PACIFIC San Diego Magazine, March 2018 by Pacific San Diego Magazine

WELLBALANCED CAN AN ALIGNMENT OF CHAKRAS BRING CALM?

CANNABIS KOMBUCHA, WATERBAR OPENS IN P.B., ITALIAN FOOD SERVED IN DINING CARTS AND 120+ MUSICAL PERFORMANCES AND EVENTS

MARCH 2018

PACIFICSANDIEGO.COM

GOATED INTO IT BLIND DATERS THRUST INTO COMPROMISING POSITIONS

NATURALLY GOOD NORTH PARK SHOP PROMOTES CLEAN BEAUTY

EDITOR’S NOTE

Balancing Act Balance in life is an ongoing process. It’s like a never-ending up and down ride on the playground see-saw. There’s work-life balance. There’s balance in relationships (friends or partners). There’s diet and exercise balance. And there’s even internal balance, as well. Since taking over as Editor-in-Chief at PACIFIC in September, it’s the diet and exercise balance in my life that continues to be up and down. Just about every week I’m eating out at multiple new restaurants, trying new foods, getting drinks with contacts or checking out other events around town. I know, pity party, table for one. So, a few weeks ago while lying on my yoga mat during final relaxation (you know, that time when you’re not supposed to be thinking about anything other than your breath), I decided it was time for a drastic change. The next day I cut practically everything out of my diet. No processed foods. No gluten. No added sugars. No caffeine. No alcohol. In other words, no fun. For me, sometimes it takes an extreme action

to find middle ground again. This “clean eating” process is something I’ve done before. I cut out a majority of foods (for that first week it was only fruits, vegetables and nuts) then slowly add back in simple items each week (fish and legumes one week, gluten-free grains and eggs another). Is it easy? Hell no. In fact, I’m pretty sure I was a total pain in the ass on some of those initial days. Is it worth it? Not for everyone, but for me, yes. The process becomes a practice in mindful eating. Do I really need that bag of chips next to me when I’m watching TV at home? No. Do I need a bite-sized candy bar each day after lunch from the candy dish on my desk? No. But those things had somehow become routine and the extreme process I chose to take helped break those habits quickly and reminded me how much more energy I could have when I wasn’t making poor eating decisions. Side note: Admittedly, for the first time, I am writing my editor’s note somewhere other than La Mesa’s Public Square, where I would typically indulge in a cold brew coffee and a scone with a flight of three different flavored butters (yes, that’s a thing) — and I’m pretty sad about that. Am I ever going to eat those things again? Hell yes. A life without butter (and bacon) is no life for me. But with any luck, I’ll be able to find a happy place that makes me feel healthier and more balanced. If you’re curious about other possible ways to bring balance into your life, check out this month’s feature on chakra balancing (page 50), where writer Laurie Delk tries it out and relays firsthand what it was like. Namaste,

Talk about no fun. This was my plate during a friend’s recent birthday party that included smoked tri-tip, chips and salsa, brownies and peanut butter and chocolate bars. At least it matched the décor.

MARCH 2018 @PACIFICSD

Leslie Hackett leslie@pacificsandiego.com

QUOTABLE

I FEEL A BALANCE HERE IN SAN DIEGO. THE PEOPLE ARE MORE SERENE. IT ELEVATES THE QUALITY OF LIFE. — CHEF MARCO MAESTOSO (NOT YOUR GRANDMA’S CUCINA, PAGE 58)

Volume #12 Issue #03

MARCH 2018

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / DIGITAL DIRECTOR CREATIVE DIRECTOR MANAGING EDITOR DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY COPY EDITOR

Outstanding oceanfront dining in the heart of Del Mar. Since 1968.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

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Leslie Hackett Kenny Boyer Jennifer Ianni John McCutchen Monica Hodes-Smail Michael Benninger, Jackie Bryant, Lisa Deaderick, Laurie Delk, James Hebert, Pam Kragen, Scott McDonald, Peter Rowe K.C. Alfred, David Brooks, Nancee E. Lewis, Howard Lipin

CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATOR

Cristina Byvik

EDITORIAL INTERN

Stacy Marquez

PUBLISHER VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES

David Perloff Paul Ingegneri

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Lee De Lay III

MULTIMEDIA ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Lisa Marsolais, Laura J. Schwartz, Alyson Tietze

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER

Greg Johannsen

Reach Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finest readers via print, web, social, email, street team and events. Read, click, connect... BOOM! PACIFIC is a media property owned by The San Diego Union-Tribune.

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MARCH 2018 @PACIFICSD

AG AV E

E X P R ESS I O N I S M

M IL AG R O

MEANS

MI RACLE

WHO MAKES SAN DIEGO’S BEST MARGARITA? Don’t take it with a grain of salt. Cast your vote as dozens of the city’s top bars compete in the fourth annual Margarita Month. Order, hashtag, repeat for a chance to win up to $3,000 in gift certificates ($100/bar).

¡No Manches!, The Rabbit Hole’s esteemed entry into 2017’s Margarita Month competition, is made with Milagro Reposado Tequila, passion fruit, house-made margarita mix (lemon, lime, guava), agave nectar, triple sec and house-made citrus salt (orange, lemon/lime zest). #rabbitholesd #margaritamonth

#MARGARITAMONTH • MARGARITAMONTH.COM

CONTENTS MARCH 2018

FEATURES

50 Chakra Shocker

A hands-on experience at the Chopra Center was an eye — and chakra — opener

DEPARTMENTS CURRENTS 14 Three.Eighteen Events calendar

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

26 Laughing Stock March stand-up comedy shows

70 Devotion by the Ocean It’s all about commitment to the craft for Waterbar’s Brian Gaudet

PULSE 32 Art Beat March gallery & exhibition openings

74 A Dose of the Good Stuff San Diego company infuses cannabis into kombucha

42 Curtain Calls March performing arts preview

GROOVE 78 Sounds Like a Plan March concert calendar

44 Clean Routine Founder of Good Life and Shop Good ditches conventional beauty products for a healthier life TASTE 58 Not Your Grandma’s Cucina Italians bring nontraditional and innovative dining concept to Hillcrest with launch of Maestoso

92 Take a Spin Upcoming EDM and DJ performances LOVE 96 Whatever Floats Your Goat Blind daters limber up with livestock before a romantic dockside dinner

ON THE COVER: Illustration by Cristina Byvik. See story, page 50. ON THIS PAGE: The legendary George Clinton rocks out at the 2017 SESAC Pop Awards in New York City. See story, page 78. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images).

MARCH 2018 @PACIFICSD

@PACIFICSD

MARCH 2018

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CURRENTS WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW BY MICHAEL BENNINGER

CRSSD FESTIVAL 3.3-4 Waterfront Park, downtown, crssdfest.com Bonobo, Gorgon City and Empire of the Sun are atop the epic lineup of artists performing at this annual celebration of dance and electronic music. PHOTO BY ARLENE IBAR RA

MARCH 2018 @PACIFICSD

CURRENTS | EVENTS

13TH ANNUAL CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL 3.9-11 Japanese Friendship Garden, Balboa Park, niwa.org Learn the fine art of cherry blossom flower appreciation during this yearly festival full of food vendors, cultural performances and other exotic demonstrations. PHOTO BY HAYNE PALMOUR IV

MARCH 2018 @PACIFICSD

R E A L E STAT E M A R K E T WATC H

BANKERS HILL, 92103 The Park, Bankers Hill is the newest Downtown development by Zephyr. This Bankers Hill beauty was designed by award-winning architecture firm DIALOG. It features open floorplans to maximize arrangement options and entertaining; plus large, private terraces for exterior dining. The amenities match the designer units and include an entertainment lounge with club bar and televisions, outdoor dining with fire pits, a state-of-the-art fitness center with yoga studio, and a negative-edge pool and relaxing spa. 3104 Fourth Ave., San Diego, CA 92103

DOWNTOWN MARKET UPDATE # of homes for sale: 229 # of homes sold: 53 (Jan.) Highest price: $1,750,000 Lowest price: $265,000 Average home price: $490,000

January had a rise in inventory, starting 2018 with a bang. Although January typically has the lowest sales, the numbers are up from 2017.Â Opportunities exist, but representation matters, as does knowing all the listings available on- and off-the-market. If you are interested in exploring buying or selling a property in downtown, give us a call: 619.356.3099.

Chad@DanneckerandAssociates.com | @welcometosandiego.com #welcometosandiego | @WelcometoSD 875 G St., Ste. 108, San Diego, CA 92101

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CURRENTS | EVENTS

Sports

3.3 THE SUPER RUN Embarcadero Marina North, Marina District thesuperrun.com Don your cape, cowl and other crime-fighting attire for this “Galactic Heroes”-themed 5K that raises funds for a variety of outstanding orgs.

SAN DIEGO GULLS HOME GAMES 3.2 VS ONTARIO REIGN 3.6 VS CLEVELAND MONSTERS 3.13 VS SAN ANTONIO RAMPAGE 3.16 VS MILWAUKEE ADMIRALS 3.17 VS BAKERSFIELD CONDORS 3.28 VS BAKERSFIELD CONDORS 3.30 VS CLEVELAND MONSTERS

SAN DIEGO SOCKERS HOME GAMES 3.3 VS EL PASO COYOTES

Movies 2.2 RED SPARROW

READY PLAYER ONE A better reality awaits. Thriller | Fantasy Directed by Steven Spielberg Starring Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Mark Rylance After the creator of a wildly popular virtual world dies, he challenges the realm’s digital denizens to find the mother of all Easter eggs — and the keys to an immense fortune. 18

MARCH 2018 @PACIFICSD

DEATH WISH 2.9 A WRINKLE IN TIME THOROUGHBREDS THE STRANGERS 2 GRINGO 2.16 LOVE, SIMON 7 DAYS IN ENTEBBE TOMB RAIDER THE LEISURE SEEKER 2.23 PACIFIC RIM UPRISING MIDNIGHT SUN ISLE OF THE DOGS SHERLOCK GNOMES 2.28 PAUL APOSTLE OF CHRIST 2.29 READY PLAYER ONE 2.30 ACRIMONY

3.3-4 BUSKER FESTIVAL Seaport Village, Marina District seaportvillage.com Acrobats, comedians, fire jugglers and scads of street performers from across the country descend upon Seaport Village for SoCal’s signature two-day busker festival, featuring an untamed 18-and-up party Saturday after sunset.

3.3-11 10TH ANNIVERSARY SAN DIEGO FESTIVAL OF SCIENCE & ENGINEERING Various locations around San Diego lovestemsd.org With more than 60 scheduled events throughout the city — including several adult-exclusive activities — this 10-day educational experience proves science exploration isn’t strictly for students.

3.4 SIXTH ANNUAL ST. PATRICK’S DAY HALF MARATHON/5K Main Street at Magnolia Avenue, downtown El Cajon stpatricksdayhalf.com This fast, costume-friendly 5K invites finishers to compete in a CrossFit inspired obstacle course before enjoying food trucks and live music at the event’s exclusive Beer Fest.

3.4 ENCINITAS HALF MARATHON Moonlight State Beach, Encinitas encinitashalfmarathon.com Featuring live music, local vendors and 7 miles of oceanfront running — that’s more than any other race in the county — this 13.1-mile trek awards finishers with a free postrace breakfast and beer garden.

R E A L E STAT E M A R K E T WATC H

COLUMBIA DISTRICT, 92101 THE ELECTRA BUILDING

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DOWTOWN MARKET UPDATE # of homes for sale: 245 # of homes sold: 57 (Jan.) Highest price: $1,750,000 Lowest price: $265,000 Average price: $624,421

The first quarter has started off strong. Many new listings are on the market, and active buyers are making decisions to pursue purchases. The market forecasts a positive, stable and rising market for 2018, and the energy is felt throughout the city and county. It’s a great time to purchase and sell in San Diego.

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CURRENTS | EVENTS

10TH ANNUAL PECHANGA WINE FESTIVAL 3.10 Pechanga Summit, Temecula, pechanga.com Sip, savor and sample a slew of distinguished vintages from notable wineries throughout Europe, South America and California. PHOTO BY JOHN C. VELASQUEZ

MARCH 2018 @PACIFICSD

CURRENTS | EVENTS

3.11 SIXTH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL MARIACHI FESTIVAL & COMPETITION Pepper Park, National City mariachifest.com Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not just about the mariachi music at this eclectic event that also includes bungee jumping, extreme water sports, a wrestling exhibition and interactive virtual reality games. PHOTO BY NANCEE E. LEWIS

3.4 BRUNCHCON Port Pavilion on Broadway Pier, Marina District, brunchcon.com Indulge in bottomless mimosas, an unrestricted Bloody Mary bar and bites from 30 food vendors as the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest brunch-centric celebration arrives in San Diego.

3.8 TASTE OF THIRD Throughout Chula Vista Village thirdavenuevillage.com Sip on discounted drinks, bite into savory samples and witness impressive performances by musicians and magicians during this self-guided tasting tour of Chula Vista eateries.

3.9 10TH ANNUAL CHOCOLATE DECADENCE FESTIVAL Pechanga Summit, Temecula pechanga.com Treat your sweet tooth to an array of chocolates and pastries while listening to live music and sampling a variety of wines, bubbles and spirits at this highly anticipated epicurean event.

that incorporate hikes, live music, energy healing and even skateboards.

3.10 BEST COAST BEER FEST Embarcadero Park South, downtown bestcoastbeerfest.com Discover more than 200 beers from 90plus local breweries at this ale-lovers event benefiting Cuck Fancer, which helps young cancer patients and survivors move forward.

