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quentin jammer of the san diego chargers www.pacificsandiego.com | JUNE 2010
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editor’s note
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Vanity nearly killed me. Then it saved my life.
Celebrating the best of everyday life in San Diego VOL.4
ISSUE 06
JUNE 2010
PUBLISHERS David Perloff Simone Perloff EDITOR IN CHIEF David Perloff
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Kenny Boyer CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Seth Combs Brandon Hernández CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Erin Glass Cookie ìChainsawî Randolph Lorena Nava Ruggero Rebekah Sager William Yelles PHOTOGRAPHERS Brevin Blach, brevinblach.com Leetal Elmaleh, leetalesd.blogspot.com Gabriela Lingenfelder, photographybygabriela.com James Norton, shootnorton.com EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Logan Broyles
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Jason Gregory Laura Rovick Sean Thompson
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It was a long, long time ago—spring 2003, if memory serves—and NBC was conducting a casting call at Margarita Rocks (now Bar West), in Pacific Beach, to find contestants for the upcoming couples series of Fear Factor, one of the network’s hit reality shows. I had arranged the venue’s advertising for the event, so my wife, Simone, and I went to check it out. When we arrived, the place was packed. There were fit, good-looking 20-somethings everywhere, and a crowded bar meant a happy client, so I was pleased. Out of nowhere, one of the show’s producers asked me and Simone our ages, then told us we were just what they were looking for: married, able to travel to L.A. and older. He actually said that. I was 33. Simone was 29. The guy gave us his card and said we’d be hearing from a second producer. A few days and a couple interviews later, they sent us to L.A. to see a doctor who took our vitals and asked if we had any allergies or propensities toward cardiac arrest. Then we got the call—we’d made the final cut. It felt like I had landed a starring role opposite Julia Roberts (who was a pretty big deal back then). With six weeks to prepare, we were fired up. Ready to rock! Okay, let’s go. First thing, let’s… uh…what? How do you train for a show where you have to compete for time and quantity in sheep-scrotum consumption? What’s the ideal regimen for getting your body ready to almost drown in a vat of liquefied roach parts while tarantulas crawl across your face? We didn’t know. So for six weeks, we worked out like crazy, and I ate nothing but lettuce, chicken, the occasional reduced-calorie Hot Pocket, carb-free protein bars and Metamucil. I was the picture of health. To complete the picture, I bleached my teeth and hit the tanning booth. When Simone and I arrived in Long Beach for our first Fear Factor stunt, I had the skin tone of North County’s swarthiest Cougars. When they tethered us to the back of a monster dune buggy and dragged us down the beach at 50 miles an hour, we managed to hang on and make it to the next round—big, white-toothy smile for the camera, my orangey glow amplifying the effect. The next day, I moved 20 pounds of earth worms and their excrement (with my mouth) from a plastic bowl to an acrylic box that Simone basically had to wear as a hat—the kind of hat that covers you from collar bones to forehead with worm sh!t—so I was less aware of the color of my teeth. Simone nearly drowned the following day when they chained us to the bottom of a pool, so we didn’t win the his-and-hers Jeeps. To maintain my tint and the consequent enhancement of muscle definition, I spent some of the subsequent day in the tanning booth again. That turned out to be the right move. For the next stunt, Simone hung onto the landing gear on the bottom of a helicopter that dropped her in the middle of a lake. She then swam to a kayak, jumped in, and I pulled her to shore. I was minus a shirt—and feeling smart to be plus a tan. No way I could have guessed when we got married—Simone and I are quite adept at bobbing for cow hearts in pig bile. Sadly, we completed that stunt 20 seconds more slowly than the remaining couples did, so we were eliminated the next day. We returned home to San Diego without the million. Our hair smelled like bile for a week. A few days later, the same desire to feel attractive that had fueled my year-round tan spurred me to consult a dermatologist. I had an irritation on my face and wanted to rule out any possible worm-dung virus. “You ever get these moles checked,” the doctor asked me? I hadn’t. Oops. The rash turned out to be nothing, but what I had regarded as not-so-beauty marks proved to be melanoma, the kind of skin cancer that makes me a friggin’ idiot for having spent so much time in the tanning booth and in the sun without protection. Today, I’ve been given the all-clear, and the dermatologist says it probably won’t be the skin cancer that kills me. Doctors can be so comforting. “You’re lucky you came to see me,” he says. He calls it luck, but I know it was vanity. What other possible explanation could there be for my sitting here with a spray tan, still holding out hope that Julia Roberts’ people might call. Please enjoy this body issue of PacificSD, which demonstrates that if beauty is only skin deep, we’re all in deep worm doo. David Perloff, Editor in Chief
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F e a t u r e s 30 Know Bodies San Diego athletes reveal themselves from all angles 31 Body Language Now you’re talking—without saying a thing 43 King of the Hill Carl Schroeder applies gourmet prowess and principles to everyday comfort food
THIS PAGE: Acclaimed San Diego chef Carl Schroeder (story Page 43). Photo by Brevin Blach On the cover: San Diego Chargers cornerback Quentin Jammer was photographed at the San Diego Chargers training facility by Brevin Blach. Styling by Jeanette Marie, jeanette-marie.com.
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{contents} DE P ARTMENTS CURRENTS 17 First Things Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon, San Diego Bikini Week, San Diego Loves Haiti benefit concert 22 Celebrity Shrink Rap Dr. Chainsaw is in 24 Parts Department Lend an ear as local fitness fanatics get physical 27 Knot Ready? Addressing the dress and other wedding day tips TASTE 46 Fork in the Road Hit the streets of the Gaslamp to enjoy more than 25 restaurants in one afternoon 48 Head of the Glass San Diego brewers bolster their top-dog reps at the international Olympics of beer GROOVE 50 We Have Spirits, Yes We Do! Sipping and celebrating at the San Diego Spirits Festival 52 Spin Cycle This San Diego DJ sure makes the rounds 54 Body Shots Meet a bartender who flexes by day and Fluxx-es by night
Model Luisa Moraes. Photo by Brevin Blach.
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BLIND DATE 56 The Rules of Engagement Returning to the scene of the bride for a blind experiment in love-making CALENDAR 62 SIX.TEN June event listings THINK 66 Say Anything Heavyweight comedian Lisa Lampanelli isn’t pulling any punches
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The 2007 Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon begins.
Shake, Rattle ‘n’ Run ROCKERS AND RACERS JOIN FORCES TO HELP FIND A CURE
S P h o t o b y P at r i c e M a l l o y, A c t i v e M u g . c o m
BY SETH COMBS ure, we have the weather and the wherewithal, but leave it to San Diego to put its own spin on an otherwise mundane 26.2-mile race. The annual Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon isn’t just for runners and their familial cheer squad. There will be 26 stages of entertainment throughout the course on Sunday, June 6, featuring local bands like The Bigfellas, 34 Below and Bedford Grove, as well as a post-race concert and festival with famous swing group Big Bad Voodoo Daddy rocking the finish line stage at SeaWorld. “It’s cool to be a motivating part of the race and help these people who are running for charity,” says Long Live Logos frontman Daniel Castro, whose band will be playing to help inspire the runners to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. “We’re going to be playing our upbeat songs for sure.” And while the bands may not break out their own versions of “Chariots of Fire,” they should be just as motivational. There will also be an exclusive, carb-heavy Rock ‘n’ Roll kickoff party at SeaWorld for marathon runners on the night of Friday, June 4. Find more info at san-diego.competitor.com.
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Let’s Get It Started, Wednesday, June 30
Splashin’ Fashion
A FIVE-DAY CELEBRATION OF THE TWO-PIECE BY REBEKAH SAGER
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The Roof is on Fire, Thursday, July 1 The rooftop fashion show at Stingaree will feature bikinis by SoCal and Las Vegas designers. Daring guests are encouraged to bare it all inside the Sexiest Tan Line Photo Box. (OMG! How did a pic of my butt show up on Facebook?!)
A Night for Paparazzi, Friday, July 2 On the Ivy Rooftop at Andaz, top photographers will conduct live shoots with professional models to create an immersive, in-the-scene fashion experience. Guests wanting to feel like models can consult with stylists from downtown’s A Style Concierge salon (owned by Michael Lee), who will be performing on-site hair and makeup services.
Hard Rockin’, Saturday, July 3 Saturday is the big night at Float at the Hard Rock Hotel, where guests will watch runway shows and have the opportunity to purchase swimwear from top designers.
Bikinis in the Sand, Sunday, July 4 Guests will enjoy Independence Day entertainment on three-levels when Bikini Week’s grand finale transforms East Village’s Culy Warehouse event center into an indoor beach, where a fashion runway in the form of a pier will extend into the sand. Shooting for the stars at Bikni Week 2009
D av e D i s s e r
ikini Week San Diego is back—what better way to burn off the June Gloom than with a gathering of hot bodies and cool designs offered up during summer’s unofficial kick-off. “San Diego is the seventh largest city in the country,” says Bikini Week founder Michael Lee. “It’s time we become known for more than Shamu and the Zoo.” The five-day event is a Bacchanalian dreamscape: a collaboration between top local nightspots, bikini-clad models, swimwear designers, DJs and bands—all of it culminating with the skinful titillation of the All American Girl Bikini Contest for cash and prizes. “This is not Hooters,” says Lee. “This is not a Coppertone competition. Bikini Week is as much about the designers and the suits as it is about the bodies. It’s about showing off the relevance of San Diego style and establishing our rightful place in the fashion industry.” Tickets for individual events range from $25 to $50, a percentage of which benefits The Sundance King, a charity that uses mobile health clinics to provide care to uninsured Americans. Get more info at bikiniweeksd.com.
The festivities begin at Fluxx in the Gaslamp, where designer Francisco Medavog’s line of couture swimsuits will be paired with the latest jewelry line by Micha Designs.
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FURNITURE
San Diego band P.O.D. performs for free to help raise money for earthquake victims in Haiti
Heart Beats
A SAN DIEGO MAN USES MUSIC TO FOSTER COMPASSION BY SETH COMBS
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hile most of us were glued to our TVs in shock, or texting a $10 dollar donation to the Red Cross, local altruist Noah Bernardo was getting his hands dirty in earthquake-ravaged Haiti. Having owned a construction company for nearly 20 years, he wanted to use his experience to make a difference. He managed to secure a plot of land near Port-au-Prince to build a school, medical facility and food station, but lacked funding to get the project off the ground. With a heavy heart, Bernardo returned to San Diego determined to realize his vision. His son, Noah “Wuv” Bernardo, Jr., and nephew, Sonny Sondoval, both members of multi-platinum rockers P.O.D., provided the initial spark, and the San Diego Loves Haiti Group was born. On Saturday, June 12, P.O.D., Parker Theory, The Letter Black and dozens of other bands will rock two stages in the giant parking lot at Qualcomm Stadium, playing for free in an all-day benefit to help raise money to build the facility in Haiti. Under regular circumstances, seeing P.O.D. alone might be pricey, but tickets for the San Diego Loves Haiti concert are just $10 bucks in advance and $15 the day of the show. And as soon as the San Diego show wraps up, the tireless organizer says he’ll be back to work the next day. “All these bands have been so gracious to offer their talent,” says Bernardo. “We’re gonna go to Vegas next and continue to build these centers throughout Haiti.”
