Pacific San Diego Magazine, August 2010 Issue

More Reasons to Stay in Town • FRESH MENU AT STINGAREE • LOCAL BANDS ROCK WARPED TOUR • BUBBLEGUM SCI-FI, S.D.’S ELECTRO SUPERSTARS • SOMETHING NEW IN OLD TOWN

STAYCATION: ALL I EVER WANTED (Frolicking Fall Fashions, A Love Story)

Land, Ho! The Real Deal on San Diego Real Estate

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A Night to Toast San Diego Seniors

Meals-on-Wheels Greater San Diego Inc. 50th Anniversary Gala Fiesta de Oro – Dine with the Chefs A Night of Music, Dancing & Entertainment!

Join us for a fabulous dinner & help San Diego’s elderly get the food & love they need.

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10

pacificsandiego.com | AUGUST 2010

{publisher’s page}

the road to nowhere

I

t takes nine hours to get from Philadelphia to Vermont—at least it did when my stepfather drove us there to ski. It was the kind of road trip dreams are made of…bad dreams.

For what felt like 30 hours, I was crammed in the back seat of Ed’s Saab with my brother, three pairs of ski boots and whatever mom packed to entertain herself while we boys were on the slopes. Taking up what would otherwise have been my legroom was a cooler filled with delicious snacks—delicious by Mom’s standards, that is. Cheetos, Oreos and Gatorade might have made the trip bearable. Instead, we got rice cakes, string cheese and sliced turkey. There may have been a box of saliva-eliminating crackers, too. (Nothing a little whole milk can’t fix, right Mom?) It was a Friday evening in mid-January. I was 12 years old or so, so it must have been sometime in the early ‘80s. We had left Philly at dusk (around 4:30 p.m. that time of year) and, some hours later, were somewhere in New York. Actually, for all I knew, it could have been Connecticut or Massachusetts—with all the frost on the windows, I could barely see whatever frozen nothingness passed us by in the dark outside.

Even if I could have seen out the window, my focus would have remained on the interior of the vehicle, where my lungs were collapsing. I swear, I didn’t even have enough room to fully expand my chest and suck in a legitimate breath.

“Ed, can you move your seat up a little?” I gasped.

No response. He was either ignoring me or simply couldn’t hear my weakened voice over the John Denver cassettes he was playing too loud on the stereo. (To this day, Sunshine on My Shoulder absolutely does NOT make me happy.)

After about six hours, when we stopped for a bathroom break, Mom announced that we were halfway. Joel and I get out of the car to pee and stretch our legs for five minutes, then it was back into our cell…I mean, backseat.

During the second interminable leg of the journey, I actually managed to doze off for a bit. I can’t be certain whether it was legitimate sleep or just a side effect of diminishing circulation to my extremities, but I am sure

of what awakened me—my brother. Unable to fall asleep himself, Joel had opted instead to use my open mouth for target practice, throwing pieces of Triscuits (there were crackers after all) at me while I slept. It took him just one bull’s-eye to rouse me. And, of course, I was throwing string cheese at Joel when Mom turned around.

When we finally arrived at a small cabin in Killington, Vermont, I unpacked, then spent the rest of the night lying a few inches from the ceiling on the top half of a rickety bunk bed, baking in the intense heat that emanated from the floor heaters. Joel had won bottom in a coin toss. After he fell asleep, I balanced out his good fortune by putting rice cake remnants and a slice of turkey in his ski boot.

If you like skiing on ice in frigid temperatures, you would have loved the next couple days. It was so cold that the ski lift operators handed out blankets (to people already wearing parkas and goggles) for the ride to the top of the mountain. That was the weekend I learned that the Fahrenheit and Celsius scales cross at minus-40 degrees, and Ed learned the hard way what frostbite on your big toe feels like. Given his infirmity, Mom had to drive us home on Sunday afternoon. Man, and I had thought Ed was the slow driver.

To this day, I have never missed sitting in the backseat of a Scandinavian car, and something about John Denver tunes still nauseates me. But I wouldn’t trade these memories for the world—they helped form the person that I’ve become and, more importantly, taught me to keep my ass right here in America’s Finest City when I find myself with a free weekend.

Happy Staycation, San Diego. Why go anywhere else?

(P.S.: Ed, you’re the sweetest nine-and-a-half-toed stepfather a guy could ever ask for. Thank you for teaching me to ski and for all the fabulous trips. And from the bottom of my heart, un-thank you for the weekend in Vermont.)

David Perloff, Publisher

Throughout August, play the game of the day at facebook.com/pacificsd for your chance to win $50 gift certificates to Bare Back Grill, Red Pearl Kitchen, The Pearl Hotel, Honey Buns Spray Tans and more. Thanks for playing from PacificSD, the magazine that loves you back.

editor’s note

{staff}

WHY I STAY. Celebrating the best of everyday life in San Diego VOL.4

ISSUE 08

AUGUST 2010

PUBLISHERS David Perloff Simone Perloff EDITOR Seth Combs CREATIVE DIRECTOR Kenny Boyer CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Brandon Hernández CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Dave Good Chantal Gordon Scott McDonald Michelle Mowad Sasha Orman Noel Reed Cookie “Chainsaw” Randolph PHOTOGRAPHERS Darrell Alonzi, alonziphoto.com Brevin Blach, brevinblach.com Jeff ìTurboî Corrigan, turbo.fm Stacy Marie Keck, stacymariesd.com Bradley Lamont, bradleylamont.com Gabriela Lingenfelder, photographybygabriela.com James Norton, shootnorton.com EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Logan Broyles INTERN Sara Cunningham ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Cambria Dotterer Jason Gregory

Advertising in this magazine is the wrong thing to do... …unless you want your business to grow right away. In that case, call 619.296.6300 or visit pacificsandiego.com today to start benefiiting from immediate countywide exposure via print, web and social media.

12

pacificsandiego.com | AUGUST 2010

I

never planned on staying.

In fact, when I first moved here from Atlanta in 2000, the only real plan I had was finishing school, spending some time with my mother and then getting back to the ATL. But here I am a decade later, and I have no plan to leave. Yeah, I’ll still root for the Braves when they come into town (that home opener back in April where the Padres killed them 17-2 had me seriously reconsidering my allegiance), but other than a predilection for bourbon and a rather unpronounced southern accent (that mostly reveals itself when I’ve had too much bourbon), I’m a San Diegan in almost every way.

However, it’s worth pointing out that the things that make San Diego the ideal spot to visit and live—the sunny weather, the beautiful beaches, the zoo and Sea World—are probably the things I like the least. Me? I like seasons. I’m fine with cold winters (but not too frosty) and hot summers (but not too humid). The beach is too, uh, sandy and I can’t go down there without a jug of SPF 45. As an animal lover who believes that the best place for them is in their own habitat (read: not in a cage with a bunch of bratty kids gawking at them), I’d have to say that places like Sea World and the San Diego Zoo just make me sad. I have visited both of them only once and don’t plan on returning.

So what makes me stay? Why do I love living here?

Because when it comes to the things that are most important to me, San Diego is the most underrated and understated city in the nation. We have an art scene here that is chock full of talent, not to mention people who are going out of their way to bring that fact to the attention of the rest of the world (just check out Page 19 if you don’t believe me). We have a music scene that’s truly inspiring. I can go out any night of the week and check out a local band that deserves to be the next-big-thing (evidence on Pages 24, 50 and 52). And what a dining scene! San Diego consistently attracts some of the best chefs in the world and, unlike in cities like L.A., New York and Vegas, you can actually get a reservation without offering up your first-born (see Page 42 and 44 for just a couple examples).

But I think what I love most about San Diego is that it’s filled with people just like me, folks who migrated here from other cities in search of something new. Meeting a local, born and bred, is almost as rare as a yeti sighting, but the fact that our city is made up of so many out-of-towners, all looking for their chunk of the California dream, only makes for a truly vibrant and diverse scene.

And that’s why I stay. No, it’s not the sunshine or the beach or the fact that Shamu lives a few miles away. It’s the people that have kept me here. Passion pervades throughout San Diego, and everywhere I look, these movers and shakers are working hard in their respective fields to put San Diego on the map. I can only hope that by giving them a little ink in PacificSD, that I’m dong my part.

Oh, and the fact that I can’t get fish tacos or California burritos in Atlanta certainly doesn’t help their chances of my ever returning. Just sayin’ ya’ll.

“I think what I love most about San Diego is that it’s filled with people just like me, Folks who migrated here from other cities in search of something new.”

Seth Combs, Editor

I e

e

ei

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{contents} pacific F e at u r e s 30 Staycation, All I Ever Wanted Frolicking Fall Fashions...a love story 38 Make Your Move

All over the country, the time is

right for first-time home-buyers

On the cover: Lauren B. at Industry Model Management was photographed by Brevin Blach at his studio in San Diego.

Wardrobe and Makeup: Jeanette Marie, jeanette-marie.com Hair: Gwendolyn Sneed, gwendolynsneed.com Set Design: NaisArcher of Shadowbox Design, shadowboxdesign@gmail.com Props: San Diego Location Productions, sdpro.com ON LAUREN (cover): Top, $78, anthropologie. com; silk pants, $88, Banana Republic, bananarepublic.com; black patchwork top hat

by NaisArcher of Shadowbox Design, $275, shadowboxdesign@gmail.com; jewelry and shoes by Nordstrom, stylist’s own.

ON LAUREN (this page): Dress, $188, anthropologie.com; white patchwork top-hat

by NaisArcher of Shadowbox Design, $275, shadowboxdesign@gmail.com; necklace by Arden B, $26, ardenb.com.

