ARE THOSE REAL?
Cosmetic surgeons blur the lines between plastic and fantastic J A N UA RY 2 0 1 3
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Editor’s Note
RE: SOLUTIONS I t’s December 21, which is surprising. I had expected to wake up dead. Silly Mayans – can’t count on those guys for anything. To be fair, it was probably gringos who got it wrong; misread the cave drawings. We’ve never been so good at foreign languages. If folks don’t speak American, we’re like, “Uh, what?” And why bother learning Spanish if the world is going to end, anyway? Alas, until Yellowstone blows up or Kim Jong-il’s puffy son pushes the wrong button, it looks like Earth’s going to remain intact, and I’ll have to follow through on the life improvements I’ve been promising myself (and my wife) I’d make: eat less crap, be more affectionate, stop worrying. Maybe the Mayans were talking about the fiscal cliff? (Guess who Mel Gibson’s going to blame if we go over that one. Hint: it ain’t Nostradamus…or was his dad Jewish?) Maybe I should wait and see how that shakes out before making any big moves. I’ve quit enough bad habits not to have many fun ones left. Marlboro reds became Lights became Nicorette became Orbit became grinding my teeth. Now I’ve chilled out, so I don’t even do that any more. If I could go back in time, I’d erase the smoking, not to mention the throwing of the cookies at Mrs. Smaak when I was 7. (I’m so, so, so sorry, Mrs. Smaak – I was angry with myself, not you.) Man, I really regret doing those things. In high school I changed price tags at the mall to get Girbaud jeans for the price of Wranglers. Money was tight, and the former were easier to cuff tight to the ankle, so I rationalized it. When I finally stopped (the petty larceny and the pegging of the jeans), I wished I had done so earlier. My dad used to say, “Life’s not a dress rehearsal.” I didn’t get it at the time – not sure he really did, either – but I’m starting to. Dad couldn’t take his own advice (who can?), but he was telling me not to wait, for anything. Each time I’ve made a change for the better in my life, E I G H T
[JANUARY 2013]
the positive impact has been instantaneous. Quitting this, starting that – that’s never been the problem. Procrastination has. The solution? It isn’t resolutions. This issue of PacificSD is all about fresh starts and new beginnings – from an NBC TV weather anchor who staged a comeback despite all odds (see “Sunny, With Lingering Clouds,” page 52) to cosmetic surgery trends (see “Are Those Real?,” page 60) to fresh styles for guys (see “Look, Man,” page 46) to the city’s coffee shops (see “Livin’ la Vida Mocha,” page 72) to breakfasts that help launch a new day (see “Morning Glory,” page 81). It’s time to stop talking about change and start making it. (I’m talking to myself here.) Life moves too fast to wait for another New Year. This photo of my dad and me, which my brother just dug out of a box of slides in his basement, is a testament to that. Another day began this morning. Another hour starts in 20 minutes. Another second just passed. Dad lived until he was 52. I’m 42. The time is now. Or maybe January 2nd. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF David Perloff Dad and me, 1970, Philadelphia.
San Diego
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NEW YEAR. NEW CHANGES. COMING FEBRUARY.
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vol. 7
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issue 1
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JANUARY 2013
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF David Perloff
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Kenny Boyer MANAGING EDITOR Patricia B. Dwyer ASSOCIATE EDITOR Allie Daugherty EDITOR-AT-LARGE Ron Donoho EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Catlin Dorset
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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Kyle Hall, Leslie Marcus, Brandon Matzek, David Moye, David Nelson, Jason O’Bryan, Tim Pyles, Frank Sabatini Jr. COVER PHOTOGRAPHER Kristina Yamamoto
(FU B $SPTTSPBET BU )PVTF PG #MVFT (JGU $FSUJĂśDBUF
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CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Brevin Blach, Jeff “Turbo� Corrigan, Rob Hammer, Brandon Matzek, Kristina Yamamoto
PUBLISHERS David Perloff Simone Perloff DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING Dana Schroedl (dana@pacificsandiego.com) PROMOTIONS + CLIENT SERVICES DIRECTOR Alyson C. Baker (alyson@pacificsandiego.com) BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Vicki Marangos (vicki@pacificsandiego.com) PROMOTIONS MANAGER Katie Dunn (katie@pacificsandiego.com)
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ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Jim Lucich (jim@pacificsandiego.com) Joey PeĂąa (joey@pacificsandiego.com Laura Rovick (laura@pacificsandiego.com) INTERN Kelly Shryock
Reach America’s Finest readers via print, web, social media and events. Read, click, connect...BOOM! 619.296.6300, pacificsandiego.com facebook.com/pacificsd, Twitter @pacificsd
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[JANUARY 2013]
fL fL
Contents PACIFICSANDIEGO.COM
////// JANUARY 2013
//////
FEATURES 60 Are Those Real?
Cosmetic surgery’s lifelike results are blurring the lines between plastic and fantastic
66 From Hair to Eternity Barbershops, their history and future
72 Livin’ La Vida Mocha
on the coveR: Dolly was photographed in a Mission Hills home
San Diego’s coffee-shop lifestyle
55 cosmetic surgery and dentistry, laser treatments, med-spas S I X T E e N
THIS PAGE: Bird Rock Coffee Roasters in La Jolla roasts and brews a wide selection of varietal beans (see story page 72).
[JANUARY 2013]
brevin blach
S pecial advertising section :
on a rainy day by Kristina Yamamoto. Styled by Simone Perloff. Photographer’s assistant: Lisa Costigan. Dolly is wearing a BCBG Max Azria dress ($50) from My Sister’s Closet, mysisterscloset.com; necklace ($40) from Macy’s, macys.com; Steve Madden shoes ($150) from Tutto Cuore Shoes, tuttocuoreshoes.com.
Contents PACIFICSANDIEGO.COM
////// JANUARY 2013
//////
DEPARTMENTS CURRENTS FIRST THINGS 23 Sexy And We Know It And proud to be America’s finest runners-up 24 Round of A-Paws Put your hands together for cat lovers CITY 26 What About Bob? Q&A with San Diego’s new mayor 28 Calendar January events OLD’S COOL 30 Golden Eye How one miner made a major contribution to San Diego history
HEALTH 36 Run-plugged Exercise at 140 beats per minute TECH 38 Making Babies The ins and outs of offspring by design PULSE ART 41 Andy Land Previously unseen Andy Warhol surf film unveiled COOLTURE 44 Slip Me A Mickey Or a Cinderella or Rapunzel STYLE 46 Look, Man Actually, three of them, Dude
LIVING HOME 33 Web Sight A digital family’s home with a view
ANCHOR 52 Sunny, With Lingering Clouds San Diego reporter weathers emotional storm, makes TV comeback TASTE dining out 81 Morning Glory Rise and shine with the most important meal of the day what’s cooking 88 Whatever Floats Your Oats Customizable granola bars for great tastes, not big waists drink 92 IT’S ALRIGHT TO STAIR Step up to a cocktail on a higher level
GROOVE 95 In Tune Inside the heads of San Diegans with music on their minds 95 Concert Calendar January music events 106 Bold Fashioned Classics-minded bartender ventures West to establish trends LOVE: BLIND DATE 108 Weather or Not Looking for love under gloomy skies THINK 114 FACE OFF A full-bodied creative challenge
b ran d o n m a t z e k
E I G H T E E N
[JANUARY 2013]
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[JANUARY 2013]
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// F I R S T T H I N G S //
Sexy
and We Know It And proud to be America’s Finest runnerS-up
Results of Travel + Leisure’s recent America’s Favorite Cities 2012 poll rank San Diego as having the nation’s secondmost attractive citizens (as voted by visitors of 35 cities). Only Miami beat us. L.A. snagged the No. 5 spot. So says the magazine’s website: “This SoCal city has consistently ranked as the first runner-up for good looks in T+L’s survey, even if readers tend not to be so impressed with the locals’ conversational skills.”
PacificSD Street Teamer Jessica Comiskey is one of the second-most attractive women in the nation.
p.28 1/21 - 27 Farmers Insurance Open
J as o n W i s c h
(Continued on page 24)
twenty – three
[JANUARY 2013]
c u r r e nts
// F I R S T T H I N G S //
poll position
More rankings from the 40,000-plus votes cast in T+L’s survey Best of San Diego No. 1 for athletic/active people [makes sense] No. 1 for Spring Break [really? might be time to poll some new people] No. 1 for 4th of July [if you like police action on Mission Beach] No. 1 for Valentine’s Day [awww, we love you, too!] No. 2 for weather [true dat; Honolulu was voted No. 1] Worst of San Diego No. 26 for affordability [get a roommate] No. 21 for antique stores [buy something new] No. 21 as a cultural getaway [we’re getting there; check back soon]
(Continued from page 23)
Round of A-Paws
Put your hands together for cat lovers
By Allie Daugherty
T T wenty – four
he San Diego Cat Fanciers (SDCF) club will host its annual cat show January 28 and 29 at the Del Mar Fair Grounds. For cat lovers, it’s the pawsitively purrfect way to spend a weekend. “Three to four thousand people a day come to see the cats,” says Sandee Gilbert, media representative for SDCF. “It’s a big event.” Nearly 500 cats will compete in agility courses – obstacles include tunnels, hurdles and hoops – and a variety of other cat-egories. “There are eight courses the cats have to go through,” Gilbert says. “We consider it eight separate shows they are judged in.” Eight courses, nine lives, one great reason to attend: pussy jokes. sandiegocat.org
[JANUARY 2013]
J e f f “ Tur b o ” C o rr i g an
Uh…what? We know how to converse; we just choose not to do it with tourists. Hey, T+L reader, do what the locals do: grab a beer and meet us on the beach. Just mingle with a cop until we show up. They’re super friendly here. “Conventional wisdom might suggest that there could be a connection between beach destinations and attractive residents, given how conducive a warm outdoor climate is for exercise and wellness,” says Rich Beattie, T+L’s executive digital editor. “But that’s just one take on it.” For more takes on it, check out travelandleisure.com.
SPORTS REPORT Your place for co-ed sports leagues, happy hours, social events and more fun.
BOBBLEHEAD CORNER NOVEMBER CHAMPS Kickball Thursdays in Ocean Beach
THUNDER CANKLES
Basketball Thursdays in La Jolla
AND NOW WE UP 1
Softball Mondays in North Park
TEAM MAYHEM
Kickball Mondays in Carmel Valley
ECOATM
Softball Fridays in La Jolla
BLUE BALLERS
Coed Inner Tube Water Polo Wednesdays at Wavehouse in Mission Beach
Softball Mondays in Carlsbad
SWINGERS
Softball Mondays in Ocean Beach
SMACK MY PITCH UP
Kickball Wednesdays in North Park
BALLIGERENT
Social Bowling Wednesdays at East Village Tavern
THIS IS HOW WE ROLL
Inner Tube Water Polo Wednesdays at Wavehouse
MOTORBOAT
Competitive Beach Volleyball Saturdays in Ocean Beach
WHEN YOU PASS MY BALLS I GET A HARD ON Social Beach Volleyball Saturdays in Ocean Beach
ACES ALL DAY, BUMPS ALL NIGHT Softball Wednesdays in Carmel Valley
CATCH OF THE DAY
Flag Football Wednesdays in Clairemont
SEX PANTHERS
Quickie! Flag Football Tuesdays in Linda Vista
Coed Softball Tuesdays at Nobel Recreation Center in La Jolla
‘
CROMARDIE S KIDS
SUNDAY FUNDAY KICKS OFF FEBRUARY 10 Team Don't Come On My Base epitomizes what VAVi Sunday Funday is all about: friends, extending the weekend as long as possible, and an "only offensive if you get it" team name. They just took home their first bobblehead and looking for any challengers. Take on these guys and others at PB Rec Center! Is your New Year's Resolution to meet new friends? Get in shape? Get outside? Mark your calendar, San Diego: VAVi Sunday Funday is back February 10th!
ELECTRIFY SAN DIEGO: ELECTRIC SD FEB. 2 ALL-INCLUSIVE MAMMOTH TRIP RUN MARCH 8-10TH
GOVAVi.COM T wenty – five
[JANUARY 2013]
c u r r e nts
// C I T Y // San Diego’s newly elected mayor, Bob Filner, is setting his sights on improving the city’s economy.
WHAT ABOUT
F
BOB? Q&A with San Diego’s new mayor By Ron Donoho
ormer Congressman Bob Filner edged out Carl DeMaio to become San Diego’s first Democratic mayor since 1992. Like his recent predecessor, Jerry Sanders, the new mayor wants people to address him by his first name. “During the campaign, bus and taxi drivers would say, ‘Go get ’em, Bob,’” he says. “They knew I was on their side.” Filner is 70, lives in a downtown condo and has a fiancée whom he plans to marry in late 2013. Didja know he plays the piano? Here’s more:
What’s this about you pledging to work on Saturdays? I work seven days a week, so it’s no big deal. But what I said was that the mayor should be available to citizens on Saturdays, so people without appointments can stop in, talk to me and have a cup of coffee. I want to be available to people who aren’t part of the establishment.
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[JANUARY 2013]
Christmas Presence What was the first thing you did after you got official word that you won the mayor’s race? I kissed my grandchildren. I was more humbled than exhilarated at first. If you could fix only one problem in San Diego, what would it be? The economy is always the biggest thing. Then everything else can work. Do you feel like political change brings a new optimism? Is the economy ready to swing upward? New people have to justify optimism from the beginning. Is there a sense of change? Yes, but new people are tested. But I do think change brings a hopeful context.
San Diego’s new Mayor attends “Christmas on Crystal Pier,” December 1 in Pacific Beach.
process, and that neighborhoods are taken seriously and respected. You were born in Pittsburgh; what made you move to San Diego? I got my doctoral degree in history of science at Cornell. I applied for jobs and got six offers. One was at San Diego State University. It was the farthest from where I was, so I decided that’s where I should go.
“My goal is to solve homelessness in San Diego. If we did that, it would have national implications.”
What’s your take on Tony Young resigning his city council seat midterm to take a higher-paying job at The Red Cross? I’m sorry he left. He was a great councilperson. He has some kids in college and he needs to provide for his family. He was offered three times the salary for doing something that probably isn’t as difficult as what he was doing. It says something about good people being able to support themselves on public salaries. On the political scale of jobs, is going from the House of Representatives to the mayor’s office a lateral move? [Laughs.] I think it’s a big step up, which is why I did it. On the one hand, I loved the job I had in Congress in Washington. But being a member of the House in the minority party is very difficult. I believe that being the head of the eighth-biggest city could help my constituents and also be a role model for the rest of the nation. My goal is to solve homelessness in San Diego. If we did that, it would have national implications. How big a role will maverick former city councilmember Donna Frye have in your administration? Donna will be head of a department we’ll call Open Government and Community Engagement. She will make sure people are involved in the
What are your favorite San Diego restaurants? I live downtown, so I love the Gaslamp Quarter. I like neighborhood restaurants more than fancy places. We go to SoleLuna a lot. We go to Zanzibar. In Little Italy, Café Zia – the cook makes me a special pasta dish with garlic and oil. We stop in the Indigo Café on Sixth Avenue, too. You met your fiancée, Bronwyn Ingram, during a Congressional meeting. How did you follow up on that? I was so impressed with her effort to protest something the state was doing regarding her agency’s ability to reach out to people. I was impressed with her leadership, so I asked to talk to her more. We ended up having lunch, and then dinner. I love her political commitment and energy, which grew to…fiancée-ship. You are a fan of James Bond and Lincoln movies, but are you Team Edward or Team Jacob? [Pause] I guess not. If there was a movie made about your life, who would play you? [Laughs] People say I look like Kevin Costner. But in his early days, I would have loved to have been played by Sean Connery. Who would play your fiancée? Bronwyn is a beautiful blonde Somebody glamorous. I think Sharon Stone.
T wenty – seven
FROM LEFT: Mayor Bob Filner’s fiancée, Bronwyn Ingram; Mr. Mayor himself; PacificSD Street Teamers Krista, Grinch, Ashten and Alma.
team player
Head Coach Bob Filner? Maybe the San Diego Chargers should hire Bob Filner as their coach. His record speaks for itself – he’s 26-1 in political elections (school board, city council, Congressional, mayoral). That’d be an amazing single season for a college basketball coach; and a great nearly two-year run in the NFL. And it’s possible that during Filner’s four-year term as mayor of San Diego, a decision will be made about the future of our local pro football team. How does Filner plan on making the Chargers and the taxpayers happy about keeping the team and not having the public pay for a new stadium? “It’s going to be hard to do,” he says. “I think we can. I am a big Chargers fan. We cannot spend taxpayer money on this. Taxpayers have not gotten good deals in the past. But I think there are ways to build something that gives money back to the city.” And what about Filner’s record? “Not bad – I think I could take Norv Turner’s job with that record,” he says, with a chuckle. He adds: “I’m humbled by that record, not arrogant about it. I am the employee of the voters.”
PLANE & SIMPLE THE EASY WAY TO THE ORIENT According to Google Maps, directions from San Diego to Tokyo get tricky around entry Number 19: “Sail across the Pacific Ocean.” If your sailboat is out of commission (or doesn’t exist), Japan Airlines (JAL) has a solution: frying there. Sorry, make that “flying.” Using its fleet of Boeing 787 “Dreamliners,” JAL is now helping America’s Finest citizens get authentic sushi fixes without the hassle of transferring flights. Nonstop service from Lindbergh Field begins at about $1,300 for a Value Saver Fare. That’s roughly 107,000 Yen, if you’re big in Japan. Business class starts at ¥330,000. If you don’t have a “¥” on your keyboard, it may be time to start saving for a boat.
