Pacific San Diego Magazine, December 2011 issue

SAN DIEGO’S WHERE, WHEN AND WOW!

PACIFICSANDIEGO.COM

DECEMBER 2011

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Dearest Reader, If memory serves, it’s been five years since the birth of PacificSD, the region’s favorite __________ magazine. It’s been a long, __________ ride, and I’m honored that you’ve given me the __________ I deserve.

From __________ beginnings in a crappy office in Pacific Beach, our homegrown company has graduated to crappy offices in Old Town, steps from the freeway, incessant mariachis and the __________ women making tortillas by hand.

Today, 150,000 __________ people like you read the magazine, from Downtown to Carlsbad to La Mesa. Even the guy in __________ who can read picks it up each month, so you gotta know this publication is __________ .

This 60th issue of PacificSD celebrates the holidays in America’s Finest City, which (if the world doesn’t end as certain __________ Mayans have predicted), may become America’s __________ City after the mayoral election in November.

Speaking of holidays, did you get a look at that cover? Holy __________ , right?

San Diego artist Court Jones created the __________ Coronado scene to show northern folk how we do things down south.

(Jack __________ nipping at my __________? Uh, snow thank you. If I want to freeze my __________ off, I’ll whip out my __________ and fly to Mammoth.)

Images of __________ and Santa make me nostalgic. I don’t cry much, but there’s something about Christmas (actually, Chanukah, to be __________ ) that makes me think about family and childhood...and that which can put a __________ in my throat.

This photo of my family depicts a more innocent time, in Philadelphia, when my big brother wasn’t such a __________ , Mom had fewer __________ and Dad was still alive. U.S. Navy Retired Captain Joel B. Lench (who lives in San Diego) took the photo in 1975 and emailed me a scan of the original slide yesterday. He was Dad’s best friend, still is my godfather (and one of my best friends) and still smells like __________ and Aramis, just like when he told us to say “cheese” all those years ago.

Ahhh, memories—fleeting, potent, inevitable this time of year. I know if Dad I’m the kid smiling in the back. were here today he would say something brilliant, like, “A __________ in the hand is worth a __________ in the Chanukah Bush.”

(He was kind of a __________ like me.) ’Tis the season to enjoy the __________ greeting cards on pages 67 to 72. Court Jones illustrated these examples of __________ for your viewing (and mailing) pleasure, and you can see from his work that he is completely full of __________ .

And again, thank you so much for reading. PacificSD would be __________ without you.

Happy New Year to all, and to all a good __________ .

760-743-0140

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XOXO, David Perloff, editor in __________ .

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W W W . L A S E R A W A Y. N E T

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Brandon Hernández Dominic Fawcett Aaron Heier Ryan Hume Larry Jameson Catharine L Kaufman David Moye David Nelson Michelle Poveda Cookie “Chainsaw” Randolph Frank Sabatini, Jr. Rebekah Sager Alex Zaragoza Sergio Fernandez Tim King Patricia B Dwyer

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San Diego

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P A C I F I C S D

Photo contest submission deadline extended to December 5.

ADVERTISE VIA PRINT, WEB, SOCIAL MEDIA Call 619.296.6300 or visit pacificsandiego.com today to start building your custom multimedia campaign. PacificSD—the right audience, the right media mix, the right way to reach San Diego.

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the gift that gives all year: a 12month subscription to PacificSD for just $9.99.

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San Diego

Usher in 2012 with a pair of FREE tickets to PacificSD’s New Year’s Eve celebration at Hard Rock Hotel San Diego.

(Scan above to sign up for PacificSD’s newsletter—we’ll email you if you win New Year’s tix and will send you VIP invites to other cool events even if you don’t.)

For your chance to win $500 cash, email your photos to picturethis@ pacificsandiego.com today. (Find rules and details at pacificsandiego.com.)

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SAN DIEGO’S WHERE, WHEN AND WOW!

PACIFICSANDIEGO.COM

DECEMBER 2011

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pacificsd

pacificsandiego.com

features Fur the Howlidays 60 Home How to avoid the pitfalls of pet adoption

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PacificSD GREETING Cards

TEAR-OUT GREETING CARDS INSIDE!

’Tis the season to spread holiday cheer—or a more personalized sentiment (have fun!)

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pacificsandiego.com {December 2011}

ON THE COVER: Illustration by Court Jones, courtjones.com.

THIS PAGE: One of the kittens recently available for adoption through the San Diego Humane Society and SPCA.

contents departments CURRENTS

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32

Corps Values Marines contribute above their play grade

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SITTING TALL Carmerl Valley kid movie critic writes own ticket to fame

36

Sound Off How a determined woman performs in near silence

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Brush Tokes Rock icon Grace Slick goes to the canvas for medi-juana

40

Well-Spokin’ Social Cycle pedals wheel-time interaction and fun

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Fruits of Your Labor Ten ways to ensure you’re ripe for a holiday bonus

44

Bloom at the Top North County company produces the cream of the world’s poinsettia crop

Plastic (Not) Fantastic Solana Beach advances proposed bag ban

46 Jingle Belles San Diego business women on the go-go

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Hammer time Chef Brian Malarkey breaks ground on more new restaurants

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Splendor in the Glass Eggnog breaks from tradition with bold local twists on holiday cheer

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Awww, How Sweet!

Be crumb-founded by local cookies with artistry baked into every bite

pacificsandiego.com {December 2011}

12.11

pacificsd

“...hopefully it’s easy for people to connect with the image.”

—Grace Slick, rock icon and artist

GROOVE

75 Showtime Concert previews 78 Sound Advice Album reviews 82

Pouring it On A nightlifer’s guide to Finest City VIP bottle service

90

Spinning the Bottle Grant Grill mixologist uncorks an innovative line of fizzy cocktails

DATE

93

Dateline San Diego Romance, mirth and rigor mortis mark a recap of 58 and a half PacificSD blind dates

CALENDAR

102 Twelve.Eleven December event listings THINK

TASTE

pacificsandiego.com

106 THE FINAL COUNTDOWN May old acquaintance (and everything else) be forgot

Eos, by Grace Slick, on display at Alexander Salazar Fine Art in the Gaslamp on December 3.

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B R E A K F A S T

L U N C H

D I N N E R

A L L

N I G H T

Night or Day THE RESTAURANT THAT NEVER SLEEPS

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A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Gift guide HIGH-TECH TIMBER TIMEPIECES $119 Get a splinter of eco-luxury with a 100% natural wood WeWood watch, wholly absent of artificial and toxic materials.

WeWood plants a tree for every watch sold!

WeWood we-wood.us

onetribesd.com

FORGET DIAMONDS—STILETTOS ARE A GIRL’S BEST FRIEND $58.99 A dress, ankle-strap galore, Ultra High Heel stiletto with an exterior platform will shine as a great gift for this holiday season. This shoe offers protection and peacefulness mixed together to create a design that enhances beauty. New contrasts and geometric lines create that angelic timeless look. (Andrea #13076; colors available in rose and black.)

FALL AND WINTER THRILLS $81.99 The cozy low-boot with an unexpected flare of fleece lining and handcrafted finishes adapts to your style and individuality, all the while keeping your foot cozy and comfortable, too! Button up when temperatures begin to fall. (Andrea #12255; colors available: black and brown leather.)

Tutto Cuore 858.490.4685, tuttocuoreshoes.com 1019 Garnet Ave., Pacific Beach

Tutto Cuore 858.490.4685, tuttocuoreshoes.com 1019 Garnet Ave., Pacific Beach

HOT ROCKS FOR THE HOLIDAYS Find upscale, trendy jewelry for Men and Women here or online.

Treasures like these Silver and Coral bracelets ($229, $199) and this Silver, Coral and Turquoise Ring (size 9, $120) make for great gifts!

BODYSURFING FOR A NEW GENERATION $99-$139.99 Slyde is a new, innovative and design-driven brand focused exclusively on the sport of handboarding. It’s bodysurfing for a new generation.

Use code PACIFICSD for 15% off for PacificSD readers.

Hot Rock Jewelry 619.238.4920 hotrockjewelry.com 861 Sixth Ave., Ste. 620, 92101 by appt. Jewelers Exchange Bld., Gaslamp

INDULGE WITH WINTER MUST-HAVES ’Tis the season for holiday parties and the perfect time to add a little shimmer to your look. Channel old Hollywood glam in this classic silver pencil dress

by Corey Lynn Calter, $184.

Polish off your ensemble with a gold statement cuff by Eddera, $178.

Capricorn Boutique 858.551.2660, capricornboutique.com 5544 La Jolla Blvd., Ste. B., La Jolla

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ONE TRIBE SPIRITHOODS HANDCRAFTED ACCESSORIES 79.99-139.99 There is a transformation that takes place when you wear a SpiritHood. The experience is indefinable and completely unique to you. Join the tribe, share your experience. Made in Los Angeles, adult and children sizes available. 15% discount code: PACIFICSD

pacificsandiego.com {December 2011}

Slyde Handboards slydehandboards.com Venice, CA

MODERN FURNISHINGS. AFFORDABLE PRICES. $139.95 Add a splash of color to your home or office with Underground Furniture’s extensive art and furniture collection. Create your own custom-made sofa with hundreds of colors to choose from.

Underground Furniture 858.581.0229 undergroundfurniture.com 1345 Garnet Ave., Pacific Beach

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

GIVE THE “BOYS” THE GIFT OF FRESHNESS $12 Men’s body powder loaded in a rosin bag for easy pat-on application where men need it most. Cowboy Code - Men’s Body Powder gives every man something his “boys” will appreciate this holiday season.

Cowboy Code Powder cowboycodepowder.com or locally at: FeeLit (9th & E, Downtown) Crow Thief (30th & Grape, South Park)

NATURAL. ORGANIC. EFFECTIVE. $19.99-$89 Holiday shopping is easy with a variety of gift bags and baskets made with natural and locally made body care, skin care and aromatherapy products.

Or grab a gift certificate good towards products, massages and facials.

R. D. Alchemy 619.825.6078 rdalchemy.com 2040 India St., Little Italy

IT’S NOT A BACKPACK, IT’S A JAMMYPACK $79.95 Introducing our first backpack. This thing is LOUD—2.1 stereo, single-box construction that completely zips off (like all our products). Super comfy to wear, single-strap delivery bag-style crossover. Comes in Ballistic Silver or Canvas Black.

JammyPack JammyPack.com

CRUISE INTO 2012 IN STYLE $279 This Sea Breeze Deluxe from Phat Cycles is also available in brilliant ladies’ colors.

Beach Bikes & Beyond 619.276.1145 beachbikesandbeyond.com 1211 Morena Blvd. (near USD/Linda Vista)

CLASSIC, CONTEMPORARY HOME FURNISHINGS $499 Created from solid wood, the Sandberg chair adds flexible appeal to a classic design. Impeccably handcrafted in Vermont, this heirloom-quality chair looks beautiful from every angle. Seen here in solid maple with ebony stain.

Room & Board 714.549.5995, roomandboard.com South Coast Plaza Village, Santa Ana

SUNDAY BRUNCH @ THE RANGE $25 Gift Card great for NFL Sundays: $2 Mimosas, $3 Domestics and $4 Bloody Marys 9am-2pm, Breakfast served all day The Range Kitchen & Cocktails 619.269.1222 therangesd.com 1263 University Ave., Hillcrest

GIVE THE GIFT OF STYLISH HAIR $99 Get smooth, healthy, conditioned hair with radiant shine by experiencing the Brazilian Blowout. Eliminate frizz with the most effective and innovative smoothing treatment in the world!

Evian Salon and Day Spa 858.224.1500, eviansalon.com 4130 La Jolla Village Dr., Ste. 100, La Jolla

PERFECT GIFT FOR LAPTOP USERS $89 An elegantly designed, multi-functional laptop stand that will hold your laptop in bed, lying down or sitting up at natural, body-friendly angles.

Lap Dawg lapdawg.com

pacificsandiego.com

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Luxury gift bags for the first 50 guests Live acoustic performance

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first thin g s GUARDED OPTIMISM (from left): 2nd Lt. Justin R. West, San Diego coordinator of Marines’ Toys for Tots drive, joins Cpl. Thomas E. Chapman and Lance Cpl. Christopher L. Giner in welcoming another donation at the Marine Corps Reserve Center in Miramar.

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PORTRAITS BY BREVIN BLACH

d are deployestand s e n ri a M l ca collect and ach year, lo This time e San Diego County to gs. As representatives throughout r piles of new playthine (USMCR) sentinel ove Marine Corps Reserv is to deliver to of the U.S. ts Program, their duty nated unwrapped Toys for To eged children—via do motivation to underprivil ssage of hope and the citizens. ) toys—a me ductive and patriotic (Continued on page 30 ro p become

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The Toy for Tots campaign’s success depends on both the USMCR’s effort and civilian support.

“Last year in San Diego, we gave out more than 168,000 toys,” says 2nd Lt. Justin R. West, local coordinator of the program. “We have a very generous community and, along with the help of our major sponsors, we’re hoping to pass that number this year.”