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{contents}

KEVIN KNIGHT

Pop-punkers Fight Fair prepare to ride a wave of success (see Page 50)

D E P A R T M E N T S CURRENTS 19 First Things

The contemporary art world

invades Downtown, former 91X

deejay Mat Diablo slacks off and North Park gets rocked

26 Fresh Paint

Local artist Acamonchi brings new

perspective to the streets of

San Diego 28 You’re Tripping

Taking real vacations is just

plain crazy TASTE 42 The Fresh Man Chef Antonio Friscia’s new menu

has some serious sting 16

pacificsandiego.com | august 2010

44 Back to the Future

Chef Amy DiBase moves ahead

by stepping into San Diego’s past 46 What’s Shaken I thought it was the martini,

but it may have been me GROOVE 48 A Date with Destiny Meet a country firecracker who

can determine the fate of your

next cocktail

50 Fight Songs

A San Diego quintet brings their

beach party to Warped Tour

and beyond

52 Bubble Boys

With their unique flavor, these

two DJs are putting San Diego

electro on the national map

BLIND DATE 54 Double Time

Two guys, two girls, one perfect

night by the beach CALENDAR 62 EIGHT.TEN

August event listings THINK 66 A Grand Old Time

Actually, make that ten grand

first things

coolture

chainsaw

currents All’s Fair ART SAN DIEGO BRINGS THE CONTEMPORARY ART WORLD TO DOWNTOWN

BY SETH COMBS

A

nn Berchtold had seen a lot of San Diego art fairs come and go. Then, a few years ago, she traveled to Miami to check out the city’s annual Art Basel contemporary art fair. “Blown away” by the cultural overhaul that had taken place in the ensuing decades since her previous visit (when she used to go there for spring break), she had an epiphany.

(continued on Page 20)

Top: “Blind Spots” by Heather Gwen Martin; Middle row (from left): “Alaska” by Sebastiao Salgado, “Laella 015” by Miguel Ángel Madrigal, “Electric Marshmallows for Real Eyes” by Natalia Fabia and “Red Dress” by Keiko Sugiyama; Bottom row (from left): guests at last year’s art fair, “Birthday” by Fuyuji and “Library (from School Play)” by Julia Fullerton-Batten. Next page: “Empire” by Morgan Slade

pacificsandiego.com

19

{currents}

first things

“It was a cultural dead zone back then,” she says, “and it struck me that San Diego is similar. We’re a young, emerging coastal city that hasn’t culturally matured completely, but we’re on the brink.”

Berchtold returned with a mission: To create a contemporary art event in San Diego that not only attracted galleries and artists from all over the world, but also showcased a city that for too long had flown under the radar of art aficionados. She spent two years researching fairs and talking to organizers. Then, last year, she held the first Beyond The Border International Contemporary Art Fair at the Grand Del Mar resort.

“The first year was tough, but if it proved anything, it was that there was an audience for this kind of event,” says Berchtold.

For this year, she changed the name of the show, switched locations and assembled a crack team of experts to help make the event even bigger and better. From September 2 through 5, at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront, the newly knighted Art San Diego Contemporary Art Fair will showcase more than 45 galleries and hundreds of emerging artists from all over the world.

Now, the fair that has the distinction of really showing the “what’s hot” and “what’s next” in the visual art world.

“The new location will allow us to be a much broader, city-wide event,” Berchtold says. “And being Downtown, it’s just a great canvas to be able to interact with MCASD [Museum of Contemporary Art], the SDSU gallery and all the places in Barrio Logan. People can come to the fair for several hours, and then all of these other places are within walking distance, so you can really experience downtown San Diego.”

Each gallery and museum at the fair will have a space to show off its wares. Beverly Hills, New York, Japan, Buenos Aires, Mexico City and other prominent cities will be represented. Local participants include Quint Contemporary Art (La Jolla), Scott White (Little Italy) and Joseph Bellows Gallery (La Jolla), among others, some of which will showcase art from emerging San Diego talent.

“I feel like the fair is another component to the art world that will help artists here in San Diego,” says Heather Martin, a local artist who will be on display at the Luis de Jesus Los Angeles gallery space within the Hilton. “People will come from all over the world to see it, and galleries are bringing artists from all over the world to participate. It helps establish San Diego as a place where there’s good art.”

Also new this year are the more than two dozen “art labs,” which will include collaborative art creation as well as performances from local musicians and dance troupes. Berchtold thinks the event has the potential to become one of the leading West Coast art fairs and hopes that the mounting excitement will help lure other traveling art fairs to San Diego.

“It’s a way to get people more excited about collecting art,” she says. “I feel if we get people at least excited, once the fair is gone, they’ll still be excited and they’ll turn to the local art community. That’s always been my hope.”

Art San Diego Contemporary Art Fair September 2-5, at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront artsandiego-fair.com

Date Rape It happens a lot more than you think.

One reason is that not all sexual assaults are reported–to anyone, especially the police.

In turn, the rapist learns the wrong lesson, and so do his friends.

But you can’t blame a woman for not calling the police or even telling her friends. I am representing three women right now who were raped, one through the use a date rape drug.

All three women reported it to the police.

All three men claimed the sex was consensual.

None of the men were convicted.

Here’s how things can be different.

Don’t resort just to calling the police. They can only investigate the case and refer it to the District Attorney, who then has to decide whether he can prove a criminal case “beyond a reasonable doubt,” i.e., well beyond a 90% likelihood. Since many rapes occur behind closed doors, a D.A. might view the “he said, she said” problem as insurmountable.

Not so in Civil Court. Unlike in criminal cases, a woman suing her rapist in Civil Court must only show the rape was “more likely than not,” i.e., the burden of proof is just 51%. It boils down to whom the jury sees as more credible. Not many men willing to rape a woman have the capacity to appear credible in front of a jury.

California’s “Gender Violence” law is powerful, and lets the woman not only obtain a money judgment for her damages (e.g., medical bills, lost wages, and emotional distress), but the law also makes the rapist pay his victim’s attorney’s fees and costs.

When he takes advantage of you, take advantage of the law and make him pay— possibly for the rest of his life.

-Dan Gilleon

Daniel M. Gilleon, Esq. | Mitchell & Gilleon 1320 Columbia Street, Ste. 200 San Diego, CA 92101 619.702.8623 Office dmg@mglawyers.com www.mglawyers.com

{currents}

first things

Dialed In

FORMER 91X RADIO STAR MAT DIABLO SETS HIS SIGHTS ON THE INTERNET

BY NOEL REED PHOTO BY JEFF “TURBO” CORRIGAN

W

hen Mat “Diablo” Bates and his radio cohorts were fired from the 91X morning show this past May, a pall fell over San Diego. Karl Strauss even brewed a special batch of beer for the crew called Black Friday.

Bates had made local commercial radio cool again—at least for a couple of years—and now the city had another on-air dead zone.

Luckily for listeners, Bates is back, though not in terrestrial radio. He’s now the Senior Program Manager at Slacker.com, a Rancho Bernardo-based Internet radio company that pushes content in the U.S. and Canada.

Actually, “radio” doesn’t do Slacker justice. Bates calls it “music discovery.”

“Slacker is my dream job,” he says. “Not only am I working with intelligent, passionate people, but our mission is to connect people with the music they want to hear.”

That music ranges from indie rock—a channel Bates oversees—to hip-hop and hits, classical and comedy, standards and spiritual. If it’s been recorded, chances are good Slacker’s got it, and it’s all packaged for web and Smartphone platforms.

“We provide an alternative to your commercial, corporate radio playlist,” says Bates. “We’re literally ubiquitous. You can take us anywhere you go.”

In 2006, Bates moved to San Diego to consult for Slacker, then a promising startup. Although the self-proclaimed music nerd had worked in radio since his college days in Reno, Nevada, he claims he’s never had a “radio personality.”

“I always just desperately wanted to share music with people,” he says.

His two-year stint at 91X was an opportunity for Bates to brand his name while also pushing the boundaries of FM broadcasts. Now that the 91X show is kaput, he retains a loyal following that will likely stick with him, even if he isn’t getting drunk or making fun of celebs on terrestrial radio.

Bates’ 91X listener base was confined to San Diego. Slacker, on the other hand, has 17 million registered listeners worldwide. Unlike Pandora, another popular online music app that uses algorithms to generate playlists based on user preferences, Slacker supplements its backend code with a human touch, meaning that Bates manages not just technology, but also about 100 radio programmers who are all experts in their individual genres.

From there, it’s up to the listener to customize the experience by adding artists, removing songs and so on. “You can create a totally custom station based on your taste,” Bates says.

Now, Bates is busy ramping up Slacker’s content initiatives, including a dedicated Lollapalooza channel, which will feature artists playing at the upcoming music festival in Chicago. On August 6, he’ll head to the Windy City to broadcast live from the fest. A deal with ABC News is also developing.

“I feel emancipated and elated,” says Bates. “There could not have been a job more custom-tailored for my passions. A lot of the ideas and philosophies I’ve always had about radio are not only being put to work—they’re actually working.” slacker.com

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{currents}

first things

THE NORTH PARK MUSIC THING SHOWCASES THE BEST IN LOCAL TALENT

JEFF “TURBO” CORRIGAN

Guitar Heroes

BY SASHA ORMAN

REBECCA JOELSON

K

SADE WILLIAMS

evin Hellman is used to friends turning to him for advice on how to make it in the music biz. As publisher of the local weekly, San Diego CityBeat, and president of the San Diego Music Foundation—a non-profit that puts guitars in the hands of kids—he’s about as entrenched in the local scene as one can get. So, it would seem that it was only a matter of time before he and his colleagues decided to harness their collective knowledge into one event for the good of all local music.

That event is North Park Music Thing (NPMT), a music and media conference, to be held August 13 and 14.

Now in its third year, NPMT was inspired by Austin’s South

by Southwest and New York’s CMJ Music Marathon. Through interactive panels (held at the historic Lafayette Hotel in North Park) featuring local media, legal experts and executives from top record labels including Sub Pop, Epitaph and Sony, it serves to help bands and artists get a leg up in the biz.

For music fans, NPMT is by far the largest showcase of the best local up-and-coming local talent—more than 160 artists and bands are scheduled to perform at venues throughout North Park.

Joshua Zimmerman, frontman for roots-rock band The Silent Comedy, is one of those burgeoning musicians for which NPMT was designed. But despite the industry-insider advice he can glean from the conference, he says that it’s playing for hundreds of potentially new fans that he enjoys the most.

“The first year, we played U-31, and it was absolutely out of control,” Zimmerman says.

The event has grown exponentially over the last three years, and buzz over NPMT is bringing in flocks of newcomers, including some from out of town.

“We’ve got people coming from as far north as San Francisco and Sacramento,” says Hellman. “And we’ve got people from all over the country performing.” It’s a migration local musicians are welcoming.

“San Diego can be a real tough nut to crack for out-oftown bands who aren’t familiar with the best places to play or the best bands to play with,” says Zimmerman. He adds From top: Gaux Nu Vaux, Joshua Zimmerman that getting paired up with local bands can make a huge (far left) and The Silent Comedy, Erika Davies impact. “They can ask them questions, learn from them and and The Dabbers are four of the over 160 make friends—which is the best way to break into a new city. bands playing NPMT this year; a scene from last year’s music fest.

