August 2015

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EDITOR’S NOTE {AUGUST 2015}

All work and no play makes Dave a dull boy. Allwork and no play makes Dave a dull boy. All work and no play makes Dave a dull boy. All work and no play makes Dave a dull boy.

All work and no play makes Dave a dull boy. All work and no play makes Dave a dull boy.

All work and no play makes Dave a dull boy.

All work and no play makes Dave a dull boy. All work and no play makes Dave a dull boy.

All work and no play makes Dave a dull boy.

All work and no play makes Dave a dull boy.

All work and no play makes Dave a dull boy. All work and no play makes Dave a dull boy.

All work and no play makes Dave a dull boy. All work and no play makes Dave a dull boy.

All work and no play makes Dave a dull boy.

All work and no play makes Dave a dull boy.

All work and no play makes Dave a dull boy.

All work and no play makes Dave a dull boy.

All work and no play makes Dave a dull boy.

All work and no play makes Dave a dull boy.

All wor k andno play makes Dave a dull boy. All work and no play makes Dave a dull boy.

All work and no play makes Dave a dull boy.

All work and no play makes Dave a dull boy.

All work and no play makes Dave a dull boy.

All work and no play makes Dave a dull boy. All work and no play makes Dave a dull boy.

All work and no play makes Dave a dull boy.

All work and no play makes Dave a dull boy. no play makes Dave a dull boy.

12

PACIFICSANDIEGO.coM • AUGUST 2015

All work and

San Diego

M

A

g

volume 9

|

A

Z

I

issue 8

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n

E

AUGUST 2015

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

David Perloff

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Kenny Boyer MANAGING EDITOR

Catlin Dorset manager, digital and social media

Jessica Pelligra CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Michael Benninger CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Brandon Hernández, Brandon Matzek, David Nelson, Nicole Novack, Sarah Pfledderer COVER photography

Kate and Michael Auda CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Kate Auda, Michael Auda, Paul Body, Arlene Ibarra, Brandon Matzek, John Mireles

FOOTBALL

LIVES HERE • • • • •

24 Beers On Tap 100oz Beer Towers $15 Bottomless Mimosas 27 TV’s Giant Projector 401 G Street San Diego, CA 92101 619.230.8606 www.TinRoofSanDiego.com @TinRoofSanDiego

16

PACIFICSANDIEGO.coM • august 2015

PUBLISHERS

David Perloff Simone Perloff MARKETING DIRECTOR

Alyson C. Baker (alyson@pacificsandiego.com) Promotions MANAGER

Tewa Canterbury (tewa@pacificsandiego.com) ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Michael Christopher (mike@pacificsandiego.com) Brennan MacLean (brennan@pacificsandiego.com)

Reach America’s Finest readers via print, web, social media, email, street team and events. Read, click, connect... BOOM! 619.296.6300 | pacificsandiego.com | @PACIFICSD Facebook “f ” Logo

CMYK / .eps

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Plug into a solar-powered poolside soiree.. at night

Thursday, 8.27 6:00–9:00 p.m.

EVENT DETAILS

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Electric car showcase Complimentary grass-fed burgers by Burger Lounge Complimentary Blue Moon beers Complimentary Electric Martinis by The Air Conditioned Lounge Electro grooves by DJ Misha Complimentary valet Complimentary admission Benefitting The Solar Alliance Foundation

RSVP: pacificticketing.com/solarsoiree Powered by

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Thursday, 8.27 6:00–9:00 p.m.

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AUGUST 2015

FEATURES

60

30(ish) Under 30(ish) America’s Finest go-getters have business on their minds and success in sight

ON THE COVER: Opening mid-August on Harbor Island, Cohn Restaurant Group’s new 28,000-square-foot Coasterra restaurant and event space offers magnificent views of downtown’s skyline and modern Mexican fare. Photography by Kate and Michael Auda. (See “Having a Full Plate,” page 80.)

20

PACIFICSANDIEGO.coM • AUGUST 2015

Pau l b ody

THIS PAGE: Pura Vida Bracelets co-founders Paul Goodman (left) and Griffin Thall were photographed

by Paul Body. (See “30(ish) Under 30(ish),” page 60.)

Proud Partner of Del Mar

July 16th – September 7th

AUGUST 2015

a h x e R e b Be S e e s t o r y, pa g e 1 0 0

8.5

DEPARTMENTS CURRENTS 32 Eight.Fifteen

Event calendar

92 I Scream Cone!

But you’ll end up

with a sandwich

38 Sporting Chance

Charity gives

youngsters a leg up

94 Take it from the Tap

A monthly taste of beer

from here

40 Laughing Stock

August stand-up roundup

98

PULSE 44 Art Beat

August gallery and

exhibition openings 50 Curtain Calls

Performing arts preview 52

Walk of the Town Talk to (and buy art from) artists at Liberty Station

56 The Reel World

August motion

picture preview TASTE 80 Having a Full Plate

A busy restaurateur

dishes on life in the

food business

22

PACIFICSANDIEGO.coM • AUGUST 2015

Mai Pleasure Yo, ho, ho! National Rum Day is right around the corner

GROOVE 100 Sounds like A Plan

August concert calendar 110 Take a Spin

Upcoming EDM and

DJ performances 114 Raze the Roof

Fired up for the

triumphant return of a

Pacific Beach mainstay 116 Seen Diego

Sites and sounds from

all around town LOVE 126 Ready or Knot

How a woman in love

surprises her girlfriend

Nik ko la mere

Pop artist Bebe Rexha performs August 5 at Qualcomm Stadium while on the Vans Warped Tour.

Vans Warped Tour @ Qualcomm Stadium vanswarpedtour.com

TOUR TODAY FOR A CHANCE TO LIVE RENT–FREE IN A 2 BED / 2 BATH PENTHOUSE FOR A YEAR! * Please ask sales associate for details

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THE GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER

24

PACIFICSANDIEGO.coM • AUGUST 2015

Why I’m ready to fail, one mow time...

B y C rai g S ewi n g

W

hen I was a kid, my father paid me seven bucks to mow the lawn. This was for sweating in the muggy Midwest sun, in the dead of summer, for hours. In today’s litigious society, a kid could file a lawsuit for such abuse.

One year, instead of paying me seven dollars each time I mowed, Dad flashed me a hundred-dollar bill, offering me a lump-sum payment for the entire summer. I grabbed the Benjamin and realized halfway through the season that I’d been played like fiddle. I should’ve done the math.

Dad 1, son 0.

The good news is I turned that loss into a win. I hadn’t cut all off all my toes with the lawn mower, so I took my show on the road and hit up my neighbors — the Duenkels, the Bishops, the Rehns and more.

All of a sudden, I’d turned a chore into a business. I probably owe back taxes, but at least I picked up some baseball cards along the way. I may have lost the deal with Dad, but the lesson I learned allowed me to find new ways to win.

Later in life, when I thrilled the family by becoming a college dropout, I managed to turn things around once again.

As more failures gave way to more new opportunities, I began to recognize consistency in this aspect of life, ultimately growing to welcome adversity with optimism for the prospects of what lay beyond it. Sometimes, fear can cripple people, but when that fear is replaced with faith and confidence, the game of life starts to have a

whole new look.

I’m fortunate to have found a niche in media where I am able to do what I love: positively influence people’s lives. What I do professionally doesn’t feel like work. It’s my passion. No one ever came to me and told me I was talented; I simply blazed a trail and didn’t care what people thought.

And when I stumbled a lot along the way, it made me stronger every time.

I laugh when I hear motivational speakers at seminars preach “balance.” I work hard and play hard, but that hasn’t required me to perform some magical balancing act to retain my inspiration. Balance is for people who are miserable at their jobs and need to unplug. Do what you love. It will never feel like work, and balance will come naturally.

We live in a world with more opportunity than ever before. But while modern connectivity means everything is just a click away, remember that every real connection leads back to a handshake — and a relationship with a human, not a smartphone. And keep it fun. The concept “don’t mix friends with business” is nonsense, and you’ll do much better having friends, anyway, especially when dealing with failures.

I suppose all I need now is a kid of my own to mow my lawn. Oh, yeah. I guess I need a lawn, too, if those things are even legal any more. Then again, I’d probably have to pay my kid fifteen bucks an hour to mow it to prevent him from picketing in front of the house like so many fast-food workers. I can’t believe members of our society argue that an entry-level position flipping burgers is worth fifteen bucks an hour. I wish I had these politics when I was a kid.

I could have demanded two Benjamins from Dad that summer.

Craig Sewing is a television and radio personality and consumer advocate who confronts polarizing issues head-on. Forever focused on cutting through the media clutter, he states his views bluntly, making friends and enemies along the way. Tune-in to Sewing’s intriguing and sometimes controversial broadcasts on The American Dream every Saturday at 10 a.m. on Cox or Time Warner Channel 4, and on The Craig Sewing Show weekdays at 6 p.m. on KCBQ 1170-AM to hear his engaging and enlightening conversations with the region’s political, business and finance luminaries. Follow Craig at Facebook.com/CraigSewing or on Twitter @craigsewing.

AUGUST 2015 • PACIFICSANDIEGO.coM

25

F e at u r e Ma r k e t :

[Promotion]

Bonita 91902

Market Update (June 2015 data) Spectacular one-of-a-kind Bonita property located on almost a one acre park-like corner lot with lush landscaping and a scenic setting. Two houses on one lot.

Main house features 3 bedrooms, 3.5 bath and nearly 4500 sq. ft. Guest house features 4 bedrooms, 3 full and 3 half baths, and a three-car garage. $999,900$1,200,000.

Number of homes for sale: 46 Number of homes sold: 10 Highest price: $2,495,000 Lowest price: $475,000 Median home price: $763,454

Business Spotlight

Hike to a viewful knoll above Sweetwater Reservoir in Bonita. The trail has long been part of a regional trail system that will eventually consist of several linked county-wide paths. sweetwater.org

Market Expert Melissa Tucci is the Official Real Estate Agent of the San Diego Padres. Awarded #5 global and #1 nationwide rankings for Century 21 worldwide, Tucci is a top producing professional and an experienced San Diego Realtor and Broker providing a superior level of informed, professional real estate services to buyers and sellers in San Diego County.

She was also recently named Spotlight Agent in Zillow Nationwide and the Front Cover Winner of Top Agent Magazine’s November issue.

BRE # 01380034

Listen to Melissa Tucci on The Craig Sewing Show Thursday, August 6, at 6 p.m. on KCBQ 1170 AM and watch her on The American Dream on Wednesday, August 5, at 10 a.m. on Cox or Time Warner Channel 4.

Melissa Goldstein Tucci Century 21 All Service 1820 Monroe Ave., San Diego, CA 92116, 619.787.6852, MelissaTucci.com, Sold@MelissaTucci.com

F e at u r e Ma r k e t :

Cardiff 92007

Market Update (June 2015 data) Casual beach elegance and an award winning floor plan with this ocean view home. Quietly situated at the end of a cul-de-sac within the Seaside community.

Feel as though you are on vacation each morning as you wake up and enjoy the ocean views from the large master suite!

Number of homes for sale: 20 Number of homes sold: 13 Highest price: $2,880,000 Lowest price: $350,000 Median home price: $849,000

Business Spotlight

Whether you’d like to try new wines or enjoy the old favorites, stop by Wine Steals Seaside Grotto in Cardiff. Enjoy the relaxed atmosphere while the staff helps with food pairings for the wines of your choice. With more than 40 wines to enjoy by the glass, you’ll find something to love.

1953 San Elijo Ave., Cardiff by the Sea 760 230-2657, winestealssd.com

Market Experts Glen Henderson and Shannon Keatley are the brokers and owners of Alliance Group Real Estate.

They go beyond the scope of traditional real estate services by providing turnkey financial solutions through their network of professional partners. They are a valuable resource for buyers and sellers throughout San Diego.

BRE # 01870483

Listen to Glen and Shannon on The Craig Sewing Show Thursday, August 13, at 5 p.m. on KCBQ 1170 AM and watch them on The American Dream on Saturday, August 15, at 10 a.m. on Cox or Time Warner Channel 4.

Glen Henderson & Shannon Keatley Alliance Group Real Estate Services 3131 Camino Del Rio North, Ste. 1420, San Diego, CA 92108, 619.500.3222, AllianceGroupRE.com, info@alliancegroupre.com

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F e at u r e Ma r k e t :

Downtown 92101

Market Update This beautiful one bedroom plus den condo features newer gleaming wood floors, new carpet, fresh designer paint, custom modern light fixtures, a huge wrap around terrace and a second balcony. Enjoy living just minutes from the bay, Gaslamp Quarter, shopping, restaurants and more. Immaculate, bright and ready for your enjoyment.

(June 2015 data) Number of homes for sale: 222 Number of homes sold: 110 Highest price: $4,150,000 Lowest price: $238,000 Median home price: $449,500

Business Spotlight

Another new luxury high-rise tower was just announced. To join our VIP list and have exclusive access to reserve a condo, visit us online at WelcomeToSanDiego.com/newcondos and sign up.

Market Info

The downtown market is hot right now! Rents continue to rise, motivating more renters into the lower end of the purchase market, with foreigners and retirees fueling the luxury market.

Market Expert Chad Dannecker is broker and owner of Welcome to San Diego Real Estate.

He runs a team that has proven time and time again that they are the go-to professionals for downtown real estate. If you do any research on downtown, you’ll quickly find welcometosandiego. com, Chad and his team’s website, and their five-star client reviews on Yelp, Google and Zillow.

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Listen to Chad Dannecker on The Craig Sewing Show Tuesday, August 18, at 1 p.m. on KCBQ 1170 AM and watch him on The American Dream on Saturday, August 29, at 10 a.m. on Cox or Time Warner Channel 4.

Chad Dannecker Welcome to San Diego Real Estate - Dannecker & Associates 875 G. St., Ste. 108, San Diego, CA 92101, 619.356.3099, welcometosandiego.com, chad@welcometosandiego.com

CONSUMER ADVOCATE Street Smart Advice in the San Diego Marketplace

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[Promotion]

When I first spoke with the buyers of this home, they needed to sell and buy at the same time, putting in a contingent offer on a purchase. After meeting with a couple of different agents that told them it could not be done in the current real estate environment, Gina came in, told them they could do it, and made it happen. It is a great example to show you can still sell and buy being contingent on the sale, and find the home you are looking for. This is a great single-level home for an amazing price that is a complete turnkey move in. If you need to sell to buy, it CAN be done!

Neighborhood: Vista Purchase price: $689,000 Home size: 4 Bedrooms / 3Bath / 2,876 sq. ft.

Buyer’s credit score: 804 Loan term: 30 Year Fixed Down payment: 35% down

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American Dream TV Host & 1170AM Radio Host at 6 p.m.

Learn how to win in any marketplace, visit craigsewing.com for free resources Watch The American Dream on Saturdays at 10 a.m. on Cox and Time Warner channel 4. You can also catch Craig and his elite partners weekdays at 6 p.m. on KCBQ 1170AM.

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CURRENTS EIGHT.fifteen event calendar

8.16 America’s Finest City Half Marathon

Race begins at Cabrillo National Monument Point Loma, afchalf.com Run a scenic 13.1-mile course from the Cabrillo National Monument to Balboa Park and enjoy a post-race special performance at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion during this 38th annual event. (cont. on page 34)

Bo b Betancourt

32

PACIFICSANDIEGO.coM • AUGUST 2015

AUGUST event calendar

By CATLIN DORSET

C U R R E N T S {calendar} (cont. from page 32)

freetobreathe.org Walk/run this 3.1-miler along the downtown waterfront to raise money and awareness for programs dedicated to lung cancer research and awareness.