3.10 FOURTH ANNUAL BUNNY BALL Town & Country Hotel, Mission Valley thebunnyball.com Bring a new stuffed bunny (or just donate an Andrew Jackson) at this black-tie ball that aims to deliver wascally wabbits to 1,500 sick and needy children.

3.10 ROCK STAR BEER FESTIVAL Humphreys by the Bay, Shelter Island rockstarbeerfestivalsd.com Headlined by Offsprung, Sega Genecide and Pop Punk Mayhem, this charity concert includes unlimited samples from more than 50 craft breweries.

3.9-12 SAN DIEGO YOGA FESTIVAL Portwood Pier, Imperial Beach sandiegoyogafestival.com Hit the reset button during four days of non-stop oceanfront yoga, including classes 22

MARCH 2018 @PACIFICSD

3.10 TEDXSDSU: PATTERN DISRUPTION Montezuma Hall, SDSU Campus tedxsdsu.org

A selection of brilliant artists, scholars and entrepreneurs deliver short talks about the patterns that define our existence, encouraging attendees to question their preconceived notions.

3.10 THE GREAT INFLATABLE RACE SDCCU Stadium, Mission Valley thegreatinflatablerace.com Laugh your ass off while jumping, diving and bouncing through the massive, customdesigned inflatable obstacles scattered throughout this fun run supporting local businesses and charities.

3.11 SAN DIEGO HALF MARATHON & 5K Broadway Pier, downtown sdhalfmarathon.com Beginning and ending near Petco Park, this race first heads up the coast toward Liberty Station, then ventures east into Mission Hills and Hillcrest before passing Balboa Park on the way back to East Village.

3.11 MEXICO IN A BOTTLE Bread & Salt, Barrio Logan mexinabottle.com This traveling celebration of Mexican culture includes a selection of mezcals, raicillas and tequilas, plus several south-of-the-border wines and beers paired with bites from local restaurants.

CURRENTS | EVENTS

11TH ANNUAL MUSTACHE BASH

3.24

Port Pavilion on Broadway Pier, Marina District, mustachebash.com Celebrate that which separates the men from the boys at this facial-hair affair followed by an after-party aboard a private boat departing right from the pier. PHOTO BY BRENDAN MCCOURT/@BPM.PHOTO

MARCH 2018 @PACIFICSD

3.31 NINTH ANNUAL DEL MAR MUD RUN Del Mar Fairgrounds, Del Mar delmarmudrun.com Get set for some filthy fun at this unique 5K featuring 15 muddy obstacles, a few mystery surprises and a sudsy post-race foam-fest.

3.17 ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE & IRISH FESTIVAL Balboa Park, stpatsparade.org Revel in the floats, bands and dancing groups comprising this St. Paddy’s Day parade, then soak up even more Celtic culture at the following Irish Festival with craft booths, live entertainment and oodles of food and brews.

3.17 LEPRECHAUN RUN Garnet Avenue at Bayard Street, Pacific Beach, sandiegorunningco.com Score a pair of green socks, sunglasses and either a tutu or headband at this inaugural Irish-inspired 5K followed by a post-run party at newly opened Mavericks Beach Club.

3.23 SIXTH ANNUAL BANKERS HILL ART & CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL The Abbey on Fifth Avenue, Bankers Hill new.bankershillbusinessgroup.com Local artists and Bankers Hill restaurants join forces at this two-level, 21+ event offering unlimited pours from more than a dozen nearby breweries.

3.18 HOT CHOCOLATE 15K 3.17 SAN DIEGO SHAMROCK

3.30-31 BEATLES FAIR

Throughout the Gaslamp Quarter sandiegoshamrock.com Three stages of live music, 25 participating bars and endless green beer. What else do you need to know?

Petco Park, East Village hotchocolate15k.com Satisfy your sweet tooth between strides on this indulgent urban run that’s drizzled with Sweet Stations offering choice treats chocoholics can’t turn down.

3.17 ST. PATRICK’S DAY 10K, 2- & 4-MILE FUN RUN

3.18 NINTH ANNUAL PUPPY LOVE 5K

South of Hilton Hotel, Mission Bay Park kathyloperevents.com Choose a distance that matches your ambition, then celebrate crossing the finish line with a frothy cold one at the beer garden on Mission Bay.

Embarcadero Marina Park South, downtown, my.animalcenter.org Four-legged friends are invited on this quick course around the Embarcadero that’s followed by a sprawling “barketplace” full of food and fun.

3.17-18 35TH ANNUAL SAN DIEGO CAKE SHOW

3.19 27TH ANNUAL SAN DIEGO MUSIC AWARDS

3.31 UNCORKED: SAN DIEGO WINE FESTIVAL

Del Mar Fairgrounds, Del Mar sandiegocakeshow.com Also known as Confections for a Cause, this cake competition features classes, a variety of vendors and demos all benefiting the Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego.

House of Blues, downtown sandiegomusicawards.com Honoring the stand-out achievements from the city’s diverse music community, this award show recognizes artists in more than 20 categories including rock, jazz and hip-hop.

Embarcadero Marina Park North, Marina District, uncorkedwinefestivals.com Swirl, sniff and sip to your heart’s content at this oenophilic event boasting booths from more than 50 wineries alongside a fine selection of food trucks.

Queen Bee’s Art & Cultural Center, North Park, sandiegobeatlesfair.com Express your appreciation for John, Paul, George and Ringo at this annual community event dedicated to preserving the culture of the Fab Four.

3.31 MARCH FOR MEALS 5K CHARITY WALK Crown Point South, Mission Bay Park meals-on-wheels.org Help end senior hunger and isolation at this charity walk raising awareness of the struggles confronted by the elderly.

@PACIFICSD

MARCH 2018

CURRENTS

Laughing Stock March Stand-up Roundup BY MICHAEL BENNINGER

ARIES SPEARS

3.8-10

@ The American Comedy Co., americancomedyco.com

EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM, INDIVIDUALLY, SEXUALLY, HAS SOMETHING THAT YOU ARE INTO THAT IS DOWNRIGHT FILTHY, UH, DISGUSTING. NO ONE KNOWS HOW NASTY THIS IS, BUT YOU AND THE LORD. LIKE, IF ANYBODY ELSE KNEW WHAT THE F**K YOU WAS INTO, YOU WOULD HAVE TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Aries Spears on Comedy Blueprint

MARCH 2018 @PACIFICSD

3.1 JEFF DUNHAM @ Valley View Casino Center, valleyviewcasinocenter.com

“I don’t wanna offend anyone here, but can I just please say ‘black’? I am not Northern EuropeanAmerican. I don’t care. I’m freaking white. Or offwhite, or pink, I don’t know. All I know is there’s black, brown, red, yellow, white. I don’t care. Just mow my lawn.”

pillaged today #africangirlproblems amirite?’; ‘Was just bit by a mosquito #malarious.’” — Jon Rudnitsky at The Stand

3.16-18 SARAH TIANA @ The Comedy Store, thecomedystore.com/la-jolla

“I can’t eat Tide pods, because I don’t eat clean.” — Sarah Tiana on Twitter

— Jeff Dunham (via his dummy, Walter) in Spark of Insanity

3.22-24 GREG PROOPS

3.1-3 NICK THUNE @ American Comedy Co., americancomedyco.com

“Seventeen years old, got my first fake ID. In fact, about, I guess a week ago, it would’ve been my fake ID birthday, and I would have been 40. And it’s just like, where’d all the years go? And I know you’re looking at me, and you’re thinking, ‘Nick, you don’t look 40.’ But I did back then.”

@ American Comedy Co., americancomedyco.com

“I think women are strong. I think women have to do a lot of things men can’t do. In fact, women have to have ugly guys’ babies. Thank you for laughing. I told that joke in Cleveland, and wow.” — Greg Proops on Gotham Comedy Live

3.23-25 VIR DAS

— Nick Thune in Folk Hero

3.2-3 DOUG STANHOPE @ The Comedy Store, thecomedystore.com/la-jolla

you pull that off?”

“Some people say, ‘Yeah, I don’t have to drink to have a good time.’ You go, ‘Okay.’ But that means you have to have a good time to have a good time. How do

— Doug Stanhope on Beer Hall Putsch

@ The Comedy Store, thecomedystore.com/la-jolla

“It’s a good time to be Indian in the world. Not the best time to be brown, but if you’re gonna be brown, Indian is the best brown. Think about where all the other brown people on the planet come from. Indians, we are at the top of that food chain. Indians: We are the white people of brown people.” — Vir Das on Conan

3.9-11 JON RUDNITSKY @ The Comedy Store, thecomedystore.com/la-jolla

“You think people in Africa have time to Tweet about their problems? ‘I was just mauled by a lion, and my uncle has AIDS #fml,’ ‘My town was raped and

PHOTOS: ARIES SPEARS BY JOHN LAMPARSKI/GETTY IMAGES; JEFF DUNHAM BY MIKE WINDLE/GETTY IMAGES; NICK THUNE BY MIKE COPPOLA/GETTY IMAGES; DOUG STANHOPE BY ISAAC BREKKEN; JON RUDNITSKY BY ALBERTO E. RODRIGUEZ/GETTY IMAGES; SARAH TIANA BY RICK DIAMOND/GETTY IMAGES; GREG PROOPS BY MIKE WINDLE/ GETTY IMAGES; VIR DAS BY JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/GETTY IMAGES.

@PACIFICSD

MARCH 2018

CURRENTS | COMEDY

NEMR

3.31

@ Balboa Theatre, sandiegotheatres.org

3.24 JIM JEFFERIES @ Spreckels Theatre, spreckels.net

“Now, I don’t know the plight of the attractive female. I don’t know the hell they go through on a daily basis. But I do know this: If someone drugged my drink, I would take it as a compliment. I’d be at the bar going, ‘I’m getting sleepy. Who likes me? Who is it?’” — Jim Jefferies on Freedumb

3.25 JOHN MULANEY

LIVE EVERYDAY (SIC) LIKE IT’S YOUR LAST, BASICALLY LIVE IN ABJECT HORROR. EVERYDAY (SIC). — Nemr on Twitter

@ Jacob’s Music Center’s Copley Symphony Hall, sandiegosymphony.org

“(Marijuana legalization is) a good thing, but it’s also a really weird thing, because this is the first time I’ve ever seen a law change because the government is just like, ‘Ugh, fine.’” — John Mulaney on The Comeback Kid

3.29-31 CHINGO BLING @ American Comedy Co., americancomedyco.com

“I was named after my dad, I’m Pedro III. So it was my grandpa, my dad, then me. My dad wants me to keep it going. He says, ‘If you have a son, name him Pedro too.’ I say, ‘Hey, that’s enough. We’re not iPhones.” — Chingo Bling in They Can’t Deport Us All

3.30 BIANCA DEL RIO @ Balboa Theatre, sandiegotheatres.org

“Don’t give me your finger! My uncle gave me that, and I didn’t feel it. Don’t try it.” — Bianca Del Rio during the pre-show for RuPaul’s Drag Race

3.30-31 PAUL MORRISSEY @ The Comedy Store, thecomedystore.com/la-jolla

“I woke up a couple weeks ago, I had a bruise on my side. Didn’t run into anything, didn’t get hit by anything, just got a bruise from supporting my own weight at night apparently. Sleeping is too much for me at this point. This might be my last show is what I’m telling you folks.” — Paul Morrissey on Dry Bar Comedy

MARCH 2018 @PACIFICSD

PHOTOS: JIM JEFFERIES BY RICH POLK/GETTY IMAGES; JOHN MULANEY PHOTO BY KEVIN WINTER/GETTY IMAGES;º BIANCA DEL RIO BY LARS NIKI/GETTY IMAGES; PAUL MORRISSEY BY ARIN SANG-URAI PHOTOGRAPHY.

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PULSE ARTS | COOLTURE ART BEAT BY LISA DEADERICK

Growth by Christie Beniston.

MOSAIC LECTURE 3.4 California Center for the Arts, Escondido, 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido, 760.839.4125, artcenter.org For the final day of the Niki de Saint Phalle: Mythical California exhibition, this lecture will feature a panel discussion about the artists in the concurrent exhibition, Inspired, to discuss how they create their art. 32

MARCH 2018 @PACIFICSD

PULSE

Art Beat

March gallery + exhibit openings BY LISA DEADERICK

OPENS 3.4 WIND AND WATER: SAILING IN SAN DIEGO PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT Maritime Museum of San Diego, 1492 N. Harbor Dr., Marina District, 619.234.9153 ext. 101, sdmaritime.org Scenes of life on classic yachts and historic sailboats are on display from famed nautical photographer Bobby Grieser and his close friend, Mark Albertazzi.

MARCH 2018 @PACIFICSD

@PACIFICSD

MARCH 2018

PULSE | ART BEAT Threads of Thought by Viviana Lombrozo

3.7-5.2 SONGS OF EARTH, SEA, FIRE AND AIR Encinitas Community Center, 1140 Oak Crest Park Drive, Encinitas, 760.436.3310, artretreats.com Artist Ellen Speert presents mixed media artwork inspired by nature and scavenging along the coast and in forests and meadows.

3.2-25 50 TO WATCH The Studio Door, 3750 30th St., North Park, 619.255.4920, 50towatch.com This regional exhibition comes along twice a year and features San Diego’s best visual artists in galleries, online and in a national publication.