[JANUARY 2013]
c u r r e nts
// ca l endar //
2013
JANUARY
“To read a poem in January is as lovely as to go for a walk in June.” —Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980)
1/1: Polar Bear Swim Location: La Jolla Shores Admission: Free Info: lajollacoveswimclub.com Shake that New Year’s hangover with a frosty two-mile swim across La Jolla Cove. Hot cider, coffee and a chili potluck warm cockles (and help relieve shrinkage) at the finish line.
1/6: Resolution Run Location: De Anza Cove, Mission Bay Park Admission: $25-$45 Info: sandyfeetevents.com/resolution-run Burn calories while running along the Mission Bay waterfront in a 5K or 10K race benefitting San Diego Renewable Energy Society, Jeans for Justice and San Diego Roots Sustainable Food Project.
Weekends in January
(and throughout the year):
Full Moon Drive-In
Location: 1500 Felspar St., Pacific Beach Admission: $10-$20 Info: fullmoondrivein.com
A recent graduate of Point Loma Nazarene University, graphic designer and illustrator Kristina Micotti is kicking off the New Year – and her career – with her first solo art show. On display at Subtext Gallery in Little Italy (opening reception Jan. 11), “Sentimental Mood” is a collection of Micotti’s portraits depicting some of her favorite folk heroes and jazz and blues musicians.
1/13 – 18: San Diego Restaurant Week Location: 180+ restaurants throughout San Diego County Admission: Lunch for $10, $15 or $20; dinner for $20, $30 or $40 Info: sandiegorestaurantweek.com Dine-out at a discount as nearly 200 San Diego eateries offer prix-fixe lunches and dinners. (Find out how to win a $1,000 gift certificate package from participating restaurants on page 20.)
1/19: Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam Location: Qualcomm Stadium, Mission Valley Admission: $12-$30 Info: monsterjam.com Big tires, loud engines, monster trucks. These guys must be trying to compensate for something. 1/21: Squirrel Appreciation Day Go nuts. 1/21 – 27: Farmers Insurance Open Location: Torrey Pines Golf Course, La Jolla Admission: $30-$40 for day pass; $110-$130 for week pass Info: farmersinsuranceopen.com Watch top players from the PGA tour compete in week of golf at Torrey Pines, or just tee up a few drinks at the Tilted Kilt Tartan Terrace on the 15th green and say you saw Tiger Woods.
T wenty – E I G H T
[JANUARY 2013]
1/26: Stephen Strasburg 5K with Tony Gwynn Location: Tony Gwynn Stadium, SDSU Admission: $40 advance; $45 day of Info: strasburg5k.com Complete a 5K on the SDSU campus to support Aztecs Baseball and receive, among other goodies, a voucher for a haircut from SportClips. It’s a fun way to feel great and look, well, like you’ve been to SportClips. 1/26: Big Bay Whale Festival Location: Port Pavilion on Broadway Pier, Downtown Admission: Free Info: whaledays.com Celebrate whale-watching season (grey whales migrate from Alaska to Baja California each December through April) by hugging a Jack Sparrow look-alike at this family-friendly festival, or hop aboard a Hornblower Cruise in hopes of spotting fins and spouts in real life. 1/29: WWE Smackdown Location: Valley View Casino Center Admission: $24-$99 Info: valleyviewcasinocenter.com Watch (over-) grown men groping each other while wearing Speedos. It’s fun for the whole (far-East County) family. 1/31: Jim Breuer’s Comedy Tour Location: Sycuan Casino Admission: $25-$35 Info: sycuan.ticketsunplugged.com Saturday Night Live’s “Goat Boy” and Joe Pesci imitator, Jim Breuer starred in the cult classic film Half Baked alongside Dave Chappelle.
S t an Ba d z
Kick it Old School at Pacific Beach Middle School, where the parking lot transforms into a drive-in movie theater on weekends. Showing in January: Stand By Me, double feature with Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Despicable Me, Alfred Hitchcock double feature with Psycho and The Birds, Groundhog Day, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Men in Black and Space Jam.
Location: Subtext Gallery, Little Italy Admission: Free Info: subtextgallery.com
Feld Motor Sports
1/5: America’s Next Top Model open casting Location: Bellus Academy, Poway Admission: Free (see website for eligibility requirements) Info: cwtv.com/thecw/topmodel-cycle20casting Strut the catwalk for a chance to have
J o h na k i n R an d o l p h
1/3 – 5: Brandon T. Jackson (stand-up comedy) Location: The American Comedy Co., Gaslamp Admission: $20 in advance, $23 at the door Info: americancomedyco.com Named among “10 Comics to Watch,” this Tropic Thunder and BET funnyman showcases his comedic chops during a three-night stint in Gaslamp.
Tyra Banks criticize you and tell you how wonderful she is during “Cycle 20” of the hit TV show America’s Next Top Model.
1/11 – 2/3 “Sentimental Mood”
T wenty – N I N E
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c u r r e nts
// o l d ’ s coo l //
Left: A small portion of San Diego’s 800 residents lived in Julian when Fred Coleman found gold there in 1869. Below: Julian settlers at the still-standing Wilcox Building, sometime between 1872 and 1892. OPPOSITE: Pioneers lured to San Diego by Coleman’s short-lived gold rush stayed behind to farm the rich land.
golden eye
How one miner made a major contribution to San Diego history B y D A V I D M OY E
IN
January 1869, Coleman, an African-American cattle rancher who was married to a NativeAmerican woman, stopped by a creek so his horse could drink some water. The story goes that he spied some yellow flecks in the water and, having spent some time mining in northern California, studied them more closely and knew he’d found gold. The discovery led to a mini gold rush in the area and the founding of the
mountain town by Drue Bailey and his cousin Mike Julian, former Confederate soldiers. These days, Julian is known more for apple pies than gold, but Coleman’s discovery of the precious metal helped lure people to the area; rich soil made some of them stay even after the gold was mined. Besides discovering the first gold claim in the area, Coleman was also the official recorder and, as such, kept details on other gold and homestead claims filed by residents.
T hirty / D E C E M B E R T hirty [ J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 3 ]
2 0 1 2
America’s Finest wasn’t America’s minest Neither the discovery of gold in Julian nor the famed California Gold Rush did much to boost the population of San Diego. To the contrary, according to an essay on file with the San Diego History Center, 10 years after the historic 1849 rush, only 727 people lived in the city – and 268 of those were Native Americans. It wasn’t until 1885, when the first railroad to reach San Diego was built, that anyone made this fine city a destination. Two years later, the county’s population jumped to 40,000. The rest, they say, is history. —Allie Daugherty
h i s t o r i c a l p h o t o s b y san d i e g o h i s t o ry c e n t e r
Fred Coleman didn’t found Julian, but the town as we know it might not exist today if it weren’t for him.
gold in years
WHAT A RUSH
THERE’S GOLD IN THEM THAR HILLS
e g a n e d l o g n o i s i v e l e t of
Jungle Gold
Cable’s treasure trove of prospecting programs Jungle Gold – Discovery Channel Two desperate gringos leave their loved ones behind in the U.S. as they head to Ghana, Africa, in search of gold to pay off their mounting bills and upside-down mortgages back home. s h au l s c h war z
Gold Rush
Gold Rush – Discovery Channel Miners labor in the bitter cold, cutting through permafrost and moving mountains with giant bulldozers in search of Alaskan gold. Comedian Joel McHale often spoofs the show’s reference to “glory holes” on E! Entertainment Television’s hit weekly series The Soup. Bering Sea Gold – Discovery Channel Armed with a powerful vacuum hose, optimistic divers plunge to the depths of the Bering Sea to suck up “pay-gravel,” which they filter to find gold. Tension rises beneath the ice amid the threat of killer whales and pesky walruses.
T hirty – one
[JANUARY 2013]
The Goldfathers – National Geographic An eclectic group of nugget seekers have 100 days to unearth the mother lode before the Alaskan ground refreezes, trapping the gold beneath it. Alaska Gold Mining – National Geographic A six-pack of Oregonian patriots hit hard by the recession head north to pan rivers and mine the hills for riches. Gold Fever – Outdoor Channel Hopefuls explore various locations of the United States to dig up whatever gold may have been overlooked in 1849. Prospecting America – Outdoor Channel Outdoor Channel founder Perry Massie travels across the country, sharing his knowledge of gold prospecting so viewers can catch the fever, too. —AD
Bering Sea Gold
DI S COVE R Y CH A N N EL
For whatever reason, Coleman’s story is incomplete. There are reports that he was a former slave, but David Lewis, the president of the Julian Pioneer Museum, says his own research has been inconclusive. “We don’t know if he was a slave for sure, but he was born in Kentucky, so it could be likely,” Lewis says. “There are suspicions he was a runaway slave. However, members of his family say he was actually Portuguese.” Considering that many miners were former Confederate soldiers, it’s reasonable to expect some racial tensions, but Lewis can’t find much evidence of that, either. “There were only three or four African Americans in Julian,” Lewis says. On this short list were Albert and Margaret Tull Robinson, who, in the 1890s, started the “Robinson Restaurant and Bakery,” which is now the Julian Gold Rush Hotel; and America Newton, a former slave whose laundry business (washing clothes for the miners) developed into an 80-acre homestead. The gold rush started by Coleman’s discovery (in a creek that now bears his name) lasted only 10 years. During that time, about $5 million in gold was removed (about $87 million in today’s dollars), but there’s not much evidence Coleman made a big profit from it. “I think the claim he found ran out quick,” Lewis says. Coleman had 10 kids with his wife, and their descendants still live in the area. There’s a Coleman Circle in Julian named after him; Coleman Creek is reportedly overrun by brambles and trees and hidden from view. The discovery of gold played a big role in Julian’s history, but Lewis says it may not have been Coleman’s most significant contribution. “He actually built the first useable road in the area,” Lewis says. “It was a wagon trail connecting Santa Ysabel with Julian, and he built it with Native American help. It’s interesting that a black man, right after the Civil War, was able to get a government contract to build a road.”
DI S COVE R Y CH A N N EL
Julian’s wasn’t the only gold rush to make an impact on the region. In 1889, a Mexican man named Bacilio Padilla discovered the precious metal in Baja’s Santa Clara Mountains, where a mini-rush lasting less than a month lured more than 5,000 prospectors. The local impact? Many San Diegans followed the road to potential riches; others stayed behind to sell items to those making the journey south. As many as 300 prospectors passed through San Diego each day, giving at least a minor boost to an economy that had been faltering since the decline of the broader California gold rush in 1849. —AD
“He actually built the first useable road in the area. It was a wagon trail connecting Santa Ysabel with Julian, and he built it with Native American help. It’s interesting that a black man, right after the Civil War, was able to get a government contract to build a road.” —David Lewis
// H O M E //
Living MAKING BABIES
WEBSight A digital family’s home with a view By Ron Donoho
When her real estate agent announced the discovery of “the perfect house,” Daiga Atvara made her move. “I would have loved to live here as a kid,” says Atvara, who was born in Latvia. “I’m very eclectic, and it’s important to me that a house be interesting, stimulating and well-done. This house is not boring.” (Continued on page 34)
In Good Company S A FDIE R A BI N E S A R CHITECT S
A screenshot of Digitaria
Daiga Atvara and Dan Khabie co-founded Digitaria in 1997. Based in San Diego (with offices in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Salt Lake City and Minneapolis), it is a digital marketing and technology company that creates websites and apps, and builds branding campaigns for big-time companies. Clients include CBS, Fox, The National Football League, Qualcomm, Sony, Petco and the San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau. In 2012, for the second consecutive year, the firm won the national OMMA (Online Media, Marketing and Advertising) award for Agency of the Year.
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Pocket doors on the canyon side of this Mission Hills home disappear into the walls to maximize views of Mission Valley.
(Continued from page 33) The home has an unassuming façade, but looks more like an expansive estate when viewed from the back, where it sprawls down a Mission Hills canyon. Disappearing pocket doors bring the outside in, making the interior of the three-bedroom, three-floor structure feel as spacious as its incredible views. “It’s so rare to find a contemporary-modern design in a metropolitan area in San Diego that’s a house and not a condo,” says Atvara, chief experience officer and co-founder of Digitaria, the influential, San Diego-based digital-marketingand-technology company.
PHOTO AT LEFT (left to right): Team Digitaria’s CTO and cofounder Chuck Phillips, cofounder Daiga Atvara, resource manager Robin Kadfalk and group account director Rachel Gigli often have brainstorming sessions at Atvara’s home.
The home’s world-class architects, Taal Safdie and Ricardo Rabines, are a husband-and-wife team that has designed several homes on or near the same canyon, and are neighbors. Atavra lives in the home, which she describes as a “bookshelf spaceship,” with her husband, Andris Vilcans (a composer who created a soundproof studio within the house), son,
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Valter, 6, and daughter, Isabella, 4. The children spend most of their time in “kid land,” on the lower level. The bedrooms are on the middle level, and the top floor (ground floor on the street side) is where Atvara entertains guests, barbecues on the patio and brainstorms with colleagues when they come over to envision the digital world’s next big thing.
LIVI NG
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A STYLISH PARTNERSHIP
RUN-PLUGGED Exercise at 140 beats per minute
Popular action sports brand Neff Headwear designed Electric Run’s official T-shirt. Founder Shaun Neff launched the company in 2002 while enrolled as an undergrad at Brigham Young University. Since then, Neff products have made it into the pop-culture spotlight, propelled by celebs (like hip-hop artist Kid Cudi and rapper Lil Wayne) wearing its products; through partnerships with MTV and the like; and by sponsoring surf, snow and skate athletes who’ve made it to the X Games and Olympics, thereby garnering worldwide TV exposure. “They have one of the hottest apparel and headwear brands in the game right now,” says Keith Cunningham, vice president of events for San Diego’s VAVi Sports and Social Club in San Diego, the company putting on the Electric Run.
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referring to is the Electric Run, a 5K race of illuminated runners energized by electronic dance music (EDM) and weaving through neon palm trees, rainbow tunnels and other “crazy lighting effects.” “We’re creating a happy place where all of the energy is completely positive, joyous, and all you see is smiles on everyone’s faces,” Cunningham says. “There will be sound and music bumping through the entire course. It’s going to be amazing.” Contributing to the amazement is the fact that the experts behind popular music festivals such as Coachella and Electric Daisy
Carnival (an annual touring EDM event series) designed the course. But the kicker isn’t just the electric wonderland through which the runners will be racing. It’s the participants themselves: each will receive a glow kit (glow necklace, glow glasses, glow bracelet and glow other stuff) and is encouraged to further self-illuminate with neon, fluorescent and electric everything and anything. “There has been such a big boom in the world of EDM and fun runs,” says Cunningham. “We figured, why not do an event that incorporates both? This race isn’t just another night run with people
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wearing glow sticks.” Ragner Relay (an overnight race) founder Dan Hill and executives at VAVi conceptualized the idea, and hope to take the event to 25 U.S. cities before the end of 2013. Orange County hosted the inaugural Electric Run in November, which was hailed as a success, drawing upwards of 8,000 runners. At the finish line of the February 2 event in Del Mar? An all-night EDM dance party with a slew of DJs and a positively electric vibe. Sign up for the Electric Run (entry fee is $55 per person) at govavi.com.
Da v i d N e w k i r k
n Saturday night, February 2, hours before Superbowl Sunday hoopla gets underway, up to 10,000 people will be running around Del Mar Fairgrounds to kick off a different kind of sporting experience. “We think this is the next big thing,” says Keith Cunningham, vice president of events at VAVi Sports and Social Club, the largest athletic and social events organization for adults in Southern California. The “thing” Cunningham’s
10,000 athletic party people will be glowing and sweating at San Diego’s first Electric Run.
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Miller64 is brewed for the better you – the ‘you’ that gets out of bed and goes for a morning run. The ‘you’ that plays softball on Wednesday nights just to get a little exercise. The ‘you’ that takes the stairs instead of the elevator. The ‘you’ that orders the side salad instead of the fries. Truth is, the ‘better you’ is a little bit different for everyone. And with Miller64, you get 64 calories of crisp, light beer that doesn’t undo all your efforts.
