verona, Italy, and now a restaurant in San Diego? GA: In Verona, we’re used to having only the first two sections of what’s in this restaurant — the pastry, bakery and gastronomy sections, and the bar. After we had found this beautiful place, slowly, day by day, we came to change our project. Originally, our project was to open a bakery with a pastry section in San Diego, but then Pan Bon came to be what it is now — bigger. The restaurant aspect is a new step for us. The size and the fine dining aspects are the biggest differences, basically. It’s a new challenge for us. Q: How would you compare the food culture in Verona from San Diego’s? LA: When we first began the restaurant opening process, a lot of people advised us to adapt our food to fit Americans’ tastes. A lot of people haven’t been to Italy, so they don’t know exactly how the food is. And I saw here that for those who have been to Italy — those who go regularly for say, a vacation — only visit one small section. But the way of cooking in Italy differs from every single town. There is not a single, one way to cook something. A lot of people love what we do and we are very proud of this because our customers understand. We believe that Pan Bon has to be a little piece of real Italy in San Diego. For Italians who live here, they feel like they are at home when they try our food. Q: Can you take us back to 30 years ago, when you first started baking? How did you fall in love with it? GA: I was 15 years old and it all began on May 15, 1985. I wrote this date on my arm. I remembered this date because it was important to me. After 2 years of superior school in Italy, I started to work at a bakery, which was a little bit out of Verona, where we’re from.
“When your partner is your brother, you have a guarantee; a security because that person is your family.” — Giancarlo Anselmi
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AGNELLO E ERBA Lamb chops with thyme and dandelion, sautéed with garlic and chili homemade sauce
1/3 page vertical CAPPA IN CAMICIA
“WE BELIEVE THAT PAN BON has to be a little piece of real Italy in San Diego. For Italians who live here, they feel like they are at home when they try our food.”
Jumbo scallops with bacon and spinach in a potato creamy sauce
— LUCIANO ANSELMI
Q: And what would you say is something that a lot of people overlook about baking? GA: It’s waking up very early in the morning, 3am, every day. You also have to put love in what you do to obtain success. Q: I understand that Pan Bon uses the “lievito madre” (mother dough) baking process. Can you explain what this is? LA: There are two kinds of “lievito madre.” The solid one is used by a lot of people because it is easy to manage. Every day you have to refresh the lievito (dough) with new flour; you have to take apart one piece and use it to make bread. If it isn’t used for making bread, you take away this part and add new flour to it so the bacteria can start reproducing again. We use liquid lievito. It’s basically the same thing, but it’s liquid. We have a machine that maintains the bacteria’s life. Lievito madre is natural, wild yeast not made from chemicals. We started to use this kind of yeast because it is natural and easier to digest. We found out in Verona that people who can’t handle gluten too much can digest our bread. Obviously, people with severe diets can’t eat lievito madre; they have to eat gluten-free food. But people who can handle it a bit can eat our products.
SPAGHETTONE AI GAMBERI Large linguine pasta with shrimps, cherry tomatoes, and chili
“ORIGINALLY, our project was to open a bakery with a pastry section in San Diego, but then Pan Bon came to be what it is now — bigger. The restaurant aspect is a new step for us.” — GIANCARLO ANSELMI
FIVE SOURCES OF INSPIRATION FOR GIANCARLO: 1. Family 2. Working with bread (with natural ingredients) 3. The sea, especially snorkeling 4. Sports, especially skiing 5. Cars
LUCIANO’S FIVE FAVORITE DRINKS: 1. Red wine from Verona 2. German beer 3. Margaritas made by Sean, the owner of El Pescador in La Jolla 4. Amaro liqueur 5. Sambuca 40 |
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Q: How did Verona’s long and rich history influence your decision to build a modern restaurant here in San Diego? LA: If you see our restaurant, yes, it looks modern, but take a closer look and you’ll see that we use old materials. All of this is wood that’s not painted. If you look at each piece, every one is very simple. If you can imagine this place — just replace drywall and concrete with brick — it would be the same as how the architecture is in Verona. All our materials came from Italy.
every place has its own recipe. Italians’ traditional dishes come from peasants and thanks to these people, we have the agricultural origins of our cuisine. Italians are very proud of people that are involved with agriculture. Maybe in English the word “peasant” can be offensive or discriminatory, but that’s absolutely not it. You find our roots from people who work with agriculture. Most of our best plates come from them. The art of the people who work in the kitchen is to respect and refine them.
Q: How did working with CierreEsse, a premier Italian design company, fit with Pan Bon’s concept? LA: We decided to go with CierreEsse because they are not a very big group, but they know how to transform a big place like this. The space here is long and has high ceilings. It was a big task for them to turn it into a warm place, but they did it (laughs).
Q: Can you name a favorite item of yours from the menu? GA: All of my breads (laughs).
Q: Pan Bon is open from 6am to up to 10:30pm. How do you maintain your energy throughout the day? GA: I start at 3am and then when it’s noon, I take a nap while Luciano stays here. We interchange. Baking happens very early in the morning. We bake up to 1pm and then stop. Everything is ready from the morning. Q: In your opinion, what is the best representation of Northern Italian cuisine? LA: I can’t say what the best representative dishes are because
Q: How do you find new forms of inspiration when you are creatively stuck? LA: I am a very visionary person. I am the “train” of this venture. My responsibility is to keep the group tight and support it. I have a vision of Pan Bon and I think of the original vision when I get stuck. There have been times when I thought some tasks in my life have been too big for me, but I succeeded; I overcame them. If you want, you can do everything in your life. Q: What tips would you give to a first-time diner to Pan Bon? LA: I know that right now lots of people think we’re just a café or a bakery, but try us for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
“There have been times when I thought some tasks in my life have been too big for me, but I succeeded; I overcame them. If you want, you can do everything in your life.” — Luciano Anselmi
BOARD & BREW 9880 Hibert St San Diego, CA 92131 858.689.2739 www.boardandbrew.com
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BOARDER
PATROL
NORTH COUNTY’S FAVORITE SANDWICH SHOP SPREADS ITS WINGS THROUGHOUT SAN DIEGO
WRITTEN BY: KYLE ANDERSON PHOTOGRAPHED BY: VALERIE KON
THE EXPERT CRAIG APPLEGATE & CLAYTON WHEELER Franchise Owners of Board & Brew
Favorite Items on the Menu: Craig: The Turkado Clayton: The Baja Chicken
T
he first franchise of the beloved Board & Brew, which originated in Del Mar, is well underway, and owners Craig Applegate and Clayton Wheeler are brimming with excitement, not only because of their success with their first location that opened in Carlsbad Village 2 years ago, but also because they have signed on with the company to open four more locations in 5 years. Not getting up to North County much, I have never had the pleasure of trying one of their delicious sandwiches, so I was thrilled to head to their newest location in Scripps Ranch. The store has a completely chill vibe with indie music playing, and skate decks placed on the tops of the booths. One wall is decorated with their friend’s surf photography while the wall behind the bar has recycled skate deck tile from Art of Board. They have a staple secret sauce that I knew I had to try, so I ordered the Turkey Deluxe wrap complete with sunflower seeds that thoroughly excited me. The wrap was bursting at the seams, and the sauce was amazing! Only using the freshest meats, cheeses and veggies, they slice their meats and cheeses every day and even hand-trim, season and cook the roast beef in-house. The best part was when they told me they are opening a location in my town, Pacific Beach, in the next month or two ... meaning I can frequent and indulge in this healthy, affordable and chill place of business.
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LIVING LIKE A LOCAL: When they’re not making awesome sandwiches, you can find Clayton and Craig at some of their staple hangouts like Seaside Market and Fish 101.
“OUR WHOLE THING IS VALUE. WE DON’T WANT TO NICKEL AND DIME CUSTOMERS.” — CLAYTON WHEELER Q: What was the inspiration for deciding to buy the franchise? Craig Applegate: We had both been working in the restaurant industry for 30 years combined. We both helped open and worked at a restaurant in Del Mar, so we were on the same page with aspirations to do our own thing, and caught wind that they were expanding, so we went down there and approached Tom—the guy who started it in Del Mar—and it worked out. Clayton Wheeler: We started with a one store deal, which is the one in Carlsbad, and once they saw the success and the effort we were putting into that store, we were able to secure a territory agreement with them. Now we have a deal with four stores in 5 years, and this is our first one with that deal. Q: Do you get any freedom with your locations as far as the menu? CW: We have free reign to pick the beer we want, but the menu is pretty locked in. However, we work really close with Tom, being the first franchisee, and get to help on new menu developments. CA: We do have to use the colors and theme of the brand, but we get a lot of freedom with designing stores the way we want. This store came out pretty ideal for what we want going forward. Q: You guys boast about the fresh ingredients. Is the bread made fresh as well? CW: We get our bread from O’Brien’s, which was originally out of Del Mar, so close to the first Board & Brew location. They were able to do four Board & Brews, and a couple of their recipes are proprietary to us. They just moved to Escondido to support their growth and our growth. We get our bread delivered every day. Q: What sets you apart from other California sandwich shops that use fresh ingredients as well? CA: We don’t have any freezers or microwaves. It’s all fresh. We cut everything 46 |
| JUNE 2015
... turkey every day, veggies every day and cheese every day. We cook our roast beef in-house, season it and slice it, every day. We have the highest quality of everything, like our flat meat for the Baja Beef Sandwich, which is an Australian grass-fed beef; the roast beef is Certified Angus Beef which is the top 10 percent of all cattle. Q: What is your favorite thing on the menu? CA: The Turkado is definitely a staple you can’t go wrong with and is hands down the best selling sandwich that we have. CW: My favorite is the Baja Chicken ... chicken, jalapeños and grilled onions. Q: How do you go about selecting the craft beer? CA: We’re on a full rotation system in our Carlsbad location. I think we had over 200 different beers our first year with eight taps. CW: We have a “suggest a beer” board for customers, so you can write something up there, and we’ll do our best to get it. CA: Our philosophy is to keep it as local to San Diego as possible, from sponsoring local athletes, to getting our bread locally, to providing local beers, which if you look at our taps, most are from San Diego. We want to have beers that we like and beers that our community likes. The suggestion board helps a ton because you’re getting instant feedback on what people want to enjoy with their sandwiches. Q: Do you plan to open more stores? CW: The Pacific Beach store is due to open in the next month or so, but we will probably slow down after that because two locations in 6 months are kind of a lot ... but we have two more to open in our agreement after that. Q: If you could go back and do it again, is there anything you would do differently? CW: Honestly, not a thing in my opinion. You know, we’ve made our mistakes,
“Our philosophy is to keep it as local to San Diego as possible, from sponsoring local athletes, to getting our bread locally, to providing local beers, which if you look at our taps, most are from San Diego.” — CRAIG APPLEGATE
and we’ve learned from them and grown from them, which has kind of put us in the position that we’re at. CA: I think our approach from day one was pretty good. Carlsbad is a lot smaller than this, so operationally, it was easier for us to get a full grasp on every side of the business, and taking all that and bringing it to this location which is three times bigger, it’s been a great process. I don’t think I’d change anything at all. Q: Are you involved in social media? CA: We just hired a company called Main Street Hub, and they take care of our Facebook and Twitter. It’s been good because having pretty much a two-man team, it’s hard to cover that aspect on top of the operations side. This place is getting overwhelmed with a lot of fundraising, which we love. Q: Are you involved in any events or charities? CW: We’re trying to build a little action sports team. We sponsor Taylor Knox and have a pretty close relationship with him. We also sponsor Ricky Whitlock out of Carlsbad as well as Nate Vernia. Q: Is the secret sauce truly a secret? CW: Yeah, it is. But you know, we don’t charge for it. Our whole thing is value. We don’t want to nickel and dime customers. Q: Is there a story behind the name Board & Brew? Is it primarily skating? CA: It’s about the Southern California lifestyle. For the design aspect, we’ve incorporated more surfing and skating. We could probably do some snowboarding stuff ... we just haven’t. Q: What are your roles within the company? CA: As we’re growing, it’s kind of evolving more. At Carlsbad, we were both there every day—doing everything. Now, we’re getting spread a little bit thinner, but Clayton does a lot of the employee relations and HR, as well as the beer order stuff. He’s at this spot more. I’m at Carlsbad a little more doing the finance side of things, but we work together on everything to make sure we’re on the same page and have the same end result. Q: If you were trapped on a desert island with one sandwich and one beer, what would it be? CA: I would get the Turkado with unlimited sweet and sour sauce. We just partnered up with Artifex who came out with a Board & Brew Honey Blonde, so I’d probably have to have that one. CW: I think the only thing I would change from that is to add bacon to the Turkado!
DECONSTRUCTED
EALS
Lemon Juice
Meals
STRUCTED
DECONSTRUCTED
FOOD FOR
Parsley
THOUGHT A Fresh Take on Eating Well, True Food Kitchen Invites You to Indulge in Honest Flavors
Kalamata Olives
Salt
WRITTEN BY: DIONNE EVANS PHOTOGRAPHED BY: TARA SIMON
I
n San Diego, you won’t be hard pressed to find a restaurant to fit your diet. From vegetarian to gluten-free, this SoCal city has it all. Whether you’re a meat-lover, a vegan, or someone trying a juice cleanse or the Paleo diet, there’s a restaurant for you. What can be hard to find, though, is an eatery that offers choices—and tasty choices at that—for every diet. That’s what makes True Food Kitchen so special. The menu of the restaurant located in Fashion Valley Mall, and the nine other True Food Kitchens across the U.S., is extremely diverse, taking cues from different cuisines around the globe. What all the menu items do have in common, though, is that they all follow the guidelines of the Anti-Inflammatory Diet, created by Dr. Andrew Weil, who developed the restaurant in partnership with Fox Restaurant Concepts.
Chickpeas
Herb Mix
Ras el Hanout
Smoked Paprika
The chicken is brined for 6-12 hours, tossed with salt, pepper and oil, and then roasted in the oven until the skin is nice and crispy. 50 |
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Garlic
Pepper
Olive Oil
Tomato Sauce
Baby Spinach
Preserved Lemon Rind Dried Figs
Cilantro
Chicken Stock Roasted Carrots
Chicken Brined
round Cumin
Preserved Lemon Chermoula Sauce
TRUE FOOD KITCHEN Fashion Valley Mall 7007 Friars Rd, #394 San Diego, CA 92108 619.810.2929 www.truefoodkitchen.com | JUNE 2015 | 51
THE DISH:
MOROCCAN CHICKEN The Main Ingredients: • Chickpea • Fig • Olive • Spinach • Chermoula
NATIVE KNOWLEDGE:
TRUE FOOD KITCHEN gets as many ingredients as possible locally, and frequently attends events to support local farmers and fishermen.
CHEF COULON’S FIVE FAVORITE THINGS TO COOK AT HOME: • Roast chicken • Curry • Omelets with fresh herbs from the garden • Chocolate chip cookies • Salad
THE FIVE INGREDIENTS CHEF COULON USES THE MOST AT HOME: • • • • •
Olive oil Butter Tarragon Black pepper Soy sauce
CHEF COULON’S FIVE FAVORITE HEALTHY HOBBIES: • • • • •
Bike riding Motocross Cooking Gardening Cleaning
“I like being able to serve great food to the masses using locally grown ingredients.” — Chef Nathan Coulon
F
ounder, professor and director of the Arizona Center of Integrative Medicine and a best selling author, Dr. Weil restructured the food pyramid to lower the consumption of foods of animal origin and to emphasize the benefits of fresh vegetables, fruit and whole grains. It was this idea of the Anti-Inflammatory Diet that intrigued Chef Nathan Coulon, who used to specialize in French cuisine, enough to come work at True Food Kitchen as Executive Chef 5 years ago. “I really like the concept of the Anti-Inflammatory Diet. It’s the way of the future. It’s the way people need to eat. I like being able to serve great food to the masses using locally grown ingredients. People can usually only experience this level of dining in fine dining restaurants. We’ve been able to make this high-quality food with high-quality ingredients more accessible,” Chef Coulon told me when I visited True Food Kitchen one Tuesday morning. “The basic idea of the AntiInflammatory Diet is eating more fruits and vegetables and less sugars, and a lot of people can make it fit into their diet.” Not only that, but the diet’s goal is all about reducing inflammation to reduce the risk of disease, which makes you feel that much better about eating at True Food Kitchen. The diet, and the idea of eating fresh fruits and veggies, is very much a part of the theme of the restaurant. The small outside dining patio is accompanied by a quaint garden growing such things as borage, parsley, fennel and oregano. Upon entering, the first thing guests will see is the bar set to the right that showcases a large chalkboard, displaying the Anti-Inflammatory Diet Pyramid along with health-inspired quotes. An earthy vibe fills the space, with plants on each of the tables, shelves decorated with spice-filled jars, wicker baskets packed with fruit, and curtains decorated with a leafy pattern. Another theme of the restaurant is sustainability. The tables are made from reclaimed wood, the chairs from recycled Coca-Cola bottles, and the food is sourced locally and responsibly which is something Chef Coulon is proud of. “We use as many local producers as we can and participate in events supporting local fishermen and farmers,” he said. The restaurant offers dishes mostly made from locally grown ingredients at affordable prices. Salads and appetizers start as low as $4 and nothing on any of
True Food Kitchen’s menus change several times a year to accommodate seasonal fruits and vegetables, and each menu item sticks to the AntiInflammatory Diet principle.
their menus (brunch, lunch, dinner, dessert) goes above $26. I was there to try the Moroccan Chicken, one of their many gluten-free options. The dish is made with chickpeas, figs, olives, spinach and a tasty chermoula sauce. The chicken is brined for 6-12 hours, tossed with salt, pepper and oil, and then roasted in the oven until the skin is nice and crispy. The skin was what I liked the most about the chicken, which was served in large portions. I really enjoyed the sauce as well, which had nice, clean flavors. The figs went surprisingly well with the spinach, which was delicious on its own. Like the rest of the menu options, this dish was made to order from scratch. After tasting the Moroccan Chicken, I understood why the restaurant would be so busy just 30 minutes after opening on a Tuesday morning. By this time, there were people coming through the door nonstop, and the large indoor seating area as well as most of the outdoor dining area was halfway filled with hungry patrons. “One thing that is very different about the restaurant is that it’s located in a mall,” Coulon tells me. “We have guests that come here from far away places just to eat here, and I think that shows a lot about how great our food is.” True Food Kitchen’s menus change several times a year to accommodate seasonal fruits and vegetables, and each menu item sticks to the Anti-Inflammatory Diet principle. What’s great about the food, though, is that it doesn’t feel like diet food or that you’re giving something up. The meal I enjoyed at the San Diego True Food Kitchen was tasty and had flavor. An Alice Waters quote displayed on the bar’s chalkboard sums it up well: “Let things taste like what they are.”
OLD HARBOR DISTILLING CO. 270 17th St San Diego, CA 92101 619.630.7048 www.oldharbordistilling.com
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THAT’S THE
Spirit THE MAD SCIENTIST OF SAN DIEGO
WRITTEN BY: MARISSA WRIGHT PHOTOGRAPHED BY: NATALIE GUZY
THE EXPERT MICHAEL SKUBIC Owner of Old Harbor Distilling Co.
Favorite After-Work Drink: Negroni
T
he term “spirit” when referring to alcohol is said to stem from Middle Eastern alchemy—the vapor given off and collected during distillation was called a spirit of its original material. While it sounds vaguely religious, the production of distilled beverages is closer to the intersection of artistic creativity and scientific precision. It was during the 19th century that alcohol makers in France and England began making large-scale stills to be able to mass produce and unintentionally created the industry we know today. However, bigger doesn’t always mean better when it comes to quality, and San Diego is no stranger to supporting the little guys. San Diego has been a champion of craft beers and boasts over 100 breweries—it was only a matter of time before the county brought home-grown, craft spirits to market too.
“In terms of developing the recipe, I was able to do that on a smaller scale. That’s why I did about 18 months of research with the gin and dialed in the recipe over time.” — MICHAEL SKUBIC
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“The fun thing about this gin is that since we are a San Diego company, we are using things that are
inherently southwestern—things you would see in southwestern cuisine like cucumber, lime and cilantro. You get a lot of cilantro and lime on the nose and then cucumber sweetens up the palate a little bit.” — MICHAEL SKUBIC
HISTORY LESSON:
g Michael used to watch Alton Brown’s “Good Eats” every day before high school. He liked that it was “scientific” and helped him to understand why things happened in the kitchen so that he was able to freestyle with his cooking. He credits his “foodie” tendencies to this practice.