3.10-9.3 VOLUMINOUS ART— TREASURES FROM SAN DIEGO’S UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES Mingei International Museum, 1439 El Prado, Balboa Park, 619.239.0003, mingei.org Celebrate the art of books with 25 volumes from the libraries of UC San Diego, San Diego State University, and the University of San Diego, featuring book design, typography, binding and printing. 36

MARCH 2018 @PACIFICSD

3.17-8.5 SURVIVAL IS INSUFFICIENT Oceanside Museum of Art, 704 Pier View Way, Oceanside, 760.435.3720, oma-online.org As part of the Big Read partnership with the Oceanside Public Library, this exhibit looks at the role art plays in people’s lives and how more than basic needs are required for survival.

3.17-8.5 THE MUSEUM OF CIVILIZATION Oceanside Museum of Art, 704 Pier View Way, Oceanside, 760.435.3720, oma-online.org Based on the Museum of Civilization in the book, Station Eleven, this exhibit features items and technology that were once taken for granted and became obsolete in a postapocalyptic world.

Botanik by Alexander Arshansky. Opus 24: Rome, from the Campagna, Sunset by Thomas Moran.

THROUGH 4.29 THE ROMANTIC IMPULSE IN THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE TRADITION

THROUGH 8.12 MOTION PICTURES: PHOTOGRAPHS BY GJON MILI San Diego Museum of Art, 1450 El Prado, San Diego, 619.232.7931, sdmart.org Get a look at the ways in which noted photographer Gjon Mili studied and captured movement in dozens of gelatin silver prints, while his Academy Award-nominated film Jammin’ The Blues plays on a loop.

Timken Museum of Art, 1500 El Prado, San Diego, 619.239.5548, timkenmuseum.org American painters and printmakers respond to ideas about landscape, from the early 19th century to the present, through their work.

THROUGH 3.22 FEATURED NEW WORKS / ALEXANDER ARSHANSKY: ILLUMINATED Sparks Gallery, 530 Sixth Ave., downtown, 619.696.1416, sparksgallery.com Artist Alexander Arshansky takes the images from his subconscious and transfers them into paintings on canvas to create his “biomorphic cubism” style.

Woman lowering her arm during sleep and relaxation study by Gjon Mili.

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MARCH 2018

PULSE | ART BEAT

THROUGH 4.15 POINT/COUNTERPOINT: CONTEMPORARY MEXICAN PHOTOGRAPHY Museum of Photographic Arts, 1649 El Prado, Balboa Park, 619.238.7559, mopa.org The works of 19 contemporary Mexican photographers explore political, economic and social changes in their country.

CLOCKWISE (from top left): A federal police officer guards outside a bar during a special operation at the Zona Norte area in Tijuana by Guillermo Arias; Milk II by Ana Casas Broda; still from Norma by Maya Goded; Triangle Variations by Alejandra Laviada; Two Men and a Woman by Yvonne Venegas; Barret Junction – Tecate, Frontera USA – Mexico by Pablo López Luz; Untitled by José Luis Cuevas; Silencio by Patricia Martín.

MARCH 2018 @PACIFICSD

PULSE

Curtain Calls March performing arts BY JAMES HEBERT

3.7-4.22 A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC Cygnet Theatre 4040 Twiggs St., Old Town 619.337.1525, cygnettheatre.com A champion of Stephen Sondheim’s works, Cygnet returns to the lyrical and bittersweet musical that opened the company’s Old Town space a decade ago.

3.17-25 FLORENCIA EN EL AMAZONAS San Diego Opera, San Diego Civic Theatre 1100 Third Ave., downtown 619.533.7000, sdopera.org The Mexican composer Daniel Catán draws on the writings of Gabriel García Márquez for this magical-realist musical foray into the lush lands of the Amazon.

3.10-11 HOME OF THE BRAVE La Jolla Playhouse (public performances) 2910 La Jolla Village Dr., La Jolla 858.550.1010, lajollaplayhouse.org Lee Cataluna’s play — the latest POP Tour piece for young audiences — explores the stories of kids from military families.

3.15-4.15 THE HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH Diversionary Theatre 4545 Park Blvd., University Heights 619.220.0097, diversionary.org Diversionary stages (or imagineers?) the West Coast premiere of Philip Dawkins’ story about dashed dreams and deliverance in a certain Magic Kingdom.

3.21-25 CRYSTAL — A BREAKTHROUGH ICE EXPERIENCE Cirque du Soleil, Valley View Casino Center 3500 Sports Arena Blvd., Midway District 619.224.4171, valleyviewcasinocenter.com Cirque du Soleil’s first ice production promises thrills and (literal) chills, with skaters, acrobats and more.

3.22-4.15 BEACHTOWN San Diego Repertory Theatre 79 Horton Plaza, downtown 619.544.1000, sdrep.org Resident playwright Herbert Siguenza concocts a world-premiere “immersive” work that has the audience voting on items to put in a beach community’s time capsule.

3.23-4.29 AMERICAN MARIACHI Old Globe Theatre, 1363 Old Globe Way, Balboa Park, 619.234.5623, theoldglobe.org The world-premiere comedy by José Cruz González follows the adventures of an allgirl mariachi band in the 1970s.

3.23-4.22 KING CHARLES III Coronado Playhouse 1835 Strand Way, Coronado 619.435.4856, coronadoplayhouse.com The small Coronado company scores a big coup with the San Diego premiere of Mike Bartlett’s Tony Award-nominated, fictionalized twist on the saga of the British royal family.

3.2-4 STOMP Balboa Theatre, 868 Fourth Ave., downtown, 619.570.1100, broadwaysd.org The percussion-happy show drums its way across the Balboa Theatre stage for the first time in seven years.

MARCH 2018 @PACIFICSD

3.23-4.22 MEN ON BOATS New Village Arts Theatre, 2787 State St., Carlsbad, 760.433.3245, newvillagearts.org NVA stages the regional premiere of Jaclyn Backhaus’ out-there comedy, which fields an all-female cast to reimagine John Wesley Powell’s 10-man Grand Canyon expedition in 1869.

3.27-4.1 LOVE NEVER DIES San Diego Civic Theatre 1100 Third Ave., downtown 619.570.1100, broadwaysd.org Yes, wiseacres have dubbed it “Paint Never Dries,” but if you’re a Phantom of the Opera fanatic, this sequel might be a must-see. PHOTO BY JOAN MARCUS

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MARCH 2018

PULSE | PRO FILE

Clean Routine

Founder of Good Life and Shop Good ditches conventional beauty products for a healthier life BY JACKIE BRYANT

PHOTOS BY NANCEE E. LEWIS

MARCH 2018 @PACIFICSD

Offers expire March 31, 2018. Not valid with other offers. Must mention when booking. Offers are subject to change and may be discontinued at any time. Owned and Operated by Vishal Verma, MD. and Vinita Parekh, DDS.

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MARCH 2018

PULSE | PRO FILE

After an eight-year-long bout with autoimmune illness, during which she ditched conventional beauty products and noticed a vast improvement in her health, Kirpalani left her corporate job in San Francisco to start anew. Good Life, her online natural beauty store and parent company, was launched in 2015 and in late 2017, Kirpalani debuted Shop Good, her brick-and-mortar destination for all things beautiful and natural. PACIFIC recently caught up with Kirpalani to discuss why natural products, why now and what customers can expect from her destination storefront. PACIFIC: Why are natural beauty products important? LEAH KIRPALANI: We, as women, may be placing up to 500 chemicals on our bodies each day during our morning and nighttime routines! The unfortunate part is, this exposure adds up over time and can negatively impact the way our bodies function — from our endocrine system to our digestive system. So, “what we put on our bodies is just as important as what we put in them,” is how I look at it. The best part is, there are so many amazing products to choose from nowadays, and we are committed to bringing the best in clean beauty to our Shop Good customers.

FOLLOW ALONG Website: good-life.co Instagram: @shopgoodco Facebook: facebook.com/itsthegoodlife Twitter: @good_life_co_ Shop Good 3030 North Park Way, North Park 619.501.5362

CLOCKWISE (right page, from top left): Shop Good’s storefront in North Park; Lip2Cheek from RMS Beauty; Shop Good shirts; a collection of natural beauty products; TMF lipsticks; interior of Shop Good.

MARCH 2018 @PACIFICSD

What is your personal beauty routine? I use the San Francisco-based line, Botnia, to cleanse, tone and hydrate with their incredible science-backed line of organic skincare. SPF is non-negotiable — I use Suntegrity SPF + Primer to top my moisturizer. For makeup, I keep the number of products minimal; a long-lasting vegan concealer by the Australianbased natural cosmetics line TMF, a breathable powder-foundation by Alima Pure, RMS coconut-oil based lip2cheek for added color and glow, followed by a swipe of Lily Lolo mascara and a TMF bold vegan lip color. But my beauty routine doesn’t stop in front of the mirror — I consider my morning breath exercises, dry brushing and my daily intake of Collagen Peptides by Vital Proteins as critical steps, too. What are your favorite products in the store? Right now, I am obsessed with our crystal facial rollers by Skin Gym — they are essentially a workout for your face and a natural alternative to going under the needle for skin health and age prevention. I also love our brand of lipsticks. From bold to neutral, we are crushing the belief that natural lipsticks don’t stay on. Lipstick is such a hallmark icon for the shop, since we believe a bold lip means confidence and power, especially when it’s nontoxic.

Can someone build a skincare routine on a budget? Absolutely. Shop Good prides itself on offering a range of price points within each category. Some examples include multi-use hydration balms for $10 and powerful antiaging serums for $20. This is possible because we believe in simple ingredients. There is no need for products with a list of 30 expensive inputs because, when it comes to skin, less is more, allowing the power of each plant botanic to work its magic. Can men get into natural beauty? What can you offer male clients? Our skin is our largest organ, no matter who you are. When we tend to the skin by focusing on hydration, UV protection and daily cleansing and exfoliating, our skin will stay firmer longer, appear brighter and combat bacteria more easily, resulting in clear and youthful-looking skin. We frequently have male clients booking our in-house organic spa facials and their skin is looking radiant, I must say! What’s special about San Diego that makes it attractive for small business owners? San Diego houses an incredibly strong entrepreneurial business community that not only supports each other, but is supported by the community at large. This mutual respect allows for a dynamic and authentic marketplace, one that I am so grateful to contribute to. Where is your go-to place in San Diego for healthy eating? Cafe Gratitude is my go-to weeknight takeout spot that never fails. But when I want to get out and experience sustainable dining at its best, I love O.B.’s neighborhood gem Little Lion. Owners Anne-Marie (CoulonFerguson) and Jacqueline (Coulon) only use the highest-quality ingredients to create innovative dishes that are made with such love and intention. What is San Diego’s hottest neighborhood right now? I may be biased, but North Park is quickly becoming such a destination spot in San Diego. It’s been so exciting to watch the neighborhood blossom thanks to its innovative business owners and supportive community. Where do you go in San Diego to kick back and relax? My husband and I love taking our dog, Franklin, out to Domaine Artefact, one of San Diego’s award-winning wineries. Pro tip: head up in late afternoon for magic hour and a glass of rosé!

SAN DIEGO HOUSES AN INCREDIBLY STRONG ENTREPRENEURIAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY THAT NOT ONLY SUPPORTS EACH OTHER, BUT IS SUPPORTED BY THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;LEAH KIRPALANI

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MARCH 2018

Look Who's Turning

8141 La Mesa Blvd La Mesa, CA 91942 | (619) 724-6465 farmerstablelamesa.com | follow us

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MARCH 2018 @PACIFICSD

PHOTOS BY K.C. ALFRED

CHAKRA SHOCKER

BY LAURIE DELK

A hands-on experience at The Chopra

Center was an eye — and chakra — opener

Like many ladies reading this, I am a woman of the ages. I work multiple jobs, forge through single-mommyhood and attend graduate school. To say, or even think, my life is stress free would be a comedy of errors. And, living a stress-filled life isn’t unique to me nor unique just to women. Today’s men feel pressured to be a multitude of things at once: sensitive enough to cry during rom-coms, talented enough to cook dinner, select wine, and shake a cocktail, all while simultaneously staying buff enough to kick an intruder’s ass if they break through the front door. So what is there to be done about alleviating stress? Sure, you could pour yourself a big glass of wine, sit back and puff on some indica, or get outside and let the fresh air carry away the stress on a long run. But what about tomorrow? Won’t all that stress still work its way back? Enter The Chopra Center for Wellbeing. Named for author, public speaker, holistic health advocate and Oprah regular, Deepak Chopra, the center sits on the property of the Omni La Costa Resort and Spa and offers everything form yoga and meditation classes to transformational coaching and a host of unconventional holistic spa treatments, including chakra balancing.

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MARCH 2018

IN LINE It is said, a person’s seven chakras located on a vertical line on the body, deal with different areas of being in our lives, including our connections to others, our sexual energy, our intentions and our love (See “Lined up” page 56 for more). Instructors of chakra balancing teach that when these chakras are misaligned or blocked, illness, anger, negativity, fear, worry and addiction can grip our lives. As someone who gets regular migraines, has been coughing with allergies for a solid month, and has days of utterly zapped energy, I’m pretty sure at least one chakra is blocked on me. So when PACIFIC offered a chance to see what it was all about, I jumped at it. Sure, as a yoga and meditation fan I’ve looked at colorful infographics, blissed out to a few chakra meditations and bent my body into chakra opening yoga poses,

MARCH 2018 @PACIFICSD

but truthfully, before going to the treatment, I was kinda close to knowing nothing. While I might sway toward the hippie side of life, I can also spot a ruse from a mile away. Would this just be another massage guised as something bigger? I couldn’t wait to find out.