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Making
Babies
The ins and outs of offspring by design B y leslie marc u s
ason and Jeannette had Jack, James, Jerry and Jeff (real first names; Jeannette asked that the family’s last name remain anonymous). Since having Jack, they’ve wanted a Jill, but each time Jeannette got pregnant, despite prayers and plans (and the blue bedroom they painted pink), Jill never came. “I love my sons but I got depressed, and it wasn’t postpartum depression,” says Jeannette. “I was depressed because it was this whole dream that crashed. We were sure we were going to have a girl, and we would have our perfect family.” Jeannette begged her husband to try again. Jason agreed, but wasn’t willing to leave child No. 5 to chance. Instead, the couple turned to reproductive endocrinologist Samuel Wood, M.D. for a fertility treatment called Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD). Currently, PGD is offered only for gender selection and disease screening, but the technology has the potential to be used for a whole lot more. “Gender is simply one characteristic of a baby that a
woman may want to choose,” says Wood, medical director at Reproductive Sciences Center in La Jolla. “There are many others – things like hair color and eye color.” Humans have long selected partners (and egg and sperm donors) based on socioeconomic status, attractiveness or intelligence, but are we ready to enter a world where we control these traits by selecting – or discarding – embryos? The technology exists to launch a reproductive revolution, but ethical concerns have prevented the science from being used to “design” babies, for the most part. In 2009, Los Angelesbased fertility specialist Jeffrey Steinberg, M.D. advertised that, by using PGD, he could help couples pick their unborn child’s gender, hair color and eye color. A letter of protest from the Vatican was among the outcry that poured in from across the globe in response to the ads. Facing mounting pressure, Steinberg stopped offering the procedure, but Wood says it’s only a matter of time before someone else picks up where Steinberg left off. “It’s not a question of whether designer babies are going to be created; it’s a question of when and where,” he says. “It’s simply too easy to do right now. In
48 hours, you can screen for hundreds of different genes. Eye color and hair color boils down to eight genes. Those two are well established. We could do it tomorrow, if we wanted to.” PGD, the technology to analyze genes in an embryo, emerged in the early 1990s and was first used to screen for life-threatening diseases (such as cystic fibrosis) and genetic disorders (such as Down Syndrome). The selection (or “design”) process comes into play with embryos harvested through in vitro fertilization, wherein would-be parents might elect not to implant an embryo that showed propensity for disease or undesirable traits, like obesity or high cholesterol. Other parents might select to implant an embryo only if it had the genes for blue eyes or physical beauty. “We are going to see people add a chromosome,” Wood says. “We all have 46 chromosomes; they are going to add on a 47th with genes on it that are extremely helpful to a child, like intelligence. That’s true design. In the future, you’ll actually be able to make the embryo better than anything the couple could have been able to create themselves.” Jeannette says picking the
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gender of her baby – and ruling out a genetic disease or disorder – is as far as she’d be willing to go. “Using PGD like you’re going to Starbucks to order your drink the way you like it, that doesn’t make any sense to me,” she says. “I guess I’m still too Christian.” The latest 3-D ultrasounds confirm Jason and Jeannette’s Jill will be arriving soon. Awaiting her, a pink bedroom complete with princess accoutrements galore. “I can’t wait for her to get here. My due date is January 11th. Do you see the 1-1-1? The one daughter I always hoped for is coming!” Too Christian, but nonetheless playing God (by Vatican standards, anyway), Jeannette says she will tell her daughter about the genetic selection used to conceive her. “The whole point is we wanted her so badly that this is how far we were willing to go,” she says. “We really wanted her to be part of our family. I think it will make her feel really special.”
The ABCs of PGD • PGD is legal in the U.S. for gender selection. It’s banned in most other countries. • Cost for PGD is around $17,000 (which includes the necessary in-vitro fertilization cycle). • PGD accounts for an estimated $100 million-a-year business.
Pulse // arts //
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In the neighbor hoodie
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ANDY LAND WARHOL’S ’60s surf film unveiled B y P atricia B . D w y er
I A n d y W ar h o l , ” Ca m p b e l l’ s s o up I T o m a t o , ” 1 9 6 8 © A W F
n May 1968, blocks from what is now Governor Mitt Romney’s $12 million waterfront vacation home in La Jolla (311 Dunemere Drive; stop in and borrow some money), pop art legend Andy Warhol spent two weeks making a film he would never finish. San Diego Surf was to tell the story of a married couple, their interactions with surfers at Windansea Beach and the entire group’s hetero- and homosexual tensions. But after returning to New York to edit the film, Warhol was shot three times by feminist artist and paranoid schizophrenic Valerie Solanas. The nearly successful assassination attempt put Warhol in the hospital and San Diego Surf on hold, not to be touched for almost 30 years. Shooting the film would be the last time Warhol got behind the camera, adding more mystery to his forgotten work. Well, not completely forgotten, it turns out. In 1996, the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts commissioned Paul Morrissey, the filmmaker who had worked closely with Warhol on San Diego Surf in 1968, to complete the editing based on Warhol’s notes. Now, another 17 years later, the 90-minute film will be released to the public for the first time, beginning with a weeklong showing (January 23-28) at the Museum of Modern Art in New York (MOMA). Seeing the film is sure to bring back memories for San Diegans who spotted Warhol’s blond locks bobbing in the ocean breeze. “When he came into my shop, there was a cop sitting outside, watching him,” says legendary surfboard shaper Carl Ekstrom, whom Warhol visited to get boards for the film, as well as for his personal collection. “They were keeping their eye on him, because he had this kind of entourage there.” Intrigued by the era’s Americana surf craze, Warhol had previously visited San Diego to speak at local universities, but it’s speculated that it was more than just waves that propelled the openly gay artist to crash the local scene. (Continued on page 42)
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our movies about went away – the edge came right off everybody,” Warhol recounts in his book POPism: The Warhol Sixties. “I guess that’s why the whole thing turned out to be more of a memento of a bunch of friends taking a vacation together than a movie.” The production comes full circle with its first San Diego showing, March 16 at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, La Jolla, 45 years after Warhol dipped his toes (and who knows what else) in the sands of Windansea Beach. (Hint/warning: the final scene involves two men and a shower – a golden one.)
“I think that laidback-ness, sexiness [of surf culture] was
that openness and the inherent probably something he wasn’t opposed to.”
March 16 Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, La Jolla mcasd.org (first San Diego showing)
January 23-28 Musem of Modern Art, New York moma.org (first public theatrical showing)
Painting a picture of the life of Andy Warhol Andy Warhol was born Andrew Warhola. He dropped the ‘a’ after Glamour magazine accidentally credited his art, “Drawings by Warhol.”
He created two shows for MTV: Andy Warhol’s TV (1983-1984) and Andy Warhol’s Fifteen Minutes (1985-1987). Warhols opened a nightclub and founded Interview magazine. After being told he had lazy eyes, Warhol wore opaque glasses with a small hole to see through. —AD Andy Warhol August 6, 1928 February 22, 1987
Going Bananas
The story behind Velvet Underground’s a-peel-ing album cover A yellow banana on a stark white background – it’s the iconic image emblazoned on the cover of The Velvet Underground & Nico (the debut album of ’60s rock group Velvet Underground) and one of Andy Warhol’s most recognizable pieces of art. But why a banana? First, the image is sexual. The fruit’s phallic shape is enhanced by the phrase “peel slowly and see” printed above it. From original copies of the cover, fans could remove the banana skin (it was a sticker) to reveal another drawing of a peeled banana, this
A n d y war h o l , “ F l o w e rs , ” 1 9 6 4 © A W F
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one printed with pink tones to look even more like genitalia. Another reason, writes Steven Watson in his book Factory Made: Warhol and the Sixties, was “…the recent craze for getting high by smoking banana peels.” For Warhol, hallucinogenic properties plus an erotic appearance equaled the perfect album cover for a band (fronted by Lou Reed) looking to appear edgy and provocative. —AD
A n d y W ar h o l , “ S an D i e g o S ur f, ” 1 9 6 8 / 1 9 9 6 © 2 0 1 2 T h e A n d y W ar h o l Mus e u m P i t t s b ur g h , P A , a m us e u m o f Carn e g i e Ins t i t u t e . A l l r i g h t s r e s e r v e d .
A n d y W ar h o l , “ W a l l apap e r ( C o w ) , ” © A W F
W i l l i an J o h n K e nn e d y, “ A n d y W ar h o l E d i t i n g F i l m , ” e x e c u t e d 1 9 6 4 , 2 0 1 0 , © 2 0 1 1 W i l l i a m J o h n K e nn e d y, C o urs t e y o f KI W I A r t s Gr o up.
Surf’s Up
san diego surf show times
Pop Goes the Easel
Warhol’s debut film, Sleep, was six hours long and consisted of nothing but footage of his friend sleeping. Other titles from his 60 movies include Suicide, Blowjob and Bitch.
A n d y W ar h o l , ” s e l f p o r t ra i t, ” 1 9 6 8 © A W F
(Continued from page 41) “I think it was cute boys wearing bathing suits running around on a beach,” says Rajendra Roy, chief curator of film at MOMA. “I think that laidback-ness, that openness and the inherent sexiness [of surf culture] was probably something he wasn’t opposed to.” San Diego Surf was filmed in typical Warholian fashion: without a script and with actors, having only a rough understanding of their characters, improvising dialogue as they went along. “Everybody was so happy being in La Jolla that the New York problems we usually made
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WHAT: Disney On Ice presents “Dare To Dream” WHEN: Jan. 23 – 27 WHERE: Valley View Casino Center Y: Because we like you…
SLIP ME A MICKEY Or a Cinderella or Rapunzel B y D avid M o y e
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scondidoan Jana Klingsleis made a big adjustment two years ago. “I went from skating in short skirts and tighter outfits to skating in full skirts,” she says. Klingsleis made the transition – from scantily clad to covered-up, and from competitive skating to what she calls “show skating” – to join Disney On Ice. Now, she’s a cast member of Dare To Dream, a Disney production coming to Valley View Casino Center (formerly San Diego Sports Arena) January 23 – 27. Such shows have gotten a bad rap for being nothing more than simplistic, shortened versions of Disney movie plots coupled with figure 8s and new excuses to sell branded merchandise, but Klingsleis says Dare to Dream – which features snippets from Tangled and The Princess and the Frog, along with cameos by Cinderella and Prince Charming – has something to offer even to adults who don’t have kids. “In this show, one of the skaters is lifted 25 feet in the air…by her hair,” she says, pointing out that commercial productions can be more demanding on skaters than competitive ones. In addition to the intense routines she executes during the show, Klingsleis must also work out off the ice to stay in shape. But her job is relative child’s play compared to those of her cast mates who perform dressed as, say, Mickey Mouse, or Maximus, the horse from Tangled (Disney’s recent adaptation of the story of Rapunzel). What’s more, those who skate in costume don’t receive much credit for their efforts, because company policy prevents them from talking to the media, presumably to prevent jeopardizing the personae of imaginary (and moneymaking) characters. (Spoiler alert: that’s not the real Donald Duck out there on the ice.) Despite the anonymity, however, skating expert Allison Manley says the costumed skaters are the real stars of the show. “You are balancing yourself on an eight-inch blade of steel, and twirling and spinning at full speed,” says Manley, who podcasts about skating at manleywoman.com. “Now add a 60-pound costume to your head and do it in a spotlight so you’ve lost your visuals.” At least the fame won’t go to their heads.
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Look, Man Actually, three of them, Dude
B y K y le Hall / P h o t o g rap h y b y J essica P u rple
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s a men’s lifestyle writer, I’m consistently in close proximity to literally tens of cool, stylish people who are easy for me to shamelessly copy in every way possible. So, in the spirit of sharing the wealth of hard-stolen knowledge, the editors at PacificSD have asked me to take you on a journey around town to show you some of my favorite style brands, shops and new arrivals to get you looking fit in the New Year, because that gym resolution certainly isn’t going to do it...statistically speaking, of course.
Aloha Sunday Supply Company 3118 University Ave., North Park 619.269.9838, alohasunday.com
clockwise (from top right): Skip three-quarter sleeve scoop boat neck ($79), Kepa blazer ($242), Shwood Haystack select rosewood and maple burl polarized shades ($274.99), Richer Poorer Grad socks ($12), Sunday Chino ($106), Zig Zag shoes ($24).
Launched in 2011 by a pair of friends who met working/shredding for local clothier Jedidiah, Aloha Sunday Supply Company is the duo’s adult answer to typical surf shops they felt were all “geared towards younger kids.” Until December, they’d released only small collections of their own designs, but now they’ve dropped their first full line. Inspired by the Hawaiian trade winds locals know as makani (Hawaiian for “the life-giving spirit of air”), the breezy collection will shroud you from neck-to-ankle with everything from short-sleeve Hawaiian shirts to graphic tees. Because you’ll want service at some of the places you go, the shop has you covered with the necessary shoes, plus accessories, men’s grooming products and even a few surfboards in case you absolutely need a painful reminder of why you’re too old for those other surf shops.
Opposite: The complete look by Aloha Sunday.
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Kyle Hall is the San Diego editor of men’s lifestyle newsletter Thrillist, which provides a no-B.S. take on the best in food, drink, entertainment, nightlife, gadgets and gear in your ’hood.
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This page: The complete 5&A Dime look. Opposite, clockwise (from top right): Briton toil grey jeans ($54), Brixton Civil hoodie ($52), 9Five & Alchemist special edition polarized shades ($150), Dekline and 5&A Dime Duck shoes ($80), PRDTec 24/7 fitted hat ($44), PRDTetc Westside Love special edition T-shirt ($24).
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5&A Dime 701 8th Ave., East Village 619.236.0364, 5andadime.com Two Bonita Vista High grads who joined forces after college to launch a graphic design firm quickly diversified their art-outfit, Product Etcetera, and now have a hand in everything from street-art installations in Hawaii to the “Bring Back the Brown” campaign aimed at putting the Padres back into their original colors. No longer content to make only other folks’ stuff look cool, the crew now releases collaborations and their own gear, featuring clean logos like “Westside Love,” which they intended as “a sign of affection for [their] home, the Pacific side of the United States.” Co-opting a hand gesture typically used to boast territorial superiority, the design maintains the pride element while shedding the combative vibe commonly associated with the image. This thoughtfulness is a constant in their work, as is a positive message and clean design aesthetic especially apparent in their 24/7 logo, designed to pay homage to the Yankees, “the team that never sleeps.” The only place in town to pick up Product Etcetera goods is East Village streetwear shop 5&A Dime, opened by Jason Huggins in 2005 as a space to showcase his friends’ brands. The Dime crew is still carrying on the tradition today, providing a retail marketplace for local companies like 9Five Eyewear and Lovewright Company, while also offering a selection of their own gear, including their first shoe collab with Dekline.
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Etiqueta Negra Available at Bloomingdale’s Fashion Valley Mall 7057 Friars Rd., Mission Valley 619.610.6400, bloomingdales.com etiquetanegra.us Often described as “the Argentinean Ralph Lauren” (possibly because it’s the brand the national polo team wears), the-cooler-because-it’s-foreign Etiqueta Negra (Spanish for “Black Label”) comes from designer Federico Alvarez Castillo, who pulls his timeless, gear-head aesthetic from his extensive classic car and motorcycle collection. Made with only the finest fabrics from across the world – Columbian denim, Argentinean lamb leather, Italian cotton – the collection comprises clothing of such high quality it graciously takes the attention off of you. Previously available only in flagship stores in NYC and Miami, Etiqueta Negra can now be found in San Diego. Huddled around a 1911 Indian motorcycle (from Federico’s collection) in Bloomingdale’s Fashion Valley, the first West Coast pop-up is now fully stocked. And while the leather jackets and formal wear can get a little expensive, the brand sports plenty of comfortable casual wear that won’t break the bank.
clockwise (from top): Gola Quota Hombre Azul sneakers ($75), Camisa Pin Point slim fit shirt ($245), Campera Moto Rilada Negro jacket ($1,200), Pantalon No. 10 ($148), Cinturon Fusta Vintage belt ($88). Opposite: The complete Etiqueta Negra look.
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NBC 7 San Diego’s weekday weather woman, Dagmar Midcap.
sunny, with lingering clouds San Diego reporter weathers emotional storm, makes TV comeback
(Continued on page 54)
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She attended a Canadian broadcast journalism school with the goal of becoming an NHL play-by-play announcer. In fact, Dagmar Midcap was herself a hockey goalie. “You have to be a little off to play in the nets,” she says. Now, Midcap’s well-versed at being in front of the camera and does weekday weather reports at 4, 5, 6 and 11 p.m. on NBC 7 San Diego. She’s a redhead with a big smile and a big heart when it comes to animal issues. Taking a deep breath, she recounts – for the first time – the suicide of her former boyfriend, and the darkness that forced her to leave TV for a while.
[JANUARY 2013]
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(Continued from page 52) According to my count on IMDb. com [Internet Movie Database], you’ve played a reporter or anchor in at least 30 movies and TV shows. How’d that come about? I think it’s probably more than 60 total – not all of them are on IMDb. When I moved back to Vancouver, I didn’t have a lot of marketable skills, so I went into acting. At the time, [Vancouver] was Hollywood North. What was your favorite experience portraying a news person in a show? Catwoman? Smallville? Air Bud: Seventh Inning Fetch? I didn’t meet Halle Berry in Catwoman, but I had a scene with her nemesis, played by Sharon Stone. I definitely enjoy hanging out with the crews more than the casts. What’s the difference between playing a newsperson and being a weather person on TV news? When you’re an Anderson Cooper, yes, there is a difference. But reporting is basically good storytelling. In movies, news people are always yelling. That’s what I’d do for directors, and they’d be, “Wow!” That’s the stereotype from smaller markets. You’re from Vancouver, Canada, so you were raised to be nice, eh? Eh! That’s just Canada. That’s something I noticed when I moved to the States, that there’s no race issue in Canada. Nobody cares in Canada. We just chill. Give us a little history of the origin of the name Dagmar. Well, my family is German. My mom says my name in ancient Hebrew means “God’s gift to the land.” [Laughs] That’s not a lot to live up to. You were on a show called Driving Television. Tell us about life in the fast lane. I am a car enthusiasm, and by nature I’m an adrenaline junkie. I played hockey…I wanted to be an F-18 pilot, but my mom freaked out when I tried to join the Air Force. I still love the speed and the mechanics of fast cars, but I can’t justify it anymore because of the gas guzzlers that are helping destroy the planet at a ridiculous rate. I love the sound of a V-8 engine; I love leaning
a car over on a track. But I have a Honda Fit, now. Are you a helicopter pilot, too? Any chance NBC will get you to fly a chopper and report the weather while at the helm? I started that but never finished the classes. My grandfather was the Red Baron’s mechanic in the German Luftwaffe. So, it’s in my blood. Helicopters are difficult to fly, but I love the freedom and maneuverability. And, yes, if I was good enough, I’d fly the chopper and report the weather at the same time. And then, something happened and you had to resign your TV job in Atlanta and leave the public eye. Has enough time gone by now that you can talk about it? Yeah…it’s never a day that goes by that I don’t miss Neal. We’d been dating for two years. He took his life in July 2009. I tried to stay in Atlanta for a year, but I just couldn’t do it. There’s a minefield of memories in that whole town… It was a shock I don’t think I’ll ever get over. I got the call while I was in the middle of the 4 o’clock news. CBS didn’t want me to go, but I told them it wasn’t about TV, it was about me. It’s hour-by-hour, still… It changed me forever and I’m still trying to figure out how. I didn’t know if I was going to go back into TV, that’s why I was out for a year. It’s odd that I ended up here; I had forgotten that Neal had said San Diego was a place where he would have liked to live. That was unique, because I wasn’t looking to live here. What advice do you have for others who might be in your position now or in the future? In hindsight, I see how I missed it. But there’s nothing I can do about it…It’s so different for every person. I heard women usually try to take their lives because it’s a cry for help. With meds. Men will often hang or use a gun, because they mean business. I went through a lot of therapy after Neal died. I learned that society dictates that men hold their feelings in. Neal did that. At the time I thought he was just going through something. I didn’t know how bad. The best you can do is F ifty – four
Dagmar Midcap’s friend Kyle Hudson makes it rain.
ask. I asked Neal, and I remember he responded glibly. I told him he needed to eat better, to get out there, to exercise, to adopt a dog, get your focus on something else. But we all missed it. He was such a reliable, ethical, moral individual, and we never saw it coming. So I wish there was advice. The only thing I can say is ask questions if you have any concerns at all. And keep watching. It seems like four-legged creatures have helped you get back on your feet. Fins, feathers and fur. I was raised on farmland so we had it all – geese, chickens, ducks, rabbits, cats, goat, sheep. What kind of dogs do you have, and what are their names? Pogo is a yellow lab. Dolly – Neal named her – is a cattle dog/Shiba Inu. They were death-row rescues. Buster is a Mississippi coon hound beagle from a SWAT team raid. What do you do for fun in San Diego? I don’t have a life. Nothing. By my own choice I’ve turned into a recluse. I don’t go out. I don’t like going to the movies or any place by [JANUARY 2013]
myself because I’m a talker. I have to have somebody to talk about it with. You know, PacificSD has a pretty popular feature every month that involves two people going on a blind date. Would you be available for that? I can’t. After Neal died, I’m in this place that if there’s somebody out there for me, then it’ll happen on its own. The universe will make it happen. If I try to choose, I’m going to screw it up. And I can’t do that again…I still talk to Neal every now and then. I’m still stuck in that.