8.1

Surf Dog Competition Imperial Beach Pier unleashedby.petco.com Now in its 10th year, this fidofocused day at the beach offers beer and dog food gardens, an off-leash play area and plenty of plucky pooches hangin’ 20 in the South County waters.

8.2

Chula Vista Lemon Festival Third Avenue Village, Chula Vista thirdavenuevillage.com Live music, lemonade, a lemon pie eating contest and more is instore at this annual fruit fest held in the town that calls itself the “Lemon Capital of the World.”

8.6

8.9

8.8

Dog Days of Summer Newcastle Ave. and Aberdeen Dr., Cardiff cardiffdogdaysofsummer.com A Lost Abbey beer garden, caninecatered contests and more than 200 vendor booths draw upwards of 10,000 four-legged friends and their owners to Cardiff for this free annual event.

MOVE Live on Tour San Diego Civic Theatre, Downtown sandiegotheatres.org Siblings and dance pros Derek and Julianne Hough star in this two-month-long touring production of song, choreographed dance numbers and elaborate set design.

8.6-9

Circus XTREME Valley View Casino Center, Point Loma valleyviewcasinocenter.com If the PETA protesters outside don’t get your adrenaline pumping, the aerialists, human

other flicks from independent filmmakers looking to win the Best Picture nod at the concluding awards ceremony.

cannonballs, animal tamers and other daredevils inside the arena sure will.

Hillcrest CityFest Fifth Ave. and University Ave., Hillcrest fabuloushillcrest.com Join a crowd of 150,000 revelers beneath the neon “Hillcrest” sign to celebrate the neighborhood’s community, music and food during this free, all-day event.

8.9

Art in the Village State St. and Grand Ave., Carlsbad carlsbad-village.com Peruse and purchase the works of more than 100 oil painters, photographers, sculptors, jewelers and other artists while taking in live music and sweeping ocean views.

8.9-16

8.9

San Diego Free to Breathe 5K Embarcadero Marina Park North, Downtown

Oceanside International Film Festival Star Theatre and Sunshine Brooks Theatre, Oceanside osidefilm.org Oceanside’s two oldest theatres showcase documentaries, short films, student works and

8.14-17

Latin Food Festival Broadway Pier, Downtown latinfoodfest.com Take your taste buds on a culinary voyage south of the border and beyond at this four-day fiesta featuring Latin-inspired food and drink, cooking demonstrations by local chefs, a silent auction and live music.

8.15

Ferragosto 2015: Pompeii Amici Park, Little Italy ferragostosd.org Party like it’s 79 AD with thousands of honorary Romans filling the streets of Little Italy (many dressed in togas) to enjoy an evening of live music, dancing and Italian food.

PADRES HOME GAMES

8/7-9: vs. Philadelphia Phillies (CocktailFest, National Purple Heart Appreciation Day and San Diego Police Department Salute 8/7; Throwback Replica Jersey 8/8; Military Salute 8/9) 8/10-12: vs. Cincinnati Reds (Taco Tuesday 8/11; Way Back Wednesday 8/12) 8/17-19: vs. Atlanta Braves (Taco Tuesday 8/18; Way Back Wednesday 8/19) 8/21-23: vs. St. Louis Cardinals (American Red Cross Salute and WineFest 8/21; Dri Fit T-shirt 8/22; Salute to Veterans 8/23) 8/31-9/2: vs. Texas Rangers (Taco Tuesday 9/1)

34

PACIFICSANDIEGO.coM • AUGUST 2015

(cont. on page 36)

C U R R E N T S {calendar} (cont. from page 34)

Dave terry

8.15

Julian StarFest Menghini Winery, Julian julianstarfest.com Find Cassiopeia, Ursa Major, Orion and other constellations in the skies above with the help of an onsite stargazing expert at this free event (telescopes provided).

8.18

Taste of MainStreet Various Encinitas restaurants encinitas101.com Sample dishes from more than 30 Encinitas restaurants along this self-guided tasting tour peppered with live music venues and featuring 20 Sip Stops offering local wines and craft brews.

stations on the 2014 tour, volunteers armed with nontoxic, gluten-free powders and gels take aim at race participants, firing color bombs at them from eight different posts along this 5K race.

8.22

Chula Vista HarborFest Bayside Park, Chula Vista cvharborfest.com Chow down (and vote for your favorites) at the Taco Competition while enjoying three stages of live entertainment, free kayak lessons, a wine/beer/spirits garden and an exotic auto show.

8.22

Color Me Rad Marine Corps Air Station, Miramar colormerad.com Doubling the number of color

36

PACIFICSANDIEGO.coM • AUGUST 2015

breweries and live entertainment at downtown’s new Waterfront Park.

8.29

San Diego Beer Run Embarcadero Marina Park South, Downtown beerrunsd.com Enjoy two complimentary beers and beer pong tournaments at the Craft Beer Festival immediately following this 5K race.

8.23

8.21

Neon Nights at Sea Adventure Hornblower, Downtown diveneonnights.com Electro house DJ Craig Smoove keeps the party rocking for 500 of America’s Finest ragers aboard this floating, two-story nightclub cruising San Diego Bay.

8.22-23

San Diego Spirits Festival Port Pavilion on Broadway Pier, Downtown sandiegospiritsfestival.com Get in the spirits to celebrate San Diego’s thriving craft-cocktail and culinary scenes as nearly 100 alcohol brands help liquefy two days of bartending contests, libations and local food offerings on Broadway Pier. Ex-NBA star and Kim Jong-un BFF Dennis Rodman will be on-site to promote his Bad Boy Vodka.

Bike the Bay Embarcadero Marina Park South, Downtown bikethebay.net Pedal 25 miles from downtown, across the San Diego-Coronado Bridge, south to Imperial Beach and back before rolling over to the post-race party and New Belgium beer garden at the finish line.

8.22-23

World

Bodysurfing Championships Oceanside Pier worldbodysurfing.org See nearly 400 bodysurfers from across the globe compete for prizes and bragging rights during this 39th annual tournament.

8.29

San Diego Brew & Food Festival Waterfront Park, Downtown brewandfoodfest.com This inaugural event benefiting San Diego Coastkeeper boasts world-class chefs and their dining selections, more than 70

8.30

LeucadiART Walk Along North Coast Hwy 101, Leucadia leucadia101.com Hop on the free, open-air trolley to move between juried artist displays, live music stages, the craft beer garden and other attractions at this 11th annual art affair.

C U R R E N T S {calendar}

M i k e N owa k

Sporting Chance Charity gives youngsters a leg up

By Nicole Novack

To raise money and awareness for injured kids whose parents can’t provide for their medical care, the San Diego Sports Medicine Foundation presents the 14th annual Taste at the Cove, a snazzy evening affair under the stars that will bring pro athletes and other big spenders to La Jolla.

Held Thursday, August 27, at Scripps Park in La Jolla Cove, the high-end event features fundraiser cuisine by top San Diego restaurants, a runway fashion show and a roster of sports-world celebs. This year’s local-athlete honoree, former Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson, joins a list of previous honorees including Tony Gwynn, Trevor Hoffman and Tony Hawk.

“We perform a dozen free surgeries a year and see hundreds of injured athletes for free,” says David Chao, M.D., the former team physician for the San Diego Chargers and former chief medical officer for ESPN’s X-Games who founded the nonprofit and its highprofile annual fundraiser. “We focus on working families in need who are trying to make ends meet — for example, a single-parent mom who works as a waitress and can’t afford health insurance. We don’t want to penalize injured kids.”

Upward of 1,000 are expected to attend the event. Tables seat 10 guests; pricing for each starts at $3,500. (After all, surgery ain’t cheap.)

“We try to provide the best of San Diego in terms of location, scenery, celebrities, food, fashion, auction items, and networking,” says Chao.

Taste at the Cove Thursday, August 27, 5:30-9 p.m.

Scripps Park at La Jolla Cove 1100 Coast Blvd., La Jolla 858.492.1116, tasteatthecove.com

38

PACIFICSANDIEGO.coM • AUGUST 2015

Great Sports

How the San Diego Sports Medicine Foundation has helped San Diego kids since its founding in 2002, by the numbers

5,000+

number of student athletes who’ve received free medical treatment

2,000+

number of students seen at free injury clinics

75

number of student athletes who’ve received surgeries

100+

number of physicians and medical professionals who’ve volunteered to help kids and the foundation

C urrents {COMEDY}

laughing stock august stand-up roundup Comedy curator: Catlin Dorset

“New rule: now that the Confederate flag is on its way out, someone has to reassure Southern men wondering what they’re going to run up and down their pole that they still have their sister’s hand.”

—Bill Maher on Real Time with Bill Maher

“Here’s the thing about Donald Trump: he never apologizes. He’s never wrong no matter what crazy thing he says; he’s totally… he’s the white Kanye.”

40

PACIFICSANDIEGO.coM • August 2015

D avid Beck er

—Bill Maher on Real Time with Bill Maher 8/2: Bill Maher @ Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay, (cont. on page 42) humphreysconcerts.com

th 6 2 ber nds Septelm u Mar Fairgro

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C urrents {COMEDY}

“I’ve had a great week; I just got an electric car. Sweet, it is sweet. It’s in the shop now; we’re having a gas engine put in it.”

(cont. from page 40)

Mandee Johnson

—David Koechner as Champ Kind in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy 8/6-8: David Koechner @ American Comedy Co., americancomedyco.com

—Kevin Nealon on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon 8/7: Kevin Nealon @ Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay, humphreysconcerts.com

“Love is powerful stuff, man. Love will make you move all the way across the country and sell all your shit… just to get away from that person.”

—Tom Rhodes on Comedy Central Presents 8/7-9: Tom Rhodes @ Mad House Comedy Club, madhousecomedyclub.com

Ashna Rodjan

“My mom goes, ‘Russell, you’re getting older now and you’re not married. What if I bring some nice girls home for you?’ I go, ‘Ma, I bring nice girls home all the time.’ They just leave in the morning, you know. That’s a nice girl, right there.”

Dana Patrick

“This morning I woke up and I shit a squirrel, but what I can’t get is, the damn thing is still alive. So now, I’ve got a shit-covered squirrel running around my office and I don’t know what to name it.”

—Greg Fitzsimmons on Comedy Central Presents 8/20-22: Greg Fitzsimmons @ American Comedy Co., americancomedyco.com

“The penis: you pull the underwear down, and it’s like a drunk friend falling out of a car.”

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“In my neighborhood, you got a Latin girlfriend, you don’t need a big brother.”

—Pablo Francisco on Comedy Central Presents 8/13-16: Pablo Francisco @ American Comedy Co., americancomedyco.com

“Why the hell do people keep getting married? You know, isn’t anybody looking at the stats? I mean, what’s it, like, one out of two marriages goes right down the shitter? People, if you were going skydiving and they told you half the parachutes weren’t gonna open, you’d be like ‘F**k that, I’m not going!’”

—Bill Burr on One Night Stand 8/15: Bill Burr @ Harrah’s Resort SoCal, harrahssocal.com

“Girl, you look so good, someone ought to put you on a plate and sop you up with a biscuit.”

David Becker

Karlo G ome z

—Jo Koy on Comedy Central Presents 8/22: Jo Koy @ Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay, humphreysconcerts.com

T homas W hitehouse

Bel inda Way mouth

“I’m kinda stuck in that awkward, in-between stage where my hair is just starting to fall out, but I’m still maintaining my youthful acne. So, physically, it’s all really coming together for me right now.

Soon, I’ll be strolling around in a pair of Depends, popping zits on my bald head.”

Koury A nge l o

—Russell Peters on Comedy Now 8/8: Russell Peters @ Pala Casino, palacasino.com

—Arsenio Hall as Reverend Brown in Coming to America 8/27: Arsenio Hall @ Sycuan Casino, sycuan.com

PULSE

AUGUST gallery and exhibition openings

By Sarah Pfledderer

A R T B EA T

8.7-29 “Immortalized:

The One That Got Away” ArtHatch, 317 E. Grand Ave., Escondido 760.781.5779, arthatch.org

At this fifth annual exhibition and charity art auction, more than 15 nationally recognized artists show pieces depicting hot rods and custom cars of distinction. (cont. on page 46)

“Roller Girl” by Scott Rohlfs

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P ulse {ARTS} (cont. from page 44)

“Happenstance” by Eric Wixon

“Open” by Bryan Tipton

8/8: “Bloom” figurative works

by Bryan Tipton Visual Shop 3770 30th St., North Park 619.501.5585, visualshopsd.com In his debut solo show, Bryan Tipton uses multiple mediums — ballpointpen sketches on wine labels, watercolor skulls on newspaper, oil paintings on canvases — to magnify the subtleties of everyday life.

8/1-31: “Burnt Toast” TPG2 (Thumbprint Gallery 2) 1475 University Ave., Hillcrest 858.354.6294, tpg2.net Three local artists — Eric Wixon, MR DVICE and Nick McPherson — collaborate on a group show, displaying new works alongside their existing indoor murals.

“Perch” by Kelly Vivanco

8/8-9/6: “Reconfigured” Thumbprint Gallery 920 Kline St., La Jolla 858.354.6294, thumbprintgallerysd.com See new works by artists Kelly Vivanco, N.C. Winters and Tom Haubrick. (cont. on page 48)

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P ulse {ARTS} (cont. from page 46)

“Meat Princess” by Anna Stump

8/8-9/20: “Chula Vistan” by Anna Stump Art Produce Gallery 3139 University Ave., North Park 619.584.4448, artproduce.org Glimpse life in the South Bay through the eyes of Anna Stump, an artist who grew up in Chula Vista with an honor of Mexican culture and a wariness of venturing across the border.

8/15-11/1: “In the Abstract: Midcentury San Diego Painting and Sculpture” Oceanside Museum of Art 704 Pier View Way, Oceanside 760.435.3720, oma-online.org Paying homage to pioneers of abstractionism in the late 1940s to 1960s, this exhibit displays San Diego’s earliest paintings, sculpture and other media that adopted the then-controversial style.

Untilted, by Svetozar “Toza” Radakovich

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“Frida En Vida y En Muerte” by Joni Nunez

“Simpler Times” by Brady Willmott

8/12-17: “Sensation” Mike Hess Brewing 3812 Grim Ave., North Park 619.255.7136, artbykami.com Four painters present recent works on canvas inspired by Mexican culture, monsters and more.

8/22-1/3: “Baby Tattoo: Carnival of Astounding Art” Oceanside Museum of Art 704 Pier View Way, Oceanside 760.435.3720, oma-online.org Curated with chaos in mind, this exhibit showcases dozens of low brow, pop surrealist and pinup artists.

8/19-31: “Tattoo Art” Mike Hess Brewing 3812 Grim Ave., North Park 619.255.7136, artbykami.com A group of artists display their tattoo-centric works in mediums including ink on paper, photography and more.

“Baby Tattooville ArtJam 2011,” multiple artists

AUGUST 2015 • PACIFICSANDIEGO.coM

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P ulse {ARTS}

curtain calls august performing arts preview

By Sarah Pfledderer

8/12-29: Shrek: The Musical Moonlight Stage Productions 200 Civic Center Dr., Vista 760.724.2110, moonlightstage.com A grumpy ogre rescues a feisty princess as part of a deal with a villainous lord to get his swampland back from the fairytale misfits who overtook it.

8/16-9/20: The Comedy of Errors Lowell Davies Festival Theatre 1363 Old Globe Way, Balboa Park 619.234.5623, theoldglobe.org Amusement and mayhem collide in this Shakespearean classic when two pairs of identical twins, who had been separated at birth, wind up in the same town.

8/13-10/4: Mixtape, The Greatest Hits of the 80s!

