PACIFIC San Diego - January 2020 by Pacific San Diego Magazine

JANUARY 2020

PACIFICSANDIEGO.COM

INSIDE: THE BEST NEW RESTAURANTS, OUR WORKOUT ROUNDUP, AWKWARD WITH RYAN BRADFORD, MENUS FOR PETS, A FLEXIBLE BLIND DATE, LUNAR NEW YEAR EVENTS

F E E L G O O D. B E AC H B E T T E R . MAKE IT A PREMIER YEAR.

Drink responsibly. Corona Premier ® Beer. Imported by Crown Imports, Chicago, IL

Per 12 ﬂ. oz. serving average analysis: Calories 90, carbs 2.6 grams, protein 0.7 grams, fat 0.0 grams

Compared to 12 ﬂ. oz. serving Corona Extra: 149 calories, Carbs 14.0 grams, Protein 1.2 grams, Fat 0.0 grams

MIX IT UP IN SAN DIEGO WITH THE MASTER OF MALT

DON’T BE A DRUNKEN MONKEY. DRINK RESPONSIBLY.

MIX IT UP IN SAN DIEGO WITH THE MASTER OF MALT

DON’T BE A DRUNKEN MONKEY. DRINK RESPONSIBLY.

EDIT OR’S N OTE

I resolve ... Making plans for 2020

appy 2020, everyone. I’ve been waiting for it to be 2020 for practically 10 years. See, I have a weird pet peeve and it’s that I hate it when people say the year as “two thousand twelve” or “two thousand nineteen.” Back in the day, we didn’t go around saying “nineteen hundred and ninety seven” so why do we do it now? (This didn’t bother me in the early part of the 2000s, saying “twenty oh six” just sounds wrong.) So I’m setting a resolution for us all, and it’s that we finally start saying “twenty” instead of “two thousand” when referring to the year. I think that’s a reasonable resolution, one we can all keep. It’s a whole other story when it comes to serious, meaningful resolutions. So many of us vow to start the new year by eating better, or getting more exercise, but after a few weeks old habits come back and we’re left paying $40 a month for a gym membership that we never use. (Or is that just me?) In the past I set very strict resolutions, like go to the gym three times a week or cut out all white foods, and those immediately failed. Then I switched to more general resolutions, like start a new workout program or cut out sweets. Those lasted longer, but honestly, by March they were forgotten. Of course, there’s also the approach of not setting New Year’s

JANUARY 2020 @PACIFICSD

resolutions, which is fine, but makes for pretty boring New Year’s Eve party conversations. To help with setting resolutions (or not), our January issue is all about taking a fun approach to this annual rush toward fitness. We have a column by writer Ryan Bradford about the awkward side of getting in shape, plus the PACIFIC staff went out and tried a variety of new (and new to us) workouts. Even our influencer profile and Blind Date have unique perspectives on exercise. If, on the other hand, you resolve to try new things in 2020, check out our latest roundup of new restaurants, or our new Pets section where you’ll read about restaurants that have dog-friendly menus. So, what’s my resolution? This year I’m going back to specifics: eat a salad a day, be better about after-school snacks for the kids, continue tap dancing (resolution from last year) and see more live music. Oh, and to lead the way in saying “twenty twenty.”

Nina Garin

nina@pacificsandiego.com

No Mo’ FOMO Stay in the know on everything cool happening in San Diego! Sign up for our Tuesday & Thursday e-newsletter at

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It’s a Gift

Volume #14 | Issue #1 | January 2020

Actually, it’s a bunch of prizes

Register to win tickets to these January events and more at pacificsandiego.com/contests. Life’s cool in San Diego. Here’s proof: EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / DIGITAL DIRECTOR

Nina Garin

MANAGING EDITOR

Jennifer Ianni

STAFF WRITER COPY EDITOR ART DIRECTORS DESIGNERS

PRODUCTION/ DESIGN DIRECTOR CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Go Fore It Enter for a chance to win a pair of tickets to spend a day on the green at the beautiful Torrey Pines Golf Course watching some of the world’s finest golfers (including homegrown hero Phil Mickelson) as they vie for golf glory. Jan. 23-26 at Torrey Pines Golf Course

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

JANUARY 2020 @PACIFICSD

Michael Domine, Javier Gonzalez, Mark Opriska, Tyler Rau, Anthony Tarantino Michael Price Michael Benninger, Ryan Bradford, Lisa Deaderick, James Hebert, Pam Kragen, Scott McDonald, Peter Rowe K.C. Alfred, Misael Virgen, Lauren Wilson

SALES MANAGER

Katie Musolf

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER

Jan. 23 at American Comedy Co.

Anita L. Arambula, Gregory Schmidt

Paul Ingegneri

CAMPAIGN COORDINATOR

Twin brothers Jason and Randy Sklar are known for their roles on Entourage, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Better Call Saul, plus their sports/comedy podcast, View From the Cheap Seats. Catch them when they hit San Diego on their headlining tour.

Monica Hodes-Smail

VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES

MULTIMEDIA ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Twinning

Sara Butler

Mindy Anderson, John Vaccaro Pamela Razo Greg Johannsen

Life’s Cool. Reach America’s finest readers via print, web, social, email, street team and events. Read, click, connect... BOOM! PACIFIC is a media property owned by The San Diego Union-Tribune.

pacificsandiego.com

@PACIFICSD 619.293.1945

A subsidiary of The San Diego Union-Tribune

CONTENTS JANUARY 2020

CURRENTS 14: One.Twenty January events calendar 28: Joking Around January stand-up comedy shows 32: Well, That Was Awkward Ryan Bradford brings his popular column to PACIFIC 34: Working on Our Fitness PACIFIC takes the work out of ﬁnding a new workout 38: San Diego’s Toughest and Easiest Hikes Hikes for athletes, and hikes for the rest of us PULSE 40: Art Beat January gallery + exhibition openings 46: In the Wings January shows, musical and dance performances

TASTE 52: Please Be Seated If you’ve resolved to try new things this year, here are some tasty options to get you started 68: Where to Take Your Pup Out to Eat Eight dining and drinking establishments offer specialty dog menus 70: Take it From the Tap A local taste of beer from here GROOVE 72: Sound Decisions January concert calendar 84: We’re With the Band January local band spotlight 86: Take a Spin January EDM + DJ performances LOVE 88: Go with the Flow Daters try to be ﬂexible on a swingin’ blind date

48: In the Arts Meet San Diego Opera’s Tim Wallace 50: Good Inﬂuencer Up your ﬁtness game in 2020 with Andrea Lopez-Velarde

ON THE COVER: An original illustration by Cristina Byvik, inspired by the annual rush to ﬁtness each January. Read PACIFIC’s guide to new (and new to us) exercises on page 34. ON THIS PAGE: A cocktail from Normal Heights’ newest hot spot SKA Bar & Restaurant (photo by Arlene Ibarra). For more new restaurants, see page 52.

JANUARY 2020 @PACIFICSD

CURRENTS WHAT’S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW

BY MICHAEL BENNINGER

1.23-26

Farmers Insurance Open Torrey Pines Golf Course, La Jolla farmersinsuranceopen.com The world’s best golfers (and thousands of ogling admirers) return to Torrey Pines as the PGA Tour makes its annual stop in America’s Finest City.

KC ALFRED

JANUARY 2020 @PACIFICSD

C URRENTS | EVENTS

ISIAH JONES

1.11 EIGHTH ANNUAL SAN DIEGO BREW FESTIVAL

Liberty Station NTC Park, Point Loma sandiegobeerfest.com Indulge in unlimited samples of 150 craft beers from 70 local and international breweries during this day that also features a ﬂurry of food trucks and loads of live music.

RICK NOCON

1.9-11 SPRINGBOARD MUSIC FESTIVAL

Venues throughout Ocean Beach springboardwest.com Forty emerging musical acts receive two days of mentorship from renowned experts, then show off what they’ve learned at live shows during the neighborhoodwide Band & Brew Crawl

1.11-19 BIGA’S PIG ROAST AND LOCAL LIBATIONS WEEK KICK-OFF

Biga, Gaslamp Quarter farmtoforksd.com Sixth Avenue’s acclaimed Italian bistro kicks off the city’s second annual Local Libations Week and simultaneously celebrates four years in business by roasting a hog in honor of the area folks who cultivate organic ingredients for the restaurant’s recipes.

1.11 PADRES FANFEST

Petco Park, East Village padres.com Score autographs, attend Q&A sessions and enjoy an assortment of interactive experiences at this free event that supports our city’s Major League team.

JANUARY 2020 @PACIFICSD

HOWARD LIPIN

EAST VILLAGE

BEAN BAR 1068 K ST, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101 beanbar.co

DUCK FOOT 550 PARK BLVD #2104, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101 duckfootbeer.com/east-village

LOLA 55 1290 F ST, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101 lola55.com

Explore East Village

East Village is San Diego’s largest downtown neighborhood and encompasses 130 blocks of awesomeness between Seventh Avenue and 17th Street. More than 700 businesses are located in this thriving urban enclave, including restaurants, hotels, art galleries and Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres. Grab a rideshare, bike share or scooter share and explore all that East Village has to offer!

Learn more at eastvillagesandiego.com

RIDESHARE CARS • Uber • Lyft • Scoop • Wingz BIKE SHARE • Spin • Lime

SCOOTER SHARE • Bird • Jump • Lime • Lyft • Skip • Spin • Wheels

#EastVillageSD Supported by the East Village Association

C URRENTS | EVENTS 1.11 13TH ANNUAL RESOLUTION RUN

Tecolote Shores, Mission Bay Park, resolutionrun.com Burn off heaps of holiday calories during a scenic 5K, 10K or half-marathon concluding with a freebie-ﬁlled wellness village.

1.18 FIFTH ANNUAL WOMEN’S MARCH SAN DIEGO

Waterfront Park, Little Italy, womensmarchsd.org Join a grassroots group of volunteers and march in support of women’s rights, human rights, access to healthcare and the end of social and environmental injustice.

RICK NOCON

HAYNE PA LMOUR IV

1.18-19 TRAVEL & ADVENTURE SHOW

GETTY IMAGES

JANUARY 2020 @PACIFICSD

San Diego Convention Center, East Village travelshows.com Discover more than 200 vacation destinations during two days of travel-centric seminars featuring celebrity speakers, hands-on demonstrations and exclusive deals on unforgettable experiences.

Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. License Number 01527365. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only and is compiled from sources deemed reliable but has not been veriďŹ ed. Changes in price, condition, sale or withdrawal may be made without notice. No statement is made as to the accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footages are approximate.

C URRENTS | EVENTS 1.19 CARLSBAD FULL AND HALF MARATHON & SURF SUN RUN 5K

Three courses along coastal Carlsbad, inmotionevents.com Choose the full marathon, half marathon or Surf Sun Run 5K, each of which offer breathtaking views and live entertainment at every mile.

BILL WECHTER

JANUARY 2020 @PACIFICSD

REAL ESTATE MARKET WATCH

Downtown Marina District

Stunning Southwest corner 2 bedroom 2.5 bath residence with panoramic bay and city views at the desirable Pinnacle! Open concept featuring soaring 10 ft ceilings, ﬂoor-to-ceiling windows and 2 balconies to enjoy spectacular views from every room, gourmet kitchen includes Snaidero cabinets, sub-zero fridge, Bosch appliances and large island with breakfast bar, automated blinds, marble and wood ﬂoors, dual masters, full sized laundry, 2 parking spaces plus storage! Resort-like amenities in prime location of downtown! $1,650,000.

550 Front St 1108, San Diego, CA 92101.

SAN DIEGO MARKET UPDATE # of homes for sale: 84 # of homes sold: 11 Highest price: $5,250,000 Lowest price: $310,000 Average home price: $1,089,085

The San Diego housing market has continued to remain competitive through the holiday season. The moderate climate and the anticipation of a 2020 home purchase or sale keeps the real estate market active as we move out of winter and into the New Year. Interest rates have continued to remain at all-time lows with an increase in mortgage applications over the last few months. No better way to start off the New Year on a high note than with a home purchase or sale!

MELISSA GOLDSTEIN TUCCI

MelissaTucci.com | Sold@MelissaTucci.com 1820 Monroe Ave., San Diego, CA 92116

619.787.6852

BRE#01380034

No. 1 ranked Coldwell Banker agent/broker and ofﬁcial real estate agent of the San Diego Padres.

C URRENTS | EVENTS

1.19

40th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade Harbor Drive, Embarcadero alpha-zsl.org

Floats, drill teams and high school bands (among other organizations) celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at one of the nation’s largest events held in the Civil Rights leader’s name.

JANUARY 2020 @PACIFICSD

SAM H ODGSON

JOHN GASTALD O

1.24-26 SEVENTH ANNUAL SAN DIEGO CAFFEINE CRAWL GRAVITY HEIGHTS

1.19-26 SAN DIEGO RESTAURANT WEEK

Restaurants throughout the county sandiegorestaurantweek.com More than 180 of the county’s best restaurants offer limited-time prix ﬁxe menus during this eight-day celebration of San Diego’s culinary scene.

Coffeehouses throughout the county caffeinecrawl.com Grab your java-loving friends and spend a day getting buzzed by choosing one of 10 distinct routes to several of the city’s best coffeehouses, cafes, roasters and importers.

1.23-26 SAN DIEGO SUNROAD MARINA BOAT SHOW

Sunroad Resort Marina, Harbor Island bigbayboatshow.com Meet marine vendors, attend boating seminars and scope out the latest nautical products and services at this annual event that brings together the biggest brands on the water.

EDUARDO CONTRERAS

@PACIFICSD JANUARY 2020

1.25 MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 LIVE

C URRENTS | E V E N TS

Balboa Theatre, Downtown sandiegotheatres.org Watch robots riff on cheesy B movies as the cult-classic television show takes its uproarious act on the road one ﬁnal time.

DARREN MICHAELS

JARED GASE

1.25 25TH ANNUAL HANOHANO HUKI OCEAN CHALLENGE

Bonita Cove, Mission Bay hanohano.com One of California’s longest-running paddlesport races returns, challenging athletes of all ages and experience levels to paddle their way across Mission Bay. 24

JANUARY 2020 @PACIFICSD

EDUARDO CONTRERAS

1.25 TASTE OF EASTLAKE

The Venue at Eastlake, Eastlake eefkids.org Sporting a “Back to the ’80s” theme and featuring bites from an array of Eastlake’s best eateries, South Bay’s annual foodie fest returns with local libations and a lineup of live entertainment.