REPORTING FOR DUTY
Here ARE JUST a FEW Of the movies and TV shows in which Dagmar Midcap has portrayed a TV anchor or reporter: Case 39 (2009) movie with Renee Zellweger Numb3ers (2007) TV series with Rob Morrow The Last Mimzy (2007) movie with Joely Richardson and Rainn Wilson Medium (2006-07) TV series with Patricia Arquette Hollow Man II (2006) video with Christian Slater Stargate SG-1 (2005-06) TV series with Richard Dean Anderson Catwoman (2004) movie with Halle Berry and Sharon Stone Smallville (2003) TV series with Tom Welling Dark Angel (2002) TV series with Jessica Alba Air Bud: Seventh Inning Fetch (2002) video with Jeffrey Ballard
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Dr. Chammas Dental Cosmetic, Prosthodontic and Implant Dentistry
tep into the word of dental luxury, a world of fantasy smiles and dazzling looks. This is where sexy meets performance, and the sky’s the limit when it comes to amazing you with a winning smile. If feeling good and looking your best are on your 2013 list of resolutions, call Dr. Tony Chammas for an appointment. What separates the Harvard-trained Tony Chammas, DMD from his colleagues, making him among the best and most respected dentists in San Diego? The answer lies in how he treats and regards his patients. “The care and service I provide are at the forefront of scientific and clinical advancement of cosmetic and implant dentistry,” says Dr. Chammas. “My patients deserve the best, and I give it to them, which is why they keep coming back.” Having earned his Doctor of Medical Dentistry degree at Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Dr. Chammas sees patients at his office in an ultra-modern medical facility in the heart of the Sharp-Children’s Hospital medical complex in Kearny Mesa. His staff is attentive, talented and kind; modern sterilization equipment and digital x-ray technology (which reduces radiation exposure) are among the many high-tech tools they use in providing excellent treatment. Televisions are embedded in the ceiling above each dental chair, so patients can relax, recline and tune-out. With nearly 20 years experience in specialty prosthodontics (think dentistry, but with prosthetic aid: veneers, implants and other tooth-colored / metalfree restorations), Dr. Chammas is able to help patients in ways that few other dentists in the nation can. “Today’s dentistry provides several exciting options for designing smiles, placing veneers on discolored or misaligned teeth and replacing missing or broken ones with implants,” Dr. Chammas says. “At one time, people assumed that the only way to improve their smile was by wearing orthodontia or braces. Today, many adults are opting for veneers instead, and we offer this service in a state-of-the art dental center with an attention to detail you won’t find elsewhere.” Whether you’re looking for a cosmetic makeover or major dental rehabilitation (or just need a cleaning, filling and whitening), this passionate, compassionate dentist has the resources to make your teeth look and feel the healthiest and most natural. Call Dr. Chammas for a complimentary consultation today. Seeing San Diego’s best dentist, who can make your teeth look and feel the healthiest and most natural, is bound to make you smile.
“The care and service I provide are at the forefront of scientific and clinical advancement of cosmetic and implant dentistry.”
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Dr. Tony G. Chammas, DMD Cosmetic Prosthodontics & Implant Dentistry 7910 Frost Street, Ste. 160 San Diego, CA 92123 858.576.2040, drchammasdental.com
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Beatitude Aesthetic Medicine & Acne Center Treat, Prevent and Reverse the effects of Aging, Acne, Scars and Cellulite
Beatitude Aesthetic Medicine & Acne Center 9040 Friars Rd., Ste. 500, San Diego, CA 92108 619.280.1609, beatitudemedspa.com Hours of Operation: Monday - Friday / 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. Every Other Saturday / By Appointment Only
or the past five years, Beatitude Aesthetic Medicine & Acne Center has been helping their clients restore their natural beauty with treatments that have little to no pain or down time. “My patients come to Beatitude because they don’t want, or are not yet ready, to undergo invasive procedures,” says Aeria Chang, M.D. “By staying on the leading edge of aesthetic medicine, we offer the very latest laser and other technologies for tightening, lifting and resurfacing the skin, as well as a wide range of the most effective injectables for softening and eliminating lines and wrinkles.” One of the latest treatments with which Dr. Chang has been achieving impressive results is Ultherapy. A micro-focused ultrasound technology for significant lifting, tightening and toning of the skin, Ultherapy penetrates to deeper layers than traditional radiofrequency treatments do, stimulating the skin to increase collagen production for gradual, naturallooking improvement. Another new treatment offered at Beatitude is Mira-Dry, which uses microwave technology to treat excessive underarm sweat and odor. Two treatments three months apart can provide longterm and life-changing results for most people. Dr. Chang is an expert provider of fillers, such as Juvederm and Radiesse, and the neurotoxin Botox, and has earned the designation of Platinum Plus Injector from Allergan (maker of Botox and Juvederm) for being in the top five percent of physicians nationwide. Her clients have nicknamed her “Artist” for the naturallooking results she has been able to achieve for them. “An aging face is no different from an aging body,” Dr. Chang says. “I am your skin’s personal trainer and will develop a program according to your needs, goals and budget. It’s always best to start with natural-looking treatments for lifting, tightening, and resurfacing first. Then we use Botox and fillers strategically to balance and restore lost volume.” For younger women and men, Dr. Chang has some advice: “Sun avoidance and protection are the most effective anti-aging measures. Taking good care of your skin now will prevent problems and expenses later on.” Dr Chang’s staff includes an RN expert in laser hair removal, Mira-Dry, and body-shaping; and two master estheticians who provide facials, peels, and more.
Call today for your free consultation with Dr. Chang. F ifty – six
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Center for Beauty
Exceptional personalized service for aesthetic plastic surgery and rejuvenation
J o s e p h Gu i d i
t the Center for Beauty in La Jolla, Marialyn Sardo, M.D. helps her patients look and feel their most beautiful by combining her expert technical skills, which she gained through 24 years of experience in performing cosmetic and reconstructive procedures, with a woman’s sensitivity and an artistic attention to detail. Dr. Sardo specializes in breast surgery, including breast augmentation, breast lifting, reduction and breast implant revision. “There are several things that make my practice unique in San Diego,” Dr. Sardo says. “As a woman, I can understand and empathize with my patients’ concerns and the objectives they hope to achieve with breast enhancement or facial rejuvenation. I spend a lot of time one-on-one with each patient to assess her or his goals and expectations. I listen to their concerns and desires, then present their options, discussing the benefits and risks of each. We work together to determine the best procedures to fulfill their objectives and to obtain optimal and natural results. My staff and I are very available and responsive to our patients’ needs.” Another popular procedure among Dr. Sardo’s patients is the “Mommy Makeover,” which combines breast surgery with a tummy tuck and/ or liposuction to reverse the changes to the body associated with pregnancy and breast-feeding. Restoring the volume and firmness to the breasts and tightening the abdominal wall is great for improving a woman’s confidence, while expanding the range of clothing she can wear. The Center for Beauty also offers a complete range of facial rejuvenation procedures for men and women, from full- and mini-facelifts and eyelid rejuvenation to non-surgical services including injectables like Botox, Dysport, Artefill, Sculptra and Juvéderm, chemical peels and skin care. “When working with injectable fillers or neurotoxins, such as Botox or Dysport, I do the injecting myself,” Dr. Sardo says. “These procedures are safer and generally have better outcomes when performed by a well-trained physician. I really enjoy using Sculptra as well, because it has a very subtle, gradual, natural way of refining the contours of the face in a youthful, pleasing way. “
“I spend a lot of time one-on-one with each patient.” A Board Certified Plastic Surgeon and Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, Dr. Sardo, a San Diego native, trained in prestigious programs at UCSD, UCLA, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Boston University. She enjoys painting and designing jewelry (she’s a graduate gemologist from GIA), and she studies Flamenco and Ballroom Dancing. She believes that an artistic eye coupled with topnotch training, exceptional technical skills and a strong doctor-patient relationship contributes to excellence in a plastic surgeon.
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Marialyn Sardo, M.D., FACS Center For Beauty Announcing New Location in the Scripps/XiMED Building 9850 Genesee Ave., Ste. 840 La Jolla, CA 92037 858.452.6226, centerforbeauty.com
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Re:vive Salon & Spa San Diego’s Premier Destination for Head-to-Toe Beauty
ew customers become loyal ones at Re:vive Salon & Spa in Mission Valley, where the focus is on head-to-toe pampering and renewal. Re:vive’s experienced stylists, estheticians and medical professionals want you to look, feel and be your best. Whether you want to enjoy a relaxing massage, soothing facial or a glam new look, Re:vive’s got you covered. Services are administered by an elite staff with the awards to prove
it. The Re:vive Hair Studio earned the unique distinction of L’Oreal Professional Elite Black Level, a title given to hair salons recognized for innovation and professional excellence. The accolades don’t stop there. Re:vive was awarded the prestigious Black Diamond Award by Allergan, the manufacturer of Botox and Juvederm – given to the top one percent of spas in the nation. In fact, Re:vive is the number one provider of Botox and Juvéderm in San Diego. Owned and operated by Vishal Verma, M.D. and Vinita Parekh,
D.D.S., Re:vive offers Med Spa services with treatments that use the latest advances in technology to make the experience as comfortable, safe and effective as possible. From laser hair removal and body contouring to wrinkle therapies and teeth whitening, these services are designed to beautify from the inside out. “With a staff of five registered nurses, a nurse practitioner, a medical director and two dentists, the success of our Med Spa is in great part due to our ability to provide advanced skills
and a high level of experience along with reasonable pricing,” says Dr. Verma. Re:vive is also San Diego’s leading hair salon. The stylists excel at finding the right cut that suits each individual, from edgy to classic. Re:vive’s color experts create the perfect color, customized for the individual. Their stylists specialize in Brazilian Blowouts for smooth and silky strands and Hotheads extensions to create long and luscious locks. Re:vive doesn’t stop at hair. This salon and spa can satisfy all beauty needs. Nail treatments, such as the trendy Rock Star Nails, and make-up applications are all part of the package. Speaking of packages, Re:vive offers special occasion and bridal packages to make sure that special day is memorable. “We understand the SoCal woman.” Dr. Verma says, “Our goal is to make beauty accessible to everyone. Our clients can choose to beautify one area or go for a full makeover, all in one place and in a relaxing environment.”
“We understand the SoCal woman.”
Re:vive Salon & Spa 1425 Frazee Road San Diego, CA 92108 619.293.7233, revivesalonandspa.com
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LaserAway Hair Removal and Aesthetics Experts
FROM LEFT: Julie Doyle, M.D., Medical Director; Jennifer McCleary, R.N., Laser and Aesthetics Specialist; Lisa Asuncion, Director, LaserAway Hillcrest.
Scientific Approach to Beauty aserAway specializes in laser hair and tattoo removal, skin rejuvenation procedures, face and body contouring and cellulite reduction. LaserAway is also California’s leader in advanced aesthetic procedures including Botox, Juvederm and Radiesse. Utilizing the most advanced laser technology available on the market, LaserAway has garnered a loyal following since first opening on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood in 2006. While the original location continues to be popular among locals and celebs, the company now has 12 locations throughout California, plus a brand new location in Scottsdale, Arizona. San Diegans visit LaserAway in Hillcrest, La Jolla (UTC) and Carlsbad to see an elite medical staff in an atmosphere that’s casual, bright and a welcome change from the typical doctor’s office setting. LaserAway is known as the go-to med-spa for tattoo removal, offering procedures that produce little or no scarring, even when used on multi-colored tattoos. It also provides the most high-tech and painless methods for laser hair removal that are effective, precise and cost-efficient. Beauty may be only skin deep, but LaserAway goes deeper, offering body and facial contouring and cellulite reduction via radio frequency-based technologies including Thermage, VelaShape and Zerona. These treatments are non-invasive but achieve outstanding results without downtime or significant discomfort. And when it comes to clear skin, LaserAway can’t be beat. “San Diegans love their sun, but unfortunately that means a lot of sun-damaged skin,” says Lisa Asuncion, director at LaserAway’s Hillcrest location. “We recommend IPL photofacials, which can be used anywhere on the face or body to target dark pigment spots and even-out skin tone, painlessly and with no downtime.” Another option is a laser facial, which is especially great for eliminating acne scarring, rebuilding collagen, minimizing fine lines and reducing large pores.” The medical staff at LaserAway are experts at using fillers and volumizers, such as Juvederm and Radiesse, and neurotoxins like Botox, to achieve natural-looking results for their clients. “I originally came here as a client,” Asuncion says, “so I can personally attest to the level of excellence LaserAway provides in making every client feel fantastic about his or her appearance.”
“We recommend IPL photofacials, which can be used anywhere on the face or body… and even-out skin tone, painlessly and with no downtime.” LaserAway Hillcrest 3739 Sixth Ave. San Diego, CA 92103 laseraway.net 619.295.2929
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La Jolla / UTC 8935 Towne Center Dr. Ste. 107A San Diego, CA 92122 laseraway.net 858.452.2929
Carlsbad 6965 El Camino Real Ste. 104 Carlsbad, CA 92009 laseraway.net 760.929.9944
ARETHOSE REAL? Cosmetic surgery’s lifelike results are blurring the lines between plastic and fantastic
b
reasts. Who doesn’t love ’em? I love mine, but that wasn’t always the case. My first boob job was a rite of passage: finish finals at USC, get a pair and graduate from girl to woman. “Do you want a Mercedes Benz or a Toyota Camry in your chest?” L.A. Doctor to the Stars* asked me. To be or not to be wasn’t the question. Saline or silicone implants was. The answer? I sprung for the Benz. I awoke from surgery with a pair of silicone Ds sitting in my nosebleed section. My new breasts were perched so high and pushed so close together, my neck disappeared. The doctor promised my boobs would drop, but they never did. My confidence did, however, and my new quest was to hide my chest. Mine is a cautionary tale, so I offer this advice: before opting for Double-Ds, know the ABCs – of the risks, the rewards and your doctor’s credentials. Not all plastic surgeons are created equal (my guy in L.A. certainly wasn’t), so be certain you’re making an informed decision prior to going under the knife. These days, there’s a new face of plastic surgery, a more lifelike face enhanced by Botox and other injectables. Bigger used to be better, but now the Holy Grail is natural-looking results. Guys, you’re coming along for the ride, too, and I don’t mean as a backseat driver.
Breast Intentions
P
atients want a breast that can do multiple things, meaning you can dress them up or dress them down, depending on the circumstances,” says board certified plastic surgeon Vince Marin, M.D. of Marin Aesthetics in Del Mar. Marin performs roughly 150 breast augmentations (that’s 300 boobs) a year in San Diego, with the lion’s share of his patients falling in the 25-to-30 age range. Gone are the requests for huge implants, he says. The most requested size today is a C cup. “The biggest regret we
always get is the patient feels like they went too small,” Marin says. “So we always try to push them a little bit and find a happy medium.” In 2011, 69 percent of women used silicone for breast implants; the rest used saline. Today, women have another option.“Gummy Bear implants are the latest thing to hit the market,” Marin says. But new doesn’t necessarily mean better. These puppies, make that “bears,” have a thicker, more cohesive gel (think Gummy Bear vs. marshmallow), but there’s
no evidence that they’re safer or longer-lasting. Marin points out that these new implants are supposed to appear more natural when a woman is standing, but they don’t flatten like a natural breast does (or as well as silicone) when a woman lies down. Breast implants average $5,000 to $6,500, depending on the type you choose. If you’re spending a lot less, please make sure you’re using a reputable doc. Say no to Groupon for this one, and plan to be out of commission for about a week following the procedure.