The Horton Grand Theatre 444 Fourth Ave., Downtown 619.347.6000, lambsplayers.org A medley of musicians and performers revisit the wellknown hits and events from the 1980s, featuring music from Journey, U2, Duran Duran, Madonna and many more of the decade’s radio stars.

T erry Shapiro

8/20-9/13: Violet San Diego Repertory Theatre 79 Horton Plaza, Downtown 619.544.1000, sdrep.org A woman with a scarred face discovers the true meaning of beauty when embarking up on a crosscountry voyage to meet a televangelist she hopes can improve her appearance.

8/25-30: Pippin San Diego Civic Theatre 1100 Third Ave., Downtown 619.570.1100, sandiegotheatres.org Entangled with circus-inspired acrobatics and electrifying songs, this Tony Awardwinning musical details a young prince’s journey to find adventure in life.

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8/28-9/13: Sunday in the Park with George The San Diego Museum of Art 1450 El Prado, Balboa Park 619.232.7931, iontheatre.com This musical unveils the making of Georges Seurat’s painting “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte,” telling the tale of the love and lives surrounding its creation.

P ulse {ARTS}

Walk of the Town

Talk to (and buy art from) artists at Liberty Station

By Nicole Novak

F

or lovers of art, street food and alfresco entertainment, August’s ArtWalk NTC in Liberty Station is a midsummer’s daydream. The decades-younger cousin of the Mission Federal ArtWalk in Little Italy is now in its 10th year of existence, and managing director Sandi Cottrell couldn’t be more excited about this year’s installment.

“ArtWalk NTC has a very different vibe from the ArtWalk in Little Italy, with its serene setting in a self-contained park,” she says. “It has a fine-arts feel, an easily navigable layout, great natural light and the environment of San Diego’s ever-growing Arts and Culture district in NTC.” Up to 20,000 art lovers are expected to attend the free August 15-16 event, which features original works for sale by locally, nationally and internationally prominent artists, a wine and beer pavilion and live music. Cottrell urges guests to check out the works of artist Inocente, a oncehomeless Point Loma-area native whose life story became the subject of an Academy Award-winning documentary by the same name.

“Guests can take a nice afternoon and enjoy the space, since it’s not shoulder-to-shoulder,” says printmaker Greg Bada, an ArtWalk veteran who’s participating again this year. Bada says he prefers this slightly smaller ArtWalk, because its scale fosters his getting more facetime chatting with would-be buyers.

“One More Wave” by Carolyn Johnson

8/15-16: ArtWalk NTC 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Liberty Station, Point Loma artwalksandiego.org “Dandelion” by Greg Bada

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“Humming” by Linzi Lynn

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AUGUST 2015 • PACIFICSANDIEGO.coM

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PACIFICSANDIEGO.coM • AUGUST 2015

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P ulse {MOVIES}

THE REEL WORLD august motion picture preview

By Michael Benninger

Shaun the Sheep Movie Small sheep.

Big movie.

Action | Adventure Starring: Omid Djalili, Justin Fletcher, John Sparkes

In Theatres: August 5 When a sheep and his flock wind up in the Big City, they must impersonate humans to evade capture as they attempt to rescue their amnesic farmer and find their way home.

The Gift Not every gift is welcome.

Mystery | Thriller Starring: Jason Bateman, Joel Edgerton, Rebecca Hall In Theatres: August 7 After a happily married couple encounters an old acquaintance, ominous gifts that appear on their doorstep reveal a disturbing secret that shatters their marriage and threatens their lives.

Fantastic Four Change is coming.

Action | Fantasy Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Miles Teller, Kate Mara In Theatres: August 7 A courageous quartet of earthlings who acquire incredible abilities after teleporting to an alternate universe must come to grips with their newfound powers and save the world upon their return home.

Ricki and the Flash Get ready for Ricki.

Comedy | Drama Starring: Meryl Streep, Sebastian Stan, Kevin Kline

In Theatres: August 7 Decades after deserting her family to pursue a life of rock-androll reverie, an aging strumstress has a chance to redeem herself by helping her ex get their divorced daughter’s life back on track.

Underdogs Have a ball.

Action | Adventure | Animation Starring: Matthew Morrison, Ariana Grande, Nicholas Hoult In Theatres: August 14 Years after a foosball phenom bests the town bully, the latter returns as the world’s greatest soccer player and demands a rematch on a full-size field where the miniature men from the table-top game play as the protagonists’ teammates.

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Saving the world never goes out of style.

Action | Adventure Starring: Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander In Theatres: August 14 CIA and KGB agents in 1963 team up to take down a contemptible cartel threatening to use nukes to disrupt the capricious relations between the world’s two superpowers.

(cont. on page 58)

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AUGUST 2015 • PACIFICSANDIEGO.coM

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P ulse {MOVIES} (cont. from page 56)

Glen Wi lson

Straight Outta Compton The world’s most dangerous group.

Biography | Drama | Music Starring: Paul Giamatti, Jason Mitchell, Aldis Hodge In Theatres: August 14 When young men from L.A. County’s roughest neighborhood unite to drop beats and spit rhymes about struggles on the streets, they end up changing the world by giving birth to a new genre of music.

Masterminds Get stupid rich.

Comedy Starring: Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig, Owen Wilson In Theatres: August 19 Coerced by a coquettish coworker, an asinine armored-car driver steals $17 million, and then gives the dough to deceitful dicks who end up framing him.

Hitman: Agent 47 Your number is up.

Action | Thriller Starring: Rupert Friend, Zachary Quinto, Hannah Ware In Theatres: August 21 The world’s deadliest assassin tries to topple a multinational corporation that aims to exploit his genetics to create an unstoppable army of engineered executioners.

We Are Your Friends The world is yours.

Drama Starring: Zac Efron, Emily Ratajkowski, Wes Bentley In Theatres: August 28 A fledgling DJ finds a mentor in an older scratch addict, but when the upand-comer gets too close to his guru’s girl, the master-apprentice dynamic dissolves, leading to tough choices for the aspiring EDM mogul.

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PACIFICSANDIEGO.coM • AUGUST 2015

Sinister 2 Be careful.

Children at play.

Horror Starring: Shannyn Sossamon, James Ransone In Theatres: August 21 After a woman and her twin sons move into a house that’s more than haunted, the demon dwelling inside demands that one of the brothers slaughter his brother and mother while capturing the murders on film.

American Ultra The hit is on.

Action | Comedy Starring: Kristen Stewart, Jesse Eisenberg, Topher Grace In Theatres: August 21 When a stoner finds out that he’s not only high, but also a highly trained sleepercell agent with a bull’s eye on his back, he sets down his bong to combat the henchmen trying to harsh his mellow.

Regression Fear always finds its victim.

Thriller Starring: Emma Watson, Ethan Hawke, David Thewlis In Theatres: August 28 A father admits to the abuse of his young daughter — despite having no memory it — as an intrigued investigator and a skilled psychologist try to get to the bottom of the confounding case.

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Portraits by Paul Body (unless noted)

30(ish) under

30(ish)

America’s Finest go-getters have business on their minds and success in sight San Diego entrepreneurs have been launching everything from coldpressed juices to biomedical research products, transforming this military mega-plex into a startup capital.

No longer just a vacation destination, San Diego has a business scene that’s brewing… and producing a lot more than just beer. These days, the “app for that” may well have been born here, and the mind(s) behind it may have been born not so long ago.

Here are a few dozen local folks who are going for glory, many of whom have traded their jobs to pursue new trades — not to mention to end up in good company.

Printed here are excerpts from longer interviews.

Read the full interviews at pacificsandiego.com/entrepreneurs.

Cody Barbo, 26

Founder and CEO, Industry jointheindustry.com Born: Huntington Beach, Calif.

Resides: Little Italy PacificSD: Describe (in 30-ish words) your business.

CODY BARBO: Industry is a professional network exclusively for the service and hospitality industry — think LinkedIn for chefs, bartenders, servers. We offer industry professionals a place to stand out and find the best jobs. And we allow businesses to recruit quality talent and cut the clutter of paper resumes.

Describe (in 30-ish words) your business goals.

Our vision is to connect the world’s service and hospitality professionals, and our mission is to help these people succeed in their careers. There are over 20 million Americans working in this industry, and over two million businesses, and we want to see them all succeed. Industry is the solution.

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PACIFICSANDIEGO.coM • AUGUST 2015

Asher Burke, 25

Founder, Campaign Services Group, Inc. thebricksagency.com Born: San Diego Resides: Marina District PacificSD: Describe (in 30-ish words) your business.

ASHER BURKE: Campaign Services Group works with candidates for public office, elected officials and private-sector businesses to establish an exchange of ideas that fosters good legislation.

Describe (in 30-ish words) your business goals.

Campaign Services Group aims to create lasting relationships between private-sector leaders and elected officials that will effectuate longterm, responsible public policy.

SOL CAL Cafe co-creators Jacob Bell (right) and Thomas McCann.

Jacob Bell, 34

Co-creator, SOL CAL Cafe solcal.com Born: Cleveland Resides: Mission Hills PacificSD: Describe (in 30-ish words) your business.

JACOB BELL: SOL CAL Cafe’s menu starts with your health in mind. Our food is made with delicious, unrefined, soy-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, non-GMO, local, organic, plant-based ingredients.

Describe (in 30-ish words) your business goals.

Our goal is to make eating well easy.

AUGUST 2015 • PACIFICSANDIEGO.coM

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Jolie Dawn, 26 CCO, Jolie Dawn joliedawn.com

Born: Los Angeles Resides: Solana Beach PacificSD: Describe (in 30-ish words) your business.

JOLIE DAWN: My business is a movement to inspire Millennial women to step boldly into their gifts and talents. I believe that entrepreneurship is the most fun game that we have to play on Earth.

Describe (in 30-ish words) your business goals.

My goal is to have more women my age remember their creative power. To reclaim their freedom and say “No” to giving away the best hours of their day in a job they don’t like. To say no to everything in their life that feels contracting and say “Yes” to possibility, entrepreneurship and fearlessness.

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PACIFICSANDIEGO.coM • AUGUST 2015

Johan Engman, 34

Owner, Rise & Shine Restaurant Group (Breakfast Republic; Café Cantata; Fig Tree Café – Liberty Station, Hillcrest and Pacific Beach) riseandshinerg.com Born: Östersund, Sweden Resides: Golden Hill PacificSD: Describe (in 30-ish words) your business.

JOHAN ENGMAN: Hip breakfast eateries serving everything from classic dishes to my interpretation of international cuisine with a breakfast twist — of course, accompanied by craft beer and thoughtful morning cocktails to ruffle your feathers.

Describe (in 30-ish words) your business goals.

To continue opening hospitality establishments where employee morale, unpretentious service, consistent food and cutting-edge design are the main goals.

Half Door Brewing Company co-owners and siblings Daniel and Stacy Drayne.

Stacy Drayne, 27

Co-owner, Half Door Brewing Co. halfdoorbrewing.com

most important part of Half Door, so making sure you have the right people is key.

Born: County Tyrone, Ireland Resides: East Village

Daniel Drayne, 30

PacificSD: Describe (in 30-ish words) your business.

STACY DRAYNE: Half Door resides in a turn-of-the-century house in the heart of the East Village, one block from Petco Park. Half Door Brewing Company is an Irish-inspired brewpub concept that focuses on warm, welcoming Irish family-style hospitality.

All our beers are brewed on site out of our 544 square-foot brewhouse that is attached to the restaurant.

Describe (in 30-ish words) your business goals.

We want our customers to feel like they are drinking in our house — warm, welcoming hospitality is our main goal. The staff is the

Co-owner and head brewer, Half Door Brewing Co. Born: County Tyrone, Ireland Resides: East Village Describe (in 30-ish words) your business.

DANIEL DRAYNE: Well made, clear and attention-to-detail beer. At Half Door, we are more concerned with flavor components rather than style guidelines.

Describe (in 30-ish words) your business goals.

We would like to focus on the quality of our beer and never sacrifice that, even with growth. The quality is far more important than the quantity.

AUGUST 2015 • PACIFICSANDIEGO.coM

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Cameron Fous, 30 Founder, Fous Alerts fousalerts.com

Born: Eugene, Ore. Resides: Pacific Beach PacificSD: Describe (in 30-ish words) your business.

CAMERON FOUS: I offer live training-slash-mentoring — where I trade live on video-slash-audio audio every day for my students to watch and learn how to day-trade — called FOUStv. In addition, I have created a 14-hour online training course on how to consistently make money day-trading the stock market using a strategy I call the FOUS4.

Describe (in 30-ish words) your business goals.

Our current goals are making sure that our students take the proper and necessary steps to become successful traders. The most important thing any new trader can be doing is educating themselves. This is a profession. No different than becoming a doctor or lawyer. It takes time and hard work before you can earn the label. Without successful students, I don’t have a successful business.

Blenders Eyewear cofounders Blake Jensen (left) and Chase Fisher.

Chase Fisher, 27

Co-founder, Blenders Eyewear Born: Santa Barbara, Calif.

Resides: Pacific Beach

Blake Jensen, 28

Co-founder, Blenders Eyewear Born: Seattle Resides: Pacific Beach blenderseyewear.com PacificSD: Describe (in 30-ish words) your business.

BLAKE JENSEN: We make fresh, vibrant, comfortable sunglasses at a great price. We were tired of choosing between knockoffs or $150 frames, so we designed an eye-catching, quality product that doesn’t break the bank. Most of our customers have two to three pairs.

Describe (in 30-ish words) your business goals.

Our goal from the beginning has been to create a household brand name. We love seeing Blendz on new faces all over San Diego. The day we step onto the boardwalk, and every person is wearing a pair of our shades, it’ll be “mission accomplished.” Until then, we’re on the hustle.

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PACIFICSANDIEGO.coM • AUGUST 2015

Zach Horvath, 25 Founder, Live a Great Story liveagreatstory.me Born: Charlotte, N.C. Resides: North Park PacificSD: Describe (in 30-ish words) your business.

ZACH HORVATH: Live a Great Story is a medium to share inspiring stories that make a positive impact in the community.

Describe (in 30-ish words) your business goals.

Our goal is to spread #liveagreatstory, share inspiring stories and build a community. All of our goals are aligned with those three priorities.

Brian Haghighi, 29

Co-founder and co-CEO, The California Fruit Wine Co. californiafruitwine.com Born: Colorado Springs, Colo.

Resides: Carlsbad PacificSD: Describe (in 30-ish words) your business.

BRIAN HAGHIGHI: The California Fruit Wine Company is the pioneer producer of all-natural wines handcrafted from fruits other than grapes. Our wines are light, refreshing, fruit-forward and surprisingly not sweet.

Describe (in 30-ish words) your business goals.

To nationally and internationally develop and own the fruit-wine category; to parlay that success into other items across the grocery aisle, leveraging our innovative form of employee ownership.

AUGUST 2015 • PACIFICSANDIEGO.coM

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Ariadna Jacob, 31

Founder and CEO, Influences Group, Inc. influences.com Born: Mexico City, Mexico Resides: Cortez Hill PacificSD: Describe (in 30-ish words) your business.

ARIADNA JACOB: Influences is a mobile app that matches you with videos to spark ideas and help you reach your full potential. Getting access to the world’s smartest people and the knowledge and advice they share is a common problem among Millennials. Our app solves this problem by presenting the best ideas when you need them most.

Describe (in 30-ish words) your business goals.

We spent over a year prototyping and fine-tuning our app. Instead of raising a ton of money before our app was tangible, we focused on making the product as simple as possible to get it in the App Store quickly. Our goal is to have it in your hands by the end of the summer and in millions of hands by next year. If you’d like to be a beta user, you can sign up now on our website, influences.com.