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chainsaw
Celebrity Shrink Rap
Photo courtesy of PR Photos
DR CHAINSAW IS IN
BY COOKIE “CHAINSAW” RANDOLPH
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hen jobs and babies and age and chocolate catch up with perfect genes, People With Perfect Bodies and Faces (PWPBFs) freak out. Perfect abs, lips and hair begin to expand, wrinkle and recede. No matter how many personal trainers or Botox injections they might employ, the battle is on and they can’t handle it. The rest of us? We were born imperfect. We’re experienced veterans. We could sit these poor souls down and guide them into the lap of…big laps. We could help them cope with fading looks, because that’s all we’ve ever had. We could be psychiatrists for PWPBFs… (door opens) Doctor: Welcome to the Perfect 10 Celebrity Rehab Clinic, Mr. and Mrs. Pitt. I’m Dr. Chainsaw. Please, have a seat. Angie: Thank you, Doctor. I hope I don’t crush the couch cushion. Doctor: Don’t worry, Brendan Fraser was here right before you and it held up just fine. Oops! I’m not supposed to 22
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say the names of other patients. I’m kinda new at this. Anyway, what brings you here today? Brad: Well Doctor, we just adopted our 342nd child, so you can imagine Angie’s tummy is stretching out a bit. Doctor: I didn’t know adoption could do that. Angie: It’s called “sympathetic abdominal expansion.” Doctor: Interesting. Do I smell burning hemp? Angie: Oh that’s just Brad. He did some baking on the way over here. Doctor: Gotcha. Anyway, Angie, what you’re experiencing is very normal for a Perfect 10. An ounce here, an ounce there, and suddenly you’ve gained two ounces. Girdles can help. Or maybe one of those fancy magnet belts. Angie: Sounds great. No workouts? Doctor: Perhaps a bit of purging, but that’s about it. Angie: I feel better already!
Doctor: What about you, Brad? Brad: Well, Doctor, as you can see, I’m fairskinned, so I’m not aging as well as say, a Clooney or a Denzel. Doctor: Don’t worry about that. Denzel doesn’t qualify as a Perfect 10 because of his wall-eye. And Clooney? He’s one of those freaks who will always be perfect, no matter what. C’est la vie. Brad: I’ve always hated him for that. Pretending to be his buddy in the Ocean movies? Now that was acting. I should have won the Oscar. Doctor: Which brings me to my next point, and this is kind of touchy, but frankly, I don’t think you two qualify for Perfect 10 rehab in the first place. Brangelina: Why not?! Doctor: In Brad’s case, remember when you took your shirt off in Thelma and Louise, the movie that launched the entire “Brad is so hot” industry?
Brad: Of course I do! Doctor: Well, your pecs are kinda pigeon-toed. You know, cross-eyed, as if they’re looking at each other, saying, “I can dumbbell press more than you.” Not so perfect. Brad: Wow. I always thought so, too, but my agent kept pushing it. Doctor: As for you, Angie, for one thing, you never need to wear stilettos, because you’re already 6’3”. And for another, your calves are skinnier than swizzle sticks. Angie: Nobody has ever dared say that to me. Doctor: See how good I am at this? You’re not perfect! You’re kinda, not really, almost normal. Selfacceptance is the first step towards enlightenment. Angie: But what about our acting careers? We’re in the “looks” business. Doctor: Listen, I know the hi-def world has destroyed a lot of careers. It’s why Katie Couric wears so many scarves.
But you guys? Just have James Cameron slap your heads onto a couple of Avatar bodies, and you’ll be good to go. Angie: Thank you, Dr. Chainsaw. It’s as if the world has been lifted from my shoulders. Brad: Or in my case, a bunch of kids riding piggy-back. Doctor: Then be gone with both of you. I’ve got Jennifer Aniston in the waiting room. Brad: Oh, really? Angie: Is there a separate exit? Doctor: Yes, that door next to the velvet painting of Dr. Phil. Angie: Let’s go, Brad. Brad: I think I left the diaper bag in the lobby. Angie: LET’S GO, BRAD! (door opens/closes) Another perfect Hollywood ending.
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Fit Athletic Club, East Village
Parts Department LEND AN EAR AS LOCAL FITNESS FANS GET PHYSICAL
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PHOTOS BY LEETAL ELMALEH very body is different. Some folks have big arms and warm smiles; others have ripped abs and nerves of steel. But whether you’re cold-blooded, fast-footed or heavyhanded, one thing’s for sure—no body’s perfect. Well, maybe in part. Between exercises at Fit Athletic Club in East Village, and WaveHouse Athletic Club in Mission Beach, these dozen gym denizens describe their favorite body parts. What comes out of their mouths may surprise you.
WaveHouse Athletic Club, Mission Beach
Lauren B., 30, La Mesa Favorite body part: “My back and core area, because it keeps me strong and balanced.”
Brooks H., 34, Point Loma Favorite body part: “I don’t necessarily have a favorite. I’m just happy being athletic and doing a lot of stability stuff, which involves the core and the abs.”
John S., 28, Mission Beach Favorite body part: “I don’t necessarily have a favorite, but I think it’s important to take good care of your body, be fit and have a healthy lifestyle.”
Chris F., 30, Mission Beach Favorite body part: “My shoulders, because I love to swim.”
Chelsey K., 21, Mission Beach Favorite body part: “My smile, because I get a lot of compliments on it, and it makes people happy. I’m a happy person.”
Ashley B., 28, East Village Favorite body part: “Booty! It keeps me motivated to workout hard and keep in shape. It’s also a legacy from my mom. She passed away last year, so now I take a little of her wherever I go.”
Luke B., 25, Pacific Beach Favorite body part: “Face, because I think you can tell a lot about a person from their face.”
Sarah A., 21, Pacific Beach Favorite body part: “My green eyes, because they’re the first thing you see when you look at someone.”
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Ruth C., 86, La Jolla Favorite body part: “My back, because it’s in the best shape.”
Brandon, 29, East Village Favorite body part: “My shoulders. They are strong and sturdy, which makes it much easier to carry the weight of the world on Mondays.” Katie L., 5 ¾, Mission Beach Favorite body part: “My feet, because I can walk.”
Cara S., 34, Point Loma Favorite body part: “My fave body part is my smile. That’s what gets noticed the most—and gets me to the front of the line at the bar.”
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Knot Ready? ADDRESSING THE DRESS AND OTHER WEDDING-DAY TIPS BY SETH COMBS
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ummer and fall are prime seasons for San Diego couplings, and whether you’re doing it on the fly or planning ahead, Michelle Martin’s got you covered. Martin runs La Jolla’s premiere bridal boutique, M Bride, and over the years has dressed local ladies to the nines in premium designers and couture. Along the way, she’s picked up some useful knowledge for couples ready to take the plunge into matrimony.
PacificSD: When women come to you, what are they looking for in a dress? Michelle Martin: Two things—something that flatters their shape and reflects their personality. A woman will come in and want a specific style. I can size them up and know that particular style isn’t necessarily going to look good on them. Say, a petite girl will come in and she wants a drop-waisted dress. That’s going to make her look like all torso and no legs. You want to create length for a petite girl. (Continued on Page 28)
P h o t o c o u r t e s y o f INES D I SANTO
The Turquoise Dress, by Ines De Santo
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Would you say comfort comes second? Martin: Comfort is a big thing, but a wedding gown is never going to fit like a t-shirt and jeans. It’s a formal gown. There is structure to it. Who are the hot designers right now? Martin: Ines Di Santo is still really high on my radar. Monique Lhuillier is hot. Here’s some inside info: Vera Wang is coming out with a line for David’s Bridal, with dresses ranging from $500 to $1200, so I feel badly for those girls who spent 10 Gs on a Vera Wang last year and now their neighbor can get it for $500. Anyone up and coming? Martin: Some of the new dresses from Junko Yoshioka are really nice. They’re clean, modern, and they’ll look different from anyone else’s dress you’ve ever seen. There’s another line that I just picked up called Modern Trousseau. It’s a line out of Connecticut that uses all silk fabrics from Italy and they’ll actually make it to your measurements without charging you. What advice would you give to men who are helping their fiancées shop for dresses? Martin: Uh, shut the hell up [laughs]. No, I’m just kidding. Superstitions aside, I think it’s nice when the guys come. I would tell guys to read your fiancée’s face. It’s an emotional purchase, so give your input. They want it. Make sure it’s something she feels good in. Don’t read the paper while they’re trying on dresses. And don’t be on your phone the whole time. Pay attention, because that’s why they brought you.
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The Juno Dress, by Junko Yoshioka
P h o t o c o u r t e s y o f J UN K O YOSHIO K A
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What are the local hotspots where everyone wants to tie the knot? Any secret gems you think people overlook? Martin: The Grand Del Mar and U.S. Grant are very big. The Scripps Forum is becoming a very hot place, because it’s right on the water. I think they’re booked up for the next year and a half. As for secret spots, I tell people to get out of the hotels. Renting big homes is very underrated. Most people don’t know that you can rent out the museums in Balboa Park. The Japanese Friendship Garden is beautiful. Hell, the zoo would be cool and different. Just not near the monkey house [laughs].
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San Diego Chargers cornerback Quentin Jammer gets ready for practice at the team’s training facility in Murphy Canyon
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Know Bodies { { Meet eight model citizens—a Chargers cornerback, a ballerina from City Ballet, a yoga teacher, a partial-amputee triathlete/mountain climber, a poledancing instructor, a personal trainer from Russia, a Turkish bodybuilder and San Diego’s Mayor of Yelp. Individually, these athletes have unique bodies and different ways of keeping them in shape. As a group, they could almost change San Diego’s nickname to America’s Fittest City.