Toys for Tots has played Santa since 1947, when USMCR Maj. Bill Hendricks and his wife Diana launched the first drive in Los Angeles, gathering nearly 5,000 toys for needy kids. Today, the program (working in tandem with the Triangle, Virginiabased Marine Toys for Tots Foundation) oversees the collection and distribution of more than 20 million toys annually from communities in all 50 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico.

Major names in the worlds of business (Toys R Us, Walmart, Wells Fargo) and entertainment (Bob Hope, Nancy Reagan) have supported Toys for Tots over the years. In San Diego, NBC 7/39, the Chargers, the Poinsettia Bowl and the USS Midway Museum are hosting toy-drive events during December, not to mention the many stores, private holiday events, schools and organizations that will be pitching in. (For donations and toy drop-off locations, visit sandiego-ca.toysfortots.org.)

Says coordinator West, who’s bullish about this year’s early donation pace: “Giving kids joy and a brighter Christmas—who wouldn’t want that?”

2nd Lt. Justin R. West, local coordinator:

“Last year in San Diego, Marine Toys for Tots gave out more than 168,000 toys. We’re hoping to pass that number this year.”

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pacificsandiego.com {December 2011}

Curious about what beer tasted like before Prohibition? Now you have your chance to find out, ask your local watering hole if they carry it. 짜 #//23 !2#()6% "2%7).' '/,$%. #/ s ,!'%2

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A 21 & UP ESTABLISHMENT 32

pacificsandiego.com {December 2011}

W

hether lining trashcans, toting lunch or scooping up after Fido, the plastic bags that transport nearly every retail purchase have long proven their convenience, becoming a part of life most people take for granted.

But in Solana Beach, the days of single-use plastic bags may be numbered as the city mulls becoming the first in San Diego County to ban their use.

Led by Mayor Lesa Heebner, the Solana Beach City Council is preparing an ordinance that, if approved, would permanently ban the bags, forcing shoppers to use more environmentally friendly alternatives like paper or reusable cloth bags when patronizing the city’s 200 retailers.

“As a community committed to sustainability, banning plastic bags has been on our radar for quite some time,” says Mayor Heebner, pointing out that residents have raised the issue frequently during City Council meetings.

Aside from their unsightly tendency to get stuck in fences and caught in tree branches, single-use, highdensity polyethylene plastic bags take more than a decade (and up to 500 years, by some estimates) to decompose, and add thousands of tons of debris to landfills. According to Californians Against Waste (cawrecycles.org), state residents discard approximately 400 plastic bags per second, or 12 billion annually.

Of special concern to Solana Beach is that many bags drift to coastal waters, where they litter shorelines or break down into small pieces of toxic “food” mistakenly consumed by marine life and other animals.

“We are a beach city sited between two lagoons,” says Heebner. “We have seen the damage to our waterways and wildlife from plastic bags.”

Solana Beach city officials have said that no definitive timeline is set for instituting the ban, but the ordinance will most likely come to the City Council for review and approval in early 2012. They also acknowledge that getting people to change their bag habits may be tough.

“We believe there are viable alternatives,” Mayor Heebner says. “Our desire is to remove plastic bags as much as we can from our environment.”

SOLANA BEACH MAYOR LESA HEEBNER:

“As a community committed to sustainability, banning plastic bags has been on our radar for quite some time.”

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HOME

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Tall

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Carmel Valley kid writes own ticket to fame by rating, and making, family films

B y D e a n L a m a n n a • MAIN P H O T O B Y B RE V IN B L AC H

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reviews, then why not movie reviews?’”

Shown film columns by Pulitzer Prize-winning critic and author Roger Ebert, Chen wrote his first movie review, at age eight, about the 2006 version of Charlotte’s Web. He followed that with a series of critiques on family and animated features that conclude with a moral, including Up (2009) and How to Train Your Dragon (2010).

With a promotional assist from Mom, Chen captured the interest of San Diego print and online editors, who loved his five-starfish rating system and were eager to give him editorial page space. Thanks to interviews on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric and National Public Radio, his star (and confidence) rose quickly.

Meanwhile, a meeting with Oscar-nominated animator Bill Plympton and producer-director Kevin Sean Michaels at ComicCon 2009 sent the youngster’s mind in another creative direction.

“Bill drew a drawing of a dog for me,” says Chen, “and I drew one next to it really quickly. He and Kevin thought it was good enough for me to animate a film.”

With approval from Chen’s mother, Plympton and Michaels

presented Chen with the storyboards for Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest, a true story about an eight-year-old girl who escapes from a concentration camp.

“I learned a lot about the history of World War II and the prisoners’ lives during the Holocaust,” says Chen, who had to learn how to use computerbased animation tools for the project.

Having exhibited on the film festival circuit to considerable acclaim, the moving, six-minute short—narrated by Pitt herself before she died last year—has been acquired for worldwide distribution and potential Academy Award consideration.

Ingrid Pitt and another Chen collaboration with Plympton, Guard Dog Global Jam, have attracted Glendale-based DreamWorks Animation, which is hosting Chen for a screening of his work and a Q&A session in December.

Even with Hollywood calling, being a kid critic has its disadvantages—like not being able to glimpse the movie screen when adults are seated in front of him. “I just stretch my neck really long like E.T. so I can see over their heads,” Chen says.

His agent will no doubt be phoning home for him, too.

KRITIC’S KORNER Name: Perry Chen Age: 11 Occupation: entertainment critic and animator Favorite movies: Up, How to Train Your Dragon Favorite concession snacks: pizza, popcorn, Junior Mints Hobbies: drawing, playing imagination games Awards: Excellence in Journalism, San Diego Press Club (2010, 2011); Special Jury Award, Animated Short: Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest, Flyway Film Festival, Wisconsin (2011)

I A N H O L A DAY

t an age when most grade-schoolers are twiddling their thumbs (or, between fits of digital fury on their Wii systems, still sucking them), Perry Chen has become known for turning his up or down.

The 11-year-old Torrey Hills Elementary student is earning notice regionally and nationally, writing film reviews for the The San Diego UnionTribune, the online publication Animation World Network and his own blog (perryspreviews. com). His local entertainment opinion pieces have earned him two consecutive journalistic excellence awards from the San Diego Press Club, of which he is the youngest member.

Chen’s publishing path was established three years ago by his third-grade teacher, Joli Harris, and his parents. His Chineseborn mother and father, Zhu Shen and Changyou Chen, both Ph.Ds, challenged him to write a review of Jon J. Muth’s Zen Ties, a philosophical children’s book about a kindhearted panda.

He surprised them with an almost high school-level essay.

“I kept writing book reviews,” says Chen, “until one day my mom saw me watching a movie and decided, ‘If he can do book

PINT-SIZE PUNDIT: When Chen (pictured with his parents, Dr. Changyou Chen and Dr. Zhu Shen) isn’t animating short films, such as the award-winning Holocaust story Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest, he’s reviewing movies at one of his favorite theaters—the ultra-plush Cinépolis in Del Mar (opposite page).

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How a determined woman performs in near silence B y R e b e k a h S a g e r • Ph o t o s b y B r e v i n B l a c h

Amid 65,000 cheering fans, advertising airplanes circling overhead and Queen’s “We Will Rock You” blaring over the loudspeakers, game day at Qualcomm Stadium can get pretty loud—but Charger Girl Melissa Adams barely notices.

“I shy away from big crowds and try to stay in more one-on-one situations, except for football games,” says Adams, who lost nearly 90 percent of her hearing as a child.

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A devout Jets fan until seven years ago— when she moved to San Diego from New York to marry her husband, Nick, with whom she runs a Web design and development company—Adams tried out for the NFL cheerleading squad six times before finally making the cut last season. But it wasn’t auditory limitations that prevented her success on previous outings.

“You’ve gotta wear bling to get noticed; I learned that,” she says. “I was wearing a bright orange top the year I made it.”

Because of her impairment, Adams has had to memorize all of the Charger Girl dance routines without hearing he music, relying instead on innate rhythm, her extensive background in ballet and occasional visual cues from teammates.

Life off the field, it seems, is what poses the biggest challenge for this dancing star.

“I get a little frustrated in social situations,” she says. “I may not hear the joke, and it can prevent me from fully being myself.”

Like all of the 28 women who dance for the Chargers, Adams will have to re-audition for the team each year. And each year, as her hearing diminishes further, doctors remain unable to pinpoint a diagnosis.

Yet, despite the adversity (and the Chargers’ losing record), this is one Bolt who won’t be stopped.

“I go into situations and adapt,” Adams says. “I don’t view my hearing loss as a hardship. I can’t change my life. I’m willing to jump through hoops for what I want.”

HAPPY HOUR

-

MON - FRI , 3 - 6 PM 1/2 Off Appetizers $3 House Beers $3 Well Drinks $5 Sangrias

MONDAY

-

5 - 10 PM BURGER BLISS $5 Burger

TUESDAY

-

5 - 10 PM CRAB DINNER $19

WEDNESDAY

-

THURSDAY

-

5 - 10 PM BBQ NIGHT $13

10PM - CLOSE OUT - N - SD Free Apps Until 11 PM $3 House Beers $3 Vodka Drinks $3 Whiskey Drinks

FRIDAY

-

10 : 30 PM - CLOSE DJ MUSIC

SATURDAY

5 - 10 PM UNCORKED & UNPLUGGED 1 / 2 Off Bottles of Wine

-

10 PM - CLOSE KARAOKE NIGHT $3 House Beers $3 Jameson $3 Fire Ball

-

10 : 30 PM - CLOSE DJ MUSIC

SUNDAY

10 PM - CLOSE 1/2 Off Bar tabs for Industry Peeps

721 Grand Ave. | San Diego, CA 92109 Phone: 858.581.BEER (2337) | www.pbalehouse.com pacificsandiego.com

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BRUSH TOKES ROCK ICON GRACE SLICK GOES TO THE CANVAS FOR MEDI-JUANA B y Pat r i c i a B . Dw y e r

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Grace Slick took flight with the psychedelic rock band Jefferson Airplane when she belted “While Rabbit” (her classic, LSD-steeped riff on Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland) before half a million hippies at Woodstock in 1969.

SLICK STYLE: Much of Grace Slick’s work, including Peace (opposite page), 8 O’clock (left) and Your Choice (below) is informed by 1960s psychedelia.

ROBERT KNIGHT

oday, the 72-year-old pillar (and survivor) of that heady sex, drugs and rock-androll era is decidedly down-to-earth, having traded her microphone for a paintbrush and now playing to art gallery crowds.

Yet her song remains the same.

“The 420 Collection,” an exhibition of Slick’s work designed to support the legality of medical marijuana and raise awareness of the politics surrounding it, arrives December 3—along with the artist herself—at Alexander Salazar Fine Art in the Gaslamp.

“Marijuana helps a great number of illnesses or discomforts and doesn’t have the extraordinary side effects pharmaceuticals do,” Slick says. “The biggest side effect of marijuana is that you might want a brownie.”

Throughout her music career, which she discontinued in the late 1980s, the Grammy-nominated Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee (an influence on popular female rockers including Stevie Nicks and Patti Smith) was vocal about the irony of a society addicted to alcohol and prescription drugs condemning hallucinogens and pot.

While Slick says her peace pipepuffing days are long gone, her counterculture spirit lives on in “The

420 Collection.”

Deriving inspiration from sources as diverse as19th century French realist painter Henri FantinLatour and digital animation, Slick has become a reputable artist—particularly noted for colorful portraits of her 1960s musical peers, such as Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin and Jerry Garcia. Not surprisingly, the “White Rabbit” motif also makes appearances in her work.

“I don’t do cutesy, precious stuff that you stand back and you turn your head sideways at,” Slick says.

“My art is commercial art; rock and roll is commercial music. It’s easy to understand and hopefully it’s easy for people to connect with the image.”

If it isn’t, as her famous lyrics suggest, go ask Alice…

“The 420 Collection” (and appearance by Grace Slick) Dec. 3 Alexander Salazar Fine Art 1040 7th Ave., Gaslamp 619.531.8996, alexandersalazarfineart.com

pacificsandiego.com

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“Falling out of your chair FUNNY!�

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WellSpokin’

Social Cycle pedals wheel-time interaction and fun

B

iking is great exercise, but the faceforward focus and (for most of us) huffing and puffing it requires puts the brakes on casual convo.

For a new spin on riding, check out Social Cycle (socialcyclesd.com), a touring party bicycle with bar-style seating for up to 16. The earthfriendly open vehicle is powered entirely by its riders and piloted by a pro “captain.�

For owner Laura Rovick, becoming a spokesperson was a no-brainer after she saw the bikes cruising around her hometown of Minneapolis. “I knew I wanted to bring them to San Diego,� Rovick says.

Last summer, she did—ordering two of the vehicles, which are fashioned from car, motorcycle and bicycle parts, from the manufacturer in Amsterdam.