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PACIFICSANDIEGO.coM • AUGUST 2015

Tim King, 29

Owner, Tim King Photography timkingweddings.com

Born: Boalsburg, Pa. Resides: North Pacific Beach PacificSD: Describe (in 30-ish words) your business.

TIM KING: I photograph weddings in a way that helps couples remember how they felt on one of the most important days of their life. All their family and friends centered around celebrating their future. The way I think of it, I build time machines to travel back to one of the best days ever in each couple’s life.

Describe (in 30-ish words) your business goals.

Add tremendous value to people’s lives. Help them see the awesome relationships and great times that are part of the journey, and how important it is to celebrate what we have in every aspect of our lives. Train myself to be able to document those experiences in the best possible light and anticipation.

Adam Koven, 29 CEO, The Cravory Cookies thecravory.com Born: Scottsdale, Ariz.

Resides: The Gaslamp PacificSD: Describe (in 30-ish words) your business.

ADAM KOVEN: If Cold Stone Creamery and Ben & Jerry’s had a love child that was a cookie company, that would be The Cravory Cookies.

We’ve created over 2,000 flavors and counting.

Describe (in 30-ish words) your business goals.

We strive to push the culinary envelope of what people think a traditional cookie is and can be. We want The Cravory Cookies brand to be known for making your favorite cookie.

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Annie Lawless, 27 Cofounder, Suja Juice sujajuice.com Born: Phoenix Resides: La Jolla PacificSD: Describe (in 30-ish words) your business.

ANNIE LAWLESS: We make healthy, organic, nonGMO-verified, cold-pressed, cold-pressured fruit- and vegetable-packed juices in sunny San Diego. They are sold nationally in major retailers, regional natural food markets, and are available for overnight home delivery via sujajuice.com Describe (in 30-ish words) your business goals.

To democratize organic, non-GMO, cold-pressed juice and make it accessible and affordable for everyone — not just the wealthy, high-end market shopper. Suja is designed to taste great and deliver health without the punishment so people will actually enjoy drinking juices with greens and veggies.

Sand Cloud co-founders (from left) Steven Ford, Bruno Aschidamini and Brandon Leibel.

Steven Ford, 24

Bruno Aschidamini, 29

Brandon Leibel, 24

Born: Westlake Village Resides: Pacific Beach

Born: Porto Alegre, Brazil Resides: Pacific Beach

Born: East Meadow, N.Y. Resides: Pacific Beach

PacificSD: Describe (in 30ish words) your business.

STEVEN FORD: Here at Sand Cloud, we have created a lifestyle brand that specializes in innovative towels. We started with our original product, Pillow Towel, to solve a simple need, and have expanded to a wide variety of towels based on our team’s feedback.

Describe (in 30-ish words) your business.

BRUNO ASCHIDAMINI: Sand Cloud is lifestyle brand built around its fans. All of our content is user-generated, and our fans determine the success of the brand through social media.

Describe (in 30-ish words) your business.

BRANDON LEIBEL: Sand Cloud is a lifestyle brand that specializes in beach towels. We were founded on the ideals of innovating the beach-towel game and we continue to come out with unique towels that match the beach lifestyle.

Co-founder, Sand Cloud sandcloudapparel.com

courtesy of Annie Lawl ess

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Describe (in 30-ish words) your business goals.

My goal for Sand Cloud is to make it an internationally recognized brand. I want to be able to travel anywhere in the world and find a Sand Cloud wherever I go.

Co-founder, Sand Cloud

Describe (in 30-ish words) your business goals.

Our Number One business goal is to have all of our employees feel like they have no boss. We all work together, and all of our ideas are equally important.

Co-founder, Sand Cloud

Describe (in 30-ish words) your business goals.

My goal is to turn Sand Cloud into a multi-milliondollar company. I want this to be an internationally known brand and be able to find one of our towels on every single beach in the world.

Eileen Lofgren, 26

Founder and CEO, Child of Wild childofwild.com Born: Reno, Nev. Resides: Point Loma PacificSD: Describe (in 30-ish words) your business.

EILEEN LOFGREN: Child of Wild is a brand that believes objects with past lives or cultural relevance have a depth that can be felt. We specialize in unique jewelry and eclectic housewares, all in the hopes to provide clients with something worth having, something worth investing in. The response has been overwhelming.

Describe (in 30-ish words) your business goals.

My main mission with Child of Wild is to bring acknowledgment to the artisans and tribes we source from. We have put pressure on the fashion industry to stop the blatant copying of cultural pieces.

Because of the limitations of sourcing only authentic pieces, it has made scaling the business my biggest challenge. A huge goal for us is to supply large retailers in a sustainable, ethical and respectful way.

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Christopher D. Lynch, 29 Co-founder, Everyday California everydaycalifornia.com Born: Oakland, Calif.

Resides: Pacific Beach PacificSD: Describe (in 30-ish words) your business.

CHRISTOPHER LYNCH: Based in La Jolla, California, Everyday California is a lifestyle company, specializing in ocean adventures and California-sourced premium apparel.

Describe (in 30-ish words) your business goals.

From the beginning, we knew we wanted to become a lifestyle brand and a household name. We are fortunate to be heading in that direction.

The goal now is to strike a balance between growth and sustainability.

José M. Morachis, 33

President and CEO, NanoCellect Biomedical, Inc. nanocellect.com Born: Sinaloa, Mexico Resides: North Park PacificSD: Describe (in 30-ish words) your business.

JOSÉ MORACHIS: NanoCellect’s first product is the WOLF Cell Sorter. Cell sorters are used to analyze and sort thousands of cells per minute and are essential systems for most biomedical research labs.

Describe (in 30-ish words) your business goals.

Our ultimate goal is to make one of the best Life Science tools that will be used for years to come. If we do that, we will succeed in every other aspect of the business.

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Terry Asher Moncada, 29 CEO, Gym Junkies gymjunkies.com, moncadamarketing.com Born: Corpus Christi, Texas Resides: Del Mar PacificSD: Describe (in 30-ish words) your business.

TERRY ASHER MONCADA: We give free fitness and nutrition information just about every day right now. We also offer meal plans on PDF files and sell high-quality clean supplements.

Describe (in 30-ish words) your business goals.

My goals are just to keep growing, learning and continuing to produce great stuff for our users. I’m always looking for ways to expand or evolve into something greater than before.

Adam “Ace” Moyer, 33 Founder and CEO, Knockaround knockaround.com Born: Fairfax, Va. Resides: Mission Hills PacificSD: Describe (in 30-ish words) your business.

ADAM MOYER: I started Knockaround in 2005 because I was tired of losing more-expensive sunglasses. All of the affordable sunglasses at the time were generic gas station or swap meet shades.

Enter Knockaround: affordable, design-focused sunglasses coupled with a great customer experience.

Describe (in 30-ish words) your business goals.

Knockaround is definitely still in growth mode. It’ll be a challenge, but we’ve got our sights set on $30 million in revenue within the next few years… and I think it’s attainable.

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Daren Myers, 28

Co-founder, Rau Chocolate drinkrau.com Born: Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Resides: North Pacific Beach PacificSD: Describe (in 30-ish words) your business.

DAREN MYERS: Rau Chocolate is reshaping the way we all experience chocolate with our healthy, guilt-free, cold-pressed organic chocolate beverage. Rau Chocolate is organic, nonGMO, dairy-free, vegan and without any preservatives or artificial ingredients.

Describe (in 30-ish words) your business goals.

Rau’s mission is to educate the public that chocolate, cacao, in its raw bean form is one of the most nutrientrich superfoods on the planet, loaded with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, and even a few thousand plant nutrients. It is to truly reverse the way we all interact with and experience chocolate.

RAD Lab co-founders (clockwise from left) Philip Auchettl, Jason Grauten and David Loewenstein.

Philip Auchettl, 29

Co-founder and CEO, RAD Lab radlabsd.com Born: Brisbane, Australia Resides: East Village PacificSD: Describe (in 30-ish words) what exciting things are happening in your business right now.

PHILIP AUCHETTI: Our most recent project in East Village, Quartyard, has been a huge success. Constructed from repurposed shipping containers, it hosts as an outdoor urban park with craft beer, food trucks, a dog park and live music.

It’s perfect.

Describe (in 30-ish words) your business goals.

At RAD Lab, what we are trying to do is simple. Through tactical urbanism, we make the most of under-utilized land to create a sense of place for the community.

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Jason Grauten, 28

David Loewenstein, 30

Born: Long Beach, Calif.

Resides: Ocean Beach

Born: Newport Beach, Calif.

Resides: East Village

Co-founder and CCO, RAD Lab

Describe (in 30-ish words) what exciting things are happening in your business right now.

JASON GRAUTEN: We are working on a couple commercial and residential projects that will definitely catch the eye of the public.

Also, were planning on replicating the Quartyard in another location.

Describe (in 30-ish words) your business goals.

Design and details are very important to us.

Making sure we stay ahead of the curve by creating innovative concepts and designs. Creating a culture within, throughout our business and surrounding community, remains very important to us.

Co-founder and COO, RAD Lab

Describe (in 30-ish words) your business.

DAVID LOEWENSTEIN: RAD Lab focuses on cutting-edge design and development, exploring new methods of construction and design within the urban environment. We are motivated by viewing architecture as a framework for transformation within both the public and private realm.

Describe (in 30-ish words) your business goals.

At RAD Lab, we focus on merging our goals with our clients’ goals. We follow a simple formula to bring out the best in us, “Keep it simple and keep building.”

Chris Richmond, 28 CEO, ShareTV sharetv.com

Born: Oakland, Calif.

Resides: Banker’s Hill PacificSD: Describe (in 30-ish words) your business.

CHRIS RICHMOND: ShareTV. com is a fan site for network television used by millions of people. We tell you when the next new episode of your favorite show is, which shows were canceled, and then let you watch full-length episodes through our partnership with HULU and Showtime.

Describe (in 30-ish words) your business goals.

Continue developing a team and platform that can eventually scale to ridiculous heights. To this point, we have bootstrapped the whole thing. Our goal is to build up as much as we can before we bring on those big investors to go to the next level. I imagine, by the end of the year, we’ll be back on the hunt for a new office space, putting up some “Help Wanted” signs and looking at another upgrade for our already impressive rack of servers.

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Shane Stanger, 28 Co-owner, The Baked Bear thebakedbear.com Born: Silverspring, Md. Resides: East Village PacificSD: Describe (in 30-ish words) what exciting things are happening in your business right now.

SHANE STANGER: Smart, strategic expansion into key markets in California. A few of our original employees are really stepping up and taking key positions in the company, which lets us focus on the bigger picture.

Describe (in 30-ish words) your business goals.

My Number One goal is overseeing that every store that opens up provides the same quality experience that our customers expect. From the quality baked goods and ice cream to the customer service, no detail is too small.

Rob Robbins, 28

Co-owner, The Baked Bear Born: San Diego Resides: Downtown Describe (in 30-ish words) your business.

ROB ROBBINS: We are a custom ice cream sandwich parlor that pairs freshly baked cookies from scratch with premium ice cream to serve the ultimate treat at an affordable price.

Describe (in 30-ish words) your business goals.

Our goal is to be a national franchise brand in the next five to 10 years with 100-plus locations while making sure that every customer gets the same great experience and product at every location.

The Baked Bear co-owners Shane Stanger (left) and Rob Robbins.

San Diego Free Ride partners (clockwise from top left) Joseph Fiorello, Sean Fruin, Alex Esposito and James Mirras.

Sean Fruin, 27

Partner, San Diego Free Ride thefreeride.com

James Mirras, 28

Co-Founder, The Free Ride, Inc. Partner, San Diego Free Ride

Alexander Esposito, 28

Co-Founder, The Free Ride, Inc. Partner, San Diego Free Ride

Joseph Fiorello, 30 Partner, San Diego Free Ride Born: Long Island, N.Y. Resides: Downtown and the Hamptons, N.Y. PacificSD: Describe (in 30-ish words) your business.

SEAN FRUIN: The Free Ride 74

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is an ad-supported shuttle. The company operates eco-friendly electric cars and works with various sponsors to provide the service at no cost to the rider. The cars are branded on the exterior and include interactive interior experiences with photo booths and product samples.

Describe (in 30-ish words) what exciting things are happening in your business right now.

San Diego is the company’s newest and fastest growing location. Our team is in the process of finalizing an app that will help passengers request rides. Additionally, the company was recently selected to work with Civic San Diego on a downtown circulator shuttle project set to launch in late 2015.

Shaun Savage, 32 CEO, GoShare goshare.co

Born: Howell, N.J. Resides: Cortez Hill PacificSD: Describe (in 30-ish words) your business.

SHAUN SAVAGE: GoShare is a mobile app and website that connects drivers who have a pickup truck, cargo van, or SUV with people and businesses that need help moving, hauling or delivering large items on demand.

Describe (in 30-ish words) your business goals.

My goal is to lead a publicly traded company that creates innovative solutions to solve the world’s biggest problems.

Kate and michae l auda

Craig Sewing, 35

Creator and host, The Craig Sewing Show and The American Dream craigsewing.com Born: St. Louis Resides: Little Italy PacificSD: Describe (in 30-ish words) your business/service/product.

CRAIG SEWING: We have designed a media model that goes against the grain of the 24/7 news cycle, offering a more unbiased point of view on current events, life in San Diego… and addressing things that impact the lives of our viewers.

Describe (in 30-ish words) your business goals.

To continue to grow in San Diego and be known as the voice for consumer activism. Our model is now spreading into markets across the country, and ultimately we want to continue to positively influence the lives of those who engage with us.

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Mike Sherbakov, 30

Founder and CEO, Karuna Towels karunatowels.com Born: Moscow, Russia Resides: Solana Beach PacificSD: Describe (in 30-ish words) your business.

MIKE SHERBAKOV: Karuna towels are high-quality, eco-friendly towels used for yoga. Contributions from purchases fight malaria by providing long-lasting insecticide-treated bed nets throughout villages in Africa.

Describe (in 30-ish words) your business goals.

I will continue to create, partner and align with socially driven companies and organizations; $5 million in revenue from projects and one million lives impacted by 2020.

care l l A ugustus

Natalie Susi, 30

Founder, Bare Organic Mixers baremixers.com Born: Havertown, Pa. Resides: University Heights PacificSD: Describe (in 30-ish words) your business.

NATALIE SUSI: Bare Organic Mixers are organic, low-calorie, glutenfree cocktail mixers that are made with only juice, water and organic agave nectar. They are perfect for making healthier, fresh-tasting cocktails that are less than 150 calories.

Describe (in 30-ish words) your business goals.

With Bare Organic Mixers, my goal was to create a product that would give consumers, especially women, the opportunity to indulge in the little things in life, like cocktails, guilt-free. angel ina S ereno

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Paul Goodman, 26

Co-founder and CFO, Pura Vida Bracelets puravidabracelets.com Born: Los Angeles Resides: La Jolla PacificSD: Describe (in 30-ish words) your business goals.

PAUL GOODMAN: From bracelets to other accessories to clothing, Pura Vida should be everywhere you turn your head.

We are aiming to be the household name when you think of a laidback, beach vibe.

Describe (in 30-ish words) what drives you.

I love to optimize our logistics and business operations. To optimize a small percentage of our business everyday leads to huge gains year over year. This drives me to strive everyday to better our financials, logistics and overall business processes.

Griffin Thall, 28

Co-founder and CEO, Pura Vida Bracelets Born: Los Angeles Resides: La Jolla Describe (in 30-ish words) your business.

GRIFFIN THALL: We sell hand-made bracelets from Costa Rica and provide jobs to over 80 local artisans. We also give back to 165-plus different charities organizations around the United States.

Describe (in 30-ish words) your business goals.

My business goal is to grow our online store to become a powerhouse of everything Pura Vida. We will be expanding our line to a full apparel store and adding hundreds of new bracelets this year.