That’s a really exciting thing.”

In just three years, NPMT has grown to encompass a music scene stretching far beyond San Diego’s borders, but the heart of the event remains local, enabling our hometown music fans to see all the best talent in one fell swoop.

“This year, we’re back,” says Zimmerman. “And I anticipate that it’ll be another really rowdy show.” sandiegomusicfoundation.org

coolture

A camonchi logo and C olosio p ics courtes y of J ai A lai , M e z z anine T ijuana

{currents}

Fresh Paint

LOCAL ARTIST ACAMONCHI BRINGS NEW PERSPECTIVE TO THE STREETS OF SAN DIEGO

A

BY SETH COMBS / PHOTOS BY STACY KECK nyone visiting San Diego in the past month might have left our fair city thinking it was the street-art capital of the world. July saw the opening of four different local exhibitions devoted to the art form, which comprises pieces developed in public spaces, often without permission from the city or property owner.

The most notable of these exhibitions is Viva La Revolución: A Dialogue With the Urban Landscape. On display at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego downtown through January 2, 2011, it brings together 20 of the world’s top street artists, including Shepard Fairey, whose most recognizable works are his “Obey” emblem of pro-wrestler Andre the Giant and his “Hope” poster of President Obama.

Today, Fairey lives in Los Angeles, but back in the late ‘90s, he got his start using the walls of Downtown San Diego as his canvas.

That’s when he met Gerardo “Acamonchi” Yepiz, an established street artist best known for his stencil of assassinated Mexican Presidential candidate, Luis Donaldo Colosio. Acomonchi had posted the image on the Internet, and the public response was dramatic—so many people downloaded, cut-out and then used the stencil, that Colosio’s face could be seen spray-painted on walls throughout the streets of Mexico and Latin America.

Fairey and Acomonchi worked together a lot back then, painting and installing art all over the San Diego. When Fairey moved to LA and became commercially successful, Acamonchi stuck around San Diego, traveling back and forth between Tijuana to create images for Grammy-nominated electronic band, Nortec Collective. With the help of friends, he also set up music and art shows in abandoned buildings on both sides of the border.

“It was an exchange of ideas,” says Acamonchi. “There was a lot of good things going on in San Diego and TJ at the time, and I just tried to help bring the two places together.”

Today, street art has become part of mainstream culture. And with the success of the recent documentary, Exit Through The Gift Shop, the time is ripe for Acamonchi to be recognized as one of the medium’s local heroes. His new show—a collaborative exhibition with fellow artist Sergio Hernandez, called Acamonchi vs. Surge 2010, which opens August 14 at Thumbprint Gallery in North Park—represents his new work on more conventional (non-street) canvases. But despite the transitions away from illegal street art, and the fact that he’s done graphic design work for MTV, Pepsi and Adidas, Acomonchi remains true to his roots.

“I’ve really stuck to my punk-rock values,” says Acamonchi.

“Do it yourself, do it right, be competitive, do a great job and keep it legit. Keep it real.” myspace.com/gerardoyepiz

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Clockwise from top left: Gerardo “Acamonchi” Yepiz; a piece atop the pool at the Martin Building + Flats in Bankers Hill (also bottom right); a piece from inside the Martin Building (another bottom left); stencil art of the Acamonchi logo (left) and Luis Donaldo Colosio

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{currents}

chainsaw

You’re Tripping

TAKING REAL VACATIONS IS JUST PLAIN CRAZY

BY COOKIE “CHAINSAW” RANDOLPH

A

couple of Augusts ago, he could have vacationed in Rome, Italy.

But today, Super Bowl hero and weapons convict Plaxico Burress is enjoying the ultimate staycation: two years in The Oneida Correctional Facility...in Rome, New York.

The former New York Giants star is midway through his sentence for holstering an unregistered Glock in his waistband and carrying it into a Manhattan nightclub—the gun discharged when Burress fumbled for it as it slipped. He suffered a minor gunshot wound, which may not have been the first discharge he experienced while fumbling for something in his pants, but it was certainly the most painful.

Jail does have its perks—in addition to relaxing in his prison cell, Plaxico can venture out into “The Yard,” which Onieda travel brochures describe as “the most well-staffed and breathtaking recreational facility in the entire New York State penal system.” It must be true: last year 214 armed guards witnessed 27 stranglings.

But for the rest of us who remain un-jailed, we’re not going to Rome, Italy, for another reason: the economy. I mean, who in their right mind would pay to fly 20 hours in coach, only to land in a place where your electronic plug-ins won’t fit into the sockets?

Instead, why not just watch travel guru Rick Steves on PBS, guide us through the Pantheon while we lie in bed eating fudge?

Yes cherished reader, I’m saying don’t pay, stay. Staycations are waaaaay more awesome than actually going someplace.

Besides, once you’ve been to Vegas, you’ve already been to Rome, Paris or New York City, anyway (perfect replicas if you believe those places have dry heat into the 120s).

Still yearning for The Big Apple? Just watch CSI: NY or an old Seinfeld and save yourself the expense and hassle of actual travel. Are you really all that interested in cramming onto a ferry and crawling up Lady Liberty’s toga? Trust me, I’ve been in her, and she’s not all that great. (Trivia: The Statue of Liberty inspired the expression, “Like throwing a banana down Broadway,” shortly after arriving from France—as if anything other than the Washington Monument could ever really satisfy her.)

Dying to see the City of Love? Instead of booking a flight to Paris, just pick up some French Fries and stop showering for a week. Then, after staring at a Google image of the Mona Lisa for ten minutes, go order a meal from the rudest possible waiter in town. Look at that: the quintessential Parisian experience and I just saved you 10 grand and jet lag.

So, instead of packing up your favorite things in a futile attempt to simulate the comforts of home in a faraway place—all whilst paying out the wazoo for it—just stay put. Obviously, we don’t envy Plaxico Burress’ staycation, but I’ll take self-imposed house arrest over airports and security and weird foreign toilets this summer. It’s just so much more pleasant than say, oh, I don’t know, off the top of my head: surfing the Gulf of Mexico (although I hear the rates are really, really affordable right now).

Uh-oh. Too soon?

Cookie “Chainsaw” Randolph is now on 100.7 Jack-FM, mornings with the DSC. He’s also a twice-a-week columnist at 619sports.net, which recently celebrated its 23rd web hit (counting family).

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All I Ever Wanted Frolicking Fall Fashions…A Love Story

Photography by Brevin Blach

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he’s a journal-keeping, mid-western romantic who just moved here. He’s a beach-going local whose idea of a day-planner is a crumpled up piece of paper. She has a nine-to-five. He keeps some strange hours. With Summer coming to a close and Fall quickly approaching, our star-crossed lovers opt for some serious R-and-R, right here in town. After all, when you live in San Diego, every day is a potential vacation.

ON RACHEL: Necklace, $350, bracelet, $225, dress by Rebecca Taylor, $345, shoes by Prada, $750, Neiman Marcus, neimanmarcus.com; hat by Naia Archer at Shadowbox Design, $150, shadowboxdesign@gmail.com.

ON BLAKE: Pants, $195, t-shirt, $125, scarf, $125, double-breasted linen pea coat, $345, all by Theory, Bloomingdale’s, bloomingdales.com; shoes, $70, Banana Republic, bananarepublic.com.

Saturday, August 7 Blake and I have been dating for a few months, and he still insists on teaching me how to surf, but I’m a little afraid.

I mean, I just warmed up to fish tacos. We finally came to a compromise, and today we took a boat out around Mission Bay. The boat looked a little unstable and the paddles looked like they hadn’t been used since the ‘40s, but I think I finally have my sea legs. In the evening, we sat around Enchanted Cove, huddled in blankets, and watched the fireworks from Sea World in the distance. Perhaps I will try surfing next.

Wardrobe and Makeup: Jeanette Marie, jeanette-marie.com Hair: Gwendolyn Sneed, gwendolynsneed.com Set Design: NaisArcher of Shadowbox Design PROPS: San Diego Location Productions, sdpro.com MODELS: Rachel B. at Ford Models, Blake E. at No Ties Management pacificsandiego.com

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ON RACHEL: Dress by Theory $158; necklace by Neiman Marcus, $370, bracelet, $195, shoes by Manolo Blahnik, $735, Neiman Marcus, neimanmarcus.com.

ON BLAKE: Shirt by Diesel, $100, jeans

by Rock & Republic, $188, Bloomingdaleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, boomingdales.com; shoes, $160, sweater, $60, Banana Republic, bananarepublic.com

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Whe re to play:

Bal boa northwest cor ner of the nue Ave th Par k alo ng Six of Mo rley Field (jus t stay out gol fers) the way of tho se Frisbee law n The Lodge at Tor rey Pines ) on? ati erv res a d nee I (do the beach??

Thing s to remem be r:

find a place that has we ll-g roome d gra ss remem ber to ben d at the g” kne es wh en I’m “ro que tin ts” cke the arches are cal led “wi try not to get too cra zy wit h cele brator y dan ce wit h ma llet in han d try to let Rachel win

pacificsandiego.com

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Sunday, August 29 I can’t wait to go on a bike ride with Blake today! There are so many great bike trails here compared to Minneapolis. Blake wanted to go on the mountain bike trail near Sunset Cliffs, but I don’t think my new beach cruiser will cut it. Pacific Beach and Highway 101 around Solana Beach were thrown out as ideas, but I really want to see Coronado.

Blake says he doesn’t cross the bridge too often, and I hear it’s a gorgeous place to ride around all day and explore. Plus, the ferry ride over should be quite romantic.

ON RACHEL: Shirt, $68, shorts, $88, jacket, $58, all by Aqua, Bloomingdale’s, bloomingdales.com; shoes by Prada, $750, ring, $295, necklace, $275, Neiman Marcus, neimanmarcus.com; hair piece by Rachel Larraine.

ON BLAKE: shirt by Joe’s, $98, jeans by Rock & Republic, $188, fedora hat, $70, belt by Levi’s, Bloomingdale’s, bloomingdales.com; shoes by Clarks, $65, scarf by Banana Republic, $70, Banana Republic, bananarepublic.com.

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pacificsandiego.com

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ON RACHEL: Dress by Alex & Olivia, $330, shoes by Prada, $750, Neiman Marcus, neimanmarcus.com; necklace, $70, bracelet, $70, Banana Republic, bananarepublic.com; belt, stylists own; hair piece by NaisArcher of Shadowbox Design, $85, shadowboxdesign@gmail.com.