Social Cycle passengers must be 21 and can bring food and non-alcoholic beverages onboard, as well as choose where they’d like to go. (Flat or mildly inclined routes work best.)

Soon, Rovick hopes to secure permits for BYOB alcohol. If that happens, Social Cycle captains may double as designated drivers. —David Moye

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L a u ra R ovick

nd ly a g!� e v i n T, l agi ews RAN e eng -UK N B I “V dienc au

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FRUITS OF YOUR LABOR

10 ways to ensure you’re ripe for a holiday bonus* B y C o o k i e “ Ch a i n s a w ” R a n d o l p h

If you’re up for a holiday bonus this year, you’re probably one of the lucky one percent the “occupy” vagrants hate, so consider yourself blessed. Keep that company gift in play with these simple tips:

10.

Memorize your boss’s Facebook page and then, during staff meetings, systematically reference the icons posted on his “Info” section. Examples: “How ’bout them Trojans?” “Socrates quotations RULE!” “Love me some Michael Bublé!”

9.

8.

Avoid asking your boss, “How often you tapping that?” when his personal assistant walks by, especially if the personal assistant is a guy and your boss is straight.

Do NOT tell your co-workers you’re in line for a bonus. They might sabotage you by forwarding to Human Resources that cellcam portrait of you naked in the bathroom mirror, making a duck face. (Never should’ve taken that in the first place. Dammit, dammit, dammit!)

The only bonus Cookie “Chainsaw” Randolph receives from KFMB is the privilege of performing on The Dave, Shelly & Chainsaw Show weekday mornings at 100.7 JACKfm. That, plus an occasional glimpse of Barbara Lee Edwards in the commissary.

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7.

6.

Give your boss tickets to the Chargers/ Ravens Sunday night game (Dec. 18), then impress him Monday morning with clever new synonyms for “devastating loss.”

If you happen to see your boss’s trousers draped over his shoes in one of the stalls as you walk into the men’s room, casually mention what a great guy he is to the guy whizzing next to you.

5.

4.

(Note to self: my boss at JACK-fm is a woman, and she reads PacificSD, so I might want to mix in a “her” somewhere during this bit.)

If you happen to see your boss’s britches draped over her pumps in one of the stalls as you walk into the men’s room, casually mention what a great gal she is to the guy whizzing next to you.

3.

If you must attend the company holiday party, coffee up, burst in with cheery greetings for everybody, sip one fake drink… and then jet discreetly in plenty time to make it home for Jeopardy!

2.

1.

If you’re obligated to stick around at the company holiday party, make sure the copy machine is out of paper BEFORE you start drinking so there will be no record of your bare ass.

Best guarantee for a bonus: work in upper management for a tyrannical corporation that donates heavily to the current presidential administration, because those are just about the only companies giving out bonuses these days.

*A “bonus” is a thing companies used to give employees (a practice that became extinct circa 1993) for jobs “well done” during the year. Never cash, it was typically a petrified fruitcake UPSed to your doorstep or a cheap alarm clock with the company logo on it.

ALWAYS ENJOY RESPONSIBLY. ©2011 Anheuser-Busch InBev S.A., Stella Artois® Beer, Imported by Import Brands Alliance, St. Louis, MO

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bloom at the top

North County company produces the cream of the world’s poinsettia crop

B y M i c h e ll e P o v e d a

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hile most Christmas-decorating traditions are native to colder climes, one brightly ubiquitous trimming, the poinsettia, is rooted deeply in our own backyard.

Based in Encinitas, the Paul Ecke Ranch (pauleckepoinsettias.com) the world’s biggest poinsettia grower. A family business spanning four generations, it has helped turn the plant into one of the largest commercial greenhouse crops and now supplies over half of the roughly 60 million poinsettias sold globally between Thanksgiving and Christmas each year.

The Eckes’ lifelong love of the poinsettia dates to the early 1900s, when German immigrant Albert Ecke began cultivating the wild plant—introduced here from south of the border in 1825 by physician and botanist Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first U.S. Minister to Mexico. It wasn’t identified with Christmas until Albert’s son, Paul, successfully pitched the plant as a “holiday flower” to roadside stand operators in Hollywood and Beverly Hills.

In 1923, the Eckes moved their ranching business to Encinitas, where the climate approximated that of the poinsettia’s origins in Mexico and Central America. (Today, the plant is grown mainly in greenhouses.)

Although much of the Ecke Ranch’s stock production was shifted to a Guatemalan facility in 1997, and its European arm handles distribution overseas, the company’s headquarters and hybridization facilities remain in North County. Some 5,000 U.S. growers—including those supplying retailers such as The Home Depot and Walmart—use the Ecke Ranch’s 60-plus varieties of bare-root poinsettia starters, whose bracts (flowerlike colored leaves) unfurl in solid and variegated white, pink and ever-popular red.

“I enjoy sharing the beauty of poinsettias with others,” says ranch manager Paul Ecke III, noting his company’s yearly bloom contributions to San Diego’s Poinsettia Bowl and the set of TV’s The Tonight Show. “They can make even the most hardened non-flower lover become one.”

FIELDS OF DREAMS (from left): In the 1920s, Paul Ecke Sr. moved his family’s poinsettia crop from an L.A. hillside to a sprawling ranch in Encinitas—where production of the plant’s bareroot starters, and the business, flourished through the century.

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31 PRESENTED BY TK PRODUCTIONS AND TARGA TROPHY featuring

with music by HYENA | CRUSH EFFECT ESTE | MR. DEE JAY SCOTT SAUNDERS | GUNLOCK NAVA | SPAGS ON VIOLIN live enchanting showcases by the girls of lipstik inc FOR TICKETS: IVYENTERTAINMENTSANDIEGO.COM FOR BOTTLE SERVICE: 619.814.2055 FOR HOTEL ROOMS: ANDAZSANDIEGO.COM Upscale Attire | Dress Code Strictly Enforced Andaz San Diego | 600 F Street | San Diego, CA Social Media for the socially hip | Info, events and discounts Like us on Facebook | Ivy Nightclub at Andaz Follow us on Twitter | @IvyNightclub

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Jingle Belles San Diego businesswomen on the go-go

B y L a r r y J a m e s o n • P H O T OS B Y B RE V IN B L A c H

Putting the motion in “promotion” is all in a day’s work for the staff of Femme Fatale—50 San Diego women who provide rent-ertainment: for-hire dancing (go-go, choreographed and otherwise), modeling and acting services.

Who would hire women to dance well in sexy outfits? Lotsa folks, it turns out.

ELF PORTRAIT: Femme Fatale proprietor Alexa Torres (second from right) sleighs San Diego’s club scene with company entertainers Adrianna Ynigo, Jessica Harbour and Wendi Handley.

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“My brand ambassadors work at Hard Rock, Stingaree and Bar West, and I provide models and dancers for Dreamcatcher at Viejas Casino and a lot of conventions,” says Alexa Torres, the former (and still) go-go girl at the helm of Femme Fatale. “We also do photo shoots for liquor companies, anniversary parties for big law firms…we’ve even done weddings.”

Torres, a San Diego native, says her three-year-old business is thriving because her performers offer more than just a pretty face (and being able to pull off a naughty Santa getup).

“Professional representation of not just my company, but of my clients, is paramount,” she says. “I hire based on one’s ability to stay in healthy, athletic shape, maintain a friendly attitude and uphold high personal standards.”

How does Mom feel about it?

“She networks for me, gives out my card and promotes my site everywhere she goes,” Torres says. “She’s my best friend—and she is so proud.” femmefatalesd.com

“Our market is not only the big venues, but businesses of any size looking for a promotional edge,” says Torres, who established the company with her own connections and assistance from family and friends. “My brand ambassadors work at local clubs like Hard Rock, Stingaree and Bar West, and I provide models and dancers for Dreamcatcher at Viejas Casino and many conventions. We’re also out in the Gaslamp and Pacific Beach doing street team promotions.”

Torres has more than 50 workers—all carefully chosen for demeanor as much as da moves. “Professional representation of not just my company, but of my clients, is paramount,” she says. “I hire based on one’s ability to stay in healthy, athletic shape, of course, but also to maintain a friendly attitude and uphold high personal standards.”

(That includes handling occasional occupational hazards, like pulled muscles from cage dancing and advances from the rare obnoxious drunk.)

Femme Fatale is not far afield of the entrepreneurial adulthood Torres envisioned as a kid.

“I’ve always had a talent for entertaining and a knack for hospitality,” she says. “I always saw myself running my own business.”

And it’s a bonus that her mom loves what she’s doing, too.

“She networks for me, gives out my card and promotes my site everywhere she goes,” Torres says. “She’s my best friend—and she is so proud.”

“Our market is not only the big venues, but businesses of any size looking for a promotional edge.”

—Alexa Torres, proprietor, Femme Fatale

Explain why your business should be featured in an upcoming episode of Workin’ It by sending an e-mail to workinit@pacificsandiego.com

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awww, how sweet!

Utterly crumb-founding local cookies with artistry in every bite B y C a th a r i n e L . K a u f m a n

(Continued on page 50)

BREVIN BLACH

Even if Santa never shows, you might as well set out a plate of fresh-baked cookies—someone is gonna have to eat them. So push the gift wrap and tape aside, pour a big glass of milk and settle in with a jolly bellyful of San Diego’s best.

THE ICING ON THE BAKE: Holiday cookies courtesy of Girard Gourmet in La Jolla. pacificsandiego.com

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“the Ben and Jerry’s of the cookie world”

Smart Cookies

T BREVIN BLACH

TOTALLY JAW-SOME

J

ennifer Grantham, the pastry chef at Del Mar’s Urban Plates, loves baking gourmet cookies big. “They’re deliberately craggy for extra texture, too, with a nice, dark caramel color,” she says of her outsized creations.

Grantham’s five-inch-diameter Chocolate Chunk cookie is filled with bittersweet Belgian chocolate that’s hand-chopped to vary the bite experience. Her Cowgirl packs a wholesome mother lode of rolled oats, coconut, dried cranberries and sunflower seeds, while her super-chewy Ginger Molasses cookie blends sweet and savory flavors.

Health-conscious customers may appreciate that Grantham swaps butter for Earth Balance—a trans fat-free, vegan blend of palm fruit, canola, soybean, flax and olive oils.

Urban Plates 12857 El Camino Real, Del Mar 858.509.1800, urbanplates.com

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here’s nothing half-baked about the business approach of The Cravory, launched two-and-half years ago by childhood pals from Arizona (and nowtwentysomething San Diego residents) Adam Koven, Nate Ransom and Derek Jaeger. As Koven describes it, the trio set out to make their online company “the Ben and Jerry’s of the cookie world,” offering nearly 1,000 gourmet taste combinations (many of which are derived from suggestions by fans posting on The Cravory’s Facebook page).

With premium ingredients like hand-crafted salty caramel and Callebaut Belgian chocolate, The Cravory’s sumptuous, soft-center cookies run the flavor gamut— from the exotic (Pumpkin Chai Tea Dough) to the kitschy (Pancakes and Bacon).

Koven says cookie chef Derek Jaeger “never met a cookie he didn’t like,” adding that Jaeger’s olive oil-based Savory Rosemary Balsamic cookie “goes great with an evening glass of wine.”

Sold online and at the Hillcrest and La Jolla farmers markets, The Cravory’s cookies have also landed at concession stands in New York’s La Guardia and JFK airports—giving sweet, new life to the concept of carry-ons.

The Cravory 800.591.2571, thecravory.com

BITE GALLERY

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his is high season for François Goedhuys, a native of Belgium who for the past quarter century has been making fanciful cookies (as many as 4,000 a week during the year-end holidays) at his Girard Gourmet deli, bakery and restaurant in La Jolla.

Using an almond butter cookie “canvas” and a palette of multicolored icings, Goedhuys renders mini-masterworks in the form of reindeer, dreidels and just about anything his customers request. They’re almost too good to eat.

Girard Gourmet 7387 Girard Avenue, La Jolla 858.454.7387, girardgourmet.com

BREVIN BLACH

Home, Sweet Home Take a mouthwatering tour of some unreal estates at the 18th Annual Gingerbread City Gala, December 1 at The Grand Del Mar resort.

Using only edible materials (gingerbread and otherwise), “homebuilders” will compete for a top prize of $2,500.

San Diego Padres CEO Jeff Moorad is the honorary chair of this year’s event—a fundraiser for the Epilepsy Foundation of San Diego County (EFSDC) and “the biggest competition of its kind on the West Coast,” says Healy Vigderson, assistant director of EFSDC. The elaborate structures will be auctioned off during an awards gala, with proceeds benefiting EFSDC. More info: 619.296.0161.

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Chew on This

N

amed after its owner, Liz Chou, a former CPA-turned-culinary whiz, The Cookie Chew is a San Diego-based online company delivering decadent twists on traditional cookie favorites.

