Mission Hills Lifestyle Magazine - APRIL 2022

MISSION HILLS EnCompass the Lifestyle APRIL 2022

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REALTOR® | DRE# 01075249

Mission Hills Magazine | April 2022 | Page 1

TOP APRIL EVENTS IN SAN DIEGO THE FLOWER FIELDS

CINCO DE MAYO FIESTA OLD TOWN

SEAWORLD’S SEVEN SEAS CRAFT BEER & FOOD FESTIVAL

More Awesome April Events

When: Now - May 8, 2022 The nearly fifty acres of Giant Tecolote Ranunculus flowers that make up the Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch in Carlsbad, California, are in bloom for approximately six to eight weeks each year. This annual burst of color is one of nature’s official ways of announcing the arrival of spring here in Southern California.

When: April 28 - May 1, 2022 Join us for a weekend of FIERY FUN on Saturday, April 30th and Sunday, May 1st. This FREE annual event will be EN FUEGO with entertainment for the whole family- live music, traditional dance performances, local food vendors, festive drink specials and authentic artwork crafted by talented local artisans.

When: Now - May 1, 2022 Foodies and craft beer aficionados will love SeaWorld’s Seven Seas Craft Beer & Food Festival, featuring craft beer from favorite local breweries, plus fresh international cuisine infused with local, sustainable ingredients and unique signature flavors from around the world.

GOODGUYS MEGUIAR’S DEL MAR NATIONALS

SAN DIEGO RESTAURANT WEEK

UNCORKED: SAN DIEGO WINE FESTIVAL

When: April 3-10, 2022 This foodie-favorited week is the perfect time to take a culinary tour throughout the diverse and thriving food culture of San Diego. With over 90 participating restaurants offering prix-fixe menu options throughout San Diego County, you’re sure to find the perfect place to satisfy any craving.

SAN DIEGO PADRES BASEBALL SEASON

When: April 14, 2022 Kickoff the 2022 baseball season at Petco Park as the San Diego Padres play the Atlanta Braves!

ANNUAL LA JOLLA CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE MOTOR CAR CLASSIC

When: April 22, 2022 Set along the breathtaking oceanfront cliffs of La Jolla Cove, the La Jolla Concours d’Elegance is exceptional in every sense of the word. Walk amongst 125 world-class automobiles, visit the elegant tasting and champagne gardens, and revel in the beauty of the Pacific Ocean – the ultimate La Jolla experience.

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When: April 1-3, 2022 The Goodguys shows are for all Hot Rod and Classic Car fans alike. Whether it’s your first show or tenth trip out we are very excited to have you come out for the day or stay for the whole weekend!

When: April 2, 2022 Sip and savor over 150 wines from across the globe plus some fun “outside the bottle” options like cider, seltzer and canned cocktails. Enjoy favorite local food trucks, a live dj, and a gorgeous view at this fabulous new location.

IRONMAN 70.3 OCEANSIDE CALIFORNIA

When: April 2, 2022 Start your race season where triathlons originated in beautiful southern California with the beach breeze and chill vibes.

IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside is the first race on the North American circuit with a stacked pro field that is sure to test your winter training.

NORTH PARK FESTIVAL OF BEERS

When: April 2, 2022 The 13th annual North Park Festival of Beers is back on Saturday, April 2, 2022 sampling more than 50 beers from the best breweries on the planet. Plus live music, specialty food vendors and more! Presented by 91X

RACE FOR AUTISM

When: April 2, 2022 You can be a SUPERHERO for Autism! Join us in celebrating 18 years of making a difference and changing the futures for thousands with autism in San Diego at the Race for Autism Superhero 5K.

THE CAMPAGNOLO GRANFONDO SAN DIEGO

When: April 3, 2022 Southern California meets Italy in this celebration of cycling, food, and San Diego’s picturesque water front. Held in beautiful Downtown San Diego, the two-day festival features a massstart, timed Gran Fondo with 4 route options, timed King and Queen of the Mountain competitions, The Bike & Fitness Expo with guest speakers and bike, health and fitness clinics.