ON BLAKE: Hat, $40, sweater vest, $50, shirt, $60, pants, $70, shoes, $160, Banana Republic, bananarepublic.com.

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Saturday, September 12 What started out as a summer romance has quickly turned into love. Blake and I are so different, but he’s so romantic sometimes. He wants to take me on a picnic in Balboa Park tomorrow. That’s where we met and he said he wants to go there because he’s ready to take the next step in our relationship.

Not sure what that means (moving in together?), but Fall is coming and I’m finally feeling at home in San Diego. And with him.

pacificsandiego.com

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Make Your Move All over the county, the time is right for first-time home-buyers

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By Michelle Mowad / Photos by Stacy Keck e all know someone who’s a little on-the-fence when it comes to taking the plunge into home ownership. Can you blame them? After hearing the horror stories of foreclosures and dirty loans, it’s a wonder we’re not all hoarding our money under our mattresses.

Fortunately, the days of inflated values that led to the housing bubble, its subsequent burst and the historic lows of 2008 and 2009 are behind us. Today, pricing has adjusted and finance rates are at record lows.

According to many experts, the time to buy is now.

Despite encouraging market indicators, however, looking for a house in a county as diverse as San Diego is rarely as simple as checking crime rates and school district report cards. It’s about finding a good price as well as a neighborhood that fits your personality. So, what can you expect to find in these burgs now and, more importantly, in the future? We poked around and asked some local experts—here’s how things are looking. has been DOWNTOWN Ita long time

coming. Downtown has finally transformed into a vibrant community to work and live.

“It is probably the best time since the early ‘90s to purchase a home,” says Gary London of The London Group Realty Advisors, a real estate consulting and feasibility firm that focuses on southern California.

Prices dropped in the past few years, as numerous condo projects were completed at the same time, creating a

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glut of inventory. They fell even further when consumer confidence took a dive after the economy tanked. That’s all about to change.

At current sales rates, inventory of first-timesale condos will be sold out by spring 2010.

The median price downtown is $340,000, with the most expensive neighborhood being the waterfront Columbia District (by the Broadway Pier), with its beautiful bay views and luxury amenities. On the flipside, the least expensive hood is East Village.

Over the past decade, Downtown has grown into a solid dining and nightlife destination. If you relocate there, you can expect to see more boutiques, bars and bistros popping up amongst the statuesque office and condo buildings. Because of this, Downtown

Left page: Lofty ambitions in Downtown.

This page (clockwise from right): North Park shows signs of being the next dining and nightlife destination; a spot in La Jolla still fetches a hefty sum; house prices in North Park rose even in the bad economy.

is attracting three primary types of buyers: young and socially-engaged professionals, the buy-down buyers that finally sold off their overpriced home in the ‘burbs and out-of-area buyers looking to be at the center of it all.

Hard Rock Hotel concierge Robbie Mandagie recommends downtown’s newest offerings, including Bice Ristorante on Island Avenue, FLUXX nightclub and Noble Experiment, a hidden speakeasy with a secret entrance.

In addition to booze and bites, the area is also seeing a cultural evolution towards the arts with the opening of numerous galleries and collectives such as Alexander Salazar Fine Art and the SDSU Downtown Gallery.

Once a sketchy part of town, North Park has finally come out from under Hillcrest’s spirited shadows as an up-and-coming community with serious artistic flair. Over the past few years, investors have risked rehabbing apartments into condos in droves, and many Baby Boomers sold their aging homes to eager young buyers who didn’t mind moving into a fixer-upper.

For the median price of $460,000, you can own a

NORTH PARK

single family home in this boutique neighborhood; condos can be found for just $205,000. Listing prices are up from last year, as a myriad of restaurants are opening their doors to welcome 20- and 30-something neighborhood patrons.

North Park is perfect for indie music fans with a hankering for beer bars, wine lounges, boutiques and a motley mix of restaurants including West Coast Tavern and the area’s newest cantina, El Take It Easy, created by the folks behind the neighborhood’s celebrated Linkery. And there’s more on the way: URBN Coal Fired Pizza + Bar is set to be open by the end of the summer, and the owners of True North are currently looking into opening a neighboring brewery.

The neighboring burgs of South Park, Kensington and Talmadge are also attracting younger buyers, according to area real estate agents. Perhaps one of these flourishing communities will become the next North Park.

LA JOLLA

One of the most prestigious and elite neighborhoods in San Diego County, Southern California and the nation, La Jolla attracts the ultra-wealthy.

Plenty of posh digs are available in The 92037.

More than 40 homes are listed for, ahem, $10plus million. Even the lower end of the price spectrum still fetches seven figures. For $10,000 on a month for 30 years, you can own the median priced home of $1.4 million.

“La Jolla is the Beverly Hills by the sea,” says Gary Kent, a veteran real estate agent who heads his own firm, Gary Kent Team. “It has cache, it has the great Village of La Jolla, its name attracts buyers and it’s a name known around the world.”

The streets of La Jolla’s downtown village are lined with galleries, high-end retailers and sumptuous eateries. There is almost no reason to leave this chic community besides the fact that La Jolla lacks solid nightlife venues that offer more than dinner and drinks. However, that may change when two newcomers open this summer: Barfly, a sports bar by day and nightclub by night, and Hennessey’s on Herschel Avenue, which will have more of a gastro-pub feel. Also, nightlife impresario Mike Viscuso (owner of downtown’s famous On Broadway nightclub) is taking over the old Jack’s location with plans to reestablish La Jolla as a posh nightlife destination. The name? What else? Mike’s.

PACIFIC/MISSION BEACHES While waves of college students and recent graduates roll in and out of Pacific Beach’s and pacificsandiego.com

39

“I feel PB offers the best of both worlds,” Sigler says. “I can get to wherever I need to be in 20 minutes, and I am still at the beach.”

So, it looks like Pacific and Mission Beach will keep catering to renters; and potential homebuyers should expect continued sand, surf and SDSU students in the future.

NORTH COUNTY

Mission Beach’s rental properties, the inventory of homes and condos for sale is tight. In addition to the limited listings, the median-priced home here is nearly twice the county median, making Pacific Beach a stretch for the first-time home-buyer. Last month, the median home price for a condo was $425,000, and $680,000 for a single family home.

Despite the home prices, these beach communities remain a 20-something’s wet dream of inexpensive beer, hairless buff bodies and tons of places for take-out. The further from Garnet 40

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Avenue, the party epicenter at the beach, the more relaxed the neighborhoods feel. Crown Point, North Pacific Beach and South Mission Beach have the same beach community vibe, but lack the hoopla associated with the main drag of bars and clubs.

Jamie Lynn Sigler, founding partner of lifestyle and hospitality PR firm J Public Relations, works downtown but loves calling Pacific Beach home because it’s relaxed and still close to her office and clients.

The North County coastal market has not traditionally been affordable for first-time homebuyers. Home prices, from tony Del Mar to the ritzy areas of Carlsbad, well exceed the county’s entry-level price range. This region is more apt to draw move-up buyers looking to sink $550,000 or more.

According to real estate agent Roberta Murphy, the appeal of North County lies in the schools and shopping. Browsing the high-end lifestyle shopping centers and the Cedros Design District in Solana Beach, and playing the ponies in Del Mar are easy ways to drop some dough. First-time buyers wanting to live in North County should consider Oceanside or the inland cities of Vista, San Marcos, Escondido and Poway.

If you have a bit more cash, consider looking to buy in Encinitas. The city is seeing a resurgence in energy that started with the opening of Lux Art Institute in late 2007, and additional investors are reportedly eyeing the area. Business partners Scott Watkins and Chef Matt Gordon took note—the fellas behind North Park’s Urban Solace restaurant will open its sister restaurant, Solace and the Moonlight Lounge, later this year.

The South Bay comprises an eclectic mix of neighborhoods with varied housing choices.

SOUTH COUNTY

Left page: “For Sale” signs are all over Mission Beach for those craving sand and surf.

This page: Chula Vista and Lemon Grove (below) are perfect for new homeowners looking for stability.

Coronado, for example, offers a mellow mix of military, tourism and high-end living. Residents can walk for a snack at Burger Lounge on Orange Avenue or sample one of nearly 500 wines at Hotel Del Coronado’s wine bar, Eno. The area’s beaches and near-zero crime-rate make it a very pricey option for first-time home-buyers.

On the other end of home-price spectrum, the least expensive city in South County is National City, where you can buy a three-bedroom house for $207,000, or a two-bedroom condo for $108,000.

Somewhere between the million-dollar mansions on Coronado and the ultra-affordable homes in National City lie the homes in Chula Vista, Bonita and the border beach city of Imperial Beach. A few years ago, Chula Vista was known nationally for its high number of foreclosures; today new homeowners are taking advantage of previous owners’ bad luck, picking up homes at discounted rates via short sales (transactions in which proceeds fall short of the balance owed on the property’s loan).

Mexican culture is woven into nearly all parts of South Bay’s communities, which have stayed true to their roots and ties to family and friends south of the border. Old taco shops and

bodegas line one end of the region, while new eateries, such as Miguel’s Cocina (by The Brigantine restaurant group) in Coronado, are emerging on the other.

Cindy GomppersGraves, CEO of the South County Economic Development Council, says some of the South County’s best features are its entertainmentdriven assets, including the Silver Strand bikeway, the Olympic Training Center in East Lake and Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre.

Life is a little slower and a bit cheaper in the East, and residents like it that way.

San Diego Association of Realtors President Mark Marquez says East County has some of the best deals for home-buyers, pointing out that some prices have dropped nearly 50 percent in some neighborhoods.

“The most bang for your buck is East County,” says Marquez. “Some 3,000 to 4,000-square-foot

EAST COUNTY

updated, remodeled, newer homes on larger lots that were going for over $1 million a few years ago are now $500,000 to $600,000 in neighborhoods like Rancho San Diego.”

Prices across East County are the lowest in the county and provide many options for first time home-buyers. Median home prices in El Cajon, La Mesa, and Lemon Grove range from $265,000 to the high $300,000s.