NELVIN C. CEPEDA

1.25-26 SAN DIEGO CAT SHOW

Del Mar Fairgrounds, Del Mar sandiegocat.org More than 400 felines from 40-plus breeds compete in beauty and agility contests at this sprawling cat expo that features speakers, exhibitors and the opportunity to adopt your own kitty.

C URRENTS | E V E N TS

Lunar & New Year Festivals

1 .17-19 SAN DIEGO LUNAR NEW YEAR TET FESTIVAL

SDCCU Stadium, Mission Valley lunarnewyearfestival.org Celebrate lunar new year by vying for the title of San Diego’s Phở Eating Champion — or enjoy dance and music performances — at this annual festival featuring food, ﬁrecrackers, lion dances and more.

1.24-26 SAN DIEGO TET FESTIVAL

Mira Mesa Community Park, Mira Mesa, sdtet.com The city’s longest-running Vietnamese Lunar New Year festival returns with the Miss Vietnam of San Diego Pageant, two stages of competitive singing and hundreds of merchants and food vendors from around the world.

1.25-26 CHINESE NEW YEAR FESTIVAL

International Cottages, Balboa Park houseofchinasd.com Ushering in the Year of the Rat, this two-day celebration includes art and cultural performances alongside crafts, calligraphy classes and an assortment of authentic Asian food. SPENCER GRANT

JANUARY 2020 @PACIFICSD

Sports

CHADD CA DY

San Diego Gulls Home Games

Pechanga Arena San Diego, sandiegogulls.com

1.3-4 BAKERSFIELD CONDORS 1.8 IOWA WILD 1.10 IOWA WILD 1.11 ONTARIO REIGN

1.17 TUCSON ROADRUNNERS 1.21 TUCSON ROADRUNNERS 1.31 SAN JOSE BARRACUDA

San Diego Sockers Home Games

Pechanga Arena San Diego, sdsockers.com

1.5 ONTARIO FURY 1.19 MESQUITE OUTLAWS @PACIFICSD JANUARY 2020

C URRENT S | COMEDY

Joking Around

Look for these comedians getting laughs on local stages BY MICHAEL BENNINGER

1.19

“

TIFFANY HADDISH

Pechanga Resort and Casino, tiffanyhaddish.com

My homegirl’s like, ‘We should go to the gym ... like, your body used to be banging. You was a track star, you used to run cross-country, you used to do all these things. Get that body back, get back in the gym, Tiffany.’ I said, ‘I became a comedian so that I could get fat if I felt like it, b***h.’” — Tiffany Haddish on Black Mitzvah

JANUARY 2020 @PACIFICSD

C URRENT S | C OM E DY 1.2-4 LUIS J. GOMEZ

American Comedy Company americancomedyco.com Known for: Luis J. Gomez Presents Luis J. Gomez, Guy Code, Last Comic Standing

1.11 AUNT MARY PAT DISABATINO The Comedy Palace thecomedypalace.com Known for: chain-smoking, loving the Philadelphia Eagles

1.10 JIM JEFFERIES

Balboa Theatre sandiegotheatres.org Known for: Legit, The Jim Jefferies Show, political humor (from an Australian perspective)

1.11 GARY GULMAN

Observatory North Park observatorysd.com Known for: The Great Depresh, making depression and anxiety funny

1.11 MIRANDA SINGS

Balboa Theatre sandiegotheatres.org Known for: YouTube videos, red lipstick, Selp-Helf

1.12 JEN KIRKMAN

American Comedy Company, americancomedyco.com

“

I think the whole tattoo thing is a lot like kids. Like, ﬁrst of all, some people want one, some people want none, and some people want a bunch until it’s all over their arms and it looks like a lot of work. But you go to a place, you lay down, there’s a lot of pain and you’re like, ‘God, I hope I love it. It is permanent.’” — Jen Kirkman on Just Keep Livin’?

JANUARY 2020 @PACIFICSD

1.17-19 HEATHER MCDONALD 1.16-18 SAMUEL COMROE

American Comedy Company americancomedyco.com Known for: America’s Got Talent, having Tourette syndrome, Real Husbands of Hollywood

The Comedy Store thecomedystore. com/la-jolla Known for: Chelsea Lately, being friends with the Kardashians, Juicy Scoop with Heather McDonald podcast

1.27 TIM AND ERIC

Balboa Theatre sandiegotheatres.org Known for: Surreal humor, Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!

1.31 STEVE HOFSTETTER

The Comedy Palace thecomedypalace.com Known for: YouTube, Finding Babe Ruth, sports humor

1.23-25 SKLAR BROTHERS

American Comedy Company americancomedyco.com Known for: Sklarbro Country podcast, Better Call Saul

1.30-2.1 D.L. HUGHLEY

American Comedy Company americancomedyco.com

know why “theI don’t f**k they call it

‘recreational’ marijuana. What the f**k is so recreational about sitting at a stop sign and waiting for it to wwturn green?” — D.L. Hughley at the Parlor Live

@PACIFICSD JANUARY 2020

C URRENTS | WELL, THAT WAS AWKWARD

Weight, weight: Don’t tell me

Revoking my membership in the 200 club BY RYAN BRADFORD

y shark instincts kick in during a potluck. I look upon the prey sitting on the counter, vulnerable and glistening: glazed ham, buttery mashed potatoes and one seasoned lamb chop. My eyes roll white and I load up my plate. I look up to see a friend also circling the buffet table. We’re both vying for the last piece of lamb, but because this is a civilized party, we go through the motions of being adults. “It’s all yours,” I say. He relents. “I really shouldn’t,” he says, patting his belly. “Just joined the 200 Club and all.” Oh right, I think, and suddenly my appetite for the lamb chop is replaced by selfconsciousness. Since turning 30, I’ve seen the numbers on the scale hover around two-hundo, and every New Year, I’ve resolved to get my weight down. But in the past year, my number skyrocketed to 220. I don’t know whether it’s because of stress, my (poor) diet or physical atrophy in the face of a pre-apocalyptic world,

JANUARY 2020 @PACIFICSD

but I, too, am now a member of the 200 Club. And it bums me out. What’s my excuse? I’m just a 35-year-old freelance writer with cats. I have all the time to exercise. I should be the fittest man in the world. I look down at my plate of potatoes, bread and macaroni and cheese. The road to the 200 Club is paved with beige food. I shake my head and resolve right then to get under 200 pounds. The moment I step on a treadmill, I remember why it’s so hard to lose weight: Exercise is hard. Moreover, it’s boring. It’s just me alone with my thoughts and going nowhere, which I can do without getting sweaty, thank you very much. In an effort to liven things up, I go to a group exercise class at the Copley Price YMCA in City Heights. The class is called STRONG by Zumba, which sounds intense but not aggro like CrossFit. The last thing I want is to push giant tires around with a bunch of grunting bros. Our instructor Jackie explains STRONG as high-intensity interval training set to music. “If you’re looking to dance, you’re in the wrong place,” she says. For the next hour we do squats, burpees, pushups and jumping jacks. I watch myself move unflatteringly in the mirrors. My torso shakes like an ill-fitting catcher’s pad. I’m by far the sweatiest person, and I worry I’m creating a slipping hazard for my fellow STRONGers.

At the end of the class, my ass is thoroughly kicked. Jackie asks if she’ll see me next week. “Maybe,” I say. I step on the scale and realize that — to my horror — I have not dropped any weight after one class. The journey out of the 200 Club will be long, but it took a lot of time and evolution for sharks to become an apex species. So, yeah, I’ll be at Jackie’s class next week. For more awkwardness, Follow Ryan on Twitter @theryanbradford and subscribe to his newsletter at awkwardsd.substack.com GETTY IMAGES

ďŹ t

GET

Try something new and mention PACIFIC to take advantage of these January fitness specials!

in EAST VILLAGE The Boxing Club

491 15th St., San Diego, CA 92101

theboxingclub.net @theboxingclubsd

FREE 7-day pass for all locations (includes unlimited classes and access to facilities)*

Rize Studio

1120 F St., San Diego, CA 92101

rizestudio.com @rizestudiosd

$59 for 2 weeks unlimited*

PureBarre

635 Seventh Ave., San Diego, CA 92101

purebarre.com @purebarresd

Free Foundations Class in January* Their 50-minute Foundations class is taught in a small group setting where their teacher introduces you to the basic movements of Pure Barre at a slower pace. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll learn how their technique works and start to feel the benefits of Pure Barre in less than an hour.

Learn more at eastvillagesandiego.com #EastVillageSD Supported by the East Village Association

*all offers expire 1/31/2020

C URRENTS | FITNESS

Working on Our Fitness PACIFIC takes the work out of ﬁnding a new workout

ILLUSTRATIONS BY CRISTINA BYVIK

his is the time of year when many of us think about exercise, whether it’s to start a workout regime or add some variety to our ClassPass. So to help navigate San Diego’s many fitness options, the PACIFIC staff decided to try some new (to us) workouts. From high-tech yoga to a 50-year-old aerobics favorite, here’s what we found:

JAZZERCISE

As a self-declared fitness enthusiast, I was skeptical about trying a Jazzercise class because I didn’t think it would be much of a workout. For those who don’t know about Jazzercise (no, it’s not a new millennial trend), it’s a high-energy workout that combines cardio and strength set to pop music. In terms of intensity, I would say medium, but depending on your fitness level it could be higher or lower. As the class started, I was definitely aware that I had basically no idea what I was doing compared to my fellow Jazzercisers. About 30 minutes into the class, however, I was pleasantly surprised with my dance moves. If you’re worried about not being able to dance, have no fear. I have no coordination whatsoever and I was able to learn the steps easily. And as a fan of pop music and Top 40, I enjoyed the selection of mood-lifting songs by artists like Lizzo and Snoop Dogg. Jazzercise is a great alternative to running or other cardio, and definitely a class I’d attend every once in a while.

–PAMELA RAZO

Details: Single classes are $20, monthly memberships start at $59. jazzercise.com

INDOOR ROWING

I’m not a “group activities” person. I like working out alone, at my own pace, without a condescending instructor trying to fix my form or encouraging me with empty enthusiasm. However, when I noticed that Row House 34

JANUARY 2020 @PACIFICSD

opened up in my neighborhood, I was intrigued. My first class was what they refer to as Launch, where you get a taste of everything they offer — a blend of form, technique, rowing and floor exercises. Even though you’re seated during rowing sessions, you’re also kicking your legs and pushing your body back and forth on the sliding seat, so rowing delivers a low-impact, full-body cardio workout. The class itself is similar to a spin class, with lights and music that properly amp up the rowers. Everyone’s bike has a small screen that

monitors things like time, strokes, split time, distance, etc. All in all, rowing felt very approachable to me, and I’m eager to try out different levels. And let’s be real: I’ll probably never row in an actual boat, so this is a nice way to experience the physical benefits of rowing and (hopefully) get Michelle Obama arms in the process.

–JENNIFER IANNI

Details: $29 for single classes, memberships and packages available. therowhouse.com

VIBRATION YOGA

OK, I admit it, I’m a non-exerciser. The extent of my athletic abilities is a yoga class once or twice a week (on a good week), so I decided to stick with what I know but kick it up a notch with vibration yoga. VibeFlow Yoga offers techy yoga classes using vibration plates, meant to increase muscle contractions for better strength and balance. Classes range from Levels 1 to 3 with frequencies from 20 to 60 hertz. I opted for a Level 1 class at 30 hertz. (For those who want more of a challenge, I’d try a Level 3 class at 60 hertz.) I placed my mat on a vibration plate in a windowless and mirrorless room, then put on semi-noise canceling headphones to hear the instructor’s voice and background music. Both the plate frequency and headphone volume can be adjusted throughout the class. We began with a relatively easy yoga flow on solid ground, and the vibration plates started rumbling 20 minutes in. Surprisingly, the vibration didn’t throw off my flow — it just felt like I was working out at a higher level, without really trying any harder. It was a little difficult getting used to the weight of the headphones, but as someone who has trouble tuning out my own thoughts during yoga classes, they definitely helped me “return to my intention.” The class was pleasant, rather than feeling exhausted or sweaty, I left calm, energized and ready to take on the day, without my mandatory cup of coffee.

–SARA BUTLER

Details: $30 per class, membership options available. vibeflowyoga.com

ORANGETHEORY FITNESS

I work out three to five times a week and decided to try Orangetheory Fitness because my routine was getting boring. Orangetheory is full-body workout, focused on high intensity intervals that blend cardiovascular and strength training. A certified coach leads the class to prevent you from over- or under-training. They gave me a heart rate monitor to show my real-time results versus everyone else in the class, and our stats were displayed on large screens throughout the studio. I found myself getting competitive and had a very effective workout with a mixture of treadmill cardio, water rower, and power strength training using weights. I loved the class, and will definitely be back for more!

–JOHN VACCARO

Details: first class free, memberships available. orangetheoryfitness.com

TAP DANCING

I’ve always heard that if you find an activity you love, it won’t feel like exercise. Well, I’ve tried just about everything —spin, hot yoga, barre — and those all still felt like exercise. Then I signed up for a beginning tap class through San Diego Civic Dance Arts (SDCDA). I’m a dance mom, so I already knew about the city-run program that offers hundreds of classes for kids and adults. After years of watching my own kids dance, I finally decided to give it a try. The best thing about SDCDA is that there’s nothing intimidating about it, everyone wears leggings and T-shirts. Because of its low price it attracts all ages, sizes and fitness levels. As you learn the basic steps, you’re not getting a lot of cardio. But after a few weeks, you’ll be cramp rolling, hop-shuffle-stepping and buffaloing enough to work up a sweat. And guess what? It doesn’t feel like exercise at all.

–NINA GARIN

Details: About $40 for a 10-week session. SDCDA’s spring session begins the second week of January. civicdancearts.org

@PACIFICSD JANUARY 2020

JUNIOR LEOSO OWNER

Specializations: Speed Training, Sports Speciﬁc Training, & Fit Fathers Program “Coach Junior Leoso knows no stranger. As head trainer and proprietor of Paciﬁc Beach Training he welcomes everyone into his establishment warmly as he would long lost family. His dedication to his craft knows no bounds. In the two years I’ve trained at his gym he has consistently researched new training methods and applied said knowledge in his gym. He is truly committed to not only building healthy physical habits within his clients, but consistently builds their minds and spirits up as well.” –Jared Lazar

TEAM MEMBERS At Pacific Beach Training we offer Group Training, Personal Training, Open Gym, along with Fitness Challenges and Corporate Wellness Programs. Located in Pacific Beach, San Diego, our goal is to help people improve their quality of life through health and fitness.