Pura Vida Bracelets cofounders Paul Goodman (left) and Griffin Thall.

Tecture co-owners (from left) Kyle Preish, David Michael and Slade Fischer.

David Michael, 35 Co-owner, Tecture Born: Bavaria, Germany Resides: Golden Hill tectureinc.com

Kyle Robert Preish, 32

Co-owner, Tecture Born: Corona, Calif.

Resides: North Park

Slade Fischer, 32

Co-owner, Tecture Place of birth: Lancaster, Calif.

Resides: North Park

PacificSD: Describe (in 30-ish words) your business.

DAVID MICHAEL: We are a creative, hands-on design team that aims to elevate our environments and build our craft while continually inspiring those who interact with our work.

Describe (in 30-ish words) your business goals.

To create, to make and to expand — all the while holding on to the principle that projects are built on the details. Whatever direction we go, we have to maintain a high personal standard.

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Alicia Wallace, 28

Founding partner and COO, All Across Africa allacrossafrica.org Born: Wenatchee, Wash.

Resides: Ocean Beach PacificSD: Describe (in 30-ish words) your business.

ALICIA WALLACE: We create handmade, fair-trade home décor, kitchen and dining [products] and accessories that employ over 3,000 African artisans. Each purchase creates empowerment and restores dignity to vulnerable populations, and works to rule out the need for aid.

Describe (in 30-ish words) your business goals.

Our goal is to be the largest handmade producer of products out of Africa, connecting consumers across the world with a way to make a positive impact in people’s lives through their purchasing power.

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Born: San Diego Resides: La Jolla

need to perform a painful blood draw. Imagine having your blood sugar, sodium and hormone levels displayed directly on your smartphone, so you can assess how your daily routine and lifestyle choices directly impact your health and wellness.

PacificSD: Describe (in 30-ish words) your business.

JOSHUA WINDMILLER: Most folks have experienced going to their doctor’s office to have a routine checkup and blood panel performed. Biolinq is creating a skin-applied biosensor that can quantify blood chemistry in a non-invasive, real-time fashion, thereby doing away with the

Describe (in 30-ish words) your business goals.

My business goals are two-fold: one, to apply my ingenuity and insight in the sensors domain to create innovative products that address demonstrated market needs; and two, to create a longlasting, sustainable enterprise that drives further economic development in our region.

Joshua Windmiller, PhD, 29 CTO and co-founder, Biolinq, Inc. biolinq.me

Wright Brothers, Inc. co-founders Casey (top) and Corey Wright.

Casey Wright, 34

Co-founder and CEO, Wright Brothers, Inc. wrightbrosinc.com

charge for a smarter, more satisfying home-buying and selling experience.

Corey Wright, 33

Co-founder, Wright Brothers, Inc. Born: Mission Viejo, Calif.

Resides: The Gaslamp PacificSD: Describe (in 30-ish words) your business.

CASEY WRIGHT: We build customized lead-generating web services for the residential real estate industry and provide education to real estate agents.

Describe (in 30-ish words) your business goals.

Modernize the residential real estate industry. This is an antiquated industry clinging to some terribly outdated ideas. We want to lead the

Born: Mission Viejo, Calif.

Resides: Point Loma Describe (in 30-ish words) what drives you.

COREY WRIGHT: Freedom.

The ability to spend my time and money on whatever I want.

Describe (in 30-ish words) what will you do next.

I would love to be an angel investor — to spend time investing in and consulting with other exciting startup companies.

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D I N I NG O U T

Having a Full Plate

A busy restaurateur dishes on life in the food business

By David Perloff Photos by Kate and Michael Auda

H

alf-smiling as he looks at the camera, David Cohn says he’d be more comfortable giving a speech to of a thousand people than posing for photographs. Today, Debbie Shumaker, his longtime director of operations, has the job of holding a light reflector and trying to make him laugh so he doesn’t look so stiff.

“Are we done? I think we’re done,” he says after only a few flashes. “I think you got what you need.” (cont. on page 82)

Coasterra’s Tostada de Atun and a Santa Ana Sangria.

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Relax responsibly.速 Corona Extra速 Beer. Imported by Crown Imports, Chicago, IL

taste {DINING OUT} (cont. from page 80)

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“I think that fear is probably good. It drives you, motivates you and moves you forward.”

CLOCKWISE (from left): Coasterra on Harbor Island; restaurateur David Cohn; main restaurant bar at Coasterra; tequila wall; the ballroom and event space.

T

he photo shoot location is Cohn Restaurant Group’s office building in Old Town, from which Cohn and his family oversee the family business of 24 restaurants — “Twenty-one in San Diego, two in Maui and one in Long Beach,” as Cohn describes it.

After reluctantly posing for a few more photos in his warehouse, which serves as storage for furniture and equipment (chairs, tables, forks, dozens of chafing dishes for events, televisions, an antique pinball machine), he’s visibly relieved when the photographer puts her camera away.

Despite running a restaurant empire and being forever on the go, Cohn doesn’t give off the impression of being in a rush. He talks with a man in the warehouse about a new chandelier that’s finally arrived, smiles as he asks a chef in the hallway how his kids are doing, then takes a seat in the conference room for a casual interview.

“So what are we talking about today?” he says, seemingly unfazed that it’s the evening of the grand opening of Coasterra, his new restaurant at the southern tip of Harbor Island that took nine years and $15 million to build. “Let’s make it good — I took the afternoon off for this.”

The project, which he co-owns with chef/restaurateur Deb Scott (see “Playing Fare,” page 88) and the Feldman family of Sunroad Enterprises, is a 28,000-squarefoot (about half an acre) dining and entertainment mega-plex that at once overlooks the skyline and becomes part of it.

In addition to vast indoor and outdoor dining areas, Coasterra, as the name suggests, is where water and land converge. Validating the name are the incredible waterfront views and the soon-to-arrive barge, a 6,000-square-foot floating event space that’s already booked for weddings and will soon float concerts and other hoopla on North San Diego Bay. Cohn is San Diego’s preeminent restaurateur, and he’s humble about it, giving credit to his colleagues making great strides in hospitality. He mentions one in particular.

“Arsalun’s doing a lot of great, smart things,” he says of Arsalun Tafazoli of CH Projects (Soda & Swine, Ironside Fish & Oyster, Underbelly, among many others). “He’s an amazing young guy.”

Cohn, himself, was a young guy when he got started in the restaurant business with his wife, Lesley. Today, the couple runs the show (outside Lesley’s office hangs a sign that says, “Queen of Effing Everything”) with their kids Jeremy and Jessica, and Jessica’s husband, Michael.

And although he hates having photos taken of himself, Cohn is quick to show pictures of his grandchildren, all five of whom appear on the homescreen of his smartphone.

Someday, perhaps, these youngsters will take over the family business. For now, however, their grandfather, one of the city’s leading (cont. on page 84) entrepreneurs, still sits at the head of the table.

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taste {DINING OUT} (cont. from page 83)

David Cohn at the Cohn Restaurant Group offices in Old Town.

PacificSD: I regard you as an entrepreneur. Do you feel like an entrepreneur?

DAVID COHN: My dad was an entrepreneur, and I grew up in that kind of family. My brothers, my whole family — I think all of us are entrepreneurs, whatever exactly you might define that as. I think maybe an entrepreneur is a risk taker… people who are willing to take risks, in some cases very big risks. So, yeah, I guess I am. But I don’t really think about that a lot. You just kinda do what you do.

What are you risking?

A lot of times, you’re risking an awful lot. You know, the day we opened our first restaurant, we were all-in. Had that not worked, it would have been a pretty short career as a restaurateur… and as an entrepreneur, maybe. But, it’s something that gets in your blood. You take risks, and then you continue to take risks, and that’s kinda what we’ve done over the years. One of the things that we’ve done that I think has been a risk has been to create unique concepts.

The easier way to do it would have been to start with a concept, hone it, and then just replicate it. And that’s not what we wanted to do. We wanted to make each one of them different. Every time you open up a restaurant, there’s the risk of being an unproven concept as opposed to going with proven restaurants.

What’s exciting about this new one, Coasterra?

Coasterra is one of the most exciting projects because it’s a legacy project.

You know, doing something that you’ll take your grandkids to, maybe your great-grandkids. And it wasn’t easy, and that makes it worthwhile. It’s been almost nine years to the day that we’ll open the restaurant — nine years of planning and building and designing and, finally, operating. So, it’s been a long one. It’s in an amazing location, very iconic location, and one-of-akind, truly. When opportunities like that come along, it’s just amazing… to be able to work on things like that and to create something from scratch. (cont. on page 86)

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taste {DINING OUT} (cont. from page 84)

Tacos de Camaron and the Orozco Margarita at Coasterra.

What makes it a legacy project?

What makes it feel different?

The location and the design and having the opportunity to work with [late architect] Graham Downes for seven years, this being the last major project that Graham designed that got built. And it’s just a legacy sort of location with amazing views that are going to get nothing but better over time.

What’s been the hardest part of the project?

I think the hardest part is the permits and dealing with all the different agencies we’ve had to deal with, and all the different approvals that we’ve had to receive.

I mean, we’ve gone to just about every regulatory agency over the years, and everyone seems to love it, but it has taken a lot time to go through it.

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Do you have goals beyond Coasterra? What’s next?

I think we’re somewhat opportunity-based. We’re not out looking for a specific location or specific opportunity. We try to find a couple things. One of those is unusual locations… The Prado at Balbo Park, certainly Coasterra. We were early into the Gaslamp many, many years ago, when it was just kinda growing up. We have not gone into shopping centers and strip malls. It has to be a location that’s really of interest to us. We’ve kinda focused on underserved markets, Escondido, Oceanside, Imperial Beach — markets that don’t have a lot of restaurants and deserve good restaurants. I find, oftentimes, that restaurateurs and entrepreneurs are a little bit like lemmings: they kinda go where others have been

successful. We’ve kind of enjoyed pioneering neighborhoods. We were early into Hillcrest, the Gaslamp and some of these outlying communities. That’s another part of the risk-taking, of saying, “I’m willing to go into Oceanside,” when everyone thinks you’re crazy, and we think it’s a great community and a great opportunity.

Is it fun, what you do?

Not every part of it is fun, but I basically enjoy every day. Some are more challenging than others.

When it hits the fan, it all hits the fan at once, but that’s what it is. You just deal with it. I heard a great quote the other day that said, “Chaos is temporary.”

Opening a restaurant is chaotic.

I also have a belief that every restaurant and every opportunity or every business that you start

and every process you go through takes a piece of you that you never get back. But, in the end, it’s worth it. It’s exciting, but it’s nerve-wracking, and people say to me that it must be easier the twenty-fourth time, but I’m not sure it is. I think one of the things about entrepreneurs is that they tend to be a little paranoid.

Maybe “insecure” is the word.

But you always think maybe it won’t work in the end. There’s a little bit of fear there, as an entrepreneur, that probably is very healthy. I’ve never understood entrepreneurs or business people who become cocky, because there’s always somebody younger, somebody nipping at your heels.

Not directly, but every business is competitive.

SoShima’s I think thatcreates fear a One of cooks of onion is probablyflaming good.volcano It drives you,slices on the hibachi grill. motivates you and moves you (cont. on page 88) forward.

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taste {DINING OUT}

Coasterra executive chef John Gray (left) and chef/ partner Deborah Scott.

(cont. from page 86)

I suspect, if you wanted to, you could cash out at this point, play some golf. You know, just stop.

What prevents you from doing that?

I really have no interest in retiring or slowing down or not being involved on a daily basis, because it’s a big part of my life and who I am. And I do enjoy it. I have friends who’ve retired and I ask them all the same question: What do you do all day long? And, you know, the satisfaction that I get out of what I do every day sounds very different from just getting together with friends for coffee in the morning, and then getting together with friends for lunch. I just don’t know what people do when they retire at a fairly young age.

You mentioned Coasterra as being a legacy project. What do you want your legacy to be after you’ve had your last bite of Cohn Restaurant Group food?

I want to clarify that. You know, I’ve had the question often, “What’s your favorite restaurant.” And I say it’s like with kids — you may have a favorite, but you don’t say which one it is. I think The Prado and… I think we’ve been fortunate to create a number of legacy projects, and hopefully we’ll continue to do that. But my legacy is probably fairly simple: We worked hard. We created a lot of opportunities for our team members to grow. And, hopefully, we’ve provided great food and beverage and ambience to San Diegans and visitors for a lot of years.

“I really have no interest in retiring or slowing down or not being involved on a daily basis.”

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Playing Fare How a seasoned chef is having fun with food

By David Nelson

E

ven when she’s up to her neck in frijoles, Deborah Scott isn’t one to count beans.

The former Virginian prefers to spend spare minutes welcoming guests and hearing appraisals of her cuisine.

On the other hand, San Diego’s leading chef/ restaurateur has her nose on the numbers at Coasterra, of which she is a partner — as she is Indigo Grill (Little Italy), Vintana (Escondido), C level Lounge and Island Prime (Harbor Island, adjacent to Coasterra).

The statistics include four elaborate “Carritos Coasterra de Guacamole” that wheel the cooking of sophisticated Mexico City neighborhoods to the table. These fancy carts glide through the indoor and terrace dining areas under the direction of eight highly-trained guacamolistas, tableside blackbelts who masterfully blend avocados, lime juice, serrano chilies and other sensuous seasonings into gourmet fare.

Given Coasterra’s dedication to all things luxe, the carts also feature optional “Cadillac toppings,” such as butterpoached Maine lobster and spicy lump crab, that transform chopped avocado into guacagastronomy.

Seventy-five kitchen staffers, dressed ninja-like in black from caps to shoes, perform in the vast, wondrously equipped

kitchen, undertaking tasks as simple as prepping greens for the nicely authentic Caesar salad, and as complex as grinding and seasoning the restaurant’s utterly delicious chorizo sausage. Scott prowls the kitchen more or less constantly, suggesting, advising, coaxing and sometimes demonstrating how it’s done.

When the action amps to the level of a Die Hard film, she directs the scene from a chair in a glass-fronted office that resembles a producer’s booth in a television studio.

“We’re anticipating serving a couple of thousand people a day,” she says. “Of course, we’re putting chips and salsa on the tables, and per 1,000 guests, this takes 250 pounds of tortillas [cut and fried on the premises], and 25 gallons of salsa. We make salsa by the five-gallon bucket, and we’ll be doing 40 to 50 of these daily.”

Scott’s partner in salsa — Coasterra serves nearly a dozen varieties, including a five-alarm, five-chili “salsa macha” — is Executive Chef John Gray, whose credits include The Ritz-Carlton Resort in Cancun and making wine in Baja’s Guadalupe Valley.

Gray assisted Scott in crafting a menu intricate enough to please locals who frequent the stylish new eateries in Tijuana, yet sufficiently user-friendly that it won’t intimidate visitors from around the country and

globe who can’t tell Mexican rice from refried beans.

“John Gray and I meet in the middle when designing dishes,” says Scott. “The cuisine is ‘modern Mexican,’ and we’re adapting traditional food to contemporary tastes.”

It only will be more fun when she and Gray craft one or more signature wines for Coasterra in the Guadalupe Valley.

“I’m excited,” says Scott.

“At this point in my career and my life, I just want to do interesting projects that are very unique. My goal here is to make anyone from anywhere feel comfortable with the food.”

To that end, the dinner menu offers easygoing appetizers like the “tamale champignon,” filled with crimini mushrooms and goat cheese, decorated with pomegranate seeds and doused with smoked poblano chili cream. The scallops tamarindo arrive with creamy corn polenta, a warm baconkale salad and a tart tamarind glaze that, Scott says, makes the plate itself “good enough to eat.”