Some of Chou’s wildest creations derive from her concept of marrying a chocolate truffle and a cookie, which she calls a “Truffie.” Hot off her holiday baking sheet: White Chocolate Cranberry Pistachio Truffie, Gimmee S’mores (marshmallow-stuffed graham cracker chocolate cookie) and Sweet Fiesta (cinnamon-spiced sugar cookie stuffed with Mexican dark chocolate truffle).

All my products are handmade locally in Mission Hills using only butter and no trans fats or preservatives,” Chou says. They’re also available at local farmers markets.

The Cookie Chew 619.550.3397, thecookiechew.com

Maria Webster’s “Santa Takes a Fall,” based on the 1994 film The Santa Clause, was a top gingerbread entry last year. pacificsandiego.com

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HAMMERTIME Chef Brian Malarkey breaks ground on more new restaurants

SMASHING SUCCESS: Brian Malarkey (right) and James Brennan prepare to break ground at their new Point Loma restaurant, Gabardine, opening in mid-January.

B y F r a n k S a b at i n i J r .

Ph o t o b y B r e v i n B l a c h

A

bout the only fabric missing from Chef Brian Malarkey’s expanding portfolio of textile-named restaurants is loincloth. Although, given his Tarzan-like charisma and penchant for chasing down sustainable proteins, we’re not ruling it out.

In just over a year, the former Top Chef (third season) contestant— along with business partner James Brennan—has introduced his bustling Searsucker to the heart of the Gaslamp and swung into Del Mar with Burlap. He’s now utilizing his celebrity to sew up plans for three new restaurants, coming soon to a neighborhood near you.

Gingham in La Mesa is next up.

Named after the yarn-spun checkered textile dating back four centuries, the operation will replace GIO Restaurant and Wine Bar on December 15.

“We’ve slapped around the building and roughed her up a bit,” says Malarkey as he combs over his menu of “composed barbecue” along with fried chicken and other picnic-type savories. But don’t expect to eat from gingham-style tablecloths: as with Searsucker and Burlap, the namesake fabric will go missing from the motif.

Think of the durable material used for making fine suits when Gabardine opens in place of Point Loma’s La Playa Bistro in January. “This is my return to the sea,” says Malarkey, referring to a casual seafood bar meant to reflect the neighborhood’s fishing history as well as his former gig as executive chef for The Oceanaire Seafood Room. At Gabardine, however, sails and buoys won’t be the backdrop for the Baja 52

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Eeling Good

clams: Malarkey has envisioned a “clean, fresh” interior with designer Michael Soriano, who has bestowed his contemporary magic on Vin de Syrah, Sessions Public and Analog.

Malarkey further indulges his seafood passions in April with the opening of Herringbone, named after the twilled material favored by the country club set. The La Jolla restaurant, recreating the vibe of an Italian fishing village, will attempt

to reel in the social razzle-dazzle seen (and scene) at Searsucker and Burlap.

“We’ll spread the wonderful flavors of lobster and crab and also offer turf items like bone marrow pizza with prosciutto crust.”

Where will this chest-thumping restaurateur break ground next?

“I can’t look any further than this right now,” says Malarkey, “except to say that we might expand the Searsucker brand to Arizona in the future.”

The 6,000-square-foot space that was Quarter Kitchen at Andaz San Diego is about to be reborn as Katsuya by Starck, synthesizing the “green” design trappings of cult architect Philippe Starck with a litany of Japanese dishes imagined by Master Sushi Chef Katsuya Uechi. Slated to open in January, the indooroutdoor restaurant will offer the same bill of fare seen at seven other Katsuya locations throughout the country.

Uechi directs his robata (Japanese barbecue) flames toward luxury proteins like fresh-water eel and kobe filet crowned with foie gras. Sushi, sashimi and crafty cocktails also take center stage. And if L.A.’s Katsuya is any indication of the restaurant’s celebrity draw, you might find yourself poking into almond-crusted scallops alongside the likes of Paris Hilton and the Pussycat Dolls.

—Frank Sabatini Jr. Andaz San Diego 600 F St., Gaslamp 619.849.1234, andazsandiego.com

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By David Nelson Ph o t o s b y S e r g i o F e r n a n d e z

E

ggnog is about as cool as a Christmas sweater: sufferable while Grandma’s in the house, then avoided until she returns next year.

Though perhaps too stodgy for nightlife hotspots, the egg-and-dairy-based alcoholic beverage—a traditional holiday favorite since Victorian times—is enjoying rediscovery, thanks to some crafty local bartenders who’ve turned it into a velvety cocktail that manages to be hip while stirring images of stockings over the hearth and reindeer tracks in the snow.

There may be no snow this far south, but yule love the brain freeze.

Splendor

Eggnog breaks from tradition with

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With a Sherry on Top Eggnog is most commonly spiked with rum, whiskey or brandy, but Anthony Schmidt, general manager and chief bartender at Noble Experiment in East Village, never settles for the ordinary. His take on the beverage, the Andalusian Flip—named after Spain’s sherry-producing region—relies on a blend of VSOP Cognac and sweet Pedro Ximenez Sherry for its kick. Orgeat, an almond syrup sold at better liquor stores, intensifies the nutty sweetness, making for a smooth and spicy taste sensation.

(Continued on page 56)

Noble Experiment (inside Neighborhood) 777 G St., East Village 619. 888.4713 nobleexperimentsd.com

in the glass

bold local twists on holiday cheer

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Nuevo Huevo

(Continued from page 54)

Instant Holiday Classic Self-proclaimed “proud booze nerd” Jennifer Queen, a partner in the Blind Tiger Cocktail Co. and co-designer of the drinks menu at North Park’s URBN, has created a signature nog just for you, dear PacificSD lover, that conveys holiday fun with every sip. Called “It’s a Wonderful Life,” Queen’s custom quaff—which caps a creamy, cognac-and-rum treat with two ounces of Hefeweizen beer—is not only a memorable nog but also a refreshing nod to San Diego’s role as a craft brewing capital. Cheers!

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE PacificSD ’s signature eggnog

1 ounce Kelt VSOP Cognac ½ ounce Ron Zacapa spiced rum (yields one ½ ounce cream serving) ½ ounce spiced sweet potato reduction (1 large diced sweet potato, 1 cup brown sugar, ½ teaspoon each allspice and cinnamon, 2 cups of water—all simmered and reduced by half, then strained) 1 egg 2 ounces Hefeweizen beer 1 pinch each of cinnamon and nutmeg

Combine all except beer and spices in shaker and shake vigorously, until contents are emulsified. Then add ice, shake until frothy, strain into glass and top with beer and spices.

URBN 3085 University Ave. North Park 619.255.7300 urbnnorthpark.com 56

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Heavy cream whipped to soft peaks and combined with melted vanilla ice cream gives rich body to the Hibiscus Highlands Eggnog, a holiday specialty of Burlap in Del Mar. Chris Simmons, co-founder of the Smoke and Mirrors

Cocktail Company and Burlap’s chief beverage whiz, gives his nogcoction a south-ofthe-border flair, adding Gran Centenario Rosangel Hibiscus Tequila and Fruitlab Hibiscus Organic Liqueur to the mouthwatering mix.

Burlap 12995 El Camino Real Ste. 21, Del Mar 858.369.5700 burlapeats.com

san diego humane society’s kelli herwehe:

ith hundreds of thousands of abandoned cats and dogs awaiting a new leash on life at shelters nationwide, eyeing a furry new friend as a gift to oneself or to others can be irresistible during the holidays.

“There are so many animals right here in San Diego that need loving homes,” says Kelli Herwehe, public relations coordinator for the San Diego Humane Society and SPCA (SDHS). “The holiday season is a great time to add a new member to your family, and we encourage everyone to adopt.”

Despite the annual furvor, Herwehe cautions against surprising loved ones with a new kitten or puppy—recommending that all family members meet and interact with the animal beforehand to determine compatibility. “Part of the joy of adopting a rescue animal is feeling that special bond when you know you’ve found the right pet,” she says.

To help prevent rash decision-making, consider giving a pet in the form of an

adoption certificate from Muttique, the online and retail stores operated by SDHS. Or pay a pre-holiday visit to a reputable local shelter that can address your questions, offer guidance and provide animal spaying/neutering and needed vaccinations.

One such shelter is Helen Woodward Animal Center (animalcenter.org) in Rancho Santa Fe. Named for the late philanthropist who established the nonprofit with a group of friends in 1972, the organization has sponsored an ever-growing annual adoption campaign called Home 4 the Holidays since 1999. This year, the drive involves more than 3,000 participating shelters and organizations worldwide, all collaborating to secure 1.5 million cat and dog adoptions by January 3.

(Continued on page 62)

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umber of rescue animals entering U.S. shelters annually, of which

approximately three to four million are euthanized, according to the ASPCA.

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ccording to Helen Woodward spokesperson Beth Chee, pet adoptions during the holidays can be very successful— especially if family members can take time off from work to bond with and help the animal acclimate to its new environment. Chee dispels the suggestion that shelters don’t have quality pets, noting that such facilities are well-stocked with healthy kittens, puppies and purebreds.

(Purebreds, per ASPCA statistics, account for up to 25 percent of the dogs entering shelters. For adopters whose hearts are set on a particular breed, Helen Woodward will search shelters and canvas breed-specific rescue groups to help find the ideal companion.)

The plight and cuddliness of rescue animals, warn some experts, make love at first sight a potential pitfall.

“All puppies are adorable, but consider pet size, activity level, hair length and any special needs of the breed,” says dog psychologist Linda Michaels, proprietor of Wholistic Dog Training (wholisticdogtraining.com) and a mobile behavioral consultant in North Coastal San Diego and Rancho Santa Fe. Michaels works in partnership with celebrity dog trainer Victoria Stilwell, host of the hit Animal Planet TV program It’s Me or the Dog, and practices the “All(Continued on page 64)

4,000 A

pproximate number of animal adoptions handled each year

by the San Diego Humane Society and SPCA, which has not euthanized a healthy or treatable animal in more than 10 years.

62

pacificsandiego.com {December 2011}

PET PROJECT Local photog’s charitable eye for homeless animals draws national focus

Professional photographer Monica Hoover shoots from the heart. Her locally based company, Rescued Cards (rescuedcards.com), publishes greeting cards with high-quality photos of animals needing homes—raising awareness and funds for rescue organizations.

“These groups need marketing and money,” says Hoover, whose adoption of two rescued pit bulls moved her to action. “I wanted to take better photos of rescue animals to improve their chances of getting adopted.”

Hoover turned her lens on the furry charges of The Barking Lot, a shelter in El Cajon, and Friends of the Humane Society de Tijuana, a San Diego volunteer organization that provides rescue and other services in the Mexican city. Her resulting line of sustainably produced greeting

cards—introduced last spring in partnership with her husband, Justin Ternes, and graphic designer Justin Clark—has expanded to include shelters across the country. (Fifteen percent of profits support the featured pets.)

Hoover’s work impressed the San Diegobased, non-profit Petco Foundation, which has chosen Rescued Cards to lead its annual Tree of Hope holiday fundraiser for animal shelters and rescue organizations. A six-card set is offered in exchange for a $20 donation at more than 1,100 Petco retail locations nationwide (and at petcofoundation.org).

“I’m not a hero,” Hoover says. “I’m just trying to expose the selflessness and dedication rescuers have in saving the lives of so many animals.” —Dean Lamanna

50,000 A

pproximate number of

rescue animals (mainly cats and dogs) in San Diego County that need homes.

Helen Woodward Animal Center volunteer Christina Lee with one of the facility’s adoptable friends.

pacificsandiego.com

63

(Continued from page 62)

Positive/Non-Aversive” dog training approach endorsed by her. “Make a list of ‘musthave,’ ‘flexible’ and ‘won’thave’ pet traits—like ‘already housetrained,’” she says, “and stick to your criteria.”

To avoid barking up the wrong tree this holiday season, follow these tips (from the experts consulted for this article) prior to adoption:

Hit the Paws Button: Cuteness is seductive, but choose the pet that best suits your lifestyle, family and home environment. Housing a Golden Retriever in a onebedroom condo, for example, won’t work.

Furriest Impressions: Make sure all family members meet the prospective new pet in advance—and that the pet, in turn, meets with everyone’s approval.

Here, Kiddie, Kiddie: If the pet is primarily a gift to children, don’t count on them to walk the dog or clean the litter box. Define and divvy up responsibilities beforehand and educate children in safe and proper pet handling.

31 A

This pup is among the homeless pets recently up for adoption through the San Diego Humane Society and Helen Woodward Animal Center.

verage number of days an animal remains in the care of San Diego Humane Society, although some animals have been sheltered for more than a year.

64

pacificsandiego.com {December 2011}

Welcome Waggin’: Introduce the pet into your home by pre-stocking food, chew toys, a water bowl, a leash, etc.

This will help you provide the attention your new family member requires—and enjoy each other’s company.

Visit the San Diego Humane Society and SPCA (and its online store, Muttique): sdhumane.org

Quest for

Purrfection For tastes running from pedigreed to exotic, breeding is fundamental

Inclined to accessorize with a purebred Bichon Frisee? Fancy the thought of a hybrid Savannah cat prowling the domestic wilds of your apartment?