JOHN VALLAS OWNER

Specializations: Yoga & Mindset Meditation

LAURA PELOSI COACH Specializations: Weightlifting, Powerlifting, & Group Fitness Trainings

DEVIN TAYLOR COACH

Specializations: Athletic Conditioning, Fight Training, & Athlete Nutrition

DANI NEDEREND COACH

GARET TRANTOW COACH

Specializations: Martial Arts and Athletic Training

JARROD BURTON COACH

Specializations: Sports Performance and Weight Training

CAITLIN MCCURDY COACH

We want you to love the PBT experience! Get a 7-day pass on us at http://bit.ly/7daytix

pacificbeachtraining.net 4440 Ingraham Street San Diego, California 92109 | 858.483.2711 | info@pacificbeachtraining.com @pacificbeach.training

JUNIOR LEOSO OWNER

JOHN VALLAS OWNER

Specializations: Yoga & Mindset Meditation

LAURA PELOSI COACH Specializations: Weightlifting, Powerlifting, & Group Fitness Trainings

DEVIN TAYLOR COACH

Specializations: Athletic Conditioning, Fight Training, & Athlete Nutrition

DANI NEDEREND COACH

GARET TRANTOW COACH

Specializations: Martial Arts and Athletic Training

JARROD BURTON COACH

Specializations: Sports Performance and Weight Training

CAITLIN MCCURDY COACH

We want you to love the PBT experience! Get a 7-day pass on us at http://bit.ly/7daytix

pacificbeachtraining.net 4440 Ingraham Street San Diego, California 92109 | 858.483.2711 | info@pacificbeachtraining.com @pacificbeach.training

C URRENTS | HIKES

San Diego’s toughest hikes BY LAURIE DELK

San Diego has its share of lung-busting, thigh-burning hikes. Set mostly in arid, sun-exposed areas, these local treks combine heat, altitude and incline for challenging adventures for even the most seasoned athletes. “EL CAP,” EL CAJON MOUNTAIN Length: 11 miles round trip Dubbed San Diego’s hardest hike, the relentless up and down journey is not for the faint of heart. This is training ground for hardcore athletes gearing up for Ironman races, Ragnar races, marathons and demanding hikes like Mount Whitney. Insider tip: Don’t (repeat) don’t go in summer. It’s too hot and brutal. Go early in the morning in winter to lessen your chances of heat stroke. Don’t bring a dog unless that dog competes in triathlons, and don’t go unless you are in seriously good shape. Where to ﬁnd it: 13775 Blue Sky Ranch Road, Lakeside 38

JANUARY 2020 @PACIFICSD

CHRISTINA HOUSE

MOUNT WOODSON/POTATO CHIP ROCK Length: 7.6 miles round trip There are two paths to the famous Instagram spot, but the toughest one is off the trail from Lake Poway. The first half is the most grueling thanks to sets of steep, rocky inclines. Take advantage of the flat spots before you embark on the second half through boulder fields and the easier (whew!) finale to the flake. Insider tip: Take it slow and easy with plenty of rest breaks. Load up on water and sunscreen as much of the trail is without shade. For an easier journey, try the 4-mile route from Highway 67. Where to find it: From Lake Poway: 14644 Lake Poway Road

OAK GROVE TO HIGH POINT, PALOMAR MOUNTAIN, CLEVELAND NATIONAL FOREST Length: 13 miles Combined with its 13-mile distance, sharp switchbacks and rocky inclines, this is not for the casual hiker. Make sure to start early for cooler temperatures, and wear plenty of sunscreen and protective clothing as much of the trail is exposed. Insider tips: You’ll need an Adventure Pass to take on this trail, so stop by a ranger station beforehand. You can also stay overnight at the Oak Grove Campground, which is near the trailhead. Where it is: 95965 CA-79, Warner Springs

BATIQUITOS LAGOON Length: 3.25 miles Just off the highway in Carlsbad, this hike is a favorite for bird watchers, dog walkers, families and casual hikers. Notice where the cameras are pointed to spot owls, water fowl and other birds. Insider tip: Check the website (batiquitosfoundation.org) for events including the monthly bird walk and count. Where to ﬁnd it: 7380 Gabbiano Lane, Carlsbad

JOHN GIBBINS

San Diego’s easiest hikes Blessed with gorgeous views from canyons and lagoons to Paciﬁc Ocean bluffs, San Diego offers a plethora of easy and enjoyable hikes.

TORREY PINES STATE NATURAL RESERVE Length: 0.75 to 1.5 miles each For the easiest route, drive up to the midpoint, park and walk the ﬂat Guy Fleming Trail, then progress to the top and explore the visitor center. Arguably the best hike is the Beach Trail, which starts with a steep paved and gravel incline. But if you make it up the hill (and people of all ages do daily), the rest is easy sailing as you cruise down the sandy, winding path with spectacular views. Insider tip: For quieter times, go in the morning and during the week. But remember that on weekends you can talk with rangers and volunteers about the ﬂora and fauna of Torrey Pines.

KUMEYAAY LAKE Length: 1.8 miles Mission Trails Regional Park has hikes for all levels, including the strenuous 5 Peak Challenge. But beginners should start at the lake by the campground and walk down the road to the Old Mission Dam. Insider tip: Watch out for poison oak. It’s everywhere in Mission Trails, so remember the motto “leaves of three, let it be.” Also common? Rattlesnakes. Where to ﬁnd it: Old Mission Dam: 1 Father Junipero Serra Trail, Mission Trails For more hikes visit alltrails.com

Where to ﬁnd it: 12600 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla @PACIFICSD JANUARY 2020

aderoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

PACIFIC HIGHLANDS DENTISTRY AND ORTHODONTICS

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NOW OPEN

13490 PACIFIC HIGHLANDS R ANCH PKWY, SAN DIEG O, CA 92130 | PHRVILLAGE.COM @T HEVILL AG E AT PHR FOLLOW US THE VILL AGE AT PACIFIC HIGHL ANDS RANCH

Art Beat

Spiky by Marie Tartar

January gallery + exhibit openings BY LISA DEADERICK

1.3-31 GONE BANANAS

June Rubin Studio/Gallery, junerubin.com Slip into the whimsical nature of artist June Rubin’s latest works, featuring bananas, like Banana Trail Direct Line to My Heart, a mixed media work with watercolor bananas, a banana with diamonds, a broken heart in silver, peace symbol stickers, and an invitation for the viewer to put all the clues together to ﬁgure out the message.

1.11-2.15 THE TONIC OF WILDNESS

Photographer’s Eye Collective, thephotographerseyecollective.com From studying chemical engineering to art history, photographer Marie Tartar presents her underwater photography alongside the work of ethical wildlife and landscape photographer Trai Anﬁeld and her terrestrial and wildlife work in this two-woman show. (Tartar will walk art lovers through her work on Jan. 18 at the Escondido gallery.)

1.4-25 ARTHATCH PRESENTS NINTH ANNUAL ART-A-THON

Distinction Gallery, distinctionart.com It’s an annual marathon of artistic inspiration and creation to beneﬁt ArtHatch’s free art education programs for teens, with completed artwork being auctioned off, starting at $50. Art lovers can witness artists in their element, watch them navigate their creative process, and get a look at ﬁnished works in real time. The pieces will remain on display through Jan. 25.

Dr. Seuss Tree by Susan Coppock

1.3-2.29 MOLLY PAULICK

The Studio Door, thestudiodoor.com Using aerial landscape photography and local plant life, artist Molly Paulick creates acrylic collage paintings to demonstrate the micro and macro perspectives of what she sees to explore how healing it can be to pay attention “in a world full of distraction.” Her work is joined by a number of artists whose work is on display at The Studio Door through February. 42

JANUARY 2020 @PACIFICSD

1.11-2.7 OMA ARTIST ALLIANCE ANNUAL MEMBER SHOW

Ashton Gallery, ashtonartgallery.com New Year, new artwork, anyone? The talented artists in the Oceanside Museum of Art’s Artist Alliance are bringing some of their best (and most affordable) pieces to Ashton Gallery. Find some local art to take home and class up the place.

1.11-3.8 ENDANGERED: EXPLORING CALIFORNIA’S CHANGING ECOSYSTEMS WITH COINCIDING FINDING HEAVEN IN HELLHOLE CANYON

Valise 1 – Fire Line by Kim Abeles

California Center for the Arts, Escondido artcenter.org/museum Both the beauty and destruction of local ﬂora and fauna in our region is the focus of the artwork in Endangered, while the glory of open space in Valley Center’s Hellhole Canyon is depicted artistically in Finding Heaven.

1.18-3.20 HUNT SLONEM: A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM

1.18-1.17.2021 ILLUSION: THE MAGIC OF MOTION

Museum of Photographic Arts, mopa.org Learn about the ways our eyes perceive motion — whether through still photography or motion pictures — through historic and contemporary art and hands-on devices that demonstrate how movement can be recreated.

Madison Gallery, madisongalleries.com With his neo-expressionist style, artist Hunt Slonem draws inspiration from nature (and his own pet birds), along with historic personalities and architecture in his A Midsummer Night’s Dream exhibition at the Solana Beach gallery.

Through 1.18 KELSEY BROOKES:PERCEPTION AND HALLUCINATION

Through 1.18 ANNE MUDGE: FLEXUS

Quint Gallery quintgallery.com Artist Anne Mudge (who won the San Diego Art Prize in 2018) has a new exhibition of work on display featuring quartz beads and stainless steel wire, repeating over and over in some of her pieces until ﬁnding the balance she seeks.

La Selva De Costantin by Chiachio & Giannone

1.25-3.21 CHIACHIO AND GIANNONE

Lux Art Institute, luxartinstitute.org Artists Leo Chiachio and Daniel Giannone live and work together as partners in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The trained painters now use threads and fabric as their medium to create textile mosaics that celebrate a new form of the family portrait, drawing from their own life together and referencing LGBT artists and their legacy in Latin America.

Quint Gallery quintgallery.com Inspired by his own experiences with insight meditation and questioning his existence each morning, artist Kelsey Brookes presents this exhibition featuring his veil paintings, along with paintings from his Form Constants series, based on a concept developed by psychologist Heinrich Kluver, who studied the recurring patterns people experienced in altered states of consciousness. @PACIFICSD JANUARY 2020

East Village

Follow the neighborhood map and share a photo on Instagram along with the hashtag #ladieswhopaint

mural walk

Take a stroll around East Village and check out San Diegoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best public murals painted by 12 internationally renowned female artists.

6 7 8 tavern & bowl

C Street

10 11

F Street

G Street

Market

superblock

Broadway

14th Street

new school

City College

Park Blvd.

10th Avenue

2 3

Supported by the East Village Association | eastvillagesandiego.com | #EastVillageSD

PARK & C

I-5

TAVERN & BOWL

1. flox.co.nz | @floxnz 2. ettavee.com | @ettavee 3. jennetliaw.com | @jennetliaw

4. tierneymilne.com | @tierneymilne 5. allikdesign.com | @allikdesign

NEW SCHOOL 6. bettylarkin.com | @betty_larkin 7. cylacosta.com | @cylacosta 8. nikizarrabi.com | @nikizarrabi

Supported by the East Village Association | eastvillagesandiego.com | #EastVillageSD

East Village

Follow the neighborhood map and share a photo on Instagram along with the hashtag #ladieswhopaint

mural walk

Take a stroll around East Village and check out San Diegoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best public murals painted by 12 internationally renowned female artists.

6 7 8 tavern & bowl

C Street

10 11

F Street

G Street

Market

superblock

Broadway

14th Street

new school

City College

Park Blvd.

10th Avenue

2 3

Supported by the East Village Association | eastvillagesandiego.com | #EastVillageSD

PARK & C

I-5

TAVERN & BOWL

1. flox.co.nz | @floxnz 2. ettavee.com | @ettavee 3. jennetliaw.com | @jennetliaw

4. tierneymilne.com | @tierneymilne 5. allikdesign.com | @allikdesign

NEW SCHOOL 6. bettylarkin.com | @betty_larkin 7. cylacosta.com | @cylacosta 8. nikizarrabi.com | @nikizarrabi

Supported by the East Village Association | eastvillagesandiego.com | #EastVillageSD

PULSE | PERFORMING ARTS

In the Wings

What’s on stage in January BY JAMES HEBERT

Through 1.12 DEAR EVAN HANSEN

Broadway/San Diego, downtown broadwaysd.com A misunderstood letter, family troubles and teenage angst drive this touring Broadway hit, with songs by Oscar and Tony winners Pasek & Paul.

1.18-2.23 AUGUST WILSON’S JITNEY

Old Globe Theatre, Balboa Park theoldglobe.org This 1979 play by the late, great chronicler of African-American life returns to the Globe — a place with signiﬁcant ties to Wilson — after ﬁnally hitting Broadway in 2017.

1.18-2.16 RED BIKE

Moxie Theatre, Rolando District moxietheatre.com The acclaimed playwright and UC San Diego grad Caridad Svich penned this meditation on economic divides. Moxie calls it “wildly imaginative, physical and poetic.”

1.22 MARTHA GRAHAM DANCE COMPANY

San Diego Civic Theatre, downtown ljms.org La Jolla Music Society celebrates the legacy of a modern dance great with

a program that includes Graham’s works Diversion of Angels (1948) and Chronicle (1936).

1.22-2.16 THE GREAT LEAP

Cygnet Theatre, Old Town cygnettheatre.com Cygnet stages the local premiere of the high-proﬁle play by another nationally renowned UCSD playwriting grad, Lauren Yee. This one is partly inspired by her own dad’s adventures in the world of basketball.

1.30 A.I.M. BY KYLE ABRAHAM

ArtPower at the Balboa Theatre, Gaslamp Quarter, artpower.ucsd.edu The rising and wide-ranging young choreographer Abraham draws on his background in music and visual arts as well as dance for this set of works performed by his New York-based troupe.

1.3 BOOZIN’ WITH THE BARD: A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM!

Ampliﬁed Ale Works, East Village newmatchcollective.wixsite.com/ homesite Shakespeare meets cocktail shakers as New Match Collective’s actors summon the spirit of Midsummer with help from some serious spirits.

1.9-2.2 THE HUMANS

Martha Graham Dance Company

San Diego Rep, downtown sdrep.org Stephen Karam’s darkly comic play, a Tony Award winner, probes the story of an Irish-American family whose Thanksgiving reunion ignites into conﬂict.