NATIVE KNOWLEDGE:
g Old Harbor gives tours every Friday and Saturday at 4pm, 5pm and 6pm that include tastings and a take home tasting glass. Tours can be booked online through their website and are only $10. 58 |
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A self-proclaimed foodie and a bit of a history buff, Michael Skubic is the captain of the Old Harbor Distilling Co. that just opened this past September with the release of its Southwestern Gin, aptly named after San Diego’s first port—San Miguel. Michael is no stranger to the craft market and had his start with Mike Hess Brewing Co. after first studying biochemistry and business in college. When you hear Michael talk about his spirits and all that went and goes into each batch, a scientist’s perfectionism is at the base, but a well-trained palate and almost romantic appreciation for alcohol floats to the top, much like the process of distillation itself. Q: I saw that you studied biochemistry in college. What was the original plan? Michael Skubic: Yeah, I originally wanted to be an orthodontist. Q: Why did you leave Hess Brewing when you did? MS: I felt it was safe to leave the brewing industry because when I started in it, there were about 30 breweries, but there are over 100 now, which is crazy. There are over three times the amount of breweries in 6 years or so which is impressive growth, and it’s not unsustainable. I think a lot of those breweries will stick around. I just saw that for craft spirits, at that time, there was only one distillery in San Diego. I thought, “Oh, well this is a more open market, and I really dig craft cocktails.” Q: What made you decide to start with gin? MS: I’ve always been a gin drinker. It was my dad’s favorite spirit other than scotch. I just always enjoyed it, and it’s a quicker spirit to get to market. It doesn’t take the 2 or 3 years that whiskey is going to take. In terms of developing the recipe, I was able to
do that on a smaller scale. That’s why I did about 18 months of research with the gin and dialed in the recipe over time. Q: Why not start with a vodka? MS: It’s an industrial process instead of an artistic process. To make vodka, it’s really more about the equipment. If you have the right equipment, you can make a good vodka. I like flavor, so I’m sticking to doing flavorful spirits. Q: How long does it take from start to finish? MS: It takes approximately 5 days or so. It’s a quick turnaround. The rum takes about 8 to 14 days depending on how long fermentation takes. Gin is the quickest. Any white spirit doesn’t take that long. It’s the dark spirits—the aged spirits—that take a long time. Q: Are you using a direct distillation or a re-distillation method? MS: We are doing what you could call Plymouth style, where we are macerating botanicals and redistilling it. I think that brings forward the most flavors because it’s a very flavorful gin. It’s super aromatic. Once you open the bottle, you can smell it from across the room. With our second gin (1542), we are using the vapor extraction because we want it to be lighter and drier so that they’re distinct even though they will have very different botanical bills. Even the juniper will be different. It will be local juniper instead of the juniper we use now that we import from Italy. Q: How else have locally grown ingredients played a part in San Miguel Southwestern Gin? MS: The fun thing about this gin is that since we are a San Diego
“We are doing what you could call Plymouth style, where we are macerating botanicals and redistilling it. I think that brings forward the most flavors because it’s a very flavorful gin.” — MICHAEL SKUBIC
company, we are using things that are inherently southwestern—things you would see in southwestern cuisine like cucumber, lime and cilantro. You get a lot of cilantro and lime on the nose and then cucumber sweetens up the palate a little bit. It’s actually really cool because we are using locally grown botanicals from Suzie’s Farm, so it comes out this awesome emerald green right before we distill it. You can really taste the freshness in it. We literally drive down to the farm the day we want to macerate it, pick the botanicals, and drive back up to throw it in the still. Q: What would you say the major difference is between a craft gin, like San Miguel, versus a well gin? MS: Cheaper. Well gins are typically compound gins, which means that they’re just taking vodka and adding juniper flavor to it, and maybe some coriander if you’re lucky. That’s why a cheap gin smells like bad vodka with some juniper overtones. It’s not even distilled most times. There really isn’t any craft involved. It’s made in a huge factory. Q: What’s the reception been like? MS: It’s been well-received. Bartenders have been digging on it, and at 47 percent, it’s still pretty easy drinking. The first thing people say is, “This smells green.” It smells fresh and alive. Q: How have the tours of the distillery been going? MS: Good! We get about 20 to 30 people a weekend and that’s without advertising. Everyone gets really excited about it. I had a master distiller from Mexico come last Friday. That was the most nerve-wracking thing ever. He’s been distilling since 1994, and I’ve technically only been doing this for 4 months now. But he said it was one of the best spirits he’s ever had, so that’s a good sign. Q: What is your biggest obstacle? MS: It can still be a tough sell. I feel like craft spirits are where beer was in the early ’90s. Most bars are using gins that are about half the price of ours, so
sometimes they feel like, “Why would I pay that much?” It really is in the hands of the consumers, just like it was with craft beer. People will have to be asking for it, but they just don’t know to ask for it yet. Fortunately, there’s a lot of places that are about supporting local business, so that helps a lot. Q: How are you trying to overcome these obstacles? MS: We are trying to get people aware. We have formed the San Diego Distillers Guild, and there’s the California Spirit Producers Guild, so we are trying to get more awareness programs going. We want to get people educated. Q: What are your plans for the immediate future? MS: We are taking it slow. I want to create deep roots in San Diego, and then the goal is to be self-sufficient in San Diego to the point where we don’t have to care about other markets and then expand from there. I don’t know if it will be possible, but we’ll see. I’ll probably stick to down here for a little while. We’ve only been open since September, so pretty soon we will start bringing it to Orange County, LA and up the coast. Q: What spirits can we be expecting to see from Old Harbor in the coming year? MS: Barrelflag is a Navy Strength white rum that will stand up to even the sweetest mixed drink. The 1542, like I mentioned, is a drier gin with native botanicals — juniper, sagebrush and lemon verbena. And Ampersand, the coffee liqueur. It’s going to be a fun one with cold pressed coffee. The guy I’m doing it with is one of my best friends. We were dorm buddies. He’s doing well for himself and just opened a second location in East Village, too. Q: What’s the big plan for Old Harbor? MS: I love whiskey, so that’s the big plan. That will take about 2 or maybe 3 years before we can release our first whiskey.
Li be r at ed Libations
RAISE YOUR SPIRITS WITH NEXT LEVEL COCKTAIL CREATIONS AT THE COMPASS CARLSBAD
WRITTEN BY: MARISSA WRIGHT PHOTOGRAPHED BY: NATALIE GUZY
HELMSMAN: The new age old fashioned
THE COMPASS CARLSBAD 300 Carlsbad Village Dr, #202 Carlsbad, CA 92008 760.434.1900 www.thecompasscarlsbad.com
The first definition of the cocktail was printed in 1806 and read: “Cocktail is a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water and bitters.” These days a “cocktail” refers to almost any mixed drink, but The Compass in Carlsbad is making anything but your average alcoholic beverage. While the majority of people talk about the food at The Compass (and sometimes the servers), their seasonal drink menu is standing heads and shoulders above their counterparts and pushing out volume that would have their competitors in tears. Classic and craft cocktail lovers rejoice! Your days of waiting 10 minutes for a drink are behind you when you’re standing in front of their recycled wood bar. And, as an added bonus, you get to take in the eye candy that earned The Compass their title as “Hooters for Hipsters.” g | JUNE 2015 | 65
Drink
Recipes
LONDON ROSE: a reimagined egg nog of sorts g Egg white g Rosemary-infused Bombay gin g Lemon juice g Simple syrup g Microplaned nutmeg on top (served in a bucket over ice, milky in color)
NOT NOW: Nothing you have ever tried before g Egg white g House-infused spiced vodka g Crème de Noyaux g Ancho Reyes chile liqueur g Nutmeg, cinnamon, brown sugar (served in a coupe cocktail glass up, rosemary garnish)
HELMSMAN: The new age old fashioned g Vanilla/Angostura rinse g Orange bitters g Sugar cube g Vanilla infused Bulleit rye g Vanilla extract (served in a bucket over ice, dressed with an orange twist)
THE 202: The reinvented Moscow mule g Crop cucumber vodka infused with strawberries g Housemade grenadine g Ginger beer g Orange blossom water (served in a mason jar, dressed with a whole strawberry)
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“I think about it all the time, and I think the best part of my job is that I get to hang out and be social with people. I get to meet new people and hang out with my friends while I work every day.” — Scott Obermeyer, Head Bartender
NATIVE KNOWLEDGE: g The Compass doesn’t have any TVs inside! Sarra says it slows down a bit during football season, but they would rather keep the focus on the food, drinks and company.
BEST DEALS AT THE COMPASS 1. Mule Monday - $5 mule cocktails 2. Industry Tuesday - $4 drafts for bartenders, servers, etc.
“IT WENT FROM A NEW BAR AND RESTAURANT that was a little different (nobody had touched on gastropubs in Carlsbad) to full craft everything. We always knew the beers would be craft beers and local. We didn’t think the drinks we would make would be on this level.”
3. Whiskey Wednesday – 25 percent off all brown spirits 4. Mystery Wine Thursday $15 bottles of wine chosen by the house
— Sarra Costello, Owner of The Compass The Compass is the lovechild of Sarra Costello—a 10-year veteran bartender beautiful waitstaff. We are known for “Hooters for Hipsters.” I hate to think about prior to owning the bar—and her business partner, Andy Davis, but he how “sex sells” because the girls are not only beautiful but really smart. They’re takes a more backseat role in the directing business. Sarra worked for Andy for all going through school. They’re very sassy with great personalities. And the 5 years before he gave her the opportunity of a lifetime, and enabled her to create same goes for the bar staff. I think staffing plays a huge part in the success of something from the ground up. The outcome after 3 years of junkyard shopping, our business along with all the other senses. There is something for all of them— casting calls, and menu development is a rustic, intimate and really cool space that sight, taste, smell ... there’s a lot of stuff going on. serves up craft everything ... craft beer, craft grub and craft cocktails. With Q: What is your emphasis for this coming year? the help of her head bartenders, Scott Obermeyer and Levi Daigneau, they While the Scott Obermeyer: The focus has been on the drinks. The drinks have have successfully made the jump from “that new place” to the must-see majority of people gone from average “anyone can call it craft” to above average to competing gastropub with unexpected cocktails, like The Hanging Garden: a blend of talk about the with the places downtown. But no one really does what we do. Uncle Val’s Botanical Gin, lavender simple syrup, lemon juice, and vanilla food at The Q: How does The Compass differ from other craft bars downtown? Compass (and extract topped with a lemon twist. Levi Daigneau: We are really lucky. Sarra just told us to do what we sometimes the Q: Sarra, what has been the hardest part of the transition from behind servers), their want—just make sure it’s a good job, keep the spillage down, and the bar to the back of the house? seasonal drink make sure the customers are liking the drinks. To have that freedom is Sarra Costello: The hardest part was learning everything that went into menu is standing everything. If you take the leash off, and you’re trained, you’re going to do the back of the house stuff. I went from serving drinks and knowing heads and good stuff. It’s taken on a life of its own. Downtown San Diego has a lot of the front of the house—bar management, pours, all the liquors—to shoulders above craft bars, but they’re strict on how to make classic cocktails. We are very dealing with payroll and sales reps, knowing which reps are with which their counterparts outside of the box and still keep in mind high volume. and pushing companies, and, of course, managing 30 employees. So, within 3 years, out volume that Q: What has been your most successful creation? I feel that the education I have gotten has showed me that it is night and would have their LD: I would say the highest selling one is the 202, but it depends on day from being a bartender. I’ve made a lot of mistakes, but my business competitors in where we are with the menu. partner, who is about 5 years ahead of me with his business, has helped tears. SO: It doesn’t really work like that because we change our cocktails like me along the way. you would with the kitchen. The cocktails change with the season. We Q: What was your vision for The Compass like in the beginning? can still make some of the old ones from the menu, but to say which one sells the SC: I didn’t really know until I started tearing things apart in here. In the long best consistently, we would have to bring back one like the 202 for year-round. run, I kind of wanted it to resemble what it would look like if you resurrected the LD: The 202 is named after the address of the suite. It’s organic cucumber vodka Titanic—kind of classic, rustic and cool, but a little fancy with the red booths. infused with strawberries from the farmers market in Carlsbad with ginger beer, It has kind of a nautical theme, but not over-the-top. I took little pieces of the homemade grenadine, and a few drops of orange blossom water on top. ocean, and being by the sea, and created this. A lot of what’s in here is recycled, SC: It’s really good, very fresh. too. I took things that were something else and made them into lights, wall art, SO: It’s kind of our take on a Moscow mule. mirrors, frames ... or anything. I literally dug through junkyards. I would see a Q: Do you use a lot of local vendors? sparkle and be like, “Oh, that’s a chandelier!” SO: We try to as much as possible. There’s a farmers market once a week, so Q: How long did it take for everything to come together? anything that we can use from there, we do. All the cocktails with egg whites on SC: It definitely took a full year to put it together with the help of employees and this coming menu will come from the farmers market, and that helps with our the drinks and the food. It went from a new bar and restaurant that was a little seasonal menus. If you change your menu with the season, you get the freshest different (nobody had touched on gastropubs in Carlsbad) to full craft everything. ingredients, and for us, it’s once a week. We always knew the beers would be craft beers and local. We didn’t think the Q: How have people responded to the ever-changing menu? drinks we would make would be on this level. LD: We get harped on a little bit because some people get a little upset. They’re Q: What do you think The Compass is best known for? like, “Well we want that drink we had 3 months ago.” They think because it’s San SC: We are really known for our food and drinks, but we are also known for our | JUNE 2015 | 67
“To have that freedom is everything. If you take the leash off, and you’re trained, you’re going to do good stuff. It’s taken on a life of its own. We are very outside of the box and still keep in mind high volume.” — Levi Daigneau, Head Bartender
Diego, there’s only one season. It’s true to a degree, but not really. I mean, we’re not going to use anything but the freshest ingredients, and we really rely on the kitchen as well. They help us pick everything out. Q: Do you have a go-to add-in when making drinks? LD: I love orange blossom. I love lavender, and I love gin and whiskey. We have found here the flavor profile of North County is different. It’s really new, so the aromatics here get used a lot. When people put their nose down there, and really get the aromatic aspect of the drink, they tend to fall in love.
Levi & Scott’s TOP 5 THINGS TO MAKE A KILLER COCKTAIL 1. GOOD TOOLS: A basic bar kit should have everything you need. 2. PROPER ICE: You can find silicone ice trays that will allow you to have big, nice cubes to highlight your drink best. 3. FRESH CITRUS: It doesn’t take long to squeeze it yourself, and it’s well worth it. 4. HIGH-QUALITY BITTERS: ...or homemade simple syrup if you’re into sweeter profiles 5. NICE GLASSWARE: You can’t serve an amazing drink in a red solo cup. It’s just wrong.
Q: What do you make for the person who wants you to just make something up? LD: What we’ve really been trying to do now is flavor profiling. Would they like it sweet, sour, savory or spicy? What kind of spirit? And we just kind of go step-by-step to make sure they’re going to get a product that they’re going to like. Q: Craft beer obviously has a strong foothold in San Diego. How does the demand work at The Compass? SO: We do a lot of business with our beer here. It’s evened out now that our cocktails are more intricate, but our beer sales just kill everything. LD: The beer program here is amazing. They do really well. We also try to have a little bridge with the beer and cocktails as well. We’re doing craft beer cocktails which are new to the area. We have a few of them, and every single one we’ve had has been super successful. Q: How has North County evolved while you’ve been in business? SO: It’s finally OK to go out, reach out, and try new things. And that’s kind of how we are with the cocktails, too. People with the infusions and stuff are reading the ingredients, and they’re like, “Oh, that sounds interesting. I want to try that.” We wouldn’t put it on the board if we didn’t think it was good. SC: The flavor profiles are all across the board with everybody. The county has evolved into having a more sophisticated palate and trying things that are different—even with the food. When we first opened, we were the only ones in town serving bone marrow. Everywhere that’s opening up around town has bone marrow on their menu now. Q: What is the best part of working at The Compass? SO: For me, personally, I like the fact that we get to be creative, but I don’t think that’s my favorite part. I think about it all the time, and I think the best part of my job is that I get to hang out and be social with people. I get to meet new people and hang out with my friends while I work every day. LD: I love making a killer cocktail and watching people’s facial expressions. I’ll walk away, so I’m not just sitting there looking at them, but I’ll see it. It feels amazing when it’s really good. To have the freedom for creativity is great. There are so many people who are in this industry who don’t get to where we are because of restrictions where they are at. SC: You guys have a lot of freedom here… LD: We are very lucky and very blessed. And we both know that. That’s for sure.
PHOTO BY: Taso Papadakis
style
/beauty
June 2015
73 STYLE & BEAUTY EXPERTS From Gorgeous Lashes to Unique Denim, Look and Feel Your Best All Year Round
82 LOCALE LOOKS Find Your Next Favorite Place to Take a Dip at These Three Las Vegas Pools
101 STYLE FEATURE From Online to Brick and Mortar, These Highly Sought After Retail Destinations Come to a Store Near You
108 FASHION SPREAD Fringe, Flowers and Feathers Unite on a Desert Escape to Joshua Tree
123 THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID
82
A Waterfront Wonder, Come to The Headquarters for Open-Air Fun, From Retail Therapy to Delicious Dining
LOCALE LOOKS Laps of Luxury
WET REPUBLIC MGM GRAND 3799 S Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89109 702.891.3715 www.wetrepublic.com
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THE FACADE
squad
SAN DIEGO FASHION AND BEAUTY MAVENS PROVE GREAT STYLE COMES WITH GREAT CONFIDENCE
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AMY BERMAN Owner, Amy Rae Boutique
JANELLE KOCH & JEN PEARSON
v Owner/Founder & Owner/Senior Lash Stylist, Blink Lash Boutique
v
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KATHERINE DAOU
SHERRIE BERRY
Owner & Designer, Daou Denim Co.
Co-Founder & President, SkinAgain
WRITTEN BY: GENESIS GONZALEZ | PHOTOGRAPHED BY: CURTIS KIM way as she designs and launches her exciting new line, Daou Denim Co. Amy Berman is the owner of Amy Rae Boutique, a stylish and fabulous boutique offering the best from a variety of designers that fits every wardrobe need. These ladies prove fashion and business go hand in hand. More importantly, they prove that great style, true beauty and the passion for succeeding are possible and necessary. Each has experienced a unique journey as they have launched their careers in the fashion and beauty industry. Whether it has been a personal experience or just a fashion enthusiast from an early age, Janelle Koch and Jen Pearson, Sherrie Berry, Katherine Daou and Amy Berman know what it takes to have great style with the confidence to go after every dream. v
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reams are an amazing thing to have! They can propel us to amazing feats, and remind us of all that is great when we work hard, keep motivated, and, above all, live with a sense of passion. For five amazing and talented women, dreams became big realities and, in fact, became great success. Janelle Koch and her business partner, Jen Pearson, found a true calling in the beauty industry with lash extensions. They took their partnership and love for all things lashes and have built a successful business with Blink Lash Boutique. For Sherrie Berry, it has been a personal journey filled with positive energy and a healthy lifestyle that motivated her to share with others the joys that come from positive skin care products like SkinAgain. Enthusiastic and passionate designer, Katherine Daou, has continued to stay true to herself every step of the
| JUNE 2015 | 73
DREAMING IN DENIM THE EXPERT: Katherine Daou, Owner & Designer, Daou Denim Co. v
Age is but a number when it comes to big dreams and even bigger stylish goals! With a lifelong passion for the fashion industry, Katherine Daou had always known designing her own line would be the ultimate goal. At an early age, this fresh, talented and fun designer has been ready and eager to create a line of denim that could be enjoyed by all, and stay authentic to who she is. Designing her own denim line has proven to be a both fun, and challenging experience as Daou stays focused and ever motivated to see the success of Daou Denim Co.
cut a little bit more of a flare. It’s not like your classic Hudson boot cut; it’s a little bit bigger on the ends. However, I think you can do more with a skinny as there are more options when it comes to design. Q: Do you find yourself applying the skills and knowledge you’ve learned from school to your own line? KD: Very much so! I’m still in contact with many FIDM professors. Actually, JoAnn Jack is my “mentor.” She’s amazing!
Q: What advice would you give to aspiring Each piece has been creatively designed and designers and fellow peers at FIDM? tailored to meet every need when it comes to KD: You have to do what you want to do. I stayed finding the perfect fit and style of denim. true to who I was and people believe in With beautiful details of leather trim that. I still can’t believe that people are on and boot cut jeans with a little bit of the same page with what I’m putting out an extra flare, and even a waistband to there. I think if you’re true to yourself, provide more comfort and style, Daou has people really like that. You don’t realize it 1. transformed her passion into a line that until it’s happening. is denim perfect! There is no stopping Olivia Palermo Q: When women wear Daou Denim, this amazingly talented designer as she 2. what will they enjoy the most? continues to take the fashion industry by Cara KD: A great ass! And a unique, one of a storm. With a ready-to-wear line as the Delevingne kind look. Working in denim for so long, next goal, Daou’s infectious enthusiasm it’s hard to see women trying on jeans and passion will serve her every bit of 3. and always complaining about that one fashion success! Song of Style area, like the waist or butt. I kept that in – Aimee Song Q: At an early age, you found a passion mind when I was making the collection. & Dani Song for the fashion industry. As you grew up, I’m going to make my waistband a little what kept you focused and motivated 4. bit bigger, and curve the women’s hips in to see this passion through? Kanye West a little bit. Katherine Daou: My dad really inspired Q: Since launching your line, do you feel 5. me! He has this touch of gold where you’ve grown as both a savvy fashion Kim everything that he touches is amazing. I Kardashian and business woman? grew up around him as he made and sold KD: Yes! The business person is flourishing businesses, and I found that so inspiring. now. I’m happy that I’m able to use what I’ve My family allowed me to be who I wanted to be learned. It is hard making decisions between with that same motivation, so I just jumped into business and fashion, because business tends to the industry. be financially driven and more structured, where Q: Did they support the idea of you pursuing a fashion is whatever you want to do, and you get career in fashion? to have fun and be creative. I’ve been trying to KD: My dad wanted me to go to UCSD and live find that line. this business oriented life studying engineering Q: What have been some challenges you or in the medical field. I was like, “I’m going to experienced during this process? San Francisco to a fashion school, and I will see you in 2 years!” That is how I rebelled a little bit. KD: Finding that fine line between fashion and business. Fashion is so image oriented, and They are really proud of me, and without them, I I’m so image oriented, so trying to maintain wouldn’t even have the motivation to keep going. that authenticity is the campaign behind the Q: Denim is a staple in just about every closet. whole brand. Did you always know denim was going to be it Q: You’ve accomplished this amazing goal at for you? such a young age. Where do you go from here? KD: It’s actually a funny story. When I was KD: My ultimate dream is to be like Isabel Marant. 13, my uncle came to me and said, “If you are really serious about being a business person one I love everything! She has the ready-to-wear and day, start a line, and we’ll see what happens.” I the shoes! She has that French street wear, but I feel it’s also very California, which is all about my actually started a line when I was 13 of denim brand. I want to have my own ready-to-wear and and T-shirts, and it was called Daou. It was an acronym for Designs Alternating Our Universe. to be able to dress someone from head to toe. I’m really excited about stuff that I have in my mind! It was an organic denim line. When I started the
TOP 5 STYLE INFLUENCES:
denim company, my dad was telling me to think about the staple that everyone has. So many did T-shirts, and I was over that. I’ve worked in contemporary retail my whole life, and it was perfect that I did denim because it’s what my whole life has been. Q: Are there specific styles of denim you like to design and play with? KD: I love super, super skinny jeans! But I know that not everyone can wear them, so that is why I started with the five pieces of regular and classic styles. I also love a big flare, so I made my boot 74 |
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Q: Here you are at 24 with your own denim line. What would you say to your 13-year-old selfaspiring to be here right now? KD: You just brought up a moment for me that I really didn’t pay attention to. What would I tell myself? You are capable of much more than just a concept, than just a dream. You can actually do these things. A year ago, this was just a drawing on a piece of paper, and now you can wear it. You are capable of much more than you think you are!
DAOU DENIM CO. www.daoudenimco.com
“When I was 13, my uncle came to me and said, ‘If you are really serious about being a business person one day, start a line, and we’ll see what happens.’ I actually started a line when I was 13 of denim and T-shirts, and it was called Daou.”
TOP 5 STYLE TRENDS: 1. Basic Staples – T-shirts, jeans, jacket 2. Statement piece of jewelry 3. Always have color appropriate underwear 4. Great fitting pair of jeans 5. Rocking lipstick
“Working in denim for so long, it’s hard to see women trying on jeans and always complaining about that one area, like the waist or butt. I kept that in mind when I was making the collection.”
— KATHERINE DAOU | JUNE 2015 | 75
RAE-NING SUPREME THE EXPERT: Amy Berman, Owner, Amy Rae Boutique v
Amy Rae Boutique is making a name for itself as the beautiful and always stylish boutique in the heart of downtown San Diego. Owner, Amy Berman, is all about great style, top designers, chic handbags and the perfect shoes for just about everything! Berman and her staff welcome all fashion enthusiasts, as this picture perfect boutique, adorned in pink walls with an amazing chandelier, offers the staple pieces we all need for every season. Whether you are going out for a night on the town, hanging at the beach, or just ready to update your wardrobe, Amy Rae Boutique will have all the fashionable, trendsetting and classic staples. Every piece, from clothing to jewelry, is hand selected by Berman and is always in style! From knits to blouses, jeans to dresses, the possibilities to mix and match are endless. For Berman, it has long been a passion to open a boutique of her own one day. Both a fashion enthusiast and business savvy professional, Berman knows how to provide a unique and wonderful shopping experience for all her customers. With great style recommendations, friendly service and a variety of fashion greats, Amy Rae Boutique will be a staple for every stylish season!
employees at Amy Rae. I make sure that they are knowledgeable about the products they are selling. I have a wide variety of styles that will please a wide variety of customers.