Walking into The Chopra Center is just as you might expect: curls of incense linger in the air, Tibetan bowls are singing from the speaker, and every surface is adorned with oils, crystals, healing stones, teas, candles, jewelry, and books from Deepak Chopra and other wellness experts. Cynics might stop short, turn around and run for their lives. But you have to let go of that judgy mind (or at least try to), because the people here couldn’t be more kind. Welcoming and gracious, they are there to lead you down the path of relaxation. And boy, could I use it. To start, I am ushered into the waiting area and encouraged to get a hot tea and chill while I wait for my therapist. The flavor choices include Invigorating, Detox, Soothing and Relaxing, so I proclaim: “Let’s start this baby out right and go for the Relaxing!” I need to calm down and stop talking so loud, I’m inside The Chopra Center for Pete’s sake.

“After the stones are lifted... it is like two doors swing open.”

MARCH 2018

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QUIETING THE INNER CYNIC Downstairs in a dimly lit therapy room I gaze around at the oils, stones, and massage table, I can feel my mind trying to figure out what’s going to happen. My monkey mind is gently interrupted by my therapist, Danyel Potts, who speaks in a languid voice that could put you to sleep instantly. She welcomes me and asks me to join her by the table. I stare down quizzically at a series of turquoise cards, and chuckle to myself thinking, “Is she going to do a tarot reading? What’s with the cards?” I can feel my inner cynic welling up. She gently tells me to run my hands over the cards a few times and feel where the energy is taking me. “Oh boy,” I think, “I’m not sure this is going to work on me. I’m supposed to feel an energy? What if I don’t? Do I fake it?” Just as I am about to give up, I remind myself just to chill and suddenly I do feel a little tingle and heat coming from my palm over the center card. Now it’s time to get down to chakra-balancing business.

TOUCHY SUBJECT

As I’m lying face down waiting for her to start, my mind starts racing. “What if she opens a chakra and a bunch of black stuff floods my mind?”

As I’m lying face down waiting for her to start, my mind starts racing. “What if she opens a chakra and a bunch of black stuff floods my mind?” Will this make me nauseous? Will I start crying or feel sick?” The treatment starts out like a basic massage. First, the therapist applies point pressure onto specific chakras as she moves around my body. It’s undoubtedly one of the most bizarre sensations I’ve ever experienced. Here’s why: she presses on the spot, and then apparently unbeknownst to me, lets go. The weird part? You absolutely cannot tell when she lets go. It was only when I heard her walking around that I could convince myself she wasn’t still pressing on that point. The next eye-opener in the process was the application and removal of stones. The therapist lines them up along my spine and neck and continues massaging, later returning to the stones and removing them. What happens next is semi-mind blowing. After the stones are lifted and she re-massages my back, it is like two doors swing open, and the treatment suddenly leaps to the next level. The stones somehow unlock the bolts on my back (I guess you could say they open the chakras), and allow me to relax into the massage like I had never before experienced. To end the session, I am asked to turn over on my back and the therapist placed a stone on my chest. At first, I think it’s weird, but maybe she thinks my heart is blocked? As the treatment comes to a close, she removes the stone and reads my card, which, it turns out, was the heart. And in what you might call cosmic alignment, the heart deals with giving and receiving love, and the lungs and immune system, all the areas that are challenging me in my life. I laid there a few moments, dazed and dreamy, and for a little while allowed myself to stay in that happy space of open chakras and deep relaxation.

FINAL THOUGHTS Would I recommend the chakra-balancing treatment? Absolutely. But here’s the catch: You have to go in with an open mind, turn down the inner cynic, and let yourself go with the flow. Releasing our death grip on control is one of the hardest things we can do as human beings. But, I promise if you do, you will walk out of there a new, more relaxed person.

MARCH 2018 @PACIFICSD

EXPERIENCE IT YOURSELF Chakra-balancing treatments at The Chopra Center (2013 Costa Del Mar Rd., La Costa) are available as 60-minute sessions that run $195. To book at appointment call 888.424.6772.

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MARCH 2018

LINED UP

BY LAURIE DELK ILLUSTRATION BY CRISTINA BYVIK

Drawing a connection between chakra points Images of chakra alignments are colorful and eye-catching. Yes, it’s pretty, but what does it mean? To answer that questions, PACIFIC called upon Libby Carstensen, owner of Liberated Coaching and a core educator at The Chopra Center to help explain the seven different chakras.

Crown

Third Eye (Brow Chakra)

Color: Violet or white Symbol: Lotus with 1,000 petals Location: At the top of the head Qualities: “This is the connection to everyone and everything, including the divine. There is a physical connection to the cerebral cortex, nervous system and pituitary glands. Remember, you have started at the bottom rung of the ladder and worked your way up. When you reach the crown, you feel loving kindness and a connection for something bigger than ourselves. It is beyond the little ‘I’ and connecting to the larger ‘we’.”

Color: Indigo Symbol: Two large petals, circle containing a down-facing triangle Location: On forehead, between the eyebrows Qualities: “This is the connection to your highest, all-knowing self. We all have that intuition inside guiding us, whether loud or quietly, and when you go in the opposite direction, you know. This chakra is about harnessing our unique gifts and talents, and expressing those out into the world.”

Heart

Color: Green Symbol: 12-petaled lotus, circle containing two intersecting triangles Location: Heart Qualities: “This chakra is about giving and receiving love, compassion and understanding, and a dynamic exchange of energy. When out of balance we are giving more than receiving. It is also associated with the lungs, immune system, heart, unconditional love and how connected you feel in your relationships.”

Throat

Color: Blue or turquoise Symbol: 16 petals, circle containing a down-facing triangle containing a circle Location: Throat Qualities: “This chakra is about clear speech, understanding and using the power of words, with less talking and more listening. The shadow archetype is the silent child which we carry into our adulthood. This chakra is about giving that child a voice. It can be angry at first but liberating.”

Sacral

Solar

Color: Orange Symbol: Six petals, circle containing a crescent moon Location: A few inches below the belly button a Qualities: “This involves the creative and sexual, and where we tap into the flow. It is our pleasure center, not only sexually, but our ability to be present, and be alive in the moment and feel joy. Imbalance can lead to addictive behaviors, compulsion, guilt, shame, paranoia, sexual dysfunction and blocked creativity.”

Color: Yellow Symbol: Ten petals, circle containing down-facing triangle Location: Solar plexus Qualities: “This is our powerful energy center, the get-it-done chakra, and deals with our ability to take intentions and turn them into manifestations. If out of balance, anger, frustration, victimization can manifest. It is also associated with digestion, both of food and life experience.”

Root

Color: Red Symbol: Four red petals, square with a down-facing triangle Location: Base of the spine, tailbone Qualities: “It is our connection to the physical plane and the earth. It is about grounding and meeting our base needs, like safety and security. It also refers to financial worries, and fear, like the fear to move forward and of the future.”

“The chakra system resonated with me, and it transformed me 56

MARCH 2018 @PACIFICSD

LET’S CHAKRA ‘BOUT IT The 411 on what the holistic practice is all about The concept of having one’s chakras balanced is foreign to a majority. To provide some insight into the practice and what holistic healing is all about, PACIFIC recently talked with therapist Danyel Potts, a healing arts master at The Chopra Center, and Libby Carstensen, owner of Liberated Coaching and a core educator at The Chopra Center, about their practices, experiences and what to expect when working on balancing chakras. PACIFIC: How do you describe what you do here at The Chopra Center? DANYEL POTTS: I help facilitate inner knowledge of oneself. I just hold the mirror up for you and sometimes dust that mirror off. LIBBY CARSTENSEN: I am a master educator, I teach consciousnessbased practices of yoga, meditation and ayurveda. The chakras are opened through these practices. Think of it as the junction point between matter and consciousness. What’s your definition of holistic healing? CARSTENSEN: From the individual point of view, something that addresses my mind, body and spirit. I think of health as more than just the absence of disease. Looking at somebody through all of the different layers, and energy is flowing freely. What should people know about chakra balancing if they’ve never heard of it before or are thinking of trying it for the first time? POTTS: Keep an open mind. Is one chakra more important than the other? CARSTENSEN: The system is like

BY LAURIE DELK

climbing a ladder. You have to start at the bottom, and all of them work together when there is an imbalance. The root is so important for us to feel grounded, and the heart chakra is important to feel connected to each other and the world. How often should chakras be balanced? POTTS: We should always be working on ourselves. Stay in tune and check in on a daily basis, and when we realize something is out of line, realign. How is chakra balancing different from say, chakra meditations or chakra-opening yoga poses? CARSTENSEN: They are all the same. Think of it as different ways to access your energetic body. You are flexing and strengthening that energy point. It’s both powerful and challenging. Do people normally feel something right away or does it take time? CARSTENSEN: It depends on the individual. In my experience, I find people say “I feel very disconnected” or something they’ve been doing isn’t working anymore. The first start is to get breathing and to be in our bodies. Just the act and becoming aware of the discomfort can be so powerful. You may not feel it, but something is definitely happening. How long have you been doing this? POTTS: I’ve been massaging 10 years, eight years at Chopra, and chakra balancing for two and a half years. CARSTENSEN: I’ve been practicing yoga for 20 years, and some form of chakra work for that long, and teaching for the last 11 years.

Libby Carstensen

Other than chakra balancing, what other therapies might one try when considering holistic healing? POTTS: Meditation, yoga, walking barefoot in the grass. CARSTENSEN: The Chopra Center has free meditation, be with yourself and your mind, feeling uncomfortable, but choosing to stay in your body. What’s a tip you can give folks at home for keeping their chakras in balance? POTTS: Sit in silence with yourself. Meditate, and look internally. Just take a moment to be.

from anxiety, depression and addiction to joy and life.” — LIBBY CARSTENSEN, OWNER OF LIBERATED COACHING @PACIFICSD

MARCH 2018

TASTE EAT | DRINK | PUFF DINING OUT BY PAM KRAGEN

Not Your Grandma’s Cucina Italians bring nontraditional and innovative dining concept to Hillcrest with launch of Maestoso

Chef Maestoso’s famed dish, La Mia Matriciana: handmade tomato gnocchi, amatriciana sauce, pecorino fondue, crispy guanciale crumble and parmesan crisp.

What happens when you take four restaurant owners from Rome and mix them together in the San Diego sunshine? Hopefully, in the case of fledgling Maestoso, it’s a recipe for success. PHOTOS BY DALILA ERCOLANI

MARCH 2018 @PACIFICSD

TASTE | DINING Pinsa with mixed greens, black garlic paste, garlic sprouts, pine nuts and matcha powder.

Tortelli Prosciutto e Fichi (handmade tortelli with a prosciutto and cheese filling, fig compote and fresh figs, topped with a prosciutto and guanciale crisp).

MARCH 2018 @PACIFICSD

The 60-seat modern Italian restaurant, slated to open in March in Hillcrest, is the love child of two young couples whose lives intertwined when they were all children at an English-language school in Rome. Last year, their paths crossed again and they hatched a dream for a restaurant like no other in San Diego. Maestoso, named for its 31-year-old executive chef Marco Maestoso, will serve “anti-traditional” Roman-style cuisine. He says grandma’s Old-World recipes are a good starting point, but they can be vastly improved with new techniques and finedining flourishes. “Marco has something San Diego has never seen. He puts science into his cooking and everything is captivating,” said Christopher Antinucci, 34, who, with his wife, Giulia Colmignoli, co-founded Napizza, a six-year-old Roman-style pizzeria chain in San Diego. They’ve teamed with chef Marco Maestoso and his partner, Dalila Ercolani, 29, to open the new restaurant in a former Napizza location at The Hub Hillcrest shopping center. The restaurant’s food will be different, but what’s most unique about Maestoso is how the food is served. Maestoso is going the way of dim sum. The chefs themselves will stroll the aisles, serving pick-your-own plates from rolling carts, a concept chef Marco calls passagi (which means “to pass through” in Italian). He said the “chef-to-table” service is something he and Ercolani perfected while running the New York supper club, Casa Maestoso, that put them on the map five years ago. Chef Marco started out as a scientist, but couldn’t hack the long hours over a microscope, so he went to culinary school, staged for some Michelin-starred chefs, then settled in New York City, where he ran into childhood pal Ercolani, a food marketer and photographer. In 2013, they opened the pop-up Casa Maestoso, a 16-seat Sunday night, four-course supper club, in their Upper East Side apartment. His elevated Italian cuisine was a smash, and with write-ups in The New York Times and Wall Street Journal, the seatings sold out a month in advance. In 2015, they moved back to Rome to open a fine-dining restaurant, but it was a mistake. Casa Maestoso Ristorante earned 5-star reviews on TripAdvisor, but they got bogged down by the corruption, red tape, taxes and unwelcoming attitude of older chefs. In 2017, they went back to their roots and launched a popup tour, cooking in the kitchens of their chef friends around the world. The tour brought them to California last spring and that’s when Antinucci got in touch via Facebook. His family has known the Ercolanis for decades. Antinucci moved from Rome when he was 19 to study finance at the University of San Diego. On a trip back to Italy in 2004, he ran into Colmignoli — who he hadn’t seen since his midteens — and they fell in love. They now live in Solana Beach with their three young children and run Napizza outlets in Encinitas, Little Italy, Rancho Bernardo and UTC. Although pizza has played a big role in all of their lives, Maestoso’s menu will feature a trendy Roman alternative called pinsa. Made from a rice-flour-infused dough that’s light and bubbly, pinsa is like a high-rise, oven-roasted flatbread layered with gourmet ingredients like octopus and pancetta.