If you are unable to find your dream pet at a community shelter, contact the American Kennel Club (akc.org) or The International Cat Association (tica.org) for a referral to a reputable breeder.

Linda Michaels, a mobile dog behavioral consultant covering North Coastal San Diego and Rancho Santa Fe, recommends that those pursuing pets of a certain pedigree visit both the dam (female

parent) facilities and the kennel grounds to ensure that they are clean, all the animals are well-treated and the adult animals don’t display fearfulness or aggression. “Be patient, too,” says Michaels, “as a good breeder will not release an animal until seven weeks of age and will also limit the number of litters in a year.”

Michaels also advises against buying mail-order puppies online: “You want to be able to verify the breeding protocols, and that you will receive a healthy puppy.”—CLK

HAUTE CAT-URE: Savannah Cat Shoppe at Del Mar’s Flower Hill Promenade sells Savannah cats, a cross between a wild African Serval and a domestic house cat, for $4,000 to $25,000 each.

Exhibiting playful, doglike behavior, some Savannahs can grow to about two-and-a-half times the size of a typical cat and reach 30 pounds or more. The breed is relatively new and has been registered with The International Cat Association since 2001.

pacificsandiego.com

65

GREETING c ard For the Del Mar cougar, La Jolla empty-nester or other over-taut fiftysomething woman in your life.

By David Perloff Illustrations by Court Jones

s

Greetings, Ms. then I realized…you already look surprised.

’Tis the season To spread holiday cheer— To say, “ you, Buddy!”

For another great year.

But for the locals who’ve wronged you Or made your life hard, Nothing says “ho, ho, NO!” Like these homegrown greeting cards...

. I wanted to surprise you for the holidays, but

These PacificSD greeting cards are meant to be racy and fun. If you find them offensive,

pacificsandiego.com

Front Illustration by Court Jones / Copyright Š PACIFIC SAN DIEGO Magazine

please accept our apology and go _______________ yourself.

Greetings, Ms. I wanted to surprise you for the holidays, but then I realized‌you already look surprised.

.

For the cute girl working at the farmers market, the hippie chick with the crystals or any organic gal in your life.

For the hard-partying, always-profane surf dude who wakes up at 2 p.m. (and whose white-guy reggae keeps you up until 4 a.m.), or any beach-bar-hopping ne’er-do-well in your life.

Hey,

Dear,

of your . I had to step over your

again when I got home from work this evening. Get a

, or are you just

ass

.

, is that a Chanukah bush sticking out

to see me?

pacificsandiego.com

Front Illustration by Court Jones / Copyright Š PACIFIC SAN DIEGO Magazine Front Illustration by Court Jones / Copyright Š PACIFIC SAN DIEGO Magazine

pacificsandiego.com

Hey, I had to step over your

.

ass again when I got home from work this evening.

Get a .

Dear, , is that a Chanukah bush sticking out of your , or are you just to see me?

For the spoiled SDSU grad living in P.B., over-perfumed coed ordering a no-foam soy latte or any loud-mouthed Daddy’s girl in your life.

For the handsome military guy in your life who has a girlfriend— but you can’t meet her because she lives in Niagara Falls.

Excuse me, sailor, but now that Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell has been repealed, are you finally

going to

please don’t kill me with your

OMG,

Do me a favor and take your your ? (Just kidding,

.)

! You act like your God’s gift to

back to Jersey.

.

pacificsandiego.com

Front Illustration by Court Jones / Copyright © PACIFIC SAN DIEGO Magazine Front Illustration by Court Jones / Copyright © PACIFIC SAN DIEGO Magazine

pacificsandiego.com

Excuse me, sailor, but now that Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell has been repealed, are you finally going to your ?

(Just kidding, please don’t kill me with your .)

OMG, You act like your God’s gift to .

Do me a favor and take your back to Jersey.

!

For the blue-hair who forgot to turn off her blinker, the slow driver in the fast lane or any old-timer who should hang up her KEYS and get off the freeway.

For the over-gelled, ultracologned, tight-shirt, inyour-face, gold-watchwearing d-bag at the club.

Sweet, sweet, Mrs.

, I think you may have missed a sign back

there at the

on-ramp. And based on your fumes, you might

want to check your

Yo,

at the next rest stop.

, your aftershave is making me

I don’t need a drink, I don’t want to dance… and, no, that is NOT what she said. off!

.

Front Illustration by Court Jones / Copyright © PACIFIC SAN DIEGO Magazine

pacificsandiego.com

M

C

Sweet, sweet, Mrs. , I think you may have missed a sign back there at the on-ramp. And based on your fumes, you might want to check your at the next rest stop.

D

L T

C

T

PSc

pacificsandiego.com

Front Illustration by Court Jones / Copyright © PACIFIC SAN DIEGO Magazine

D

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Mute

El Yo, your aftershave is making me

,

.

I don’t need a drink, I don’t want to dance… and, no, that is NOT what she said. off!

D

Musically Gifted g g r r o o o o v v e e g r o o v e

Christ mas p resen ts—to the tu ne of k iller s ounds

Death Cab f o Lee “Scra r My Morning C u t i e Jacket t c h ” Perry The Silent Comedy Jason Mra

Transfer

The Cre epy Cre eps

Cage the El z Tennis Th e F e Nakphant lorence + the Machi ed a Phantogra

Low Volts Ma tt &

m

Scout DJ Dona Niblett

Noel Galla nd Fagher’s High Flying Birds Cr

ld Glaude P

eepxotica mous L e nny Kr Two

The Sea and inback w/Ghetto Bl aster Cak

Everlast

ne

e Switchfoot

Door Cinem a Club

Kim

avitz

llins o R y Henr / w . r J

h Dazz Band at m n Mute e n v e o i inosaur El t D n r s o r El Te st e i l D w l o a i r c G o S boy Allstars The y re G 2 8 l 1 r i k e u n i q berTV Gground l s e B l n r o i u B w Justin Bie sual Under ss e s c l o e r e P H t r n a e o Sho nell The Vi H l s k e l c a s e i a m l H w r B X y t o l a C n n e Guif AlabamEvent Chris P y v Saxon ss l e o Hea u e R m o Thind Boys rne Toxic r w/Ja e s o n a h n C Bl C Ta uckoo Airbo

t i r i p S a t l e D

eltsin Y s i r Bo s You e v o L l e Stil n o e Som

pacificsandiego.com

75

g g r r o o o o v v e e g r o o v e

T

Delta Spi rit

By Alex Zarago za

hank you, bashes” onladies and gents, fo local radio your year-end wis r scribbling “a pair h FM 94/9 is stations 91X and FM lists—the not-so- of kick-ass music for presen gift-wrapping its a 94/9 have deliver secret Santas at ed (again). nnual indie tation Dec to be outd e j m a o m b n e , e r H , o 9 3 1X is re-st l stuffing to ocking its at USD’s Jenny Craigiday Hootenanny, p a c t s year incl Pav Center Dec ember 10 a uding Death Cab for ly rock-out, WreX t ilion. Not he nd 11.

Cutie into Valley View Halls— Casino

WHAT A HOOT

Matt & K im

T

his year’s F M9 station favo 4/9’s Holiday Hoote nanny—fe rites My M aturing orning Jack Club, Mat et, Two Do t & Kim an or Cinema d Delta Sp true for stat irit—is ion program “It’s going director Gar a dream come to be a hel ett M l of a show the event’s ,” says Mic ichaels. emphasis o haels, noti n ju distinguish st four soli ng that this event d acts play fr ing full sets o m Michaels’ b other local will ig is My Morn gest score (seven yea holiday concerts. rs in the m ing Jacket ak . The Louis ville, Kentu ing, he says) cky-rooted band, Two Door Cinema C lub

known for the impress ive vocal ra and curren ng tly enjoyin g success w e of frontman Jim Jam has been co ith its new es ntracted to intrepid rein album, Cir play for tw “They’re le cuital, deer o hours at gendary fo H Also makin team, the buzz surrou o o tenanny. sometimes r really lon g their sop g four or fiv homore sto nding these lads is hea House of B e hours,” M performances— going to g p in town (h lu vy. es w ichaels say et your mo it h B li aving sold n in Septemb k-182 and s. “You’re re ney’s wort Raising the o u M er t ), y h a th C .” ll hemical Ro y e equally en Hooten-an their Brook mance ergetic Ma Two Door te, three-pie ly n -b tt as & Cinema C ed ce Irish ind Kim are bri synth-pop, keyboardis lub ie rock ban appearance nging which typic t Matt Joh d (having sold is making their secon al n ly involves so n w h g et il e drummer d San Dieg ting the cro out House Thanks to o wd’s fists p Kim Schifi a touring sc o umping no gets her Rounding hedule that f Blues in October). jollies on h out the sh would intim ow is soulf er kick dru rock quinte idate the m ul San Die m. t Delta Sp ost go-born irit, which Hootenan is using th ny to kick e off a tour with My M Holiday orning Jack et.

december concert calendar

76

pacificsandiego.com {December 2011}

My Morni ng

Jacket

FM 94/9 HOL IDAY HOOTENANNY

Dec. 3

7 p.m.

Jenny Cra, ig Pavilion, U SD

$40

fm949sd.co m

12/1: Cass McCombs @ The Casbah, casbahmusic.com 12/1: DJ Donald Glaude @ FLUXX, fluxxsd.com

s g n i t e e r G s a m X Wre

ked” to amn sto ger d y t t e r in and is “p nglish s at WreX e Machine (E g g in in d m n r h le perfo nre-b ce + t e n g e s r e first u lo io F r h e var ome go fo th um ff wit h t lc o ie e d d D w n n a n u a o ls ut alb p) to S e Welch ncert wil ear’s WreX the Florenc who back her u ar with her deb Over” liday co y o h is — e l s h s y t a r w n e u r o ys A e musicia nce had a hug 1X’s ann for all ears. “Fo y to do two sh our Dog Da rmed live “ k e r c it a g lo r n in t F in u t fo rs time. someth fectious e oppor and per he band ent colo e had th and its in TV series Glee ly differ rly named s t); t g r n o u p e L R Halls, w enting distinct olbert the hit singula C s ’s n ls. e e o X r h 1 p d e T r 9 r o a (he ral’s rem nia one, each X’s dy Cent new album, Ce ays Cap n e 1 s 9 w m ,” o o e t to t e C t t on pale s a gif ing a s, hom a t it o d h m te k a o th n musical irector. r a tr u e p pp els on d is now ), orches chine, D e their po oost energy lev a g in r g program e (December 10 rence + the Ma e a v C b Deli irds, predicts 82 will Day On ce, features Flo High Flying B Naked Blink-1 y. And Capone the “King s e n o s e r r’ ie e h e d h h T u a g ce by nd d t and hipster a tie, Noel Galla X’s seco ble” performan xic Even e r o nary hip T u W e C n r r ber revolutio acked mora Airbo Cab fo e m e e e h m h c t e T ly m D u t, ( o fro “tr eb han DMC ( Day Tw o will b C, the Elep s. f Rock,” un-DMC), wh icket for ennywise, DM u t o o k c m a o r F alt ,P and up R ing the istortion hop gro nd.

Compris -182, Social D math. ba e v li n.) utie te by a Blink ab for C and Mu parate admissio t s 11) are Death C la r e v e s E s d , s n t e a o ir b fo u of the up req Switch bout all ay’s line (Each d ys he’s excited a sa Capone

9

Child’s

Play

Further up dial, Sophiethe FM @103.7 presents Lenn Kravitz, head y lining

the radio station ’s Holiday of Mirac l es benefit for R ad y Children’s December 1 Hospital, House of Bl 1 at downtown ues, admission . General are $50. tickets sophie1037 .com

SENTS LS 91X PRE HAL WREX THE-11,

Dec. 1.0m.

6:1ll5eypView

Va o Center, Casin s Arena Sport

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Machin e + the

Florenc

9.91 4 1 9 .