However, culinary and cultural development is slow there. With the exception of the opening of La Mesa’s Riviera Room and Supper Club restaurant a few years ago, the biggest deal in the past year has been the opening of a Sonic burger joint in Santee (first one in San Diego). So, if you loathe change, East County is the way to go. pacificsandiego.com

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{taste}

dining out

The Fresh Man

CHEF ANTONIO FRISCIA’S NEW MENU HAS SOME SERIOUS STING

O

By Brandon Hernández / photoS by GABRIELA LINGENFELDER ver the past half-decade, Downtown’s Stingaree has garnered nationwide attention for being a top-tier night club that serves up nights to remember to luxuryminded night owls. And while other clubs have come and gone, the key to Stingaree’s success has been reinvention—just when things were getting a little static, they unveiled a redesigned rooftop lounge earlier this summer. That same philosophy of reinvigoration has just been applied to the venue’s fine-dining restaurant, which, later this month, will unveil a brand new menu created by its executive chef, Antonio Friscia.

“I’ve always stuck to my Italian training, but now I want to do a little bit more,” says Friscia. “When I was younger, I worked and traveled in Bali for a year and a half.

Since then, I’ve gotten used to using those [Indonesian] ingredients when cooking at home for my wife and kids. The new menu is a combo of what I learned during my travels to Asia and my training in Italy.”

Friscia is using this first-person fusion approach on his new dishes. There’s his sweet caramelized sea scallops served with a salad of Japanese sekai-ichi apples dressed in sherry vinaigrette, his roasted lamb chops with a spicy red lentil dahl (Indian-style soup) and barbecued pork served donburi (“bowl,” in Japanese) style in a bowl filled with flavorful fried brown rice. For those with a little culinary bravery, be on the lookout for uni (the edible eggs of the sea urchin), a delicacy Friscia used to enjoy at the beach as a kid after abalone diving sessions with his dad.

“I have this dish that’s eventually going to be added to the menu, where I take fresh pasta, sautéed garlic, white wine and some fresh roasted chilies and toss them with uni at the last minute so it emulsifies into a sauce,” says Friscia. “It’s really simple, but delicious.”

Another of the chef’s favorite ingredients is pork from the Happy Tummy pig farm in nearby Alpine, where Friscia has worked out

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a symbiotic pact with the farmers: Stingaree provides the farmers with green waste for their pigs and receives top quality, responsiblyraised Duroc pork in return. Friscia has big plans for every succulent section of the animal, from tail to snout, and the first Happy Tummy item to hit the bill is spareribs brushed with a sweet Hoisin-honey sauce.

If that dish sounds like was made to be paired with a nice Merlot, diners are in luck. Friscia’s uncle, Nunzio Alioto, is one of America’s foremost Master Sommeliers. He showed his nephew the ropes of reds, whites and rosés at an Clockwise from top: Chef Antonio Friscia; Roasted lamb rack with red lentil dahl and natural jus; “OG” pineapple upside-down cakes; Kondashi-crusted hamachi with red miso sauce and wasabi peas

early age, igniting Friscia’s passion for vino that gave way to a life of study and appreciation.

“Today, I’m an Advanced Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers and the Wine and Spirit Education Trust out of England,” says Friscia. “It cost me thousands of dollars, but it was worth it.”

All of this could sound intimidating to some diners, but Friscia maintains that Stingaree’s new menu will always be based on a communal format meant to spark conversation, interaction and memorable experiences.

“Life’s too short to eat bad food or fast food,” says Friscia. “Sit down at the table and take time to talk to your friends and family and enjoy your food.”

Stingaree 454 Sixth Avenue, Downtown 619.544.9500 | stingsandiego.com

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Fundraising in the Fast lane

{taste}

dining out

cocktail

The patio at the Cosmopolitan

MARGARET VIRISSIMO Margaret Virissimo is doing well by doing good.

She’s a member of a new breed of fundraisers bringing a young, contemporary spin to supporting worthwhile causes. Margaret plans special events to raise funds for one of San Diego’s classic charities: Meals–on-Wheels.

Events are not her only thing…she is currently founding and recruiting a new group where savvy young professionals can mix and mingle and, at the same time, give back to this wonderful organization.

Margaret just successfully staged a huge Street Fair and is now pounding down Red Bulls as she helms the organization’s biggest event in years: A 50th Anniversary Gala. It’s on September 11 at the Sheraton (the first, big hotel on the right.) “I’m slammed but I love the pressure. This gala is going to be awesome!” Margaret said. “It’s going to POP!” She is a native daughter of San Diego; a proud Portuguese princess from Point Loma. A former Miss Cabrillo, her dark eyes flash with pride as she describes how her grandparents arrived here with no money, no English and built a lucrative family fishing business and helped to settle the vibrant Portuguese community on the Point.

“I love my grandparents and when I go out and deliver meals to our clients, I fall in love with them!”

Margaret said. “I want to bring other new people into the Meals-on-Wheels family.” If you love your grandma, call Margaret. She’ll hook you up with tickets to the upcoming gala, which will feature an appetizer throw-down with top local chefs including Chef David Warner from JRDN and Chef David Meade from Nobu at the Hard Rock. You can also join the new young pro group at Meals-on-Wheels bringing fresh philanthropic energy to make a real difference in this world. One grandma at a time.

Back to the Future CHEF AMY DIBIASE MOVES AHEAD BY STEPPING INTO SAN DIEGO’S PAST

E

Chef Amy DiBiase

By Brandon Hernández / Photos by Bradley Lamont

verywhere she’s cooked, chef Amy DiBiase has upped her culinary cred, capitalizing on a classic French technique and the inherent flavors of her Mediterranean heritage. She wowed diners with her buttery foie gras torchon (liver wrapped in cloth) at Laurel and drew the masses to Point Loma for her sumptuous braised pork cheeks at Roseville. Earlier this year, she decided it was time to move onward and upward, so it’s only natural she should turn up in…Old Town?

Say what? One of San Diego’s most gifted gourmands has touched down in the land of refried beans and gringo-friendly Ameri-Mex cuisine? WTF? On the surface, it sounds rather bizarre del mundo, but fear not, foodies. DiBiase’s new digs, The Cosmopolitan Hotel and Restaurant, is anything but just another beans-and-rice dot on the Old Town State Park map.

“We don’t want it to be a Mexican restaurant,” says DiBiase. “This is an opportunity to give locals a reason to come to Old Town to have a nice experience that represents the history of all of San Diego, not just Mexican settlers.”

Drawing from a list of ingredients indigenous to the area, DiBiase’s style could probably best be described as Seasonal Californian meets New American cuisine. Albacore is pepper-crusted and topped with a tapenade of local olives, swordfish is brightened by a tangy bell pepper relish, housecured salmon is artfully matched with earthy poblano chilies in a buttery potato “torta” (tart) and

her infamous pork cheeks sing with new life thanks to a Temecula lavender honey and kumquat glaze.

DiBiase’s arrival comes on the heels of threeyear, multi-million dollar restoration of the The Cosmopolitan property that was overseen by historians and the California State Park system.

The result is a hospitality venue that appears exactly as it did from 1850 to 1874, from the décor right down to the buttons on the vests of the staff’s uniforms. It’s a little bit of the old with a lot of the new, and the only thing more surprising than coming across a restaurant like this in the heart of Old Town is The Cosmopolitan’s price point. The majority of the dishes, including the albacore, pork cheeks and a half-pound prime top sirloin steak are under $20, and everything is under $30.

Serving as the culinary ambassador for San Diego’s storied past while breathing new life into the region’s edible bounty and at a reasonable rate—it’s all in a day’s work for the tireless DiBiase and a challenge she relishes deeply.

“In the end,” she says, “I just love seeing people experience food the way it should be experienced.”

The Cosmopolitan Hotel & Restaurant 2660 Calhoun Street, Old Town 619.297.1874, oldtowncosmopolitan.com

PRESENTED BY

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be crazy

{taste}

dining out

cocktail

drink crazy

What’s Shaken

I THOUGHT IT WAS THE MARTINI, BUT IT MAY HAVE BEEN ME By dave good / photo by brevin blach

I

was sitting in a bar downtown a few years ago, and my date ordered one of those black martinis. They were all the rage back then. It was a pretty thing to look at: pearlescent, not quite black but close enough, and served in traditional martini stemware, frosted and sophisticated.

“I’ve never had a martini,” she said, taking a delicate sip.

“You still haven’t,” I said. Maybe I spoke too soon.

Shaken or stirred, the classic martini is a simple, no-frills cocktail: a measure of good gin and a dash of vermouth mixed in a shaker full of cracked ice, then strained and served in a martini glass with either an olive or a lemon peel garnish. Created in the ‘30s, it eventually grew to include a vodka variation with a pearl onion garnish, but little else.

Richard Nixon hated marijuana, but he loved his martinis as much as the fictional James Bond does and the very real Dorothy Parker did. Parker, the witty New Yorker writer who died in 1967, was such a fan that she even wrote a little poem in celebration of her favorite quaff: I like to have a martini, Two at the most.

After three I’m under the table, After four I’m under the host.

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This was the stuff of the fabled three-martini-lunches. Soon enough, the drink became the quintessential sophisticate drink, and having one in hand was a mark of cultural distinction. When a new crop of “specialty” and “fruity” martinis came along years later, they were disdained by purists, of which I thought I was one—until now.

This evening, Wellington Steak and Martini lounge bartender Colin Killroy has made me a Cucumber Goose martini: muddled lime, cucumber, eucalyptus infused syrup and cracked ice with Grey Goose vodka.

“I call it a spa treatment in a glass,” says Wellington manager Javier Rios.

He isn’t kidding. Opened two days before last Christmas by Red Door owner Rick Liberan, Wellington offers 18 martini variations, all just $7.50 during the 5 to 6 p.m. daily happy hour. As I take another sip from my Cucumber Goose, I begin to realize that it’s me, not the martini, that has been shackled by tradition.

Now if I could just find the woman with the black martini and tell her I had it all wrong…

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{groove}

bartender

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spin cycle

A Date with Destiny

Meet a country firecracker who can determine the fate of your next cocktail

BY SETH COMBS PHOTOS BY JAMES NORTON

W

hen it comes to her name, Destiny Newton’s heard all the lines.

“The one that I hear most often is, ‘Oh, did you know you’re my destiny,’” she says. “All I can say is, ‘Oh, no, I’ve never heard that one before.’”

She may resemble your typical beachgoing babe, but The FleetWood bartender is a hard-drinking, fly-fishing nature girl from Northern California who’d rather be riding horses outside than a mechanical bull in a nightclub. And starting in August, she’ll be serving it up at The FleetWoods’s beachside sequel, The BeachWood, in Pacific Beach.