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MARCH 2018

TASTE | DINING

Polpo Ubriaco (drunken octopus) - red wine marinated octopus, red wine reduction and mixed garden vegetables. Tagliatelle ai 4 Pomodori - fresh tagliatelle, slow cooked tomato sauce made with four variants of tomatoes in different textures and consistencies. Cetriolo Piccante - cucumber parfait over a habanero chocolate crumble.

Behind pinsa comes pasta, chef Marco’s signature. The restaurant will make six fresh pastas each day, including his famed amatriciana, a Roman dish with his acclaimed pink-hued gnocchi (colored with tomato water), crispy pig jowl and Pecorino cheese fondue. Because chef Marco is a perfectionist with ingredients, cooking temperatures, technique and design, he’s staffing the restaurant entirely with chefs: four in the kitchen, four out front. No waiters. This allows the chefs to earn tips and better explain the menu, a concept pop-up diners have loved. While chef Marco comes with finedining chops, the restaurant will offer price points at all levels. A dish of pasta and glass of wine can be had for $20, or diners can go crazy on the passagi cart and spend $100. “You can have as little or as much as you want. You don’t want a whole steak, 62

MARCH 2018 @PACIFICSD

just order three slices. You want a little bit of pasta or a lot, you can have it. It will be an indulgence buy and there’s no guarantee it will be available the next it comes around,” chef Marco said. The desserts are also nontraditional. The highly imaginative pastries have been co-developed by Jason Licker, who earned a James Beard nomination for his 2016 cookbook, Lickerland: Asian Accented Desserts by Jason Licker. Chef Marco, who lives with Ercolani in Cortez Hill, said it will take a little time for diners to figure out the concept, but he’s confident it will work in his beloved new hometown. “I feel a balance here in San Diego,” he said. “The people are more serene. It elevates the quality of life.” Maestoso 1040 University Ave., Ste. B101, Hillcrest maestoso.com

TAJIMASANDIEGO.COM

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TASTE | BEER

Take it from the Tap

A monthly taste of beer from here BY PETER ROWE

Hess Brewing in Germany.

MARCH 2018 @PACIFICSD

ALES ABROAD

San Diego beer’s global footprint No matter where you roam, you’re not far from a pint of San Diego beer. Thirsty in Tokyo for AleSmith Brewing Co.’s Nut Brown Ale? Visit Craftheads in the bustling Shibuya district. Hankering for Modern Times’ Funky Universal Friend while wandering Wellington? Check the shelves in that New Zealand city’s Cult Beer Store. Seeking Stone in Stockholm? Drop into The Bishops Arms near the Swedish capital’s central train station. “There is a demand specifically for San Diego craft beer in those countries,” said Lynda Hess, chief operating officer of Mike Hess Brewing, which sells beer in the United Kingdom, Sweden and China. “They know that San Diego is making some of the best craft beer in the world. That’s why they sometimes contact us.” American craft beer has never been more worldly. Between 2013 and 2016, the last year for which statistics are available, U.S. craft beer sales abroad rose 61 percent. More than 114 million pints of American craft beer were sold in foreign markets in 2016, bringing in revenue of $121 million.

Keeping beer fresh on the 30-day voyage to Antwerp or two-week trip to Yokohama is a challenge, requiring constant refrigeration. And developing relationships across time zones and cultures takes patience. But numerous San Diego brewers see the world as their oyster stout. Foreign distributors eager for beer from U.S. breweries, Hess said, often pay shipping and import fees, plus handle the local marketing chores. As a result, it can be cheaper to send beer around the world than across the country. “I’d rather sell beer internationally than on the East Coast at this point,” said Brandon Richards, CEO of Coronado Brewing. The trick, advised Bob Pease, is to find a good partner. “If you can identify the right distributor in an international market, you can do well,” said Pease, president of the Brewers Association, a U.S. trade group based in Boulder, Colo. “You have to do your homework on the front end.” That homework involves digging past stereotypes and truly understanding foreign consumers. While Chinese brewers specialize in light lagers, Stone’s launch parties in Beijing and Shanghai last November revealed a thirst for bigger, hoppier ales. “It was all about the IPAs there,” said Stone co-founder Steve Wagner. “There’s obviously Stone fans there.” Catering to those fans is one reason to export. Another, Wagner said, is self-protection. Stone, Modern Times and other breweries with cult followings often find their beers unofficially exported by third parties, whose haphazard operations can damage the beer. “Part of our decision-making process in selling beer in Australia and China was ensuring that our beer would be presented the way we want it,” Wagner said. “At least we would have a fighting chance.” Still, this is a side line for local breweries. Stone may be the most aggressively international of the county’s 150-plus breweries, exporting to more than 40 countries. Yet overseas business only amounts to 6 percent of Stone’s sales — with two-thirds of that coming from the Escondido company’s Berlin brewery, which serves the European market. Mike Hess’ exports are around 1 percent of its

PHOTO BY JAMIE SCOTT LYTLE

FOREIGN FLAVORS

What San Diego beers are popular abroad? Canada: For Coronado, Guava Islander is hot in British Columbia. “We don’t have a large amount of fruit IPAs in our portfolio, but the ones we do sell well,” said Sara Gill, Coronado’s distributor in Vancouver. Chile: “IPAs and Belgian strong ales are what sell the most as a category,” said Perry Hirsch, who distributes Coronado beers in Santiago, Chile. “And even though IPAs aren’t to everyone’s liking, it’s what really stands out and makes American craft beer unique to the foreign consumer who does get into good beer.” China: Stone’s biggest hit in Beijing and Shanghai? “Stone IPA, possibly because we lead with that,” said Steve Wagner, Stone’s president and co-founder. “There is definitely an appreciation of the more tropical IPAs, though, as Vengeful Spirit also did well.” Germany: For Stone, its IPA is the top seller, followed by Arrogant Bastard and Stone Go To IPA. “However,” Wagner said, “both Stone Berliner Weisse and Stone Ripper were introduced fairly recently and early indications are that they will be both top three by the end of this year.”

MEET YOUR MAKER

Former Stone ambassador Bill Sysak opens Wild Barrel Brewing in San Marcos Laid off in 2016 after eight years as Stone’s “beer ambassador,” former Army medic Bill Sysak reinvented himself as co-owner of his own brewery. PACIFIC caught up with Sysak (affectionately known as Dr. Bill) at his new operation, San Marcos’ Wild Barrel Brewing.

Stone Brewing in Berlin.

sales, while Coronado peddles 7 percent of its beer abroad. In the six years since Coronado entered the international marketplace, Richards has noticed the rise of American-style craft breweries in other countries. That may reduce demand for U.S. beers, but Richards said his brewery offers something that cannot be cloned elsewhere: an image. “People recognize us as a California brand,” he said. “They may not know exactly where Coronado is, but they know it’s on the beach and it’s in California. And there’s this California aspiration all over the world.”

PACIFIC: There are now 151 breweries in San Diego County. Is there a limit to the number of breweries we can support and, if so, where is it? BILL SYSAK: There is still plenty of room for new breweries in San Diego. What you won’t see are many new breweries becoming regional players (producing 15,000 barrels annually). Breweries that make quality beer and have a realistic business plan with the mindset of growing organically with the majority of their annual production being served through their tasting room(s) will continue to pop up and thrive. At the same time, breweries that are not well thought out, that become stagnant and don’t make great beer will continue to close as the market matures. There are 12,000 wineries in the U.S., with over 5,000 in California alone. In comparison, there are over 6,000 U.S. independent craft breweries, 750 in California. Both you and your business partner, brewer Bill Sobieski, are well-known in California beer circles. Still, did you have any concerns about opening a brewery last year? No, we didn’t. I have been a consultant for breweries and craft beer bars for decades, well before I started my tenure at Stone, and, as you said, (Sobieski) has been around the San Diego beer scene for a very long time. Our third partner, Chris White (not the founder of White Labs, the purveyor of beer yeast), has worked for a large corporation in management and has been a successful entrepreneur for years. We knew we had the right team going in. How do you stand out in our ever-more-crowded beer landscape? You need to be hyper-focused on quality and making the beer styles that the craft beer drinking public is looking for. Ten years ago, you could start a brewery, brew any beer styles you wanted and people would come and drink your beer. Not any longer. I’m not saying breweries shouldn’t continue to be innovative and just follow trends, but you must produce the right volumes of beer in the styles that will move.

TASTE | BEER

Which breweries from the class of 2017 are you most excited by? I think Pariah is making a number of fun beers with unique ingredients. Kyle (Harrop) at Horus Aged Ales in Oceanside is only making barrel-aged beers, which is exciting. Battle Mage is one of my sleepers. I know Burgeon technically opened on Dec. 4, 2016, but their grand opening was in 2017. As I’ve told Anthony (Tallman), Derek (Van Leeuwen) and Matt (Zirpolo) many times, they were my favorite new brewery of 2017 — until we opened!

LET’S GO TO THE HOPS

March beer events in San Diego

Michigan

Which vintage breweries — 10 years old or older — are still killing it? Stone. It’s hard to argue that a brewery is not thriving when it has successfully opened a production brewery in Europe and has a cold chain delivery system to multiple places in China. AleSmith and Lost Abbey /Port Brewing are the other two breweries that come to mind. The quality of their beers is never suspect, and they continue to innovate. Which are getting stale? I’m going to say Ballast Point. I know many people will think this is a knee-jerk reaction because they are no longer an independent craft brewery, but it’s not. When BP was purchased by Constellation, they started following what I call the “Natty Ice” marketing plan. Historically, macro breweries would produce multiple variations of a beer, both in packaging and style, to control more space on the supermarket shelf, depriving their competition of visibility. Constellation did this with BP, taking recognized beers like Sculpin, Dorado and Even Keel, then adding single adjunct or additive variations, as opposed to creating new and unique beers.

Mexicali, Mexico

When you visit a new brewery, what are some signs that tell you that this place is destined for success? Quality beer, a willingness to be innovative, a well thought-out guest experience, proper glassware and friendly, well-trained staff will get you far, even in a highly competitive, mature market like San Diego. For failure? Quality, quality, quality! It’s simple. Don’t put a beer on tap if it doesn’t come out right. Dump it. Don’t call it something else to fool people into thinking it is OK. Dump it. Don’t throw it in a barrel and pray. Dump it. You only have one opportunity to make a great first impression. Don’t throw that away because you are unwilling to make the tough decision. Unfortunately, there are many breweries, not just in San Diego, that don’t make the right decision when it comes to this. 66

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3.8

FIFTH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S COLLABORATION BREW DAY Brewers around the world will make “Unite Exotic,” a specialty beer. Local Pink Boots Society members will gather at Pariah Brewing (3052 El Cajon Blvd., Suite B, North Park) and Culture Brewing Co. (629 S. Coast Highway 101, Encinitas) to brew. You’ll have to wait to try the fruits of their labor until after a potential two-week-to-one-month brewing process. unitebrew.org

3.10

BEST COAST BEER FEST 3.16-17

ENSENADA BEER FEST One of Baja California’s best parties, Ensenada Beer Fest occupies Centro Cultural Riviera del Pacífico on Boulevard Lázaro Cárdenas. Tickets for the two-day festival are 500 pesos (about $27). ensenadabeerfest.com

This annual beerfest with more than 55 breweries helps support Cuck Fancer, a charity backed by actor/comedian Will Ferrell that helps young adults affected by cancer. Embarcadero Park South, downtown, bestcoastbeerfest.com

@PACIFICSD

MARCH 2018

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TASTE | DRINK

PHOTOS BY NANCEE E. LEWIS

A Dose of the Good Stuff

San Diego company infuses cannabis into kombucha BY JACKIE BRYANT

WE BELIEVE THAT YOU DON’T NEED TO SACRIFICE YOUR BODY FOR A BUZZ. —DANIEL GRIM

“I was looking for what a lot of people were looking for. A better way to live,” Daniel Grim, founder of Good Stuff Tonics, recently told PACIFIC. Prior to joining the cannabis industry, where he now works in conjunction with Kombucha Culture in Carlsbad, Grim used to be a corporate guy wondering if there was more to life. After moving from New Jersey to San Diego, studying yoga in an Indian ashram and happening upon a cannabis conference, the idea crystallized: He would give people a way to healthfully drink cannabis through kombucha. Thanks to that journey, Good Stuff Tonics was born. PACIFIC sat down with Grim to talk kombucha, cannabis and about the feelgood, live-good elixir. PACIFIC: Explain what Good Stuff Tonics is? DANIEL GRIM: We believe that you don’t need to sacrifice your body for a buzz. As a result, we created the cleanest and healthiest delivery system in the cannabis industry — probiotic, organic and low-sugar cannabis-infused kombucha. It is a cannabis edible, so it’s important to make sure you dose it appropriately, which is super easy with a “cough syrup-style” cup that comes on the bottle. Each beverage will tell you how many milligrams of THC fills the cup, allowing tasters the ability to have the perfect dose every time. How do the benefits of cannabis complement the benefits of kombucha? The original idea was to create great gut medicine. Cannabis has proven to be incredibly effective in creating a healthy environment for the gut. So that was the original idea: Take two great gut medicines and combine them to create a super gut medicine. Research is revealing which cannabinoid and terpene ratios are best suited to heal such challenges as “leaky gut,” with the idea of infusing those strains into the kombucha. When did you come up with the idea for cannabis kombucha? [After leaving the East Coast and India] I

MARCH 2018 @PACIFICSD

found a way to combine my passions and create cannabis-infused kombucha. I was still employed in my corporate job when I went to a huge cannabis conference. I came out and thought, “People drink wine, beer and spirits. Eventually, people will want to drink their cannabis and they are going to want a clean, healthy way to get it — kombucha!” How did you put that inspiration into action? I was working 40 to 50 hours a week as a sales manager and used my time between 3 and 7 a.m. to work on the business at night. The biggest obstacle was figuring out how to mix cannabis oil into water and create a homogeneous mixture. I wasn’t a chemist and didn’t have a clue. I went to the High Times Cannabis Cup (a marijuana trade show) and asked every vendor, “Who can teach me how to do this?” until I found a guy who taught me the basics. Then I hired a chemist to help perfect it. What is in it? We use 100% organic ingredients. Pesticide-free cannabis and high-end teas — black, white, green, yerba mate and organic fruits as flavoring. The only thing in there that you might not know is gum acacia, which is what we use to emulsify the oil in water. Who is Good Stuff Tonics for? Anyone who wants to try, or use, cannabis, but is conscious of what they put in their body. Also, anyone who wants to play with edibles, but is intimidated. We have a 4mg THC product with 50mg CBD that anyone can try. It’s our Black Berry High CBD Kombucha — my wife is not a cannabis user, (she) drinks a shot or two, and loves it. Where can you find it around San Diego? The majority of the licensed shops in town carry Good Stuff Tonics, such as Torrey Holistics, Golden State Greens, Apothekare, Treehouse Collective, Mankind, Southwest Patient Group and A Green Alternative.