San Diego athletes reveal themselves from all angles By William Yelles / Photos by Brevin Blach
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Quentin Jammer, 30, san diego chargers cornerback veteran leader of the Chargers defense and one of the NFL’s top all-around cornerbacks, Quentin Jammer was named most inspirational player by his teammates in 2008. Last year, as part of the team’s 50th anniversary celebration, San Diego fans voted him one of the greatest Bolts players of all time. Jammer was the team’s 2002 first-round draft pick and is now entering his ninth season with the Chargers, but he didn’t always know that an NFL career was in his future. “I was definitely a knucklehead the first two years in college,” he says. Luckily for the young athlete, legendary University of Texas head football coach Mack Brown spoke with him about his attitude. “They sat me down, and that’s when I figured I had a career in professional football,” he says. “They recognized the talent in me.” Today, Jammer’s home team has grown. “I have three sons, Kaden, Kaleb and Kasen, with my wife Alicia,” he says. REGIMEN: “During the season we lift weights quite a bit,” Jammer says.
(turns 31 on june 19) “Plus, I’m a defensive back, so 100 percent of the time I’m working, I’m running. I always get a lot of cardio in. In the offseason, I try not to do too much. I want to try to let my body heal. It’s a tough game.” NUTRITION: “I can’t lie—God blessed me with great genes and a great metabolism,” Jammer says. “Luckily, my wife likes to eat a lot of healthy food, so I eat a lot of fish, a lot of greens and a lot of vegetables. I use to eat whatever I wanted, but because she’s eating healthy, I adopted her same diet.” TO GET A BODY LIKE HIS, Jammer says to “eat lots of protein and vegetables and mix in a fair amount of cardio.” His advice for Chargers rookies? “Try to not to get too heavy. Try not to be working out for the strong-man competition. Come in and get some light weight, high rep work in.”
BODY LANGUAGE: Now You’re Talking (WITHOUT saying a thing) By Erin Glass As some happy hour lore goes, picking at the sticker on your beer bottle is an expression of sexual frustration. But next time you find yourself fingernail-deep in a beverage label, you might doubt such an absentminded gesture carries a specific meaning. Clearly, body language plays a huge role in communication, but how complex is it really? Like a secret code, does it exist alongside our spoken
words, hinting at truths we’d rather not reveal, or don’t even know ourselves? And if so, could mastering the art of deciphering and displaying these signs grant one the power not only to read minds, but also to control them? It’s a question that occupies bar stools and research dens alike, though the opinions, often conflicting, range from the realm of hocus-pocus to the disappointingly obvious. But
most experts agree that few utilize body language as effectively as they could. “People are only aware of about 10 percent of their body language,” says Dr. Peter A. Andersen, a communications professor at SDSU and author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Body Language. “Our attitudes leak out.” And that leakage gushes continuously through a myriad of behavioral channels such as eye movement, spatial
relationships, gait, timing and dress. As Dr. Andersen says, one cannot not communicate. There is no such thing as a blank facial expression, and if we try, we often just look bored or catatonic. In fact, the more dynamic one’s expressions, the better, as research shows people who exhibit more facial movement have more friends starting from a very young age. And studies suggest that managers pacificsandiego.com
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Janica Smith, 23, ballerina City Ballet of San Diego
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bout to enter her ninth year with City Ballet, Janica Smith has performed in prominent roles including Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, the Swan Queen in Swan Lake and Kitri in Don Quixote. Despite all this experience, and the fact that she’s been dancing since age five, Smith still practices constantly. During the 27-week ballet season, she’s in the studio from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., five days a week, usually rehearsing two productions at a time. After perfecting body positions at the ballet barre all day, she goes to work at one of two other bars, The Corner in East Village and Bub’s Dive Bar in Pacific Beach. REGIMEN: During the off-season, Smith’s primary workout is a 90-minute ballet class. She also hits the gym daily, focusing on cardio. Working at two bar/restaurants “keeps me on my feet as well,” she says. NUTRITION: Smith is weight-conscious. She says she practices portion control and keeps food intake to a minimum. “You can’t eat a big sandwich if someone’s going to throw you around in a leotard,” she says. When she does eat, it’s usually salads and proteins. She avoids sugars and carbs; especially during ballet season, alcohol is off limits. TO GET A BODY LIKE HERS, Smith says you must commit to hard work, “even on days when you don’t feel like it. No excuses—it’s important to stay active as much as you can.”
Ballerina Janica Smith stays limber at City Ballet’s practice studio in Pacific Beach
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Danny Wurst, 26, Mayor of Yelp yelp.com
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anny Wurst’s job requires him to eat and drink things that he describes as “less than healthy.” As San Diego’s Mayor of Yelp (according to yelp.com: the fun and easy way to find, review and talk about what’s great—and not so great, in your area). As Mayor, Wurst spends a lot of his time searching for cool local businesses, often finding ones that serve “delicious but fattening” food, he says. Nevertheless, the Chicago native, who moved West three years ago, manages to stay in shape. REGIMEN: “I work hard so I can play hard,” Wurst says. “While the social networking review website I work for is a fun way to find food and beverage, it’s also led me towards some of the things in San Diego that keep me fit.” Those things include his gym (Fit Athletic in East Village), favorite running path (Mission Bay Boardwalk), hiking trails, bike store and soccer league. NUTRITION: “I pretty much eat whatever I want and in large quantities. I recently won a charity wing-eating competition at Dirty Birds (in Pacific Beach) with a total of 45,” Wurst says. TO GET A BODY LIKE HIS, Wurst recommends finding fun activities like pickup basketball or group hikes. “My personal favorite is when I find cool bar crawls or beer pong tournaments,” he says. “Gotta love being able to stay active in between adult beverages.”
who express their emotions—even anger—are promoted more quickly than those who do not. “We’d rather be around people whose emotional state is clear, rather than having to guess,” says body language expert Patti Wood, who has been coaching professionals and giving seminars on the subject for more than 25 years. But body language doesn’t just influence how others respond to us. In a fraction of a second, it’s been proven to alter our biochemical state. We feel how we act. Though it’s a bit counterintuitive, confidence and insecurity, cheerfulness and depression are products of expression. One way
Wood demonstrates this during her talks is by making timid volunteers pretend they are brave by standing on the stage and taking a step towards the audience. “It freaks people out,” Wood says. “They step forward and they’re not scared anymore.” So how does body language play a part in those highly self-conscious situations, such as, say, courtship? Let’s take a common scenario: Jack is attracted to Jill. How should he approach her? What often happens, Wood says, is Jack will talk to Jill for 20 minutes, thinking he’s getting somewhere. But when all efforts don’t culminate in a kiss (which, incidentally, researchers trace to
On the job with San Diego’s Mayor of Yelp, Danny Wurst
the bygone practice of mothers feeding children mouth-to-mouth), he’ll want to know why. The clues are right in front of him. Though Jill’s smiling, it’s tight-lipped. And while she’s facing him, her torso is pointed elsewhere; or if sitting, her legs are crossed away from him. Perhaps she blocks him with her purse, drink or crossed arms. Or she blinks or looks away to relieve herself momentarily from the situation. She will touch her ear, nose or other body part in an act of selfcomfort. Though these signals might be due to either lack of interest or just plain nervousness, men’s biggest mistake often lies in missing the cues and consequently failing to try to make her comfortable. For
Wood, as well for those other alleged experts of reading bodies, it’s really just as simple as expressing a desire to connect. “I’m pretty good at what I do, but I’m usually wrong in my assumptions about body language,” says Rich Kise, a car salesman of 16 years at Pacific Honda. “I just try to establish a rapport with people who come in scared to death we’re going to jump on them and empty their pockets. Car salesmen are just as scared as anyone else, and I try to make them warm up and realize that.” Men and women both would do well to put time and effort into that initial greeting. When approaching a stranger, love interest or not, one should raise
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their eyebrows in deep recognition, and shake the other’s hand, a gesture that alone is worth three hours of face-to-face time. Wood finds this action so crucial, that if it seems inappropriate for the
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situation, she advises substituting a brief touch on the forearm instead. But after establishing a warm connection, women often face the problem of being interpreted as too warm, maybe even hot. “All female body movements are interpreted as flirting by men,” Dr. Andersen explains, even mere eye contact. Such miscommunications, from either sex,
could be quickly stamped out by paying attention to the sum of signals, in particular to the hands, which Wood says constantly send out emotional messages. While few gestures are universal, open hand language can be interpreted as having a calming and connective effect in friendly, threatening or romantic situations. And as for the bottle-label example, Wood sees it as an indicator of nervousness more than of sexual frustration. But if that action, or a more sexually-profound
action of the mouth such as biting on a straw or Styrofoam cup was paired with extended eye contact, then Wood might interpret it as a sexual cue. Hand gestures are powerful tools in themselves, and one might be surprised to glance down during conversation and observe their own pair’s breezy and independent fluency. Or pay attention to a politician’s. The dramatic and confident gestures employed by President Obama during his campaign speeches, along with his use of a preacher’s cadence, led Wood to conclude that it hardly mattered what he was saying; he was rousing the crowd with something other than words. Gesture is everywhere, and it
Lacy McGarry, “early 20s,” pole dancing fitness instructor pole sinsations
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Pole dancing instructor Lacy McGarry hangs out at Pole Sinsations in Hillcrest
acy McGarry fell in love with pole dancing when she took her first class at the stylish Crunch Gym in Los Angeles two years ago. Within months, she was teaching advanced classes there. Having moved to San Diego about a year ago to spend time with her boyfriend before he deployed to Iraq, McGarry now practices on a pole in her living room and teaches pole dancing fitness classes at Pole Sinsations in Hillcrest. Frequently headover-heels during her routines, McGarry says, “I find the world more interesting upside down.” REGIMEN: McGarry prefers the acrobatic nature of pole dancing to its sensual side, and says the workouts substitute for arm, back, core and leg training at the gym. “Pole dancing is work in itself,” she says. “You don’t really have to do too much else.” NUTRITION: “I definitely keep it light,” McGarry says. She drinks “tons of protein shakes” and was cooking a chicken and rice stir-fry for dinner during her telephone interview for this story. TO GET A BODY LIKE HERS, McGarry says women should “keep an open mind” and realize that pole dancing isn’t just for strippers. “I can teach strippers,” she says. “I’ll take their money, but women should know: you’re not demeaning yourself at all to check it out. It’s a fun workout.”