1.10-3.22 A CHORUS LINE

Welk Resorts Theatre, Escondido sandiegotickets.welkresorts.com The 1970s-vintage “singular sensation” of a musical gets its kicks again with this revival of the piece about big Broadway dreams.

1.17-21 and 1.24-26 SHEN YUN

California Center for the Arts, Escondido and San Diego Civic Theatre, downtown shenyun.com You’ve seen the leaﬂets; now check out the ubiquitous (and much-memed) show, which brings its large-scale tableaux of Chinese dance to greater San Diego twice this month, ﬁrst to Escondido and then to downtown.

HIBBARD NASH

JANUARY 2020 @PACIFICSD

CELEBRATE BEETHOVEN’S 250TH BIRTHDAY

Join us this January for our Beethoven Festival as we present some of his most iconic masterpieces.

BUY 3 OR MORE CONCERTS AND SAVE!

Edo de Waart, Principal Guest Conductor

Emanuel Ax, Piano

FRI JAN 17, 8PM | SAT JAN 18, 8PM

FRI JAN 10, 8PM | SAT JAN 11, 8PM SUN JAN 12, 2PM

EMANUEL AX: BEETHOVEN PIANO CONCERTO NO. 1

Edo de Waart, conductor | Emanuel Ax, piano BEETHOVEN: Leonore Overture No. 3 BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 1 BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 4

BEETHOVEN’S SYMPHONY NO. 5

Edo de Waart, conductor | Leila Josefowicz, violin BEETHOVEN: Grosse Fuge JOHN ADAMS: Violin Concerto BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 5

SUN JAN 19, 2PM

TUE JAN 14, 7:30PM

BEETHOVEN: PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN

CHAMBER MUSIC CONCERT AT THE CONRAD PREBYS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER Shai Wosner, piano

BEETHOVEN: Piano Trio in C Minor BEETHOVEN: Piano Sonata in D Major, Pastoral BEETHOVEN: Septet in E-ﬂat Major

Leila Josefowicz, Violin

BEYOND THE SCORE®: BEETHOVEN’S 5TH SYMPHONY

Edo de Waart, conductor

FRI JAN 24, 8PM | SAT JAN 25, 8PM

BEETHOVEN’S PASTORAL

Edo de Waart, conductor

BEETHOVEN: Overture to Egmont HAYDN: Symphony No. 92: Oxford BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 6: Pastoral

TICKETS & INFORMATION

SANDIEGOSYMPHONY.ORG | 619.235.0804

PULSE | PE RF OR MI NG A RTS

In the Arts Meet the people in San Diego’s arts community BY NINA GARIN

t takes a lot to stage an opera — from the grand sets to the dramatic lighting — and the person who oversees all that for the San Diego Opera is Tim Wallace. As the opera’s technical director he handles the logistics for each show, from intimate performances to large-scale productions like next month’s Hansel and Gretel. Wallace has a hand in installing sets, coordinating crews and building whatever the production needs in the Scenic Studio. Wallace, a San Diego native, got his start working with local theaters and bands before being the opera’s backstage guru. He explains what it takes to make the opera run smoothly and safely, as well as whether or not he even likes the art form. What would people be surprised to know about the opera’s backstage process? It’s a calm and quiet environment until a scene shift, then things look chaotic, but they are in fact, extremely orchestrated in moves and timing. What’s the most stressful part of technical directing? Scene changes during rehearsal. It’s very important to get the timings right to not slow down the production. There are often hundreds of artists waiting to continue the rehearsal during 48

JANUARY 2020 @PACIFICSD

K.C. ALFRED

a scene change, and it is important we rehearse these changes as well for actual performances. What does it feel like to see your work taken down after each show? Depending on if it’s a show that I had a hand in painting or designing or one that we rented, the feelings vary. Sometimes a show might be a tough one to stage and you can’t wait for it to go. Sometimes you’re with a set for such a long time that you have a strange sense of loss when the run is over. Do you ever save anything from a set? Over the years we have saved some strange and sometimes random pieces from past shows. Saved pieces range from painted flowers out of the opera La hija de Rappaccini (Rappaccini’s Daughter) to a full scale satellite used for a business conference in Coronado. How did you get started in set design? I actually fell into set design by accident. Prior to being the technical director for the Opera, I painted scenery for 29 years. My wife is a local actress (Amanda Sitton) and we are friends with several local directors. So it really started with a “hey, do you want to design a set for me?” What about sound design?

The sound design sort of happened the same way. I was working at a local theater as their technical director and doing the set design as well. I’ve always enjoyed the feeling that music can add to a play or a movie, so I asked if I could try sound designing a show. Being able to design the set and sound was truly challenging and rewarding all at once. And you also got experience working with local bands — which ones? I’ve mostly worked with Rocket From the Crypt doing backdrops and some stage scenery for them for the past 20 years, and I’ve helped out on a few videos for No Knife and Hot Snakes. Did you like opera before you joined San Diego Opera? I liked opera before I joined, but at a distance. I was familiar mostly with the popular operas. I have a growing appreciation for opera the more that I am immersed in it. I’m sure a lot has to do with hearing and seeing it performed live. I’ve seen some amazing performers. What advice do you have to someone who is new to opera? Don’t be afraid to give an opera that you’ve never heard of a chance. You might be pleasantly surprised. I have been on numerous occasions.

VISUAL ARTS

Good Influencer

Andrea Lopez-Velarde @andrea.lva 37.2K followers Health. Fitness. Lifestyle. Co-creator of @aeyus_, a bilingual and bicultural content creation group.

Up your ﬁtness game in 2020 with Andrea Lopez-Velarde. BY JENNIFER IANNI

t’s the new year and for many people, it’s a time for rebirth, rejuvenation and resetting goals for the coming year. It’s the time when people make resolutions and — more often than not — those resolutions are to get in shape or live a healthier lifestyle. Those struggling with these goals or simply looking for fitness inspo can look to Andrea Lopez-Velarde for sweat session motivation, healthy recipes and on-trend fitness apparel, making her the ultimate in “new year, new me” goals. In addition to her healthy lifestyle, Andrea is passionate about AEYUS (pronounced like ellas in Spanish), a bilingual, bicultural content creation group she founded with friends. We caught up with Andrea to talk about female empowerment, cheat-day meals, San Diego’s best healthy eats and how exercise can help with anxiety.

Where are you from and where do you live now? I’m from Mexico City. I moved to San Diego when I was 10 years old and I live now in between Mexico City, San Diego and Los Angeles. Tell us about your own fitness journey. I have played tennis since I can remember, but I was never a fan [of the] running I had to do while training. I quit tennis when I was about 18 years old. I started to have anxiety (at about) 23 years old and that was the reason I started to exercise again. What sparked your passion for a healthy lifestyle? I grew up with my mom running 50

JANUARY 2020 @PACIFICSD

“

I’m on a mission to help people achieve their health and ﬁtness goals while balancing and enjoying life to the fullest.”

What are some tips for living a healthier life in 2020? Be consistent and keep your goals easy and accessible. Once you start and make it a habit, it will be easier to push yourself for more. And, most importantly, ENJOY the process! What are your favorite forms of exercise? I love running on the beach. I recently got into the Tracy Anderson Method and have seen a huge difference [in] my body and the ability to do things my body wasn’t capable of before. Some of my favorite classes to go to are SoulCycle, Rumble, Barry’s Bootcamp and Lagree Fitness (pilates). What are some of your favorite local spots for healthy (and tasty) food? My favorite local spots are Villa Nueva Bakery in Coronado, since they have a big variety of food items I can indulge in (chilaquiles) or be healthy (egg whites and salsa). Let’s not forget their all-bran muffins, which are a must! I also love Juice Crafters. My favorites are their wellness shots and their Green Guru #4. I also love Cafe Gratitude, but most important, I love food and I just try keeping it healthy wherever I go and having a balanced diet. What’s your go-to cheat day meal? I have lots of favorites (yikes), but I think my go-to cheat meal is pizza.

marathons and my dad always exercising. The one thing I didn’t like when I was younger (running) literally became my passion. Ever since that day, my favorite thing to

do is wake up, put on my running shoes and run at the beach while it is still dark outside. There is nothing better to me than starting the day seeing the sun rise.

What do you hope your audience takes away from following you at @andrea.lva? I have always been a perfectionist, but in the past years, I learned nothing in this world will ever be perfect, so the only thing to do is be the best version of yourself while enjoying life to the fullest. So I’m on a mission to empower women. I enjoy sharing my workout routines, healthy lifestyle, my love for fitness fashion and traveling tips. I’m on a mission to help people achieve their health and fitness goals while balancing and enjoying life to the fullest.

Tell us about @AEYUS. I get super excited when people ask me about AEYUS since it’s a project I started with my best friends. They are women who inspire me every day and when I say every day, I really mean EVERY SINGLE DAY. AEYUS comes from a friendship of more than 15 years. We all grew up together in San Diego and come from Latin American backgrounds, but were raised in the United States. AEYUS is a group of bicultural and bilingual creators, with real creativity, real content and real connections. … To learn more, please don’t hesitate to visit our Instagram (@AEYUS_) and see how we collaborate with brands while keeping it real on our trips. @PACIFICSD JANUARY 2020

TASTE EAT | DRINK | PUFF

DINING OUT BY PAM KRAGEN

Blade 1936 Downtown Oceanside In September, Italian restaurateur Mario Cassineri and several partners opened this modern Italian restaurant in the historic 1930s-era former Blade-Tribune newspaper building. The 167-seat, newspaper-themed restaurant and bar specializes in serving Neapolitan-style pizza made in an Italian wood-fired oven and moderately priced pastas made in-house daily. blade1936.com

PLEASE BE SEATED If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve resolved to try new things this year, here are some tasty options to get you started

In the last few months, dozens of new restaurants have popped up around the county â&#x20AC;&#x201D; everything from casual barbecue to vegan sushi. Some are run by familiar chefs like Brian Malarkey, while others are completely new neighborhood concepts. Here are 11 of the buzzed-about openings in town. 52

JANUARY 2020 @PACIFICSD

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TAST E | DINING

CHRIS COSTA

Herb & Sea / Encinitas

Brian Malarkey and Chris Puffer, the team behind San Diego’s new luxury restaurant Animae, opened this “East Coast meets West Coast” seafood-focused eatery in November. Billed as the “little sister” to Puffer Malarkey Collective’s Herb & Wood in Little Italy, the new 6,500-square-foot restaurant is located in a historic downtown Encinitas building and has some of Malarkey’s classic H&W dishes. The menu also offers many new dishes by executive chef Sara Harris, including oysters and bone marrow and whole roasted branzino. herbandsea.com

CHRIS COSTA

DUSTIN BAILEY

JANUARY 2020 @PACIFICSD

The Yasai / Kearny Mesa

In November, RakiRaki Ramen & Tsukemen chef/ owner Junya Watanabe opened what he calls San Diego’s first Japanese vegan restaurant on Convoy Street. Located in Watanabe’s former Pokirrito restaurant space, The Yasai — the Japanese word for vegetables — serves an entirely plant-based menu of sushi rolls and nigiri, ramen, globally inspired appetizers, tempura dishes, sliders, snacks and salads. It seats 50. As he did on Convoy, Watanabe plans to open a second The Yasai in the former Pokirrito space by his RakiRaki shop in Little Italy in early 2020. theyasai.com

PHOTO S COURTESY O F COAST CREATIVE

@PACIFICSD JANUARY 2020

TAST E | DINING

Rare Society Hillcrest

Trust Restaurant Group opened this modern steakhouse in its former Hundred Proof cocktail bar space in November. Chef Brad Wiseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s menu features a number of American and Australian steaks, wood-roasted vegetables, shellfish dishes and house-made pastas. raresocietysd.com

JANUARY 2020 @PACIFICSD

PROMOTION

FEAST & FAREWAY Whether youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re planning a casual gathering on the covered patio amid water and golf course views, or gearing up for a formal event in the picturesque Fareway Room, Feast & Fareway is the idyllic setting for guests to eat, drink and mingle along the iconic Coronado Golf Course! Enjoy an elegant and unique waterfront spot conducive to scenic wedding ceremonies, framed by the stunning backdrop of the iconic Coronado Bridge, as well as a private beach overlook. Seating accommodates 325 guests, and catering professionals are ready to personally coordinate with you, or your planner, to

Feast & Fareway 2000 Visalia Row, Coronado, CA 92118 | 619.738.2858 feastandfarewaycoronado.com

creatively and successfully execute your event. Food is one of the most important components of any successful gathering, and Feast & Farewayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seasonal, locally-sourced ingredients, creative presentations and customizable menus are focused on creating lasting memories for all. Start planning your next event today!

Perfect Venue for Holiday Parties, Corporate and Special Events.