Q: Amy Rae Boutique houses an array of designers. When selecting the pieces to feature in your boutique, what or who do you keep in mind as you pick the pieces? AB: When I first opened, I thought of my eight really close girlfriends from college that I have known for 10 years. When I first started out, I always thought of them, as we each have our own sense of style. I try to picture all of them when I am shopping to make sure that I will have something for anyone who comes into my boutique. Now when I am buying, I still think of them, but more specific customers that come in the shop! Sometimes I see something and I have to buy it as I know a customer will love it. I typically shop for what speaks to me, not necessarily what 1. Wedges is the most popular piece. It’s more about the aesthetics and comfort. Beyond that, 2. I look for things that will be flattering, Maxi dress or versatile, and my overall goal is to have skirt clothing that will make my customers feel confident, happy and want to return to the 3. store. I love all of my designers, and each Layering one brings something unique to the store! necklaces
TOP 5 ESSENTIALS TO A SUMMER LOOK:
Q: When you first came up with the idea to own your own boutique, what was the first step in getting up and running? Q: Are there pieces that will never go out 4. Amy Berman: I have wanted to open a of style? Lots of boutique ever since I was a little girl, and I AB: Definitely! I think these can be the bracelets always knew that it would be named Amy most fun pieces to buy because customers Rae Boutique. After I graduated college with will be able to appreciate them and get use 5. my degree in business, I worked for Calvin out of the piece for a long time. I feel that Natural makeup Klein to gain some experience in retail, a lot of the clothes and jewelry I choose to and more specifically, merchandising. By buy for the store will not go out of style. working for them, I made sure I enjoyed working Q: Fashion is about having fun and expressing in the fashion industry. I decided to combine this individual style, but should we still consider some experience with my degree and open my own do’s and don’ts when it comes to shopping? business. Once I decided I was going to do it, the AB: I think it is always important to find first step was figuring out a location! Until you something that you feel confident wearing. If you have the location, you can’t do anything up to that don’t feel confident, I don’t think you should go point! I was living in East Village at the time, and I out in it. Just wear what expresses you. Everyone decided it was just what the area needed! has a different sense of style. I personally like to Q: What do you think has been the number one priority in building and maintaining such a successful boutique? AB: My manager and all of the employees that work at Amy Rae! It is important to find a helpful, knowledgeable and reliable staff. I think it is key in any business to have good management who knows how to handle all sorts of situations that can arise. We take the time when anyone gets hired to sit them down and explain everything that we’ve learned since the beginning in order for them to understand and ask questions. Without them, it would be me and a store! Q: Has there been support from friends and family since opening? AB: Yes, tons! My dad had great business advice for me, and my mom, my sisters and all of my friends are some of my best customers! They are always supporting me, whether they are shopping, or just seeing how I’m doing. I will send them pictures while I’m at shows asking them if they like certain things and if they would wear it. Q: How does Amy Rae Boutique go about providing excellent customer service and helping all customers find the perfect outfit? AB: Again, this is all about the management and 76 |
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do more of a simplistic look that can be carried on from season to season. I also think it is important to keep the occasion in mind when getting ready. When in doubt, go for the dressier option! A big don’t for me is to show up to an occasion extremely underdressed. Q: Can you ever wear too much jewelry? AB: Yes, I think so! Make one piece your primary focus and accent it from there. Q: For a night out in Downtown San Diego, what is the go-to outfit? AB: I love fun, flirty dresses with jewelry and a fabulous pair of heels! Q: What would you recommend as a summer staple piece? AB: A maxi dress. It is a great transitional piece for day or night! I’m also excited about all rompers! You will be seeing a lot of them in my store this summer. Rompers are comfortable, cute and look great with heels or flats!
“I have wanted to open a boutique ever since I was a little girl, and I always knew that it would be named Amy Rae Boutique. After I graduated college with my degree in business, I worked for Calvin Klein to gain some experience in retail, and more specifically merchandising.”
AMY RAE BOUTIQUE 833 Market St, Ste 3 San Diego, CA 92101 619.995.6795 www.amyraeboutique.com
MEET THE STAFF: Amy Rae Boutique staff is from around the country including Minnesota (Amy Berman), North Carolina, Alaska and Northern California.
“I typically shop for what speaks to me, not necessarily what is the most popular piece. It’s more about the aesthetics and comfort. Beyond that, I look for things that will be flattering, versatile, and my overall goal is to have clothing that will make my customers feel confident, happy and want to return.”
— AMY BERMAN | JUNE 2015 | 77
GETTING SKINTIMATE THE EXPERT: Sherrie Berry, Co-Founder & President, SkinAgain To say SkinAgain is positively the best, is well, positively true! Created in the beautiful and always sunny Carlsbad, Sherrie Berry, the co-founder and president, took her passion for a healthy, active and always positive lifestyle to the products that make up SkinAgain. This unique skincare brand has become positive reinforcement for so many people struggling with an array of skin concerns. From burns, to stretch marks, to cellulite and redness, the products created by SkinAgain provide a sense of hope and comfort for those using it. The biggest relief comes from the growth in self-image and self-confidence shared by many SkinAgain customers. v
Berry knows firsthand the challenges that come from living with day to day skin concerns. With a personal burn experience of herself, she came across the one formula that would not only help her, but help many others as SkinAgain products began to grow. As an active advocate, Berry ensures each product is developed with the right ingredients and is always natural, gluten and paraben free. SkinAgain can be used for just about anything and everyone. It is never too early to start taking care of your skin, and most of all, living 1. a healthy and positive lifestyle with SkinAgain.
later on in life. We are all going to age, but if we can prevent a lot of premature aging and a lot of damage that the sun and the environment do to our skin, then we will be able to age gracefully and beautifully. Q: Is daily exfoliation essential to a beauty routine? SB: Exfoliation is absolutely a must! When it comes to everyday exfoliation, it will depend on your product. If you’re using something super abrasive like microdermabrasion, then you wouldn’t want to do that every day. If you’re using something that has, for example, exfoliation beads that are completely spherical, with no edges to them and don’t cause micro laceration, then daily exfoliation is very good for your skin.
Q: How does SkinAgain help with day to day bruises and scars? SB: Keep a tube in your purse or the glove box. Make sure it doesn’t get too hot, and always have it there. Always have it in your medicine cabinet. In fact, the whole reason I started this company is because I had a formula in my medicine cabinet that was for burns. When I was in a chemical explosion, it burnt my face, and the first thing I did was run to my medicine cabinet. I had it there to apply it right then. That particular Washing your burn formula was our signature formula and face what started the SkinAgain company.
TOP 5 BEAUTY HABITS:
Q: SkinAgain is known for positive energy products. What other unique factors contribute to the brand? Sherrie Berry: Well, it’s the ingredients! A lot of potent skin care out there is called cosmeceuticals, and there is no definition for cosmeceuticals. What we did was trademark a term called Functional Skin Care along with Positive Energy Skin Care, and what this means is that the key ingredients that are in these products are at clinical levels. Now this is really different than what’s out there in the market today.
2. Wearing sunscreen 3. Getting enough sleep 4. Drinking enough alkaline water
Q: Since launching, how have you seen the SkinAgain brand grow? SB: I never knew that it would come to this point. I was just really passionate about this burn formula because of my own experience. I wanted to market and sell it because I developed this new compassion for people that had scarring and had really serious skin problems. And that is what SkinAgain is about — helping skin problems like scarring, burns, stretch marks, cellulite and allergy prone. It started with one formula, but what was interesting is that as word got out, people started using the creams for other things because it was such a nice skin feel.
Q: When did your passion first start when it 5. came to building and growing a skincare line? Diet and SB: When I was in my 20s, I had three children exercise back to back ... all a year apart, and two of them had some health problems that weren’t Q: Is it safe to say SkinAgain can help a variety of helped by traditional Western medicine. I want to people and skin concerns? clarify that I totally believe in Western medicine. It’s SB: Absolutely! The stretch mark cream is perfect for absolutely necessary! But in my case, it didn’t help pregnant women and for preventing stretch marks. my children’s situations. So I turned to a kinesiologist, It’s good for children when they have scars. It’s crossand the results were amazing with my kids. I asked gendered and no matter what your age. her to teach and train me. I worked as a protégé for a long time, just maintaining my family’s health, but Q: What have been some of the biggest improvements then word got out and I started getting people asking customers have experienced from SkinAgain? SB: First of all, the testimonials that have come in me if I could muscle test them as well. So this viral message went out that I did this, and people would voluntarily are through the roof, and we are very, very come to my house where I had my own room and grateful that people take the time out of the day to let us know. own practice kit. I did that for many, many years. I understood and researched so much. I learned from my mentor the structure and function of the human body, and energetically how it responds to therapeutic levels of nutritional supplements as well as positive affirmations. I’ve applied that to my whole entire life and then when I got into skin care, I thought about how I could apply this to skin care products, and that is how we did it. Q: Is it ever too early to start maintaining healthy skin? SB: We are aging every day from the inside out. Prevention is key. If you can balance the melanin levels right now, then you will prevent dark spots and hyperpigmentation when you turn 50. If you can balance all of the peptide receptors and make sure they are getting filled with the elements that they need, then you will prevent a lot of the deep wrinkles that occur 78 |
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Q: What is your top priority for the brand at this time? SB: Right now, we are coming out with a sunscreen, so I’m very actively involved in that. We are expanding the line a little further and encompassing a few more skin problems as well as getting it in the international market! Q: Where can consumers purchase SkinAgain products? SB: Since 2006, SkinAgain has been sold online to the consumer. This year is the first time that we’re actively embarking on a campaign to get it into stores so it can be on the shelf.
SKINAGAIN 3246 Grey Hawk Ct Carlsbad, CA 92010 877.754.6769 www.skinagain.com
NATIVE KNOWLEDGE: SkinAgain is involved with the Burn Institute and Angel Faces charity.
LASHING OUT THE EXPERT: Janelle Koch, Owner, Blink Lash Boutique v
All fabulous things come to those in the blink of a lash! It is no secret that when it comes to beauty routines, lash extensions are a must! Flawless, beautiful and full lashes perfect for any occasion or day to day activities, these lashes have women blinking at the exciting new treatment. Blink Lash Boutique has an eye for lash extensions, literally! Janelle Koch and Jen Pearson have transformed their passion into a well-recognized and flourishing business. At Blink Lash Boutique, customers indulge in a one of kind experience filled with relaxation, absolute fun, and the delight of Champagne. There is no comparison to the rest, for Blink Lash Boutique provides the utmost quality care and treatment for your lashes. Koch and her team are well trained when it comes to the beauty of lash extensions. The process is simple and easy, and for many, whether you have thicker or even sparse lashes, Blink Lash Boutique will have a flawless treatment for everyone. Forget the mascara and the hassle of strip lashes; treat yourself to the perfect look every time. Whether you are going out for the night, sweating it out at hot yoga or cooling down at the beach this summer, your lashes deserve Blink Lash Boutique!
Q: How do lash extensions compare to lashes you purchase in the drug stores? JK: These are individually attached, so it’s not attached to your skin like strip lashes are to the base of your eyelids. The extensions are individually adhered one extension to one natural lash at a time over and over. They don’t shed out until you naturally shed your existing natural lash. They do stay on a lot longer. You can shower, swim or workout. A lot of people like it because they’re doing hot yoga, and it still looks like they have mascara on, but it’s not running down their face with black Blink Lash Boutique streaks. As you’re gradually shedding out was among the first your natural lashes, that’s when you need eyelash extension to come back and get a touch-up. We just salons to open up in replace the ones you’ve shed out and put the San Diego area. The vision began new extensions on the new growth.
NATIVE KNOWLEDGE:
when owners, Janelle and Jenelle (Jen) met and not only shared the same passion for lashes, but shared the same name! Blink version 1.0 started in a 70-squarefoot room with one shared workstation, one cell phone, and a pencil and paper appointment book. It has evolved rapidly into what we know and love Blink to be today!
Q: What inspired you to open a lash extension boutique, as this is a very interesting and unique niche? Janelle Koch: I know it is! I had already been an esthetician prior to eyelash extensions coming around. When I first heard of it, I actually had really fine, sparse and short eyelashes myself. I would try to curl them, and it wouldn’t hold. I was always jealous of my friends who could get a really full mascara look. I would wear strip lashes sometimes, but that wasn’t really my thing. I was just immediately intrigued. When I took the training back in 2006, I thought, “If I can learn this service, I can offer it to clients and do it myself and do it on myself.” Which you can’t do, but I didn’t know that at the time. I found out there was a growing demand for it, and for somebody to do it the right way.
Q: Was there specific training you went through to learn this process? JK: Yes, I did take a training course at one of the reputable training providers back then, but really all of the trainings out there are just a one or two-day course. It is so dependent on each technician from that point on, to take what they tell you and practice it and perfect it. A lot of people take a two-day or one-day hands-on class, and they think they’re going to be an expert the next day, when really it takes months and months to develop that skill. Q: How did your partnership with Jen Pearson come about, and do you find it is a perfect fit? JK: We are definitely yin and yang! We are such a great balance for each other. We had met just about a year prior to us becoming business partners together. She was also an esthetician at the time, and I actually trained her to do lashes. She started doing it in a little studio that we were both working at. She loved it! As things started to grow, she was doing her own thing, and I was doing my own thing, and then we just merged together. Q: Do you feel this is becoming a growing trend in the beauty industry? JK: I’ve seen it grow so much! When I opened my own business in 2008, people thought I was crazy! How could you possibly have enough clients to only offer one service? Even then, at the peak of the recession, I was getting busier and busier. Clients would tell me, “I will give up my 80 |
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nails. I won’t go to happy hour with my girlfriends because this is something that I can’t do myself.” As the years have gone on, more people have found out about it, and it’s becoming a staple in people’s beauty routine, like getting their nails done or getting their hair color touched up.
Q: Is it easy to maintain and upkeep? JK: Our typical clients will come in for a 30-minute appointment every 2 or 3 weeks. It’s very similar maintenance to getting your nails done.
Q: Do you feel lash extensions can work for those with very little or sparse eyelashes to begin with? JK: Yes it can, but they’re not going to get as full of a look as someone who has really thick and full lashes to begin with. We can do a lot more. We can use a denser lash or a longer lash on someone who has thick, sturdy lashes. Someone with more frail and sparse lashes, we can definitely improve what they have. That’s what we went to learn in Canada, a new technique called Volume Lashing. It’s great for people that do have finer and sparse lashes because we can give them a much fuller look than the classic lash technique.
Q: Would you say the overall process and atmosphere is easy and fun? JK: We try to be a really fun, friendly and outgoing place. When you walk in, we’re going to ask you if you want coffee, tea, water or Champagne. A lot of clients end up falling asleep during their appointment since they’re laying down with their eyes closed, but other clients like to visit and talk, and we love that too! It really just depends on the client. We have a lot of clients tell us, “This is the best time of my day. I get to come relax and see you girls.” We like that! Q: How would you define what it means to be beautiful? JK: Confidence is the most beautiful quality any woman can have! With any beauty treatment, eyelash extensions include something that makes you feel a little bit more beautiful. It’s going to bring out that confidence in you. That’s when personalities really shine through. Q: As a successful business owner, what advice would you give those aspiring to be where you are today? JK: I would just say if it’s something you love and are passionate about, you can make it happen! It makes it so much easier to put in the hours and hard work when it’s something that you love. You just have to find the right resources and the right people to guide you. We had people that helped coach us with ways we could develop the brand and the business. But other than that, we did all the work ourselves. It was a lot of hours and a lot of sleepless nights. There’s a lot that goes into it, but if we can do it, anyone can!
BLINK LASH BOUTIQUE 7801 Mission Center Ct, Ste 104 San Diego, CA 92108 619.964.6082 www.blink-boutique.com
JANELLE KOCH Founder/Owner
JEN PEARSON Owner/Senior Lash Stylist
TOP 5 BEAUTY INSPIRATIONS: 1. Healthy glowing skin 2. Pink lipstick 3. Flawless lashes 4. San Diego sunsets 5. Tiger lilies
GARDEN OF THE GODS POOL OASIS CAESARS PALACE 3570 S Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89109 702.731.7280 www.caesars.com
SWIMWEAR PROVIDED BY: Sauvage Swimwear www.sauvagewear.com JEWELRY PROVIDED BY: JNB www.jnbstyle.com EYEWEAR PROVIDED BY: Vestal www.vestalwatch.com
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Luxury LA P S O F
SINK OR SWIM AT THESE THREE LAS VEGAS POOLS Featuring Brittany McGowan, MISS NEVADA USA 2015
WRITTEN & STYLED BY: JILLI JOFFE PHOTOGRAPHED BY: TASO PAPADAKIS
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SWIMWEAR PROVIDED BY: Sauvage Swimwear www.sauvagewear.com JEWELRY PROVIDED BY: JNB www.jnbstyle.com EYEWEAR PROVIDED BY: Vestal www.vestalwatch.com
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WHEN IN ROME… GARDEN OF THE GODS POOL OASIS CAESARS PALACE 3570 S Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89109 702.731.7280 www.caesars.com
Where Vegas is concerned, it doesn’t get much more elegant or serene than the aptly named Garden of the Gods Pool Oasis at Caesars Palace. With its collection of different pools for all your lounging needs and opulent white columns reminiscent of ancient Rome, you might even feel like you went to heaven, so dress the part and let your inner goddess come out. Allwhite swimwear and flowy cover-ups will help you play the part while staying on-point, just don’t get too used to living like one of the classics. Sooner or later, you’ll have to come back down to Earth! | JUNE 2015 | 85
With its collection of different pools for all your lounging needs and opulent white columns reminiscent of ancient Rome, you might even feel like you died and went to heaven, so dress the part and let your inner goddess come out.
GARDEN OF THE GODS POOL OASIS CAESARS PALACE 3570 S Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89109 702.731.7280 www.caesars.com SWIMWEAR PROVIDED BY: San Lorenzo Bikinis www.sanlorenzobikinis.com COVERUP PROVIDED BY: Gypsy Soul www.gypsysouldesigns.com JEWELRY PROVIDED BY: JNB www.jnbstyle.com
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SWIMWEAR PROVIDED BY: Sauvage Swimwear www.sauvagewear.com
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VIEW FROM THE TOP DRAI’S BEACH CLUB THE CROMWELL 3595 S Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89109 702.777.3800 www.draislv.com
Drai’s Beach Club is a newcomer on the Vegas pool party scene, but it’s already made a big impression with pool partiers. With exciting nightclub live shows by award-winning artists like The Weeknd and Chromeo, and performances by upand-coming DJs like Adventure Club and MAKJ, there’s something for everyone to love. And as the only rooftop beach club in Vegas, Drai’s can also boast unrivaled panoramic views of the iconic Vegas Strip. At a beach club this impressive, you’ll want to dress the part. You can never go wrong with a classic black bikini. Adding some chain detail to the mix elevates the look to Vegas party status. | JUNE 2015 | 89
DRAI’S BEACH CLUB THE CROMWELL 3595 S Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89109 702.777.3800 www.draislv.com
SWIMWEAR PROVIDED BY: Sauvage Swimwear www.sauvagewear.com COVERUP PROVIDED BY: UNIF www.unifclothing.com
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At a beach club this impressive, you’ll want to dress the part. You can never go wrong with a classic black bikini. Adding some chain detail to the mix elevates the look to Vegas party status.
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DRAI’S BEACH CLUB THE CROMWELL 3595 S Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89109 702.777.3800 www.draislv.com SWIMWEAR PROVIDED BY: Sauvage Swimwear www.sauvagewear.com
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SWIMWEAR PROVIDED BY: Sauvage Swimwear www.sauvagewear.com JEWELRY PROVIDED BY: JNB www.jnbstyle.com EYEWEAR PROVIDED BY: Vestal www.vestalwatch.com
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LIFE OF THE POOL PARTY WET REPUBLIC MGM GRAND 3799 S Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89109 702.891.3715 www.wetrepublic.com
The newly renovated Wet Republic at MGM Grand embodies Vegas pool partying at its fistpumping finest. With performances by some of the biggest electronic music DJs in the world, including Calvin Harris, Tiesto and Steve Aoki, Wet Republic is the place to be if you’re looking for a good time. Keep in mind that at a party this hot, you’ll need an outfit to match. Go for swimwear in exciting shades like red and gold. After all, this is Vegas! Then finish off the look with some sexy body jewelry; belly chains and anklets feel really fresh and on-trend this season. | JUNE 2015 | 95
WET REPUBLIC MGM GRAND 3799 S Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89109 702.891.3715 www.wetrepublic.com SWIMWEAR PROVIDED BY: Sauvage Swimwear www.sauvagewear.com
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Keep in mind that at a party this hot, you’ll need an outfit to match. Go for swimwear in exciting shades like red and gold. After all, this is Vegas!
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WET REPUBLIC MGM GRAND 3799 S Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89109 702.891.3715 www.wetrepublic.com
SWIMWEAR PROVIDED BY: San Lorenzo Bikinis www.sanlorenzobikinis.com JEWELRY PROVIDED BY: JNB www.jnbstyle.com
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THE WEB’S SUCCESS STORIES COME TO THEIR OWN STORE NEAR YOU
WRITTEN BY: LINDSAY DELONG PHOTOGRAPHED BY: JENNA RAE KUHNS
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nline shopping will be the death of us all. From Amazon to eBay, it sucks you in and doesn’t spit you back out until your wallet is as skinny as that model you’re staring at on the computer right now. You know, the one wearing that hat/bikini/floor-length kimono you just have to possess. With a simple impulse click, you now own it. You type in your credit card info and voila! It’s in the mail. Online shopping is as easy, and as lovely, as that. The following companies know better than anyone about building a brand online—everything from creating brand awareness to implementing advertising tactics to placement in another company’s retail stores. They have each become successful in their own way via the mazes of the interweb and are now killing it in real life too with brick and mortars of their very own.
WILDFOX 8710 Sunset Blvd West Hollywood, CA 90069 310.855.9030 www.wildfox.com
By taking the aesthetic of their brand and creating actual storefronts, these businesses are now able to focus more on their appeal, bringing with it even bigger and better things to come—things you can, of course, buy online or, right smack there at the counter, saving on shipping 100 percent. Either way, your wallet is always going to be lacking the green (you have a shopping problem—admit it), but at least you can keep lean walking around your favorite store in the flesh. You have to … or that bikini in your mailbox is never going to fit! | JUNE 2015 | 101
W Ildfox
CEO JIMMY SOMMERS
realized the importance of being in stores and having merchandise immediately available to consumers but says, “We took our time going brick and mortar. We wanted everything to be perfect, including choosing a location as iconic as the Sunset Strip.”