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Tara Butcher, 27, triathalete
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ara Butcher says she was “not an athlete at all” before an incident that nearly claimed her life. In 2005, the La Jolla resident was involved in a car accident on the freeway. When she got out of her car to check the damage, she was hit by another speeding car, propelling her across two lanes of traffic. She suffered severe internal injuries that nearly left her paralyzed, and her left leg had to be amputated below the knee. Ironically, it wasn’t until after her accident that Butcher discovered running and fitness. Supported by the San Diego-based Challenged Athletes Foundation (challengedathletes.org), which paid for her prosthetic leg, she has since competed in one marathon, four half-marathons and four triathalons, and is currently training for the San Diego International Triathlon on June 27. Earlier this year, Butcher climbed Tanzania’s famed Mt. Kilimanjaro. “It was very hard, physically and mentally,” she says of the eightday trek to the summit. “It was the hardest thing, but also the best thing, I’ve ever done. Tough, but amazing.” REGIMEN: Butcher typically runs, bikes and/or swims six days a week. To build strength and prevent injuries, she also does pilates three days a week. NUTRITION: Despite “splurges here and there to stay sane,” fish, nuts, fruits and vegetables are Butcher’s staples. She avoids processed foods and sugars, and has recently been trying a gluten-free diet. TO GET A BODY LIKE HERS, Butcher says, “the best thing is to find something you enjoy and stick to it until it doesn’t become a chore. Then you consistently reap the benefits.”
Triathlete and mountain climber Tara Butcher runs the hilly trails at Torrey Pines
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Yoga instructor Steve Hubbard finds his balance in Pacific Beach. (Inset: Hubbard’s Saturday morning class at the west end of Law Street)
Steve Hubbard, 33, yoga instructor teve Hubbard has been teaching yoga for nearly seven years. Besides conducting studio classes in La Jolla, Ocean Beach and Point Loma (and moonlighting as a manager at Pacific Beach Bar & Grill), he also offers a weekly outdoor yoga session on a bluff overlooking the ocean in Pacific Beach. The just-pay-as-much-as-you-want class attracts upwards of 50 people almost every Saturday morning. One Saturday each month, Hubbard donates 100 percent of proceeds to a local charity. “The most satisfying thing is being able to give to and help others while doing something I love, teaching yoga,” he says. REGIMEN: “Yoga is the core of my fitness and feeling good,” Hubbard says. “I try to practice every day, but I miss a few here and there. Besides that, I
like to mix it up with running, playing volleyball, swinging kettle bells or just going to the gym. I try to do one of these workouts along with my yoga practice every day. Yoga usually ends up being the toughest, though.” NUTRITION: “I like to eat foods that make me feel good. I’ve been an avid juicer since I was 14, so I’ve got to have my wheat grass and vegetable juices. That alone keeps me energized for hours. I’m not a calorie counter, because I like to eat a ton. It’s usually something pretty healthy, but I’m not too strict. I’m addicted to spinach salads but indulge in the occasional carne asada burrito. Some things in life are meant to be enjoyed. Oh, I do own a pig, though, so I try to stay away from pork.” TO GET A BODY LIKE HIS, Steve says, “give yoga a try. It strengthens and lengthens, so our bodies work better. My advice on fitness would be to simply find something that works for you and make it a habit. Habit is a really powerful force.”
legitimizes the theater of romantic, friendly, service or business relationships. And while gesture is processed by the same part of the brain that interprets speech, it is much more difficult to repeat one’s gestures than what one just said. This mysterious nature has led some researchers to call it a “window of the mind.” But there are many different categories of gesture, some learned, some spontaneous,
“screw you” in Haiti. And just talking with one’s hands at all was considered vulgar as recently as in the mid-20th century by European upper class. Dr. John Haviland, a UCSD anthropologist, works with cultures where it is never polite to look someone in the eye. Ignorance of such practices can be devastating, he says, especially in courts of law where judges might misinterpret such behavior.
namasteveyoga.com, obnamasteyoga.com
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some symbolic, and one should be wary of assigning a universal meaning to even the most common ones. While the origins of the yes/no head movement might stem from a baby’s nursing behavior, some cultures shake their head sideways to mean “yes.” While the middle finger (or digitus obscenus) has been used as an insult since at least ancient Roman times, a friendly wave in America is equivalent to
The movement of the eyes is an extremely complex facet of communication, surrounded by controversy and myth. Ever talk to someone and start wondering why you can’t decide which eye to look into? Relax. Wood says that’s just a natural part of the triangular movement of our gaze that skips from one eye to another to the nose and back again. But pacificsandiego.com
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Magdalena Cernouskova, 32, personal trainer fit athletic club
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f you want to stay in shape, “you really have to push yourself,” says Magdalena Cernouskova, a personal trainer and boot camp commander at East Village’s upscale Fit Athletic Club. Cernouskova played volleyball in her hometown of Prague, Czech Republic, before coming to the U.S. a decade ago. Today, she says, “I’m a fat-burning machine.” REGIMEN: Focusing on “lots of core and athletic training,” Cernouskova works out three times a week for an hour, often under the guidance of another personal trainer. She says people usually find it surprising that she works out so little. NUTRITION: Cernouskova says she eats healthy (primarily lean, organic protein) 90 percent of the time, but allows herself the chance to “eat out and have a glass of wine.” It’s important to have some balance, she says. “Life would be no fun. Why else would you work out and look good?” TO GET A BODY LIKE HERS, Cernouskova recommends people new to working out try boot camp or other group-exercise options. “It builds a spirit of camaraderie,” she says, “and it’s harder to miss a session when you have a responsibility to another person.”
deliberate use of our gaze can be quite powerful. Looking someone in the eye, along with a confident stride and uplifted head, can make a woman seem less vulnerable when walking alone at night. “It tells them you’re not afraid,” Wood says. “Avoiding gaze leads them to think you’re fearful and makes your body fearful.” There’s a lot to read in your date’s eyes, too. Check for dilation of the pupils—contraction might mean boredom or intimidation. Though research has only recently demonstrated some of the causes and effects of non-light-related pupil dilation (it reveals attraction and makes the observer more attracted), folklore has long been aware of such facts. Centuries 38
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ago, Italian women used Belladonna, a beauty remedy that dilated their pupils artificially; and in the jade trade, buyers wore dark shades to hide their interest. Pupil dilation is also one of the few cues that might reveal a lie, but Dr. Andersen warns that even the best body language experts catch dishonesty only 70% of the time. Instead of relying on specific gestures, like touching one’s nose or avoiding eye contact, it’s better to compare the suspected liar’s body language with his normal behavior. Gary Hassen, spokesman for the San Diego Police Department, says there is no secret technique used when interviewing a suspect or victim. “If I’m going to talk to them, I want to see them,” says Hassen,
Magdalena Cernouskova pushes herself at Fit Athletic Club overlooking Petco Park
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Ozzy Kirdar, 32, personal trainer and competitive bodybuilder OZZYFITNESS.COM
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zzy Kirdar moved to San Diego from his native Istanbul, Turkey, in 1999. He began lifting weights while enrolled at SDSU, then became a fitness coach at various local gyms before branching out on his own as a full-time personal trainer. As a competitive bodybuilder, Kirdar takes fitness seriously, working hard on not only his own body but also his clients’. “I enjoy helping people and motivating them,” he says. REGIMEN: “As a fitness coach, I’m active all day long,” Kirdar says. “I want to get the best out of me, so I train smart as much as I train hard.” Whether exercising himself or training others, “smart” training for Kirdar means focusing on “functional activity,” movements that activate multiple muscle groups at the same time. He says he does isolation exercises for “cosmetic” reasons. NUTRITION: “I eat for purpose, mainly protein, carbohydrates and minerals,” Kirdar says.
to get a body like his, Kirdar
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says to work out a few times a week. “And if stronger muscles somehow lead you to stronger relationships and professional success,” he says, “that only makes it better.”
who has served as a detective for 24 years. “I want to read them. But is there any specific thing to look for? Not really. It’s like a puzzle. A piece here, a piece there.” But the more you approach authorities about this topic, the less they’ll say. Speaking under the condition of anonymity, a woman who performs background investigations for a security company in San Diego says there are no signals she 40 42
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immediately assigns a meaning to when conducting interviews. But if someone does look away during a question, or draws out the syllables of a one-word response, it might indicate there is more to the answer than they’d like to say. So she’ll rephrase the question. I find myself using her same technique when I ask a TSA security guard at Lindbergh Field if body
language helps him identify potentially threatening people. With open arms and raised eyebrows, I approach him in hopes he won’t dismiss me immediately. “Nooooooooo,” he responds hesitantly, after quickly scanning my face, hands and eyes as if trying to determine whether I’m crazy, earnest or up to no good. Funny thing about his answer is that it’s well reported that the TSA employs
a program called Screening Passengers by Observation Techniques (SPOT) in many airports. I look him meaningfully in the eye. “Is it a sensitive question?” I ask. “Yes,” he answers, this time painlessly, his body relaxed. He gazes back at me, in his stiff blue uniform with a shiny metal badge. I nod my head in understanding. The message is too delicate for words.
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King Hill of the
Carl Schroeder applies gourmet prowess and principles to everyday comfort food
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By Brandon Hernández / Photos by Gabriela Lingenfelder hen local chefs are asked which San Diego chef they admire most, the majority of them respond with the same answer— Carl Schroeder. A native La Jollan, Schroeder graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, before cutting his teeth under renowned chef Michael Mina in San Francisco. When the time was right, he returned to his home town where he quickly made a name for himself at Carmel Valley’s Arterra before opening his award-winning flagship MARKET Restaurant + Bar in Del Mar. Still, it takes a lot more than schooling and success to become so unilaterally respected by contemporaries who, in the über-competitive restaurant industry, are equal parts trueblue colleague and all-out rival. It’s Schroeder’s monk-like purism—staying true to the natural flavors of his farm-fresh ingredients and the classic cooking methods he employs when preparing them—that prompts fellow chefs to tip their toques.
types of “Carl put together the menu, picking the rryl Gavre —Te dishes that he likes to eat after work.”
(Continued on Page 44)
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When You Get Hurt Accidents happen. Sometimes, you’re totally to blame. Other times, someone else caused it. Or, maybe both of you are at fault. Until you can find a lawyer to figure out if someone else’s insurance company will help you, make sure you do not sabotage yourself. Here’s what to do, and what not to do, if you’re involved in an auto accident: Call the police. Even if you think you’re not hurt badly enough, do it anyway, and tell the officer all pain and other symptoms you’re feeling. First, you could be wrong—some serious injuries don’t show right away. Second, a police report is the best way to document what happened. Go to the doctor. An ambulance is a hassle, but so is finding out later that ER care would have made the difference, both to your health and injury claim. If you don’t want to be transported, still get to the ER or your doctor ASAP. Some people try to gut it out, only to find out later that their injuries are not taken seriously by the insurance company. If you do not have health insurance, take the ambulance anyway, and then call an attorney who can get you follow-up care. Don’t talk to the other guy’s insurance company. Your own insurer has to treat you fairly, but not the insurance company representing the person who caused your injuries. Insurance adjusters are normally very friendly at first– because they know being a jerk will keep you from giving a recorded statement, which is only meant to protect the other guy. Take names. Witnesses are everything. If the police do not come, make sure you get the names and numbers of anyone who saw the accident. Call an attorney. The above just barely touches upon all the things you need to know when you get hurt. Don’t worry about how much an attorney costs. First, most personal injury attorneys give free consultations, and offer contingency (pay when you recover) agreements. Second, the amount you will recover with an attorney, compared to walking through the injury claim minefield yourself, is normally more than enough to justify hiring an attorney. Then, let the attorney do the work, and you concentrate on getting better.