TAST E | DINING

WR Kitchen & Bar Carlsbad’s Bressi Ranch L.A.-based Wood Ranch restaurant chain is testing a new fast-casual service model, and one of the first locations of WR Kitchen & Bar opened in October in Carlsbad’s Bressi Ranch. Diners at the 140-seat restaurant can still order all of the chain’s barbecue and grilled mains and Americana side dishes, but they order from a counter at the bar and can custom order dishes and sides in choose-your-own portions from individual to family size. wrkitchenbar.com

Bottle Rocket Bar & Grill East Village

In November, the shuttered Monkey Paw Pub & Brewery space in East Village reopened as Bottle Rocket, an affordably-priced gastropub specializing in beer, cocktails, burgers, cheesesteaks, salads and wings. The building’s former brewery room is now a game room. Bottle Rocket joins a family of restaurants that includes The Regal Beagle and Sidecar. (619) 414-8922 GETTY IMAGES

JANUARY 2020 @PACIFICSD

TAST E | DINING

Metl Bar & Restaurant

Gaslamp Quarter

On Nov. 18, restaurant veterans Randy and Jenna Elskamp opened this 39seat rock 'n' roll agave and whiskey bar in the space formerly occupied by the couple’s 10-year-old restaurant, The Hopping Pig. The affordably priced neighborhood bar serves 32 beers on rotating taps, cocktails, plus flights of tequila, mezcals and whiskeys. A limited global cuisine menu features items like chicken salad, carnitas, fish tacos, elote, stuffed shells and poutine. Regular nightly food specials are planned along with industry nights and live music. metlsd.com

SKA Bar & Restaurant Normal Heights

ARLIENE IBARRA

In October, this two-story Asian fusion cocktail bar opened in Normal Heights. Louie Chau, a nail salon owner whose family runs Lotus Garden restaurant in City Heights, teamed with Elliott Mizuki, who was a bar manager/mixologist for six years at Polite Provisions, to design the concept and space. The SKA acronym references Chau’s initial name for the space as Simple Kitchen on Adams. The Asian-inspired cocktails include a Thai tea, and drinks incorporating items like toasted jasmine rice and yuzu. Chef Juan Moreno’s Asian tapas menu includes bao buns, firecracker shrimp and bulgogi fries. The venue occupies the ground-floor space as well as a fourthstory rooftop deck, used primarily for special events. Mizuki said the prices are intentionally low to attract a neighborhood crowd. (619) 230-5038 60

JANUARY 2020 @PACIFICSD

JAMES TRAN

MIKAMI

Revolving Sushi & Bar

Bringing you a unique and innovative experience to eating sushi! 7319 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., San Diego, CA 92111 â&#x20AC;˘ 858.539.5678

TAST E | DINING

PaciďŹ c Social Carmel Valley

In November, Cohn Restaurant Group officially opened this American comfort food restaurant and bar in the Village at Pacific Highlands Ranch center. Cohn took over the lease for the former Westroot Tavern last summer and, while keeping the doors open, spent five months gradually transforming the 200-seat space from a masculine sports bar/gastropub into a more feminine, family-friendly restaurant and bar with game room loft and dog-friendly patio. The menu by Urban Kitchen Group alumni chefs Doug Dellaccio and Daniel Wolinksy features salads, sandwiches, larger entrees and house-baked single-serving pies. There are 30 beers on tap and lighter wines, spritzes and froses. pacificsocialsd.com

JANUARY 2020 @PACIFICSD

BRUNCH DIRECTORY KAISERHOF GERMAN AMERICAN RESTAURANT 2253 Sunset Cliffs Blvd., Ocean Beach 619.224.0606 | kaiserhofrestaurant.com

(table service)

Enjoy Sunday brunch in Kaiserhof’s award-winning and quaint German American restaurant. Served from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. the brunch menu features dishes such as German pancakes, eggs benedict, Kaiserschmarren, steak & eggs, poached salmon, omelets and more. Includes a glass of Champagne, mimosa or orange juice and fresh rolls and butter. From $12.95.

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OLD TOWN COSMOPOLITAN HOTEL & RESTAURANT 2660 Calhoun St., Old Town 619.297.1874 | oldtowncosmopolitan.com

(table service)

A blend of American and Mexican favorites served in their uniquely historic setting, either on the patio or indoors. Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with entrees starting at $7.95 and $7 mimosas and Champagne. Kids under 12 eat free (one per paid adult). Additional kids, $5.95.

HORNBLOWER CRUISES & EVENTS

1800 N. Harbor Drive 619.686.8700 | hornblower.com

(buffet style)

Take brunch off land! Hornblower’s Champagne Jazz Brunch Cruise features free-ﬂowing bubbly and mimosas, unbeatable views of San Diego’s sights, and live music from Dave Scott Duo (KUSI’s Weatherman!) on the Sun Deck. This relaxing 2-hour cruise includes a buffet stocked with classic breakfast dishes, a seafood display, seasonal lunch entrees and a twenty-foot dessert bar! Available Saturdays and Sundays. Save $5 with code CB5D. Expires 12/30/19, up to 6 guests, new orders only, cannot be combined.

94TH AERO SQUADRON

(buffet style) 8885 Balboa Ave., Kearny Mesa 858.560.6771 | 94thsandiego.com

Join 94th Aero Squadron Sunday for their Champagne buffet brunch. Buffet includes omelet bar and eggs benedict, Belgian wafﬂe station, carved meats, fajita station, pasta station, dessert station, chocolate fountain and much more. Served from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. with an early brunch special from 9 a.m to 10 a.m. Early pricing is $29.95 and regular pricing is $34.95 (per adult). Children ages 4-10 are $16.95.

To advertise in the Brunch Directory, email lifescool@paciﬁcsandiego.com

TAST E | DINING In the fall, Mario and Morgan Warman transformed their casual sandwich shop, Moto Deli, into a sitdown global cuisine restaurant helmed by executive chef Lisa Ortiz. Specialties of the house include charred pulpo and papas, mussels pozole, housemade pastas, lamb mole, cider-brined pork chops and churros with chocolate sauce. restaurantvalentina.com

Valentina Leucadia

Park Commons Sorrento Mesa In early November, Whisknladle Hospitality Group opened this 10,000-square-foot food hall and special events space in an office park home to more than 50 tech companies. Whisknladle operates all five of the globally inspired food booths, where customers order from touchscreens and dispense their own soft drinks. There are Mexican and Middle Eastern options as well as booths serving soups and salads, deli sandwiches and burgers and chicken sandwiches. Most items are priced from $4 to $10. There is also a coffee and cocktail bar with service in the mornings and late afternoons. parkcommonssd.com

PA M K RAGEN

JANUARY 2020 @PACIFICSD

PROMOTION

Hungry? Check out one of these noteworthy San Diego restaurants.

THE TACO STAND Inspired by the taco stands of Tijuana and many adventures along the Baja Peninsula, their authentic taco experience features handmade corn tortillas, grade A meats, and fresh ingredients used to make guacamole and salsas from scratch daily. Besides amazing tacos and burritos, they also have a great selection of Mexican flavored popsicles, refreshments, imported beer and freshly prepared Rosarito-style churros.

BLUE WATER SEAFOOD OCEAN BEACH Every day, Blue Water starts with the freshest fish they can get and carefully prepares it to enhance its flavor. Indulge in their dishes that are made to order with fresh and local seafood. Pair your meal with a local craft beer and enjoy the view!

BUB’S AT THE BEACH In 1998, a young man (at least compared to now) set out to follow his dream to create the best and most successful bar and grill Pacific Beach had to offer. Instead, he created BUB’S. Good, fresh, homemade food is what they’ve been about since day one. Cold beer, cocktails and fun don’t hurt either. With its chill beach vibe and enthusiastic crowds, it’s no surprise BUB’S was voted one of the best places to catch a game by Yahoo! Travel. Visit their site for happy hour, brunch and daily specials.

La Jolla, North Park, Encinitas and Downtown San Diego (619) 546-0570 letstaco.com

5083 Santa Monica Ave., San Diego, CA 92107 (619) 255-8497 sdbluewater.com

1030 Garnet Ave., San Diego, CA 92109 (858) 270-7269 bubspb.com

COASTERRA

VINTANA WINE + DINE

THE PATIO ON LAMONT

Visit Coasterra, San Diego’s premier bayfront dining destination. Enjoy the flavors of Chef Deborah Scott’s modern Mexican cuisine paired with breathtaking skyline views. Sip delicious margaritas and savor fresh local seafood while dining alfresco on the expansive patio. Featuring over 28,000 square feet of event space including the Bayview Ballroom and Harbor Float, Coasterra is the perfect venue for your wedding, corporate gathering or special celebration.

Located on the penthouse level of The Centre at Lexus Escondido, Vintana wine + dine offers delicious cuisine and picturesque views of the town and countryside. Enjoy Chef Deborah Scott’s modern take on California cuisine featuring favorites such as Kung Pao Calamari, Everything Crusted Ahi Tuna and the famous Lobster Mac n’ Cheese. Stop by for happy hour out by the fire pits on the Lanai or take in views from the floor-to-ceiling windows in the beautiful main dining room.

The Patio on Lamont offers a pet-friendly restaurant and cozy bar in the heart of Pacific Beach. Here you will find eclectic farm-totable cuisine, worldly wines, local brews, cool cocktails and a place to relax, enjoy and share. In addition to the charming indoor main dining room, The Patio on Lamont showcases a cool and casual open-air patio with a living green wall and fireplace. Offering lunch, dinner, weekend brunch and daily happy hour, The Patio is the perfect spot for any occasion.

880 Harbor Island Dr., San Diego, CA 92101 (619) 814-1300 coasterra.com

1205 Auto Park Way, Escondido, CA 92029 (760) 745-7777 dinevintana.com

4445 Lamont St., San Diego, CA 92109 (858) 412-4648 thepatioonlamont.com

PROMOTION

[PA C I F I C

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]

PACIFIC SOCIAL

MIKAMI REVOLVING SUSHI

DEL’S HIDEOUT

Eat, drink and be social! Come check out the newly opened Pacific Social in Carmel Valley. This new American eatery and bar offers casual neighborhood dining with a “come one, come all” mentality. From the upstairs arcade to the dog-friendly patios with games and the sportscentric bar, the versatile and vibrant space has something for everyone. Pacific Social offers lunch, dinner, weekend brunch and daily happy hour. Don’t forget to save room for their signature housemade pies!

Mikami’s vision is to bring a new revolving sushi restaurant and bar to San Diego featuring a conveyer belt spinning sushi dishes past booths. There is also a bar with sake, wine and beer.

This family-friendly neighborhood eatery in the Del Cerro/Allied Gardens community offers delicious food and a fun atmosphere. Enjoy Chef Tim Eylens’ BBQ-driven menu featuring classic Texas-style comfort food like brisket sandwiches and mac & cheese, alongside nutritious salads and bowls. Both indoor and patio seating is available along with a small arcade area and a children’s activity zone. The full bar offers craft cocktails, an impressive wine list and over 30 beers on tap. Enjoy complimentary self-serve ice cream cones after your meal.

6025 Village Way, San Diego, CA 92130 (858) 720-6645 pacsocialsd.com

7319 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., San Diego, CA 92111 (858) 278-2166 mikamisd.com

5351 Adobe Falls Rd., San Diego, CA 92120 (619) 255-8175 delshideout.com

OVERFLOW TEXT

PREP KITCHEN

DRAFT REPUBLIC - CARLSBAD

INDIGO GRILL

Their season menus are inspired by fresh, high quality, organic, often local ingredients. They incorporate American classic traditions with relevant, modern preparations. The Chefs and culinary teams have come together from James Beard Award Winning, AAA Five Diamond, Five-Star, Best Restaurant backgrounds to form a collection of creative and inventive dishes. Equally talented, the mixology team has handcrafted some of the most exciting spirits, cocktails, wines and beers to complete your experience.

Food, beer and good times await at Draft Republic in Carlsbad! Enjoy delicious innovative American cuisine featuring favorites such as the Bacon & Blue Burger, Beer Battered Fish & Chips and the famous Draft Republic Burger. Choose from over 101 beers on tap and a selection of craft cocktails. Get your game on with foosball, billiards and table tennis or play one of their retro arcade games. Fans can cheer on their favorite team on one of their 50 TVs!

Innovative modern Latin cuisine in the heart of Little Italy! Enjoy Chef Deborah Scott’s innovative modern Latin cuisine featuring specials such as the Salt & Pepper Shrimp and the Vera Cruz Tamal. World decor and a warm ambience make this the perfect spot for sharing delicious food and stories with friends. Dine under the vintage chandeliers in the main dining room or enjoy cocktails by the fire pit on the patio.

5958 Avenida Encinas, Carlsbad, CA 92008 (760) 448-4627 draftrepubliccarlsbad.com

1536 India St., San Diego, CA 92101 (619) 234-6802 indigogrill.com

Little Italy, Del Mar, La Jolla, San Marcos prepkitchen.com

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]

BULL & BOURBON AT SYCUAN

BIGA

THE BLIND BURRO

Bull & Bourbon is a cut above other steakhouses – literally. Their innovative approach to classic steakhouse cuisine makes for a multi-sensory experience. Because they source local coastal California seafood, use steaks cut from an in-house butcher program, and choose select cuts from their on-site aging room, they always start with top-quality ingredients to create mouthwatering dishes.

BIGA is a farm-to-table Italian restaurant in downtown San Diego, providing a wide array of handcrafted dishes to satisfy just about any appetite. Because it is locally sourced, the menu is refreshed seasonally and has some great wood-fired entrées and sides, as well as award-winning, Neapolitan style pizzas. The size of the venue is great for private parties (up to about 90 people) and the rustic decor is cozy and welcoming.

The Blind Burro is a Mexican eatery and bar that specializes in Baja-style coastal cuisine and cocktails located steps away from Petco Park. In addition to classic Mexican fare, you can find standout items like Executive Chef Todd Nash’s Baja “Ramen,” a tasty homage to the Japanese dish with all of the south-of-theborder influence that San Diego has to offer.

950 Sixth Ave., San Diego, CA 92101 (619) 794-0444 bigasandiego.com

639 J St., San Diego, CA 92101 (619) 795-7880 theblindburro.com

5469 Casino Way El Cajon, CA 92019 (619) 659-3374 bullandbourbon.com

Want to be part of BO-BEAU KITCHEN + GARDEN

SEA180˚ COASTAL TAVERN

Bohemian-chic meets industrial elegance in this casual eatery located in the Village of La Mesa. BO-beau kitchen + garden showcases a delicious French-Cal menu with favorites such as the Famous Brussels Sprouts and Steak Frites. The outdoor patio garden offers a relaxed ambience with picnic benches, communal tables and intimate seating among the fire pits and olive trees. There is even a kid-friendly area with a retro school bus and a chalkboard wall to leave their mark.

Located in the Pier South Resort in Imperial Beach, SEA180 Coastal Tavern offers delicious cuisine and oceanfront dining. Enjoy fresh seafood favorites such as the Clam Chowder and Shrimp Scampi or the SEA180 Cheeseburger and Braised Short Rib. Enjoy breakfast at the beach and try the famous Bloody Mary. SEA180 is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily.

8384 La Mesa Blvd., La Mesa, CA 91942 (619) 337-3445 bobeaugarden.com

800 Seacoast Dr., Imperial Beach, CA 91932 (619) 631-4949 sea180.com

Email: lifescool@pacificsandiego.com

PET S Six dining and drinking establishments offer specialty dog menus BY SARA BUTLER

an Diegans love their dogs, but did you know tons of local restaurants and bars offer special menus for pups? We’ve made the rounds and found six local gems where both you and your (well-behaved) pup can feast in style.

FOR THE BRUNCH PUP: SHOREHOUSE KITCHEN

Where to take your pup out to eat 68

JANUARY 2020 @PACIFICSD

The Bier Garden of Encinitas

2236 Avenida de la Playa, La Jolla; 2833 State St., Carlsbad Village, Carlsbad; shorehousekitchen.com Overall vibe: Shorehouse Kitchen has a very bustling and social atmosphere — many brunchers will likely stop by to stay hello to your dog. La Jolla’s expansive patio is complemented by a few tables with umbrellas out on the sidewalk, which even has a decorative doghouse by the curb. Menu offerings: The “Treat,” aka honeycured bacon bits ($2); The Brunch Bark Bowl, scrambled eggs with honey-cured bacon ($5); The California K-9, grilled and sliced ground beef patty with turkey and bacon bits ($7); and a free bowl of puriﬁed water. Watch out for: Sleeping in late. Both the La Jolla and Carlsbad spots close at 2:30 p.m. during the week and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays through Sundays. As you digest: Drive to La Jolla Shores Park for some playtime with an ocean view, or Ann D. L’Heureux Memorial Dog Park if you visit the Carlsbad location.