NATIVE KNOWLEDGE: The brand pretty much screams everything Paris Hilton, who is the unofficial poster sovereign for the brand (her Insta feed is chock-full of her posing in Wildfox merch.) In the early days, photos of the brand’s famous friends like Hilton and Alessandra Ambrosio in Wildfox gear played an integral part in the brand gaining publicity.
FUN FACT: Famous for its ‘clothes that tell a story,’ Kimberley Gordon, Wildfox Co-Founder and Creative Director says, “Inspiration comes from all sorts of places, mostly movies, music, and books, but also I’ll try to feel whatever is trending and incorporate all of those ideas.”
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WILDFOX 8710 Sunset Blvd West Hollywood, CA 90069 310.855.9030 www.wildfox.com
Walking into the life-sized dollhouse, there are plenty of chandeliers, gold chests, shag rugs, and plush white chairs that are perfect for the boyfriend to lounge on while you get that credit cardio in.
C
ruise Sunset Boulevard and you won’t miss the Wildfox flagship store, nestled all cozily in Sunset Plaza (with an actual parking lot in the back)—a rare feat on this fabled strip). It’s a baby pink palace complete with a pint-sized princess balcony and a bucking white unicorn on the fortress rooftop. It’s where Barbie wishes she lived (mostly Beach Barbie, but any of them would be stoked). Since the brand’s birth in 2007, Wildfox has been a celebrity favorite. Everyone from Lana Del Rey to Beyoncé to the littlest Kardashian has been seen in their signature oversized comfy sweaters. Co-founders Kimberley Gordon and Emily Faulstich were inspired to create a vintage-y brand with dreamlike qualities. Through the creation of a sample line and participation in trade shows, the brand went from idea to reality. The quality and feel of the garments mixed with the playfulness and personality of the clothes gave the lifestyle brand staying power that has since launched Wildfox onto a globally recognized platform—all without a physical storefront. After 7 years of success through both their website and through popular distributors like Kitson and Neiman Marcus, the brand realized it was time to open a shop of their own. The Los Angeles storefront was opened in October of
2014. CEO Jimmy Sommers realized the importance of being in stores and having merchandise immediately available to consumers but says, “We took our time going brick and mortar. We wanted everything to be perfect, including choosing a location as iconic as the Sunset Strip.” And perfect it is. Walking into the life-sized dollhouse, there are plenty of chandeliers, gold chests, shag rugs, and plush white chairs that are perfect for the boyfriend to lounge on while you get that credit cardio in. There’s a sunglass wall, an intimates section, and dressing rooms covered in metallic wallpaper featuring hundreds of photos taken from previous seasons. The mannequins sport floral crowns, platform ballerina slippers sprinkle the floor, and an outside private patio adorned with foliage and plastic flamingos is a perfect place for said boyfriend to go get a breath of fresh air as bae pushes the time limits, sneaking in just one more flashback to the dressing room. Sommers says, “With the arrival of our flagship store, we’re able to focus more on our look and have fun with our merchandising, playing into each collection’s theme. The shoppers can experience our campaigns and lookbooks come to life.”
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B onobos guideshop
BONOBOS GUIDESHOP LA 101 South La Brea Ave Los Angeles, CA 90036 323.954.6800 www.bonobos.com/guideshop
CEO ANDY DUNN
explains, “We invented the Guideshop because of our commitment to delivering great service, and what we learned is that for half of the people, they have to try before they buy.”
NATIVE KNOWLEDGE: Guideshops were an accident! “We actually never envisioned for them. We were trying to sell more shirts, and we made the decision to build a direct sales force as an experiment. We put two fitting rooms in our lobby to train sales reps. We never thought it would become a re-imagination of the retail store,” says Dunn.
FUN FACT: In typical online fashion, the La Brea location has a dressing room-sized “Selfie Cam” where said handsome chap can take a full-body pic in his new fancy fashions and send it to whomever he believes likes to receive fullbody selfies of himself. I’m sure he knows. Keep it SFW boys! Always SFW.
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BONOBOS GUIDESHOP SD 4545 La Jolla Village Dr San Diego, CA 92122 858.226.1373 BONOBOS GUIDESHOP OC Fashion Island 1057 Newport Center Dr Newport Beach, CA 92660 949.230.9695
For the complete Guideshop experience, a customer can schedule an hour-long appointment where a “Ninja” will walk him through a custom fitting, where the stylish expert will help the lad find just what he needs, to truly be, the dapper gent he knows he has tucked up somewhere inside that baggy shirt.
A
n easel outside urges you to come on in and try what’s on today’s menu: Cold-pressed Chinos, Locally Sourced Denim, and Artisinally Crafted Suits. Walk in, and you’re greeted with not just a sales guy in a snappy suit, but a “Ninja” in thee snappiest suit. Welcome to Bonobos Guideshop, a groomshop for men where the salesmen are called Ninjas, and you are greeted with a cold, icy beverage as you look at (and try on) some nice looking man gear. Located on La Brea Avenue in LA, it’s in good company next to Sugarfish, a swanky sushi joint and directly across the street from good ol’ Stussy. The largest clothing brand ever built on the web in the US, the idea for Bonobos was born when two regular dudes, Andy Dunn and Brian Spaly, were hiking in Colombia, talking about pants—pants that fit well, specifically; pants for guys that like to look good but don’t want to spend hours upon days hunting for them; pants for guys who like to hunt for other things besides pants; and perhaps, most importantly, pants for guys who do not love to shop. Spaly had a knack for making a good fitting pair of slacks, one with a curved waistband that adapts to the waist’s shape. This waistband would eventually become the staple to a Bonobos pant. What Dunn brought to the table was a desire to reinvent the common pant, and to do it online. “We thought we could deliver great service and great clothing together if we were digitally native,” says Dunn, who is now CEO. The friends bought a domain name, recruited some fellow Stanford Business School classmates including Erik Allebest, a talented e-commerce genius and
a couple angel investors, Joel Peterson and Andy Rachleff, and launched their website aimed at making the best fitting menswear in the world. In just 8 years, they have reinvented their industry, launching a successful brand online that has expanded into an entire line not just of the pants that made them famous, but also suits, casual and dress shirts, and even a collection of bathing suits. These are all sold online, or for the customer who wants to test before he clicks, at one of the Guideshops located throughout the country. The first flagship location was in New York, and now everywhere from Boston to Dallas to right here in SoCal (Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego) has them. CEO Andy Dunn explains, “We invented the Guideshop because of our commitment to delivering great service, and what we learned is that for half of the people, they have to try before they buy.” The Guideshop was formed to be a sort of “personalized shopping experience.” For the complete Guideshop experience, a customer can schedule an hour-long appointment where a “Ninja” will walk him through a custom fitting, where the stylish expert will help the lad find just what he needs, to truly be, the dapper gent he knows he has tucked up somewhere inside that baggy shirt. Upon completion of the session, he’ll be sent home, and his threads will be shipped to his home or work free of charge, leaving him with no pesky shopping bags to lug around, freeing those hard working hands up for more beers, or maybe some flowers for the lady. Wait, scratch that, you’re the one about to look all Jon Hamm. She should get you flowers. | JUNE 2015 | 105
U rban Decay
BRINGING THE AESTHETIC
URBAN DECAY 401 Newport Center Dr Newport Beach, CA 92660 949.644.6550 www.urbandecay.com
of the online store into a physical space was obviously a fun project for the brand. Blend edgy, feminine, and cool with a sea of purple and you have a 1,000 square-foot mecca of heaven for the makeup connoisseur.
NATIVE KNOWLEDGE: Urban Decay was a pioneer in the makeup industry. “Although it was a pretty simple concept, I like to think it made the industry look at color cosmetics differently,” says Zomnir.
FUN FACT: The giant California bear hanging in the Fashion Island flagship store is made up entirely of crushed eyeshadow palette. The standard Naked Palette averages around 54 bucks a pop and that thang took A LOT of palette. Now, that’s one expensive grizzly!
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Zomnir made the decision to open the first ever flagship store in Fashion Island in late 2014. “It felt like the right time. It makes sense for us to understand what the freestanding model would look like as we expand internationally,” she says.
T
“I think beauty with an edge is being willing to tell your story (whatever it might be today) through your makeup. Some days I am a Little League mom. Other times, I fancy myself a dangerous vixen!” —WENDE ZOMNIR
hese days if you want to wear orange lipstick and have blue nails, you do. It ain’t no thing. You can color your lips with a shade called “F-Bomb,” and you can paint your nails with “Chaos” or “Addiction” polish. You can tint your lashes with “Perversion” mascara and smear “Dare” shadow on your lids. Alas, it wasn’t always like this, young child.
a-changin’ and business for the revolutionary company is booming, to say the least. This is why Zomnir made the decision to open the first ever flagship store in Fashion Island in late 2014. “It felt like the right time. It makes sense for us to understand what the freestanding model would look like as we expand internationally,” she says.
“The cosmetics department in the mid ’90s was a sea of pink, beige and red. If you wanted color, you had to go to the drug store, and back then the quality of the lines with edgy colors was low,” says Urban Decay Co-Founder Wende Zomnir. Wanting punkier colors and not knowing where to find them, she brought it upon herself to create them. In 1996, driven by a desire to make “beauty with an edge,” Zomnir launched a line of 10 lipsticks and 12 nail polishes with the tagline, “Does Pink Make You Puke?”
The chosen location was Newport’s Fashion Island, just 10 minutes from Urban Decay’s corporate offices. Bringing the aesthetic of the online store into a physical space was obviously a fun project for the brand. Blend edgy, feminine, and cool with a sea of purple and you have a 1,000 square-foot mecca of heaven for the makeup connoisseur. A huge video wall, six stations with expert artists there to snazz up your look, and even a bathroom plastered with photos of the UD family’s animal friends. The brand’s vibe is there, right smack in your pretty face. They have an interactive photo booth too, so swipe some “Shame” on your lips and pucker up for the cam. Urban Decay is about fun, and you, quirky little lady, know how to have it.
Since then, Urban Decay has become much more than a place for the bad bitch to get her war paint. The brand has soared to global status and is sold at seemingly every Sephora, Ulta or Macy’s you can find. Major makeup brands are copying their style, and everyone and their mama wants black lipstick now. Times are
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NATIV WRITTEN BY: ALEXA ERICKSON PHOTOGRAPHED BY: FELICIDAD DE LUCAS STYLED BY: REBECCA ARAOZ HAIR & MAKEUP BY: TIFFANI PEREZ MODELS: CHLOE HURST, KATHERINE LAPRELL, PIPER KENNEDY, YENNY GARCIA & CHRISTIAN RIOS OF WILHELMINA MODELS, www.wilhelmina.com
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PHOTO SHOOT LOCATION: JOSHUA TREE RETREAT CENTER 59700 Twentynine Palms Hwy Joshua Tree, CA 92252 760.365.8371 www.jtrcc.org WOMENS ROMPER PROVIDED BY: Gypsum www.gypsumstyle.com JEWELRY PROVIDED BY: La Weez Jewelry Instagram: @laweezjewelry HAIR WREATH PROVIDED BY: What A Betty www.whatabetty.com BELT PROVIDED BY: The Hidden Jewel www.shophiddenjewel.com MENS APPAREL PROVIDED BY: Buffalo Exchange www.buffaloexchange.com
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BLACK BODY SUIT PROVIDED BY: Gypsum www.gypsumstyle.com WHITE KAFTAN PROVIDED BY: Jen’s Pirate Booty www.jenspiratebooty.com JEWELRY PROVIDED BY: La Weez Jewelry Instagram: @laweezjewelry RINGS PROVIDED BY: The Hidden Jewel www.shophiddenjewel.com ROMPER PROVIDED BY: Gypsum www.gypsumstyle.com JEWELRY PROVIDED BY: La Weez Jewelry Instagram: @laweezjewelry HAIR WREATH PROVIDED BY: What A Betty www.whatabetty.com BELT PROVIDED BY: The Hidden Jewel www.shophiddenjewel.com
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Summer festival season is all about freedom of expression, style and creativity. The Joshua Tree desert is just the place to dance to the beat of your own drum and let your freak feathers fly.
ELECTRIC NATIVE MUSIC & LIFESTYLE FESTIVAL: Electric Native is the newest festival happening in Southern California. Created by Malibu native Matt Diamond, the festival features all of your favorite summer customs: music, mixed drinks and microbrews, yoga, wellness, camping and fashion. Just in arm's reach of the greater Los Angeles area, the 3-day festival in Joshua Tree offers the feel of a retreat getaway, along with the entertainment of an allinclusive music festival.
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ROMPER PROVIDED BY: Gypsum www.gypsumstyle.com JEWELRY PROVIDED BY: La Weez Jewelry Instagram: @laweezjewelry HAIR WREATH PROVIDED BY: What A Betty www.whatabetty.com BELT PROVIDED BY: The Hidden Jewel www.shophiddenjewel.com MENS APPAREL PROVIDED BY: Buffalo Exchange www.buffaloexchange.com BLACK BODY SUIT PROVIDED BY: Gypsum www.gypsumstyle.com WHITE KAFTAN PROVIDED BY: Jen’s Pirate Booty www.jenspiratebooty.com JEWELRY PROVIDED BY: La Weez Jewelry Instagram: @laweezjewelry RINGS PROVIDED BY: The Hidden Jewel www.shophiddenjewel.com
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ROMPER PROVIDED BY: Gypsum www.gypsumstyle.com JEWELRY PROVIDED BY: La Weez Jewelry Instagram: @laweezjewelry HAIR WREATH PROVIDED BY: What A Betty www.whatabetty.com BELT PROVIDED BY: The Hidden Jewel www.shophiddenjewel.com
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BLACK BODY SUIT PROVIDED BY: Gypsum www.gypsumstyle.com WHITE KAFTAN PROVIDED BY: Jen’s Pirate Booty www.jenspiratebooty.com JEWELRY PROVIDED BY: La Weez Jewelry Instagram: @laweezjewelry RINGS PROVIDED BY: The Hidden Jewel www.shophiddenjewel.com | JUNE 2015 | 115
WOMENS APPAREL PROVIDED BY: Buffalo Exchange www.buffaloexchange.com WOMENS ACCESSORIES PROVIDED BY: La Weez Jewelry Instagram: @laweezjewelry
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WOMENS FRINGE JACKET PROVIDED BY: Blue Eyed Girl www.shopblueeyedgirl.com JEAN SHORTS PROVIDED BY: Buffalo Exchange www.buffaloexchange.com GOLD BRALETTE PROVIDED BY: The Hidden Jewel www.shophiddenjewel.com WHITE STONE RING PROVIDED BY: The Hidden Jewel www.shophiddenjewel.com WOMENS SNAKE RING PROVIDED BY: La Weez Jewelry Instagram: @laweezjewelry FANNY PACK PROVIDED BY: JammyPack, Chris Bradshaw’s 2015 Series, Tan Ostrich (faux) www.jammypack.com
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WOMENS APPAREL PROVIDED BY: Buffalo Exchange www.buffaloexchange.com WOMENS ACCESSORIES PROVIDED BY: La Weez Jewelry Instagram: @laweezjewelry
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! THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID
SEASIDE SCENE An Irreverent Retail Column
Classic Meets Contemporary at This Monument Turned Entertainment Destination
APPAREL & ACCESSORIES PROVIDED BY: LOLO Boutique, www.simplylolo.com, SHOES PROVIDED BY: Schutz Shoes, www.schutz-shoes.com
WRITTEN BY: BRITT AND GRETCHEN HACKMANN OF NUBRY PHOTOGRAPHED BY: VALERIE KON HAIR BY: CONNIE NOVELLO
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From unique book titles and a selfie stick, to funky sunglasses and pens that decorate wine glasses, Kitson is a girl’s dream.
See more selfies from the Nubry sisters on INSTAGRAM @Nubry
KITSON 789 W Harbor Dr, Ste 142 San Diego, CA 92101 619.235.4014 www.shopkitson.com APPAREL & ACCESSORIES PROVIDED BY: Kitson www.shopkitson.com
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hat was previously the headquarters of The San Diego Police Department, has now been appropriately reinvented into The Headquarters at Seaport District, and now attracts more than just officers as San Diegans and travelers flock to its open-air retail center for eats, drinks, shopping and courtyard activities like boot camp and movie night! The dramatic main arch on Harbor Drive contains the tower where San Diego police officers watched for enemy aircraft during WWII. Much of the original building elements can still be seen, even after the restoration of this Spanish Colonial inspired building and is listed on The National Register of Historic Places. Nestled directly in front of Seaport Village, The Headquarters is a short walk to the water where one will enjoy beautiful ocean views as they stroll the boardwalk. Make it a worldly date night with a cheese sampling at Venissimo Cheese, tacos and palomas at Puesto, and a creamy pistachio gelato at Gelato Paradiso as you window shop at the celebrity favorite Kitson, LOLO, Seaside Papery, and Madison Boutique. All of these fabulous dining and shopping options to choose are very conveniently located at this unique retail landmark! Valet parking is available or play it extra safe with Uber, which will drop you off curbside and allow you to have more than one Mexican Firing Squad at the bar at Puesto.
KITSON 789 W Harbor Dr, Ste 142 San Diego, CA 92101 619.235.4014 www.shopkitson.com
All the way from LA, Kitson has the coolest graphic T-shirts and gift options you’ll ever find in one spot. From unique book titles and a selfie stick, to funky sunglasses, pens that decorate wine glasses, and pill boxes that read “Heavily Medicated for Take Off,” Kitson is a girl’s dream, and sure to make your gal pals laugh with most all of the gifts. But, hold on, you can gift yourself, too! If Ryan Gosling leggings aren’t your thing … wait, how can Ryan Gosling leggings not be your thing? Wear them to bed and your morning coffee routine is guaranteed to be a little bit steamier. The funny quotes that cover much of the product may be risqué and off-color, but hilarious nevertheless! WRAP IT UP: Kitson is THE place for an outside-the-box gift for the funky friend in your life. From a “Cabana Boy Bar Bell” to “Guitar Salad Servers,” you’ll find it hard not to feel some comic relief when sifting through the never ending eclectic mix of giftable items.
DALLMANN FINE CHOCOLATES 789 W Harbor Dr, Ste 122 San Diego, CA 92101 619.238.0045 www.dallmannconfections.com
In case you needed clarification, chocolate pairs perfectly with fruit, cheese and dessert, but it also goes quite well with Champagne, beer, wine and dessert wine. Dallmann Fine Chocolates is a family-owned business that opened its first fine pastry shop in 1954 in St. Gilgen, Austria, with only three types of pastries. Fifty years later the Dallmann family opened a chocolate shop in San Diego. Isabella Valencia, owner and chocolatier, offers chocolate-making classes that will teach you how to mold and airbrush chocolates. Becoming a chocolate connoisseur may feed your sweet tooth desires, but will also help you to discern between good and bad chocolate, know how to taste chocolate, increase chocolate shelf life, make caramel, package chocolate, and create multi-level ganache. Really want to know how to make chocolate? The Master Class Level 1 and 2 are 6-hour classes and will teach you all of the above. BACK TO THE BASICS: Owner Isabella Valencia sticks to the family traditions of the Dallmann Fine Chocolates, choosing to make all of the gourmet chocolates by hand, utilizing only the finest ingredients she can find, and sticking strictly to the original recipes.
PUESTO 789 W Harbor Dr, Ste 155 San Diego, CA 92101 619.233.8880 www.eatpuesto.com
Walking into Puesto at The
With hefty servings, guests will want to share as many antojitos as they can, and you won’t want to miss dipping into Puesto’s house-made guacamole topped with crab … it goes fast!
Headquarters, you instantly gravitate towards the lively bar where bartenders are mixing up margaritas with freshly squeezed lime juice, but we’ll try the Mexican Firing Squad, which is composed of Reposado tequila, lime, house-made grenadine, and Angostura bitters. You only need one of these to take the edge off! Puesto may be known for their handmade corn tortillas and the crispy melted cheese tacos that create a flavorful explosion in your mouth, but they also boast an expansive menu that offers true foodies the opportunity to come back over and over for a taste of Mexico. With hefty servings, guests will want to share as many antojitos as they can, and you won’t want to miss dipping into Puesto’s house-made guacamole topped with crab … it goes fast! While Puesto is known for its specialty cocktails and authentic Mexican recipes, the interior design is equally memorable. Chor Boogie’s street art spans many of the walls, starting with the bar, as you enter. A boogie bird watches you as you dine in the main dining room and as you make your way to the restroom too! Come with friends or lovers for fabulous drinks, unbelievably tasty dishes and good conversation. COME FOR THE TACOS, STAY FOR THE DRINKS! Puesto offers a vast menu of fun drinks to wet your whistle, such as aguas frescas made from scratch daily, a specialty cocktail menu, beer, wine, an extensive tequila collection, and organic sodas!
VENISSIMO CHEESE 789 W Harbor Dr, Ste 113 San Diego, CA 92101 619.358.9081 www.venissimo.com
Boasting cheeses from all over the world, Venissimo Cheese is a cheese lover’s dream! Not sure about anything having to do with cheese? Stop in and feast on a variety of flavors new to you, and your cheesemonger will share with you a little history, how it’s made, what to pair with it, and ways to serve it. On Venissimo Cheese’s website, they have a quote by Monterey Jack Kennedy saying, "My fellow turophiles, ask not what your cheesemonger can do for you, ask what you can do for your cheesemonger.” Fictional as Monterey Jack may be, I’m sure you’ll too soon agree! For a unique date idea, enjoy your cheeses in the courtyard at The Headquarters and then head over to Gelato Paradiso for something sweet or Puesto for libations.
PUESTO 789 W Harbor Dr, Ste 155 San Diego, CA 92101 619.233.8880 www.eatpuesto.com APPAREL & ACCESSORIES PROVIDED BY: Kitson www.shopkitson.com
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EASY TO BE CHEESY: Venissimo Cheese offers a cheese lover’s club! The second Friday of every month, you can have a pound of select cheeses and an appropriate extra gift (such as almonds or a cheese knife) delivered to your door or ready for pickup at the store. You can join for as long you’d like without a commitment!
APPAREL & ACCESSORIES PROVIDED BY: Urban Beach House www.urban-beach-house.com
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Their casual resortwear utilizes earth tones, crochet, linens, silks and straw, all of which combine to provide the perfect Southern Californian wardrobe.
GELATO PARADISO 789 W Harbor Dr, Ste 117 San Diego, CA 92101 619.238.0307 www.gelatoparadiso.net
Tiramisu, Nocciolina Americana, Vaniglia, Stracciatella, Pistachio, Panna Cotta, Banana, Bacio, and Nocciola are just some of the gelato flavors served up on an extra large waffle cone at Gelato Paradiso. Dress for warm daytime weather in a flowy printed frock, sunglasses and Panama hat and lounge in the courtyard with an oversized frozen creamy deliciousness. Each morning, Gelato Paradiso artisans, who received their training from master Sicilian gelatoias, are in the production room mixing gelato. The gelato is made each morning right in the shop, just like they do it in Italy! There are no artificial powders or syrups used here either, and the bold flavors come from artisanal cocoas, extracts, fresh fruits and other quality ingredients. You can feel good about every bite! CAN’T DECIDE ON DESSERT? Gelato Paradiso offers entire cakes that are sponge cake covered in one of their famous gelato flavors — make the decision between cake and ice cream easy, and choose both!