-DanIEL M. Gilleon
Daniel M. Gilleon, Esq. Mitchell & Gilleon 1320 Columbia Street, Ste. 200, San Diego, CA 92101 619.702.8623 Office dmg@mglawyers.com www.mglawyers.com
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Dishes You Can Bank On
BANKERS HILL menu item s that have fared well stra ight out of the gate
• Deviled Farmer’s Market Eggs with Bacon and Shoestring Potatoes • Lemon Potato Chips with Herbed Buttermilk Dip • Mussels and Andouille Sausage with Peppers and Garlic-Parsley Toast • Braised Chicken Pappardelle with Carameliz ed Carrots and Pinot Noir Sau ce • Duck Confit with Red Potatoes, Grain Mustard Vinaigrette and Mustarda • BBQ Pork Tacos with Pep per Jack, Avocado and Lime Sour Cream
In short, it’s all about the food, and so is Schroeder’s latest venture, BANKERS HILL Bar + Restaurant. Built to showcase Schroeder’s food and talents via casual, affordable dishes that match his cozy new digs, Bankers Hill’s new namesake eatery is the type of laidback neighborhood spot San Diegans can enjoy on a daily basis. Despite the difference in mood and price point as compared to the upscale MARKET, the menu is completely in line with Schroeder’s farm-to-table fanaticism. Everything from burgers and pasta to short ribs and even tacos are enhanced by the addition of garden fresh herbs and vegetables, bright splashes of citrus and an array of quality cheeses. Salads are also standouts, which is in no way surprising considering Schroeder’s long-standing love affair with gardens and local farms. “It’s very low-key, unpretentious and fun, a restaurant for everyone and anyone,” says co-owner Terryl Gavre, who serves as Schroeder’s front-ofhouse counterpart at MARKET and also owns downtown’s Cafe 222. “Carl put together the menu, picking the types of dishes that he likes to eat after work—well executed casual fare.” While the urban combo-restaurant/bar specializing in American comfort classics is the concept du jour, Schroeder is the first established and highly-acclaimed local chef to put his signature and unique twist on this trendy model. Only a few weeks into BANKERS HILL’s existence, locals are already packing the place. They must agree with what Gavre deems the most exciting aspect of the spot’s hitting the scene—“Eating Carl’s cooking on a daily basis.”
BANKERS HILL Bar + Res taurant 2202 Fourth Ave. | Banker s Hill 619.231.0222 | bankershil lsd.com
{taste}
dining out
cocktail
TASTE MAKERS Here are some of the dozens of restaurants participating in Taste of Gaslamp
Fork in the Road HIT THE STREETS of the gaslamp TO ENJOY MORE THAN 25 RESTAURANTS IN JUST ONE AFTERNOON By Brandon Hernández
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iet-defying foragers are about to take a bite out of San Diego, again. It’s the 17th annual Taste of Gaslamp, a two-day food fest where attendees stroll the streets of downtown enjoying two- to fourounce samples of signature dishes from dozens of diverse restaurants serving everything from creamy gelato to tongue-scorching curry. There’s no schedule or stringent set of rules. You pick the restaurants you want to check out and the order in which you want to take them on. It’s as easy as pie—or cake, or ice cream, or whatever other treats you pluck from the dozens of participating restaurants—and easily the best way to wrap your taste buds around such a broad array of eateries. “We look forward to Taste of Gaslamp every year,” says Martin Gonzalez, owner and executive chef of Acqua Al 2 and TOAST Enoteca and Cucina. “It’s a fantastic opportunity for the community to come together and enjoy the best the Gaslamp Quarter has to offer.”
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With restaurants and bars specializing in cuisines of all origins and nationalities, there’s something for everybody, including plenty of drinks to wash down all those good eats— attendees can sip specialty cocktails at any of the participating venues or sample an assortment of brews at the Samuel Adams beer garden. This dine-at-your-own-pace sampling spree has been so satisfying and successful that it’s served as the prototype for a slew of similar culinary-driven community events in neighborhoods including Hillcrest, Little Italy and North Park. So bring your appetite, prepare to loosen your belt and see what’s kept this event on the menu for 17 straight years. Taste of Gaslamp takes place on Saturday and Sunday, June 26 and 27, from 1 to 4 p.m. Tickets are $30 per person per day and can be purchased online at gaslamp.org or by phone at 619.233.5227. Proceeds from the event benefit the Gaslamp Quarter Association, a non-profit organization established to enhance and protect the historic district.
Acqua Al 2 Bare Back Grill Blue Point Coastal Cuisine Brian’s 24 Restaurant Bar & Grill Café Sevilla Chianti Restaurant Dublin Square Irish Pub & Grill Dussini Loft Bar Hard Rock Café Hennessey’s Tavern Henry’s Pub Hooters House of Blues La Fiesta Mexican Cuisine & Lounge Lou & Mickey’s Restaurant & Cocktail Lounge Maloney’s Tavern Masala McCormick & Schmick’s Monsoon Nobu Ocean Rooom Palm Restaurant Pinkberry Red Pearl Kitchen Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery Rockin Baja Royal India Soleil @ K The Field The Melting Pot The Merk The Tipsy Crow Urban Bar and Grill Voyeur Whiskey Girl
{taste}
dining out
Head of the Glass SAN DIEGO BREWERS BOLSTER THEIR TOP-DOG REPS AT THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPICS OF BEER By Brandon Hernández
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he word “Olympics” conjures visions of hard-bodied athletes running, jumping, lifting and, yes, even curling their way to fame and glory. When it comes to the World Beer Cup (WBC), the “Olympics” of beer competitions, there’s still plenty of lifting (of pint glasses), but gone is the need for The Biggest Loser-style twoa-days at the gym—at least until after judging literally thousands of sudsy submissions. The 2010 WBC was the largest beer competition in history. Held in Chicago, it included 3,330 entries from 642 breweries vying for gold in 79 beer-style categories such as India Pale Ale, Pilsner, Stout and the it’s-way-better-than-it-sounds/don’tknock-it-‘til-you-try-it Sour Beer.
Thanks to our talented hometown cache of craft brewers, San Diego brought home gold medals for best American Strong Pale Ale, International Pale Ale, American Red Ale, Irish Red Ale, Scotch Ale, German Dopplebock and Barrel-Aged Beer. Breweries of all types and sizes, hailing from throughout the county, came away with some serious bragging rights. Most notably, Ballast Point Brewing Company was crowned the world’s top Small Brewing Company. In fact, this multi-faceted operation is so dominant that their recently established Ballast Point Spirits won a gold medal with its Devil’s Share Whiskey at a competition held by the American Distillers Institute in Kentucky. This astronomical achievement is made even more remarkable by the fact that another San Diego brewing operation, Port Brewing/The Lost Abbey, won the same distinction at the previous WBC. It’s no wonder the brewing spotlight is once again trained on America’s Finest City. It’s the region that spawned the double IPA and brought a plethora of outlandish (but now commonplace) beer styles to the forefront such
cocktail
We Are The Champions Breweries that medaled at the 2010 WBC AleSmith * Mira Mesa / alesmith.com Alpine Beer Co * Alpine / alpinebeerco.com Ballast Point Brewing Co. * Linda Vista and Scripps Ranch / ballastpoint.com Breakwater Brewing Co. * Oceanside / breakwaterbrewingcompany.net Green Flash Brewing Co. Vista / greenflashbrew.com Karl Strauss Brewing Co. * San Diego (various locations) / karlstrauss.com Pizza Port Carlsbad & Solana Beach / pizzaport.com Port Brewing Co./The Lost Abbey San Marcos / portbrewing.com / lostabbey.com Rock Bottom * La Jolla / rockbottom.com
* – indicates gold medal winner
as Belgian-style ales, imperial (strong) ales and even those aforementioned sour beers. In total, San Diego brewers brought home 21 medals from the 2010 WBC. That’s more than many nations mustered at the competition. It just goes to show what locals already know—you don’t have to travel the globe for great beer when the world’s best is brewing right in your own backyard.
Ballast Point brewmaster, Colby Chandler, shares the impetus, ingredients and process behind the Top Small Brewing Company’s gold-medal brews Piper Down Barrel-Aged Scottish Ale, Wood- and Barrel-Aged Category “The Ballast Point Bag Pipe Band was the inspiration behind this one. Pipe Major and Ballast Point owner Jack White wanted a moderate-alcohol, low-hop, malty ale to be enjoyed by the band. We used UK Maris Otter Malt, roasted barley and UK Hops to do just that, then aged it in Bourbon barrels to get genuine ‘Kentucky flavor.’” Fathom India Pale Lager, Out of Category—Traditionally Brewed Beer “We originally brewed this adult 48
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beverage for the 2003 Southern California Home Brewers Festival. We use a traditional West Coast IPA recipe but change out warmfermenting ale yeast with coldBallast Point head brewer Yussef Cherney fermenting lager yeast to help get (green shirt) and owner/founder Colby Chanrid of any fruity-tasting ale esters dler (blue shirt) take gold at the WBC and take advantage of the cleaner lager profile. This allows the hop flavor Point. It’s a combination of a Single and and aroma to shine brightly.” Double IPA recipe with Belgian Crystal Malt and Simcoe, Amarillo and Northern Sculpin India Pale Ale, International Brewer Hops that make for a very Pale Ale Category tropical fruit-forward aroma that jumps “This is an in-house collaboration out of the glass. Its lighter body helps between Home Brew Mart and Ballast balance the large amount of hop oils.”