FOR THE FANCY PUP: INTERNATIONAL SMOKE

3387 Del Mar Heights Road, One Paseo, Del Mar, internationalsmoke.com Overall vibe: International Smoke may be located in a shopping center, but it does not lack in upscale décor and design. The surrounding patio is more casual, but still decked out with beautiful cushions, hanging plants and string bulb lights. Menu offerings: Fido’s Feast is a ﬁne dining experience — slow-smoked beef bone ($9); Doggy Loco Moco, made of ground beef and steamed rice ($11); assorted biscuit treats ($12) and Fiji bottled water ($6). Watch out for: High (human) menu prices. It’s best to come for drinks and apps, or during happy hour. As you digest: Browse One Paseo for some shopping, coffee or dessert. Though not HALEY HILL

International Smoke

every business is open to dogs, there is a central, pet-friendly common area with lots of tables and green patches.

FOR THE ADVENTUROUS PUP: ANTHONY’S FISH GROTTO

9530 Murray Drive, La Mesa anthonysﬁshgrotto.com Overall vibe: Anthony’s patio seating offers a breathtaking view of its own private lake, which includes fountains and small waterfalls, as well as lush greenery. The space is calm, serene and inviting for everyone, including pups. (During the summer months, the server told me that there are days when every type of dog breed is present.) Menu offerings: Anthony’s Fish Grotto dishes up a plate of salmon, rice and veggies in two sizes for both large and small dogs ($5.95 and $3.95, respectively). Watch out for: Ducks. The lake is beautiful, but attracts many ducks (like, dozens) who may wander up to your table. However, if they begin to bug you and your pup, ask your server to feed them duck food. As you digest: Take your dog on a walk around Lake Murray or hike at Cowles Mountain.

FOR THE HIPSTER PUP: ENCONTRO NORTH PARK

3001 University Ave., North Park encontronorthpark.com Overall vibe: Encontro is very hip and industrial, with reclaimed wood furniture, exposed steel and a succulent wall. Two

skinny patios line the outside of the front of the restaurant, but compact bench seating offers lots of spots to sit. Menu offerings: Pooch Pops, shredded chicken and ice ($2); Pupp Patty, unseasoned burger patty ($4) which can be upgraded to a Mutt Melt with cheese ($5); Hot-Diggity-Dog hot dog ($4); Chicken Bow Wow Bowl of chicken over rice ($3); a peanut butter cheddar biscuit ($2); and a free puppucino. Watch out for: Cars and heavy foot traffic. The patio offers a beautiful view of the heart of North Park, but the location at the intersection of University Avenue and 30th Street is very busy, especially at night. As you digest: Explore the neighborhood and check out some of the many petfriendly restaurants, breweries and boutiques. Or take a quick drive to many of the nearby dog parks like Morley Field, Grape Street or Nate’s Point.

FOR THE BEACHY PUP: THE BIER GARDEN OF ENCINITAS

641 South Coast Hwy 101, Encinitas biergardenencinitas.com Menu offerings: Choose from 1/3 pound patties of either grilled chicken, ground beef, ground turkey or salmon ($8). If you want to spoil your pup, add egg, bacon or avocado ($2 each) to the patty. Overall vibe: Bier Garden is a sports bar/beach spot, with a relaxed vibe but trendy atmosphere. Your dog is welcome on either the front or back patio, which feature succulent walls and trays, brick and wood details, and surrounding palm trees.

Watch out for: Larger dogs. The patios are on the (slightly) smaller side, so get there early to snag a spot if you have a bigger pup. As you digest: Stroll South Coast Highway to browse the many Encinitas businesses and enjoy the beach landscape views.

FOR THE POLITE PUP: SALLY’S FISH HOUSE & BAR

1 Market Place, downtown sallyssandiego.com Overall vibe: Enjoy waterfront views without worrying about your pup, as the entire patio section is closed off by clear, glass panes. The hotel restaurant and bar is a bit on the fancy side, so beachwear and behavior is discouraged. Menu offerings: Surf & T-arf with salmon, grilled chicken, white rice and peas topped with bacon ($6); Howl & Oats, oatmeal with honey, peanut butter, banana yogurt chips and whipped cream ($5); Sit, Stay, Roll, seared tuna with broccoli and brown rice, wrapped in seaweed ($6); and Doggie Sliders, ground beef with cheese and bacon on bib lettuce ($6). Watch out for: Private parties. Sally’s Fish House & Bar is connected to Manchester Grand Hyatt, so depending on when you go, some of the sections could be closed off to the public for special events. As you digest: Hang out around Seaport Village or Embarcadero Marina Park, or head into the Gaslamp if your pup prefers the city life. @PACIFICSD JANUARY 2020

TAST E | BE E R

Take it from the Tap

A monthly taste of beer from here BY PETER ROWE

NAMA-STAY FOR THE BEER

Go: Hoppy Yoga, various locations around San Diego. Know: Get your downward dog on at a local brewery’s tasting room, where Hoppy Yoga instructors lead 75-minute sessions. Breathe in: Register in advance at the website, hoppyyoga.com, or just drop in. One session is $25; grab a “bomber” of two lessons for $40.

Stretch: Sessions are every Sunday at Culture Brewing in Ocean Beach; every third Sunday at Second Chance Beer Lounge in North Park; every fourth Sunday at Green Flash Brewing in Mira Mesa; and the last Saturday of the month at Mission Brewery in East Village. All classes begin at 10:30 a.m. Breathe out: “After,” said Hoppy Yoga’s Lynne Ofﬁcer, “people can stay and have a beer. It’s included with the registration.”

JANUARY 2020 @PACIFICSD

GOING ON A BEER RUN Beer: Treading Lightly From: Thorn Brewing Co. Why: Beer can be an unwelcome temptation if you are in New Year’s resolution weight-loss mode. Don’t despair! The good folks at Thorn have devised an IPA with a slender 2.9 carbs and 104 calories per 12-ounce can. Geek out: This beer also goes light on the alcohol, 4.3 percent by volume, and is glutenreduced. Two hop varietals often used in IPAs, Amarillo and Citra, provide the grapefruity aromas and palate-enticing notes. Lightly is thinner than most IPAs, but at this time of year, many of us are seeking thinner bodies. Seek out: Canned six-packs of Treading Lightly are sold in numerous local markets, while the beer is often on tap at Thorn’s North Park and Barrio Logan tasting rooms (thorn. beer for more info).

ANTHONY’s

FISH GROTTO Beautiful & Unique Setting SD’s Favorite Seafood Dog-friendly OutdoorDining, Play Area, & Doggie Menu

La Mesa 1210

Perfect for Large Groups, Parties, &Young Families

619-463-0368 • 9530 Murray Drive, 91942

→ANTHONYSFISHGROTTO.COM←

WANT TO BE PART OF THE PACIFIC MAGAZINE STREET TEAM?

We are looking for brand ambassadors that are reliable, outgoing and love to talk to people to work promotions at bars, restaurants and events around San Diego. Interested in joining? Email your resume to

lifescool@pacificsandiego.com

and tell us something cool about yourself!

Must be 21+ and have reliable transportation. Shifts are available all around San Diego and can range from 2-8 hours, typically on weekdays during the evening and on weekends. Pay is $15-$20 per hour, depending on experience. @PACIFICSD JANUARY 2020

GROOVE MUSIC | NIGHTLIFE

SOUND DECISIONS BY SCOTT MCDONALD

1.28

King Princess

Observatory North Park observatorysd.com Mikaela Straus, the 21-year-old singersongwriter known as King Princess, is in the middle of an amazing run. In October, she released her highly anticipated debut studio album, Cheap Queen, on Mark Ronson’s Zelig Records. And in November, she was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live when former beloved cast member Will Ferrell came back to host for the ﬁfth time.

LUIS SINCO

JANUARY 2020 @PACIFICSD

JOIN US FOR THE

IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

$6 DRAFT BEERS. $7 HOUSE WINES. $8 SIGNATURE COCKTAILS. + DISCOUNTED APPETIZERS, SALADS, PIZZAS & FLATBREADS

LA MESA

BAY PARK

LITTLE ITALY

8141 LA MESA BLVD. LA MESA, CA 91942

3055 CLAIREMONT DRIVE SAN DIEGO, CA 92117

550 DATE STREET, SUITE #A SAN DIEGO, CA 92101

MYFARMERSTABLE.COM | FOLLOW US! EQ FARMERSTABLESD

G ROOVE

Sound Decisions January concert calendar BY SCOTT MCDONALD

1.3 WILLIE NELSON & FAMILY

Balboa Theatre sandiegotheatres.org The braided weed ambassador, 12-time Grammy Award winner and Kennedy Center Honoree sure likes San Diego. He was last here in May for a show at Humphreys, and not long before that was paired up with 27-time Grammy Award winner Alison Krauss at the exact same venue. This time around, the iconic country music patriarch and his family band head indoors for a show at Balboa Theatre.

ALLEN J. SCHABEN

JANUARY 2020 @PACIFICSD

1.10 & 1.12

Tool

Viejas Arena, viejasarena.com On their first tour since 2016, the Maynard James Keenan-led prog rockers head back out on the road with new album, Fear Inoculum, under their belts. This is the band’s fifth full-length release in its almost 30-year career (and first in more than 13 years), and it debuted on top of the Billboard 200. Local industrial one-man band Author & Punisher opens both shows.

1.10 MANDOLIN ORANGE

Observatory North Park, observatorysd.com The North Carolina-based Americana duo of Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz expanded into a ﬁve-piece in 2016 and hasn’t looked back since. Produced by Marlin, the band released its sixth studio album, Tides of a Teardrop, last year and it shot to the top spot on Billboard’s U.S. Heatseekers chart.

1.8 CEDRIC BURNSIDE

KENDALL BAILEY

1.2 T.S.O.L.

Casbah, casbahmusic.com Although it formed in 1978, the veteran Orange County punk band is still on tour as part of its 40th anniversary. Opening the show is The Detours, one of the ﬁrst SoCal punk bands to break out in 1977’s ﬁrst wave.

The Loft theloft.ucsd.edu The Grammy-nominated grandson of legendary Mississippi bluesman R.L. Burnside and six-time winner of the Blues Music Award’s Drummer of the Year Award, Burnside gets out from behind the kit to sing and play guitar from his latest album, 2018’s Benton County Relic. @PACIFICSD JANUARY 2020

G RO OV E | S OUND DE C I S I ONS 1.16 TREY ANASTASIO BAND

Observatory North Park observatorysd.com Lead vocalist of perennial jam band Phish, Anastasio switches gears and hits the road with his second-longest running ensemble. Originating in 1998 as a backing band for the frontman’s solo releases and featuring a full horn section, the current septet reunites for its ﬁrst live dates in more than two years.

DANNY CLINCH

1.18 ELBOW

House of Blues houseofblues.com/sandiego Last October, Manchester’s Mercury Prize-winning rockers released their eighth studio album, Giants of All Sizes. The critically acclaimed nine-track collection ﬁnds singer Guy Garvey at his most serious — penning a variety of songs about death, including the witnessed suicide of a stranger, the 72 lives lost in the 2017 Grenfell Tower ﬁre and the 2018 death of his own father.

PETER NEILL

1.18 BOOMSHAKA FEST

Pechanga Arena, pechangaarenasd.com Hosted by local reggae siren Hirie, the second edition of this local festival is set to feature performances from Iration (pictured), Cypress Hill, The Green, Don Carlos, The Movement, KBong, and Sensi Trails.

JANUARY 2020 @PACIFICSD

G ROOVE | S OUND DE C I S I ONS

1.18

Hieroglyphics Soda Bar sodabarmusic.com Only releasing three albums as a collective over a nearly 30-year career, all nine members of this inﬂuential Bay Area crew (A-Plus, Opio, Tajai and Phesto from Souls of Mischief, Del the Funky Homosapien, Pep Love, Casual, Domino and DJ Toure) are reuniting to celebrate the 20-year anniversary of their debut album, 3rd Eye Vision.

House of Blues houseofblues.com/ sandiego The Grammy winner, Academy Award nominee, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer released his fifth solo album (and first since 2011), Jimmy Lee, last summer. Named for Saadiq’s brother who died from a heroin overdose, the album features appearances from Kendrick Lamar, actor Daniel J. Watts and film composer Taura Stinson.

1.19 REVEREND HORTON HEAT

House of Blues houseofblues. com/sandiego

Jim “Reverend Horton” Heath and longtime bassist Jimbo Wallace were in Solana Beach last April after adding a couple of new members to the band. The new crew returns for a show downtown, which should include selections from the band’s latest release, 2018’s Whole New Life.

1.25 JACQUEES

House of Blues houseofblues.com/ sandiego Returning to the Gaslamp venue almost exactly a year after last playing there, 25-yearold Atlanta rapper Jacquees (aka Rodriquez Jacquees Broadnax) released his sophomore studio album, King of R&B, last November. It features appearances from T.I., Future, Young Thug, Quavo, Tory Lanez and more.

JANUARY 2020 @PACIFICSD

THOM JACK SON

GLENN KO ENIG

1.23 RAPHAEL SAADIQ

NOW ORDER ONLINE FOR PICK UP AT ALL OF OUR SAN DIEGO LOCATIONS VISIT TAJIMASANDIEGO.COM T TA TO TO PLACE YOUR ORDER!

North Park | Hillcrest | East Village | Convoy | Mercury FOLLOW US!

" /TAJIMARESTAURANTS

! @TAJIMARESTAURANTS

G ROOVE | S OUND DE C I S I ON S 1.26 SCARFACE

Music Box musicboxsd.com The veteran Houstonbased MC (Brad “Scarface” Jordan of both solo and Geto Boys fame) was last in San Diego 10 months ago for a show with Compton rapper/ producer DJ Quik. He returns alone this time around, after making it to his hometown’s runoff election as a Houston Chronicle-endorsed candidate for city council.