@PACIFICSD

MARCH 2018

TASTE | BARTENDER

BY MICHAEL BENNINGER

MARCH 2018 @PACIFICSD

PHOTOS BY HOWARD LIPIN

Pacific Beach’s long-awaited Waterbar opened in time to kick off the New Year just south of Crystal Pier. Filling the 6,700square-foot void left by the long-standing Joe’s Crab Shack, Waterbar continues the trend of upscale establishments slowly overtaking the coastal community. A venture that comes from OMG Hospitality, as well as various members from the groups responsible for such establishments as Barleymash, Backyard Kitchen & Tap and Bub’s at the Ballpark, the second-story Waterbar offers an elevated atmosphere compared to many of the neighborhood’s notorious watering holes — all thanks to unobstructed panoramic views paired with a from-scratch “social seafood” menu centered around sustainable and innovative oceanic options. But it’s not just the food and views that set Waterbar apart from other nearby venues. The bar itself touts an exceptional array of craft cocktails, masterminded by bar manager Brian Gaudet. PACIFIC caught up with the Boston native to find out more about what he and Waterbar are bringing to the beach’s social scene.

PACIFIC: How’d you get started in the hospitality industry? BRIAN GAUDET: I started working in restaurants at 18 years old. It became a way to pay my way through college and allowed me to live the lifestyle I became accustomed to enjoying. That lifestyle obviously included enjoying food and beverage when I wasn’t working. The flexibility and quick cash that came with serving tables afforded me the ability to attend live music events (which quickly became a passion of mine) and the ability to relocate 3,000 miles across the country when the opportunity presented itself. What’s your philosophy when it comes to bartending? I tend to take an“old school” approach when it comes to bartending. Serving a good product is important, as is doing so in a timely fashion. However, service is by far the most important aspect of bartending. Being friendly, smiling and simply making people happy is the greatest trait any bartender can possess, in my opinion. Knowledge can be taught or learned, but

hospitality just comes naturally to some, and those are the best bartenders I’ve worked with, worked for, been served by or been associated with. Where else in San Diego have you worked? I was working for a little company called The Cheesecake Factory when I moved here in 2011. I transferred from a Massachusetts location and to this day am still extremely grateful for that opportunity and everything I learned there. From there, I found my way into an opportunity at Lou & Mickey’s in the Gaslamp, where I learned how to bartend. After a few years I left to be the Assistant General Manager at Searsucker downtown. From there, I moved on to the Del Mar location to be the GM, which was a great experience for me both personally and professionally. Last year, I delved further into the fine dining world as the AGM for the reopen of The Hake in La Jolla, another invaluable learning experience. Leaving there was not an easy decision, but it was best for me to take the next step in my career.

@PACIFICSD

MARCH 2018

TASTE | BARTENDER

How’d you get the job at Waterbar? Brent Noll, who is our GM, mentioned that OMG Hospitality might be a good fit for me. I went on a series of interviews with Chris Cox, our director of operations, and Eric Leitstein, our owner, and it became clear that Waterbar would be the best place for me. Based on my experience, I was offered the position of bar manager. Along with managing the bar staff, I am in charge of all things beverage here at Waterbar — cocktails, beer, wine, etc. — although Brent is also a certified sommelier, so he helped out quite a bit with the opening wine list. What are a few of your favorite things about Waterbar? Well, there’s the obvious — the location! Looking at the ocean never gets old, nor do the sunsets. The characters never get old either. From Slomo cruising by t o meeting some of our new regulars. Getting to know our diverse guests and locals has been an awesome experience. What distinguishes Waterbar from other bars in PB? Outside of the obvious fact of the location and view, I’d say the food is the most distinguishing element of the restaurant. Chef Steven Lona is extremely talented both as a chef and an operator. We opened with a bit of a limited menu, as we are still trying to figure out who our guests are and what they’re looking for. Our guests will ultimately dictate who we are, who 74

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we become and our long-term success. That said, everything has been extremely well-received and I’m excited to see Chef Lona showcase his talent as we move forward into 2018. What are a couple of the bar’s signature drinks? My personal favorites are Queen Anne’s Revenge, a mezcal cocktail that takes inspiration from the tequila sunset, and the Calypso, a spirit-forward, yet tropical riff on the classic Old Fashioned. However, the cocktail I’m most proud of is the Merlion. If you haven’t caught onto the theme, we’ve named all of our drinks after mythical creatures, gods, goddessesand other deities that are, one way or another, water related. The flavor profile (of the Merlion) is slightly sweet, tropical and rounded out with enough citric acid so you don’t make that “pucker” face, but you want to keep going back for another sip, and another and another. What are a couple of your favorite menu items and why? I love our coconut rice and sweet potato curry. Love might actually be an understatement; I practically live off of the coconut rice these days. It pairs nicely with the curry, of course, as well as the poke and the shrimp a la plancha. Shrimp a la plancha is like deconstructed street corn with shrimp. The flavors of sweet, spicy and savory are incredibly well balanced, making for an awesome shared plate. All that said, the salt-and-vinegar fries might be the best thing on

the whole menu. What food and drink pairing would you recommend first-time visitors try? You can’t go wrong with oysters — ever. Pairing them with a dry, one-dimensional white wine, dry champagne or martini would make anyone a happy camper. Are you working on St. Patty’s Day? I’ve worked every St. Patrick’s Day that I can remember. This year, it falls on a Saturday and just so happens to be the first big weekend for March Madness. So you better believe I’ll be there. Come check us out for a cocktail and some food. Cheers, everyone. What do you do when you’re not working? What are you passionate about? O utside of work, I concentrate on the most important part of my life, my amazing girlfriend, Crystal. We like to go on adventures together and stay active by hiking, doing yoga, etc. Life is all about balance, and I try to achieve that every day by meditating, remaining levelheaded and staying focused on my goals, both personal and professional. Oh, and I’m kind of a nerd. Sports, video games, comics and anything Star Wars is pretty much my jam. WATERBAR 4325 Ocean Blvd., Pacific Beach 858.888.4343, waterbarsd.com

THESE ARE THE SMOKE AND MIRRORS THAT WORK LIKE A CHARM

AS A COLOR FORECASTER, WHAT ARE THE COLOR TRENDS OF 2018?

Moody jewel tones of deep, dark greens.

Highly chromatic blues reminiscent of art history’s International Klein Blue. Wide spectrums of creams, layered with blue grays and even softer millennial pinks, will still play in this year’s products everywhere for those who crave quieter and calmer shades. Earthy violets paired with burnt oranges and paler fuschias— seductive tones perfect for bedding and that chair you’ve been meaning to recover in velvet. WHAT COLORS MAKE YOUR SPACE LOOK L ARGER?

Stick with cooler tones (shades of greens, blues, grays) that allow walls to recess, giving the illusion of depth within your space. Even your creamy white can have a hint of blue gray. Go big or go home with an accent wall of using Black Beauty by Benjamin Moore. Like Hollywood, these are the smoke and mirrors that work like a charm, every time.

WHAT IS YOUR BEST KEPT SECRET SHOPPING SPOT?

The San Diego Vintage Flea Market in North Park. This is a great place to find interesting vintage and vintage-inspired treasures.

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Our vision is that once you enter, you’ll be transported to another world. 4673 30th St, San Diego, CA 92116 | 619.535.6007 www.glampisphere.space |

GARY J OH N CO LLI N S , an entrepreneur and owner of an events and business relationship company, is all too familiar with the struggles business professionals face when setting up conferences and meetings for their partners, clients and employees. He spent many hours within the lifeless confines of hotel conference rooms, noisy restaurants and boring banquet halls before deciding that there had to be a better environment available to business leaders for their meetings. So, he created The Glampisphere, an event space like no other. It’s located out-of-doors, where the air is fresh and the look evokes a modern-retro style. Industry professionals, coworkers, team leaders and everyone under the sun can get down to business under the shelter of magnificent sail shades. The Glampisphere is nestled in the middle of one of the hippest and busiest neighborhoods in San Diego. Gary’s vision is that once you enter, you’ll be transported to another world. And he’s very clearly achieved this goal. When asked about some of the perks located within the space, Gary mentioned that since it is located adjacent to the Air Conditioned Lounge, guests can enjoy both an indoor and outdoor atmosphere, creating a synergistic

@glampisphere

flow for guests who want to move around a bit within the space. “We are wired for success with WIFI and power to each table, and the energizing surroundings include brightly colored sail cloth spanning above. Cozy fire pits and invigorating waterfalls create an environment that makes a work day feel more like a relaxing excursion,” he says. The Glampisphere can accommodate up to 80 guests, and the Air Conditioned Lounge holds 120, so there is room for moderately large groups. The Glampisphere also has a playful side, ready to act as the backdrop for a host of special occasions including holiday parties, birthdays, engagement and retirement parties, bridal showers, gender reveal parties and intimate weddings. And when it’s time to morph from work to play, The Glampisphere will make product launches, networking events and beer-andspirits industry gatherings an off-the-charts occasion. Since food and drink are a part of every good gathering, The Glampisphere has nurtured solid relationships with many restaurants and caterers who will create delicious fare to “wow” every guest. They are also equipped

to accommodate outside caterers if desired. And, as part of The Air Conditioned Lounge experience, guests will have access to top shelf liquor, beer and wine options. As San Diego’s “coolest” club, the Air Conditioned Lounge has been making cocktails for 14 years in the same location, so they can definitely handle their liquor. The Glampisphere can rise to the high-tech levels that are expected to be on point for every event. A few of these include: Two 4k UHD 55” Outdoor Flat Screens Wireless microphones Plug ‘n Play technology USB and HDMI inputs Four outdoor speakers tuned for presenters QSC amplifier for crystal-clear sound Power outlets at every table Hi-speed Wi-Fi for you and your guests The Glampisphere offers resort-style quality and more than you can imagine a venue to include for a fraction of what you’d expect. The sky’s the limit at The Glampisphere! You can find this “outside-of-the-box” venue for work and play located in San Diego’s North Park neighborhood.

GROOVE MUSIC | NIGHTLIFE SOUND DECISIONS BY SCOTT MCDONALD

THE

PSYCHEDELIC @ Belly Up, bellyup.com People love the Furs! The band hasn’t released an album in nearly 30 years, but that hasn’t stopped the founding Butler brothers — singer Richard and bassist Tim — from continuing to sell out shows like this one.

FURS

PHOTO BY BEN STANSALL/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

MARCH 2018 @PACIFICSD

3.6

GROOVE

Sound Decisions March Concert Calendar BY SCOTT MCDONALD

MARGO PRICE 3.2

@ Belly Up, bellyup.com The Nashville-based Price released her second album, All American Made, last October on Jack White’s Third Man Records. It cracked the top 10 on Billboard’s Independent and Folk Albums charts, and features appearances from Willie Nelson and The McCrary Sisters. PHOTO BY MICHAEL LOCCISANO/GETTY IMAGES

MARCH 2018 @PACIFICSD

PARTY LIKE A ROCK STAR Experience your next concert or private event with us

GROOVE | SOUND DECISIONS

3.3 GOGOL BORDELLO @ Observatory North Park, observatorysd.com Produced by frontman Eugene Hütz, the New York-based gypsy punks released their seventh studio album, Seekers and Finders, last summer.

3.3 EARTHLESS @ Casbah, casbahmusic.com The veteran San Diego instrumental/psych trio releases new album Black Heaven this month. Also on the bill are Japanese rockers Kikagaku Moyo and Phil Pirrone’s JJUUJJUU.

3.4 STONE TEMPLE PILOTS @ Observatory North Park, observatorysd.com After holding online auditions for a new singer, the San Diego rockers that featured both Scott Weiland and Chester Bennington in that position

hired two-time X Factor contestant Jeff Gutt for the job. The band releases its second self-titled album in a row (and first since 2010) this month.

3.4 BOYZ II MEN @ Pechanga, pechanga.com The Motownphilly new jack swingers were here last year with NKOTB — right around the same time that a section of Philadelphia’s Broad Street was renamed in their honor.

year. It debuted at number six on the Billboard Top 200 chart.

3.7 HOT SNAKES @ Casbah, casbahmusic.com San Diego rock godfather Swami John Reis and longtime collaborator Rick Froberg get the band together once again. This time it comes with the first Hot Snakes studio album in 14 years. The 10-song Jericho Sirens drops this month.