*“L.A. Doctor to the Stars” is the name news outlets gave my first plastic surgeon, Lance Wyatt, M.D., after he was arrested last summer for allegedly filming his patients undress without their knowledge. I wasn’t involved in all that, but I did receive one of his botched boob jobs. Scott Miller, M.D. fixed me three years ago.
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ON DOLLY: Bra ($189) and shorts ($149) from Lingerie by Kapreeza European, kapreeza.com; Andrea shoes ($69) from Tutto Cuore Shoes, tuttocuore.com; ring, model’s own.
By Leslie Marcus / Photography by Kristina Yamamoto Styled by Simone Perloff / Photographer’s assistant: Lisa Costigan
Butt, of Course
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J
eans are getting tighter, bathing suits are getting smaller, and the booty is a bigger star than ever before. If your backside is falling behind, it may be time to shop for a new one. Board certified plastic surgeon Paul Chasan, M.D. says beautiful butts are so popular these days that some weeks he performs as many derriere as breast augmentations. “The biggest trend right now is contouring the buttock and making it look better using your body’s own fat,” says Chasan, who begins the two-stage procedure (commonly referred to as the Brazilian Butt Lift) by first performing liposuction of the hips, love handles and outer thighs. “Then you have that fat to inject into the buttock. It’s kind of like taking a deflated balloon and filling it with air.” Silicone implants are another option for people who have flat butts, but not enough of their own fat to harvest. Implants are surgically implanted in the center of the glute muscle. “A newer thing I’ve been doing is called the ‘Thong Lift,’” Chasan says. “I can keep the scar right along where the thong would be, pulling the skin right to the center so the scar is completely hidden.” Chasan also performs what he calls the “Del Mar Butt Tuck,” which involves removing the hanging skin from the lower part of the butt crease. This one’s more for cougars who’ve been prowling North County for a while, so there’s still time to save up. Like what you see after shelling out the roughly $9,000 it takes to buy a butt augmentation? Give yourself a standing ovation, because you won’t be sitting down for up to two weeks after surgery.
Skin in the Game
A
s a TV producer for FOX 5 San Diego, I’ve come face-to-face with heartthrobs from 90210 to Baywatch, all of whom seem to maintain that youthful glow. But it’s not camera tricks, face creams or dryer sheets that keep them wrinkle-free. It’s a skilled injector armed with Botox and fillers. “If you start young enough, say in your late twenties or early thirties, you can keep wrinkles at bay for 20 years, using just Botox,” says Board Certified Dermatologist William Groff, M.D. of Cosmetic Laser Dermatology in La Jolla. Groff calls this “preventative maintenance.” I call it “fitness for your face,” but instead of building muscles, you’re paralyzing them to keep wrinkles from forming. After enjoying 20 years of wrinkle-free bliss, however, the dream (and your face) may come crashing down. “In your late thirties and early forties, you start to lose volume in your face, the facial bones begin to shrink, and you lose fat in your face – so things start to cave in,” says Groff. “If you can maintain the volume of the face using fillers, you can prevent the need for facelifts and surgical procedures for many years.” Hyaluronic acid fillers (like Restylane, Perlane and Juvederm) are most commonly used to add volume to, among other indentations, the “parentheses” that form around the mouth. Results can last from six to nine months; the next generation of fillers is expected to last longer.
Lip Service
Hyaluronic fillers are also used to plump lips. Used incorrectly, they create the infamous “trout pout” that makes women look like they’ve been kissing a vacuum hose. “I think, ‘Oh, my gosh! Who did their lips?’” Groff says. “I wonder if these patients did their research or just went to the cheapest place they could find in town. It doesn’t look good and just throws out a red flag to everyone that says, ‘Hey, look at me. I got my lips done.’”
Now Ear This
A new technology that can delay or even reverse aging is called Laviv, a procedure that involves removing a small piece of skin from behind the ear and sending it off to a laboratory. From that sample, scientists can grow millions of new, living cells. “These fibroblast cells are injected into acne scars, stretch marks or fine lines, and they produce collagen, which fills in these defects in the skin,” says Groff. Laviv requires three treatments, has no downtime, and costs around $3,000. Results begin to appear within three to six months.
Beam Me Up
“Lasers have very specific jobs. They’re not one size fits all,” says Groff. Signs of sun damage can appear in one’s early twenties in the form of dark brown spots. “The gold standard, if you want to get the best results, is the q-Switched Alex Laser. We can easily get 90 to 100 percent clearance of sunspots in one treatment. The second best option would be Intense Pulsed Light, or IPL.” Prices range from $150 for a few spots to $750 for an area peppered with them. There is relatively no downtime, and it takes about five days for the spots to slough off the skin. The real key to keeping youthful skin is basic: sun protection. That means religiously putting on sunblock every time you step outside. If you’re still going to a tanning bed, Google “Tanning Lady.”
Mother Always Nose
T
he whittled-down-ski-slope noses of the 1980s are gone. (Well, mostly gone – Michelle Pfeiffer still has hers.) Today’s nose job is all about finding a natural fit to complement the face. “When a person’s nose works with their face, you notice their eyes, their cheekbones. You don’t notice their nose,” says La Jolla-based board certified plastic surgeon Scott Miller, M.D. “Jessica Biel, she’s got a great nose, but you have a hard time picturing it because you didn’t really notice it. You just know that she’s beautiful.” In addition to looking good, a nose actually has to work. A good nose job, Miller points out, addresses form and function. There haven’t been noteworthy advances in rhinoplasty in recent years. The supposed “Five-Minute Nose Job” garnered some media attention, but the procedure (which uses fillers like Juvederm to plump up nooks and fill in crannies) has limited use. “Most people who don’t like their nose – it’s not something that can be solved with a little filler,” Miller says. “It’s something that requires modification of the structure underneath the skin.” A majority of Miller’s rhinoplasty patients are in their early to mid-twenties, which is in line with the national average. “It’s always bugged them, but now they’re adult and have the resources,” he says. “They do it at life-changing events – before they start a new job, before meeting a new peer group. They do it before they’re knee-deep into their adult life, so they can move forward with this new confidence and new presentation to the world.”
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Battle of the Bulge
A
ccording to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, liposuction was the most popular cosmetic surgical procedure in the U.S. in 2011. The future of fat loss, however, may lie in non-surgical solutions. Case in point: CoolSculpting by Zeltiq is an FDAcleared and clinically established method of fat removal. The relatively new procedure freezes fat with a vacuum-like device that’s placed on top of the skin. You can get it done during lunch break and still make it to the gym the same evening. “Fat is more susceptible to cold than skin, so you can kill 20 percent of fat cells in a given area, through the skin, without injuring the skin,” says Scott Miller, M.D. of Miller Plastic Surgery in La Jolla, a board certified plastic surgeon. Each area takes about an hour to treat and costs about $600. A full abdominal treatment costs about $1,200. Results become evident in two to
three months as “frozen” fat cells are metabolized and flushed from the body. Despite advances in non-invasive techniques, liposuction remains the most effective solution for removing fat from various areas of the body. Miller uses an innovation called the “Body Jet” in conjunction with the traditional suctioning of fat. “It’s basically like doing a breast stroke – the water does a breast stroke through the fat, loosening it and breaking it up,” he says. When it comes to results, Miller says finding a realistic diet and exercise program is key. “What doesn’t make sense is to go to Navy S.E.A.L. boot camp, get down to a certain weight, have liposuction on that last little bulge and at some point go back to real life and wonder why that area got full again, because that eight percent body fat wasn’t something you were able to maintain,” he says.
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Cellu-Lighten The Load A new weapon in the fight against women’s biggest enemy, cellulite, is Cellulaze, recently approved by the FDA as a solution for cottage-cheese thighs. “We think this is probably one of the Holy Grails of cosmetic surgery,” says Jeffery Umansky, M.D., a board Certified Plastic Surgeon who practices alongside his brother William at Umansky Medical Center in La Jolla. The procedure involves making small incisions in the skin and shooting a laser at the internal structures that cause dimpling. Treating one area, like the outer thighs, costs around $3,000. The technology is too new (studies have followed patients for only two years) to predict how long results will last, but judging from the “after” pics I’ve seen at doctors’ offices, the immediate aftereffects are evident: extreme bruising, so don’t plan to unveil that new bikini right away.
ON BUDDY: Shorts ($35) and sneakers ($120) from Stile Italiano, stileitaliano.us.
Guise and Dolls
L
ooking for Barbie (or for another Ken), men are getting in on the nip/tuck action. Many of us first got acquainted with the metrosexual man when he took up a seat at our nail salon for a pedicure. (We thank you for that, Dude, and so do your feet.) These days, we see them putting in long hours at the gym, wearing Lululemon gear and sipping on protein shakes. It makes sense these guys would begin to get face and body “tune-ups” like some of us girls do. Despite freaking out at the sight of blood, men have been embracing Botox (Brotox?) to erase fine lines and wrinkles. “Men used to make up a very small percent of our patients, but I’d say now it’s approaching about 15 to 20 percent of our patient population,” says board Certified Dermatologist William Groff, M.D. “As the workforce gets older, and jobs become harder to get, people see youthfulness as an advantage.” When it comes to surgical cosmetic procedures for men, liposuction reins king, followed by rhinoplasty and eyelid surgery, according to statistics compiled by the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. “Men are most commonly getting lipo of the love handles and their chin or neck, so they can define a masculine jawline,” says board Certified Plastic Surgeon Vince Marin, M.D. CoolSculpting by Zeltiq is an option for guys wanting to shed a beer belly without going under the knife. The FDA-approved, non-surgical procedure freezes fat, using a vacuum-like device that can reduce up to 20 percent of fat in a particular area of the body over the course of three to six months. The manufacturer now offers a larger, tire-shaped attachment that wraps around the entire abdomen and love handles.
Hair Apparent
Combatting the inherited genes that comprise a half-dome, or less Male Pattern Baldness is genetic, and men who want to fight it often have to endure painful, timely and expensive procedures. There are a number of different ways to perform hair-replacement surgery, but many can yield unsightly scars and poor results. “What we’re doing now is gamechanging technology,” says board Certified Plastic Surgeon Richard Chaffoo, M.D. “The system is called Neo-Graft.” The procedure involves harvesting small grafts from the back of the head in a process that prevents the scarring often
correlated with archaic hair-transplant techniques. Chaffoo says Neo-Graft eliminates the doll-like appearance of yesteryear’s hair plugs, and that the transplanted hair looks natural. “In a single session, we are able to transplant up to 3,500 grafts,” he says, “which means you can essentially recreate the entire frontal hairline, the top of the head and the crown area all in one setting.” One session can take four to eight hours, depending on the number of graphs. The average cost of the procedure is around $16,000.
Thank you, Real Doll! If having a girlfriend or boyfriend seems too expensive (or chatty), find quieter and more affordable companionship at realdoll.com, based in San Marcos.
AB-solutely Want to look like the Situation from The Jersey Shore? A procedure called Ab Etching might get you there by using targeted liposuction to carve out spaces between the abdominal muscles to create a six-pack. “It does run the risk of scarring, because you’re taking away so much of the fatty tissue that it could cause problems where the skin sticks down in odd ways, a la Tara Reid,” says board Certified Plastic Surgeon Vince Marin, M.D. “If you sculpt or etch in abs in someone who is a little overweight, that can look odd as well. It’s sculpted fat rather than thin skin over hard muscle, so it can get more of a marshmallow appearance rather than that rock-hard ab look.” The procedure costs around $3,000.
S I X T Y – F I V E
[JANUARY 2013]
“These old shops are an amazing
piece of America,
but they’re slowly going away.” S I X T Y – six
[JANUARY 2013]
mn
mn
Barbershops, their history and future By Ron Donoho
Photos and captions by Rob Hammer When Rob Hammer was four or five years old, his dad took him to an old-fashioned barbershop. He recalls the guys-only safe zone as a cool place where men could be men and say anything without worrying about hurting anyone else’s feelings.
Pugsleys Barbershop, Kingston, NY. The outside is very inviting and the inside has a warm and comfortable glow.
S I X T Y – seven
[JANUARY 2013]
mn
oday, Hammer is a 32-year-old commercial photographer who’s shot firefighters, Olympic athletes and the former San Diego mayor (flipping the bird!) for the pages of PacificSD. His recent travels for work have taken him from New York to Arizona to Massachusetts and, of late, Pacific Beach, where he’s always sought out good barbershops. “These old shops are an amazing piece of America, but they’re slowly going away,” he says. “They should be properly documented before they’re all gone.” Hammer’s goal is to visit all of the contiguous 48 United States, taking photographs of barbers and their shops along the way, and then publishing his work. He also wants to create a documentary of the experience, if he can drum up enough funding. “I was really moved to make a book after I met a barber in Spanish Harlem in New York,” Hammer says. “He’d been in this shop for 62 years, and this was his life. But his landlord was tripling the rent. And that was it.” A shot at funding on Kickstarter.com failed to raise the $45,000 Hammer needed to get the book done, but the effort renewed his desire to complete the project. “I’m still motivated – I’m more passionate about it than ever,” he says. Now, Hammer plans to drive from San Diego to New York and back, shooting more barbershops and hoping new sources of funding emerge during his journey. “The book will get done,” he says. “We’ll see about the documentary, but this book is going to happen.”
Sweeney Todd’s Barbershop, in L.A. You still have to sign in on a chalk board at Sweeney’s.
mn S ixty – eight
[JANUARY 2013]
Lolo's Barber Shop, Catalina. Lolo and his shop should both be in the Smithsonian.
S ixty – nine
[JANUARY 2013]
“He’d been in this shop for 62years,
and this was his life. But his landlordwas tripling the rent. And thatwas it.”
mn S eventy
[JANUARY 2013]
CLOCKWISE (from above): Sweeney Todd’s Barbershop, in Los Angeles. Stancil’s Barbershop in Albany, NY. If you want free entertainment, go hang out at Stancil’s. Allied Gardens Barbershop, San Diego. Bob the Barber, Fallbrook, CA. This guy started out shining shoes for 10 cents apiece. City Barber Shop, Ramona, CA. A “barbershop” in every sense of the the word.
mn S eventy – one
[JANUARY 2013]
Café Bassam 3088 5th Ave., Bankers Hill 619.557.0173, cafebassam.com Founded in the Gaslamp in 1991, San Diego’s most European coffee house migrated to Bankers Hill just as the neighborhood gentrified, immediately becoming a homeaway-from-home for sophisticates eager to lounge over steaming cups of fiercely strong espresso, white chocolate mochas and super-smooth hot chocolate, as well as Sherry and other bracing beverages. Comfortable and welcoming, Café Bassam is now an unofficial center for such amusements as occasional tango parties (just shove the tables aside and dance) and amateur opera performances.
S eventy – two
[JANUARY 2013]
56,7 86: num ber of
*thi
s
star s tat i s t i c i s un t buc ks in ru e an d c o m p l etel san y dieg r i d i c u l o us . o co unty *
“
Bird Rock Coffee Roasters in La Jolla won Roast Magazine’s “Roaster of the Year” for 2012.
I never drink coffee at lunch. I find it keeps me awake for the afternoon.” – R o na l d R e a g an
North Park’s Caffé Calabria has a traditional Italian coffee shop ambience. Raspberry mocha latte at Café Bassam in Bankers Hill. Steaming milk is taken seriously at Cafe Zucchero in Little Italy.
S an
D i e g o ’ s
coffee - shop
Livin’ La Vida Mocha
l i f e s t y l e
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[JANUARY 2013]
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1. He Brews 2. Already Bean There 3. Turn Your Head and Coffee 4. Brewed Awakenings 5. Mug Shots 6. How Have You Beans 7. Ground Rules 8. Chai Knees
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Iced chai latte at Café Bassam.
Cappuccino at Cafe Zucchero.
“
Latte at Bird Rock Coffee Roasters.
– Da v i d L e t t e r m an
702 Ash St. Cortez Hill 619.232.0436 solelunacafe.com
3343 Adams Ave. Normal Heights 619.282.0437 lestats.com
2906 University Ave. North Park 619.688.9845 clairedelune.com
Order a cappuccino at this Italianissimo cafe at the base of the elegant El Cortez tower and don’t be surprised if co-proprietor Gigio Piazza presents it with a chocolatesyrup “smiley face” grinning atop the foam. Partner Alessandro Speroni, who claims his cappuccino is the most authentic in San Diego, supplements the real deal with a long list of brews that includes Mexican Mochas and Polar Lattes. Soleluna (Italian for “sun and moon”) serves a menu of absolutely authentic paninis, pastas (Monday is $10 lasagna night) and entrées like an eggplant parmigiana so light it nearly floats off the plate.
At whatever hour you can’t sleep, Lestat’s is there to make sure you won’t. San Diego’s liveliest 24-hour coffee house draws caffeine cravers to Normal Heights around the clock. Its featured line of fine Diedrich’s Coffees takes patrons on a tour of the world that includes coffees from Costa Rica, Kenya, Guatemala and elsewhere. In the evening, Lestat’s is the place to sip a deep, dark French roast while enjoying the live entertainment that’s presented every night of the week.
Founded in 1997 and recognized as one of the forces responsible for North Park’s renaissance, this coffee lounge plays the role of community center established centuries ago by coffeehouses in London and other capitals. Very much the local gathering spot, Claire de Lune is where live music often entertains patrons sipping hammerhead espressos or gentler, Vietnamesestyle brews lightened with sweetened condensed milk. In the morning, look for Continental breakfasts and fluffy Belgian waffles topped with fruit and whipped cream.