Just before heading out on a camping trip, the fiery country gal hips us to everything from the best college major for bartenders to the drink that she claims real women imbibe (and no, it’s not a glass of Chardonnay).

Destiny Newton raises the bar at The BeachWood

PacificSD: Nice cowboy boots. Where’d you say you were from?

Destiny Newton: I’m from a small town outside of Chico. I moved here three years ago.

So, would you consider yourself a cowgirl at heart?

Newton: Yeah, for sure. I would definitely take going out camping over going to a club any day. But, I also enjoy going out on the town. When my girlfriends come down to visit me, it’s on. We go out, and we go big.

What do you consider the best things about both the Woods?

Newton: I love sports, and when I work at FleetWood during the Padres games, it gets that sports-bar vibe going. There’ll be that same atmosphere at the beach, but it’s more of a vacation vibe. In Downtown there’s more business-people, and the beach is going to be more of a party.

What do you do outside of the bar?

Specialty drink: A Washington Apple (Crown Royal, Sour Apple schnapps, cranberry juice and splash of 7 Up).

“Basically, anything with whiskey.

They’re simple, but everyone gets really happy after they drink mine—probably because I’m a little heavy with the Crown.”

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Newton: I’m going to college for communications.

Well, that’ll come in handy if you keep bartending.

Newton: [Laughs] Yeah, the job helps with the speech classes a lot.

What’s your drink of choice?

Newton: Jack Daniels.

And…?

Newton: And nothing. Sometimes I need a Coke back, but it’s always been my favorite.

So, you get some bad pick-up lines, but what could a customer do to get your attention, if anything?

Newton: Just ask me how my day is going. I love to get to know people, and I’ll make sure they’re taken care of. I love making people happy by getting them buzzed.

So, uh, how’s your day going?

Newton: [Laughs] I’m going camping, but when I come back you’re doing a shot of Jack with me.

Biggest tip: $700 “It was a friend. I think he was really hammered and didn’t realize what he was doing, but I didn’t tell him.”

Notable celebrity customer: Jennifer Love Hewitt. “I got all giddy, because where I’m from, that never happens.”

Embarrassing story: “When I was doing bottle service, the floor was wet and I fell flat on my ass. Of course, I had a tray of drinks in my hand.”

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{groove}

Fight Songs

A SAN DIEGO QUINTET BRINGS THEIR BEACH PARTY TO WARPED TOUR AND BEYOND

Fight Fair (from left): Evan Henkel, Chris Begley, Josh Reef, Alex Bigman and Kyle Wanninger.

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bartender

A

lex Bigman knows how to party. Back in 2004, the one-time SDSU frat boy decided that he preferred entertaining a crowd far more than simply being a part of one. That’s when the aspiring singer, along with friend and drummer, Josh Reef, started the pop-punk quintet Fight Fair.

For the last six years, they’ve added three new members, toured extensively, produced a pair of EPs and continuously worked to refine their sound. Just a few weeks ago, they finally released their full-length debut, California Kicks, a collection of upbeat punk tunes steeped in classic surf rock.

“We really wanted to bring what we love about California to the rest of the world,” says Bigman.

And as luck would have it, they’re

showtime

spin cycle

By SCOTT MCDONALD / PHOTO BY KEVIN KNIGHT currently getting a chance to do just that.

Fight Fair was invited to play the entire June to August run of the 2010 Vans Warped Tour, a nationally touring music festival that stops in San Diego’s Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre on August 10. Bigman says the transition from long-time audience members to performers on the popular tour has been a dream come true.

“I went to my first Warped Tour years ago,” he says. “All the way through high school and college, I’d go with my friends every single summer. And now, it’s just so exciting and awesome that we can actually be a part of it.”

While Fight Fair started out with a harder-edged sound (think lots of guitars riffs and screaming), the band has worked diligently to hone their sound into one that is more accessible

to a broader audience. But even in doing so, the young five-piece has never lost track of the So-Cal culture that has significantly impacted all of their lives.

By drawing from a wide range of classics like The Beach Boys, Jan & Dean and Buddy Holly, and channeling it through punk influences like NOFX and Pennywise, Fight Fair comes off like a version of Beach Blanket Bingo directed

by Joey Ramone. And that happens to be exactly what they’re going for.

“I think it’s a totally original sound,” says Bigman. “There’s really no one else doing what we’re doing right now. And more than anything, we just want to do our own thing. We’ve been getting a great reaction so far and want to see where it can go. Hopefully, it’ll just keep going and going.” myspace.com/fightfair

“It’s a sure thing.”

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{groove}

Bubble Boys

bartender

showtime

spin cycle

DJ Groundfloor and Anthony Ross

WITH THEIR UNIQUE FLAVOR, THESE TWO DJS ARE PUTTING SAN DIEGO ELECTRO ON THE NATIONAL MAP

By SETH COMBS / photo by jeff “turbo” corrigan

E

arlier this year, they were just two producers/DJs who started a little passion project to make dance-floor-ready electro remixes of some of their favorite songs. So, when DJ Anthony Ross and DJ Groundfloor (working together under the name Bubblegum SciFi) posted their remix of “The Reeling” from Massachusetts synth-poppers Passion Pit online, they had no idea how big the song would get. But the day after its debut, the song was everywhere—it climbed to the number one spot on the HypeM.com charts (a website that tracks a song’s popularity on thousands of music blogs, something like a Google for music) and the guys were suddenly inundated with calls from promoters and advertising execs.

“The blog world passed it on to every corner of the Internet,” says Ross.

“The best part was when Sony contacted us to use it on commercials to market the UK TV show, The Skins.”

“A big ego booster was looking at the comments people posted on YouTube about the song,” adds Groundfloor, whose real name is Lee Schneider. “Thousands of people said nice things. One guy said he conceived while listening to it!”

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scene, both Groundfloor and Ross already had a lot going on individually, even before the new collaboration. Between them, they have more than a decade of club experience–Ross plays almost every other weekend at Voyeur, while Groundfloor spins everywhere from Hard Rock to U-31. But together, Ross says, they produce a gritty, bass-heavy take on electro they couldn’t have made individually.

“I just think, as an artist, it’s impossible to stay in one spot for too long,” he says. “If the niche you’re in doesn’t expand, it’s just a black hole of talent. The music doesn’t go anywhere but to the same ears, and the scene doesn’t grow.”

While the guys seem content at the prospect of representing the San Diego scene (which Ross claims could be “the fastest growing electro scene in the country”), they remain selective on the shows they’ll play. An album of original material is in the works, and Groundfloor claims it will be filled with what is already the group’s signature sound.

“A blogger on a popular dance music blog described our Passion Pit remix as a ‘fist-pumping sing-a-long.’ I think that’s what we strive for,” he says, “minus the Jersey Shore connotation.” myspace.com/bubblegumscifi

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Emily

{love} blind date

Veronica

Carlos Danny

Double Time TWO GUYS, TWO GIRLS, ONE PERFECT NIGHT BY THE BEACH

W

PHOTOS BY DARRELL ALONZI ith the sun setting over Crystal Pier, and dudes and chicks rolling by on skateboards and beach cruisers, the view from the bluff at the west end of Felspar Street is quintessential summer in Pacific Beach—the perfect setting for tonight’s hometown getaway blind date.

An impossibly long limo is stretched out by the boardwalk, waiting to take the daters on their great escape. Before Emily and Veronica meet Danny and Carlos for the first time, let’s review the pre-date interviews.

PacificSD: What do you do for a living?

Veronica: Grad student and cocktail server.

Emily: My friends would say I’m a professional beach bum.

Danny: I’m the city’s marketing director for Yelp. com. Basically, I have fun for a living.

Carlos: I’m a professional networker and a taco aficionado.

What do you do for fun?

Veronica: I like to run, dance, boat, anything outdoors, and I love nightlife in San Diego.

Emily: I’m obsessed with Hula Hooping right now. I’ve got some good tricks down.

Danny: I love the unknown. Anytime I can try something new, whether it be a restaurant, sport, bar, sports bar, fitness class, or outdoor activity I’ve never partaken in before, I’ll seize the opportunity.

Carlos: I love live music. Going to shows and seeing new bands is my favorite thing to do in town.

Why are you going on a blind date in a magazine?

Veronica: For a chance to meet someone with no pressure.

Emily: Veronica asked me to go, and I can’t say “no” to a good battle of the blondes.

Danny: ‘Cause VH1 rejected my spinoff proposal for Real Chance At Love, where I get to date several different gorgeous ladies. Apparently they didn’t like the title, Thirsty For Wursty, too much. [Danny’s last name is Wurst] 54

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Carlos: Whether it’s a hobo in OB or a pretty girl downtown, I love to be outgoing and meet new people.

What are you looking for in a date?

Veronica: Definitely someone that can make me laugh, but most of all someone who is honest.

Emily: Someone to be less awkward than me— that can be cured by someone who laughs a lot. I like to keep things lighthearted, so I hate when the talk goes philosophical.

Danny: I’m looking for someone I can be myself around, someone who’s funny and ambitious, but at the same time doesn’t take life too seriously. Basically, I’d like a good friend who’d I’d eventually like to make sweet, sweet love to.

Carlos: Someone who likes to have a good time, loves to laugh and is a Charger fan.

What are your biggest turn-ons?

Veronica: Self-confidence, humor, intelligence.

Emily: Tall men with beards.

Danny: Sense of humor, sincerity, creativity and, yes, a rotund boo-tay never hurts.

Carlos: Optimism. Also, someone who can laugh at themselves and not worry too much about what others think.

Turn-offs?

Veronica: People who talk about money and possessions, and people who are rude.

Emily: Small upper lips, cross tattoos and a bad

attitude.

Danny: Flakiness, manipulators, halitosis, cheapskates, snort-laughers, Millionaire Matchmaker.

Carlos: A busted-up grill. No one wants to kiss someone with a snarl tooth, right?

Anything you’d like to add?

Veronica: No matter what, I’m sure Emily and I will have fun. We make the best out of all situations.

Emily: Nope.

Danny: On a serious note, 90 percent of the time, I’m not being serious.

Carlos: Do I have to pay? Also, I heard Danny farts in his sleep—FYI, ladies.

The daters meet and then jump into the Epic Limo land yacht for the cruise south along the coast to Belmont Park, in Mission Beach. With Peroni beers and Patrón tequila on board, it’s a San Diego tourist’s dream come true.