“What I’ve tried to do is present simplicity, but also intricate flavors and great presentation,” she says.

“Mexican food is my favorite cuisine. I just love it, so this is fun for me.”

Coasterra 880 Harbor Dr., Harbor Island 619.814.1300, coasterra.com

CLOCKWISE (from top): Coasterra’s Mar y Tierra dish; terrace dining with a view; Huarache de Camaron; exterior mural by San Diego artist Rafael Lopez.

When will you stop?

I think I’ll slow down at some point, but I plan on staying involved. It keeps you young and keeps you energized, and I think it keeps you sharp, mentally, to stay involved in the business.

Obviously, we have the next generation that’s taking over the business that Lesley and I created. Yet, I still think there’s a place for the founders not necessarily to run the business, but to advise, coach and counsel, and hopefully help avoid many of the mistakes that many entrepreneurs make along the way.

Do you have a motto?

No, I don’t think so. I lost my dad early in the year, and this was my dad’s motto [points to his rubber strap bracelet]: “Life is simple. People are complicated.”

I guess I gotta work on some kind of motto. I will tell you one that I tell my grandkids.

From the time they were young, I taught them to say, and they still say — when I say, “What does Papa always say?” And they say, “No big deal.” People worry about so much stuff that you can’t control or, in the end, isn’t going to make a difference.

I guess it goes back to “chaos is

temporary.” At times, everything happens at once, where it’s just like not one more thing can be

happening right now. And then, sure enough, three things happen tomorrow.

august 2015 • PACIFICSANDIEGO.coM

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[promotion]

SOL CAL café’s manifesto appears on a wall in the new East Village eatery, cold-pressed juicery and vegan café

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PACIFICSANDIEGO.coM • AUGUST 2015

[promotion]

Downtown’s healthy new restaurant is sweet music to the ears of vegetable lovers B y I da R osenberg P hotos b y S ara N orris Veggie Burger made in-house and presented protein-style (sans bread) bet ween t wo pieces of lettuce, topped with guacamole; served with side salad.

Loaded Baked Sweet Potato topped with quinoa chili and sauted kale, drizzled with cilantro cream.

Epic Acai Bowl: house-made granola topped with organic acaifrom Brazil, topped with fresh sliced fruit and sprinkled with coconut.

Cold-Pressed Organic Juices Happy Roots: Beets, apple, lemon, ginger. Fruit Punch: pineapple, red apple, green apple, orange, cherries. The Master: (Originated from the famous Master Cleanse) refreshing blend of lemon, maple syrup, cayenne pepper and alkaline water. Happy Greens: Fresh leafy greens, cucumber, parsley, apple, lemon, ginger.

lant yourself in a chair at the new SOL CAL café in East Village and get ready for delish. This plantpowered paradise takes superfoods to a superhuman level, fueling healthy people with local, gluten-free, non-GMO, organic-only grab-n-go salads and other vegetable-based delights that taste like a slice of heaven and feel just right from the very first bite.

If you want to reward your body — beginning with your taste buds — with flavors unavailable in processed foods, SOL CAL is your culinary ray of nutritional sunshine. Created by former NFL star Jacob Bell and his cousin, integrative nutritionist Thomas McCann, the city’s first vegan market café and juicery offers house-made cold-pressed juices to make you feel like new and build-it-yourself veggies burgers to help you live ’til a ripe old age.

“When I played in the NFL and ate super-healthy for a living, I was lucky to have a private chef,” says Bell. “I’ve always wanted to provide the same quality food for the public, and now I’m doing it.”

In addition to healthy breakfast, lunches, dinners, snacks, juices, teas, coffees (the list goes on) and other healthy foods of note, SOL CAL also features Spark Health, an on-site naturopathic doctor’s office, providing custom-tailored healthcare solutions, an IV lounge, vitamin shots and various blood tests.

This new venture from a one-time professional football player promised to be a bright spot on the San Diego dining scene. It’s where the grass really is greener, and everything unhealthy has been put out to pasture.

“We started SOL CAL to give people the healthiest possible food at a good price in a convenient way,” Bell says, “because we all deserve better options.”

910 J St., Unit 2, East Village 619.255.2927 solcal.com AUGUST 2015 • PACIFICSANDIEGO.coM

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taste {what’s cooking}

I Scream Cone!

But you’ll end up with a sandwich Recipe and photos by Brandon Matzek

A

n ice cream sandwich on a hot summer day is pure bliss. In this recipe for Peach Gingersnap Ice Cream Sandwiches, the orange-hued ice cream is flavored with a fresh peach puree and flecked with vibrant segments of macerated peach. The cookies are crispy gingersnaps bursting with notes of ginger, star anise, brown sugar and molasses. Ginger pairs harmoniously with peach here, forming an addicting sweet treat.

August is National Peach Month, and peach is the dominant flavor in the ice cream, so starting with ripe, fragrant peaches is a must. (Raise a peach to your nose — if it smells strongly like a peach, it’s ripe.) Freshly baked gingersnaps are a dream, but if the thought of turning on the oven on a hot day makes you want to get out of the kitchen, use store-bought gingersnaps instead. I like to wrap each sandwich in parchment paper to catch drips or crumbs that may escape while I’m devouring. There are several resting periods (both ice cream and cookies) required in the recipes below, so be sure to plan accordingly.

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Easy Recipe

follow me!

Peach Gingersnap Ice Cream Sandwiches Ingredients For the peach ice cream: 2 lbs. firm ripe yellow peaches (about 4 peaches) 1 1/4 cups sugar, divided (1/2 for the peaches, 3/4 for the ice cream base) 1/4 cup St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur (vodka, bourbon or white rum would also work here) 2 cups half and half 1/2 cup light corn syrup 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste 2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste For the gingersnaps: 2 1/4 cups (281 grams) all-purpose flour 2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. fine grain sea salt 4 tsp. ground ginger 1 tsp. ground star anise (can’t find this? try cinnamon!)

2 sticks (8 ounces or 1 cup) unsalted butter 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 1 tbsp. finely grated fresh ginger 1/3 cup unsulphured molasses 1 large egg, lightly beaten 1/2 cup Turbinado (raw) sugar

Process To make the peach ice cream: Halve the peaches and remove the pits. Chop 1 1/2 peaches into small bits and add to a medium bowl. Set aside the remaining 2 1/2 peaches. To the bowl with the chopped peaches, add 1/2 cup sugar and liqueur, stirring to combine. Cover and let macerate in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Coarsely chop remaining 2 1/2 peaches, then add them to a blender. Puree at high speed until very smooth. Measure out 1 1/2 cups of peach puree, and set aside. Use any leftover puree in a smoothie or spoon over ice cream.

In a large bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups peach puree, half and half, corn syrup, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and lemon juice, until fully combined. Whisk in additional salt and lemon juice to taste. Flavors should be full and balanced. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until cold (at least 4 hours). Freeze mixture

in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Once the ice cream has finished churning, strain the macerated peaches, and then add them to the ice cream maker. Churn for a few moments more to mix in the peach bits. Transfer to an airtight container and chill in the freezer for 2 to 3 hours before serving. Reserve remaining peach syrup for cocktails, ice cream or morning yogurt.

To make the gingersnaps: Add flour, baking soda, sea salt, ground ginger and ground star anise to a large bowl, whisking to combine. Add butter to a small saucepan set over medium-low heat; warm until just barely melted. Take the saucepan off the heat, and stir in sugars, fresh ginger and molasses. Let the

mixture cool until just warm to the touch, then whisk in the egg.

Pour the wet mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients, stirring until combined. Don’t overwork the dough here. Cover the bowl, and let chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

Preheat an oven to 350°F, and set an oven rack to the middle position. Spread Turbinado sugar out on a large plate. Scoop a heaping tablespoon of dough into one hand, then roll into a ball. Roll the ball around in the Turbinado sugar, then place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Repeat this process, placing dough balls 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Working in batches, bake cookies for 12 – 14 minutes until crisp. Let rest for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

To make the ice cream sandwiches: Place a large scoop of peach ice cream on a cooled gingersnap, then top with another gingersnap.

Press gently to flatting the scoop of ice cream and bind the sandwich. Enjoy immediately.

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taste {BEER}

Take it from the Tap A monthly taste of beer from here

By Brandon Hernández

DO ME A FLAVOR New beers to cheers and brews to peruse

Two Legit Double IPA: English

brewmaster Simon Lacey has endeavored to provide San Diegans with an authentic taste of beer styles from his homeland, and he’s done a right nice job. But over the years, living in hop-obsessed San Diego has slowly altered his brewing M.O. to include the manufacture of beautifully bitter IPAs, leading up to his latest creation, New English’s very first double IPA. Big, bright citrus and tropical fruit flavors burst on the nose and palate. New English Brewing Company, 11545 Sorrento Valley Rd., Ste. 305, Sorrento Valley, newenglishbrewing.com

PAUL BO DY

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Rainbow of Fruit Flavor IPA:

Fueled by a big heart and a nostalgically childish soft spot for multi-colored candies, Stone’s Liberty Station brewing manager Kris Ketcham devised a recipe for a Belgian-style tripel, paying homage to Skittles and paying out a portion of proceeds to the Beer to the Rescue campaign benefiting the Lupus Foundation of Southern California. Strawberries, orange, lemon, lime and wine grapes combine to produce golden, refreshing, strong ale brimming over with scrumptious flavors that swirl into each other like a beer-lover’s psychedelic dreamscape.

Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens, 2816 Historic Decatur Rd., Point Loma, (cont. on page 96) stonelibertystation.com

ESTABLISHMENTS

taste {BEER} (cont. from page 94)

COMING TO A HEAD

What’s new in brew or coming soon

Resident Brewing Company: Downtown’s

venerable watering hole, The Local, recently underwent a full facelift that added lots more space, lots more taps and lots more craft beer cred. The cred comes via the addition of an on-site brewery manned by award-winning homebrewer Robert Masterson, who is best known for his brilliant coconutinfused IPA, which he brewed at Stone Brewing Co. back in 2013.

Expect that flavorful tropical offering to be on tap with beers both traditional and avant-garde.

1065 Fourth Ave. (inside The Local Eatery and Drinking Hole), Downtown, residentbrewing.com

Pacific Islander Beer Company: Representing the pride and culture of the prosperous Pacific Island nations, especially in a brewery setting, is no easy undertaking, but that’s the mission behind this new addition to Santee’s growing brewery landscape. Outfitted with Polynesian flair, Pacific Islander Beer Company makes it easy to lay back and enjoy a few cold ones, be they light, crisp offerings like their Li’ke Li’ke Blonde Ale; or dark, robust numbers like their macadamia nut-infused Samoan Dark Stout. 8655 Argent St., Santee, pibbeer.com

let’s go to the hops

AUGUST beer events

Festival of Dankness

The IPA is the drug of choice for most San Diego craft beer addicts, and Point Loma’s Modern Times Beer is playing dealer, bringing primo product from breweries local and far-removed. Hopheads can get their fix via unlimited two-ounce tastes of IPAS from more than 29 breweries.

Aug. 22, 2 p.m., San Diego Waterfront Park, 1600 Pacific Hwy., Marina District, moderntimesbeer.com

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Stone 19th Anniversary Celebration: Kick off two days of decadence by hanging with brewmasters and some of their rarer specialty creations at a Friday Night Brewers Reception before indulging in sun and suds at the largest annual beer festival on the West Coast (100-plus brews from more than 60 hand-selected breweries). Reception: Aug. 14, 6 p.m.; Beer Festival: Aug. 15, Session A—11 a.m., Session B—3 p.m.; CSU San Marcos, 333 S. Twin Oaks Valley Rd., San Marcos, anniv.stonebrewing.com

meet your maker

Brewmaster Q&A Liz and Curtis Chism

Owners and brewers, Council Brewing Company

he couple that brews together stays together. Or, in the case of Liz and Curtis Chism, the marrieds behind Kearny Mesa’s Council Brewing Company, the couple that brews together enjoys an almost unprecedented rise to sudsy stardom among San Diego’s craft beer intelligentsia.

Famous for everything from IPAs to an imperial oatmeal stout and tart saisons flavored with just about any fruit they can get their wedding ring-adorned hands on, they’ve made quite the name for themselves… enough that when asked if they thought it was already time to expand, both replied: I do.

How did your immersion into the art of brewing go?

LC: We won an award at the first competition we entered with our 1844 Pale Ale, which was named after the number on our house.

Throughout our entire homebrewing career, we never competed in a competition where we didn’t win a medal. And most of those awards came for styles I’d never brewed before, like a Schwarzbier that medaled three times and a weizenbock that also won at three contests including the National Homebrewers Conference competition.

PA U L B O D Y

Brandon Hernández: How did you get into beer?

LIZ CHISM: We started going to Hamilton’s Tavern when we were dating. It’s where I had my first craft beer. I’d been living in Argentina where I drank a bitter, tea-like beverage called mate. I had an IPA and it was just like that, so I liked it right away. Chris was really happy about that. It was there that we first wondered, “How do you make beer?” Later, I cashed in spare change I’d been saving since I was 10 years old to buy Curtis a homebrew kit for Christmas.

What’s it like working so closely with your spouse?

LC: This business has definitely grown our marriage, but I don’t recommend for just any couple to start a business with their significant other. It takes a very special couple. It helps that we are both very logical and agree on most things. Also, we’re not together 24/7. Curtis runs the business side, and I run the brewery.

CURTIS CHISM: Still, there’s a lot of crossover.

We run the tasting room 50-50 and both bartend. Running Council has helped us learn the importance of communication. And we’ve seen couples work well together at other local breweries like 2kids Brewing Company and ChuckAlek Independent Brewers.

What do you see in Council’s future?

LC: We’re aiming to grow from a nanobrewery into a full facility with a 30-barrel brewhouse, stainless steel fermenters, lots more barrels and more quality beer for San Diego and beyond… and a trip to Belgium for me and Curtis… and a foudre* farm.

CC (looks around and surveys Council’s barrelaging warehouse, then smiles and says): We could probably fit a bunch of foudres in here.** * a foudre is a large oak vat used to ferment beer or wine on a large scale. ** no wonder they’re able to run a business and stay happily married!

Brandon Hernández is a native San Diegan with a fervent passion for craft beer and the talented individuals who produce it. He is the author of Complete Guide to San Diego Breweries, Senior Communications Specialist for Stone Brewing Co. and contributes beer-centric content to national and San Diego-based publications. The first publication for which he ever wrote about beer was PacificSD. Follow him on Twitter: @sdbeernews and @offdutyfoodie.

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taste {DRINK}

MAI PLEASURE

Yo, ho, ho! National Rum Day is right around the corner

By Michael Benninger / Photo by Paul Body

N

ational Rum Day is August 16. And since it falls on a Sunday, there’s no excuse not to celebrate.

Your best bet? A La Playa Mai Tai at the swanky new Ocean Pacific Grille on Sixth and F in the Gaslamp. In this case, the “F” might as well stand for Filipino, as this restaurant (at the former location of Encore Champagne Bar) specializes in drinks and delicacies inspired by the Philippine islands.

Since Ocean Pacific Grille’s June 25 ribboncutting ceremony, oodles of downtown denizens have savored the finest Filipino-fusion San Diego has to offer. Managing partner Brian Norris couldn’t be more excited.

“It’s been awesome,”

98

says Norris. “People love it here, and we’ve already got regulars. Everything’s been really tremendous for us.”

Aside from the food, one drink that keeps the customers coming back is the bar’s La Playa Mai Tai. While every San Diegan worth her sea salt knows that La Playa is Spanish for “the beach,” fewer may know Mai Tai is derived from the Tahitian word for “good.” Put ’em together, and you’ve got a recipe for something beachy and good… and pure magic.