Jason E. Kaplan
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{groove}
showtime
win-win
bartender
“The San Diego Spirits Festival will bring beverage and trade professionals, celebrity judges and consumers together.” –Mayor Jerry SAnders
We Have Spirits, Yes We Do SIPPING AND CELEBRATING AT THE SAN DIEGO SPIRITS FESTIVAL By Brandon Hernández
S
eminars, trade events and mixers—at first blush, the San Diego Spirits Festival sounds like some sort of convention. Indeed, for pros in the adult beverage industry, it’s a chance to talk shop, show off their wares and get down to business. But for fans of a good stiff drink, it’s a four-day free-for-all stocked with top-shelf cocktail parties, mixology competitions and tasting events throughout downtown. Local libation enthusiasts are already lining up to get in on the action, which kicks off June 2 and trickles down to the Grand Tasting Event on June 5. Even the City’s top dog, Mayor Jerry Sanders, is on-board. “The San Diego Spirits Festival will bring beverage and trade professionals, celebrity judges and consumers together,” Sanders writes in a welcome letter to the festival’s participants and guests. “I am certain your experience in ‘America’s Finest City’ will be truly memorable.” The June 5 Grand Tasting will host 2,000 attendees at the Hilton Bayfront’s Waterfront Park and will feature more fine liquors than you can shake a swizzle stick at. Prefer your drinks paired with cuttingedge cuisine? Feast your eyes and taste buds on the June 3 mixology food-pairing challenge at Grant Grill, where chef-mixologist duos from local restaurants will vie for supremacy with their harmonic drink-dish tandems. And for the purists, a mixology competition will take place June 4 on the rooftop of the Andaz Hotel, featuring a group of stout competitors from the San Diego Bartenders Guild. On June 3 and 4, industry experts will conduct seminars, redefining “higher education” by covering topics such as the history of gin and tequila, women and whiskey (we’re listening) and lessons in molecular mixology. If that weren’t enough, each night of the festival will feature parties with themed fashion shows and event-specific cocktails where 100 percent of proceeds benefit local charities. With so many bad reasons in life to reach for a drink, it’s cool that San Diegans now have so many good reasons. For tickets or more info, visit sandiegospiritsfestival.com. 50
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GET IN THE SPIRIT Where to soak in the San Diego Spirits Festival June 2: Welcome Pink Charity Party The MerK at The Keating Hotel, 820 5th Ave., , downtown, 619.814.6375, themerk.com June 3: Bartender/Chef Mixology Food Pairing Challenge, 5 – 7:30 p.m. Grant Grill at US Grant Hotel, 326 Broadway, , downtown, 619.744.2077, grantgrill.com June 3: San Diego Junior League Charity Party Siren Pool & Uber Lounge at Sè San Diego Hotel, 1047 5th Ave., downtown 619.515.3000, sesandiego.com June 4: Partying for a Purpose Charity Party and Blind Tiger Mixology Competition, 7 – 9:30 p.m. Ivy Rooftop at Andaz Hotel, 600 F St., downtown 619.849.1234, sandiego.andaz.hyatt.com June 5: The Grand Tasting, 1 – 5:30 p.m. Hilton Bayfront, 1 Park Blvd., downtown 619.564.3333, hiltonsandiegobayfront.com June 5: Grand Tasting After Party Sway Lounge at The Keating Hotel, 432 F St., downtown, 619.814.5700, thekeating.com
Unaashe
619.234.4166 | www.vindesyrah.com | info@syrahwineparlor.com | 901 5th avenue tuesday – saturday 4pm – 2am | sunday 4pm – 12am
D E S I G N E D
B Y
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showtime
win-win
bartender
Spin Cycle
MEET A SAN DIEGO DJ WHO MAKES THE ROUNDS
D
by SETH COMBS / PHOTO BY JAMES NORTON J Schoeny prides himself on blowing minds seven days a week. Whether he’s spinning at his bi-weekly residency at Side Bar in the Gaslamp, at El Camino in Little Italy on Sundays or at Thrusters in Pacific Beach on Wednesdays, his ubiquity has made the tall, tatted-up spinner one of the most in-demand DJs in the city. The fact that he’s full-time and able to completely devote his time to his craft makes his skills on the turntables that much better. “This is my life. This is all I want to do,” says Schoeny. This work ethic came early for Schoeny. Back in the day, he was just Justin Schoenberger, a shy music lover who stumbled onto spinning while hanging out with his DJ neighbors in Modesto. Even when he had a stint in the Navy, Schoeny says he would buy new equipment wherever he was stationed, which led to gigs in Tokyo and Yokohama, Japan. By the time he got back to the U.S., eventually making it to San Diego in 2005, he was already way ahead of the curve compared to most of the local DJ scene. He was a percussionist growing up, so has a keen ear for those one-of-a-kind beats that really get people moving. “Every DJ has a genre or something that they really like to play, but I’m really all over the place,” says Schoeny of his particular style. “I get booked for house [music] nights as well as rock nights, but that makes me very well-rounded.” Even after playing this year’s Winter Music Conference in Miami and opening for the Black Eyed Peas at last year’s Street Scene, Schoeny remains humble and promises anyone who hears him that he’s going to bring it, no matter the venue. “Honestly, I don’t have a favorite. I’m proud of those accomplishments, but there’s always something awesome that’s going to come out of every gig. Whether it’s a small bar or a huge event, it’s always going to be fun.”
“Every DJ has a genre or something that they really like to play, but I’m really all over the place”
Who Gives?
$50 gift certificates to Beauty & Body Lounge advanced skin care and medical spa in Hillcrest (beautyandbodylounge.com)
PacificSD, THE MAGAZINE THAT LOVES YOU BACK
$50 gift certificates to the Tilted Kilt pub and eatery in East Village (tiltedkilt.com)
B
y the end of May, PacificSD lovers will have won a total of $9,750 in gift certificates to many of San Diego’s top restaurants, bars, nightclubs, med-spas and boutiques. You guys are so lucky! It’s all part of PacificSD’s $20,000 Everyday Giveaway at facebook.com/pacificsd. If you can upload a picture and type a sentence, here’s what you can win in June: 52
pacificsandiego.com | JUNE 2010
$50 gift certificates to Confidential restaurant/loft in the Gaslamp (confidentialsd.com) $100 A Style Concierge salon and boutique in East Village (astyleconcierge.com) $50 gift certificates to Analog music and burger bar in the Gaslamp (analogburgerbar.com) Here’s what you should/could/may have won in May:
ALLYOU CAN EAT
NACHOS 5pm-close
$3 TACOS
BEEF OR CHICKEN
1/2
PRICE
APPETIZERS
5pm-close
ALLDAY BEER PONG!
9pm-close
HOSPITALITY INDURSTRY
% OFF 50 YOUR BILL PAYSTUB REQUIRED
8pm-close
RIB
NIGHT $10 Rack of Ribs, Fries & Salad
5pm-close GOLDFISH
RACES!
9pm-close
2 1 for
BURGERS 5pm-close
$3U CALL ITS! 9pm-close DJs
Never a cover.
2 1 for
FISH 'N' CHIPS 5pm-close DJs
Never a cover.
$3
TACOS BEEF OR CHICKEN
ALLDAY
$3
TACOS BEEF OR CHICKEN
ALLDAY
DJs
Never a cover.
BREAKFAST 8am-3pm
DJs
Never a cover.
BREAKFAST 8am-3pm
KARAOKE 9pm-close
BEST VIEW IN PB • EPIC SUNSETS ALL SPORTS PACKAGES NEVER A COVER • 20 DRAFTS 2 FULL BARS • GREAT SERVICE KILLER FOOD • MONSTER BURGERS KITCHEN TIL 10PM 4343 OCEAN BOULEVARD PACIFIC BEACH 92109 858.272.SURF PBSHORECLUB.COM FRIEND US ON FACEBOOK!
Text 'ShoreClub' to 74700 for events and specials.
"Where Grand meets the sand."
{groove}
showtime
win-win
bartender
Body Shots
FLEXING BY DAY, FLUXX-ING by NIGHT by LORENA NAVA RUGGERO PHOTO BY brevin blach
I
n case it’s never gotten her preferential treatment before, Brooke Thompson’s physique has now earned her a spot in PacificSD’s body issue. The former dance teacher is tan, ripped and has no fear when it comes to showing off her body—working out for an hour five times a week can do that. But in this case, beauty isn’t only skin deep—with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Arizona State University, Thompson is just as comfortable having a deep conversation as she is wearing revealing outfits as a bartender at the recently opened Fluxx in the Gaslamp Quarter. Thompson calls her workplace a “very different nightclub for San Diego.” Featuring a circular design with revolving themes (the theme right now is an appropriately flowerfilled “pollination” for spring), it seems to live up to its slogan, “a club of constant change.” “It’s more like a Miami or Vegas kind of spot,” Thompson says. “There’s always something huge happening and, with bartending, you’re constantly in the middle of it. I love that.” And she should know—Thompson has seen her fair share of San Diego’s increasingly hot nightclub scene in the two-and-a-half years she’s lived here, having worked at Stingaree and other downtown bars prior to her current gig. Now, she works with what she calls the “best of the best” at Fluxx, where there’s a seemingly endless flow of energy. From the acrobatic go-go dancers who perform with fire, giant albino pythons and other props, to regular celebrity sightings, including Usher in May, Ludacris in April and football star Reggie Bush at the March opening, the place never stops. Thompson has no trouble keeping pace with the action. Her fitness helps her maintain stamina and speed, both of which are crucial on the busy weekend nights when the popular club is open. Like other bartenders, she prefers making quick and easy drinks, including her own personal favorite Grey Goose and water, but, given the time to be creative, she likes making fruit-muddled martinis. But Thompson knows all too well that creativity has its limits, especially when it comes to the bad pick-up lines she hears every night. “What’s really crazy to me is that each guy will say something that I’ve heard a 100 times,” she says. “And they really believe that it’s witty and that they’re the first ones that have ever thought of it. I can’t tell you how may times I hear, ‘Okay, me and my friend have a bet…’ That’s almost always the start to a disastrous comment.”
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Biggest tip: $1,500 after a customer ordered a $600 bottle of Gran Patron Most annoying customer: “People who act like they just turned 21 and have never been to a club before.” Favorite restaurants: “BICE Ristorante and Blue Point Coastal Cuisine.” Why she loves San Diego: “It’s a melting pot with all kinds of people.”
Pacific Beach’s Nightclub & Dining Lounge
W TH FR SA Su happy $2 DRINKS & HAPPY $2.50 ALMOST
hour all night, pasta dinners from $4.95
STEAKHOUSE HOUR SPECIALS: 4-10P.M., $10.95 $2 DRINKS FILET +FREE MIGNON OR APPETIZERS AHI STEAK
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EVERYTHING FREE OR $2 (FOOD & DRINK)
945 Garnet Ave. Pacific Beach, Ca. • 858.274.4833 • johnnyvsd.com • VIPS: amy@johnnyvsd.com
{love} blind date
The Rules of Engagement they say lightning never strikes twice. but what about love?