(Continued on Page 56)

Tourist’s Tip: Crystal Pier, which featured a cork-lined dance floor at its western tip opened when it opened on July 4, 1927, was developed by Earl Taylor, who had arrived in Pacific Beach from Kansas in 1923.

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{love} blind date

FROM LEFT: Champagne wishes and cotton candy dreams; wanna take a Dipper?; three outta four ain’t bad

Tickets to Ride

With VIP amusement passes on their wrists, the daters take on Belmont Park

H

aving just dismounted their nighlife charriot, the foursome heads toward the Giant Dipper, Mission Beach’s iconic roller coaster. Emily and the guys seem excited for the ride; Veronica does not. She rises to the challenge, but stands on the sidelines when the other three take on thrillride number two, Beach Blaster, a swinging and spinning pendulum of nausea and almost certain death. Shrieks of laughter emanate from the ride as Veronica looks on…without a smile.

Strolling through the amusement park after the rides, the four split into twos: Emily and Carlos are talking and laughing; Veronica and Danny seem to be walking together by default. After picking up the requisite bag of cotton candy, they get back into the limo, heading north through Bird Rock and Windansea to Tikul, a brand-new haute Mexican restaurant on Prospect Street.

Inside Tikul, a jazzy trio (fronted by a guitarplaying lead singer who also owns the joint) performs Carlos Santana and Gipsy King tunes.

The daters talk over drinks and appetizers at the bar before being split for mid-date debriefings.

Tourist’s Tip: The Giant Dipper, which cost $50,000 to build and opened to the public July 4, 1925, was part of a development project envisioned by San Diego sugar magnate, John D. Spreckels.

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LADIES FIRST

PacificSD: First impressions?

Emily: It was almost nerve-wracking walking up to the boys, but it was good.

They were super-easy to get along with as soon as we met them.

Veronica: The guys are very cool, very laidback.

I don’t feel awkward or creeped out.

How was the roller coaster?

Emily: If you make me go upside down and throw up, that is a good date. When my hair looks horrible and like half of my top is ripped, I like it… in the sense of roller coasters. [Both laugh] Veronica: I did not favor the roller coaster on a first date.

What do you think of Danny?

Emily: Danny seems cool, he’s a total EastCoaster, born and raised in Chicago. It’s fun to have somebody from a different coast mixed in with the west coasters.

Veronica: I think he’s a little more laid back than us. We’re a little more…rambunctious. He said he’s a very dive bar kind of guy. I’m much more of a, you know, gotta have a DJ in the house.

How about Carlos?

Emily: He’s sexy, he’s laid back. We have a lot of the same interests. He’s definitely a fellow beach bum and surfer. When he pulled his hair back in a

pony tail…sold! I love it.

Veronica: Yeah, you guys clicked instantly. I haven’t even talked to Carlos.

Rank Carlos physically on a scale from one to 10.

Veronica: Oh, that’s sorta mean.

Emily: No it isn’t; he’s good. He’s got long hair, good teeth—he’s like a nine.

And Danny?

Emily: He’s a seven for sure.

Veronica: I think they’re both sevens.

Do you want to kiss either of the guys right now?

Emily: Give me another martini, and I’d be down. Yeah, no harm in kissing—it burns calories.

Veronica: No, not really.

During dinner, you’ll sit in adjoining booths, each of you with one of the guys. Whom will you sit with?

Emily: Carlos.

Veronica: I’m definitely going to sit with Danny. Danny and I are way more clicking, and they’re more clicking with each other.

(Continued on Page 58)

Friday, August 13: PacificSD invites you to...

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{love} blind date

Hunger Strikes the women have spoken, now the guys describe their appetites GENTLEMEN

PacificSD: First Impressions?

Danny: They seem pretty down to earth, pretty cool. And after talking to them for a little bit, I was pretty relieved that they were a lot smarter than what you would actually think that two really hot blonde babes that look like that would be.

Carlos: Both girls are beautiful.

They seem outgoing and perfect for two guys like us.

How was the roller coaster?

Danny: I thought it was cool, a fun idea. You definitely get to know someone a lot better when you’re more on the sober side, doing something like going on a roller coaster.

Carlos: It was a little awkward at first, waiting in line and small-talking, but the ride itself broke so many barriers. We just screamed at the top of our lungs together and were all of a sudden more willing to share stuff with each other, so it was awesome.

What do you think of Emily?

Carlos: She likes to travel, she likes to laugh, and those are two qualities that I seek in people.

Danny: I didn’t really get to know her too much.

She seems pretty much up for whatever comes

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and Emily I would give more of a nine.

her way. She’s a Yes girl, whereas Veronica seemed like more of an Um, I’m not really sure if this is for me type of girl.

Do you want to kiss either of them right now?

Carlos: Yes, I would have to say I have more of a connection with Emily, and I feel like it would only be polite to cap off a pretty fun night with a kiss.

Danny: Who’s to say I haven’t already kissed both of them?

During dinner, you guys will sit in adjoining booths, each of you with one How about Veronica? of the women.

Carlos: I didn’t get Whom will you to know her as well as I sit with?

The guy in the middle sings and plays did Emily, and obviously Carlos: Based guitar (well) and owns the place the attire might’ve on the evening so contributed to her decision, but I thought that her far, I’d like to have dinner with Emily. not going on the big ride might have come across Danny: I’d probably rather have dinner with as not willing to be spontaneous. Spontaneity is a Emily, just because I haven’t gotten to know her as really big thing for me. much, But it’s cool. Go for it, Carlos.

Danny: On a physical level, she’s obviously cute, but I think we would be more on like a friends Sitting in their respective booths, the couples look over basis. The lack of being spontaneous was kind of a the menus. Despite some inter-booth conversation, red flag that she wouldn’t be the kind of girl that I Emily remains focused on Carlos, while Veronica would want to date. appears to have warmed to Danny a bit.

As their entrees arrive, the daters are finally left Rate the women physically on a scale from one alone to enjoy their evening in privacy, away from the to 10. flashing lights and probing questions of the magazine Carlos: I’ll give Emily a 10, Veronica a nine. crew. We call the next morning to see what we missed.

(Continued on Page 60) Danny: I would give Veronica probably an eight,

{love} blind date CLOCKWISE: Dinner is served; the guys make their choices; Emily and Veronica use their final life lines

Couples Retreat

the daters’ REFLECTions ON LAST NIGHT’S STAYCATION

V

eronica, Emily, Danny and Carlos confirm that the limo dropped them off at Thrusters Lounge in Pacific Beach for a night cap after dinner. “I think the ladies were a little intimidated by our moves,” Danny says, “because they left shortly thereafter.”

PacificSD: Overall, how was the date?

Veronica: I started out a little whiney at the fair, because I was just a little over dressed with heels for a roller coaster. But when we got back in the limo, it was better from then on.

Emily: It was a damn good way to spend a Thursday night.

Danny: It was a really fun way to cross my first blind date experience off the list.

Carlos: It was my first blind date, and it was a fun experience.

How was Tikul?

Veronica: There was nice music, friendly service and delicious food. Danny and I shared the filet mignon and the sea bass for our entrees, and all four of us shared the coconut-crusted shrimp, the mussels (which were amazing) and the ceviche for appetizers.

Emily: It was a mellow, sexy atmosphere. I drank a few dirty Kettles and tried their sangria, which was amazing. We all shared the appetizers. I had the seared tuna for dinner.

Danny: Tikul is definitely a great place to take a date. The food, drinks and atmosphere were all on point. I was stoked that my date was up for sharing, so we were able to try a little bit of everything.

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Carlos: Tikul had a lot of potential—the classy La Jolla vibe, delicious food with great cocktails— it’s a perfect date spot. I’d certainly go back.

What was the best part of the date?

Veronica: We all just got along really well, and there were no awkward moments of the date.

Emily: Riding the roller coaster in Mission. I love roller coasters!

Danny: The limo rides were really fun. Besides it being fully stocked with beer and Patron, I think the four of us really hit it off on a friend-like basis.

Carlos: Having lived in San Diego for as long as I have, I had never gone on the Belmont Park roller coaster That was so much fun.

Will there be a second date?

Veronica: For now, just as friends, but we will definitely be hanging out.

Emily: We will all hang out as friends again, for sure. If something romantic comes out of it, then I’m down.

Danny: I’m gonna have to go with “No” on the formal date setting, but I’d definitely friend request her.

Carlos: I don’t think so—maybe a day at the beach playing bocce ball but nothing formal.

Aftermatch:

Like the Giant Dipper itself, this four-way blind date had its ups and downs. Veronica started out unhappy on the roller coaster, but a limo ride and a few cocktails turned that frown upside down. In contrast, Emily and Carlos seemed to be high on each other from the start, but their ride peaked early and plummeted back to earth after dinner. Danny kept an even keel throughout the voyage and always seemed happy to be along for the ride.

A stretch limo, sunset over the ocean, playing at an amusement park, dinner in La Jolla and late-night dancing—these could have been the makings of a perfect date, but they weren’t. The good news is that, even though the daters didn’t fall for each other, last night’s hometown getaway may have helped them fall in love with their city all over again. Well, that and the fact that, when they were all hanging out at Thrusters, Carlos and Danny got free drinks.

“The funniest part,” Emily says, “was running into Veronica’s ex at Thrusters while we were still with our dates, and having her ex pay for all our drinks… our dates’ drinks included.”

PacificSD sure knows how to show our daters a good time. Eat your heart out, Travelocity gnome!

Tourist’s Tip: In the late 1860s, brothers Daniel and Samuel Sizer each bought 80-acre plots in La Jolla, paying the City of San Diego about $1.25 per acre. Today, the land would be worth more than $2 million per acre.

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Submit events to calendar@pacificsandiego.com. Compiled by Logan Broyles

7/20-8/22: A Midsummer Night’s Dream Venue: La Jolla Playhouse Tickets: $31-66 Info: lajollaplayhouse.org High school English would have been a lot easier if Shakespeare’s play came with pictures and a translation. Lucky for us, the La Jolla Playhouse’s artistic director, Christopher Ashley, is a serious bard buff and is staging a whole new reimagining of the fantastical play, which features a full orchestra, aerial acrobatics and puppetry.

8/1: UFC Live!