3.8 ANTIBALAS 3.4 EX-CULT @ Soda Bar, sodabarmusic.com The Memphis garage punks, led by Ty Segall collaborator Chris Shaw, released their last album in 2016.

@ Belly Up, bellyup.com The Brooklyn-based afrobeat ensemble is currently on its Where The Gods Are In Peace album release tour. It’s the band’s sixth full-length record and first in five years.

3.5, 6 311 @ House of Blues, houseofblues.com/sandiego The SoCal-by-way-of-Nebraska funk-rock quintet released their 12th studio album, Mosaic, last

3.10, 11 G. LOVE & SPECIAL SAUCE @ Belly Up, bellyup.com After taking a few years to do his solo thing, G. Love has

STEVEN TYLER 3.3

MARCH 2018 @PACIFICSD

spent the last few back with Special Sauce (Jeffery Clemens and Jim Prescott). While the trio released a Christmas album two-and-a-half months ago, they’ll probably stick to songs from their eight-album catalog for this show.

3.14 FLOGGING MOLLY @ Observatory North Park, observatorysd.com Last year, the Celtic punk septet released Life Is Good, their sixth studio album — and first since 2011’s Speed of Darkness.

3.14 OH SEES @ Belly Up, bellyup.com Bandleader John Dwyer has been playing mellower tunes of late with duo OCS. But it’s back to the best live show on the planet, as well as recently edited moniker Oh Sees (from Thee Oh Sees), for this stop in Solana Beach.

@ Pechanga, pechanga.com Fresh from his time machine Super Bowl ad, the Aerosmith singer and TV personality makes a stop in Temecula to play with The Loving Mary Band. This date also coincides with the grand opening of Pechanga’s new, $300 million tower hotel and spa.

@PACIFICSD

MARCH 2018

GROOVE | SOUND DECISIONS

TALIB KWELI 3.9

@ Music Box, musicboxsd.com The veteran MC released his latest album, Radio Silence, last November. It features appearances from Anderson .Paak, Rick Ross, Robert Glasper and more. PHOTO BY DOROTHY HONG PHOTOGRAPHY

MARCH 2018 @PACIFICSD

GROOVE | SOUND DECISIONS 3.16 LOS LOBOS ACOUSTIC @ Poway Center for the Arts, powaycenter.com The venerable L.A. roots rockers unplug for this special show in Poway.

3.17 BLOCKHEAD & YPPAH @ Soda Bar, sodabarmusic.com New York DJ, producer, and beat-maker Tony Simon (aka Blockhead) self-released his seventh solo studio album, Funeral Balloons, last September. Ninja Tune electrocomposer Joe Corrales Jr. (aka Yppah) is also on the bill.

3.19 SAN DIEGO MUSIC AWARDS @ House of Blues, houseofblues.com/ sandiego The 27th annual celebration of local artists returns to House of Blues for a night that will include performances from P.O.D., Trouble In The Wind, Sure Fire Soul Ensemble, and more.

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3.21 LUCY DACUS @ Casbah, casbahmusic.com After dropping one of 2016’s best albums with her 9-song Matador Records debut, No Burden, Dacus hits the road in support of her sophomore effort, Historian, out this month.

3.23 RJD2 @ Music Box, musicboxsd.com Ohio-based DJ and hip-hop producer RJD2 released his new album, Tendrils, last month. It’s the second fulllength release for his instrumental side project, The Insane Warrior.

3.23 TRIBAL THEORY @ House of Blues, houseofblues.com/ sandiego The San Diego Music Award-winning “urban reggae” trio released their latest single, Part Time Lovers, last year.

BILLIE EILISH 3.10

@ Music Box, musicboxsd.com The 16-year-old L.A.-based singer is signed to Interscope Records and released her debut EP, Don’t Smile At Me, in August.

GROOVE | SOUND DECISIONS

QUEENS

OF THE 3.21, 22

STONE AGE

@ Observatory North Park, observatorysd.com Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s back-to-back sold-out nights of sweaty rock mayhem as Josh Homme leads QOTSA into San Diego for a doubledip of debauchery. BRONCHO opens both shows. PHOTO BY THEO WARGO/GETTY IMAGES

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3.24 DURAND JONES & THE INDICATIONS @ Soda Bar, sodabarmusic.com This month, the Indiana-based soul singer and his rock-solid backing band are set to release a deluxe edition of their 2016 self-titled debut. It features 10 new live tracks that were recorded in Boston and Bloomington, Ind.

3.24 SIR MIX-A-LOT @ Music Box, musicboxsd.com Who knew that you could parlay a song about big booties into a 30-year career? Obviously Seattle producer/rapper Anthony Ray (aka Sir Mix-a-lot) did. His signature song also spent over a month at the top-spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 and won Ray a Grammy.

3.25 RHETT MILLER @ Soda Bar, sodabarmusic.com The Old 97s frontman hasn’t released a solo record in a few years, but that doesn’t mean the alt-country crooner’s show in the cozy confines of Soda Bar won’t be a knockout.

3.28 GEORGE CLINTON @ House of Blues, houseofblues.com/sandiego The captain of the Parliament Funkadelic spaceship heads off into space on a solo mission. Climb aboard!

3.29 J BOOG @ House of Blues, houseofblues.com/sandiego Compton-raised, Hawaii-based reggae singer J Boog returns to San Diego after appearing on I-Octane’s single Pretty Loud last month.

3.31 ROY WOOD$ @ Observatory North Park, observatorysd.com Canadian R&B singer Denzel Spencer (aka Roy Wood$) is signed to Drake’s OVO label. Fellow OVO artists PARTYNXTDOOR and dvsn appeared on Spencer’s 2017 debut album, Say Less.

@PACIFICSD

MARCH 2018

GROOVE | SOUND DECISIONS

3.22, 23

PHILLIP PHILLIPS @ Belly Up, bellyup.com The American Idol Season 11 winner released his third album, Collateral, in January. PHOTO BY GUSTAVO CABALLERO/GETTY IMAGES

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BREAKFAST BREAKFAST ALL ALL DAY! DAY!

NOW OPEN 3 0 0 0 U p a s S tNr O e eWt , OS P aE n ND i e g o , 9 2 1 0 4 3 0 0 0 U p aws wSw t r. el eetts, tSaacno .D c oi emg o , 9 2 1 0 4 www.letstaco.com

GROOVE 3.3 COONE

Spin Cycle

@ Bassmnt, bassmntsd.com Coone is Belgian hardstyle DJ and producer Koen Bauweraerts. Also the founder of the Dirty Workz record label, Coone was recently named to play the main stage at Tomorrowland 2018 in his home country this summer. He’ll be documenting the time between then and now on a monthly blog called Trip To Tomorrow.

March EDM and DJ performances BY SCOTT MCDONALD

3.3-4 CRSSD

3.2 ATB @ OMNIA, omnianightclub.com German DJ and producer ATB, aka Andre Tanneberger, released his 10th studio album, Next, last year. The two-volume collection features collaborations with Andrew Rayel, Alyx Ander, Sean Ryan and more.

3.2 LUCA LUSH @ Bassmnt, bassmntsd.com The Brooklyn-based DJ and producer has remixed tracks for the likes of Drake, Rihanna, Flume and Wyclef Jean. His latest single, Sasha, was released in January.

3.2 YO GOTTI @ Parq, parqsd.com The Memphis-based rapper released his ninth studio album, I Still Am, last October. It’s his third album to debut in the Top Ten of Billboard’s Top 200 chart and features appearances from 21 Savage, Meek Mill and Nicki Minaj.

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@ Waterfront Park, crssdfest.com It’s time to gather once again for another installment of CRSSD. Acts including Empire Of The Sun, Anna Lunoe, Nicole Moudaber, Little Dragon, Tchami, Bonobo (playing with a live band), and Sasha will highlight the main two-day event. CRSSD After Dark will host the likes of DJ Harvey, Gorgon City, Shiba San, KCRW DJ Jason Bentley, Lee Burridge, Tiga and more at venues throughout San Diego after the main festival ends each night.

3.9 LIL JON @ OMNIA, omnianightclub.com Who knew? But when this guy sang/yelled “Turn Down For What?!,” he meant it. The DJ, producer, and Grammy-winning King of Crunk was just at Omni in December. But he returns once again, this time fresh from releasing new single, Alive, with Offset and 2 Chainz.

3.10 HENRY FONG @ Bang Bang, bangbangsd.com The progressive house DJ heads to San Diego after releasing a handful of singles last year. The L.A.-based producer linked up with Bad Royale and Hardwell on a pair of tracks, as well as releasing three of his own.

3.23 MORGAN PAGE 3.10 MITIS @ Bassmnt, bassmntsd.com After releasing a dozen EPs and nearly as many singles, Philadelphia-based DJ and classically trained pianist Joseph Torre will release his debut full-length album, ‘Til the End, this month. Two new singles, Moments (feat. Adara) and By My Side (feat. Tedy), are out now.

@ OMNIA, omnianightclub.com The Vermont-born DJ, producer and two-time Grammy nominee released eight singles last year and appeared on the Breaking Borders EP with Sultan + Shepard and Gabriel Anada. Local connection: San Diego’s Greg Laswell appeared on Page’s 2012 full-length, In The Air.

3.23 MAKO

@ OMNIA, omnianightclub.com Abe Laguna, the San Diego DJ/ producer known as Ookay, has worked with the likes of A-Trak, Borgore, Marshmello, and Showtek. His latest single, Cool, was released last month.

@ Observatory North Park, observatorysd.com Formerly a duo, this San Diegoborn act is now a solo one. Alex Seaver, who now resides in L.A., appeared on the Februaryreleased single Don’t Give Up On Me from Illenium and Kill The Noise.

3.16 FLUX PAVILION

3.31 ELEPHANTE

@ Bassmnt, bassmntsd.com British DJ/producer Josh Steele, aka Flux Pavillion, has played the stages of Coachella, Glastonbury, Reading and EDC Vegas. A Maduk remix of his recent single, Pull The Trigger, was included on a recent three-song sampler from Rampage Recordings.

@ OMNIA, omnianightclub.com Michigan-born Harvard grad Tim Wu was last at Omni in December, but the DJ and producer returns after Morgan Page remixed his 2017 single, Come Back For You (feat. Matluck), in January.

3.16 OOKAY

3.16-17 HIPPIE SABOTAGE @ Observatory North Park, observatorysd.com Kevin and Jeff Saurer, the California-based sibling DJ duo, are perhaps best known for remixing Swedish crooner Tove Lo’s breakthrough hit, Habits (Stay High). The pair released a pair of their own singles, I Found You and The Mist, last month.

LILJON 3.9 PHOTO BY RANDY SHROPSHIRE/GETTY IMAGES

@PACIFICSD

MARCH 2018

LOVE | BLIND DATE

Whatever Floats Your Goat

Blind daters limber up with livestock before a romantic dockside dinner BY MICHAEL BENNINGER | PHOTOS AND VIDEOS BY DAVID BROOKS | MATCHMAKER JESSICA PELLIGRA

While it’s not entirely unheard of for a PACIFIC blind dater to end their evening on all fours, it’s rare that both daters begin the night on hands and knees. And even less frequently are farm animals involved. Yet that’s what’s happening tonight, as Ashley and Kyle are about to do yoga with a herd of hooved creatures before going boating on Lake San Marcos. But before this amateur yogi and yogini meet, let’s review their pre-date interviews. Where are you from and where do you live now? ASHLEY: I was born and raised in San Diego. I grew up in Chula Vista, and now I live in Bay Park with my two dogs. KYLE: I grew up in the Coachella Valley, went to college at Chico State and have lived in San Diego ever since. What do you do for a living? 96

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ASHLEY: I work for myself as a business consultant. I’m always either working from home or traveling with my clients for events around the world. KYLE: I work in wealth management, but I also volunteer in the adoptions department of a local animal center. Why are you going on a blind date in PACIFIC? ASHLEY: I’ve never been on a blind date, but I think having someone who knows me vetting another person is a really great idea. KYLE: The only reason anyone should go on a date — I’m looking for my one true love. What do you do for fun? ASHLEY: Go on hikes or ride bikes with friends, sail on Mission Bay or take my dogs to Fiesta Island. I also love cooking, so I’m always having friends and family over to cook them

meals, play games or watch a movie. KYLE: I enjoy experiencing new places with friends and taking advantage of all the great activities San Diego has to offer. There are so many great beaches, parks and places to see; new restaurants to try, and old favorites to go back to. What are you best at? ASHLEY: I’m really good at meeting new people and connecting with them in a positive way, which, in turn, makes me a great networker for my line of work. KYLE: I try to do my best at everything. I’m competitive like that. But I am fairly skilled in the kitchen and have been told I’m a great cook. What do you suck at? ASHLEY: Time management and saying no. KYLE: Unfortunately, I’m bad at singing. I really wish I was better, but it’s not happening.