9 1 $ x.com 91

DANN N Y CLI CH

82

Blink-1

12/2: Black Heart Procession @ The Casbah, casbahmusic.com 12/3: FM 94/9 Holiday Hootenanny @ Jenny Craig Pavilion USD, fm949sd.com 12/3: Tanner Ross @ Analog, lovelifeparty.com 12/3: Jason Mraz @ Belly Up, bellyup.com pacificsandiego.com pacificsandiego.com

77

g g r r o o o o v v e e g r o o v e eviews Album RDonnelly

by Tim

m a r g o t Phan Nightlife

e leas e R w “Ne eck Out” to Ch

Under

VOLKER SCHAN E

LEE “SCRATC 4th&B$254t H” PERRY Dec. 9,9 p .m. handbevent s .c om “Legendar y” falls R © 20 11 FUF OO

short in describing reggae mu sician/ producer L ee “Scratch ” Perry, who helped define Bob Marley’s sound, pio nee of dub mu red the creation sic, than 40 alb recorded more um Guinness co s, starred in m whole lot m mercials and a ore, mon. N ow 75, “Scratch” is reggae royal ty—still riding high on irie vib es. Seeing his current live-show g arb, a blend of b ling robot, is re y pimp and rasta ason enoug h to attend. — Ryan Hum e

day “Holi ck” Pi ting f i G Re

ith lating w of copu s n s o b ti ie a B lleg g a baby tween a iebs. Be urportedly sirin B r fo r winte full. fan, p a rough ed by) a holiday plate is d fem, but the It’s been statutorily rap is an h g y n a g st s them d you (or gettin puberty, let’s ju Biebs sounde umming balls h e r e g w ,” y n is n b ti e h a it B e m h “ c wn ke sin and st hits li atchy even gro his first release ore m , c h With pa g n — enou tletoe o dam is ly s d e M r ir he e e e th w w ,” nder tletoe ough hooks er. In U dult, th ad single, “Mis w a o you.” e h r s h o it e m in th m’s le awty w ounds u h s s lb / e a u h e o y — th ith dropped the chorus of tletoe/w In itching r the mis e d n u gangsta. e around d b d e a m m e m etoe” is th nother zombieboasts, “A iebs! a it. “Mistl Get it, B tta give JB cred ap spit with yet et with o g sw . His du t despite u ts o to y in s) , o p su h Still Je ig y h b s a e tha are some u,” prov y (and B off. his famil king aside, there Christmas is Yo little chestnuts r is Jo h fo groupie. rey, “All I Want he can still sing s, Ca istletoe” Mariah vocal fluctuation You,” “M ld t is n s r e a e sc b tm le ie ado hris s at O tin B ant for C ms, line s of: Jus For fan tracks: “All I W ying Xmas albu t no Standou with: other an ll e w s e g Go mpin ridge ju Navy, b

Tanner Ross

od f childho pairing o f e th is o m n hantogra intentio ck duo P ter, who had no e music they ro ic n o k r tr a m Ca l elec anted to le taste. and Josh Guy-gir Barthels usic. They just w ab c h c e ra a p S im artists pals rs in m y have e e re th a batch of c s, c u g ti r in st c u fo le rs c y e u k c p Lu their late es an to hear. influenc from each into ering s a s e wanted it ents ram c y t-trigg Phantog to channel elem and blippy bea ic Youth), gloss s n g e o n g S a ( li y n p s ll and ma tlife: tasty sam ed soundscape d) and celestia n igh pir brew, N white noise-ins anks to Timbala , th ) b t, li io d a ll the face (M d). sy E on (Mis ing hit in ink Floy producti ar arpeggios (P d like what gett looks) like—an in d uit un roomy g ’s airy vocals so le in it feels (an sion, climaxing Barthels illow with a ho a delicate explo d by ther p by a fea impact followe on ft o orporati s l . initia ievery C to Stone” o bliss h m T , lo u s o c in cinemati f: Madlib, Carib ve,” “Turning Friday traffic g, so Mo in c n a d For fan tracks: “Don’t droom e b t , u s o ft d li Stan : chair ell with Goes w

r e b e i B Justitnhe Mistletoe

DAnaeloc. 3 g, Gaslamp

lovelifepar ty.com traight outt

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FILM G MBH

a South Jers ey, Ross is com ing to Anal DJ Tanner o g in the Gaslamp his melodic to mellow the masses with tribal beats mithery. R up playing oss grew in bands ra nging from funk to pu nk, but it w as studying synthesizer s at Berkeley College of Music that refocused h is passion on lounged -ou Might wan t, hypnotic beats. t to visit a d ispensary (while thei r doors are still open) and chillax before hitti ng this sho —Dominic w.

Fawcett

12/10: Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin @ Soda Bar, sodabarmusic.com 12/10-11: 91X WreX the Halls @ Valley View Casino Center, valleyviewcasinocenter.com 2/11: Blind Boys of Alabama Xmas Show @ Belly Up, bellyup.com

ICE V AD SOUND

12/13: Dinosaur

12/5: Scout Niblett @ Soda Bar, sodabarmusic.com 12/7: The Sea and Cake @ The Casbah, casbahmusic.com 12/8: Tennis @ The Casbah, casbahmusic.com 12/9: Lee “Scratch” Perry @ 4th&B, 4thandbevents.com 78

pacificsandiego.com {December 2011}

g g r r o o o o v v e e g r o o v e TS E RESEN P CASBAH ’S EVE AT THSWIM CLUB ob & s like B EL T NEW YEAR celebritie cal-rock O r fo H y a TE es a lo hideaw LAFAYET elessly hip LafayettehisHNoteewl wYaesaor’snEcevea, thblue pesrowpreerctykinbegcmomearcshTinheeLHoweavVyoGlts,uilt

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Dec. 318: 30 p Italy$20-.m.The Casbah, Li ttle 24casbah m u s Costa Mes i c.com a beach-go ths The tour

80

pacificsandiego.com {December 2011}

Dazz Ban d

Hailing fro m an era o f pu Cleveland natives Daz re cocaine and rockin ’ bellbottom z Band set overdrive w the dis s, ith in-the-pock their ’70s-born, bass- co ball spinning into laden funk et grooves . The grou are funkier leftovers, an p’s than Georg d their clas e Clinton’s sics like “L “Shake You week-old et It Whip” r Pants” wil and l have all in attendance wishing Sou l Train was st ill on TV. — DF 12/31: El Ten Eleven @ Soda Bar, sodabarmusic.com

12/31: The Growlers @

Growlers in an old v eggie oil-po bus. They wered scho shoot musi ol c videos wit VHS camer h as, record al bums on an tape machin alog es monthly. A and probably shower true neo-h ippy comm The Grow une, lers defies categ create jangly surf rock orization— that melding D The Doors ick Dale, and The G rateful Dea random pin d with ches of Mid dle Eastern Their myst flavor. ique is so se xy, b liberating th at it compel izarre and s many fem fans to do “Th ale involves ho e Swim” (a dance mo ve that lding your nose and w your hand aving while crou ch ing in mock submergen ce). —TD

Dec. 307:3 Italy$12a 0 p.m.Anthology nthology , sd.com Little

12/19: Pinback w/Ghetto Blaster @ Belly Up, bellyup.com 12/22: TV Girl @ Soda Bar, sodabarmusic.com 12/30: Greyboy Allstars @bellyup.com, bellyup.com 12/30: Dazz Band @ Anthology, anthologysd.com

12/13: Dinosaur Jr. w/Henry Rollins appearance @ Belly Up, bellyup.com 12/16: Cuckoo Chaos w/Jamuel Saxon @ Soda Bar, sodabarmusic.com 12/17: Chris Cornell @ Balboa Theatre, livenation.com

The Casbah, casbahmusic.com

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o line, no cover—no problem.

The secret to a snazzier nightlife: it’s not what you know… actually, it is. But it’s also who you know.

The Who, in this case, are San Diego’s VIP elite, the hospitalians at the top of the nightclub food chain. Knowing these guys (you’re about to, if you don’t already) means skipping lines and not paying to get in. It also means attentive service, bottles of top-shelf alcohol delivered to your private table by hot women (men, at Eden in Hillcrest) carrying sparklers and, with certain high-roller packages offered by Stingaree, use of a stretch yellow Hummer limo.

For most San Diego clubs, the highest demand for bottle service is on

SHO

ME CALE A DV

Ph o tOS B Y B RE V IN B L AC H

r

de

ND

A nightlifer’s guide to Finest City bottle service

n

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POURING IT ON

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g g r r o o o o v v e e g r o o v e

Saturdays, and pricing for the limited real estate—i.e., private tables—can be much higher on those nights. But most venues offer lower prices and reduced minimum purchases on other nights, which aren’t less fun (to the contrary, they’re often more fun and with fewer tourists), just less spendy.

So, there’s the Who and the What. Regarding the Where, here are seven VIP teams—from FLUXX, Side Bar, Hard Rock Hotel San Diego, Eden, Ivy Nightclub at Andaz and Bar West—who’d love to give you the royal treatment you deserve.

As for Why? Hey, why not? It’s only money, and if you don’t have a vacation planned, might as well let the sky be the limit for at least one big night out.

Ivy Nightclub at Andaz 600 F St., Gaslamp, ivyentertainmentsandiego.com Rising above the rest of downtown (literally) is Ivy Rooftop at Andaz, offering sweeping views of downtown and approaching planes, an outdoor dance floor and a personalized VIP service team that includes Jessica Donaldson, Prince Harry’s girlfriend, whom he visited at the venue in October.

Now you know: VIP manager Tim Brand (pictured) For a good time, call: 619.814.2055 Most affordable nights: Thursdays (industry night) Minimum purchase on those nights: $275 for bottle of Grey Goose vodka Most expensive nights: Saturdays Minimum purchase on those nights: two bottles at $325 each

Side Bar 536 Market St., Gaslamp, sidebarsd.com Billed as a “swanky ultralounge,” Side Bar is home to the famous Industry Night Wednesdays, where bartenders get served and go-go girls swing from the ceiling and the giant birdcage that doubles as a DJ booth.

VIP manager: Matt Ridley For a good time, call: 619.696.8040 Most affordable nights: Thursdays Minimum purchase on those nights: $421 (during Fortune 421 events) Most expensive nights: Wednesdays (industry night) Minimum purchase on those nights: $750–1000 (Continued on page 84)

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FLUXX 500 4th Ave., Gaslamp, fluxxsd.com This enormous, one-room Gaslamp venue is best known for its monster sound system, the fiery FLUXX Girls go-go performers and being named the nation’s 2011 Nightclub of the Year by Nightclub & Bar Magazine.

Now you know: VIP host Ariadna Jacob (left), cocktail server Sara Clift, VIP manager Jason Mitchell For a good time, call: 619.255.1004 Most affordable nights: Thursdays and Fridays Minimum purchase on those nights: $400–700 Most expensive nights: Saturdays and special events Minimum purchase on those nights: $1,000–2,000

Stingaree 454 6th Ave., Downtown, stingsandiego.com Downtown’s veteran VIP hot spot, Stingaree (and the “club-within-aclub,” Guest House) provides nightlife opulence in the form of a private room overlooking the dance floor, shout-outs from the DJ and end-ofthe-night home delivery in the back of a stretch yellow Hummer limo.

Now you know: bottle service manager Kara Knooihuizen and VIP host Zack Stephens (right) For a good time, call: 619.544.1VIP (1847) Most affordable nights: Mondays (industry night at Guest House) Minimum purchase on those nights: $175 for bottle of Ultimat Vodka Most expensive nights: Saturdays Minimum purchase on those nights: one bottle per five people High roller package: private penthouse overlooking the club, private bar, personal bartender and cocktail waitress, use of the Stingaree Stretch Hummer limo, DJ shout-outs to boost celebrity status. (Tenbottle purchase minimum.)

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May not be used in combination of other special offers

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Now you know: VIP host Mike Gerstel (right) and VIP bottle server Jonathan Partida (left) For a good time, call: 619.780.3933 Most affordable nights: varies by event demand Minimum purchase on those nights: $250 Most expensive nights: varies by event demand Minimum purchase on those nights: $250

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Hillcrest’s VIP boom-boom room is Eden—where to go for an alternative to downtown…and a more alternative crowd. Go-go guys take center stage at this high-energy club (and restaurant and adjoining Ciro’s Pizza), which brings together talented DJs and a warm and welcoming crowd.

One-Hour Facial or Swedish Massage $49 Color and Cut $99 Brazilian Blowout $99

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OPEN DAILY 6am - 3pm PACIFIC BEACH 1851 Garnet Ave. 858.270.YOLK

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SAN MARCOS 101 S. Las Posas Rd. 760.471.YOLK pacificsandiego.com

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Hard Rock Hotel San Diego 207 5th Ave., Gaslamp, hardrockhotelsd.com Bottle service takes on new dimension at Hard Rock Hotel San Diego, which offers VIP tables in its ground-floor venue, 207 (as in 207 5th Avenue), and on the pool deck at Float (home to San-Diegans-gonewild, 2,500-person Intervention Sundays).

VIP services: VIP manager Evan Lopez and senior VIP host Paul Dilongo (pictured), who sometimes serves clients while wearing a Lamb Chop head For a good time, call: 619.764.6926 Most affordable nights: Thursdays and Sundays Minimum purchase on those nights: $250 Most expensive nights: Saturdays Minimum purchase on those nights: $325

Bar West 959 Hornblend St., Pacific Beach, barwestsd.com For bottle service just steps to the sand, check out Bar West, where it’s “sun down, music up” on BPM Thursdays, no-cover Fridays and $200 bottle Saturdays. Bar West’s Sunday night industry party has been a favorite spot for San Diego Chargers players for years.

GAY SAN DIEGO

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Now you know: VIP manager Gary Kindle For a good time, call: 619.467.6005 Most affordable nights: varies by event demand Minimum purchase on those nights: bottles start at $150 Most expensive nights: varies by event demand Minimum purchase on those nights: bottles start at $200

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cap. He pops the cap to release the yeast along with a small amount of liquid, which he replaces with more sugar and alcohol.