Venue: San Diego Sports Arena Tickets: $44-254 Info: sandiegoarena.com Let’s face it: MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) has officially taken over as the biggest contact sport in the world, and Ultimate Fighting Championship is the big leagues. It’s hard to believe that San Diego has never hosted a fight, but that’s all about to change when Jon “Bones” Jones takes on Vladimir Matyushenko. Sure, you could watch it on pay-per-view on a big screen, but in-person is about as high-def as it gets. courtes y of U F C

8/6: Ringo Starr @ Humphrey’s by the Bay, humphreysconcerts.com 8/6: The B-52s @ San Diego County Fairgrounds, sdfair.com 8/6: Rob Thomas @ Pechanga, pechanga.com 8/7: Ludacris @ Belly Up Tavern, bellyup.com 8/10: Vans Warped Tour @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre, livenation.com 8/10: Everclear @ Anthology, anthologysd.com 8/10: Alejandro Escovedo @ Belly Up Tavern, bellyup.com 8/11: My Morning Jacket @ SDSU Open Air Theatre 8/11: Seu Jorge, Almaz @ Belly Up Tavern, bellyup.com 8/12: Creedence Clearwater Revisited @ Humphrey’s by the Bay, humphreysconcerts.com 8/12: Aterciopelados @ Belly Up Tavern, bellyuptavern.com 8/13: Steve Poltz @ The Casbah, casbahmusic.com 8/14: Lewis Black @ Pala Casino, palacasino.com (comedy) 8/14: Jimmy Cliff, Matisyahu @ San Diego County Fairgrounds, sdfair.com 8/14: Reverend Horton Heat @ House of Blues, hob.com 8/15: Los Lonely Boys @ The Dreamcathcer at Viejas, viejasentertainment.com 8/16: Chromeo @ House of Blues, hob.com 8/16: American Idol Live @ Viejas Arena, viejasarena.com 8/19: Fitz & The Tantrums @ The Casbah, casbahmusic.com 8/20: Dave Matthews Band @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre, livenation.com 8/20: Bill Maher @ Humphrey’s by the Bay, humphreysconcerts.com (comedy) 8/20: Ozomatli @ San Diego County Fairgrounds, sdfair.com 8/21: Wolfmother @ House of Blues, hob.com 8/21: Weezer @ San Diego County Fairgrounds, sdfair.com 8/24: Three Waves A Day Benefit ft. Shaka Buku @ Belly Up Tavern, bellyuptavern.com 8/25: John Mayer @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre, livenation.com 8/25: Chris Isaak @ Humphrey’s by the Bay, humphreysconcerts.com 8/27: Wanda Sykes @ Pala Casino, palacasino.com (comedy) 8/29: American Carnage Tour @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre, livenation.com

C raig S chwart z

{Listen}

{Home Games} Pala C asino

San Diego Chargers Vs. (Preseason) San Diego Padres Vs. 8/14: Chicago Bears 8/1: Florida Marlins 8/21: Dallas Cowboys 8/10-12: Pittsburgh Pirates 8/24-26: Arizona Diamondbacks 8/27-29: Philadelphia Phillies

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M ike N owak

8/7: Chargers Fanfest Venue: Qualcomm Stadium Admission: Free Info: chargers.com Is this finally going to be the year the Chargers make it back to the big game? Ask one of the Bolts diehards at this year’s Fanfest, and you’ll likely get a very affirmative answer. Get autographs from your favorite players, watch a performance by the Chargers girls and join 10,000 other crazed fans to watch a full-team scrimmage.

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courtes y of the D el M ar Fairgrounds

8/7: Professional Bull Riding Venue: San Diego County Fairgrounds Tickets: $26-$66 Info: sdfair.com Our editor thought Professional Bull Riding (PBR, for short) was kind of hokie, until he went to see it in person and came back with a big belt buckle.

Straddling braveness and insanity, the international crew of fellas that mount these crazed beasts gets thrown around like rag dolls—all for a shot at the championship.

8/8: CityFest Venue: 5th Ave. and University Ave., Hillcrest Admission: Free Info: fabulousehillcrest.com If you’re still in a celebratory mood after Pride, then Hillcrest is once again the place to be. Help celebrate the burg’s and culture at the 26th annual CityFest, when the streets underneath the Hillcrest sign will be closed to traffic, luring an expected 150,000 attendees with live music, over 250 vendors, a beer garden and games and activities.

8/29: San Diego Fire Run Venue: La Jolla to Pacific Beach Registration: $35 Info: sdfirerescue.org Running can be fun, especially when there are hot, sweaty firemen involved. Enjoy the, uh, scenery, as the Fire Run begins at the shores of La Jolla and ends at a beer garden and after-party, where each participant (over 21) receives two free, welldeserved beers. Proceeds benefit the San Diego Fire Rescue Foundation.

Daza

8/28-11/7: The Art of Photography Venue: Lyceum Theatre Gallery Tickets: Free Info: artofphotography show.com More than ten grand in prize money is up for grabs as photographers young and old compete in this international exhibition. Stop by and see startling images from some of the world’s most talented shutterbugs.

You never know, you might see them in National Geographic one day. courtes y of the S an D iego F ire R escue F oundation

pacificsandiego.com | AUGUST 2010

8/28: Timken’s Art of Fashion Venue: Timken Museum of Art Tickets: $125 Info: timkenmuseum.org The creativity from Project Runway fused with artistic talent of the Getty—get in tune with your creative self as you browse through fashion pieces based on famous works of art by Fashion Careers College students, including Project Runway contestant Jesus Estrada. courtes y of B auman Photogra p h y

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DEL MAR THOROUGHBRED CLUB

8/28: Pacific Classic Venue: Del Mar Racetrack Tickets: $6 Info: dmtc.com There’s no doubt that opening day at the racetrack is one of the biggest events of the year, but if you’d rather watch the ponies than silly hats, then it doesn’t get any bigger than the Pacific Classic. See who fetches the $1 million dollar purse and stop by the craft microbrew festival while soaking in the sounds from the nearby FM94/9 local music showcase.

SASSY CITY CHICKS

8/27-9/2: Maya Indie Film Series Venue: Gaslamp All Stadium 15 Tickets: Price of theater admission (varies) Info: mayaindieseries.com San Diego already has the impressive Latino Film Festival, and now the Maya Indie Film Series is coming to town after an eight-city national tour.

PacificSD featured Chamaco (starring Martin Sheen) in the July issue, and the other five films are just as critically acclaimed and are directed by some of the best up-and-coming Latino directors.

L ori B rooks Photogra p h y

8/19: Sassy Chicks Fashion Bash Venue: Float at the Hard Rock Hotel San Diego Tickets: $3, $10 VIP Info: sassycitychicks.com If there’s anything the ladies love more than designer labels, it’s a deal. What better way to get the hottest fashion items than straight from the source? Top designers like Chanel, Marc Jacobs and Hudson will be flaunting their best summer items for epically low sales of up to 80% off. Special VIP tickets include a gift bag full of lingerie, make-up and other prizes, plus free entry into Float for an evening of beats by DJ Echo.

R ob y n T wome y

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{think}

A Grand Old Time

ACTUALLY, MAKE THAT TEN GRAND

Grand Prize Winner

For one of our recent daily Facebook contests, PacificSD posted the following message:

Nick A., from North Park

Pacific San Diego Magazine You have one day and $10,000 to spend on the ultimate Staycation day in San Diego. In 25 words or less, what will you do?

Many of you played along. Here are our favorite (unedited) responses: R.J. L. I would rent out the pool at the Hard Rock. Mojitos for everybody! Also, bikini tops wouldn’t be allowed because they clog the pool’s filters. Safety first!

Taryn A. I would rent a surf camp for a week for foster kids...of course my son and I would have to join them, cuz I stink at surfing!

David S. With ten of my friends...Day Spa, Padres Game then close the Gaslamp.

Jennifer H. AM shopping spree, dj’ed yacht party, poolside pregame @ the Del catered by Phil’s BBQ, buyout Quality Social for a nite of fist pumping and douchbagery!

Tracy J. To return the favor, I would throw a huge bash for Pacific Mag and their Facebook fans. That way, everyone can finally meet each other to the point “where everybody knows your name.” =) Nick A. This one’s easy. I would rent the Star of India for a cruise on the bay and throw one kick ass party!

Jonathan N. Group skydiving with close family and friends. Then a great dinner with the same family and friends.

Tim C. Buy up 1 section of tickets to the next Dodger @ Pads Game (July 27th) and give everyone San Diego Chicken costumes to wear!

Patrick H. Take a Helicopter flight out East to a flat top mountain for a Champagne lunch, fly back and take a private yacht for a moon light dinner on San Diego Bay and up the coast past La Jolla and Torrey Pines. Then a Limo to the Gas Lamp Quarter for after dinner drinks.

Finishing with a walk on the beach and a night at the Hotel Del in the Honey Moon Suite.

Lauren A. Batting practice followed by a bbq on the infield of petco park with a bunch of friends. A little over the $10,000 budget, but dare to dream, right?

Creative E. Find five intelligent homeless teenagers, give each $2,000 for an apartment, new clothes, food and computer so they have a chance to accomplish their dreams.

Rachel H. Waking up at The Del. Mimosas and Bloodies overlooking the beach! Shopping at Nordstrom. Gondala ride at night- champagne! The rest cannot be wrote here...

Matt G. With half I’d buy 10,000 temporary tattoos and cover my body entirely. The other half would go to the best illegal firework display ever.

Elaine Z. Fish taco food fight

For making a mundane tourist trap, the Star of India, seem fun all over again (perhaps for the first time in 100 years), Nick A. wins $10,000* cash and this fabulous $274 grand prize package:

• Two tickets to board the Star of India ($24 value) • $50 gift certificate to the all-new BeachWood in Pacific Beach • $50 gift certificate RT’s Longboard Grill in Pacific Beach • A pair of tickets to see In the Heights at the San Diego Civic Theatre ($150 value) *$10,000 cash to be paid in annual installments of $10. And even then, this is hardly a guarantee of payment.

However, the prizes are yours for sure.

Sorry, Nick—tough times, you know?

VELVEETA AWARD

(for cheesiest answer)

Patrick H. FEELING LEFT OUT? Become a fan of PacificSD on Facebook to win $50 every day from PacificSD, the magazine that loves you back. You can also win concert tickets, VIP access to top San Diego events, movie passes, gym memberships and much more. See you online! facebook.com/pacificsd

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$2 drinks complimentary appetizers fridays, 4pm-10pm

fridays at johnny v all of a sudden, other happy hours seem so...sad

play meet chill dance party eat (check as many as apply)

945 Garnet Ave. Pacific Beach, Ca. • 858.274.4833 • johnnyvsd.com • VIPS: amy@johnnyvsd.com