LOVE | BLIND DATE

What are you looking for in a date? ASHLEY: Someone who has common interests: an independent entrepreneur, intellectual, funny, likes to work out, is family-oriented, loves to travel and loves dogs. KYLE: Someone who has a pretty face, takes care of herself, carries herself like a lady and has great self-confidence. Describe your special brand of sex appeal in five words or fewer. ASHLEY: I need more than five. KYLE: Deep, meaningful and intelligent conversations. What do you like least about yourself ? ASHLEY: My gunshot scar that I got when I was 8 years old. KYLE: I have a really bad sweet tooth, so I’m a sucker for candy and dessert. Rate yourself on a scale from one to 10 for looks. ASHLEY: Eight. KYLE: My mom taught me to be humble, so I 98

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guess like a 9.5. Rate yourself on a scale from one to 10 for personality. ASHLEY: 10. KYLE: I’ll just answer by saying I believe I am a virtuous person. What’s your biggest fear? ASHLEY: Going on a blind date. KYLE: Snakes. What traits might your date exhibit that would be complete deal-breakers? ASHLEY: Smoking. Hates dogs. KYLE: Cigarette smoker, I guess. How many people have you slept with? ASHLEY: A lady never kisses and tells. KYLE: Keeping a tally on that figure would be really arrogant, and even more so sharing it publicly. So, for that reason, I will respectfully decline to answer. Fill in the blanks: I want my blind date to be

“blank” and “blank.” ASHLEY: Fun and smart. KYLE: Fun and energetic. Will the night end with a kiss, something more or something less? ASHLEY: I would have to be really moved to kiss on a first date. And if there was a kiss, it would end there. KYLE: That remains to be seen. Hopefully the chemistry will be just right, and who knows where that can lead. What’s the most important thing in the world? ASHLEY: Keeping my relationships strong with family and friends. KYLE: Perspective, family and intention. So both Ashley and Kyle like to cook, and they appear to have a few other things in common. But will their shared interests translate into actual chemistry? We’re about to find out as the daters meet for the first time in an EPIC Limo bound for Blissful Goat Yoga at Star’s Farm in San Marcos.

Out to Posture Ashley and Kyle check out each other’s asanas

A quartet of quadrupeds rush to greet tonight’s daters upon their arrival at Star’s Farm. This is the home of Blissful Goat Yoga, the only spot in the county where locals can do downward dog with domesticated ungulates. Ashley and Kyle are already dressed for the occasion, and after spending a few minutes meeting the cuddly, cloven kids, they unfurl their yoga mats and prepare for a private class with the creatures. The instructor begins by guiding the daters through some light stretches while the goats scamper around them. Next, Ashley and Kyle drop down to tabletop position, putting them face to face with the furry foursome. Without

much hesitation, the adolescent goats take turns jumping on and off the daters’ backs, and with plenty of smiles and lots of laughs, Ashley and Kyle appear to be getting along famously. The session continues for the better part of an hour before it’s time to get cleaned up for a cruise on Lake San Marcos. Ashley and Kyle swap their activewear for evening attire, then crack open a couple cans of Modelo and some shots of Sailor Jerry during a limo ride to Lake San Marcos Marina. Once at the water’s edge, Ashley and Kyle board a private boat provided by the Lakehouse Hotel & Resort. The two cozy up to one another while their captain coasts along the water’s surface, showing off some of North County’s stunning scenery. The daters pop open a bottle of bubbles, and, as the sun continues its descent toward the horizon, Ashley catches a chill, and Kyle offers his coat. Soon, the boat returns to shore, delivering the daters to their dinner destination: Decoy Dockside Dining at the Lakehouse Hotel. With stunning fireplaces, a floating lakefront bar and two floors of incredible architecture, Decoy

specializes in waterfront views paired with American cuisine inspired by the great outdoors. Ashley and Kyle take their seats and continue getting closer as they order drinks, apps and entrees. After witnessing the daters lock lips at the table, we split them up for mid-date debriefings. How’s it going so far? ASHLEY: It’s going really good. KYLE: Things are going really nice. What were your first impressions of your date? ASHLEY: That he’s really good looking and a very well-dressed, well-mannered gentleman. KYLE: Ashley is a really nice girl. We have quite a few things in common, and I enjoy speaking with her so far. Is this the type of person you’d normally date? ASHLEY: Well, it’s interesting. He’s different than someone I would normally date, but I’m definitely attracted to him, which is a surprise. It’s definitely a nice surprise. I’m pleasantly surprised. KYLE: Absolutely. @PACIFICSD

MARCH 2018

LOVE | BLIND DATE

What do you think of the way your date is dressed? ASHLEY: He’s very well-groomed, very appropriate. Definitely my style, 100%. KYLE: Ashley did a good job with what she wore for goat yoga. It was 100% on point with what we’re doing. She’s definitely wearing a gorgeous dress now. How are you enjoying Decoy so far? ASHLEY: Oh my gosh, aesthetically, it’s beautiful! It’s warm, it’s welcoming. You have a wood-fire fireplace, games, a nice open bar. The service is friendly and attentive. Plus, the view is phenomenal — there was even a light show! And the food is outstanding. KYLE: The atmosphere has been unbelievable. From the moment we walked in until we started dinner, everyone has been beyond nice, which is an awesome thing to experience. It’s been a great time so far, and I really have enjoyed every second of the experience. What did you order to eat and drink? ASHLEY: An Old-Fashioned, some champagne and a gin and tonic, so different types of drinks that were all very good. For food, we’ve had little bit of everything: calamari, cioppino, gnocchi, oysters and rainbow 100

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trout. Everything was savory, fresh and done to perfection. KYLE: We ordered the full plate of oysters, which both of us had already discovered we enjoyed together. The food’s been nothing short of amazing. It’s almost surreal because neither of us knew that this existed in San Diego. It’s been a fun time and everything that we’ve expected that a first date should be. How was your experience at The Blissful Goat? ASHLEY: I didn’t know what to expect from that place, but it was amazing, actually. It was such a great experience. We didn’t do much yoga, but it was great to interact with the goats. They were super friendly and had such great personalities. And in certain poses when the goats hop on your back, I was like, “Oh, there’s no way. These goats must weigh a ton.” But they didn’t, they were light, playful, and super cuddly. It was like playing with your dog. It was the coolest thing ever and I think everybody should try it. KYLE: Goat yoga was awesome. Frank was my favorite goat, hands down. The other one, Cowboy, was my other favorite. And once Ashley and I were able to sit down and not be in the front of the goats, talking about the goats, we both had almost the same experience. It was fun having them jump up on my back. It

was surreal being there and understanding the way that they interacted with us and what our expectations were. What’s the most attractive thing your date has done so far? ASHLEY: He gave me his coat when I was cold. That was such a gentleman move. I was freezing and unprepared for the weather, and he has a nice wool coat he put on me immediately without any question. And then he made sure I was taken care of; he poured me champagne and made sure I had a drink and pulled my chair out — total gentleman moves every step of the way. He’s a great communicator and it’s really easy to get along with him. I just feel really good in his presence. KYLE: Honestly, her personality. Not only her experience of being who she is, but representing everything she’s been through in life, both professionally and personally. Going through the boat ride and getting to know each other was really fun, and not something you really get to experience on a normal date, whether you know somebody going into it or whether it’s somebody unknown coming from a swipe app. But the fact that we were both open to going on a blind date in PACIFIC and really getting to know each other has been awesome.

LOVE | BLIND DATE

Rate your date on a scale from 1 to 10 for looks. ASHLEY: Oh, definitely a 10. KYLE: This is a terrible question. 1-10 for looks. You know what, I think she’s doing a really good job representing herself well. She’s been everything that I expected that she would be. I think she is a gorgeous girl inside and out. And for personality? ASHLEY: Definitely a 10. KYLE: See previous answer. What’s your date’s most attractive quality? ASHLEY: That’s a tough one. His eyes are really great; I love his eyes. But his build is 102

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OPPOSITE PAGE (clockwise, from top left): Decoy Dockside Dining’s Pork Tomahawk Chop served w ith caramelized apple, smoked almond bread pudding, carrots, and braised cipollini onions; Ashley and Kyle toast with a whiskey neat and the Aristocrat cocktail, consisting of vanillainfused Yacht Club vodka, sage, lemon and lime; the Fra Diavolo Cioppino dish, served with saffron risotto, spicy tomato broth, fennel, mussels, shrimp, octopus, calamari and charredlemon; the daters shared oysters on the half shell.

nice. He’s got a really nice body, but you can get lost in his eyes real quick. And he’s got a great smile. KYLE: Easily, how often she smiles, because once she smiles, it’s 100% genuine. It’s really nice to see somebody as self-confident as she is. What’s your date’s least attractive quality? ASHLEY: Haven’t seen one yet. KYLE: I haven’t really come across anything that so far has been least attractive. I’ll just say everything we’ve done so far has been fun. Do you want to kiss your date right now? ASHLEY: Yeah, I think I already have.

KYLE: We might have already. Does your date want to kiss you? ASHLEY: I think he already has and, yes, I think he wants to do it again. KYLE: I really hope the answer is yes, but I’m not going to be judgmental and guess this way or that way. How and when will the date end? ASHLEY: We’ve already discussed that we want to have a second date and that we are clicking pretty well. So, we shall see. KYLE: I don’t know, but hopefully on a positive note.

Dock and Awe Ashley and Kyle keep the party going in PB

With Ashley and Kyle hitting it off like a pair of smitten kittens, the PACIFIC crew departs Decoy and follows up the next morning to find out what we missed. How was your experience and dinner at Decoy? ASHLEY: It was phenomenal. What an amazing restaurant. It was warm and inviting, and the architecture and view were beautiful. The light show was really cool, the service was impeccable, and the food was just so tasty. We tried a little bit of everything, and there wasn’t one bad dish. I would definitely go there again. KYLE: Dinner was actually really good. And I’ve never known about that venue the entire

time I’ve lived in San Diego, so that was a pretty cool place to go check out. Where did you go and what did you do for the rest of the evening after dinner? ASHLEY: After dinner, we went into the P.B. area, and we went to TapRoom just to grab a beer and talk more, because it was finally just he and I instead of cameras and everything. So it was really cool. We got to talk more and get to know each other better, so that was great. We just had a beer, and that was the end of the night. KYLE: We ended up coming back down (to P.B.) after dinner, and then just got another drink. And that was about it. When did you get home? ASHLEY: Gosh, I don’t even know. I have no idea. I didn’t really have my phone on me, so I couldn’t really track the time. I just knew it was... it felt late, but I knew it was still an early evening. We both had work the next day, so we weren’t trying to like, you know. KYLE: Shoot, I don’t even know. Was there a kiss or romantic exchange?

ASHLEY: There was a kiss — he leaned in and kissed me at dinner. And then, just before the night ended, he gave me a kiss goodbye. It was really great. We’re making plans to see each other again. So it went really well. KYLE: There might have been. What’s the funniest thing that happened during the date? ASHLEY: Oh, my gosh, the goats! The goats. We got to tabletop position, and Cowboy and Frankie, the tiny, cute little goats, kept mounting us! It was just hilarious. At first, they were only mounting me, and they weren’t even paying attention to him. And then all of a sudden… all the goats, all four of them, were trying to get on top of us. Obviously there wasn’t enough room, so you just had hooves all over you and it was so hilarious, because they’re all trying to eat your shirt and paw at your head. But it’s really gentle; it doesn’t hurt at all and almost like if someone were to lightly scratch your back. KYLE: Everybody that’s around definitely looked at you while you were getting pictures taken, and we got a good kick out of that. And then also the lady with the goats, we thought she was pretty funny too. @PACIFICSD

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What was the best part of the date and why? ASHLEY: I would say, the sunset. That was my favorite part — just being on the boat, relaxing with the gorgeous view. Kyle and I got to get really close to each other and actually started talking and being more comfortable with each other, which just led into an amazing dinner. KYLE: The little sunset boat ride was pretty cool. It was a really nice boat. I didn’t know that whole area was up there with the houses, like, right on the lake. So that was just a really unique, cool experience. What was the worst part of the date and why? ASHLEY: Um, not gonna lie, stepping on the grass where the goats peed and pooped was not my favorite part. It was a real challenge for me, but I pushed through and I’m really glad because we ended up having a great time. But yeah, I felt like I needed to take a shower after, I was freaking out. I was like, “They’re pooping and peeing around me.” But other than that, I would do it again, it was cool. KYLE: For me, not knowing where we were going or what was in store for us was definitely the most challenging part. Will there be a second date? Why or why not? 104

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ASHLEY: Yes, there will be a second date. KYLE: I believe that we made some plans to go hang out and to get to know each other without photographers or anybody else around. What’s one thing your date really should know before going on another date? ASHLEY: No, he was pretty amazing. He was a gentleman. I got cold, he lent me his coat. He was very attentive, made sure I was taken care of the whole time, so I mean, I would say he did all the right things. I wouldn’t change anything about it. KYLE: Nothing.

AFTERMATCH: In her pre-date interview, Ashley said she’d have to be “really moved” to kiss on a first date, so it’s a good thing having her strike a few yoga poses worked in Kyle’s favor. It’s a little disappointing neither dater will confess when exactly they got home, but we’re chalking this one up as a win, and hope the relationship bleats the odds and goats the distance. Good luck, kids!

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

What could have made this date better? ASHLEY: Nothing, you guys nailed it. KYLE: I don’t think anything would have made it better. We really had a good time and enjoyed each other’s company.

THANK YOU AND PROMOTIONAL CONSIDERATION TO:

Anything else you’d like to add? ASHLEY: I’m really happy that I did this. It was out of my comfort zone and I’m really glad I challenged myself to go on an experience like this. It was a really positive experience, so I’m really happy. Thanks for putting this together. I think more people should try this. KYLE: Nope, I think we’re pretty good.

THE BLISSFUL GOAT 760.518.1139, theblissfulgoat.life

EPIC LIMO 858.270.LIMO (5466), epiclimo.com

DECOY DOCKSIDE DINING 1035 La Bonita Dr.,San Marcos 760.653.3230 @decoydockside lakehousehotelandresort.com/decoy JESSICA PELLIGRA matchandmagic.com

GLASSES UP TO DRINKING RESPONSIBLY.