LOLO BOUTIQUE 789 W Harbor Dr, Ste 114 San Diego, CA 92101 619.544.9055 www.simplylolo.com
At LOLO, there’s always a gem waiting for you that will complete your effortless, travel-inspired look. Accessorize with a chunky, beaded necklace or printed scarf and update your caftan, hat or beach tote collection here, too! Their casual resortwear utilizes earth tones, crochet, linens, silks and straw, all of which combine to provide the perfect Southern Californian wardrobe that will take you equally well to Palm Springs and St Barth. EDDIE V’S 789 W Harbor Dr, Ste 158 San Diego, CA 92101 619.615.0281 www.eddiev.com
For the very best in grilled market fresh fish, oysters, steak, lobster tacos, jumbo lump crab cakes and truffle mac and cheese, Eddie V’s is the go-to. Fish arrives daily from pristine waters around the world, including swordfish from Block Island, scallops from Georges Bank and yellowfin tuna from the Caribbean. USDA Prime steaks are hand cut and specially aged for over 28 days to ensure peak flavor. The service here is unmatched! Just a drinks kind of a night? Live jazz in the bar paired with a glass of Flowers Chardonnay may suit your fancy. NATIVE KNOWLEDGE: Looking for a romantic night out? Patrons love Eddie V’s for the classy and romantic ambiance that the staff goes out of their way to emulate.
PHOTO BY: Michael Wesley
go /do
June 2015
132 FIRST TIMER’S GUIDE A Day on the High Seas With Sail San Diego
138 DO EXPERT A Passion for Wellness, the Dynamic Duo of Nick and Shawn Donohoe Bring a Freshly Focused Workout Experience to the City of La Jolla
144 DO FEATURE Christian Zucconi of the Indie-Rock Band Grouplove Sits Down and Opens Up About His Journey Into the Spotlight
151 DEL MAR OPENING DAY GUIDE What to Do, See, Eat and Wear at the Del Mar Racetrack
138 DO EXPERT Shape Shifters
PRESS FITNESS 7655 Girard Ave, Ste 102 La Jolla, CA 92037 858.230.7518 www.pressfitclub.com
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TIMER’S GUIDE
SAIL SAN DIEGO Shelter Island Marina 2051 Shelter Island Dr San Diego, CA 92106 619.297.7426 www.sailsandiego.com
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Vitamin
SE A Learning the Ropes of Sailing the Big Blue Aboard the ZEN YATTA WRITTEN BY: NICOLE FERA PHOTOGRAPHED BY: MICHAEL WESLEY
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PRICING: 3-hour Adventure Day Sail: $85 per person 3-hour Sunset Sail: $85 per person 3 1/2-hour Rum Runner: $120 per person 3 1/2-hour Whale Watching: $90 per person 6-hour All Day Group Sails: $185 per person 3-hour Engagement/ Anniversary Sail: $480 for up to 6 people 3-hour Private Lesson: $385 for up to 4 people
Sailing Terminology: 10 TERMS TO KNOW
From Discover Boating www.discoverboating.com
#1 Aft: The back of a ship. If something is located aft, it is towards the rear of the sailboat. The aft is also known as the stern. #2 Bow: The front of the ship is called the bow. Knowing the location of the bow is important for defining two of the other most common sailing terms: port (left of the bow) and starboard (right of the bow). #3 Port: Port is always the lefthand side of the boat when you are facing the bow. Because “right” and “left” can become confusing sailing terms when used in open water, port is used to define the left-hand side of the boat as it relates to the bow.
WHEN YOU LIVE
IN A CITY AS BEAUTIFUL AND WARM AS SAN DIEGO, you tend to seek out new and exciting days that San Diego has seen in ways to spend as much time in the months. However, I’m a firm believer sun as possible. That's what prompted that everything happens for a reason, me to set sail with SAIL SAN DIEGO and when we were finally able to head for a first-timer’s course, where I out, the weather could not have been learned how to “trim the sails, jib the more perfect. After sitting on the dock genoa, and man the helm.” for a few moments looking The first thing If those last few references out onto the marina and I learned to do have you feeling a little lost, feeling excited to get during my sailing don't worry. I’m here to share out there, I was lesson was to look all my newfound sailing tips greeted by Captain out for the boom. and information so that you Tim Hanley. After The boom is a can try out my peaceful new a few minutes of large, horizontal hobby for yourself. By the talking, he escorted pole attached to end of this article, you'll be the bottom of the our photographer mast (which is the Michael and me equipped with boat jargon, long pole in the what to expect, and how to onto the dock to meet make the most of your day on center that has all our captain and check out of the navigation the high seas. the sailboat where we'd be tools and sails spending the rest of our day. Whether they are fortunate attached to it).
enough to call San Diego home or not, most people are aware of the city’s constant and consistently good weather. This is a big plus in the world of sailing, where a lot of things depend on the wind, temperature and currents. That’s why it’s pretty ironic that my first two attempts at heading out for a lesson ended up being scheduled on two of the only stormy
RULES OF THE
ROAD
The boat we boarded was a Catalina 400, spanning 40 feet and named the ZEN YATTA. I’m no boat expert, but it seemed to me to have all the essentials for a perfect day at sea. There was cold wine and beer down below in the cabin, a bathroom, a bedroom, comfortable seating both upstairs and on the deck of the boat, and plenty of snacks! What more could
#1 Out on the water, larger boats have the right of way. That's because it’s easier for smaller boats to change their course, so be mindful that you need to move when you see the cruise liner coming right for you.
#2 When sailing in San Diego, keep in mind that the Navy restricts some areas on the water. Be aware of this when you choose your course.
you ask for? Our captain, Peter Ogden, was an equally amazing surprise, with his genuine kindness and enthusiasm. Right off the bat I could tell that Ogden had a lot of experience and that he’d have me sailing in no time! After explaining a few basic safety rules and boat terms that we’d be using throughout the lesson, Ogden hoisted the sails, and we set sail into the beautiful San Diego Bay. The first thing I learned to do during my sailing lesson was to look out for the boom. The boom is a large, horizontal pole attached to the bottom of the mast (which is the long pole in the center that has all of the navigation tools and sails attached to it). It gets its name from the loud noise that it can make when knocking someone over, and on days with high-intensity winds it can move on its own and be the most dangerous thing about sailing. After making a serious mental note to stay out of the boom's way, we proceeded with our lesson. I learned that for ideal sailing, you need to be constantly aware of the wind and
#3 Never anchor in the channel, which is a straight of water that connects two larger bodies of water and is marked by buoys. You’ll just be in everyone's way and anger the Coast Guard.
#4 Starboard: Starboard is always the right-hand side of the boat when you are facing the bow. Again, “right” and “left” are confusing sailing terms when used in open water, so starboard is used to refer to the right-hand side of the boat as it relates to the bow. #5 Leeward: Also known as lee, leeward is the direction opposite to the way the wind is currently blowing (windward).
#6 Windward: The direction in which the wind is currently blowing. Windward is the opposite of leeward. Sailboats tend to move with the wind, making the windward direction an important sailing term to know. #7 Boom: The boom is the horizontal pole that extends from the bottom of the mast. Adjusting the boom towards the direction of the wind is how the sailboat harnesses wind power in order to move forward or backward. #8 Rudder: Located beneath the
boat, the rudder is a flat piece of wood, fiberglass or metal that is used to steer the ship. Larger sailboats control the rudder via a wheel, while smaller sailboats will have a steering mechanism directly aft.
#9 Tacking: This basic sailing maneuver, also known as "coming about," refers to turning the bow of the boat through the wind so that the wind changes from one side of the boat to the other. The boom of a boat will always shift from one side to the other when performing a tack. #10 Jibing: The opposite of tacking, this basic sailing maneuver refers to turning the stern of the boat through the wind so that the wind changes from one side of the boat to the other side. The boom of a boat will always shift from one side to the other when performing a tack or a jibe. Jibing is a less common technique than tacking since it involves turning a boat directly into the wind. | JUNE 2015 | 135
DID YOU KNOW? You can sail as long and as far as you’d like, weather permitting.
WITH THEIR AMAZING STAFF, BEAUTIFUL BOATS AND
YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, IT’S THE PERFECT PLACE TO GET YOUR FEET WET AND TRY SOMETHING NEW.
Meet the CAPTAINS: Tim Hanley
is not only a captain, but also the operations manager at Sail San Diego. Hailing from the East Coast, he purchased his first boat in Atlantic City, New Jersey — a favorite place to gamble, party and apparently, sail.
Peter Ogden
was the captain of Zen Yatta the day LOCALE came to sea. He's considered a master sailor, with over 12 years of experience under his belt. He's a California native who got his start on the San Francisco Bay. But his love of travel has taken him around the world; his longest trip to date was 40 days long, spanning from the Panama Canal to the Virgin Islands. His passion for sailing comes through when he shares his interesting stories from abroad with those aboard his ship.
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its direction. For example, if you are “wing on wing,” then you need to keep the wind directly behind you. If you’re on a “port tack,” then the wind is coming over the port side of the boat. And if you’re “down wind,” then you are running away from the wind. All these terms filled my head as I tried to keep an eye on the boat's direction, our speed, and all the other components that drive you to make changes throughout the journey. After a little instruction, Captain Ogden let me TRIM MY FIRST SAIL, a personal victory in my small world and a workout for my arms. I pulled the rope through and watched the sail change direction before securing the ropes and then turning the helm towards our new course, downtown. As we sailed closer to the city and enjoyed the amazing view, I learned that sailing is not only about the wind, but also about balance and multi-tasking. “When you’re first starting out, you need to keep four things in mind: the jib, the main sail, the keel and the rudder,” Ogden explained. All four of these create a balance of effort and keep the sailboat
#1 Even if it’s a hot sunny day, make sure to bring a jacket out on the boat with you. Changing directions can cause winds to pick up and even the warmest day can feel chilly.
moving on the right course. Like most things, this becomes easier to understand and comes more naturally the longer you do it. Even steering the boat was a bit of a challenge at first because the slightest movement had a huge effect on the way this boat moved. If I turned the wheel to the right, then the Zen Yatta would immediately start to move in response. Ogden taught me to look out to a distant point and keep the helm in line with that for minimal movement and a steadier course when cruising along.
stuck with me as we sailed back to the bay. He shared some amazing stories of sailors and things encountered on the seas and told us, “It’s impossible to not be a bit of a mystic when you spend your life out on the water.” Even after a few short hours, I believe this to be true, and can’t wait to get back out there!
If you’re a first-time sailor like I once was, check out some of the sailing jargon to help prepare you for your first lesson. Safety tips and a little inside knowledge are also key and The 3-hour lesson with Peter and available thanks to Peter Ogden Michael flew by because of all and my amazing experience with there was to learn, Sail San Diego. Located the beautiful at Shelter Island Marina, As we sailed scenery and good with their amazing staff, closer to the city company. By the beautiful boats, and years of and enjoyed the amazing view, time we were experience, it’s the perfect I learned that heading back to place to get your feet wet and sailing is not only shore, Ogden was try something new. Their about the wind, trusting me to steer boats hold up to 12 people, so but also about and asking me to trim feel free to bring friends and balance and the sails whenever needed. family, or save the lesson for multi-tasking. I felt confident from his another time and rent out the instructions and excited to entire boat for an intimate be helping. There's just something so party! Now that I’ve had a taste of the freeing about being out on the open good life, I know that I’ll be back on water, and I realized how spiritual the the water soon, improving my skills waters can be. Ogden’s parting words and working on my tan.
#2 Make sure to drink plenty of water and stay hydrated! You may not notice how hard the sun is hitting you or how much of your skin's moisture the wind is taking away. It’s easy to become lightheaded or sick if you're not drinking enough water.
#3 Don't forget the sunscreen! Once again, you may not notice just how much sun you’re actually getting out on the boat, so make sure to lather up beforehand and reapply.
SHAPE SHIFTERS
UNLEASH YOUR INNER ATHLETE WITH LA JOLLA’S BRAND NEW PRESS FITNESS
WRITTEN BY: AUDRA LEIGH PHOTOGRAPHED BY: MICHAEL WESLEY
THE EXPERTS NICK AND SHAWN DONOHOE Owners of Press Fitness
Open Since: January 2015
S
an Diegans are known for their healthy lifestyles and great bodies. We are no strangers to juice bars on nearly every corner, runners on every beach, and a gluten-free option for everything. It is a way of life that so many of us are accustomed to. We need beach bods all year round, thanks to our sensational weather, and we do what it takes to keep it that way. Maybe you run on the beach for miles each day or spend an hour or two at the gym before or after work. Are you getting the results you want? I can tell you frankly, I’m not. That’s why I was so excited to sit down with the owners of Press Fitness, Nick and Shawn Donohoe, to learn about their gym located in the heart of La Jolla, and how they have made themselves stand out among the rest of the gyms that so many of us are members of.
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PRESS FITNESS 7655 Girard Ave, Ste 102 La Jolla, CA 92037 858.230.7518 www.pressfitclub.com
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SHAWN’S BEACH WORKOUT AT HOME: SWITCHING LUNGE JUMPS Get into a deep lunge and jump while switching your feet midair. Continue with no rest for 20 reps, take a break, and repeat two more times.
NICK’S BEACH WORKOUT AT HOME: PUSHUPS The pushup is the most effective bodyweight exercise you can do without any equipment. Master the movement by placing your hands just outside your shoulders and get into a strong plank position with your body forming a straight line. Lower yourself until your chest touches the floor and then press out to full extension. Try clapping at the top for an added challenge.
W
ithin minutes of meeting this incredibly cute couple (they are a match made in heaven), the passion for what they are doing is quite apparent. It’s a way of life, and they live it to the fullest. As Northern Californians, they saw great potential and inspiration in our beautiful city, and we are lucky to have them bring their years of fitness experience to our eager community. During my hour with these experts, I tried to be a sponge and learn about why they have the best way for us to obtain and maintain our beach bodies all year round. What I learned is that they do not offer your typical workout class. These people lift. These people train. These people teach you how to be your best. They are motivators, and they want you to have fun while doing it. Q: Let’s start off with you telling us a little bit about your gym. Shawn Donohoe: Our gym is about athletic style training. It’s intense. Our goal is strength and conditioning; building muscular endurance to sculpt your body. We try to get you a natural release of growth hormone, which helps you burn more calories throughout the day and helps you build muscle and burn fat. Nick Donohoe: In all of our classes you will be pressing, pulling and squatting at a high intensity. This places a high demand on your nervous system and core stabilizers, and produces results really quickly. It’s been shown to be the most effective way to train when you have a limited amount of time. Q: Are you training athletes specifically, or is this a good spot for someone that is motivated to change their habits, yet doesn’t necessarily have a strong athletic background? SD: Most of our members are not athletes; they are regular people who want extraordinary results. We bring the techniques and trade secrets that people use on professional athletes and apply that to you, so you look and feel amazing. We do train some athletes however, because they feel comfortable with this style of training, but it’s only 10 percent of our clientele. ND: Most of the people that come in here have never picked up a barbell and that’s great.
Q: What motivated you to open your own gym? SD: We’ve been married for 9 and half years, and working out together is one of our favorite things to do. We wanted to create a gym that offered classes that both men and women would enjoy and see results. In the same class, I can split squat with 20-pound dumbbells next to Nick who is using 50s. We have progressions for all fitness or strength levels which allows us to make our workouts fit all types of individuals. ND: There is no board here to prove to people that you can lift a certain amount of weight. That’s not what we are about. We are about safely challenging ourselves and using the most efficient exercises in the most effective, optimized order that we can in an hour, and getting you results quickly. SD: Today we had a group of all women and the energy was awesome. It felt like a team. We were rooting each other on and working hard together. Three-quarters of the class had never lifted like this before, and it was very encouraging and fun. We like to make working out really hard and really fun. Q: What would you tell someone to help them get over their fear of trying something new? ND: You have to first decide what you want to accomplish and then take the necessary steps to get there. And if you want to have a body that is lean, toned and fit, then you are going to have to work hard. It might feel uncomfortable at first, but that’s good because change is what you want. SD: I didn’t used to train this way. I did a lot of cardio and very little strength training, and I struggled to get the body that I wanted. For me, nothing has given me results like high intensity strength training. Nick got me started training in this way and it’s been amazing. After having my second baby a little less than a year ago, I have lost almost 60 pounds. I would have never thought I would be in better shape now at 30 with two kids than I was in my early 20s. ND: She won’t step foot on a treadmill or elliptical again. SD: Never again. Never. This is the most efficient way that I’ve lost weight and seen results.
WITHIN MINUTES OF MEETING THIS INCREDIBLY CUTE COUPLE, THE PASSION FOR WHAT THEY ARE DOING IS QUITE APPARENT. IT’S A WAY OF LIFE, AND THEY LIVE IT TO THE FULLEST. 140 |
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“WE PROGRAM VERY INTENSE WORKOUTS THAT UTILIZE THE MOST EFFICIENT EXERCISES IN AN OPTIMIZED SEQUENCE.” — NICK DONOHOE
“OUR WORKOUTS PRODUCE RESULTS. IF YOU HAVE PLATEAUED IN YOUR ROUTINE, SPEND A MONTH OR TWO AT PRESS AND YOU WILL SEE CHANGE.”
— SHAWN DONOHOE
Q: How long have you been open? SD: Our first day of classes started on January 5th. Q: How often do you recommend people come to Press Fitness? ND: We recommend coming in three to four times a week. SD: People are busy. But the people that are coming three to four times a week are the ones that are seeing results. This is not a 6-day-a-week workout. ND: Some people don’t come back for a week after their first workout here because they are so sore, but it gets easier because you get leaner and stronger.
you are going on this journey together. When they succeed, you feel it too, and we get so excited when we see our friends getting stronger and leaner. Q: What would you tell someone to motivate them to get in here? SD: You owe it to yourself. If you want to be fit, this is the most efficient way to get there. It’s 3 hours a week, and you will actually get results. You will see change.
Q: When you’re not at your gym, where in San Diego are you? ND: We are with our kids. We have a 2 1/2-year-old and a 1-year-old, so we are usually at the park or Q: Do you offer personal training or only classes? the zoo. ND: We’ve had a lot of requests for SD: I think we’ve been to every park in all personal training, but we are focusing of San Diego. on our classes at the moment. NATIVE KNOWLEDGE: Q: What is the TRX? Press Fitness offers 60 ND: These are new for a lot of people minute, high-intensity around here. It’s a suspension trainer. classes focusing on What it’s most effective for are core building strength and exercises. You can take many closedendurance. chain exercises and make them openchain since your feet are suspended, and you need transverse stability. SD: There are a lot of exercises we can do with the TRX Q: What do and they scale really well to different intensity levels. SD: We love Q: What has been the most fulfilling part of opening your own gym in La Jolla? ND: The most fulfilling part has been seeing people that have only been coming here for a month and seeing their improvement. Your clients are your friends and
Q: How long have the two of you been in San Diego? SD: We moved here in September to open the gym in La Jolla. We were going to open it in Newport, but we just couldn’t find a space that we were inspired by. ND: We walked into this space and just knew it had to be here.
you think of San Diego so far? it! We never want to leave. It’s the best. Everyone says that though, right? ND: We love the village of La Jolla. It’s such a cute downtown and a great place to raise our kids.
PAUSE FOR THE
APPLAUSE Taking a Time Out With GROUPLOVE’S Lead Man
CHRISTIAN ZUCCONI WRITTEN BY: ALEXA ERICKSON PHOTOS PROVIDED BY: ANNA LEE PHOTOGRAPHY
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GROUPLOVE www.grouplovemusic.com
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“NORMALLY I’M REALLY QUIET AND RESERVED, BUT ON STAGE I LET THE ANIMAL OUT.”
–CHRISTIAN ZUCCONI
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alking into the quaint coffee shop in Silver Lake called Muddy Paw, I scour the back patio for a young man in an oversized T-shirt, skinny jeans and blue hair, or maybe pink hair … some vibrant color he is known for. But, to my surprise, I look up to the sound of my own name as a bearded gentleman with short, black hair peeking out beneath a green beanie approaches me. “Christian?” I reply, hesitantly. As he nods his head yes and we make our way to a table, I am shocked that the grunge-worthy digs of Grouplove’s lead vocalist and guitarist, Christian Zucconi, seems more normal folk than I had imagined. Since their debut album in 2011, I have been thoroughly intrigued by this American indie-rock band with a flair for the dramatic. The lyrics to their second hit single, “Tongue Tied” creep into my head as I fluster to form words to begin our interview. How ironic, I think. A New York Native who has been musically passionate and involved since a young age, Zucconi helped form the post-hardcore band Aloke in 2004. The
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band released one live album and three EPs. Having moderate success, but never quite breaking the barriers and achieving international notoriety, they disbanded in 2009, but Zucconi’s time finally came through a dedicated fan of Aloke, Hannah Hooper. Inviting Zucconi on a whimsical, spur of the moment trip to an island in Greece to attend an enigmatic musical commune, the trip would become a magical connection between not only her and now boyfriend Zucconi, but also between a group of talented musicians. Grouplove formed in 2009 by Christian, Hannah (vocals, keyboards), Sean Gadd (bass, vocals), Andrew Wessen (guitar, vocals) and Ryan Rabin (drums). Since then, Grouplove has gone on to achieve major acclaim in the music industry. Two albums, four intensive years of touring, a new band member and a continuously growing fan base, the catchy, cosmic tunes flowing out of Grouplove has everyone hooked. Their energy on stage is infectious, creating a freeing feeling to simply escape from yourself—moved by the power of music. Creating and performing from
a place of infinite dedication to their craft, we must wait patiently as the band takes a lengthy hiatus in preparation for greater things to come. I sat down with Zucconi to discuss his journey from a struggling musician to an integral part of the formation and success of Grouplove. Q: Before Grouplove, where did your musical background come from? Did you grow up in a family of musicians? Christian Zucconi: I did and I didn’t. My mom is a great singer and an incredible actress, but she had to bury those dreams to raise my brother and me as a single mom. I know my grandparents on both sides played instruments, and my dad’s mom sang on the radio when she first came to New York City from Italy, so it’s definitely in there. Q: Was there an “aha” moment when your parents realized music was the thing that you were really good at? CZ: When I was very young, like 2 or 3, I would make my mom and brother leave the living room. I’d shut the doors and blast Billy Joel. I had this Mickey Mouse
“IT’S REWARDING THAT I GET TO GO AND PUT MY SOUL OUT ON STAGE EVERY NIGHT WITH THE LOVE OF MY LIFE, AND MY BEST FRIENDS. IT’S REALLY AMAZING, ESPECIALLY FOR ALL OF US WHO’VE BEEN IN THE GAME FOR SO LONG.”
guitar, and I would be jumping from the couch to the floor and back up. My mom kind of knew then. I actually don’t remember that, but that’s what she tells me. But I do remember always being moved by music starting at a very young age. I started taking piano lessons as a kid and writing all my own songs. I never wanted to study; I just wanted to write. Q: Would you call your rise in the industry tough? Where were you 10 years ago as opposed to where you are now? CZ: I’ve been playing in bands for many years. I put my first band together in middle school, and knew then it was what I wanted to do. I stuck with it because it’s the only thing that really makes me feel alive. As for the industry, it’s an unpredictable thing I don’t think about. Q: Before Grouplove, there was Aloke. It’s a totally different vibe than Grouplove, but I have a feeling you brought some of that with you. What are the similarities and differences? CZ: In Aloke, we all grew up together in the same town, so we share the same musical background. We all have the same influences: Nirvana, Fugazi, The Pixies. In Grouplove, what separates us is that every member grew up in different parts of the country/world so we all have completely different life experiences, backgrounds and musical influences. I brought that real, passionate East Coast
headbanging “screamy-ness” to Grouplove. That’s an innate part of who I am. Q: Was that something you always wanted to do—the headbanging “screamy-ness”? CZ: I’ve just always done it, yeah. It’s just how I move. It’s not put on; it just happens. Normally I’m really quiet and reserved, but on stage I let the animal out. Aloke was more of a post-hardcore, post-punk kind of band. The thing with Aloke was, we were always writing so much so our sound kept changing. We would play a show every few weeks, and it would be like 10 new songs, so we kept evolving which was awesome, but never repeated songs for our fans to connect to. I’m excited that Aloke is going to finally release a record later this year that we did with Steve Albini in 2007. It’s an incredible album. Q: Enter Grouplove. How did that happen? CZ: The story of Grouplove is a surreal one—the more I try to explain it, the more it doesn’t make sense, but I’ll try anyway. I met Hannah at Aloke shows. We really hit it off. There was an undeniable magic between us, so when she invited me to join her at an artist commune in Crete, Greece, I decided to get out of New York for the summer and see what happened. The artist residency was run by Andrew Wessen’s older brother and his
A LOOK INSIDE the Artist Residency: ¢ Wondering about this magical place that brought the members of Grouplove together? Zucconi says, “The artist residency provided basic food and lodging for artists and gave us the ability to escape the city life and make art without stressing about rent and work and so on.” While there, Zucconi wrote about 22 songs and Hannah made about 15 large paintings.