S eventy – four
Roasters
5267 La Jolla Blvd. Bird Rock 858.551.1707 birdrockcoffee roasters.com If you’ve never been to a “cupping,” reserve a spot (for any Friday morning at 10:30) to participate in a coffee event that, says this popular coffeehouse in Bird Rock, is “like a wine tasting, but more energetic.” The immersive experience begins with toasting and grinding choice beans, and then moves on to slurping up the results – followed by spitting them out. Otherwise, choose any day of the week to visit the popular coffee bar for meticulously brewed varietal beans.
[JANUARY 2013]
750 W. Fir St. Little Italy 619.255.0735 influxcafe.com
Time for tea, you say? Why not, with scones, of course (this busy cafe bakes a different flavor every day of the week), or with gingerspice, red velvet and other scrumptious cupcakes? Always the in-spot for chai latte or a double espresso blended with chocolate and a house brownie, Influx tempts with cleverly constructed sandwiches on fresh-baked rolls, and equally creative salads, bagels and bowls.
Caffé Calabria
3933 30th St., North Park 619.291.1759, caffecalabria.com This highly regarded specialist in torrefazione, the Italian art of roasting coffee beans, is celebrated for brewing blends of beans from different continents into suave drinks with names like Boulangerie Blend and Calabria Espresso. Busy but friendly, Caffé Calabria has another specialty that recent transplants from Italy claim is the most authentic they’ve found in San Diego: pizzas baked just right in a wood-burning oven that creates memorable pies. As in Italy, they’re topped rather simply, but the emphasis on flavor begins with a tasty crust and builds from there.
S eventy – five
[JANUARY 2013]
Cafe Zucchero
1731 India St., Little Italy 619.531.1731 cafezucchero.com As one of the anchors Little Italy used to rise from a drab, overlooked urban neighborhood to one of the liveliest destinations in San Diego, Cafe Zucchero buzzes from early morning until quite late at night with crowds clamoring for thick, dark, double espressos, foamy cappuccinos and the festive Sicilian pastries that underscore “Sugar Cafe’s” very sweet Italian name. Cannolis don’t get much crisper or more delicious than they do here, and the gelatos are flavored with the freshest fruits from local orchards. Sidewalk tables are prime perches to watch the endless India Street parade while enjoying substantial pastas and pizzas.
S eventy – six
[JANUARY 2013]
33333333333333333333333 33333333333333333333333 3 3 Blueprint 3 3 3 3Brickyard 3 3 3 3Chocolat 3333 3333 33333 Cafe Krakatoa Virtuoso 3 3 Cafe 3 3 3 3Coffee 3 3& Tea 333333 333333333 33333333333333333333333 33333333333333333333333 33333333333333333333333 33333333333333333333333 33333333333333333333333 33333333333333333333333 33333333333333333333333 33333333333333333333333 33333333333333333333333 33333333333333333333333 33333333333333333333333 33333333333333333333333 33333333333333333333333 33333333333333333333333 33333333333333333333333 33333333333333333333333 33333333333333333333333 The more 333 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3complicated 3 3 3 3the 333 order, the3 bigger the 333333333333333 3 3 3 3 333 asshole. If you walk into Starbucks 3333333333333333 3a3 33333 order a ‘decaf 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3and 3 3 3 half 3 3soy, 333 grande, lowfat, 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3half 33 3 3iced 333 vanilla, double3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3shot, 3 3gingerbread 333333 extra 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3cappuccino, 3 3 3 3 3 333 dry, light ice, with Sweet-n’-Low 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3one 33 333333 one Nutra3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3Sweet,’ 3 3and 3 3 3you’re 3333 ooooh, a3 huge 3333333333333333 3asshole. 3 3 3” 3 3 33333333333333333333333 33333333333333333333333 1805 Newton Ave. Barrio Logan 619.233.7010 blueprint-cafe.com
Chef/proprietor Gayle Covner’s Blueprint Cafe has to be one of the most cozy, comfortable and welcoming spaces in San Diego. Under a bright green ceiling, cheerful photos of doggies smile past the dining room tables to a friendly counter wreathed in good smells coming from the kitchen – especially when Covner simmers a pot of fragrant turkey-vegetable soup. Daily specials highlight the menu, which is accompanied by choice beers, wines and Cafe Moto brews (see Cafe Moto info on following page).
3896 5th Ave. Hillcrest 619.574.8500 chocolathillcrest.com
675 West G. St. Marina District 619.696.7220 facebook.com/ Brickyard CoffeeandTea
Trying to relax on a patio situated alongside downtown’s noisy Seaport Village trolley station might seem contradictory, but hundreds of locals do so daily at this very neighborhood-oriented favorite at the corner of Kettner Blvd. and G St. It opens at 6 a.m. daily to nurture early birds with specialties like Mexican Mocha and dirty chai, served alongside big bowls of made-to-order oatmeal and the Brickyard’s high-rising, hugely popular bagel melts. A sun-drenched, trackside seating area (on which wellbehaved pooches are always welcome) supplements large and comfy indoor tables.
1128 25th St. Golden Hill 619.230.0272 krakatoacafe.com
1616 National Ave. Barrio Logan 619.550.1830 cafevirtuoso.com
Pioneering Gaslamp restaurateur Alex Minutella tamed a prime Hillcrest corner that had never managed to house quite the right tenant until he opened Chocolat, a larger sibling to his miniscule but most Milanese downtown café (509 5th Ave.) by the same name. Spiced hot chocolate is the featured beverage here, and it goes so nicely with a warm croissant stuffed with apricot jam. Coffees are strong, fragrant and ideal for whiling away idle afternoons and/or savoring with the café’s very French, artisan-made chocolates and elaborate desserts.
A single umbrella table and two chairs sit in front of this formidable coffee roaster and cafe, located a few blocks up National Ave. from Petco Park, where downtown and Barrio Logan meet. On a sunny day, the sidewalk’s the place to sip a brewedto-order Americano, served in a big ceramic cup that’s first filled with hot water (which is then tossed) to prepare it for the pending java. Indoors, huge sacks and retail-sized bags of Virtuoso’s many specialty organic coffees rivet the attention. Quite a variety of teas are packaged in handsome yellow canisters bearing provocative names like Midnight Dreams – blissful, we hope.
One of many great reasons to visit Golden Hill: the fat chocolate chip cookies at Krakatoa. It’s natural to expect explosive flavors at a place bearing this name, since Krakatoa is the Indonesian volcano-island that exploded in 1883, filling the atmosphere with so much debris that it blocked out the sun in many parts of the globe. The place occupies a cute, olive green bungalow next door to Turf Supper Club and offers an impressive list of coffees, including a crafty café au lait best enjoyed on the sheltered porch, and a house specialty called Krakhead. Besides plush cookies and pastries, there are imaginative sandwiches like The Traitor’s Head, piled high with shaved roast beef, horseradish sauce and onion.
“
Both Twiggs Bakery & Coffeehouse locations offer noteworthy pastry selections.
Caffé Calabria offers a full food and drink menu.
Gelato at Cafe Zucchero.
S eventy – seven
[JANUARY 2013]
– GEO R GE C A R LI N
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“
Most coffee drinkers know the health benefits of sipping a cup of java each day. For those who don’t, PacificSD presents this digest of some of the other research digests out there, so you can digest your cup o’ jo with greater peace of mind.
– CO N A N O ’ B R IE N
Coffee drinkers, compared to non-drinkers, are less likely to have: 1. Type 2 diabetes 2. Parkinson’s disease 3. Dementia 4. Strokes 5. Heart rhythm problems 6. Heart failure 7. Certain types of cancer, including prostate and basal cell carcinoma 8. Depression
—AD
333333333333333333333333 333333333333333333333333 333333333333333333333333 333333333333333333333333 333333333333333333333333 333333 33333333333333 Living Cafe Chloe Café 976 Pannikin Cafe Moto 3 3 3 3 3 3 Room Cafe 3 Coffee & Tea Cafe Zucchero in North Park.
Bird Rock Coffee Roasters in La Jolla.
Twiggs Bakery & Coffeehouse in University Heights.
721 9th Ave. East Village 619.232.3242, cafechloe.com
If there were a way to transplant Cafe Chloe from East Village to, say, Avenue St. Germain in Paris, the place would look so at home that Parisians might never notice such Americanisms as brunch cocktails. Coffees here are based on a double “ristretto” shot of espresso and range from fullflavored cappuccino to spicy Maya Mocha, which, after a Saturday night of partying, definitely gets the eyes open and the pulse beating on Sunday morning. Chef Katie Grebow enjoys making French-style offerings like a crêpe lorraine and steakfrites better than they do in France. Fancy and formal afternoon tea also distinguishes Cafe Chloe, but for this one, don’t stroll in without a reservation.
Café Bassam in Bankers Hill.
1018 Rosecrans St. Point Loma 619.222.6852 livingroomcafe.com
Another of the pioneers that helped make the coffeehouse habit a social custom in San Diego, the Living Room has seven locations around town. We like the one in Point Loma, since its superb, takesa-while-to-read selection of coffees assures getting properly caffeinated before going for a sail on the bay. Unusual choices include Mint Mocha, Cafe Swizzera and Cafe Blondie, all nice on their own or to add an afterglow following a towering club sandwich or a big dinner of chicken Wellington. The list of cakes and tarts is as long as the coffee card, and just as appealing.
976 Felspar St. Pacific Beach 858.272.0976 cafe976.com
Pacific Beach flipped its wig over Café 976 years ago, and the friendly neighborhood coffee house reciprocates on Wednesdays (from 5 to 7 p.m.) by handing out a free regular coffee to each person who strolls in wearing a wig or crazy hat. It’s an easy way of creating a party mood at this laidback, cozy beach bungalow with a warm interior, a pleasant porch and plenty of seating in the sunny front yard. In addition to many creative espresso specialties, such as the white chocolate and hazelnut-flavored NineSeven-Six, the place serves serious menus through the day, and wildly good Belgian waffles until 3 p.m.
510 N. Hwy. 101 Encinitas 760.436.5824 pannikincoffee andtea.com
The granddaddy of San Diego’s sizeable coffeehouse community, the original Pannikin began serving in 1968 – well before terms like “macchiato” and “latte” became familiar – and has been wildly popular ever since. One of the main attractions of the Pannikin on North Coast Hwy. is its location: the quaint and charming former Leucadia train station, built in 1888. Coffee remains the specialty here (founder Bob Sinclair, who died after a 2011 motorcycle accident, was a pioneering roaster); choice options include organic Sumatra decaf and an African blend that produces a richly satisfying brew. Highly original tea blends, noted as “exotic,” are another specialty.
2619 National Ave., Barrio Logan 619.239.6686, cafemoto.com
Besides a ticket to Puerto Vallarta, not much beats a tall cup of Cafe Moto’s Cocoa Oaxaca Mexico on a cold and rainy day. It’s made with organic milk; flavored with cocoa nibs, cinnamon and peanuts; and crowned with a cloud of whipped cream. Chic and green as the rainforest, Cafe Moto uses solar power to roast exotic Fair Trade blends, which it serves in a space decorated with all things coffee.
333333333333333333333 333333333333333333333 333333333333333333333 333333333333333333333 333333333333333333333 seventy – eight
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3 3 3 3 3
Twiggs Bakery & Coffeehouse 4590 Park Blvd. University Heights 619.296.0616
2804 Adams Ave. University Heights 619.296.4077 / twiggs.org
Twiggs makes mornings memorable with almond Danish that melt into buttery clouds of sweet savor on the tongue, “Buster Paws” (bear claws) that fracture into crisp-tender flakes from first bite to last, and cinnamon rolls that explain why Columbus set out to find a faster route to India’s spice markets. These twin establishments are among the city’s most popular.
seventy – nine
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p.88 So...Yer Oats!
Taste
// D I N I N G O U T //
WHATEVER FLOATS YOUR OATS
//////
IT’S ALRIGHT TO STAIR
MORNING GLORY
//////
A fried egg oozes richness imto a puff pastry filled with sausage-rosemary gravy in Snooze’s Breakfast Pot PIe.
Rise and shine with the most important meal of the day B y F ra n k S abati n i J r . / P h o t o s b y B revi n B lac h
If you’re among the majority too bleary-eyed to flip eggs on precious weekend mornings, then forget the cereal box and schlep your bed head to those San Diego kitchens serving more than just omelets and hash browns. (Continued on page 82)
Breakfast Pot Pie
snooze
3940 Fifth Ave., Hillcrest 619.500.3344, snoozeeatery.com For good reason, the chefs recommend choosing your egg topper “sunny-side up” to impart oozy decadence into this golden-brown disc of puff pastry. Consoling to the last crumb, the pie is further enhanced by sausage-rosemary gravy and a side of steamy hash browns. Snooze’s bright, high-ceilinged atmosphere and early bustle safeguard you from sinking into a delirious food coma afterwards. E I G H T Y – O N E
[JANUARY 2013]
TA STE
// D I N I N G O U T //
(Continued from page 81)
In following the advice of late American nutritionist Adelle Davis – “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper” – we encountered some royally memorable dishes designed to get the blood flowing (or send you into a blissful afternoon nap). German-style Baked Pancakes Richard Walker’s Pancake House 520 Front St., Downtown 619.231.7777, richardwalkers.com So what if it looks like a moon crater stretching across your plate? These ultra-airy pancakes are baked to monstrous puffs in a 400-degree German oven, capturing enough hot air to transform the powdered sugar into a sinful glaze. A squeeze of fresh lemon on top eliminates the need for maple syrup.
Hangover Soup Leroy’s Kitchen + Lounge
1015 Orange Ave., Coronado 619.437.6087, leroyskitchenandlounge.com We suspect chef Gregory Chavez is no stranger to tequila shots, given his Hangover Soup, an effective, morningafter potage involving unctuous pork belly bobbing alongside Thai basil, fresh cilantro and a poached Niman Ranch egg. A bouquet of fresh veggies enters the equation as well, resulting in an elixir that rivals Advil.
Plate of Prosperity Naked Café
3555 Rosecrans Ave., #109, Loma Portal 619.226.7866, thenakedcafe.com The healthiest breakfast plate in town turns out to be among the least boring. Organic quinoa and egg whites perform a morning waltz with spiced soy sausage and veggies. The only thing you’ll need to jog off is the feta cheese.
Turkey-Chèvre French Toast 2Good2B Bakery & CafE
204 N. El Camino Real, Ste. H, Encinitas 760.942.4663, 2good2b.com A sanctuary for those afflicted by celiac disease, 2Good2B offers a full slate of gluten-free standouts that include French toast stuffed with turkey, chèvre (goat cheese) and red peppers. If you’re hankering for something fruity, the savories can be swapped for apples and cranberries. The chefs make the breads daily, using a safe and flavorful blend of brown rice flour, millet, buckwheat and potato starch.
Hoppel Poppel Milton’s Delicatessen Restaurant
2660 Via De La Valle, Del Mar 858.792.2225, miltonsdeli.com A rapid scramble of eggs, meat scraps, potatoes and onions gave German Jews a creative outlet for utilizing leftovers a century ago. Milton’s has mastered the craft by adding bits of spicy salami and sweet bell peppers, bringing this dish with the funny name into modern-day vogue.
(Continued on page 84)
E I G H T Y – two
[JANUARY 2013]
Pastrami Reuben Omelet
Brian’s 24
828 Sixth Ave., Gaslamp 619.702.8410, brians24.com Carb haters love this omelet, which uses eggs instead of rye bread to capture the ingredients that typically make up a peppery pastrami Reuben, replete with tangy sauerkraut and the obligatory Thousand Island dressing. Another popular way to break bread at Brian’s is with the creamed chipped beef over fat slices of toast, a dish that reemerges from the bygone days when it was nicknamed S.O.S. (an anagram for “THIS,” followed by “on a shingle”). The best part is that insomniacs can partake in the breakfast fare here long after the DJ goes to bed and way before the sun rises, since the restaurant is open 24/7.
E I G H T Y – T H R E E
[JANUARY 2013]
TA STE
// D I N I N G O U T //
(Continued from page 83)
Chicken & Chili Hash
Andaz Rooftop
600 F St., Downtown 619.849.1234, sandiego.andaz.hyatt.com
Splice of Life
How “brunch” and similar words came to be The word “brunch” is a portmanteau: a combination of two or more words (in this example, “breakfast” and “lunch,” in case you haven’t had your morning coffee) that create a new one. Here are a few more we like. Bit: binary + digit Brangelina: Brad + Angelina Electrocute: electronic + execute Flaunt: flout + vaunt Internet: inter + network Jackass: jack + Nick Lachey Modem: modulator + demodulator Motel: motor + hotel Napalm: naphthene + palmitate Orgasmatron: orgasm + electron Pixel: picture + element Shart: yuck Sitcom: situation + comedy Smog: smoke + fog Splatter: splash + spatter Taxicab: taximeter + cabriolet Vitamin: vital + amine
Your fondest memories of corned beef hash will fly straight off Andaz’s fashionable seventh-floor rooftop when you bite into this hash of a higher order. Two poached eggs on top join forces with spicy lime Hollandaise sauce, serving as a luscious mantle for house-smoked chicken and green chilies lurking beneath. The ricotta pancakes with blueberry compote are also penthouse-worthy.
Beach Grass CafE
159 S. COAST HWY. 101, Solana Beach 858.509.0632, beachgrasscafe.com Owner Kevin Nelson says he dare not remove the stir-fried rice scramble from his recently revised menu because of its popularity that took root when the café opened 10 years ago. The dish strikes an uncommon mingling of brown rice, roasted yams, spicy sausage and two eggs, resulting in a morning kick-start that can carry you through dinner. New in the offing are oatmeal pancakes with pears and marshmallow cream, and eggs benedict over house-made chicken sausage.