“Our Mai Tai is an ode to the islands, an ode to that lifestyle of living on the beach,” says Norris. “Our menu wouldn’t be complete without it. When you come in here, you can grab that drink and really feel like you’re somewhere else.”

The sweet and sumptuous cocktail consists

PACIFICSANDIEGO.coM • AUGUST 2015

of Cruzan Aged Light Rum, amaretto, orange and pineapple juices, and a dark rum float.

“Though you’d expect it to be nice and dark, the Cruzan Rum is actually clear in color,” says Norris.

“It’s got a really nice, smooth flavor, and you get that creaminess of the rum on the back of it as well.”

Can’t make it in to Ocean Pacific Grille for Rum Day on the 16th? Get down with OPG during their daily happy hour from 3-6 p.m., or stop by on Tiki Taco Tuesdays for $5 La Playas — served alongside fish tacos or diced-and-fried pork-belly tacos. What better way to celebrate?

Ocean Pacific Grille 531 F St., Gaslamp 619.578.2828, oceanpacificgrille.com

GROOVE SO U ND DE C I S I ONS

r o l y a T wift S 8.29 @ Petco Park tickets.com

TAYLOR SW IFT

Seven-time Grammy Award-winning T-Swizzle released her current pop album, 1989, in October 2014. The title reflects her birth year (she’s 25) and is the first album the multimillionaire songstress has released since announcing she was no longer a country artist. The video for the record’s lead single, “Shake It Off,” has nearly one billion views on YouTube.

Whether or not Swift’s posse of A-list BFFs (including singer Lorde, actress Jamie King, Girls creator Lena Dunham, and supermodels Gigi Hadid and Karlie Kloss) or new boyfriend, Calvin Harris, will accompany her to this America’s Finest City show remains anyone’s guess, but more than 40,000 of her 72 million Facebook fans are sure to be shaking it off at Petco Park on August 29.

S arah Barl ow + Stephen S chofiel d

(cont. on page 102)

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GET YOUR SOMETHING EXTRA TEXT AlwaysSummer TO 24455 F O R A N E N T RY C O D E C O R O N AU S A . C O M NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Enter your Official Entry Code at www.CoronaUSA.com, beginning 12:00:01 AM (ET) on 5/6/15 through 11:59:59 AM (ET) on 9/8/15. Open only to residents of 50 U.S. and Washington, DC, 21 or older. Text message entry code requests must be received by 11:59:59 AM (ET) on 9/8/15. Online entries must be received by 11:59:59 AM (ET) on 9/8/15 to be eligible for the last daily drawing. Message and data rates may apply for text messaging (available on participating carriers only). Text STOP to 24455 to cancel.

Text HELP to 24455 for help. Void where prohibited. For complete details, daily entry deadlines and other ways to obtain an Official Entry Code, see Official Rules at www.CoronaUSA.com.

Relax responsibly.

速

Corona Extra速 Beer. Imported by Crown Imports, Chicago, IL

groove {sound decisions} (cont. from page 100)

AUGUST concert calendar

By Catlin Dorset

8/1: Jo Dee Messina @ Balboa Theatre, sandiegotheatres.org Country singer-songwriter most recognized for her hits “Heads Carolina, Tails California” (1996), “Bye, Bye” (1998) and “Bring on the Rain” (2001).

8/2: Juanes @ San Diego Civic Theatre, sandiegotheatres.org Colombian rocker Juan Esteban Aristizábal Vásquez, aka Juanes, stops in America’s Finest during his U.S. Loco De Amor tour.

8/3-4: Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo @ Belly Up Tavern, bellyup.com Grammy Award-winning pop rocker Pat Benatar and hubbyslash-guitarist Neil Giraldo, on their North American 35th Anniversary Tour.

8/4: Tame Impala @ Observatory North Park, observatorysd.com Five-piece psychedelic rock band from down unda.

8/5: Vans Warped Tour @ Qualcomm Stadium, vanswarpedtour.com More than 90 rock, punk, alt. and pop acts take the stage during this annual touring event.

8/6: Echo and the Bunnymen @ Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay, humphreysconcerts.com English punk rockers best known for their 1987 hit “Lips Like Sugar.”

t u O l F a l oy B 8.8

FALL O U T BOY & W IZ K H ALIFA

8/2: Darius Rucker @ Sleep Train Amphitheatre, livenation.com This Hootie and the Blowfish frontman and country artist released his Southern Style album in March.

8/3: Milky Chance @ SOMA, somasandiego.com In October, this German folk/ pop twosome performed its single “Stolen Dance” on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Pamela Littky

Sounds Like a Plan

@ Sleep Train Amphitheatre livenation.com

San Diego is the third-to-last stop on the rock band’s and hiphopper’s co-headlining Boys of Zummer Tour 2015.

Z iggy arley M 8.1

@ Del Mar Thoroughbred Club delmarscene.com

ZIG GY MAR L EY

In February, the third eldest son of reggae legend Bob Marley took home the golden gramophone for Best Reggae Album at the 57th annual Grammy Awards.

(cont. ON page 104)

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P U P U U O U Y O G Y N I G K N I O K O O H O E W H E R ’ E W N E E R ’ A W N E , A W R IIN , E N W R M E O W M T M U O M S T S E U L S S C L E N A C A N ALL H A C H H C T I H T W WI

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groove {sound decisions} (cont. from page 102)

8/8: Idina Menzel @ SDSU’s Open Air Theatre, as.sdsu.edu Even those who’ve never seen Disney’s Frozen film know this pop Broadway star’s hit song (and the film’s title track) “Let It Go.” 8/9: Melissa Etheridge @ Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay, humphreysconcerts.com In 2007, this pop rock artist’s track “I Need to Wake Up,” which was featured in the film An Inconvenient Truth, won an Academy Award.

8/10: Lindsey Stirling @ San Diego Civic Theatre, sandiegotheatres.org Echosmith collaborated with this violinist on a cover of the band’s big single “Bright.”

8.12 AL AB AM A SH AKES

8/9: Jake Miller @ House of Blues, hob.com This 20-something rapper dropped his new Rumors EP on July 8.

a m a b a l A hakes S @ SDSU’s Open Air Theatre, as.sdsu.edu

In April, these roots rockers released their second album, Sound & Color.

8/11: Sam Smith @ Valley View Casino Center, valleyviewcasinocenter.com Since lending his vocals to Disclosure’s 2012 chart-topping hit “Latch,” this pop artist has enjoyed major success from his debut album, In the Lonely Hour, which dropped in 2014.

8/11: Kevin Costner and Modern West @ Belly Up Tavern, bellyup.com The Waterworld, Dances with Wolves and Bull Durham actor started this country rock outfit in 2007.

8/12: Jackson Browne @ San Diego Civic Theatre, sandiegotheatres.org Three of this rock singer-songwriter’s albums made Rolling Stone magazine’s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” list: Late for the Sky (No. 375), The Pretender (No. 391) and For Everyman (No. 450).

PACIFICSANDIEGO.coM • AUGUST 2015

@ Belly Up Tavern, bellyup.com

In 2005, B.B. King and Eric Clapton inducted this blues musician into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

(cont. ON page 106)

J osh Cheuse

104

8.12

BU DD Y GU Y

8/12: The Commodores @ Sycuan Casino, sycuan.com This soul/funk band topped the R&B charts with singles “Easy” (1977), “Three Times a Lady” (1978) and “Nightshift” (1985).

y d d u Buy

groove {sound decisions} (cont. from page 104)

8/14: Steel Pulse @ Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, delmarscene.com Reggae roots band rumored to be dropping a new studio album and documentary sometime this year.

8/15: The B-52s @ Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay, humphreysconcerts.com Pop rockers on the road with The English Beat and The Psychedelic Furs 8/16: Kelly Clarkson @ SDSU’s Viejas Arena, as.sdsu.edu The American Idol Season One winner released her seventh pop studio album, Piece by Piece, in February.

8/21: Big Mountain @ Belly Up Tavern, bellyup.com San Diego-based reggae band best known for their 1994 cover of Peter Frampton’s “Baby, I Love Your Way.” 8/21: Pepper @ Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, delmarscene.com Sublime With Rome, 311 and Slightly Stoopid are among the bands whom this reggae rock band has toured.

s k r e i D ntley Be 8.16 DIERKS BEN T L E Y

8/15: Trapt @ Soda Bar, sodabarmusic.com Hard rock foursome most known for its 2003 single, “Headstrong.”

8/20: The Drums @ The Irenic, theirenic.com Indie rock duo out of Brooklyn, New York.

@ Sleep Train Amphitheatre, livenation.com

In 2013, this country singer and guitarist co-headlined the Locked & Reloaded tour with Miranda Lambert.

8/21: Arch Enemy @ House of Blues, hob.com Swedish death metal fivesome on its worldwide War Eternal tour.

8/18: Terror @ Epicentre, epicentreconcerts.org Hardcore metal band on The 25th Hour tour in support of its homonymous album, which drops August 7.

8/19: George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic @ House of Blues, hob.com This funk/soul artist and actor made a cameo in the 1997 flick Good Burger, appearing as one of the loons at the Demented Hills Mental Hospital.

H oward H uang

j a n i M icki

NI C KI MIN AJ

8.13

@ Sleep Train Amphitheatre, livenation.com

Lil Wayne, Drake, Beyoncé and Rihanna are among the artists with whom this rap diva has collaborated. (cont. ON page 108)

groove {sound decisions} (cont. from page 106)

8/21-22: LeAnn Rimes @ Embarcadero Marina Park South, sandiegosymphony.org This country singer-songwriter’s 1996 Grammy win made her (at that time) the youngest ever to receive the award — she was 14.

8/22: Shania Twain @ Valley View Casino Center, valleyviewcasinocenter.com After Shania’s first husband had a fling with her best friend, the country artist then married her ex-BFF’s ex-husband. Kinda sounds like a country song.

8/22: Snow Tha Product @ Observatory North Park, observatorysd.com Hip-hopper Claudia Alexandra Feliciano, aka Snow Tha Product, briefly attended San Diego Mesa College before dropping out to pursue a career in music.

8/23: Natalie Cole @ Embarcadero Marina Park South, sandiegosymphony.org Nine-time Grammy Award-winner and R&B artist Natalie Cole shares a birthday with Bob Marley. He would have been five years her senior.

8/28: “Weird Al” Yankovic @ Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, delmarscene.com The pop parodist quasi-covers Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines,” Lorde’s “Royals” and Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy” on his latest album, titled Mandatory Fun.

8/24: Diana Krall @ Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay, humphreysconcerts.com In 2003, this jazz singer and pianist married musician Elvis Costello at Elton John’s castle in England.

8/29: Kenny G @ Thornton Winery, thorntonwine.com Jazz saxophonist Kenny G makes an appearance in Katy Perry’s 2010 “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” music video.

8/26: Moonshine Bandits @ Brick by Brick, brickbybrick.com Dusty “Tex” Dahlgren and Brett “Bird” Brooks compose this country rap duo.

8/30: Incubus @ Sleep Train Amphitheatre, livenation.com Alt. rock group most known for its 2001 hit, “Drive.”

8/26 & 28: Joe Bonamassa @ Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay, humphreysconcerts.com This blues rocker opened for the legendary B.B. King when he was just 14 years old.

J ill ott Sc

8.25

@ Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay, humphreysconcerts.com

JILL SC O TT

This R&B vocalist and actress starred in Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married? and Why Did I Get Married Too? films.

n o s p m o T h uare Sq 8.21

In 2010, this husband and wife duo topped the country music charts with their song “Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not.” Dov e S hore

T HOM PSON SQU ARE 108

@ Sycuan Casino, sycuan.com

PACIFICSANDIEGO.coM • AUGUST 2015

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take a spin

Upcoming EDM and DJ performances

By Catlin Dorset

8/6: Above & Beyond @ OMNIA San Diego, omnianightclub.com This trance trio out of London landed on DJ Mag’s 2015 “Top 100 DJs” list at No. 25.

8/7: Thievery Corporation @ Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, delmarscene.com Bossa Nova-inspired EDM DJs Eric Hilton and Rob Garza, aka Thievery Corporation, who perform on-stage with live vocalists and musicians.

8.13

8/7: DVBBS @ OMNIA San Diego, omnianightclub.com Canadian EDM duo touring worldwide through September.

8/9: TJR @ DIVE Day Club, divedayclub.com In September, this house music remixer will play the TomorrowWorld music festival with the likes of Tiësto, David Guetta and Benny Benassi.

@ OMNIA San Diego, omnianightclub.com

Showtek This progressive house duo co-produced Chris Brown’s 2012 single, “Nobody’s Perfect.”

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8/12: Hot Chip @ SOMA, somasandiego.com Electro Brits on the road to promote their new album Why Make Sense?, which dropped in May.

Tom Oldham

groove {spin cycle}

8/14: Nicky Romero @ OMNIA San Diego, omnianightclub.com DJ Mag ranked this EDMer at No. 8 (above Steve Aoki and Calvin Harris) on its 2015 “Top 100 DJs” list.

Flux Pavilion @ Bassmnt, bassmntsd.com

8.14

Joshua Kierkegaard G. Steele, aka Flux Pavilion, will release his debut album, Tesla, on September 4.

8/14: DJ Mustard @ PARQ Nightclub, parqsd.com This L.A. native co-wrote and produced Tyga’s 2012 hit “Rack City.”

8.29

8/16: DJ Snoopadelic @ DIVE Day Club, divedayclub.com D-O-Double-Gizzle/Snoop Dogg/Snoop Lion/DJ Snoopadelic told Fader magazine of his alter egos: “I’m Snooperman. I go into the booth, and when I come out, I’m damn sure gonna have a hit record for yo’ ass.”

8/20: Dash Berlin @ OMNIA San Diego, omnianightclub.com Justin Timberlake, Janet Jackson and Lenny Kravitz are among the big names for whom this trance DJ has remixed tracks.

8/21: Cash Cash and Tritonal @ OMNIA San Diego, omnianightclub.com EDM groups Cash Cash and Tritonal stop in America’s Finest while on their coheadlining Untouchable tour.

@ Bassmnt, bassmntsd.com

Vicetone Netherlanders Ruben Den Boer and Victor Pool (both 23 years old) comprise this progressive house duo.

8.17

@ OMNIA San Diego, omnianightclub.com

BORGEOUS In June, this progressive house turtablist released his new single, “Zero Gravity,” featuring Lights.

8/22: Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano @ OMNIA San Diego, omnianightclub.com House music duo out of Amsterdam.

8/27: Krewella @ OMNIA San Diego, omnianightclub.com Electro house sisters climbing the charts with their current single, “Somewhere to Run.” 8/28: a-trak @ OMNIA San Diego, omnianightclub.com

This Canadian house music DJ’s brother is one-half of EDM group Chromeo.

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groove {BARTENDER}

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o o R

Fired up for the triumphant return of a Pacific Beach mainstay

By Brandon Hernández Photo by Kate and Michael Auda

anielle Reilly came to San Diego by way of Buffalo, New York, trading hot wing culture for Pacific Beach’s hot bar culture — but not before spending a stint in Vegas and earning a degree in Counseling from UC San Diego.

These days, Reilly puts her interpersonal skills to use in tandem with her mixology methodologies behind the bar at PB AleHouse, the celebrated surfside staple that caught fire in February. Talk about hot bar… the place went up in smoke when a small fire that started in the kitchen ignited the ventilation system and spread to the attic.

Luckily no one was hurt, and many of the popular venue’s 120 employees found work at OMG Hospitality’s other establishments, which include Union Kitchen + Tap locations in Encinitas and the Gaslamp, and the new Backyard Kitchen + Tap on Garnet Avenue.