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“ONCE THE BAND STARTED TOURING, WE HAD A SLOW, NATURAL PROGRESSION, SO IT WAS HARD TO NOTICE A BREAKTHROUGH MOMENT. EVEN TODAY, IT’S HARD TO REALIZE EVERYTHING THAT’S HAPPENED. IT’S HARD TO SOAK IT IN, BUT IT’S BEEN A VERY HUMBLING AND ENCOURAGING JOURNEY.”
friend Tasos. Simultaneously, Aloke fell apart. Our drummer left, and I was away, so when we got home 10 weeks later, Hannah and I started singing together. It’s hard to believe now, but Hannah was super shy and nervous about singing with me. But regardless, we played shows with the Aloke bass player and our friend Jimmy tap dancing as the percussion. It was fun and experimental and a nice transition after Aloke. We played shows for about a year playing older Aloke songs and new ones we were writing. Sean, who we met in Greece, decided to come out to NYC—he actually opened up some of our shows there. We decided it would be a lot of fun to head out to LA to meet up with everyone from Greece and get the group back together. Hannah and I had all these songs ready to go, and it just so happened Ryan, who was interested in producing, was like, “Why don’t you come over to my house. What you guys got?” And we recorded our songs. That’s what became the EP.
Q: Were you nervous? I know you’ve been performing for so long, but as your first time with this group? CZ: It was kind of remarkable because I’d been performing for so long but was never getting the turnout I’d hoped for. But Grouplove’s first show sold out, so it was very exciting for all of us. We had all been in bands for years, and we had never really gotten that response.
Q: And that’s why you guys call yourselves the “accidental band,” right? CZ: Right. When we were recording these songs, we were just doing it for fun ... as friends. We had no idea or expectation that this would become a thing.
Q: What musicians and bands have you guys had the most fun touring with? CZ: We’ve been lucky to have met a lot of great people on the road. The members of Manchester Orchestra are probably our closest friends that we’ve met. But Cage the Elephant, Alt-J, Young the Giant, Portugal, The Man, Foster the People are all homies. We’ve been lucky to meet all these great artists and musicians out there on the road. There is a unique bond from
Q: Where did you guys play your first show? CZ: We played our first show at El Cid, which is right up the street from here, in Silver Lake. It’s a Mexican restaurant.
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Q: Did you guys have a breakthrough moment for Grouplove, when you guys realized you really had something special—something long term going on? CZ: I think the breakthrough moment was making the EP. It came together so effortlessly, and we were friends first with no expectations. Once the band started touring, we had a slow, natural progression, so it was hard to notice a breakthrough moment. Even today, it’s hard to realize everything that’s happened. It’s hard to soak it in, but it’s been a very humbling and encouraging journey.
living on the road together and understanding the unique lifestyle that we all share. Q: It seems like you guys really didn’t stop touring from the moment of your first album to your sophomore album, and then you recently just stopped! Did you have any moments where you just wanted to go home and sleep for days, or were you on a high of success? CZ: Yeah, it was like a high. And we wanted to ride it for as long as it made sense, which is now about 4 years. We’ve just hit that moment now where we want to be home and relax and recharge our creative batteries, but it was such an unforgettable experience. And it happened progressively; we took each step. It’s not like we went from playing El Cid to The Greek in a year. It was step by step, which is a great, organic way to do it. It was very rewarding in that way, too— just to put in the work and see the results. Q: What was the craziest thing that happened during a show? CZ: We played this wild set in Australia, and I somehow jumped off the stage onto a rising hot air balloon. It was pretty out there ... a spur of the moment type of thing. Q: Where does your inspiration for music videos come from? In one, you’re about to be hung, and the one with Kim Jong-Un is interesting because it’s like he’s reimagining how music could possibly make a change for the better. Where do these ideas come from?
“WE’RE JUST RECHARGING AND TAKING THE LAST 4 YEARS IN. BUT WE’LL BE BACK BEFORE YOU KNOW IT. THIS THIRD ALBUM IS GONNA BE MAGIC.” –CHRISTIAN ZUCCONI
CZ: We were so busy with the trajectory of the band taking off that we really put our trust and collaboration with these directors that came into play in the beginning. The first few videos we did were all done by Jordan Bahat, who was an old friend of Ryan’s. He did all the videos for the first album. It was fun to stick with one director, and really evolve together. The next album, we worked with Cameron Duddy. He did all the videos as well. He’s just a really creative dude. He did “I’m With You,” the Kim JongUn video, “Ways to Go,” and “Shark Attack.” Q: Does it have anything to do with the actual essence of the song, or do you think you leave it open to interpretation? CZ: It’s all up for interpretation: the lyrics, the meaning, the videos … we never want to define our songs. We always help out with ideas for the video, but a lot of the initial ideas and concepts come from these talented directors. Q: What has been the most challenging thing about being a professional musician? CZ: Taking it on as a full-time job. It’s a lot more work than I think people realize, especially for a singer. Hannah and I really have to be careful with our voices, because we go so hard each night, so it’s challenging to still enjoy yourself and take in all the rare experiences you get from being on the road all the time and making sure you can perform your absolute best each night.
Q: What about the most rewarding thing? CZ: It’s rewarding that I get to go and put my soul out on stage every night with the love of my life and my best friends. It’s really amazing, especially for all of us who’ve been in the game for so long. This isn’t our first rodeo, so it’s really nice that it finally paid off after all these years of hard work. Q: When you’re not making music, you are…? CZ: I’m listening to music, drinking coffee, eating all the time, reading books, taking long baths, and constantly writing new songs. I just can’t help myself. I don’t really know how to relax. This is the first time I can take some “me” time in years, so it’s nice to have some quiet time to get to know myself off the road again. Q: What about your musical inspirations? Who do you look up to? CZ: My mom and dad first, because they sacrificed a lot for me to become who I am. Musically, Radiohead, Thom Yorke and Neil Young are all big inspirations. I started playing guitar because of Kurt Cobain. Newer bands like Alt-J, Manchester Orchestra and Portugal. The Man are also peers that are inspiring bands because they’re always pushing the envelope. Nicky, our manager, is also a great source of inspiration because he brings an energy to the table that keeps me motivated. It’s all about being around good, creative and positive people, you know? Oh and Hannah, but that’s a given.
Q: Living in LA, what’s your go-to spot? CZ: There’re so many different places! We come here, to The Muddy Paw, a lot. It’s quiet, which I like. There’s a French place in Echo Park that’s new to us called Taix. This old school neighbor of mine has been going there forever. I love the bar room because it’s nice and cozy with a fireplace. It reminds me of the East Coast. And of course Casita del Campo, which has really great Mexican food and the best chips I’ve ever had. Ever. Q: What’s your favorite song to play? CZ: It changes a lot, but on the last tour it was actually a cover of “Baba O’Riley” by The Who. We played it almost every night with Portugal. The Man. It’s a lot of fun to share the stage with other artists that you respect. But for a Grouplove song, I really love playing “Borderlines and Aliens” and definitely “Ways to Go” because live, it just goes off. Chills. Q: Having recorded and toured in 2013 and continued to tour in 2014, you guys are now on a lengthy hiatus. Do you know for how long? CZ: Just until we’re ready. There’s no rush right now. Q: Would you say 2015 has anything big for you guys or are you letting everything resonate? CZ: We’re just recharging and taking the last 4 years in. But we’ll be back before you know it. This third album is gonna be magic.
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DEL MAR OPENING DAY GUIDE 2015
SADDLE
UP!
Opening Day at Del Mar, Your Complete Guide to San Diego’s Most Anticipated Event of the Year PG. 152
FASHION 101
Find Your Flair for the Races at These Local Spots PG. 154
HOW TO
BET
Quick Tips to Make Some Cash PG. 158
MAKE IT A
STAYCATION
Sit Back and Relax This Summer in San Diego PG. 160
TRACK
TREATS
Find Your Best Bite On-Site PG. 157
PHOTOSHOOT LOCATION
RANCHO MISSION VIEJO RIDING PARK AT SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO
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Hashtag This! Get Del Mar famous by posting pictures of you and your friends while at the track on Twitter or Instagram and tag @DelMarRacing with the hashtag #DelMarScene, to have your photo shown on the giant tote board in between races! Get the latest concert, racing and event updates by following Del Mar on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @DelMarRacing.
saddle up!
PLAN YOUR BEST OPENING DAY YET
OPENING DAY AT DEL MAR, YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE TO SAN DIEGO’S MOST ANTICIPATED EVENT OF THE YEAR
Date: July 16, 2015
WRITTEN BY: ROXANA BARHAGHI AND SAMANTHA TANCREDI OPENING PHOTO BY: DHRUMIL DESAI | COVER MODEL: KATHERINE LAPRELL
9:30 am: Pre-Race Brunch
Overwhelming excitement is in the air, and boutiques all throughout Southern California are selling out of their colorful and glamorous floppy hats. This can only mean one thing: Opening Day at Del Mar is right around the corner!
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A DAY AT THE RACES:
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Fashion-forward men and women are already in extensive planning mode, and they are counting down the days until their time to shine arrives. Meanwhile, the bets are on, and the horses are ready for a performance of a lifetime. Restaurants are gearing up for the impending
wave of hungry visitors, and hotels are booking reservations left and right. The anticipation for the big day is bubbling under the surface. To help guide you through the style, food, events and lodging for the July 16th Opening, insider tips and hints are just a page flip away.
Start your day with brunch and good friends before you hit the track.
11:30 am: Gates Open
Get a head start and be there early to beat the traffic and the crowd!
2 pm: Races Begin 6 pm: The After Party!
FASHION VALLEY
At the Drop of a Hat Want to know what it takes to have the winning hat of the season? Check out the past years’ number one stars and their runnerups. The winner for the “Most Outrageous” category of the 2014 season, Belinda Berry, decorated her hat with large, navy blue polka dots, ostrich feathers and a matching dress. Berry was also the 2014 Bing Crosby Grand Prize Winner, which included a five-star getaway at The Grand Del Mar valued at $1,500! So be inventive, look to the past for inspiration … and good luck!
IF THE SHOE FITS… Be prepared to strut your stuff by wearing comfortable wedges or flats. You want to keep up with the race, so wear shoes that can withstand the dirt, the standing and the long walks around the grounds.
PLAY IT COOL If you want to incorporate summer trends into your look, go for bold yellows, box clutches, tassel fringe and gingham patterns. Suede and the polo button-up are on the upswing as well, so keep your eye out for these trends and a simple gold jewelry piece to go along with it.
SWEATER WEATHER The racetrack is next to the ocean, and sometimes-sunny skies are accompanied by a cool breeze. Don’t forget to throw a pretty shawl over your shoulders or a light sweater in your handbag for when things get chilly.
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Fashion 101:
FIND YOUR FLAIR FOR THE RACES AT THESE LOCAL SPOTS
The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club will be overflowing with trendsetting men and women for Opening Day’s fun in the sun festivities. Ladies’ style can run the gamut from California
casual to formal flair. But whether you want to wear white jeans with wedges or a floral dress with heels, definitely pair your outfit with an elegant sun hat. The fashionable gentlemen of the Turf Club will adhere
to the dress code in fitted sports coats, button down shirts and pressed slacks. Non-members can dress more casually, in cotton trousers and a laid-back button down.
DEL MAR RACING AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Del Mar Mobile is the must have app for regulars and rookies spending a day at the seaside track. The “one-stop, one-source mobile app” features on-track mobile wagering, streaming of live races, race replays, Cybertote (real-time results, odds, will pays, scratches, etc.), a betting calculator and a calendar of Del Mar events and concerts. Consider it your virtual concierge. Available for any “smart” mobile device.
handbag essentials
FLOWER HILL PROMENADE
Stop Everyone in Their (Del Mar) Tracks – These Tips Will Keep You Fashionable and OnTrend at The Races
$ CASH:
$
some betting booths only take cash and you never know when you will need to tip someone
FLOWER HILL PROMENADE 2720 Via De La Valle Del Mar, CA 92014 858.481.2904 www.flowerhill.com
If you want to make a day of your shopping adventures, visit the Flower Hill Promenade, where you can experience fashion, relaxing spa treatments and delicious dining in one convenient location. It’s only one mile from the tracks, so if you’re scurrying around for any last minute items to complete your look, the Flower Hill Promenade is the place to go.
CELL PHONE: for trackside selfies
$
$ SUNGLASSES: especially for viewing horses at the paddock
FASHION VALLEY 7007 Friars Rd San Diego, CA 92108 619.688.9113 www.shopfashionvalleymall.com
When you need plenty of options and endless inspiration, Fashion Valley will have everything you’re looking for. This expansive outdoor mall in Mission Valley consists of 200 stores and restaurants and five major department stores. With price tags ranging from bargain deals to indulgent splurges, you can shop till you drop as you prepare for the main event of the season.
LIPSTICK:
to be photo ready
REIGN & CLOVER 937 S Coast Hwy 101, Ste C102 Encinitas, CA 92024 760.635.2664 www.reignandclover.com
For a chic and trendy Opening Day look, Reign & Clover will meet all your style needs. Sisters and coowners Nicole and Dominique Richards stock their boutique with leading, high-quality brands like Merritt Charles, Amanda Uprichard, Riller & Fount, Myne and Janessa Leone. After shopping at this fabulous Encinitas boutique, you’ll be turning heads and stopping everyone in their (Del Mar) tracks. SEKA BOUTIQUE 2021 San Elijo Ave Cardiff, CA 92007 760.633.1680 www.sekaboutique.com
$
POWDER:
for blotting out a glow
Since opening in August 2014, Seka Boutique has emphasized personalized service and fashionable head-to-toe attire. With a wide selection of amazing accessories, dresses and
denim, you’re sure to find an outfit for every occasion. MATTI D 2689 Via De La Valle Del Mar, CA 92014 858.523.0693
The reliably cool and modern Matti D offers the newest apparel and accessories in contemporary fashion for both men and women. This trendsetting boutique has an unlimited variety of casual wear and formal attire, so whether you’re looking for a comfortable sweater or sophisticated blouse, Matti D will have you covered. CEDROS AVENUE Cedros Ave Solana Beach, CA 92075 www.cedrosavenue.com
Travel just a little north of Del Mar to Solana Beach for the artistic and stylish scene on Cedros Avenue. Full of history and culture, the street is lined with a variety of boutiques, jewelry shops and eateries. The Cedros
Avenue Design District is a community for San Diegans and visitors alike, as they enjoy casual shopping and entertainment. Stroll the Avenue and feast your eyes on all the excitement as you shop for your dress-toimpress outfit. CARLSBAD PREMIUM OUTLETS 5620 Paseo Del Norte Carlsbad, CA 92008 760.804.9000 www.premiumoutlets.com/ carlsbad
The Carlsbad Premium Outlets lure in the stylish and budget-savvy shopper with exceptional brands and extraordinary savings of 25 – 65 percent. Nestled next to The Flower Fields, visitors enjoy a beautiful and relaxing atmosphere while also discovering affordably priced Michael Kors accessories, Cole Haan pumps and Kate Spade dresses.
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Searsucker photos by: Chantelle Photography
Food & Tunes San Diego’s local music scene thrives at many of the city’s neighborhood eateries. During this season’s races, check out Beaumont’s in La Jolla for their fabulous food and entertaining live music scheduled every Thursday to Sunday. Or, stop by Searsucker’s lounge area for a cocktail and performance every Friday and Saturday.
Up Close and Personal Reserve a table trackside at the Clubhouse Terrace Restaurant, where your close proximity to the races guarantees a good view and excellent dining experience for the whole event.
SEARSUCKER
Room With a View Located in the infield with traditional Spanish Mission design, the shaded outdoor Pacific Pavilion can hold up to 2,000 people and is ideal for your large group of friends. Closed-circuit television screens and wager windows surround the area. And while you can bring your own food for an intimate picnic, there’s also a staffed catering service with an array of appetizing platters to choose from.
Trucking Amazing Every foodie’s dream comes true as the Food Truck Festival rolls back into Del Mar this summer. Amazing cuisines from the best Southern California chefs will be served to you from vehicle windows, and it will taste superb. Past trucks have included: The Grilled Cheese Truck, The Lobsta Truck and The Lime Truck, and we can only hope these crowd favorites return for another year! VISIT www.DelMarScene.com for dates and details.
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Food for Thought
FILL UP AT OUR FAVORITE NEARBY RESTAURANTS BEFORE AND AFTER THE BIG EVENT
CRUSH 437 S Hwy 101, Ste 112 Solana Beach, CA 92075 858.481.2787 www.solanabeachcrush.com
Crush in Solana Beach is the epitome of Italian home cooking with freshly prepared pastas, vegetables and meats. Chef Matthew Geremia’s Italian upbringing is something we can all be thankful for as we eat one of his brick oven pizzas and then walk 10 minutes to Fletcher Cove Beach Park
to lounge on the grass and access the beach path for a tranquil stroll. PACIFICA DEL MAR 1555 Camino Del Mar Del Mar, CA 92014 858.792.0476 www.pacificadelmar.com
Pacifica Del Mar specializes in modern coastal cuisine and great sunset views. The dining room and outdoor patio treat guests to stunning ocean sights, while excellent seafood, steak and
pasta dishes are served to the table. TRULUCK’S 8990 University Center Ln San Diego, CA 92122 858.453.2583 www.trulucks.com
Upscale dining meets the ultimate seafood and steak experience at Truluck’s in La Jolla. When you’re craving high-end crab or center-cut filet, Truluck’s will present you with the finest plates to exceed all your expectations.
AGAVE DEL MAR 1555 Camino Del Mar, Ste 322 Del Mar, CA 92014 858.793.0758 www.agavedm.com
For authentic Mexican food grab a bite at Agave Del Mar. Located at the top of the Del Mar Plaza, expect picturesque views and assorted tequila cocktails as you savor their flavorful mole and savory seafood.
SEARSUCKER Del Mar Highlands Town Center 12995 El Camino Real, Ste 121 Del Mar, CA 92130 858.369.5700 www.searsucker.com
After a fun day spent at the tracks, dine at celebrity Chef Brian Malarkey’s Searsucker to enjoy some good ole fashioned comfort food. Order the ‘toasted 5 cheese + pesto + tomato soup’ or one of the menu’s other satisfying entrée items. The American classic cuisine and relaxed environment is perfect for your post-Opening Day activities.
THE EXPERT: JOSH RUBINSTEIN
Track Treats
Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club Working with the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club for over two decades, COO Josh Rubinstein has been there to see the excitement of Opening Day throughout the years. He gives us the scoop for this summer’s 2015 races and what he enjoys doing at the track when he’s not busy at work.
1. If your group is in the Paddock View Patio area, grab a carved sandwich or specialty salad from the Paddock Tavern or Red Star Cafe for a filling and energizing meal.
2. Wholesome downto-earth burgers and fries are served at Blue Moon Celebrity Grill on the 3rd Floor Clubhouse level. Pair the spicy crunchy tempura green beans with your favorite draft brew.
KITCHEN 1540 1540 Camino Del Mar Del Mar, CA 92014 858.793.6460 www.laubergedelmar.com
A sensational summer setting awaits at L’Auberge Del Mar’s signature restaurant, KITCHEN 1540. Whether you are looking for a lively atmosphere at the bar, a comfortable yet elegant setting in their dining room, or an al fresco experience complete with an ocean view, you can find it here. Unforgettable features include an open presentation kitchen, a private dining room wrapped in wine-encased walls, and private cabanas for a more secluded environment to eat and drink.
3. When you need something refreshing to cool down from all the excitement, try the soft serve ice cream on the 1st Floor Clubhouse or the hand-packed ice cream on the 1st Floor Stretch Run level.
5. Refresh and wet your whistle with one of Del Mar’s most famous signature drinks: the Del Margarita.
Q: How have you seen Opening Day change throughout the years? JR: Opening Day has always been Del Mar’s signature event, but the level of “the party” before, during and after the races, and how people dress to the nines, has escalated beyond belief. I’ve been fortunate to attend some fantastic events: Super Bowl, Grammys, Kentucky Derby and none top the atmosphere of being at Opening Day. Q: What’s in store for Opening Day this year? JR: Who shows up from a celebrity standpoint is always interesting. Often times, we don’t know until the day of. Q: As an insider of the DMTC, can you give us any interesting tips or facts? JR: One of the things that makes horse racing, and Del Mar, in particular, so cool is the access you get to the stars. Hang out in the Paddock area at Del Mar, and you’re likely to rub elbows with Hall of Famers Bob Baffert and Gary Stevens, not to mention NFL stars and local residents like Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers.
4. Il Palio offers a spectacular view of the track and an eclectic menu for each hungry guest, while The Turf Club provides luxury dining for their exclusive members. Both restaurants require reservations and enforce a dress code.