Stir Fried Rice Scramble
(Continued on page 86)
E I G H T Y – four
[JANUARY 2013]
LA JOLLA’S BEST BEACH BAR, SINCE 1995
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THESHACKBARANDGRILL.CO E I G H T Y – f I V E
[JANUARY 2013]
TA STE
// D I N I N G O U T //
(Continued from page 84)
Green Eggs and Spam Café 222
222 Island Ave., Gaslamp 619.236.9902, cafe222.com Food Network’s Bobby Flay ranked Café 222’s banana and peanut butter-stuffed French toast among his all-time favorite breakfasts. But we became enamored (without nudging from Dr. Seuss’ protagonist Sam I Am) with proprietor Terry Gavre’s Green Eggs and Spam. As quirky as its creator (who’s pictured on her website with a waffle on her head), the popular dish receives its color from spinach, its heartiness from Jack cheese and its glam from, well, Spam.
Chicken-Coconut Soup Flavor Del Mar
1555 Camino Del Mar, #322, Del Mar 858.755.3663, flavordelmar.com Amid the açai parfaits served at this elegant, seaside perch during brunch, we shake things up by starting with chicken soup that isn’t like your mama’s. Thanks to the lemongrass, ginger and cilantro incorporated into the broth, the Asian-inspired concoction acts as an appetite inducer. The teasing contrast of coconut and chili oil further stimulates the palate, prompting an encroachment on eggs Benedict and crab sandwiches.
Dim Sum Marina Kitchen
333 W. Harbor Dr., Marina District 619.234.1500, marriott.com Chef Aron Schwartz raises the bar on breakfast buffets with elegant stations that include a large selection of teas to complement a dim sum stop. Omelets, frittatas and breakfast meats also come into play, but it’s those bite-size nibbles hailing from steamer baskets that taste so novel at 8 a.m.
Chicken-n-Waffle Breakfast Pizza URBN Coal Fired Pizza
3085 University Ave., North Park 619.255.7300, urbnnorthpark.com It isn’t listed on the menu, but ask and ye shall receive this latest flamboyant breakfast pizza featuring bone-in pieces of chicken on top of waffles on top of thin, crispy pizza dough. Bourbon-maple syrup is the sweet satiety gluing the whole thing together. The other blue ribbon goes to a pie layered with scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes and fennel sausage.
Café 21
Salmon Diamonds
2736 Adams Ave., University Heights 619.640.2121, cafe-21.com Pretty enough to wear on your ring finger, these pin-wheeled brunch beauties incorporate swirls of sunny-yellow eggs, earthy green pesto, creamy avocado and stark-white feta. Glistening, pinkish salmon laced throughout clenches the deal, but the diamonds sparkle even brighter when served with a side of homemade “Azeri toast” that Azerbaijani chef Leyla Javadov stuffs with cream cheese and strawberries.
Parkhouse Eatery
4574 Park Blvd., University Heights 619.295.7275, parkhouseeatery.com Say “good morning” to your inner child over a stack of pancakes textured with pieces of Cap’n Crunch cereal pressed into the batter. Served also with berries to mimic the captain’s Crunch Berries recipe, the creation rotates through the brunch menu as an occasional special, competing for in-your-face-time with coconut-caramel and Nutella pancakes.
Cap’n Crunch Pancakes
E I G H T Y – six
[JANUARY 2013]
MONDAY & SUNDAY 3PM - CLOSE
TUESDAY- SATURDAY 3 - 6PM
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Enjoy globally influenced seafood, paired with panoramic harbor views
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E I G H T Y – S E V E N
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TA STE
// w hat ’ s coo k ing // Easy recipe: follow me!
Whatever Floats Your
Oats
Customizable granola bars mean great tastes (not big waists) S t o r y a n d p h o t o s b y B ra n d o n M at z ek
W
ith warm hits of cinnamon, nutmeg, honey and vanilla wafting about my kitchen, I was standing above my stovetop, somewhat in disbelief, that the snack in progress was actually healthy. Easy to prepare, homemade granola bars are a tasty treat that can be made with everyday pantry ingredients. Free from additives and preservatives, they’re easily customizable to taste. (Continued on page 90)
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E I G H T Y – N I N E
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TA STE
// w hat ’ s coo k ing //
(Continued from page 88) Here are some basics:
The base: oats, rye, spelt, barley, millet The fat: canola oil, vegetable oil, butter, olive oil, coconut oil The spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, clove, cardamom, 5 spice The nuts: almonds, walnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, pistachios, hazelnuts The fruit: currants, raisins, dried apricots, dried blueberries, dried cherries The sweeteners: honey, maple syrup, light brown sugar, vanilla extract Other mix-ins: coconut, chocolate chips, peanut butter, salt, candy, pretzels Sweet, salty, sticky and crunchy, these granola bars with coconut, currants and almonds are the perfect, light-and-satisfying snack after a gluttonous holiday season. If you aren’t keen on any of the ingredients listed below, feel free to substitute in any of the many options listed above.
Granola bars with coconut, currants and almonds Ingredients 1/4 cup canola oil, plus additional for greasing the pan 2 cups rolled oats (not instant oatmeal) 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg 1/4 tsp. fine grain sea salt 1 cup almonds, lightly toasted 1/3 cup currants (or raisins) 1/2 cup honey 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Process Toast the oats. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Lightly oil a 9-by-13” baking dish (rub oil all around), line with parchment paper, then lightly oil the parchment paper. Set aside. In a medium bowl, combine canola oil and rolled oats, tossing until all oats are coated and glistening. Spread the oats on the prepared baking sheet in an even layer. Toast in the oven for about 20 minutes, stirring at 10 minutes. You’ll know the oats are done when they darken a bit and become aromatic. Flavor the oats. Return the toasted oats to the same bowl and add coconut, cinnamon, nutmeg, sea salt, almonds and currants, stirring to combine. Reduce oven to 300°F.
N I N E T Y
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Warm the honey. In a large pot, add honey and vanilla, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir into oat mixture until everything is well coated in the honey. Bake and serve. Scrape the oat mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer. I found the best way to do this was with my hands and a piece of parchment paper. Bake for about 25 minutes in the oven or until just golden. If the bars bake for too long, they will become too crunchy, so start checking for doneness around 20 minutes. Cut the granola into 12 bars. Store in an airtight container for about one week on the countertop.
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TA STE
// drin k //
it’s alright to stair
Step up to a cocktail on a higher level
B y F ra n k S abati n i J r . Photos by B ra n d o n M at z ek
N
ine stories above 9th Avenue sits Level 9, the new bar perched atop Hotel Indigo in East Village. Get a head start on those calorie-burning resolutions by skipping the elevator and twostepping your way up to this renovated venue (which just got a $500,000 remodel) for a Not Your Average Beer, a sparklingSangria-tasting mood fixer/elixir. The libation elevates nearly an ounce of Bacardi rum with muddled blackberries, honey water and Lindemans Framboise Raspberry Lambic Beer. “Framboise is a fun beer that everyone started drinking, so we wanted to give it a renewed twist for the New Year,” says food and beverage director Curtis Crawford, who is also executive chef for Table 509, the ground floor restaurant nine flights below. “All combined, the drink is refreshing, not too strong and finishes smoothly.” Served in lightweight stemware made from recycled-corn plastic, which respects the hotel’s sustainable building practices (Indigo flaunts LEED certification by the U.S. Green Building Council), Not Your Average Beer will make you want to pull up a Hotel Indigo fire pit, kick up your feet and enjoy 509 9th Ave., East Village the view from up here. The walk back 619.727.4000, hotelinsd.com downstairs is a breeze.
Level 9
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Groove
// I N T E R V I E W S //
calendar concert 3 1 20 . n ja l
ul
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JANUARY CONCERT CALENDAR
INTUNE
Inside the heads of San Diegans with music on their minds B y D avid P erl o ff a n d tim p y les P h o t o s b y J eff “ T u rb o ” C o rri g a n
R
osemary Bystrak founded a popular blog called San Diego: Dialed In. Freddie Harb is president of Sleeping Giant Music and moonlights as a DJ. Candace Mandracia buys talent and books shows for Live Nation and House of Blues. Tim Mays opened, still runs and books shows at the Casbah. Tim Pyles has a local music program on FM 94/9, blogs for NBC SoundDiego and has his own night at the Casbah. Johnny Shockey owns Voyeur, cofounded LED Presents and brings some of the biggest EDM shows to San Diego. Six people with different backgrounds and different musical tastes, each making sound decisions that impact what San Diegans are listening to on the radio, at concert venues and at the clubs. What do you get when you ask half-a-dozen outspoken music experts their opinions on the local music scene? An earful, that’s for sure.
Johnny Shockey Before moving to California to skate for the San Diego Gulls, Johnny Shockey played professional hockey in Canada. These days, his events draw larger crowds than the Gulls ever did. Shockey cofounded LED Presents, an electronic dance music-driven marketing and production company that puts on big-time concerts (with mega-acts like Deadmau5) that sell out Petco Park, Valley View Casino Center (formerly the Sports Arena) and Wave House – not to mention Voyeur, the popular Gaslamp club he opened in 2009. mylifeeveryday.com What good and bad things happened to the music industry in 2012? The good: dance music blew up bigger than anyone imagined. The bad: DJ fees went through the roof, and the cost of doing shows was directly affected.
(Continued on page 96)
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//////
BOLD FASHIONED
//////
jan. 2013 concert
1/5: Beat Farmers Hootenanny featuring The Farmers @ Belly Up Tavern, bellyup.com An annual tradition with special guests Mojo Nixon, Dave Alvin, Steven Berlin, Nancarrow and Joey Harris & The Mentals.
Ja
1/5: Jamar Rogers @ The Griffin, thegriffinsd.com Semi-finalist singer from season 2 of NBC’s The Voice performs what he calls “Electronic Soul.”
Whose career will come to an end? Now that’s just mean, isn’t it? I suppose there are a slew of rightwingers nationally and locally that I’d like to see shipped off. Maybe they can go live with their money in the Cayman Islands.
V i n c e n t S an d o v a l P h o T o g rap h y
What do you foresee happening in 2013? Music will always thrive in one way or another. People might convert in greater numbers to streaming services or using The Cloud, but I don’t predict any colossal changes. Unfortunately, I think we’ll see fewer live music festivals, because a new crop of promoters are too egomaniacal to work together. New festivals that popped up probably won’t return after low attendance numbers in 2012.
ge
Rosemary Bystrak created and is the chief blogger for San Diego: Dialed In, an online resource of local music, showcasing live performances and other music-and-art-related happenings. What began as her personal blog has blossomed into one of the city’s go-to sites for daily concert and event listings, band reviews, photos and more. Bystrak is also a regular contributor to NBC’s SoundDiego (sounddiego.com) and the publicist for the Casbah (in case her sweatshirt didn’t give it away). sddialedin.com
What good and bad things happened to the music industry in 2012? As a blogger – the expansion of the mobile and tablet markets helped drive new traffic and interest in the local music scene, as well as driving traffic to live shows at the Casbah, where I’m the publicist, and other venues. As a fan of live music – the growth of EDM, and specifically dub step, bums me out. It was big before, but in 2012 seemed to go mainstream. Think of every car commercial or movie trailer. I’m just not a fan and wish the trend would die like disco.
rs
calendar
Rosemary Bystrak
Ro
// intervie w s //
ma r
g r o ov e
Which 2013 music events excite you most? I get excited about a lot of things throughout the year. January kicks of with NAMM [National Association of Music Merchants], then there’s South by Southwest, Coachella, summer festivals, San Diego Music Thing, then the SDMAs [San Diego Music Awards]. Music is the gift that keeps on giving year-round. What concerts or live performances will you definitely attend? I’m hoping I can find another band to tag along with back to South by Southwest. I’ve been pretty lucky the last two years and would like to make it three.
What trends will emerge in the New Year? Not necessarily a new trend, but I think remote concerts and performances via Ustream or Livestream or StageIt will pick up as the expense of touring continues to increase. For smaller artists, this can also mean finding new fans all over the world. Of course, a live show experience can’t be replaced, but think of places like Alaska that are harder to get to.
Johnny Shockey (Continued from page 95) What do you foresee happening in 2013? The good: dance music will continue to grow, especially in smaller markets. The bad: too many artists are playing the same music. Need more diversity.
Which acts should people look out for? Locally, I think everyone needs to keep an eye on Family Wagon and Barbarian in 2013. I’m also excited about The Heavy Guilt’s third record, due out this spring. Full disclosure: I help manage the band.
What trends will emerge in the New Year? I think fans will look for more underground music – tech, minimal, deep house, et cetera. Which acts should people look out for? Dog Blood will be very interesting – Skrillex and Boys Noize together. I think Galantis could be dope; Swedish House Mafia is giving them support – Linus from Style of Eye, Christian from Miike Snow and Carli from Savage Skulls, all playing together. My personal favorite: Bromance,
(Continued on page 98)
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which is Brodinski and Gesaffelstein. Whose career will come to an end? I don’t think anyone’s career ever comes to an end in this scene. Some people are more relevant than others depending on what they are releasing. My career might come to an end if I spend any more late nights away from my family. Which 2013 music events excite you most? I always really enjoy Coachella. I would love to check out Bonnaroo. What concerts or live performances will you definitely attend? I’m still waiting for Daft Punk.
g r o ov e
// intervie w s //
(Continued from page 96)
Freddie Harb As founder and president of Sleeping Giant Music, a San Diego-based talent agency specializing in managing artists and booking DJs across the county and country, Freddie Harb has his finger on the pulse of electronic music. Actually, make that 10 fingers – he also spins under the moniker DJ Fresh One, making regular appearances at Bar West, Hard Rock Hotel San Diego’s 207 and Float, Ivy Nightclub, Sidebar, Stingaree and many other popular venues. sleepinggiantmusic.com, djfreshone.com What good and bad things happened to the music industry in 2012? The good news, speaking on behalf of DJs, which is mostly who we represent: DJs are becoming more widespread in the mainstream, being involved in major events across the country – awards, festivals, movies, TV shows and many other media outlets. DJs are being looked at as the new rock stars. For the bad, the digital DJ era has allowed many young kids to get involved in the business without a sense of understanding the art. Techniques like scratching are a dying art form, and Technics turntables are on the verge of not being manufactured anymore, leaving the very core essence of DJing behind. This is paving the way for new technology, which is not a bad thing, but changes the dynamic of the business as a whole. Back in the day, DJs would scour on their hands and knees for vinyl records, and now they only have to download MP3s. Instead of buying 10 records at a time, playing them out and understanding how the crowd reacts, DJs are downloading thousands of songs, showing up at the club with their laptops and not knowing where to begin, what to play or when to play it – or what the record is going to do to the crowd.
Which acts should people look out for? For DJs, stay on the lookout for Four Color Zack, who just won the Red Bull Thr3estyle competition in 2012. For DJ/producers, there are just way too many to mention, and things progress at such a rapid pace. One day, one act could be hot; and the next, they can be done. That is the nature of the music industry. Which 2013 music events excite you most? I’m looking forward to seeing some of our DJs compete in the Red Bull Thre3style competition in January at Voyeur. DJing has elevated beyond just the bedroom and nightclub. It’s completely mainstream, and I am excited to watch things progress at such a rapid rate. What concerts or live performances will you definitely attend? I will find myself at numerous clubs across the nation; a couple key festivals, including Winter Music Conference and possibly South by Southwest; maybe a rock show or two in the mix; and a few jazz nights.
What do you foresee happening in 2013? I foresee live music coming back a bit in 2013, in a different way than it was done in the past. I also foresee that electronic dance music will start to become a bit more niche again, and most clubs will go back to being full open format instead of an all-EDM club by the beginning of 2014. The DJ game is definitely changing, some for the better, a lot for the worse, and I hope that this younger generation of DJs will look back towards DJing as an art form. What trends will emerge in the New Year? I think certain venues are going to start booking live acts once again, and hopefully there will be more cross-pollination between the DJs and live musicians.
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(Continued on page 100)
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g r o ov e
// intervie w s //
(Continued from page 98)
Tim Mays Tim Mays owns and operates the Casbah, a San Diego live music tradition since he opened the joint on the edge of Little Italy in 1989. He also owns Starlite restaurant in Middletown and the popular Krakatoa coffee house in Golden Hill. Mays books the bands that perform at Casbah and puts on shows at House of Blues, SOMA, Soda Bar, Brick by Brick, The Irenic and more. casbahmusic.com What good and bad things happened to the music industry in 2012? Good thing is that there are more bands than ever that tour through San Diego, and there are a lot of places for them to play in town. There seems to be more willingness on the part of bands and agents to have lower ticket prices, which is a good thing, especially when there are so many shows to choose from. On the bad side, I see so many great bands that come through that don’t get any support from fans – bands with great records, great press, great live shows, and there are still only a handful of people at their shows. This correlates directly to what I mentioned as the good aspect of the industry: on any given night, there are so many options for the music lover that it gets overwhelming, physically and financially. First World problems, no?
What do you foresee happening in 2013? I can’t pretend to predict the future, but I anticipate that some great new bands will rise up in town and make themselves heard and seen – and that some great bands will probably break up. Which acts should people look out for? Barbarian, The New Kinetics, Boy King, Big Freedia, Iceage, Veronica Falls, Teenage Burritos, Oberhofer, Sir Sly, Fol Chen, He’s My Brother She’s My Sister. Which 2013 music events excite you most? Rocket from the Crypt performing again, hopefully somewhere small and sweaty. What concerts or live performances will you definitely attend? Maybe Coachella, depending on lineup; OFF!; Chelsea Light Moving – Thurston Moore’s new project; Graveyard.
(Continued on page 102)
jan. 2013
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one
hundred
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g r o ov e
Tower of Power 1/19: Cadillac Tramps @ Casbah, casbahmusic.com O.C. ’80s punk band with a blistering live show.