Much as she has done for her beloved Bills, Reilly stuck by AleHouse, which reopened in July. Now back to work at the drastically remodeled Grand Avenue destination for specialty cocktails, house-brewed beers and ocean views, she seems happy to be pouring it on for her regulars once again.

PacificSD: What got you into the bartending game?

DANIELLE REILLY: I wanted to be a bartender ever since I saw the movie Coyote Ugly, and the girl got to spray the guy in the face with the soda gun when he asked for water.

What led you to PB AleHouse?

When I moved back from Vegas, a friend of

mine worked at PB AleHouse. With the beach next door, house beers on tap and a hundred screaming Bills fans on Sundays, I was sold.

Were you around when the fire broke out?

I was behind the bar the day the fire happened.

That day was a crazy mix of emotions, but I am just glad everyone got out safe. Including our employee, Ben, who we had to coax off the roof and convince that the fire extinguisher wasn’t going to help at that point.

How’s the place look now?

The remodel is such an awesome mixture of old and new. The patio upstairs is now one level, and the bar downstairs was extended to add more seating. Everything looks and feels brand new, but it’s the same awesome food and drinks and, more importantly, the same rock-star staff that everyone comes to the AleHouse for.

Do you have any specialty drinks up your sleeve?

I usually don’t wear sleeves, but one of the specialty drinks on the menu I created is called the Mission and Grand. It’s what a cocktail should be: refreshing and delicious. As for what’s in it, stop by and I’ll make you one.

Any epic stories from your time at PB AleHouse?

Well, there was this one time Tom Brady came into my bar and played a crazy game of darts that he won with a whole crowd shouting his name. Of course, we later found out he was using weighted darts and cheating, but those are just allegations…

Pacific Beach AleHouse 721 Grand Ave., Pacific Beach 858.581.2337, pbalehouse.com

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Seen Diego Sites and sounds from all around town

Picture this — you’re hanging out with friends at an event party, you look up from your phone for a moment, and then FLASH! It isn’t a selfie, it’s you, being captured for posterity. It could happen...

(See more PacificSD event photos at facebook.com/pacificsd and on Instagram @PacificSanDiego.)

Brian’s 24, Gaslamp

Whiskey & Waffles Wednesday Launch Party and Grand Reopening Celebration June 17, 2015

W Hotel San Diego, Downtown Summer Solstice Pool Party June 21, 2015

PH OT OS BY MIC HA EL RAYM OND

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PHOTOS BY MICHAEL RAYMOND

groove {events}

PHOTOS BY arlene ibarra

Roppongi, La Jolla Fireside Thursdays 2015 Launch (with a little hot sax on the side) June 25, 2015

(cont. on page 118)

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(cont. from page 117)

L’Auberge Del Mar

PHOTOS BY ARLENE IBARRA

groove {events}

Opening Day Afterparty (snazzy version) July 16, 2015

Opening Day Afterparty (casual version) July 16, 2015

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P H O T O S BY A R L E N E I B A R R A

en fuego Del Mar

2014’s San Diego Spirits Festival drew 3,500 cocktail and culinary enthusiasts to downtown’s Broadway Pier.

What’s Shakin’ The San Diego Spirits Festival returns

By Ellie Sinkevidge

Back for its seventh liquefying year, the San Diego Spirits Festival (SDSF) is set to take over the downtown waterfront once again.

The craft cocktail-infused cultural and culinary showcase lands at Port Pavilion on Broadway Pier August 22-23.

SDSF is where the city’s top mixologists, craft distillers, celebrity chefs and culinary artisans converge with liquor purveyors from around the world to wow Southern California with the best food and drink the region has to offer — all set against a picturesque backdrop of the skyline and San Diego Bay.

Sample unique alcohols (unlimited samples included), savor offerings from top-rated local restaurants and experience flavor profiles and tasteful pairings the likes of which the city hasn’t seen. (cont. ON page 125)

sandiegospiritsfestival.com

M A K E U S P R O U D . D R I N K R E S P O N S I B LY, P L E A S E .

sandiegospiritsfestival.com

Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 43.2%-45.2% Alc. by Vol.The Woodford Reserve Distillery, Versailles, KY ©2014

PRODUCED BY THE DREAM CATCHER IRISH LIQUEUR CO., BAILIEBOROUGH ROUGH COUNTY CAVAN, IRELAND IMPORTED & BOTTLED BY WORLD WIDE DISTILLERS DISTILLERRS CO., PHILADELPHIA, PA 31% ALC/VOL (62 PROOF)

Legendary “Toasted” Irish Liqueur The origins of Dream Catcher, an old Gaelic recipe, started in a historic farm house with a pot still in County Cavan, Ireland.

A farmer was inspired to blend an elixir of the natural flavor of toasted chestnuts and other superb ingredients with Premium Irish Spirits to create the taste of toasted Irish Liqueur.

This wonderful treasure was discovered several years ago and is now coming to the world.

The farmer claimed it was a “Dream worth catching”.

Enjoy Dream Catcher & Cola 1 oz. Dream Catcher 3 ozs. Cola Serve over ice. www.DreamCatcherIrishLiqueur.com www

(cont. FROM page 120)

Featuring live music, a live cocktail competition, art installations and more, the West Coast’s preeminent spirits and food festival promises not only to entertain adventurous palates, but also to satisfy appetites for over-the-top entertainment.

See the sights, hear the music, taste what’s next in food and drink, smell the delicious cuisine and feel like you’re an industry insider for the weekend at SDSF, an absolute feast for the senses. (And for the chance to glimpse a little non-sense, keep your eye out for Kin Jong-Un’s BFF, Dennis Rodman, who’ll be at the festival to promote his Bad Boy Vodka.)

Bad Boy Dennis Rodman is slated to appear at the 2015 San Diego Spirits Festival.

For tickets and more info, visit SanDiegoSpiritsFestival.com.

Use promo code “COCKTAILS” at check-out to save $20 off advance tickets for a limited time.

sandiegospiritsfestival.com

L O V E {BLIND DATE}

ready or knot How a woman in love adores even more

By David Perloff Photos by Arlene Ibarra

A

finalist in 2014’s citywide Voice of Pride singing competition, Stacey Humphries is no stranger to the stage. And while she didn’t win the $1,000 grand prize for best vocals last year, she’ll soon be taking the main stage at Pride Music Festival, right after the big parade through Hillcrest.

Stacey’s performance may not bring the crowd to its knees, but it will do so for the entertainer herself — instead of singing, she’ll be dropping to one knee to ask for her girlfriend’s hand in marriage… with thousands of rainbow-clad revelers watching.

The girlfriend, Crystal Clark, Stacey Humphries performs at Voice of Pride 2014.

Snapshots ’s of this year waterlogged Pride Music Festival (July 18).

thinks Stacey is calling her onstage to hold her hand while she sings.

Before Stacey pops the question, let’s review her pre-engagement (pre-asking, anyway) interview.

PacificSD: How did you meet Crystal?

STACEY: We met on Facebook through a mutual friend and started seeing each other out and about around town. The first time we hung out as friends, we did yoga. She thought she would never see me again after that; she thought I would never forgive her. That yoga class changed my life, and I pulled three muscles in places I decline to discuss further.

Crystal (left) has no idea Stacey is about to propose.

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How long have you two been together?

STACEY: Ten months, but this is

an old love with old roots. I have been with other partners for years, and this is just, simply… real.

How do you know she’s the one for you?

STACEY: Crystal is absolutely stunning. She walks into the room, and eyes are drawn to her. We are friends. We laugh. We take walks and share about our day. We had an immediate connection; it was undeniable and exciting. I started to see how sweet and kind she is.

She is driven and motivated and is a hard worker. She takes care of me in the most thoughtful ways. She always makes sure that I have what I need. And it doesn’t matter if it is something little or big — she is there by my side, taking care of me.

She immediately jumped in and started taking care of my

son as if he was her own. She takes the time to make him feel special. She makes sure he learns responsibility, being polite, using his manners. And when she makes him laugh and smile, it melts my heart. It is the sweetest sensation to see them play and interact and get closer as family.

I feel like we just fit perfectly.

Everything is smooth, and our teamwork and partnership gets stuff done. She makes the crazy, hectic parts of life… easier. She motivates me and inspires me. I didn’t daydream before Crystal.

She discovered a part of me that I didn’t know existed. I smile when I am with her. I smile in the dark when I am holding her. She makes me fulfilled and happy and we are in love — like right in the middle of it, spinning around

in a tornado of good-good and mmm-hmmm. I just simply adore her, and her happiness and smile are a gift. Her love and trust are gifts. I just want to hear her laugh and steal kisses from her whenever I can.

How did you decide to propose during Pride?

STACEY: I decided to propose to her at the Pride Music Festival because of the amazing amount of support that we would automatically receive. The genuine, heartfelt reaction of the crowd will hopefully make her feel extra special and will certainly allow me to know I am sourrounded by those that will simply feel happiness, seeing our proposal and knowing that it is from the place of love.

Does Crystal suspect anything?

STACEY: She told me the other day, “Babe, you are going to be famous… and hopefully rich.” I really think she thinks that I am singing. I really hope she’s shocked, but also not sad that I am not rich and famous.

How will you execute the proposal?

STACEY: I am going to have her on the side-stage so I can look over to sing to her. And then, when I go on stage, I’ll say that I cannot sing a cover of someone’s song but I can share the lyrics of my heart. Then I will walk over to her, take her hand and walk her out on stage. I will probably tease her a little bit, then hopefully be able to just focus in on her and tell her how beautiful

she is inside and out and how I love her more and more each day and don’t want to know what one single day would be like without her by my side. This may all be said during a river of tears pouring down my face, and I may be possibly whimpering like a wounded puppy. This may be a super ugly cry… real ugly.

How sure are you that she’ll say yes?

STACEY: She better! Pretty sure.

She is my love; I am her love. We are both excited for our future.

How will you celebrate the engagement tonight?

STACEY: I am sure we will enjoy the festival and celebrating with our loved ones. My idea is to get her home, just the two of us, a

serious spooning session, some giggling and chatting about if she had any clue about the proposal, how she felt and how it feels to be engaged, finally. I am pretty sure she thinks I am taking forever.

What are your plans for the wedding?

STACEY: You are talking to the wrong woman. She will certainly be in charge of all that planning.

I think that we want something simple, but our focus is being surrounded by the people we love. The dream is a honeymoon in Hawaii or somewhere tropical where we can just be and enjoy our new marriage. Whatever it is, as long as we are together, it will be just as it is supposed to be — perfect with my baby. (cont. on page 128)

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L O V E {BLIND DATE} (cont. from page 127)

It’s Raining, Men Soaking in the Pride in more ways than one

I

t doesn’t rain on a parade in the middle of summer in San Diego, does it? Uh… yep. In fact, with all her thunder-and-lighting drama, Tropical Storm Dolores (great name for a drag queen) is transforming University Avenue into a rainbow river, and July into the wettest on record since 1902.

[Editor’s note: Donald Trump will no doubt Tweet that the rain is God punishing America’s Finest for same-sex marriage, but the real reason he’s staying inside is he doesn’t want to get his “hair” wet and have to dry clean it again.]

Despite the torrents, the show must go on. After the more than 200 floats and contingents follow the procession from the Pride flag on Normal Street, down University to Sixth Avenue and into Balboa Park (in the name of love, equality and a rockin’ good time), Stacey takes the stage at the Pride Music Festival.

She picks of the microphone as if she’s going to sing, calls Crystal to join her, and them drops to one knee to propose.

Crystal says “Yes!” and the crowd erupts.

After wiping raindrops from our lenses and tears from our eyes, the PacificSD crew finally leaves the betrothed alone to enjoy the rest of their day away from the camera. The next day, we call to see how things are going.

PacificSD: Well, first, congratulations! Please tell us about your fiancée and why she’s the one for you.

CRYSTAL: She’s the most incredible woman I have ever met. She is so loving, giving and has the most beautiful and amazing soul.

When did you know she was the one?

CRYSTAL: I don’t know if there was a single moment that I fell for her. I think I am still falling for her every day. From the moment I met her, I knew that I was with a genuine soul.

Her kindness and depth are remarkable. I can tell that she loves and appreciates all of me — the good and the bad, inside and out. I cherish every second with her and cannot wait to experience millions more.

How did the proposal go down?

CRYSTAL: Well, I thought Stacey was singing, so I was pretty nervous for her, especially with the

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rain. When she said she was going to bring me on stage, I assumed she was going to sing to me, but didn’t know about the proposal… at all. I was laughing when I found out everyone had known but me.

Even our 7-year-old knew. It was the sweetest thing, though. I love how special she made it and how amazing it all was.

What was the best part about getting engaged during Pride?

CRYSTAL: Our friends and family were able to be a part of it. I also think this kind of love is especially rare. I think sharing moments like this with other people might make them feel like they get to be a small part of it and gives others hope for a love like ours.

Have you set a wedding date yet?

CRYSTAL: Not yet. It will likely be pretty soon, though.

Do you have any wedding plans?

CRYSTAL: I’m trying on dresses (cont. on page 130) today.

HELP PROTECT OUR WEST

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FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW YOU CAN HELP.

©2015 COORS BREWING COMPANY, GOLDEN, CO

L O V E {BLIND DATE} (cont. from page 128)

Here Come the Brides Multiple wives under one roof… and we’re not even in Utah

S

ome say marriage is a word. Others insist it’s a sentence. Either way, it’s now a legal right to have and to hold whomever you want. Beaming, Stacey reflects on the engagement and being ready to tie the knot.

PacificSD: How did the proposal go?

STACEY: Phew. That was extremely nerve-racking. I had no idea if someone would accidentally slip and say something, or if my shaking legs were going to be able to carry me up on the stage. I was beyond nervous. I think that when I finally got on stage, I felt a little relief but kept an eye on Crystal to watch her facial expressions.

I had a perma-smile on my face that still hasn’t let up. When I started talking directly to her, I could feel myself just fall into her. All that mattered was that I was looking into her eyes and speaking from my heart. When I stood her up and she put

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her arms around me, we were completely connected and I could feel her curiosity.

The minute I reached into my pocket the crowd roared and started clapping. That felt absolutely amazing, as if they were just waiting for that moment. It felt so good, I could hardly reset myself to get down on my knee and look into her eyes so I could ask her, “Will you marry me?”

The best part about all of it was the energy and the embrace we wrapped each other in after she said “One thousand percent.”

I am so happy, I am so in love.

She made my dream come true, and now I get to spend the rest of my life showing her how I feel about her and taking care of my one true love.

How do you feel now?

STACEY: I am so glad that, after all of these months, I no longer have any secrets. Keeping secrets is not my strong point when it comes to Crystal. It feels unnatural, and I just want

to share everything with her. I am so proud to look at her and see the ring on her finger. I love showing it off to everyone and I love the look on her face and watching her light up when we get to share our news.

I cannot wait to marry this woman. We are filling up the pages of our lives with love, respect, laughter, fun and a connection that will never be taken for granted. I think about her floating down the aisle to me. I daydream about how that day will feel. My son has another loving parent; my family is my everything. This is what life is all about.

Has the new federal law legalizing same-sex marriage affected how you feel about your pending marriage?

STACEY: Before the Supreme Court ruling, I had already started planning to propose. I think the ruling is something to celebrate and just makes this more exciting. And the energy

and love flowing right now is undeniable. We are so grateful for those that have fought for equal rights and marriage equality. We respect those that have come before us and we celebrate equality for all, and it makes us even more grateful for being able to be so open about our love. We just want to live each day together and be happy.

Everyone deserves happiness.

BORN IN THE ROCKIES

©2015 COORS BREWING COMPANY, GOLDEN, CO ©2015 COORS BREWING COMPANY, GOLDEN, CO