Q: You’ve been with the track since 1989! How did you first start with DMTC? Josh Rubinstein: I got lucky and landed a summer college job in the media department. After college, I worked for ABC Sports for a few years. One day I got a call from Craig Fravel, former Del Mar President and current CEO of the Breeders’ Cup, asking if I was interested in a full-time position at Del Mar. It took me less than 6 seconds to say, “Yes!”
Q: What’s your favorite thing to do at the races? JR: When I’m able to get to other tracks, there is nothing more fun than a casual day in a box with friends, handicapping the races and enjoying a few cocktails — hopefully celebrating a winner or two. SEA & SMOKE 2690 Via De La Valle, #D210 Del Mar, CA 92014 858.925.8212 www.seaandsmoke.com
Sea & Smoke, sister restaurant to Urban Solace and Solace & the Moonlight Lounge, is the perfect spot to brunch before heading over to the tracks. Fill up on one of their popular cast iron skillet benedicts, and you’ll be immediately planning your next visit for Martini Monday and Live Music Wednesday.
“Opening Day has always been Del Mar’s signature event, but the level of ‘the party’ before, during and after the races, and how people dress to the nines, has escalated beyond belief.” – Josh Rubinstein | JUNE 2015 | 157
F a ct n u F ◀
▶
HORSE’S AGE Every horse celebrates a birthday on JANUARY 1ST, regardless of the horse’s actual birth date.
how to bet
OFF-TRACK BETTING (OTB) Sycuan Casino
QUICK TIPS TO MAKE SOME CASH
WIN: You win $ if your horse wins first place. PLACE: You win $ if your horse gets first or second place. SHOW: You win $ if your horse finishes first, second, or third place.
2
2 1
The Daily Double
Quinella
Exacta
tri-Fecta
HOW TO WIN:
HOW TO WIN: You must pick two horses who finish first or second (doesn’t matter the order) in a single race.
HOW TO WIN: You must pick the horses who will finish first and second, in the exact order, in a single race.
HOW TO WIN: You must pick the first three horses who will cross the finish line, in order from first to second to third place.
You must pick the winner in two consecutive races. Bet must be placed before the start of the first race. 158 |
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2
3
4
SUPER Fecta
HOW TO WIN: This one’s a real doozy. You must pick who will win first, second, third and fourth - in that exact order!
This casino is the only venue to place bets other than at the Del Mar Racetrack. Betting in the OTB Room at Sycuan Casino is almost as good as being at the racetrack—all of the same bets are available! There are 14 big-screen TVs for live viewing. Open Wednesday through Sunday, 11am to 11pm.
How to Navigate the Track: Horse Racing 101 Races run each week from Wednesday through Sunday.
QUICK TIP: The ushers wearing green can help you get to your seats. Have your tickets ready and they will show you where to go! There are two sides of the track – Stretch Run and Clubhouse.
ADMISSION TICKET: Stretch Run – Allows access to the Stretch Run areas only: west side of Grandstand, nearest to the ocean Clubhouse – Access to both the Clubhouse area east of the finish line and Stretch Run areas
RESERVED SEATING: Reserve your tickets early and get the best seats by visiting www.DelMarScene.com Clubhouse Reserved – Outdoor, shaded seats located beyond east of the finish line Stretch Run Reserved – Outdoor shaded seats located before west of the finish line
“The location of the track is unlike any other racetrack in the world. You can smell the ocean while you’re on the horses. It’s absolutely beautiful there.”
Each race only
– Drayden Van Dyke
lasts 1-2 minutes.
“Post Time” is the time at which each race begins.
At only 20 years old, Drayden Van Dyke has already mastered the world of horse racing. Being mentored by Hall of Fame Jockey Mike Smith, he explains what he is looking forward to most this season and what he does to prepare before a big race.
The Paddock is the oval area where the horses are saddled up 30 minutes prior to each race.
Q: When did your love for racing first begin? Did anything inspire you? Drayden Van Dyke: I was about 14 in Kentucky at Churchill Downs visiting my dad who worked as an exercise rider. The horses of course really inspired me, and most of all, my father.
Watching the horses warm up can help you pick a horse to bet on.
Jockeys mount
Concert Lineup Schedule (all concerts are 18+):
Races begin at 2pm (except on Fridays).
Friday, July 17: Special Guests
Friday, August 7: Special Guests
Friday, July 24: The Wailers
Friday, August 14: Steel Pulse
Saturday, July 25: The Offspring
Friday, August 21: Pepper
Free concert
Friday, July 31: Special Guests
Friday, August 28: Weird Al Yankovic
every Friday around 7:45pm.
Saturday, August 1: Reggae Fest with
Friday, September 4: Paul Okenfold
Friday races start at 4pm.
DRAYDEN VAN DYKE Amateur Jockey
Races are 3.5 to 4 hours with 30 minutes between each race.
their horses and head to the track about 12 minutes before their “Post Time.”
THE EXPERT:
Ziggy Marley
Sunday, September 6: Weezer
Full Season Schedule: Every Wednesday: Free & Easy Wednesdays
Saturday, July 25 & Saturday, August 29:
Every Friday & Select Saturdays/Sundays:
Beer Festivals
Del Mar Summer Concert Series
T-Shirt Giveaway Day & Western Regional Chili Cook-Off & Salsa Contest
Every Saturday & Sunday:
Saturday, August 8:
Daybreak at Del Mar
Saturday, August 15:
Every Saturday & Sunday:
Food Truck Festival & Donuts Day (#2) 8 – 10 a.m.
Family Weekends
Thursday, July 16: Opening Day & Opening Day Hats Contest
Saturday, July 18: Donuts Day 8 – 10 a.m.
Sunday, July 19: Supersized Family Fun Day & Jockey Photo Day
Q: How is racing in Del Mar different than other places you’ve raced? DVD: The location of the track is unlike any other racetrack in the world. You can smell the ocean while you’re on the horses. It’s absolutely beautiful there. Q: What are you looking most forward to in the 2015 Del Mar races? DVD: I am very interested and excited to see the new dirt course they are putting in. And, of course, I want to have a great, safe meet, and hopefully stay in the top five jockeys standing there. Q: What was your most memorable win? DVD: My first Grade 1 victory aboard Ring Weekend for trainer Graham Motion and my very first win at Hollywood Park. Q: How do you prepare on race day? Do you have any pre-race rituals that you’d like to share? DVD: I run up Mt. Wilson Trail to First Water and back just to get my mind focused, cleared, and my body nice and primed for the races. Q: What do you enjoy doing when you are not on the track? DVD: I love to work out even on my days off. I almost feel lazy if I don’t do a little something each day. I love to be in the best shape possible.
Saturday, August 22: $1 Million Pacific Classic & Canvas Bag Giveaway
Monday, September 7: Closing Day Party in the Paddock
“I am very interested and excited to see the new dirt course they are putting in. And, of course, I want to have a great, safe meet.” – Drayden Van Dyke
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Make it a Staycation! SIT BACK AND RELAX THIS SUMMER IN SAN DIEGO
THE GRAND DEL MAR 5300 Grand Del Mar Ct San Diego, CA 92130 858.314.2000 www.thegranddelmar.com
Expect to feel like royalty staying at The Grand Del Mar. Nestled on a Mediterranean style estate, you will feel far away from home yet still close enough to enjoy the bustle of the races. The resort features a five-star spa, Tom Fazio golf course and immaculate dining. You will completely forget you are still in San Diego!
BREAKFAST CLUB
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HOTEL INDIGO 710 Camino Del Mar Del Mar, CA 92014 858.755.1501 www.hotelindigosddelmar.com
THE LODGE AT TORREY PINES 11480 North Torrey Pines Rd La Jolla, CA 92037 858.453.4420 www.lodgetorreypines.com
Minutes away from the Del Mar Fairgrounds, you can still enjoy your mini vacay in a laid-back setting. Hotel Indigo is all about “casual style with coastal flair.” With beautiful ocean views from your private balcony, you will have all of the amenities you need to make your “getaway” worthwhile.
With views of the world famous Torrey Pines Golf Course and the glistening Pacific Ocean, you won’t have any regrets staying at The Lodge at Torrey Pines. Make it a real staycation by enjoying everything La Jolla has to offer and still be a part of the busy races in Del Mar.
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Get the party started early at Daybreak at Del Mar, where you can grab breakfast and sip mimosas at the track every Saturday and Sunday morning from 7:30 a.m. 9:30 a.m. While you’re there, get some insider tips from former jockey and event announcer, Jeff Bloom, while watching the morning workouts.
THE EXPERT: CHRISTIAN HELLMERS Professional Handicapper Ready to win some cash at this season’s races? Famous handicapper and reality star Christian Hellmers gives the best tips and advice for placing your bets and beating the odds.
L’AUBERGE DEL MAR 1540 Camino Del Mar Del Mar, CA 92014 858.259.1515 www.laubergedelmar.com
Avoid the hassle of traveling and stay right where the action is! At L’Auberge the track is within walking distance, and you are right in the heart of Downtown Del Mar, which is where the after parties will be! Just steps away from the beach, you will have the best of it all! This resort’s mantra, “relaxing by day, stylish by night,” is everything you need to make your staycation the best yet.
WON’T BE A PARTY WITHOUT A BALCONY! Make sure to get a balcony at L’Auberge to view the Opening Day party.
Q: How did you get into horse betting? Christian Hellmers: I must thank my old man for the introduction to horse betting. Like many others, my father took me to the racetrack for my first time as a teenager, and I was hooked. He and I would pick the NFL games based on the point spread each weekend —typical father-son bonding. But after we started studying horses, the world changed. Finally, I had discovered the perfect blend of intellectual challenge, decision-making and risk. I found a game that rewards you for having a sharp mind. Q: What is the biggest bet you’ve won? CH: Last year I took home over 270,000 in the Horseplayer World Series in Las Vegas, but I’ve hit several scores over 100,000 including two in the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge tournaments where I finished second twice in 2011 and 2012. Q: What was it like being on Esquire’s reality show “Horseplayers”? CH: Anytime the reality TV cameras are on anyone, you’re at risk of looking like a jackass. I understood that going in. I also knew that I would come across as a different man than those on the show since I’m a health junkie, spiritual seeker, and lover of the arts. But I didn’t mind the attention or that risk because my goal was to share a look inside my world as a Horseplayer. Plus, I’ve dedicated lots of my time to personal development and being present in the moment — watching the power of my words and owning it.
RANCHO VALENCIA 5921 Valencia Cir Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067 858.756.1123 www.ranchovalencia.com
Located in Rancho Santa Fe, Rancho Valencia is 45 acres of pure bliss. The resort rests on olive groves, colorful gardens, and Mediterranean style waterfalls.
Ranked as one of the top hotels and resorts in California, Rancho Valencia offers exquisite wining and dining areas with stunning views and signatures cocktails. Just a short drive from the Del Mar Racetrack, Rancho Valencia will provide a luxurious atmosphere as your evening winds down.
Q: What are some tips and the best set of advice you can give to betters? CH: For me, I wanted to get one thing across. Most people think of horse racing as a game of luck. I couldn’t disagree more. It’s about skill, self-mastery, and truth. This game isn’t for everyone as it takes everything you’ve got as I consider it a spiritual quest for truth — my own and the destiny of the horses. The trainers only know so much — same with the jockeys. The horses don’t speak verbally unless you are one. Thus, it’s up to the analysts, AKA the Horseplayers, to cut through the history of the horses’ racing performances to decode their ability to run a race on a given day. “Most people think of horse racing as a game of luck. I couldn’t disagree more. It’s about skill, self-mastery, and truth.” – Christian Hellmers | JUNE 2015 | 161
home PHOTO BY: Josie Gonzales
/away
June 2015
164 HOME EXPERT Real Estate Kingpins in America's Finest City
168 SETTING THE TABLE Make Bernardo Winery Village Your Weekend Stomping Grounds
172 AWAY EXPERT
168
SETTING THE TABLE Vintage Vineyards
L’Auberge Del Mar’s New General Manager, Shaun Beucler, Talks Hotel Standards, Best Views and MustTry Amenities
176 SU CASA An Exclusive Look Inside One of La Jolla's Most Beautiful Estates
BERNARDO WINERY 13330 Paseo Del Verano Norte San Diego, CA 92128 858.487.1866 www.bernardowinery.com
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SWEET SUITS
and Smart Sales Meet the Men Who Hold the Keys to San Diego
WRITTEN BY: NICOLE FERA PHOTOGRAPHED BY: JOSIE GONZALES
THE EXPERTS JEFF GRANT Principal & Broker of Record
ABE WOODY Estates Director
Closers: Sand & Sea Investments have closed more than $100M in real estate sales
In
the beautiful city of San Diego, there are tons of amazing homes, apartments, lofts, penthouses, bungalows and other marvelous properties to choose as your home. Where you live is a big decision, especially with all of the different neighborhoods and communities, and the individual personalities that they possess. If you want to live life in the fast lane, you might consider a loft or apartment downtown. If you want to wake up to the beach every morning, then La Jolla might be your dream location. With so many options, navigating your way through such an investment might be a challenge. That’s where the boys at Sand & Sea Investments come in. Jeff Grant and Abe Woody hold the keys to San Diego, and know the ins and outs of the city. They were kind enough to take me up to one of their astounding 2-million dollar suites in the Pinnacle building to chat about their company and journey to where they are today. Here’s what I found out about these hustlers and the real estate biz in SD. Q: First off, are both or either of you locals in this city that you buy and sell so well in? Jeff Grant: We are actually transplants just like many of us living in SD. I’m from Scottsdale, Arizona and I came out here in 2000. Abe Woody: I’m originally from Texas, and I bounced around playing professional baseball for a while until I settled down in SD with my family. Q: And how did the two of you come together at Sand & Sea? AW: We’re actually brother-in-laws, but I didn’t get involved in the business until 2012. Jeff started the company himself after years of working on the PGA Tour and wanted to get off the road and start a family. I was lucky enough to move out here with my family and dive into the business under his guidance to bring us to where we are today. Q: Jeff, how did you decide you wanted to leave your Operations Director job and start up your own real estate agency? JG: I had been at my job for a long time working on the PGA Tour, but
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SAND & SEA INVESTMENTS 265 W Market St San Diego, CA 92101 858.336.9836 www.keytosd.com | JUNE 2015 | 165
“Unlike some of our competitors, our premium service includes start-to-finish personalized service and is not diluted with horizontal support teams.” – Jeff Grant
I just wasn’t happy or fulfilled with what I was doing. People thought I was crazy leaving that job, but I knew I had do what was going to make me happy. It wasn’t easy at first though; there were definitely moments where I questioned what I was doing. Q: How did you get the ball rolling with your new career? Did you have a background in real estate? JG: Oh no. I was blissfully ignorant at the time. I didn’t have any experience, so I just dove right in and started learning as much as I could. I would go to friends and family and talk to anyone that was looking to buy or sell a house to let me help them. I just wanted to learn as much as I could, and I wasn’t afraid to hustle.
“It’s important to know when to be the nice guy and when to put your foot down with a client. You’re always looking out for their best interests and sometimes you need to stick to your guns and show them that.”
– ABE WOODY
Q: Your office is amazing downstairs. Was this always where you resided or did it take some time to get to the Pinnacle building that you reside in today? AW: When I first came onboard, Jeff was subletting an office in a Q: That was a risky move starting over with something you lawyer’s building with a little sign on the door, so it’s safe to say we’ve come a long way since then. It just reflects all of the hard didn’t know anything about, but clearly it was the work and the long road that it took to get here. right decision. Was it difficult to break into the San JG: Yeah, like Abe said, this is definitely not my first “We consider Diego market? office with this company. The downstairs office is ourselves to be JG: The first few years of learning and growing a resource to our actually our fifth, and we settled here about a year and trying to build my business were brutal. I was clients; a hub of ago. It’s such an amazing building, and I actually live extremely stressed, exhausted from working all of the information. For in the building as well with my wife and son. It’s nice time, and struggling to make it all work. I even had a example, if we sell having everything so close, and I can pop upstairs to close friend come to me and say that I should give it a home to someone, see them during a long workday. They are what is up and look for a job doing something else. This was they might need a most important to me, and wanting to see them is the decorator, so we tough for me, but I truly believed in what I was doing reason we settled in this office space. make the connection and the fear that I was feeling motivated me to keep going. Sounds strange, but I knew I could do it, and I wasn’t going to quit until I did.
and put these two in touch with one another.” – Abe Woody
Q: When did things start turning around? When did you know that your hard work was going to pay off? JG: After a few years of scraping together any clients I could and just being as involved in the market as I possibly could, things started to look up. In 2011 things started to come together and deals that I had been working on were all coming through. That is the year I went from ‘surviving’ to ‘thriving.’ It was a big turning point for me to have some success in what I had been working so hard at, and at that point I was confident in the progress I was finally seeing. Q: How did Abe get involved to form this dynamic duo that is sitting in front of me today? AW: I had just moved to San Diego to settle down with my family
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after leaving baseball, and I wanted to pursue something new, career-wise. I had obviously known Jeff for a while and watched what he went through to build this company and get it started, and I wanted to be involved. Like Jeff, I went into it with very little experience on the subject, but he taught me everything that he had learned, and I dove into the business learning as much as I possibly could.
Q: The views alone in this place are blowing me away right now. Abe, do you live in this building as well? AW: I actually live in Carlsbad, so it’s a bit of a commute in the morning. I enjoy the drive here and back though, because I love listening to podcasts in the car. I also know that market very well, so I love living there. Q: You guys have certainly come a long way with this company. What would you say makes you stand out amongst other realtors in the area? What is the key to your success? JG: We offer premium, hands-on service to all of our clients. The fact that it’s just Abe and I working one on one with everyone is huge. It’s that personal factor that sets us apart from other offices and agencies that have dozens of people working on one job. AW: We’re always available for our clients as well, which is huge
“No jobs or clients are too big or small, although we do tend to work with a lot of high profile people in this city. Negotiating is the biggest trick and skill that you can have in this business. That’s what it’s all about in the end.”
– JEFF GRANT in their eyes. Someone that I’m working with knows that they can trust us to get things done and keep them informed throughout the whole process. We’re happy to be working for our clients, and when you’re as passionate about what you do as we are, that’s going to come across. Q: What is the trick to buying and selling homes as well as you both do? Do you have a certain clientele or specific area that you deal with? JG: We buy and sell all kinds of homes in San Diego. No jobs or clients are too big or small, although we do tend to work with a lot of high profile people in this city. Negotiating is the biggest trick and skill that you can have in this business. That’s what it’s all about in the end. AW: Between the two of us and hundreds of transactions, we’ve acquired a lot of experience over the years that we use when we’re negotiating different deals. It’s important to know when to be the nice guy and when to put your foot down with a client. You’re always looking out for their best interests and sometimes you need to stick to your guns and show them that. Q: What kind of techniques do you use to buy and sell? JG: Unlike some other realtors, we really embrace the new style of marketing that has come into play over the years. You can sort of split the groups of people in this business into old and new school, but we feel it’s important to grow with the times. Over 90 percent of people go online to check out listings when they first think about buying or selling a home. That’s a huge number, and if you can attract those people right off the bat then you have a good chance of them contacting you. AW: Like Jeff said, we definitely use the internet to reach as many people as possible — a close second to our organic client-driven market efforts. It certainly doesn’t hurt that we’re actually some of the highest reviewed brokers in the area! The more people that you can reach the better, and we like to think of ourselves as more than just real estate agents. We consider ourselves to be a resource to our clients; a hub of information. For example, if we sell a home to someone, they might need a decorator, so we make the connection and put these two in touch with one another. It’s great networking, and that’s what it’s all about in this business. That’s how we’ve grown to know so many people and can land the deals that we do. Q: I know you are both very involved in the community and giving back as well. Can you tell me a little bit about what you do? AW: I’m heavily involved in the Boys and Girls Club here in SD, and we do a lot of different events and parties with the kids. I feel it’s important to give back to this city, and it’s also huge for me to be able to help children as a parent. JG: I’m involved in the Century Club and the Nice Guys Club of SD and like Abe said, it’s just a big part of what we do and how we’re a part of the community. I love this city and it’s been good to us so we just want to give back where we can. Q: With so much success so far, where do you guys hope to be in 5 years? JG: Only God knows. I will definitely keep up the hard work though and with our growing client base, the opportunities ahead excite me so much! AW: I wouldn’t mind opening up a North County office in 5 years or so. There’s a lot of potential up there, and it would be much closer to home for me as well, which, of course, is a major plus.
V I N TAG E Vineyards Celebrate or Relax at This Historic, Family-Owned Winery
WRITTEN BY: KIM CONLAN PHOTOGRAPHED BY: JOSIE GONZALES
D
rive through an inconspicuous retirement neighborhood in Rancho Bernardo, not far from Poway in San Diego, past the golf course, and if you aren’t paying attention, you might just pass the entrance of Bernardo Winery. From the road, you might hardly recognize that there are multiple parking lots, vineyards, a village with artisan shops, a tasting room, restaurants, and, of course, equipment rooms full of barrels of wine and the tools to cultivate and process the liquid of the Gods! In every nook and corner of the village courtyard are different styles of succulents, ferns, olive trees, tropical plants and roses gushing out of stone planters, all maintained by the matriarch of the winery herself, Veronica Hall-Rizzo. Her son, Ross Rizzo Jr., is the third-generation master vintner, and his two sisters, Samantha and Selena, help market and manage the business. With the winery in its 126th year, its owners still continue the traditions started long ago by their Sicilian grandfather. All around the property, their family history
“This winery was founded in 1889, and we have been making wine every year ever since, so we have some of the longest standing vintages.”
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Today, the romantic table for two is set up inside the protected Rosario’s Pavilion, overlooking a grassy area that has been hosting public weddings and events for over 25 years.