DAVID MCCLISTER

1.15

1.27 THE MARCUS KING BAND

Belly Up, bellyup.com The 23-year-old namesake for these South Carolina-based blues rockers spent his youth as a sideman in his father’s band. Now the singer, songwriter and guitarist has a band of his own, and it released its third album, Carolina Confessions, in 2018. And for whatever reason, if you can’t make it to Solana Beach, King and his crew also play the next night at Music Box.

1.26 TRIPPIE REDD

SOMA, somasandiego.com Another member of the “I-play-San-Diego-once-a year” club, 20-year-old Ohio-born rapper Michael White hit No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 last November with his sophomore studio album, A Love Letter to You 4. It features appearances from late rappers XXXTentacion and Juice Wrld, as well as DaBaby, Tory Lanez, Smokepurpp, PNB Rock and Lil Yachty. 80

JANUARY 2020 @PACIFICSD

Chance the Rapper

Pechanga Arena pechangaarenasd.com Originally scheduled for last September, this make-up date brings the Grammy Awardwinning, Chicago-based MC and producer back to San Diego after he released his ﬁrst “official” album, The Big Day, six months ago. The three-time Grammy winner’s current The Big Tour! also features Atlanta rapper Lil Yachty and fellow Chicago rapper (and Chance’s older brother) Taylor Bennett.

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G ROOVE | S OUND DE C I S I ONS

1.31 WOLF PARADE

Belly Up, bellyup.com After a ﬁve-year hiatus, the Canadian indie rockers reunited in 2016 and released their fourth full-length album on Sub Pop Records, Cry Cry Cry, a year later. Their ﬁfth, the upcoming Thin Mind, is set for release later this month.

1.29 HAYLEY KIYOKO

SOMA, somasandiego.com L.A.-based singer and actress Hayley Kiyoko returns to San Diego after kicking off her Expectations Tour here in 2018. Kiyoko, who currently also stars on the Facebook Watch series Five Points, is once again starting her latest run of dates in America’s Finest City. This one, called the I’m Too Sensitive For This Sh*t Tour, takes its name from the title of her upcoming sophomore album, set for release later this year.

1.28

Soda Bar, sodabarmusic.com Atlanta rockers Mattiel, fronted by singer, songwriter and namesake Mattiel Brown, released their second album, Satis Factory, last summer. And Brown recently co-directed the video for the band’s latest single from the album, Millionaire. Canadian singer Calvin Love opens the show. 82

JANUARY 2020 @PACIFICSD

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G ROOVE | LOCAL BAND SPOTLIGHT

PACIFIC talks to the eight-piece band about talk boxes, its native status and ‘feeding the funk’ to San Diego BY SARA BUTLER

PHOTOS BY L AUREN WILSON

MOANS band members are from left, Mike Martinez on drums, Moses Constable on talk box, Phillip Macnitt on guitar, Alex Bravo on bass and Michael Lakis on vocals. Not pictured: Kendra Hines on vocals, and Jen Manglicmot and Kris Humphreys, both on vocals and keyboard.

‘Doing everything backwards’ with MOANS

hough MOANS won’t make you scream, it sure will make you want to dance. MOANS is an eight-member, San Diego-based live funk band, and if you’re surprised to hear about a funk band surviving (and thriving) locally, well, MOANS kind of is, too. It all started with Moses Constable, the undisputed leader of the group. After playing in multiple, short-lived bands over the years, the North Park resident began MOANS as a bedroom recording project back in 2017 with no plans to expand it into an actual band. He produced a few tracks and gathered some 84

JANUARY 2020 @PACIFICSD

friends to film creative music videos for the singles. The obscure approach actually earned MOANS a first place award at the San Diego Music Video Extravaganza in 2017. “We did everything kind of backwards as a band,” Constable said. Eventually, Constable reached out to fellow local musicians to form a live version of the group, and they enthusiastically hopped on board to make a San Diego funk band happen. The current group members connected naturally; many are co-workers in the food and beer industry (like at Tiger!Tiger! Tavern and Modern Times Beer) and others knew each other from previous bands. And, turns out all eight members are San

Diego natives. “We’re unicorns,” vocalist Michael Lakis said, referring to the rarity of folks in the city who aren’t transplants. Even the making of its debut album, Luxury, is happening in San Diego. MOANS is halfway done recording the eight-track project at producer James Page’s home studio in Vista. If funk music is off your radar, MOANS believes that even if you don’t think you’re a fan, you probably are. “Funk is just this totally universal genre, it’s really dance music,” bassist Alex Bravo said. “We all love to dance and we just like to move … even though we may not always listen to it explicitly, if we hear funk music we’re like ‘Oh, yeah that’s funky, that’s cool.’”

1.10 MOANS WITH AVIATOR STASH, PARKER MERIDIEN Soda Bar, sodabarmusic.com

1.30 MOANS WITH BELLADON, FISTFIGHTS WITH WOLVES

Music Box, musicboxsd.com

Michael Lakis, aka Microphone Jones, sings at Magnatron Studios in a furry coat.

Talk funky to me: A unique element to MOANS is Constable’s talk box, an uncommon eﬀects instrument (think Harder, Be er, Faster, Stronger by DaÉ Punk). While watching Friday at age 7, Constable heard a “deep, weird robot voice” — courtesy of Zapp & Roger — and convinced his mom to buy him the CD soundtrack. Though his childhood obsession was short-lived, it resurged later in life. Now he’s been honing the craÉ for about four years. S cking to San Diego: The San Diego naMves jokingly call their musician friends who moved out of the city “quiðers.” While MOANS is open to playing more shows in L.A., the band members remain rooted in their hometown. “We spent so long building this community of people that it just feels so right being here,” guitarist Phillip Macnið said. Room to grow: SMll, the band agrees that San Diego does lack in venues. “Once you circulate, there’s not a whole lot leÉ to go,” Constable said. But MOANS makes the most of the situaMon, just like it will at Soda Bar this month, which is “like the inMmate show, the friends show, the dance party — everyone is there to have a good Mme,” vocalist Michael Lakis said.

Bassist Alex Bravo of Scripps Ranch was the “final piece of the puzzle” for MOANS.

GeDng the word out: MOANS relies on social media to stay plugged into the music scene. Macnið creates funny memes for its Instagram feed (@moansmusic), and Constable oÉen connects with bands he wants to play shows with through the plaPorm. “It’s a powerful tool if you use it correctly,” Constable said. Escaping reality: “I feel with our music, when you come to our show, it’s like a mini escape. You’re on this one-hour journey of having fun and experiencing something diﬀerent — but familiar enough too,” drummer Mike MarMnez said. To read an extended version of this arMcle, visit paciﬁcsandiego.com.

Oceanside-based Mike Martinez, known as the undisputed dad of the group, was always on Moses Constable’s mind to be the drummer.

Want to be featured in PACIFIC’s Local Band Spotlight? Email sara@paciﬁcsandiego.com.

@PACIFICSD JANUARY 2020

G ROOVE

Spin Cycle

January EDM +DJ performances BY SCOTT MCDONALD

1.10

CASHMERE CAT

SOMA, somasandiego.com This CRSSD vet who performs as Cashmere Cat (aka Norwegian DJ/ producer Magnus Høiberg) made his Interscope Records debut in 2017 with 9, an album that featured appearances from The Weeknd, Ariana Grande, MØ, 2 Chainz, Selena Gomez and more. He followed it up last year with Princess Catgirl, a seven-track collection that samples XXXTentation and Christina Aguilera, but centers on the otherworldly sound of the album’s namesake character — a blue-haired Vocaloid cartoon.

JANUARY 2020 @PACIFICSD

1.3 JUSTIN CARUSO

OMNIA, omnianightclub.com L.A.-based DJ Justin Caruso was here last summer when he performed with Outkast’s Big Boi as part of the Horizon Music Fest. He returns to San Diego after releasing a handful of singles last year, including Broken Hearts featuring Hilda, a track that New York house duo Black Caviar remixed in December.

1.4 ASHLEY WALLBRIDGE

Spin, spinnightclub.com Last year saw the English DJ join forces with trance DJ/producer (and fellow countryman) Gareth Emery on the collaborative album, Kingdom United. The 14-track collection also includes guest appearances from the likes of NASH, PollyAnna and Jonathan Mendelsohn.

1.4 SAGE ARMSTRONG

Bassmnt, bassmntsd.com Florida-bred, L.A.-based DJ Sage Armstrong made his breakthrough in 2015 on Claude VonStroke’s Dirtybird Records with What’s Yo Tempetcha? Since, Armstrong has released a steady stream of singles, and in 2018, dropped a pair of EPs. Last year, the house producer released his debut full-length, Unify, on Dumb Fat Records.

1.10 BORGEOUS

OMNIA, omnianightclub.com An OMNIA regular, DJ John Borger earns that title by once again returning to the Gaslamp after last performing there in September. The Florida-born, L.A.-based producer has remixed the likes of Ciara, Dirty Heads, Icona Pop, Marshmello and more. Borger also released his own four-track sophomore EP, Lights Out, on Geousus Records last summer.

1.17 THROTTLE

Bang Bang, bangbangsd.com Starting when he was just in middle school, L.A.-based Australian DJ/producer Robbie Bergin has gone on to release singles with Oliver Heldens, Lunchmoney Lewis, Galantis, Kungs, Lost Frequencies and more. He also dropped his featureless debut EP, the seven-track Where U Are, last October.

1.17 LIL JON

OMNIA, omnianightclub.com If it seems like the DJ, producer, and Grammy-winning King of Crunk is here every eight weeks or so, well, that’s because he is. But it’s hard to argue with dude’s ability to lead a party — and even more so when it’s his party. That’s right, the Turn Down For What and Shots hitmaker returns to America’s Finest City to party on his own date of birth. No need to bring gifts.

1.18 NITTI GRITTI

Bassmnt, bassmntsd.com Miami-based DJ and producer Nitti Gritti (aka Ricky Mears) has co-produced tracks like Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull’s Move To Miami and the Bad Bunny/Diplo collab 200 MPH. He’s also been in the studio with Cardi B, Mustard, Above & Beyond and the Marley family. And last summer, Mears released his latest EP, 4 On the Floor, which features appearances from both Shndo and MS.

1.18 MORGAN PAGE

Parq, parqsd.com The L.A.-based, Vermont-born DJ, producer and two-time Grammy nominee stayed busy last year releasing a handful of new singles — Gone My Way, Fire & Gold, Reason For Living, Footprints and The Longest Road To the Ground. He also found the time for a couple of massive official remixes — Alessia Cara’s Out of Love and Deadmau5’s Imaginary Friends.

1.24 SULLIVAN KING

Music Box, musicboxsd.com DJ and producer Sullivan King (aka L.A. musician Keaton Prescott) is not your typical EDM artist. He’s every bit as likely to rip a guitar solo as he is to bring a massive beat drop. The bass-versus-metal maestro released his latest full-length album, Show Some Teeth, last October. It features appearances from SWARM, Rico Act, Kompany, TYNAN and Cayte Lee.

1.25 JESSE MARCO

OMNIA, omnianightclub.com Former model Jesse Marco has spent time as Kid Cudi’s personal tour DJ as well as hitting the road with Pusha T and Machine Gun Kelly. He also counts Jay-Z, Heidi Klum, Tom Ford, Calvin Klein, Spike Lee and Kanye West as clients.

1.25

Wax Motif

Bassmnt, bassmntsd.com Australian L.A.-based producer Wax Motif (aka G-House DJ Danny Chen) has done official remixes for the likes of Deadmau5, Warren G, Tinashe, Young Thug, Chromeo, YG, Major Lazer and more. Chen released a handful of singles last year, including Divided Souls with Diddy and October’s Lose Control with Matroda.

@PACIFICSD JANUARY 2020

LOVE | BL I N D DAT E

Go With the Flow

Daters try to be ﬂexible on a swingin’ blind date BY JENNIFER IANNI PHOTOS BY MISAEL VIRGEN

MATCHMAKING BY COLLEEN PERONE

ost people look at the beginning of the year as a time to recharge and set some healthier habits. Whether it’s resolving to spend Sundays meal-prepping or vowing to try a new exercise (check out our story on page 36), January is the time that people buckle down in an effort to make up for the sins of the holiday season. With this in mind, PACIFIC set up Jasmine and Correy, two singles who are looking to up their dating game by stepping outside their comfort zones and (hopefully) into each other’s arms. Jasmine and Correy have just met in an Epic Limo that chauffeurs them to Rize Studio, a newly-opened aerial yoga studio in East Village that promises a class that is sure to sweep these daters off their feet. Will testing the limits of their yoga prowess while being suspended in hammocks spark romance for our daters? Or will one dater’s weak stomach spell disaster for the date? Only time will tell. Before we start warm up stretches, let’s get to know them better via their pre-date interviews. Where are you from and where do you live now? JASMINE: I’m originally from New Orleans, but have been in San Diego for seven years now. CORREY: Tulare, Calif. I now live in East Village. How old are you? JASMINE: I’m 33 and thriving, bay-by! CORREY: 30. What do you do for a living? JASMINE: (Laughs) I’m what the kids call a “hustla.” My main profession is that of community director at Hera Hub, the first and most amazing international co-working space for female entrepreneurs (shout out to my awesome community). My side-hustles include owning a social media management company with my sister called Magnolia Sisters Media and I have a business creating bougie bows and bowties for pets (branching into kids soon) called

JANUARY 2020 @PACIFICSD

AG AV E

EXPRESSIONISM

M I L AG R O

M E A N S

M I RAC L E

we’ll have a blast. CORREY: I always do what I can to make people smile. Rate yourself on a scale from one to 10 for looks. JASMINE: I would say nine — I have some things I’m working on (just like every other woman out there), but I love what my parents blessed me with. CORREY: 7.8 Rate yourself on a scale from one to 10 for personality. JASMINE: 10 for sure — (laughs) I’m also very humble. Just kidding, but I do think I have a great personality that gets along with most people CORREY: 20. What’s your cocktail of choice? JASMINE: Vodka soda or gin and soda with three limes. The three limes are key — I don’t want scurvy. CORREY: Tequila soda. Frank Lane Bows. CORREY: I run a fitness studio in Little Italy. What’s your Instagram handle? JASMINE: @Jazmez8 — why 8, you ask? Eight is my favorite number and my birth month. CORREY: @jones.correy How long have you been single? JASMINE: It feels like forever, but since October. I’m a serial monogamist, what can I say? CORREY: Three months. Currently, what dating apps can be found on your phone? JASMINE: None! I have deleted all dating apps. I think dating apps have ruined the art of courting. This isn’t the case for everyone, but I think dating apps have created this constant “grass is greener” mentality and no one wants to actually continue getting to know one another because they can always go online and find someone prettier, smarter, etc. (Laughs) I promise I’m not cynical. CORREY: Bumble, Hinge. Where can you be found on the weekends? JASMINE: You can find me hanging with friends, either entertaining in my home or out at one of San Diego’s finest dive bars or hanging with my amazingly wonderful pup, Franklin. And sometimes I just enjoy snuggling on the couch and watching a movie. CORREY: Working or at a music festival. What are you best at? 90