The formula gives rise to ticklingly carbonated cocktails such as Mule in a Bottle, combining flower-infused vodka, ginger, California hops and champagne yeast; and Smokin’ Pumpkin, a mix of pumpkin-infused rum, saffron, vanilla, applewood-smoked coconut sugar and exotic liqueurs with ale yeast.

When not experimenting behind the bar, Josenhans, a graduate of Sweden’s Stockholm University who has traveled to more than 45 countries, enjoys gardening, cooking and spending quality time with his daughter. He credits his “hard-working, beer-and-tequilaloving family” for his own work ethic and love of fine spirits.

Josenhans’s bottle conditioned cocktails will appear full-time on Grant Grill’s drink menu beginning in January. A votre santé!

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othing announces fun and the New Year like the pop of a cork. And when that fizz calls for a little sizzle, tilt a glass toward Jeff Josenhans at Grant Grill inside downtown’s historic US Grant Hotel—he’s got you covered with his Cocktails Sur Lie. (Sur Lie is a French term for “having rested on yeast.”)

Utilizing the French approach to crafting sparkling wine, the sommelier/mixologist has created the first bottle conditioned cocktails that successfully combine the fermentation processes of beer and champagne.

“It’s basically the champagne method, but applied to cocktails,” Josenhans explains.

“We make the cocktail without the alcohol, then put it in a bottle with hops, sugar and yeast. The yeast eats the sugar and produces carbon dioxide.”

From there, Josenhans inverts the bottle to allow the yeast to settle toward the bottle

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Dateline San Diego {2007} Romance, mirth and rigor mortis mark a recap of 58 and a half PacificSD blind dates

The BLIND DATE Love Legend Y A kiss (or more) or a second date YY Living together YYY Married

B y D a v i d PER L OFF

January 2007: Makeovers at Sirens Salon and The River Clothing; dinner at Tower 23 in P.B. Loren (guy): “I never felt any spark.” Jenelle: “I wish he would have let them cut his hair a little more.”

Y February 2007: Tennis and

Y March 2007: Playing in

dinner at the Bahia Resort in Mission Beach Carole: “He seems genuine, and has a great sense of humor.”

Mason: “I would definitely go on another date with her—I just wish she didn’t beat me at tennis.”

Belmont Park; dinner at Canes (now Soundwave) Jake: “Quite possibly the best first date I’ve ever been on…and the longest.” Melissa: “A good head on his shoulders. He’s a dashing guy.”

April 2007: Aerospace Museum; Kung Food lunch and Extraordinary Desserts in Bankers Hill Mark: “She seems motivated and focused on reaching her goals.”

Chari: “I’d rather set him up with a friend.”

YY May 2007: Happy hour

Y June 2007: Dinner at

and dinner at Gringo’s (now Fat Fish) in Pacific Beach Danielle: “I think we’re going to go out again.” Scott: “Danielle is a very good kisser.” They moved in together a few months after the date.

Turquoise Café Bar Europa in Pacific Beach Julie: “I’d look forward to going out with him again.” Bobby: “We’ll get out again, but I need her phone number. We spent all that time together, and I forgot to ask.”

July 2007: Dinner at Johnny V in Pacific Beach Erin: “David’s a sweetheart, but there weren’t any sparks.” David: “Erin has a very dope personality and is a totally cool chick to hang with, but I don’t think we clicked on a romantic level.”

August 2007: Speed dating with James, Greg and Nathan at Firehouse in Pacific Beach James: “Honestly, I didn’t think that I was going to get picked.

Hopefully we’ll go out again.”

Holly: “Maybe we’ll go out again as friends, but not on another date.”

Y September 2007: Libbey,

Y October 2007: Hot air

ballooning; dinner at Poseidon in Del Mar Kenny: “I’m definitely interested in seeing her again, but we’ll keep it on the ground. Thanks for almost killing me, PacificSD.” Jill: “I would go out with him again. We’re similar people and we both had fun.”

November 2007: Four-way blind date at Stingaree Chelsea (after kissing Eli): “Neither of them were my type of guy.” Rachel (after kissing Kevin): “Kevin is charming, but there was no romance.” Kevin: “The kiss was mutual.” Eli: “In my eyes, I won.”

Y December 2007: Dancing

Julie and Liz race for Greg’s love at Dave & Buster’s Julie (winner): “Greg has the most contagious laugh ever. He’s a goodlooking, outgoing person. I think we’ll go out again.” Greg: “There was definitely a physical attraction.

We’ll probably go out again.”

lessons at Cheek 2 Cheek in P.B.; dinner at George’s at the Cove Carlos: “Alissa is smokin’ hot and she has a great smile. I would have loved to have gotten it on with her.”

Alissa: “He gave me a little kiss on the cheek. We’re planning to go running soon and maybe do yoga.”

(Continued on page 94)

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Dateline San Diego {2008} (Continued from page 92)

January 2008: The Dating Game (one gal, three guys) at Bar West in Pacific Beach Govi (winner): “We came back to my house for a little bit, but we didn’t hook up.” Ashley: “I like more of a scrubby, relaxed, edgier look.” (Rodney ended up with a hangover, and Travis got Ashley’s phone number.)

Y February 2008: Gondola ride

May 2008: Wave-riding at Wave House in Mission Beach; dinner at Firefly on Mission Bay Jake: “I guess the drinks hit her kind of hard. She got the hiccups, then she started getting the giggles, then she got real quiet.” Amanda: “I realized that I’ve become the emotionally unavailable person.”

Y June 2008: Bowling at East

September 2008: Rocket Car ride; drinks at Little Italy Spaghetteria; dinner at Po Pazzo Bar & Grill Suzannah: “I don’t fall for guys too easily. He walked me to my car, and we went our separate ways.” Kevin: “Personality-wise, we’re compatible, but she’s not my type of girl—I don’t date blondes.”

YYY October 2008: Dueling piano serenade at The Shout!

House; dinner at Marble Room Ty: “Head to toe, she’s just beautiful. The chemistry between us was off the hook.” Suzannah: “I think we both felt chemistry from the moment we met.” The couple married 11 months later. PacificSD editor David Perloff performed the ceremony at the Mission Bay Hilton. (See photo at right.)

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through the Coronado Cays; dinner at Oceanaire Jenn: “At around 2:30 a.m., we took a cab back to my place. The next morning, we were laughing about the night, but we weren’t making out anymore.” Matt: “Going out again is not something we really discussed.”

Tavern in East Village; dinner at Basic Urban Kitchen & Bar Haleh: “Adam’s good-looking, and there was definitely a spark.

I definitely would like to go out again.” Adam: “She’s brilliant and a very sexy woman. Put those two things together, and I’m very attracted.”

March 2008: Indoor rock climbing at Solid Rock; dinner at Harney Sushi in Old Town Tom: “Best sushi place I’ve been to in San Diego. Tarah wanted to stay and drink, but I told her I was going to take off.” Tarah: “He drove me home around ten, because he had to get up early. It was a mutual decision.”

April 2008: Double blind date—manicures at Mingle in P.B.; dinner at Beaumont’s in Bird Rock Amber: “I don’t know if anyone felt a love connection.” Danielle: “Joe and I exchanged numbers.” Joe: “There was chemistry between me and Danielle.” Kevin: “I didn’t get a goodnight kiss, and neither did Joe.”

July 2008: Sunset over Children’s Pool in La Jolla; dinner at Clay’s La Jolla Patience (April 2008 cover model): “That instant chemistry just wasn’t there.” Rob: “There was no diving board to jump into a romantic situation, but that’s probably okay. That’s not usually how I operate, anyway.”

Y August 2008: Cocktails at

Catamaran Resort; ride on the Bahia Belle; dinner at Red Marlin Kristen: “We stayed at the Red Marlin until midnight, then we ended up having drinks at the Coaster Saloon until two.” Jeremy: “We weren’t holding hands or anything, but we were doing stuff along those lines.”

Y November 2008: Dinner at

Jack’s La Jolla (now closed) Diane: “I gave him my number and a goodnight kiss on the cheek.

It would be nice to hang out again.” Rob: “I’d like to think we’ll hang out again.”

December 2008: No blind date; a recap of the previous 23 dates is published instead (Continued on page 96)

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Dateline San Diego {2009} (Continued from page 94)

Y January 2009: Pelly’s Mini

February 2009: Drinks at Johnny V in Pacific Beach; bull-riding, food and drinks at Miller’s Field Kristine: “No kisses, but a warm hug…and we exchanged numbers.”

Ted: “Around midnight, we said goodnight, exchanged numbers, and she went home. I stayed out until about four in the morning.”

YY March 2009: Limobus ride to

May 2009: Behind-the-scenes tour of Birch Aquarium; lunch at Karl Strauss in La Jolla Roberta: “Patrick is a nice guy. I can see myself hanging out with him as a friend.” Patrick: “I’ve learned to maybe be less forward and more mysterious. I’m too nice.”

Y June 2009: Breaking dishes

July 2009: Fire Station 21 photo session; dinner at Firehouse; fireworks from the Bahia Belle Rudy: “She’s too sweet for my taste. I’m attracted to a little more edge and sassiness.” Sophie: “Very good manners and he seemed like a genuinely nice person. I am not sure the chemistry clicked between us.”

Y August 2009: Harbor cruise;

September 2009: Kart racing at Miramar Speed Circuit; dinner at Corvette Diner in Liberty Station Mallory: “He got my number, and we talked a few times since the date, but no plans yet.” Adam: “I didn’t feel a strong connection.

A second date is not in the cards.”

October 2009: Skydiving in Chula Vista; dinner at Quarter Kitchen at Ivy (now Andaz) Steve: “I’d hang out with her as a friend because she’s cool, but not go on a second date.” Kristin: “The chemistry between us was more in the fun zone.”

Y November 2009: Four-way date with drinks at 207, Hard Rock Hotel San Diego; dinner at Funky Garcia’s Peter: “I’m going out with Heather again.” Zoltan: “Peter moves quicker than the Energizer Bunny on meth.” Bonnie: “I’d go out with either of them as friends.” Heather: “Peter seems quite sweet.”

Y December 2009: Wine at Wine Steals in Hillcrest; dinner at West Coast Tavern in North Park Eric: “We both got kind of drunk.

Then we made out at the table, in front of everyone. Oops.” Lauren: “He definitely has this look he casts that kinda makes you want to melt.”

Golf in Del Mar; dinner at Pasquale’s Del Mar (now closed) Stephen: “She seems like she’s a lot of fun, so I think hanging out would be fun.” Kendra: “I would go out with Stephen again and see where that leads. I realized I’m actually pretty awesome at miniature golf.”

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at Sarah’s Smash Shack; brunch at Richard Walker’s; drinks at Whiskey Girl Christy (91X DJ): “He made me feel like I could do no wrong.

I would go out again fo’ sho’.”

Mark: “It felt really good being with her. She is a very sexy person.”

Nunu’s in Bankers Hill; dinner at Red Pearl Kitchen in the Gaslamp Nami: “Ended with a romantic kiss. I would love to see him again.”

Rian: “She was friendly and liked to have fun. I know we will go out again.” After years of dating, they’re planning to move in together next month.

April 2009: Dinner at La Puerta in the Gaslamp Dawn: “I am a beach-loving, down-to-earth California girl, and he was from New York.” Matt: “We’re two very different people from very different worlds.”

bull riding at Double Deuce; dinner at Fred’s in the Gaslamp Katrina: “He’s a Gemini, which isn’t his fault. I just won’t ever seriously date one.” Jeff (after making out with Katrina at Fred’s): “She has a tattoo on the back of her neck. I’m not a huge fan of tattoos.”

(Continued on page 98)

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Dateline San Diego {2010} (Continued from page 96)

January 2010: Drinks at The Local; Ice skating at Horton Plaza; dinner at El Camino Colleen: “He was up to going out, but I was ready to call it a night.

He leaned in for a kiss, and I gave him my cheek.” Bruno: “It had a quasi-middle school, after-thedance ending.”

February 2010: Couple’s massage at Spa Gregorie’s in Del Mar; dinner at Sbicca Del Mar Emily: “His style is appropriate for his age; it’s a little young for me. I’m still single for all you tall, football-player-build guys who are over 30.” Chris: “The date went really well, just no real chemistry.”

Y March 2010: Wine at Toast Enoteca in East Village; dinner at Bice Ristorante in the Gaslamp Brannon: “Couple good looks with a charming personality and you have a recipe for success.” Ari: “Well, my first-date-kiss rule may have kinda/sorta been broken, but that’s all I can say. We’ve been texting.”

April 2010: Drinks at Bareback Grill in the Gaslamp; dinner at Stingaree; caricatures at both Maria: “The way the date ended was pretty cold on both sides. I felt like he was a little too judgmental and a little too aggressive.” Marco: “The word ‘romantic’ seems to stay only in art history books.”