BERNARDO WINERY 13330 Paseo Del Verano Norte San Diego, CA 92128 858.487.1866 www.bernardowinery.com | JUNE 2015 | 169
MENU
BERNARDO WINERY IS FAMILY RUN: Ross Rizzo Jr.: President & Winemaker Selena Roberts: General Manager Samantha Nawrocki: Marketing & Advising Director Veronica Hall-Rizzo: Craft Fair Manager
WINES SUPPLIED BY:
Bernardo Winery • Bernardo Winery 2012 San Diego County Private Reserve Petite Sirah • Bernardo Winery 2012 San Diego County Private Reserve Syrah (II Mulino Vineyard) • Bernardo Winery 2012 San Diego County Private Reserve Sangiovese • Bernardo Winery 2013 Chardonnay • Bernardo Winery 2013 Riesling
FOOD SUPPLIED BY:
V’s Coffee Shoppe and Olive & Cork Charcuterie Plate: Featuring fresh table grapes, dried Turkish apricots, dried California figs, fresh and local Farmer’s Market strawberries, Queen olives, aged prosciutto and salami, Brie, honey-marbled chèvre, barrel-aged pepper jack and Compté
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is visible in many forms. Old wooden wine barrels, wagon wheels and thousands of pieces of obsolete farm equipment turned ornaments adorn planters, wooden gazebos and the walls of many of the structures. At V’s Coffee Shoppe, you can grab a cup of coffee, and then wander next door into the barn where the massive original vintage wine vats reside, a room now only available for private events. The rest of the buildings in the village have transformed through the years and are only recognizable as quaint retail locations, yet still remain steeped in history. Their aged architecture hints to decades past, when they were used to house field workers during harvest, as well as the property blacksmith who would fix equipment and tools, and the men keeping the vines and olive trees alive. Today, the romantic table for two is set up inside the protected Rosario’s Pavilion, overlooking a grassy area that has been hosting public weddings and events for over 25 years. The scene includes aged olive trees and a white gazebo, which are all bucolic in taste, with an eternal spirit of celebration that lingers in the air. The rustic theme continues with the table, with its legs being two large vintage wine barrels with a dark stained wooden door-like plank serving as our eating surface. To sit, we have two chairs repurposed from wine barrels, transformed into barstools with a deep stain finish. Glimmering wine glasses with the Bernardo Winery logo embossed on them first
catch your eye until the worldly bottles of deep reds holding wines like Petite Sirah and Sangiovese draw your attention. Aged balsamic and olive oil have been poured onto individual white plates, with olives, sliced baguette, and tapenades held in delicate Mediterranean bowls nearby. A candelabra, arabesque individual wine racks, vintage lanterns, golden napkins, and a decadent cheese board have all been provided by Bernardo Winery’s very own shop, Olive & Cork. On the charcuterie board is a collection of fine cheeses, aged meats, fresh and local table grapes, strawberries, and dried California figs and apricots supplied by V’s Coffee Shoppe. Altogether, the small bites perfectly complement the wine and bring the table to life. To top off all these components is a lush garland of greens trimmed straight from the property, with additional privet berries, succulents, wild yellow spray roses and bloomed eucalyptus, arranged by Inn Florals from the nearby Rancho Bernardo Inn. Bernardo Winery is a destination where couples and groups of friends wander the grounds, sipping on wine, spending the day separate from the outside world, in a place more simple and friendly, eventually finding it difficult to leave and return to the real world. Not to worry, just remember you can always take a little piece of the winery home inside of a bottle to remedy your longing for more.
The scene includes aged olive trees and a white gazebo, which are all bucolic in taste, with an eternal spirit of celebration that lingers in the air. The rustic theme continues with the table, with its legs being two large vintage wine barrels with a dark stained wooden door-like plank serving as our eating surface.
NATIVE KNOWLEDGE: Bernardo Winery has live music on the Tasting Room Patio every Sunday from 2-5pm.
Ross Rizzo Jr. sees the grapes from the moment they’re born on the vine, through fermenting, bottling and placement into your hands. He sat down in the Rosario’s Pavilion to talk history, family, food, wine and why you are sure to leave Bernardo Winery with a bit more passion for life than you arrived with. Q: Where is the wonderful food supplied for our table today from? Ross Rizzo Jr.: It’s from our coffee shop and deli. It’s really cute; we just remodeled it. It’s called V’s, and V’s is named after my mother, Veronica. She said that if it wasn’t very good, we would change it to “R’s” for me (laughs). Q: What are your favorite bites from V’s Coffee Shoppe, and what kind of selection of food can you get there? RR: Our major thing in there is our charcuterie. One is more like Italian classic antipasto style, but we kind of go with the more Sicilian, where there’s a lot of acidic and some spicy with really good aged meats. All those intense flavors go really well with hanging out in the hot air with a nice cool white, or maybe some sort of boisterous red. And then of course we have some more simple California classic cheese platters with pretty simple and sort of mild cheeses. Some of our acidic cheeses are great, and so is our goat cheese—we do a local honey drizzle with some California dried figs that are ridiculously good. We try to keep it really fresh and local. Q: Tell me a little about the history of this winery. RR: We’re in the top 10 for the oldest wineries. We’re also one of the very few this old that’s family owned still. There were 36 wineries in San Diego County before Prohibition, and there were like three or four after. But this winery was founded in 1889, and we have been making wine every year ever since, so we have some of the longest standing vintages. Q: Can you tell me about the wine production you are working on currently? RR: We do about 4,000 cases a year right now.
We’re not the biggest winery in San Diego, by far, but we also don’t distribute. We keep production always a little behind the curve. We sell out of wine, which is a good problem to have. We source all of our grapes from San Diego County, and we have a great network of people who grow—anywhere from two acres in their backyard in Ramona, to a 68-acre piece in Warner Springs, from small vineyards to big vineyards. Q: With the village shops, weddings and wine tastings, you have a lot of events going on here all over the property. Can you tell me more about that? RR: Obviously the wine tasting and buying bottles of wine and spending time with your friends is our thing—our passion. At 4 o’clock around here, the bottles open and everybody gets a glass of wine, and we all relax and enjoy the wine a bit—even though I’m still working. You can do both, right? Q: Can you tell me about the Sweet Shoppe and other food available? RR: We do chocolate pairings, so you can grab your glass of wine and go down to our Sweet Shoppe. Our chocolate steward will pair a certain percentage cocoa chocolate with your wine. We have our savory shop, Olive & Cork, where we have absolutely beautiful product, all handpicked by our merchandising manager, and it’s addicting in there! You can go in and get oil and vinegar pairings. We’ll pair balsamic with chocolate and stuff like that. It’s a lot of fun. Q: And you have the restaurant, Café Merlot, onsite as well? RR: Yes. The restaurant, which is independently owned, is like the coup de grâce. You do a tasting and enjoy the winery village, then you go to Café Merlot,
and you get a beautiful lunch. They have some of the most amazing selections in there. Q: You host a farmers market here as well? RR: Yes. We have a farmers market every week on Fridays from 9am to 1pm. It obviously has amazing local produce and products. We get all of our fruit for our coffee shop there, so all of our strawberries and everything are all fresh. Q: Can you tell me about the family dynamic of yours here at the winery? RR: My father, before he passed away, really loved the family thing. It was all about family, and we would have Thursday night family dinners with like 40 people showing up. I’m the winemaker and the president, and I kind of have a vision, and it’s amazing that my sisters can take that vision and turn it into something so great. My sister Sam does our marketing and advertising, and she’s phenomenal at it. My sister Selena, our general manager, has a lot of corporate background, and she doesn’t really drink wine—which is great because it doesn’t cut the profits (laughs). Q: How does this place exemplify your family name and its meaning? RR: I was just rewriting the new back label of our wine that’s coming out. I was trying to convey the passion that we have; it’s almost unfair how incredibly lucky we are to be here. I think that’s the connection and what our name speaks—just that incredible amount of passion for the place and the desire to show how interesting and cool and fun and romantic it is. That’s what we’re all about.
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L’AUBERGE DEL MAR 1540 Camino Del Mar Del Mar, CA 92014 858.259.1515 www.laubergedelmar.com
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Del Mar’s Most Decadent Centerpiece, Welcome to Your New Favorite Getaway
WRITTEN BY: MARY MCNULTY PHOTOGRAPHED BY: KARL GARRISON
THE EXPERT SHAUN BEUCLER General Manager of L’Auberge Del Mar
Education: Honors Graduate of The Culinary Institute of America with a specialty in Pastry Arts
Staying at L’Auberge Del Mar requires some tough decisions. Should breakfast be enjoyed via room service or outside taking in the ocean views on the Waterfall Terrace? Is it a day to stroll the beach or to enjoy a relaxing spa treatment? To get the inside track (pun intended, due to the proximity of the Del Mar racetrack) we asked General Manager, Shaun Beucler, for his take. After 14 years at various Ritz-Carlton locations in the Southwest desert, St. Louis and Florida, Beucler accepted the L’Auberge position in the fall of 2014 and could not be more thrilled. He offers a unique perspective on the hotel and local activities. Q: L’Auberge Del Mar is a small boutique hotel with only 121 rooms. What challenges do you find in catering to such discriminating guests? Shaun Beucler: We strive to get to know the guests on a personal level. Some guests wish for over-the-top service while others, quite frankly, want to be left alone. That’s why I think it’s very important to get to know them individually. This allows you to deliver personalized experiences which ultimately create lasting memories. Q: How would you describe a typical day of a L’Auberge Del Mar guest? SB: We like to customize the experience for the individual. What is exciting about this hotel is that it appeals to so many different travelers. You could be a corporate attendee visiting for a retreat, a couple here for a romantic weekend getaway, or a family wanting to spend the day at the beach. The options for customization are endless. What I think is most enjoyable is that you have opportunities to create your own experiences while not having to get in your car. The sunsets are amazing from our patio, and the next day waking up having breakfast on your private balcony taking in the ocean views is also great. Perhaps a jog or hike along the beach for the adventure seeker. Then there’s charming Del Mar for an afternoon of shopping. It’s different for each person.
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“We have a diverse group of ladies and gentlemen,
all working towards a common goal, which is to make exceptional memories for our guests.” Q: Managing a hotel is a 24/7 enterprise. As the general manager, your responsibilities must be all encompassing. What is your typical schedule? SB: Let’s just say I’m available. Technology is a necessary evil. You’re right; our doors never close. My typical schedule begins with walking the property and greeting the associates and guests alike. I spend most of my day either on the business at hand, strategizing with the team or creating engagement. Q: With all the amenities the hotel offers, how do you prioritize? SB: There are so many amenities to focus on, but it’s most important to spend my time where it really matters. Simply put, the guests and associates come first. My second priority is how we position the hotel in the market place to achieve our business objectives. NATIVE KNOWLEDGE: L’Auberge Del Mar offers an assortment of add-on packages that guests can purchase to enhance their experience. Aside from multiple wedding packages, they offer the Bliss: Your Way Package, which includes a spa credit, or a Bed & Breakfast Package, which includes a food credit at Kitchen 1540, among others. They also offer surfing lessons, ocean kayaking, and hot air ballooning as part of their adventure package add-ons.
Q: Who are the members of your management team, and how do you guarantee that the highest hospitality standards are maintained? SB: The resort is a AAA Four Diamond Award winner. The L’Auberge Del Mar Spa is ranked as one of the top 25 in the U.S. by Condé Nast. It’s a dynamic team. We have a diverse group of ladies and gentlemen, all working towards a common goal, which is to create exceptional memories for our guests. We are looking for people excited about hospitality, who truly strive for excellence. We take a lot of time and effort when we select someone for this team. The behavioral side is equally important as the technical acumen. Q: With such high standards, the team member to guest ratio must be small. How large of a staff does it require to support the 121 rooms and amenities? SB: It fluctuates seasonally. Peak season for our hotel is the summer, and we’re 250 talented employees strong. We average two guests per room, so we are close to a one to one ratio. Q: When is the best season to book? SB: All seasons of course! It depends on what you’re looking for. If you want to be here during race season, July through September is best, the Del Mar racetrack is literally within walking distance and is obviously a prime time for us. However, the amazing weather makes Del Mar an attractive year round destination. Q: Spirits are not forgotten at L’Auberge Del Mar. Poolside drinks are served at the Bleu Bar, and the Lobby Bar attracts locals. Which is your favorite, or is it dependent upon time of day? Is there a specialty drink you might suggest? SB: We want our hotel not only to be a destination hotel for a traveler, but we want it to be your neighborhood bar and local restaurant. The design of the hotel is that
“The design of the hotel is that of a welcoming beach estate. It’s open and bright with dramatic views of the pacific ocean. I especially enjoy the Living Room, which is a great place to see and be seen while enjoying the warmth of the fireplace, great entertainment and a tasty libation.” — Shaun Beucler
of a welcoming beach estate. It’s open and bright with dramatic views of the pacific ocean. I especially enjoy the Living Room, which is a great place to see and be seen while enjoying the warmth of the fireplace, great entertainment and a tasty libation. Another signature moment of the hotel is the sunset on our expansive patios. With a glass of Champagne or a handcrafted cocktail, it is truly a memorable experience. Q: For fine dining, there is Kitchen 1540. Give us a brief background on the chef and the menu. SB: Although sometimes perceived as fine dining, our signature restaurant has an upscale feel but in a warm, inviting setting. Executive Chef Brandon Fortune is from the Southeast. He has spent time honing his craft with the Four Seasons Hotel Company and has brought his personal travels to this restaurant—Southern, home cooking cuisine. It’s unique to this area, which is exciting for our guests. The signature item Kitchen 1540 is known for is the Shrimp ‘n’ Grits and the award winning Chicken & Dumplings. Q: For more casual dining, there is the Waterfall Terrace. What do you suggest the guests try? SB: Everything is great. One of our signature items is the shrimp tacos. It’s a little different take on the traditional shrimp taco San Diego is so well known for. Also, we have an exciting new concept being developed which we will be rolling out later this spring. It’s a little too soon to share all the details, but a few tag lines we are playing around with are Bubble & Bites and Taste & Sea. Q: Del Mar is one of Southern California’s most beautiful areas. What local activities would you suggest outside the resort? SB: There are many unique experiences in the
San Diego area. Obviously the Del Mar racetrack is a tremendous draw. If you are looking for the adventurous side, just outside our door we have 6 miles of beautiful beach. Less than a mile and a half is the Torrey Pines State Reserve. You’re less than 20 minutes away from SeaWorld and downtown, and if you’re with your family, Legoland is right down the street. For the indulgent side, we have a world class spa and amazing food and beverages. There is shopping in the Del Mar Village. And I always recommend enjoying the afternoon poolside. It’s all about the unscripted discoveries of whatever appeals to you. Q: What does the future hold? SB: As mentioned previously, we plan to re-concept our terrace restaurant. Furthermore, Executive Chef Brandon has some exciting new additions coming to Kitchen 1540, such as his take on Buttermilk Fried Chicken. We are also embarking this year on a world class pool experience. The design is underway and will touch everything from the furniture to ultraluxury cabanas, to the F&B offerings, to the actual pool design and hot tub. We believe this will truly set us apart from other luxury resorts in our market. Q: L’Auberge has numerous locations. Obviously leaving Del Mar would be extremely difficult. Is there a location you would consider transferring to? SB: I’ve been here for 5 months, and my wife and I have fallen in love with San Diego County. Right now, my opportunity is to take this hotel to another level. My wife and I are very excited to be here, and I am lucky to have a phenomenal team and a beautiful property to call my home by the sea!
SU CASA Our sneak peek inside gorgeous local homes
info@willisallen.com and 877.5157443
ENCHANTED
Estate
Rich With History, This Cliffside Classic Is a Step Above the Rest
WRITTEN BY: SUSAN KRUPA PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED BY: CAMERON ACKER
I
magine falling asleep to the sound of crashing waves, taking a morning swim in your private pool, spending an afternoon in a secret garden, and then throwing a lavish dinner party overlooking the sea. A Georgian-style home located in the Lower Hermosa neighborhood of La Jolla offers all of these experiences, and then some. This seaside sanctuary located at 6210 Camino De La Costa provides an idyllic home situated where the cliffs meet the sea.
CO-LISTING AGENTS: Andy Nelson, BRE #: 00458472 Melissa McNally, BRE #: 00958197
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6210 Camino De La Costa La Jolla, CA 92037
This seaside sanctuary located at 6210 Camino De La Costa provides an idyllic home situated where the cliffs meet the sea.
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Camino De La Costa, known as the “Street of Dreams,” is the address for several beautiful La Jolla estates.
Native Knowledge The Royal Oak Foundation is a UK based organization created to encourage and inspire Americans to learn about arts and places of British historical significance. They are currently developing a lecture program called Private Passions, which will discuss the English influence on the architecture and design of 6210 Camino De La Costa.
Top FIVE Amenities 1. POOLSIDE CABANAS: With covered cabanas as well as poolside table seating, this is the perfect place for a pool party, Fourth of July BBQ, or cocktails. The cabanas are furnished with plush sofas and chairs perfect for relaxing and listening to the waves crash on the beach. 2. SECRET GARDEN: The expansive green spaces throughout the property provide places for solitude and quiet. A fountain patio provides a space to relax and unwind. 3. OCEAN VISTAS: Located at the point of Lower Hermosa, the home has 170 feet of oceanfront property. The ocean can be seen from most rooms of the house and provides the soundtrack for a life lived out by the sea. 4. SECLUDED BEACH: La Jolla is known as a place for surfing, kayaking and fishing. All of these can be enjoyed at the secluded beach at the base of the cliffs. 5. FIREWORKS: The vantage point from the home provides a superb location to watch holiday fireworks. Shows from various cities can be seen without having to leave the property.
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THE OUTSIDE OF THE HOME contrasts black
shutters against milky white brick walls, and a wrought-iron gated entry opens into a red brick laid garden area flanked by large trees and lush perimeter greenery. Camino De La Costa, known as the “Street of Dreams,” is the address for several beautiful La Jolla estates. However, the nearly 10,000-square-foot house located at 6210 is more than a home; it is a property with a delicious history. Designed in 1939 and previously owned by the California legend Jack Vietor — a Yale graduate, WWII hero, famous champion backgammon player, and heir to the fortunes made by Jell-O desserts. Vietor was also active in California politics and was a close friend of John F. Kennedy. In fact, photos of Kennedy’s time at the home will continue to be passed on to the future owners as part of the property’s history. In addition to Kennedy, 6210 Camino De La Costa has seen its fair share of social events; from a presidential kick-off for the campaign of Mitt Romney, to an Eagles concert and charity events for various San Diego art museums. The home was designed by Richard Requa, an architectural legend in his own right in the San Diego area for his involvement
in the California Pacific International Exposition in 1935 (held in Balboa Park), The Old Globe Theatre, Del Mar Castle and several homes in La Jolla. The home at 6210 Camino De La Costa is a departure from his more commonly seen blend of Mediterranean and Mission styles and instead is designed in a Neo-Georgian style. The outside of the home contrasts black shutters against milky white brick walls, and a wrought-iron gated entry opens into a red brick laid garden area flanked by large trees and lush perimeter greenery. The effect is that you have left the outside world behind and entered a tranquil, private oasis. Walking through the double doors and into the house, a regal foyer welcomes you with chandeliers and inlaid wood floors. The main living space opens to vistas of the ocean below and decorative crown molding above. Built-in bookcases line one side of the room and large windows flood the room with plenty of natural light. An ornate fireplace makes this room a perfect spot
Top FIVE Things to Do in La Jolla: 1. TORREY PINES GLIDERPORT: At Torrey Pines Gliderport, you can watch hang gliders and paragliders leap from the cliffs and soar over the ocean. If your interest is piqued, they also offer lessons for beginners. 2. BIRCH AQUARIUM AT SCRIPPS: Established at the turn of the 20th century, this aquarium may not be as large as others but still has plenty to warrant a visit including exhibits on seahorses, leopard sharks and whale sounds.
for curling up with a good book during both the sunny days of summer or a chilly spell in winter.
Unique features of the house contribute to its charm as well as provide added functionality. For instance, a wood paneled sauna provides an unexpected place to relax alone or with family and friends. A walk-in safe has been repurposed as a pantry and storage area, but the safe door (complete with the spoked handle for access) has been left intact. Lastly, an artistically decorated elevator provides easy access to all floors of the home.
The formal dining room is large enough to comfortably hold a table for 16 and continues in the home’s Georgian style. Features in this room and throughout the house were inspired by the White House designs as well as Blair House (the president’s guest house for visiting dignitaries and heads of state), giving the space an elegant Granite countertops air. A dinner hosted in this room would surely not soon be forgotten by any guest. Throughout paired with snow the house, there are also various, less formal, white cabinets smaller dining areas (both indoor and out) suited work well with for a leisurely Sunday brunch with family or the Georgian afternoon tea with friends. The main kitchen includes a large expanded kitchen area with butler’s pantry. A partial kitchen located downstairsserves asa party and bar area closer to the pool for a light meal while sunbathing or for al fresco dinners in the evening under the stars.
styling of the formal spaces, yet provide the modern conveniences needed to make it any cook’s dream kitchen.
The seven generously portioned bedrooms vary in design — from the Georgian-style replete with ornamental draperies and wall coverings to more modern layouts. Many of the bedrooms have ocean views and lavish ensuite baths. The home has a total of 10 bathrooms of varying size and design. The larger bathrooms have bathtubs, vanities and sitting areas overlooking the ocean, making them comfortable spaces to enjoy a long bath after a hard day.
With such beautiful interior spaces, a rainy day indoors would never be unpleasant. However, with nine patios and seating areas attached to the house facing the ocean as well as gardens to amble through, the outdoors beckons. This home was built on one of the best pieces of land in Lower Hermosa, allowing for generous open-air spaces, as well as a walkway to a private sand beach. The outdoor grounds include a swimming pool, multiple poolside cabanas and tables, and plenty of space to entertain hundreds of guests for parties and dancing. The immaculately landscaped green spaces also include an herb garden and large, grassy areas.
While the world at large is hectic and stressful, 6210 Camino De La Costa provides a retreat away from it all. This home is an architectural treasure with a classical, regal style coupled with modern functionality destined to become a historical landmark. It is a perfect seaside estate for living, entertaining and dreaming.
3. SUNNY JIM CAVE: This cave’s entrance is inside a small shop and then down 145 stairs. After descending through the stone, you arrive at the back of the cave and looking out at the ocean. Watching the wildlife and waves crashing in is well worth the nominal fee and the climb back up the stairs. 4. STUART COLLECTION: This sculpture collection at UC San Diego can be explored by foot by utilizing an iPhone app (guide available online as well). The sculptures can be found standing alone as well as part of the buildings on campus making a visit here a treasure hunt. 5. KAYAKING: With steep cliffs, beautiful homes, and abundant sea life, La Jolla is best explored on the water. There are many places to rent kayaks or take a guided tour throughout the area. One of the more interesting tours is offered at night during full moons.
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thank YOU
TO OUR PARTNERS
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24 Carrots
K1 Speed Racing
619 Vodka
L’Auberge Del Mar
A7D Creative Group
Ladeki Restaurant Group
Amy Rae Boutique
Loews Coronado Bay
Andaz
Lumberyard Tavern & Grill
Balboa Bay Resort
Marine Street Financial
BCBG Max Azria Group
New American Funding
Bernardo Winery
Oceana Restaurant
Board & Brew
Press Fitness
Brian’s 24
Rad Vapor
Caesars Entertainment Group | Harrah’s
Reign & Clover
Cinepolis
Royal Tea Room
Cody’s La Jolla
Sand & Sea Investments
Crown & Caliber
Sauvage Swimwear
Del Mar Thoroughbred Club
Solterra Winery
Double Standard
Swiss Watch
Drai’s Beach Club
Sycuan Casino
Eat.Drink.Sleep.
TechSpace
Evans Hotel | Catamaran
The Acoustic Spot
Fish 101
The Compass
Florent Restaurant
The Fishery
Gaia Goddessa
The Lafayette Hotel, Swim Club & Bungalows
Grapes & Hops Deli
The Sporting Club
Green Dragon Tavern & Museum
Unicorn Jewelry
Irvine Resorts
Verant Group
Jake’s Del Mar
Verison 4G Wireless
JC Resorts - Rancho Bernardo Inn
William Grant & Sons
Johnny B. Hair Care
Willis Allen Real Estate
Jeff Motske
Wood Group
| JUNE 2015