I
n the October 2008 issue of PacificSD, Suzannah and Ty met on a blind date at The Shout House dueling piano bar in the Gaslamp. It was love at first sight—they got married 51 weeks later. (In case you had any money on it, they’re still married.) Hoping to duplicate that matrimonial result this evening, we once again begin a blind date at The Shout House. Could tonight be the night Tiffany and Tom find true love? Signs point to yes. Summer romance season must be here by now, and even though it’s a blind date, the daters do have at least one thing in common: they both agreed to submit revealing photos of themselves for this Body Issue of PacificSD. Let’s review the pre-date interviews. The couple will be here any minute.
PacificSD: Where are you from and where do you live now? Tiffany: From Pensacola, Florida. I currently live in Clairemont. TOM: Born and raised in S.D. Now I live in Bird Rock—love it! See ya’ at Beaumonts.
Why are you going on a blind date in a magazine? Tiffany: Why not? I’ll try anything at least once or five times. TOM: I recently stopped seeing someone, and it’s always my favorite part of the magazine. So, what the hell. Describe yourself in seven words. Tiffany: Outgoing, spontaneous, silly, loving, dorky, laidback, witty. TOM: Intelligent, funny, sarcastic, caring, optimistic, sincere and goofy. What’s one thing you’d like to change about yourself? Tiffany: I wish I wasn’t such a procrastinator. Tom: I’m a man. We don’t change. What makes you a good catch? 56
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Speaking of movie stars, which celebrity do people say you resemble? Tiffany: Jaime Pressly and Amy Smart. TOM: I get the same references all the time—Robin Thicke, Kurt Russell and Russell Crowe. My nickname in hoops is Maximus. What do you hope your date will look like? Tiffany: Gerard Butler. Just kidding. I just hope I am what he hopes I will look like. TOM: Light eyes, pouty lips, huge breasts and no bangs. What animal are you most like and how? Tiffany: A dolphin. Have you seen my back flip? Well, never mind, what would be the porpoise of that? TOM: I’m a dog person for sure. I’ve been known to get puppy eyes. However, if she has multiple cats, it’s already over.
F l av i o S c o r s at o
What do you do for a living? Tiffany: I am an executive assistant/promo model/student. TOM: I’m in real estate.
Tiffany: You have to catch me first. TOM: I’m down to earth. Southern California can make one think they’re a movie star.
Where are you most comfortable? Tiffany: My bed. TOM: I’m most comfortable with family. I have two brothers I hang with a lot. Would you rather be the best looking or most intelligent person in the world? Tiffany: Probably the most intelligent. That way, I will be rich from inventing, or from investing in something, then I could buy whatever I wanted to make me beautiful. TOM: Most intelligent for sure. Then I would finally know what it’s like to not be an idiot. (Continued on Page 58)
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{love} blind date
Taken for a Bride
A WEDDING VEIL AND THE COUPLE’S FIRST (LAP) DANCE
T
PHOTOs BY GABRIELA LINGENFELDER om and Tiffany meet for the first time at The Shout House. The place is packed, and it seems like every face in the crowd is singing along with the piano players’ rendition of “Bennie and the Jets” as they take their seats. After talking for a few minutes and toasting sizable pink shots sent over by management, they order a round of Hurricanes, the venue’s signature 22-ounce cocktail. Half an hour into the date, things seem to be going well. The daters are talking and laughing together and making a lot of eye contact. But just as they seem to be getting more comfortable, the music stops. “We have some blind daters from Pacific San Diego Magazine in the house tonight,” one of the piano players says into his microphone. “Why don’t you two come up here?” He tells the story of Ty and Suzannah, the blind daters that got married, and the crowd roars. The couple finish their mega-shots and approach center stage, where the piano player has Tom sit in a chair between the pianos. Then he announces that he’s going to help the daters break the ice by having Tiffany perform a lap dance for Tom. As the piano players and seemingly every member of the audience serenade the couple with a raunchy rendition of Kenny Rogers’, “You Picked a Fine Time to Leave Me, Lucille,” Tiffany begins to dance. Amid raucous cheers, she then ratchets up the performance, taking a veil from a bachelorette party in the front row and putting it on her head. (Wait, was that the sound of wedding bells or just the piano?) The crowd goes wild. Cat calls, screams, clapping…and that’s just Tom. Just kidding. Tom remains composed—blushing but composed, even when Tiffany takes his chair and makes him dance for her. Back at their table, the couple seems more relaxed. They sip their Hurricanes for a few more minutes, then head over to The Tipsy Crow (formerly Bitter End) on Fifth Avenue for a bite. When they arrive, they head upstairs, order drinks and are split for mid-date debriefings.
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PacificSD: How’s it going so far? Tiffany: It’s going well. He’s fun. I’m having a good time. He’s a really cool guy. TOM: It’s going great. She’s beautiful, she’s smart, she’s really funny and it’s been really easy.
Tiffany: I can’t see everything, but so far, an eight. TOM: She’s a 10.
What was your first impression of your date? Tiffany: When I first saw him walking up, I thought, “I don’t think he can quite keep up with me.” But he’s doing pretty good. He was right up to speed and he has a great sense of humor. TOM: Beautiful.
Is the vibe friendly or romantic at this point? Tiffany: Friendly, very friendly. There’s no awkwardness, I totally feel comfortable. TOM: So far it’s friendly, but there’s potential for more, I think.
Is this the type of guy/girl you’d normally date? Tiffany: If I just picked him out of the street, probably not. But now that I’ve met him, I would say…yeah. TOM: She’s the type of girl that I’d hope to date. She isn’t the type of girl that I’d normally date—I don’t usually do that well. How was The Shout House? Tiffany: Fun, awesome. I love the Shout House and I had a good time. I knew what to expect, though. I would have danced more if I was dressed appropriately. TOM: It was awesome. Between the rowdy crowd, dueling pianos and the anxiousness of a blind date, my head was spinning. Onstage was a heart-pounder. Tiffany’s lap dance had plenty to do with it, too. Amazing. I was not expecting her to turn the tables and have me dance. Rate your date, physically, on a scale from one to 10.
And for personality? Tiffany: Nine. TOM: Ten.
What’s your favorite body part of your date? Tiffany: I’ve only seen his face, but I kind of felt his back and I’d like to see what it looks like. TOM: Her eyes. What’s the best way the date could end? Tiffany: Who says it has to end? TOM: Goodnight kiss and her number. What’s the worst way the date could end? Tiffany: If I get totally sh!t-faced and have to take a cab home early. TOM: Slap in the face and an about-face walk-away. Does your date want to kiss you right now? Tiffany: I don’t think so. I wouldn’t let him. TOM: I think so. Do you want to kiss your date? Tiffany: No Tom: Yes (Continued on Page 60)
{love} blind date
Free as a Bird THE NIGHT FLIES by AT TIPSY CROW
A
fter the mid-date interviews, the daters are finally left alone to enjoy the rest of their evening without a photographer and tipsy magazine crew following them. We call the next day to see what we missed.
PacificSD: Overall, how was the date? Tiffany: It went very well. I had an awesome experience and lots of laughs. TOM: The date was a blast. Tiffany was a ton of fun. How was Tipsy Crow? Tiffany: Let’s just say we were two tipsy crows ourselves. It was interesting. TOM: Tipsy Crow was cool. We got a chance to chat and get to know each other a little better—then more shots. I have never been on a first date where I laughed more. What did you drink? How was the food? Tiffany: All together we had four random shots—and a cracker for dinner. TOM: We didn’t eat much, not a great decision, but conversation just didn’t stop so it was tough to order. We were all over the drinking map. We each had a beer, a vodka and two shots. This chick can hang. What was the best part of the date? Tiffany: I enjoyed all of it, but I think the experience at Shout House when we were on-stage was a blast. TOM: The best part was when we were on stage and they announced the last time PacificSD did a blind date at Shout House, the couple got married. There just so happened to be a bachelorette party in the front row—Tiffany grabs this girl’s veil and throws it on. The crowd went 60
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crazy, like a home run at Petco. Amazing. What happened after the magazine crew left you two alone? Tiffany: We proceeded to ante up our drinking skills at the Ivy [rooftop at Andaz San Diego]. TOM: We headed over to the Ivy, met up with some friends and kept it going. Did I mention, this girl can hang? Wow. Describe any romantic connection between yourself and your date. Tiffany: I don’t think it really got to that level. TOM: There was a lot of strong eye contact. She is really outgoing and confident, which I like. I will say there was a connection. Was there a kiss or romantic moment? Tiffany: No. TOM: There was a tiny kiss. I went in for the kill, but she kept it light and ladylike. Nice work, Tiff. When and how did the date end? Tiffany: It ended at the Ivy. Tom was the smart one by stepping out earlier than me. TOM: The date ended at the Ivy. I got her number and she stayed with some friends. I paid Horton Plaza $48 dollars to park. Ripped me off! Will there be a second date? Tiffany: Could be. TOM: There will be another date.
Aftermatch:
They say you’re more likely to get struck by lightning than win the lottery. If last night taught us anything, it’s that the same odds may hold true for getting struck by love during a blind date at a piano bar. Sure, buying extra tickets (or in this case, shots) can improve your chances, but if serenading piano players, a lap dance and a wedding veil don’t do the trick, the honeymoon is already over, and the only vow you should be making is to get back in the game.
Celebrity
Observations
“Looks like those two got rocked like a hurricane.” –Scorpion “Hey, that reminds me…is anyone gonna finish those drinks?” –Alec Baldwin “Yeah, seriously.” –Lindsay Lohan “Lindsay!” –Michael Lohan “Michael, you gotta just let your kids do what they want. It works for me.” –Hulk Hogan “I agree with the Hulkster. You should be able to do whatever you want with your kids.” –Woody Allen “Amen, Woody. I don’t even pay attention to my kids—and I still lost 50 pounds. The nanny says my kids are so proud of me.” –Octomom “You know, listening to you people, I’m actually considering never getting married again or having kids again. Just kidding.” –Larry King
THANK YOU! The Shout House, 655 Fourth Ave., Gaslamp, 619.231.6700, theshouthouse.com The Tipsy Crow, 770 Fifth Ave., Gaslamp, 619.338.9300, thetipsycrow.com
calendar {Listen}
Through 6/21: Lipinsky Family Jewish Arts Festival Venue: Lyceum Theater at Horton Plaza, downtown Tickets: $18-$25 per event/ performances Info: sdrep.org Experience Jewish culture, from live bands to stand-up comedy to knishes, at this 17th annual festival of live music, dance, theatre, fine arts and food.