JANUARY 2020 @PACIFICSD

JASMINE: People. I am 100% an extrovert and love being around great people. I always try to help if someone is in need or just needs a shoulder to cry on or just wants someone to listen. Also, I’m ridiculously good at claw machines (you know, the game with the claw and the toys). CORREY: Listening. What do you suck at? JASMINE: (Laughs) People! This is definitely my greatest skill and also my downfall. Boundaries are hard to set up when you have a hard time saying no to people. CORREY: When I find it, I’ll tell you. What are you looking for in a date, physical or otherwise? JASMINE: Attraction is definitely key. Physical and emotional attraction are key, but at the end of the day, I want someone to connect with that I can one day come home to, laugh with, have fun with, build a life with and so on. My friends would say my type is the exact opposite of me: tall white boys. CORREY: Obviously, physical attraction, but also someone to talk more than me. Why do you think you’ll be a good date? JASMINE: I’m a fun and outgoing person that loves to get to know new people. I am pretty funny, so my goal would be to have him laughing pretty quickly and hopefully that will break some tension and have the date running even smoother. I enjoy engaging with someone and I think that’s apparent. As long as they’re open (and understand my weird humor), then

What’s a total deal-breaker on a date? JASMINE: When someone is rude. I once had a guy shame me for being adventurous in the foods I tried. Needless to say, that date ended very quickly. CORREY: Loud and obnoxious. Fill in the blanks: I want my date to be “blank” and “blank.” JASMINE: “Fun” and “kind.” CORREY: I want my date to be “funny” and “bubbly.” Will the night end with a kiss, something more or something less? JASMINE: Who knows? If I’m attracted to them and we had a great night, then definitely a kiss, but nothing more. I like to get to know someone a bit more before anything further happens. CORREY: Maybe a kiss, but nothing more. I’m not that easy. Jasmine and Correy sure seem like a cute pair. Jasmine’s sparkling personality should satisfy Correy’s requirements that his date be “funny” and “bubbly.” Jasmine describes herself as a “hustla” with multiple side-hustles, while Correy boasts that he hasn’t found what he sucks at yet. And neither dater is lacking for confidence. Jasmine prides herself on being funny and outgoing, while Correy gave himself a 20 on the personality scale. They both agree that attraction is key to a successful date, but even if the chemistry is there, neither predict the night will end with anything more than a friendly kiss. Correy claims he’s not that easy, and Jasmine likes to get to know someone better before going any further.

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LOVE | BL I N D DAT E

STRIKE A POSE

Daters do a lot of stretching (and a little retching)

orrey and Jasmine sip on Corona Premiere beer before being dropped off at Rize Studio. Rize Studio opened in late November in East Village, just a few steps from Correy’s house. It offers classes in aerial yoga, whole body vibration and sound immersion. The benefits of aerial yoga include increased balance and flexibility, spine lengthening and stress relief. It’s a full-body workout suitable for all experience levels. Rize Studio is scattered with yoga hammocks hung from the rafters in rich turquoise hues. The hammocks look a little delicate at first, but they are actually able to hold thousands of pounds. Jasmine later claims this particular turquoise is her favorite color, so she has a good feeling about the class, despite being initially nervous to try. Jasmine and Correy are having fun posing for photos in the hammocks. At one point during their photo session, Jasmine accidentally touches Correy’s butt, which she jokes was on purpose. But finally, it’s time to focus on the class. Owner Samantha and instructor Ashley do an excellent job of putting both daters at ease. They are patient and encouraging, and before we know it, Jasmine and Correy look like aerial yoga pros. Ashley guides them through poses like Dragon’s Dance, a sequence that opens the spine and shoulders; Mountain, which massages the back; and finally, after the daters are a little more comfortable on their hammocks, Inversion, 92

JANUARY 2020 @PACIFICSD

They change into dinner clothes and go to dinner at Rare Society, a new steakhouse from Trust Restaurant Group that sits right on the border of Hillcrest and University Heights. Jasmine and Correy have managed to work up an appetite after aerial yoga, so they’re excited to dig into the menu of steakhouse classics like oysters, bone marrow and shrimp cocktail. After they order, we separate them for middate interviews.

which finds them tipping backwards onto the fabric to turn upside down and hang from their hips for full spinal decompression. It’s during Inversion that we find out that Jasmine is, unfortunately, prone to motion sickness. That, coupled with the beer on an empty stomach, leads Jasmine to politely excuse herself from class and hustle to the bathroom. She quickly rejoins the class and manages to stick it out for the remainder of the session like a champ. (Editor’s note: It’s definitely not recommended to drink before aerial yoga, which is something we all learned that night.) After class, Jasmine can’t help but poke fun at herself and her weak stomach, which impresses her date. Not everyone would have handled the situation with such grace, but self-deprecating Jasmine doesn’t let it spoil the fun.

How’s it going so far? JASMINE: Pretty good. It’s fun. CORREY: Good, it’s going well. At first glance, would you swipe right or left on your date? JASMINE: Which way is the right? I would swipe right. He’s cute. CORREY: Right. Is this the type of person you’d normally date? JASMINE: Yes. (Laughs) I like white boys. He’s got the boy-next-door, farmer boy, light eyes, light hair thing. The exact opposite of me. The tattoos are also cute. CORREY: Yeah, I think so. How was your experience at Rize Studio? JASMINE: Awesome. Our instructor was great. (Laughs) She was very patient with me.

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JASMINE: I mean, probably (laughs). No, I don’t know. I honestly don’t know. I think it’s going really well, but I don’t know either way. He’s been very kind, but it could go either way. CORREY: I have no idea. Is this someone you’d take home to mom, just take home or none of the above? JASMINE: I would take him home to mom, however his tattoos would probably freak my parents out. (Laughs) My parents are very oldschool Middle Eastern. But he seems like a really nice dude. That weighs heavily for me. A good, nice guy. Because looks fade, unfortunately. CORREY: I don’t think I would be afraid to take her home to mom. Really, that’s what I was scared of. It was great, it was really great. I enjoyed it. I always want to go outside of my comfort zone, but also, I didn’t want to look like a dumb-dumb. That was really cool. CORREY: It was a lot of fun. They were super helpful and it was a lot of fun. What caught your eye on the menu tonight at Rare Society? JASMINE: Oh, The Executive, for sure. (Editor’s note: The Executive is described as a selection of chef determined cuts and accoutrements of the night.) And the truffled creamed spinach. I told him, just so you know, we’re definitely getting creamed spinach, I don’t care what you think. He goes with the flow and lets me do what I want, which is a great sign in a dude. CORREY: Smoked ribeye. And the bacon was so good. What’s the most attractive thing your date has done so far? JASMINE: He’s been very kind and patient. He opened my door. He let me order stuff. (Laughs) He let me touch his butt. He’s a very nice, easygoing guy and we’ve had an easy time talking to each other. He’s laughing at all my dumb jokes. CORREY: The most attractive thing she’s done? Probably her laugh. What’s the least attractive thing your date has done so far? JASMINE: I haven’t noticed anything. He hasn’t been rude, he’s been really cool. CORREY: (Pauses) I think she threw up. (Laughs) I don’t know if she did, but she went to the bathroom. When she was upside down, inverted, I think she had to go vomit. She went to the restroom for a second. Rate your date on a scale from one to 10 for looks. JASMINE: Ooh. I would say he’s a 9.5. (Laughs) If he gives me anything less than that, I’ll kick his ass. CORREY: 8.3.

JANUARY 2020 @PACIFICSD

And for personality? JASMINE: 9.8. CORREY: 12. What’s your date’s most attractive physical quality? JASMINE: He has very pretty eyes. He has a great body, too. He’s been in fitness for 14 years. (Laughs) And I’m like, boo, fittin’ dis pizza in my mouth. Or hot dog. No, just kidding. But also, not really. CORREY: Her eyes. What’s your date’s least attractive physical quality? JASMINE: Nothing, really. There’s really nothing. I mean, I’m taller than most men, so that’s usually a thing. But he’s my height. CORREY: The only thing really is I’m not a huge lipstick fan. Do you want to kiss your date right now? JASMINE: Right this minute? No, I probably have stuff in my teeth. CORREY: I would kiss her. Does your date want to kiss you?

How and when will the date end? JASMINE: With probably a peck on the cheek and then going our separate ways. I think we’ll exchange phone numbers. I mean, I’d give him mine if he wanted it. CORREY: I have no idea. Hopefully we don’t stuff ourselves too much, because we had a good amount of food, but we’ll see where it goes. There’s definitely a flirtatious energy between Jasmine and Correy. They both say they’d swipe right on each other, which is a good sign. And easygoing Correy is a nice balance to bubbly Jasmine. She appreciates that he is chivalrous by opening her door and letting her order whatever she wants, plus he laughs at all her “dumb” jokes. Correy says he hopes they don’t stuff themselves too much at dinner (he might be worried about another throw-up incident). And despite the vomiting and the fact that he’s not a big lipstick fan, he still claims he would kiss his date. If that isn’t romance, we don’t know what is. Eventually, the PACIFIC crew packs it up and leaves the daters to enjoy their steaks in peace. We touch base with them the next day to see how the rest of their night went.

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@PACIFICSD JANUARY 2020

LOVE | BL I N D DAT E

STEAK YOUR CLAIM

Date ends with something sweet

asmine and Correy spent the night hanging upside down at aerial yoga and then hanging out for a steak dinner. But did their hanging sessions result in a make-out session? We checked in with them the next day to see how things ended. How did everything go? JASMINE: It was a lot of fun. I had a great time. I think we both had a great time. CORREY: It went really well. I had a really good time. It was a lot of fun. What did you order at Rare Society? JASMINE: For appetizers, we got the crab cakes and the bacon, which was phenomenal. And then, for dinner, we shared The Executive and the truffled creamed spinach and the onion rings. And then we got dessert too. We got the butter cake, which was phenomenal. That was the best part of the meal, for sure. CORREY: We had creamed spinach and bacon. The bacon was incredible. And then we had The Executive, which is three of their smoked steaks all cut up on a board. And then we got onion 96

JANUARY 2020 @PACIFICSD

The Executive from Rare Society

Jumbo lump crab cake appetizer

rings, they were pickled onion rings. They were really good. The drinks were really good, too. And the wine was good, we had a bottle of wine as well. Where did you go and what did you do for the rest of the evening after Rare Society? JASMINE: We stayed until it closed and then we got into our own Ubers and went home separately. CORREY: We both went our separate ways, we stayed a little bit. We closed the place down, we were the last people there. And then we separately Ubered home. Did you guys exchange numbers? JASMINE: We did. CORREY: Yeah, we did. Was there a kiss or any romantic exchange? JASMINE: There was a peck on the cheek, or a peck. It was kind of awkward, not awkward in a bad way, but you know, I think I got half lip, half cheek. (Laughs) It was fine. CORREY: There was a very small kiss, like a peck. Nothing crazy.

fun and really cool. Thanks for letting us order really expensive food. It was a really fun time. I would recommend it to others because it’s good to get out of your comfort zone, if you feel comfortable doing that kind of thing. CORREY: The people at Rize Studio were really awesome, so that was really cool and it was really fun. And like I said, it’s not something that I would normally do myself, so I would consider doing that regularly now. And dinner was incredible as well.

What’s the funniest thing that happened during the date? JASMINE: (Laughs) I mean, I think he and I both told you, but I puked during yoga. Right before we laid in the sling, I took a break. I excused myself very nicely and politely and then went to the bathroom and threw up (laughs). It was fun, but I get motion sickness very easily. It was a combination of that and I hadn’t really eaten all that much out of nerves that day, and then having a beer in the car and then being upside down. It was the upside down and then swinging (laughs). And I got sick, but I did it in the most ladylike fashion I could. CORREY: (Laughs) Probably when we went upside down at the yoga place and she needed to run to the restroom. She handled it great, though. What was the best part of the date and why? JASMINE: The best part of the date was dinner. It was a lot of fun. We got to talk and get to know each other, as opposed to just being there sweating and trying to focus. CORREY: Probably the entire yoga experience, the aerial yoga experience, because I don’t think either one of us would do it normally. So it was cool that we both got to experience something that we probably wouldn’t do on our own. Will there be a second date? Why or why not? JASMINE: Yeah, I think so. It would be cool to get to know him outside of cameras being there, even if it just becomes a friendship. CORREY: I don’t know yet. We texted to make sure we each got home safe and everything. Don’t know 100%. I really had an amazing time. We had a lot of fun. I have no idea if there was a lot

of chemistry there or not. Do you have any dating tips for your date? JASMINE: Honestly, he was pretty great. I did lead the conversation a lot, but that’s just because I’m a talker. Obviously, we were both nervous and when I get nervous, I talk. So maybe him being a little bit more open, but he honestly was really open. Once we were done with the activity part, he was more talkative, more open, sharing things, so it was pretty good. CORREY: I think she has an amazing, funny personality and I think she was a little reserved at first in letting it out. So just not being so shy right away. Any final thoughts, parting words, shout-outs or anything else to add? JASMINE: Obviously, thanks to PACIFIC, the matchmaker and the photographer. It was really

Jasmine and Correy’s date might be the first PACIFIC blind date where someone threw up during their date. We commend both daters for bending over backwards during class and carving out some time to get to know each other better during dinner. And while a second date isn’t a guarantee, the daters enjoyed their time together and Correy vowed to try aerial yoga again, and maybe even start practicing regularly. So here’s to 2020, dear readers. May the new year bring new dating opportunities and always remember: just because you get sick during your date doesn’t mean you can’t still get a goodnight kiss.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Daters’ answers may have been edited for length and clarity.

SPECIAL THANKS TO AND PROMOTIONAL CONSIDERATION FROM: EPIC LIMO 858.270.LIMO (5466), epiclimo.com RIZE STUDIO rizestudio.com RARE SOCIETY 619.501.6404, raresocietysd.com MATCHMAKER COLLEEN PERONE naturalselectionsd.com

@PACIFICSD JANUARY 2020

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