May 2010: Wave-riding at Wave House; dinner at Red Marlin at Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Heather: “I like when a man takes charge—when we decided to hang out later, he made and executed the plan.” John: “We had a very pleasant evening, but the romantic fireworks were courtesy of Sea World.”

June 2010: Dueling-piano serenade at The Shout! House in the Gaslamp; dinner at The Tipsy Crow Tiffany: “After dinner, we proceeded to ante up our drinking skills at the Ivy Rooftop.” Tom: “This girl can hang. Wow! There was a tiny kiss. I went in for the kill, but she kept it light and ladylike.”

Y July 2010: Mai Tais at Bali Hai;

August 2010: Four-way Mission Beach coaster date; dinner at Tikul in La Jolla (now Aquamoree) Veronica: “I was a little overdressed for a roller coaster.”

Emily: “It was a damn good way to spend a night.” Danny: “The four of us really hit it off on a friend-like basis. Carlos: “That was so much fun.

Y September 2010: Winetasting at 57 Degrees in Midtown; dinner at Trattoria i Trulli in Encinitas Bianca: “I ended up having a really fun time.

I’d put the date in my ‘best date’ category.” Jeff: “The date was a success, and we had an amazing time together.”

October 2010: Whiskey shots and a psychic at Quality Social, downtown; dinner at The Fleetwood Nadav: “She takes the song ‘Shots’

by LMFAO to a whole new level.”

Ivana: “Little hungover today, but you’re welcome. Wait, what was my date’s name? I could never get it right. Nasdaq?”

November 2010: Drinks at Donovan’s Circle of Fifths (now Donovan’s Prime Seafood); dinner at Searsucker Dawn: “There wasn’t a romantic connection. I think we are going to be friends.” Ryan: “Instant connection, and we’re both Aries and half-Asian, so the stars and our genes were pulling us together.”

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dinner at Sally’s at the Manchester Grand Hyatt, downtown Sanel: “I was so into the conversation and laughing that I didn’t pay attention to romance.

However, I think we kissed on the bay outside Sally’s for a show.”

David: “We had chemistry, maybe a precursor to a spark.”

December 2010: Drinks and gift exchange at Hennessey’s La Jolla; dinner at Roppongi in La Jolla Julia: “We could certainly be friends, but I’m not sure about anything more, yet.” Matt: “Nice to find native brains west of the Mississippi. She’s studying to be a yoga instructor, which works on a lot of levels.”

(Continued on page 100)

Dateline San Diego {2011} (Continued from page 98)

January 2011: Dinner at Flavor Del Mar; dancing at Grande Del Mar’s Club M J.R.: “The cougars at this place are where it’s at. They couldn’t keep their hands off of us.”

Jessica: “He’s really sweet. He’s fun. We get along really well.”

February 2011: The Blind Dating Game at Bar West in Pacific Beach Tandy: “I was six-foot with my heels on, and he wasn’t.”

Aaron (winner): “Being six inches shorter than my date was hilarious. All you can do is laugh and go with the flow and have a good time.”

March 2011: Drinks at Dublin Square; instant lottery tickets and lunch at The Field in the Gaslamp Loren: “I didn’t kiss him, only because I was sick, but we did exchange numbers.” Oliver: “We almost hugged.”

Y April 2011: Private tour of

May 2011: Appetizers at Brockton Villa; dinner at Marine Room in La Jolla Nikki: “I’m such a private person in many respects, so it was challenging to open myself up to the cameras and questions.”

Daniel: “Nikki seemed to be a nice, attractive girl, so overall I had a good time.”

Y June 2011: Karaoke at

July 2011: Limo ride to the San Diego County Fair at Del Mar Matt: “I loved the nauseating rides. Rob even won me a stuffed unicorn.” Rob: “After the fair, we went to a bar in the gayborhood that was hosting a wet underwear contest. Matt won.”

Y August 2011: Batting

Y September 2011: AMTRAK

October 2011: Drinks at Starlite in Midtown; limo to Sycuan Casino for dinner and gambling Gretchen: “He doesn’t eat bread, and I’m a carboholic. It would never work.” Jonathan: “She walked away with our remaining $10 dollars and the Sycuan Snuggie we purchased.”

November 2011: Drinks at Bootlegger; dinner at Lotus Thai in East Village; dancing at Bar West Chris: “There was no kissing, but there was definitely a connection.

There will definitely be a second date.” Colette: “I like a man to pursue me and really show that he’s interested, but Chris seemed sort of passive.”

December 2011: Drinks at W Hotel San Diego Dinner at Donovan’s Prime Seafood and dancing at FLUXX never happened, because Kate bailed after her first drink, saying only that she was uncomfortable.

Ladies, Carlos is up for grabs.

Who wants him? This is the halfdate mentioned in the intro on page 92.

Surfliner ride to Harney Sushi in Oceanside Ben: “Usually, I want to stab myself in the ears on first dates, but she was intelligent, and we had a lot of similar life experiences.” Nicole: “Apparently there’s something romantic about train rides.”

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Analog; dancing at Side Bar in the Gaslamp Zoltan: “I don’t kiss on the first date. What am I, a whore?”

Lauren: “I wish I hadn’t given him my number. He won’t stop texting me naked pictures. We’re going to Harney Sushi next week.”

Museum of Contemporary Art; dinner at Nine/Ten in La Jolla Alex: “No Disney endings, but we did some kissing and maybe some seventh-grade groping.” Brooke: “It was really cute, actually. I usually don’t kiss and tell, but—yes, we shared a smooch.”

practice and a Padres games at Petco Park; drinks throughout the stadium Jon: “We got snuggly when we were watching the game. There was a definite connection there.”

Sarah: “PacificSD is PG-13, so I can’t tell you where we went after the game.”

calendar

12.11

Submit events to calendar@pacificsandiego.com.

Compiled by Patricia B. Dwyer

12/2: CORONADO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE & PARADE Location: Ferry Landing, Orange Avenue and Rotary Park, Coronado Admission: Free coronadochamber.com Play in snow, welcome Santa’s arrival by sea and watch a holiday parade before hitting Orange Avenue’s chic shops as the yuletide rises in Coronado.

A aron H u n u i P hotography

12/2-4, 8, 10-11: THE WHO’S TOMMY Location: Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center, La Jolla Admission: $16 lfjcc.org Pay homage to The Pinball Wizard at J Company Youth Theatre’s full-tilt (though family-friendly) production of The Who’s landmark 1960s rock opera Tommy.

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12/3-4: SAN DIEGO GAY MEN’S CHORUS PRESENTS YULE TUBE Location: Balboa Theatre, Downtown Admission: $25-43 sdgmc.org Share the season’s cheer as 150 vocalists belt out classic Christmas tunes—along with groovy and devilish renditions of their own.

J onathan C ervantes

R ichard B enton

12/2-3: DECEMBER NIGHTS Location: Balboa Park Admission: Free balboapark.org Roughly 300,000 visitors are expected to revel amid magical light displays, multicultural foods and musical performances at San Diego’s largest free community festival, where participating museums waive their entrance fees.

12/3: NORTH PARK TOYLAND PARADE & FESTIVAL Location: University Avenue, North Park Admission: Free toylandparade.com Kris Kringle himself will make an appearance at this traditional holiday parade of marching bands, beauty queens and vintage cars.

SPORTS REPORT San Diego’s place for co-ed sports leagues, happy hours and social events

CHAMPIONS CORNER: OCTOBER WINNERS Softball in La Jolla - Brendan's Team Softball in North Park - Unbroken 8's Kickball in Ocean Beach - Son of Pitches Volleyball in Ocean Beach - 4 Play on the Beach Volleyball in Ocean Beach - Yom Kiss My Acers Kickball in Adams Ave Rec - Julia's JV Team Kickball in La Jolla - Kdicks Flag Football in Crown Point - Ballers Softball in Point Loma - Booze Bags Softball in Carmel Valley - Bear Naked Soccer in Mira Mesa HS - Old & In the Way Softball in La Jolla - You Know You Want To Touch Them All Kickball in Adams Ave Rec - Karate Kicks Kickball in Pacific Beach - Schweddy Balls Soccer in Mira Mesa HS - Has Beens Softball in Ocean Beach - Bad News Paloozas Softball in North Park - Drunk Tank Dodgeball in Pacific Beach - CHUMDAWGS Soccer in Downtown - NFC Dodgeball in Ocean Beach - Booty and the Ho Fish Basketball in La Jolla - Cereballers Volleyball in Ocean Beach - Sandy Balls Volleyball in Ocean Beach - STL

You and your pet are invited to dress in festive costumes March through the district and under the historic Gaslamp Quarter Arch Contests and prizes for best costumes Pet Expo & Pet Talent Show in Hilton Park following the Parade For more info or to pre-register:

Find out how you can get 50% off your Gaslamp Holiday Pet Parade entry fee by visiting Downtown Ace Hardware at 675 Sixth Avenue!

Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza

The Gaslamp Quarter Association is partially funded by The City of San Diego’s Small Business Enhancement Program.

“TEAM” of the MONTH: Liz and Greg!

After meeting through VAVi’s 2009 Gutterbowl league, Liz and Greg’s recent engagement shows sports in motion and earned them December’s “Team” of the month. CONGRATULATIONS! “We had games every Thursday and by the third week or so Gutterbowl resulted in mine and Greg’s first official date.”

- Liz

NEW IN SPORTS: CORPORATE COMBAT Designed for local companies that want to bring employees together outside of work to play sports, socialize and compete as a team against other businesses, Corporate Combat leagues are the hottest new thing in sports.

govavi.com

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12.11 12/4: LA JOLLA CHRISTMAS PARADE & HOLIDAY FESTIVAL Location: Girard Avenue, La Jolla Admission: Free ljparade.com A La Jolla tradition, this daylong Christmas celebration features a parade, an antique aircraft flyover and a Christmas tree lighting, plus photos with Santa.

12/10: MISSION BAY BOAT PARADE OF LIGHTS Location: Mission Bay shoreline Admission: Free sandiegoeventmanagement.com Crown Point and Fiesta Island offer the best vantage points for this festive procession of elaborately decorated, holiday tune-blaring boats.

12/11: GASLAMP HOLIDAY PET PARADE Location: Hilton Park (corner of 4th Ave. and K St.), Gaslamp Admission: Free to watch, $10 to participate gaslamp.org Never mind the halls: deck Fido out in the most silly or adorable costume, or just watch other gussied-up pooches and pets pawtaking in the merry march.

12/11, 18: SAN DIEGO BAY PARADE OF LIGHTS Location: San Diego Bay shoreline Admission: Free sdparadeoflights.org Smuggle a thermos of eggnog and wave to sea vessels adorned with thousands of mini-lights as they cruise around Shelter Island and on toward Coronado Ferry Landing. (Camping on either end of the Embarcadero affords the best views.)

12/11-12/23, 12/25-12/31, 1/1-1/2: JUNGLE BELLS AT THE SAN DIEGO ZOO Location: San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park Admission: $40 sandiegozoo.org Celebrate joy to the animal world this season with the Zoo’s festivities, which include nightly tree-lightings, special animal shows and visits to Santa’s workshop.

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12/21: POINSETTIA BOWL Location: Qualcomm Stadium, Mission Valley Admission: $35-55 pointsettiabowl.com The Western Athletic and Mountain West conferences battle for NCAA pigskin glory.

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12/28: HOLIDAY BOWL Location: Qualcomm Stadium, Mission Valley Admission: $60-75 holidaybowl.com To be preceded by the famous Port of San Diego Big Bay Balloon Parade, this faceoff between the Pac-12 and Big 12 conferences is expected to sell out quickly.

12/29-1/1: SAN DIEGO INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW Location: San Diego Convention Center, Downtown Admission: $9-12 sdautoshow.com Come see what’s new in vroom for 2012, and find your V8 soul mate, as more than 500 automakers show off their hot new wheels through exhibits and workshops.

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THE FINAL COUNTDOWN May old acquaintance (and everything else) be forgot

A

s any of your Mayan friends will tell you, Earth’s days are numbered…and that number is less than 400.

The world is slated to end on December 21, 2012, and it’s high time to revise your bucket list.

Don’t have one? No problem, we’ve already started it for you…

Truck-in snow and ski Mt. Soledad.

Talk to a girl at Comic-Con. Correction­—the girl at Comic-Con. Confess those jeans are from Marshalls.

Visit Santee…for the first time.

Finally return that vacuum to Costco (although they’ll probably give cash back even after the apocalypse).

Book an out-of-this-world flight on Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic airline.

Remove that tramp stamp tattoo—they’ll be just as tacky in the afterlife.

Tune a piano, then tuna fish.

Create a zombie-proof bunker loaded with weapons and enough Skittles to last until 2050.

Call your mother.

Everybody Wang Chung tonight.

Stop eating an apple a day—it’s not gonna make a difference where you’re goin’.

Call that crush you’ve been too nervous to ask out— maybe it’ll work out and you’ll really go out with a bang.

Admit you graduated from Penn State.

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