// intervie w s //
1/19: Tumbleweed Wanderers @ The Griffin, thegriffinsd.com Oakland-based band mixing soul, folk and rock ‘n’ roll with a touch of dark and chaotic banjo-rock.
(Continued from page 100)
Candace Mandracia
jan. 2013
As San Diego’s senior talent buyer for Live Nation and House of Blues, the world’s largest concert promoter, Candace Mandracia is responsible for booking concerts at House of Blues, SDSU’s Open Air Theatre and Viejas Arena. She also assembles the multi-act line-ups for radio station 91X’s annual X-Fest and Wrex the Halls concert events. livenation.com, houseofblues.com What good and bad things happened to the music industry in 2012? It’s a tie between Justin breaking up with Selena and/or Paris Hilton DJing in Sao Paolo at the Pop Music Festival. Elton John calls Madonna “a fairground stripper.” Whitney Houston dies, and Sony jacks up the price of her entire catalog. Boy bands just won’t die. Generally speaking, ticket sales improved over last year with the concerted efforts of bands and agents alike to keep ticket prices down – although, some might argue if they are actually down. Miley cuts off her hair and actually thinks she looks good. Some might not understand this, but I can’t think of anything I was more excited about in 2012 musically than aMiniature reuniting [editor’s note: aMiniature was a 1980s band that formed in San Diego]. What do you foresee happening in 2013? I foresee Taylor Swift becoming completely un-datable, since everyone knows she’ll write about the breakup. I subsequently foresee her writing about not understanding why no one wants to date her, and that album doing quite well. She’s unstoppable. More pop artists will cross over into country, like Kelly Clarkson, for instance. EDM peaks and so does pop, with the help of collaborative DJs. Alt and indie music go country. Online streaming services compete for your business, which results in more affordable music for fans, and thank goodness because the $1.49 a song on iTunes is killing me. And finally, I foresee Mandy Moore and Ryan Adams breaking up; I don’t know why, but I do. It’s just an odd match to me. What trends will emerge in the New Year? Twitter wars. I don’t know what is up with these artists and Twitter – Rihanna vs. Ciara, Madonna vs. Elton vs. Lady Gaga, Ja Rule vs. 50 Cent, Mariah vs. Nicki. While it’s never nice to say mean things about people in a public forum, the good news is it got Chris Brown to delete his Twitter account. Also, I predict
parachute pants will be back in style. Everyone who is anyone will also need to collaborate with David Guetta or Skrillex to get on the charts. I also think bands will stop touring altogether and simply project holographic images of themselves on stage like Tupac. Which acts should people look out for? The Maccabees, Depeche Mode will have a new album out, Kendrick Lamar, Porter Robinson, Alt-J, Miguel, Perfume Genius, Ty Segall, OFF!, Jake Bugg, Alex Clare, fun., The Lumineers, Django Django – some of these have been around for a while already, but will make their mark in 2013, for sure. There are too many to list. Which 2013 music events excite you most? South by Southwest, and there are a few concerts coming up that I can’t disclose. What concerts or live performances will you definitely attend? I will be attending almost all the concerts I book, so that will be well over a hundred of them in 2013. So, my list is short. Currently, I’m looking forward to Quicksand and Pinback next year, as well as a few others that haven’t been announced yet.
(Continued on page 104)
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1/19: Tower Of Power @ Belly Up Tavern, bellyup. com An R&B band with a horn section, these guys have been at it for nearly 50 years.
concertcalendar
g r o ov e
// intervie w s //
(Continued from page 102)
Tim Pyles
The unofficial mayor of local music in San Diego, Tim Pyles hosts FM94/9’s The Local 94/9 (Sundays at 9 p.m.), a weekly radio broadcast showcasing some of the city’s finest musical talent. He’s a blogger/host for NBC’s SoundDiego music blog, appears on the SoundDiego show each Saturday night after Saturday Night Live on NBC 7, books shows for the Casbah, hosts the monthly Maryjane’s Underground (at Hard Rock Hotel San Diego) and writes about music and concerts for PacificSD.
What good and bad things happened to the music industry in 2012? Specific to San Diego, I see too many establishments opening without enough customer support. We need more supporters for the arts and music in our city. So many shows are under-attended, and local bands are overplaying the scene. The great weather has always been a deterrent to our nightlife; people love the daytime in S.D., not always the nightlife.
Which acts should people look out for? Metz, The Burning Of Rome, Django Django, Danny Brown, King Tuff, Deap Vally, Wild Wild Wets, Tropical Popsicle, Mrs. Magician, the return of Rocket From The Crypt, Hit Dog Hollar, Cathedral X, Dan Deacon, DIIV, Japandroids, Alt-J, Atoms For Peace, Ty Segall, Iceage, Christopher Owens formerly of Girls, new Depeche Mode, Sir Sly, Pacific Air, Biffy Clyro and Danko Jones, to name a few.
What do you foresee happening in 2013? I see the continued homogenization of our culture to the point of everything sounding the same, all bland and boring. What we need is a new music revolution.
Which 2013 music events excite you most? South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, and Coachella, which I have attended every year since its inception in 1999. Locally, the San Diego Music Thing is always a good time.
What trends will emerge in the New Year? Crossover and more crossover. Too much of the music you hear on the radio right now is shared by other stations. So, you can flip through the dial and hear Gotye or Alex Clare on pop, urban and alternative radio. I like it better when they don’t share the same playlist. Electronic dance music is not the savior. Dub Step is fine and all, but not a revolution.
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What concerts or live performances will you definitely attend? I’m out four to five nights a week seeing shows, so just about anything good coming through town. Looking ahead to 2013, Muse; The Who; Keane; Coheeed and Cambria; The Residents; Electric Six; Frightened Rabbit; Veronica Falls; maybe the Soul Train Cruise featuring Earth, Wind and Fire; Gladys Knight; The Whispers; Mary Jane Girls; Dazz Band; A Taste of Honey; the list goes on.
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2013 calendar
Autumn De Wildebf 52
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g r o ov e
// b artender //
Bold Fashioned Classics-minded bartender ventures west to establish trends B y J as o n O ’ B r y a n P h o t o b y J eff “ T u rb o ” C o rri g a n
W
alk into Seven Grand* and you might not notice her at first. It is, after all, usually crowded, and your eyes are busy tracing thirsty constellations across a galaxy of whiskey. But try one of her drinks, and then it’s suddenly hard not to notice Meghan Balser, with her easy smile and unassuming demeanor, mixing up some of the best classics in the city. Balser’s transition to craft cocktails came suddenly, as she moved from slinging drinks at a trashy SoHo lounge in New York City – “raspberry champagne martinis kind of thing,” she says with a laugh – straight to one of the most celebrated cocktail bars in the country, Pegu Club (also in SoHo), where she spent five years learning mixology and honing her talents. Wanderlust drew Balser’s gaze west. When her friend and fellow Pegu Club alum Erin Williams offered her a job at Saltbox (the restaurant at Hotel Palomar, in the Gaslamp), Balser mustered the courage and made the move. “I’d never lived in another city before, or even been to San Diego,” she says, “I literally stepped off the plane, got in a taxi and went to Saltbox. They were like, ‘Great! Here’s your vest.’” That was less than a year ago, but Balser has already made quick work of our city’s burgeoning cocktail scene. She’s found a home at Seven Grand (“It’s like a family,” she says), where you can find her stirring up Manhattans five at a time, and more recently landed a second job at the U.S. Grant Hotel’s Grant Grill, where she’ll have more room to improvise, working with a cutting-edge bar program to balance the 19th Century one at Seven Grand. Far from the towering metropolis of NYC, Balser is enjoying, and enjoying serving, the people she’s met during her brief but productive stint in America’s Finest. Seven Grand Whiskey Bar 3054 University Ave., North Park 619.269.8820, sevengrandbars.com *Seven Grand opened in North Park, in July, at the site that used to be home to Bacchus House.
A Whiskey Legend
Spirited recommendations by Meghan Balser Scotch: I really like the Compass Box line, particularly the Asyla and the Peat Monster, the two extremes. I think [the line] is overlooked because it’s blended. Bourbon: It has to be different. A lot of the bourbons are essentially the same. I really like Booker’s. I know it’s high proof, but it also has tons of flavor. Rye: Rittenhouse, of course, and I really like the new Corsair Ryemaggedon. Silver: The High West silver whiskeys are the best we have, both the oat and the rye. It would be interesting to try those in an Old Fashioned.
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“In New York, everyone knows what an Old Fashioned is. But here, it’s still new; it’s still exciting. It’s very rewarding to make people happy.”
Blind Date
THANK YOU! Epic Limo / 858.270.LIMO (5466) epiclimo.com
// L O V E //
pretty face, sexy curves and knows how to rock a dress. What’s the sexiest thing about you? ERICA: Physically, probably my long legs. Otherwise, I’d say my quiet selfconfidence and intelligence. IVAN: Remember, in Sixth Grade, when your parents forced you to get braces and you hated them for it, but they said you would thank them later? Thanks, Mom! I like my smile. I do get a lot of positive feedback about my broad shoulders. I also love to buy shots. What do you like least about yourself? ERICA: The fact that I’m shy around new people. IVAN: I like to play devil’s advocate. Even if I agree with your stance, I’ll take on the other side just to see if you’re ready to defend your stance. Sometimes, that can get to people. What’s your biggest fear? ERICA: My biggest fear is having regrets. IVAN: Not being able to accomplish something because I was scared to fail. I hate the feeling I get looking back at something in my life and thinking, “If only I tried.” Fill in the blanks: I want my blind date to be “blank” and “blank.” ERICA: I want my blind date to be handsome and fun. IVAN: I want my date to be a woman and breathing.
Weather or Not Looking for love under gloomy skies B y D avid P erl o ff Photos by B revi n B lac h
E
rica is a financial analyst for UTC (not the mall, the aerospace company), United Technologies Corporation. “Basically, I look at spreadsheets all day.” She grew up in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, and lives Downtown. Ivan runs Valley Powder Coatings. “We powder-coat things from helicopter nets for the military to the patio furniture you sit down in at UTC mall.” He grew up in Bonita and lives in Mission Beach with his roommate, Sonny, and a beagle named Jack. one
(That’s “UTC” to the power of two. Coincidence? Uh...yeah, but maybe the stars will align for this, the first blind date of 2013.) Ivan and Erica met for the first time half an hour ago in the Epic Limo town car that’s about to drop them off at RA Sushi in the Gaslamp. Before they arrive, let’s review the pre-date interviews. PacificSD: What are you looking for in a date? ERICA: Just like every other girl, I’m looking for tall, dark and handsome – and, of course, funny, intelligent and charming. Lately, I’ve realized that honesty is extremely important as well. IVAN: Preferably someone with a lot of wit. Loves to be active – gym, running, volunteer work, whatever – just have something going. Physically,
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What’s the best thing that could happen during the date? ERICA: There is instant attraction, and we have a lot of fun. Didn’t someone get married eventually after one of these blind dates? I guess that has to be the best outcome. IVAN: I just bought a lottery ticket. So, I win, she ends up being amazing, and we go gather all our friends and have one hell of a weekend in Europe. Will the night end with a kiss, something more or something less? ERICA: I won’t kiss and tell. IVAN: T.B.D. [editor’s note: he actually says the letters] It’s cold and raining when Erica and Ivan arrive at RA, grab a booth and order sushi and sake to warm things up.
(Continued on page 110)
OPEN DAILY 6am - 3pm
thebrokenyolkcafe.com
PACIFIC BEACH / EASTLAKE / GASLAMP / LA COSTA / SAN MARCOS OCEANSIDE / POINT LOMA / CARMEL MOUNTAIN RANCH / TEMECULA O N E
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Blind Date
THANK YOU! RA Sushi • Bar • Restaurant / 474 Broadway, Gaslamp 619.321.0021 / rasushi.com
// L O V E //
(Continued from page 108)
Look at that Ass! not Ivan…The burro
A
fter drinks and a roll at RA, the daters roll over to The Blind Burro (formerly FleetWood), the new East Village restaurant/bar specializing in Baja coastal cuisine. Tonight’s the grand opening, and the place is packed, despite the stormy weather. After they’ve had a chance to sample their appetizers and some rare tequila, the couple is split for mid-date debriefings.
How was RA? ERICA: We had a good time there, and our server was really good. He gave us a lot of good recommendations. We like spicy, so we asked for a spicy roll, and he brought out a good one. IVAN: RA was good; been there a few times. The service is always very attentive. I had great sushi. It legitimately would be a natural first date for people from San Diego – you go grab sushi and go to a nice, hip, new bar. It’s almost a signature S.D. date.
How’s it going so far? ERICA: I’m having fun. He’s really nice. He’s very outgoing and personable, so we’re having a good time. IVAN: She was definitely shy right off the bat, but it’s definitely a good time. I was surprised to go to RA and pretty happy we ended up there.
What’s the most attractive thing your date has done so far? ERICA: He has opened doors and just been a gentleman. IVAN: Just the way she is; the sexiness just comes along by her natural habits. She treats herself well. We’re two-and-ahalf hours into drinking, and she’s not ground-and-pound. She’s secure with herself, which makes her hot.
What were your first impressions? ERICA: That he seemed very genuine and open. IVAN: Gorgeous legs, pretty smile. Definitely a little reserved, but that’s probably the way she grew up. Very sweet. Is this the type of person you’d normally date? ERICA: Yes, because he is outgoing. Outgoing is usually what I go for. IVAN: Usually, girls that I date snap back and are real quick-witted. I like the aggressive type. She’s definitely more reserved, in her shell. But once she opened up…I guess she’s more than the eye can see. What do you think of the way your date is dressed? ERICA: He has his scarf and his jacket, so he’s ready for the weather. He looks nice. IVAN: Very festive. It was funny, when we walked into this place, an old lady walked up and said, “Come here. I’ve got to make a comment on you. If I had those legs, I don’t give a shit how the weather is, I’d be rockin’ those black shorts.”
Rate your date on a scale from 1 to 10 for looks. ERICA: Eight. IVAN: Solid eight or nine, and that’s being conservative. And for personality? ERICA: Nine. IVAN: Her being reserved, a solid eight. Do you want to kiss your date now? ERICA: No. IVAN: T.B.D. Does your date want to kiss you right now? ERICA: I don’t know. IVAN: No idea. She definitely has shown a lot of physical positioning that she’s into it. If you had to choose between leaving now, alone, with $100 cash or making out with your date at the table, what would you do? ERICA: I’d take the $100 cash, and then we could go out and have another date. IVAN: Well, $100 is $100, but she’s sexy, man. I’d definitely make out with her. one
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Blind Date
THANK YOU! The Blind Burro / 639 J St., East Village 619.795.7880 / theblindburro.com
// L O V E //
(Continued from page 110) IVAN: There was no kiss. I’d say walking in the rain back to her house was romantic. We exchanged numbers at the door. What’s the funniest thing that happened during the date? ERICA: At Basic, a guy went up to Ivan and said that he had seen us getting our pictures taken at The Blind Burro and asked what we were doing. Ivan told him that I was a porn star, and they were following me around going out on a date with a regular guy. IVAN: The lady at The Blind Burro who said, “If you have those type of legs, you rock it, girl!” Older lady knows what she is talking about.
A Shot in the Dark
What was the best part of the date? ERICA: I love going to new restaurants and trying new things, so I enjoyed getting to try the food and drinks at The Blind Burro. IVAN: There wasn’t really an exact moment where it was the best part. The date as a whole was the best part.
Expensive tequila helps make any date great
A
fter a brief tequila lesson from Blind Burro’s resident expert, the daters are finally left alone to enjoy the rest of their evening. We call the next day to see what we missed. How was The Blind Burro? ERICA: It was awesome. I live Downtown, so I’m always happy when new places open up. It had a trendy, fun vibe, and I would definitely go back. IVAN: The staff was amazing, and we got introduced to a type of tequila from Sonora, which you have to try if you go there. What did you have to eat and drink?
What was the worst part? ERICA: The worst part of the date was the weather. IVAN: At Basic, I took off my jacket to go dance with Erica a bit, and someone took advantage and took the jacket. So, whoever has a new black-wool Buffalo Exchange jacket, size large – karma will find you.
ERICA: We shared the ceviche, queso crisp and another great seafood dish. It was delicious. Cory the bartender came over and gave us a few tastings of Bacanora. He called it the moonshine of Mexico, which I can agree with. He also made a great spicy margarita-like drink for me. IVAN: The ceviche was amazing, some sort of spicy scallops. The churros for dessert were solid, too. I can’t remember the name of the sort of tequila, but the smoky-tasting tequila – you have to try it.
car took us over to Basic for a few more drinks and some dancing. IVAN: We took full advantage of the food and ordered some dessert and a few more drinks. We took the car to Basic and grabbed one more drink, stole an elf’s hat for some pictures and played “Name That Next Song” with a pretty good DJ. We actually ran into a few of my friends and just enjoyed the rest of the night.
What happened after the magazine crew left? ERICA: We decided to keep the night going a little longer. The town
Was there a kiss or romantic exchange? ERICA: We hugged goodbye. I’m a lady.
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When did you get home? ERICA: I got home at about 1:30. IVAN: Right around 2.
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Will there be a second date? ERICA: I think so. We had a fun time. IVAN: We will see. AFTERMATCH: Despite the weather, the first blind date of PacificSD’s seventh year was a success, and it seems there may be date Number Two in Erica and Ivan’s future. As for what the rest of the year has in store, Ivan’s idea of introducing a porn star to a regular guy might just work for February’s LOVE Issue. All you porn stars and willing guys out there, if you’d like to throw your hat (or anything else) in the ring, email us right away: blinddate@pacificsandiego.com.
Think
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