S a n D i e g o R e p e r t o r y T h e at r e
6/4: Five Feet Under Photography Show Venue: Vin de Syrah, Gaslamp Admission: Free Info: vindesyrah.com The work of San Diego photographer Leetal Elmaleh goes underground—beneath the Gaslamp at the basement-level Vin de Syrah spirit and wine parlor.
c o u r t e s y o f L e e ta l E l m a l e h P h o t o g r a p h y
6/2: Tom Petty @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre, livenation.com 6/2: Bone Thugs and Harmony @ House of Blues, hob.com 6/2: Boz Scaggs @ Humphrey’s by the Bay, humphreysconcerts.com 6/3: Bushwalla Album Release Concert @ Belly Up Tavern, bellyup.com 6/4: Lisa Lampanelli @ Pechanga, pechanga.com (comedy) 6/4: Tim McGraw @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre, livenation.com 6/6: Third Eye Blind @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre, livenation.com 6/8: Denis Leary @ Humphrey’s by the Bay, humphreysconcerts.com
Submit events to calendar@pacificsandiego.com. Compiled by Logan Broyles
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courtesy of the Aggrolites
6/9: Cage the Elephant @ House of Blues, hob.com 6/11: Common Sense w/619 Lexington @ Belly Up Tavern, bellyup.com 6/11: Barrington Levy @ Soundwave, wavehousesandiego.com 6/11: Diana Ross @ Humphrey’s by the Bay, humphreysconcerts.com 6/11: Sammy Hagar and the Wabos @ San Diego Fairgrounds, sdfair.com 6/11: The Temptations @ Pechanga, pechanga.com 6/13: Sting @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre, livenation.com 6/17: Country Throwdown Tour @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre, livenation.com 6/18: KC and the Sunshine Band @ San Diego Fairgrounds, sdfair.com 6/18: The Young Dubliners @ Belly Up Tavern, bellyup.com 6/19: The Original Wailers with Psydecar @ House of Blues, hob.com 6/22: Erykah Badu @ Humphrey’s by the Bay, humphreysconcerts.com 6/23: Kenny Loggins @ San Diego Fairgrounds, sdfair.com 6/24: Switchfoot @ San Diego Fairgrounds, sdfair.com 6/24: Gregory Issacs @ Soundwave, wavehousesandiego.com 6/24: A Flock of Seagulls @ 4th & B, 4thandbevents.com 6/25: Backstreet Boys @ Pechanga, pechanga.com 6/30: Lonestar @ San Diego Fairgrounds, sdfair.com 6/30: The Family Stone @ San Diego Fairgrounds, sdfair.com
6/5-6: Fiesta Del Sol Venue: Fletcher’s Cove, Solana Beach Admission: Free Info: fiestadelsol.net The Aggrolites, Atomic Groove, B-Side Players, Dick Dale and a dozen other bands will rock the 31st annual Fiesta Del Sol, a family-friendly, oceanfront celebration expected to draw a crowd of 50,000 with live music, artisan and merchant booths, an international food court and beer gardens. 6/8: Coast of Pacific Beach Restaurant Walk Venue: Pacific Beach eateries west of Dawes Street Tickets: $20 Info: govavi.com Sample appetizers, entrees and desserts on a selfguided walking tour of more than 20 popular Pacific Beach restaurants within four blocks of the beach.
{Home Games} San Diego Padres vs.: 6/1-2: New York Mets 6/11-13: Seattle Mariners 6/14-16: Toronto Blue Jays 6/18-20: Baltimore Orioles 6/28-30: Colorado Rockies
1200 Garnet Ave., Pacific Beach
tavernatthebeach.com
where sunday funday doesn’t end because the sun goes down
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718 Ventura Pl., Mission Beach
We were dating for almost a year...
sandbarsportsgrill.com
where it’s still legal to drink on the beach
2253 Morena Blvd., Bay Park
offshoretavern.com
best happy hour in bay park...seven days a week!
...but, I’m like, enough already! I’m going out with the girls. –Summer
3815 30th St., North Park
truenorthtavern.com
sports bar, night club, bar or restaurant?... you decide!
1261 Garnet Avenue, Pacific Beach
brewleyspint.com
pb’s home for world cup action
2895 University Ave., North Park
westcoasttavern.com
voted north park’s business of the year
Serving your nightlife needs with six popular San Diego venues
calendar S a n D i e g o C o u n t y Fa i r
6/11-7/5: 2010 San Diego County Fair Venue: San Diego County Fairgrounds Tickets: $13 adults, $7 kids Info: sdfair.com Whether you prefer live music, fried food or the smell of farm animals, the three-week-long San Diego County Fair has something for you, including: Sammy Hagar, funnel cake, KC and the Sunshine Band, sheep, rides, the Enviro Fair, the Red Bull Action Sports Show, the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge, live chickens and the San Diego International Beer Festival.
C l i f f W at t s
6/8, 6/10-12, 6/15-19: Mainly Mozart Festival Venue: Balboa Theatre, downtown Tickets: $20-$85 Info: sandiegotheatres.org Enjoy classical smash hits by Mozart and his pals (Beethoven, Dvorak, Coplan) in this annual concert conducted by David Atherton, featuring pianist John Lill and violin virtuoso Sarah Chang.
pacificsandiego.com | JUNE 2010
6/26-27: La Jolla Festival of the Arts Venue: UCSD, at Genesee Ave. and Regents Rd. Tickets: $10 Info: lajollaartfestival.org See the works of nearly 200 of the region’s top artists at the 25th annual La Jolla Festival of the Arts, featuring street-chalking demonstrations and celebrity author book-signings.
{Of Note}
S a n D i e g o R e p e r t o r y T h e at r e
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6/27: San Diego International Triathlon Venue: Spanish Landing Park, Embarcadero Admission: free for spectators Info: kozenterprises.com While spectators listen to live music in the beer garden at the 27th annual San Diego International Triathlon, competitors will swim through San Diego Bay, bike to Cabrillo National Monument and back, then run a 10K along Harbor Island and the Embarcadero.
6/13: Taste of Adams Avenue Venue: Restaurants along Adams Avenue Tickets: $25 advance, $30 day of Info: adamsavenue business.com Enjoy small-portion culinary creations from more than 20 restaurants along Adams Avenue on this self-guided walking tour through Kensington and Normal Heights. Free trolley rides included with ticket.
June Birthstone: pearl June Flower: rose June is: National Safety Month, nsc.org National Men’s Health Month, menshealthmonth.org National Dairy Month, nationaldairycouncil.org National Adopt-a-Cat Month, aspca.org National Turkey Lovers Month, eatturkey.com 6/5: World Environment Day 6/14: Flag Day 6/20: Father’s Day 6/21: Summer Solstice (longest day of 2010)
La Jolla Festival of the Arts
6/19: Guy Fieri gets cooking Venue: San Diego County Fairgrounds, Del Mar Tickets: $27$47 (general admission seats free with fair admission) Info: sdfair.com Guy Fieri—the celebrity TV chef who won the second season of The Next Food Network Star and now stars in four shows on the Food Network—mixes bold flavors with music and comedy in this live cooking road show.
Lori Brooks Photography
6/11-13, 6/18-20: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) Venue: Lyceum Theatre at Horton Plaza, downtown Tickets: $25 Info: sdrep.org Say goodbye to Cliffs Notes and hello to 37 of Shakespeare’s plays, condensed into a fast-paced, 97-minute theatrical comedy.
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By LOGAN BROYLES he’s known as comedy’s Queen of Mean. Jim Carrey says she’s “more than a stand-up—a standout,” and according to Howard Stern, the self-proclaimed King of All Media, she’s “a true original and a brilliant comedy mind who’ll steal the show every time.” In advance of her June 4 stand-up appearance at Pechanga, comedian Lisa Lampanelli talks with PacificSD about her career, her jokes and her body.
PacificSD: You were a journalist before turning to comedy. Why the switch? Lisa Lampanelli: You tell me. I mean, 10 grand a year versus being a billionaire? I think that’s an easy choice, huh? How did you get started in stand-up? Lampanelli: I took a little comedy class in Connecticut from a guy named Michael Jackson, not the dead one, and he taught us how to put together our first five minutes of material and kind of got me to where I thought I could get up the nerve to get onstage. Thankfully, it went really well. I called in sick the next day and then I started bucking to be laid off, ‘cause I just knew what was gonna happen—that it would lead to my wealthy celebrity status that I have today. Have you ever regretted any of your jokes? Lampanelli: No, but I was a little scared to make fun of Gary Busey when we were roasting Larry the Cable Guy, because Gary Busey is insane. He’s literally had a brain injury. So, like, is he gonna not know I’m kidding? Is he gonna rush the stage? You just never know. Thankfully, he was so out of it he didn’t even understand that we were making fun of him. Also, I did a joke about Jerry Lewis when I was with him at the Friar’s Club, where I said “Don’t worry, Jerry, it’s almost over…and I don’t mean the roast.” And then he had a heart attack two days later. I like to think that I had something to do with that. Where’s your favorite place to perform? Lampanelli: I’m sure you’d like for me to say whatever craphole I’m performing at, Pechanga or whatever—that’s my absolute favorite place in the world. That’s where I put on my best show. It wouldn’t be Radio City Music Hall. It wouldn’t be Carnegie Hall. It would absolutely be the Pechanga Resort, so people should come out. How’s that for bullsh!tting you? What do you think about San Diego? Lampanelli: It’s not as sleek as LA, but the people still have money, which, you know, I don’t want no poor folks coming to my show, ‘cause they can’t afford the tickets and the merchandise. Also there’s a lot of different minorities, a lot of Mexicans—not as many as LA or Mexico, but you’re catching up. June is PacificSD’s body issue, so I have to ask: What you do to maintain your physique? Lampanelli: You know what’s sick about me? I am the most physically fit chubby bitch, and it really pisses me off. I go to Candy Ranch Health Spa in Tucson, Arizona, where I have a house. They’re like, “Your bone density, your heart, all that’s in the best shape we’ve ever seen. Yet, you have so 66
pacificsandiego.com | JUNE 2010
much body fat.” I’m like, “F#&$! you, you dirty Jews. So, basically I now have to work my ass off twice as hard, do the treadmills and all that crap. I gotta eat 1,500 rotten calories a day, and I’m still a chubby bitch. Lucky enough, I found a white guy who loves me despite the big ass, so I think things are looking up. Why should PacificSD readers see your show? Lampanelli: I say the C-word. I call people the N-word. Wouldn’t you like to go see that? What would you say if I told you I’m thinking about becoming a comedian? Lampanelli: I would say quit, because you’re not funny. You know 90 percent of people suck ass and will never get beyond maybe $1,500 a week headlining at the Chuckle Hut. So I would say kill yourself or quit.
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