SOUTH BAY EARTH DAY

When: April 9, 2022 Join us as the City of Chula Vista hosts the South County’s largest Earth Day celebration at the FREE family-friendly 2022 South Bay Earth Day event taking place Saturday, April 9, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

TASTE OF HILLCREST

When: April 9, 2022 Over 25 fantastic Hillcrest restaurants are participating, giving foodies a chance to sample some of their best and signature dishes. From quaint cafes and French and Italian style bistros to five-star dining delights, this is the most anticipated self-guided culinary walking tour in San Diego! Sample bites such as Pad Thai, Sashimi, Italian Antipasto, or Classic American Comfort Food!

ENCINITAS SPRING STREET FAIR

When: April 9-10, 2022 At the Encinitas April Street Fair, enjoy unique food, five live music stages, children’s rides, beer garden, and more than 450 vendors.

SAN DIEGO BEACH & BAY HALF MARATHON & 5K

When: April 10, 2022 Run through some of San Diego’s most beautiful beaches, bays and resorts, with this fast, flat and scenic half marathon, 5k and 10k. Stick around because the party starts at the finish line with live music, a beer garden (your first beer is on us!), snacks, photo opportunities, and much more.

37TH ANNUAL SPRING HOME/GARDEN FESTIVAL

When: April 10-12, 2022 Now in its 37th year, the Spring Home/Garden Show returns to Del Mar Fairgrounds for a three-day extravaganza of inspiring real “Garden Masters” landscapes (created exclusively for the Show), hands-on demonstrations, hundreds of homeimprovement products and services exhibitors, educational seminars, plant sales and face-to-face consultations with top experts - all with the convenience of one-stop shopping for everything pertaining to home and garden, inside and outside.

CAJON CLASSIC CRUISE

When: Wednesday’s beginning March 13, 2022 The famous Cajon Classic Cruise Car Shows are back again!One of El Cajon’s premier events is back again this year for another stay in the center of Downtown El Cajon on the Prescott Promenade.

EAST VILLAGE OPENING DAY BLOCK PARTY

When: April 14, 2022 “Root, root, root for the home team!” as attendees’ rock out to live band and DJ entertainment; and “swing batter, batter, swing!” as fans test their skills in the interactive game zone.

Quench your thirst at the micro-brew beer garden featuring local craft beer, baseball-themed cocktails, and an adult-geared fun “activation zone”; while munching on the large varietal of local culinary delights from the food truck-lined streets.

LA JOLLA HALF MARATHON & 5K

When: April 16, 2022 The La Jolla Half Marathon is one of America’s most picturesque and beautiful point-to-point races. Starting at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, the course follows a scenic coastal route before reaching the challenging climb to the summit of Torrey Pines State Park. The course then rolls atop Torrey Pines mesa, continues down through residential La Jolla Shores, and finishes at La Jolla Cove.

ANNUAL CHICANO PARK DAY CELEBRATION

When: April 18-24, 2022 The theme for this years virtual Chicano Park 52 is ‘Tommie Camarillo, Adelita del Parque Por Vida!’Established by Chicano activists on April 22, 1970, Chicano Park has received international recognition as a major public art site for its commanding mural paintings of the past and present struggle of Mexican and Chicano history.

ANNUAL TASTE OF LIBERTY STATION

When: April 20, 2022 Liberty Station invites San Diegans to stroll and explore all its offerings at Taste of Liberty Station. Liberty Station businesses will open their doors for attendees to discover the variety of bites of Liberty Station’s eateries, live music and artisan goods in the storied corridors and artwork from the local galleries.

SAN DIEGO COMIC FEST

When: April 20, 2022 Indulge your love of comics, science fiction, and films, and meet an outstanding array of professional creators in a casual atmosphere and an intimate scale that allows fans to mingle directly with professionals and exhibitors.

ANNUAL LAKESIDE RODEO

When: April 21-24, 2022 The Premier Rodeo of Southern California in Lakeside, CA, San Diego County, is wonderful family fun held annually in April.

CORONADO FLOWER SHOW

When: April 23-24, 2022 Largest tented flower show in the nation! Exhibits surround a central gazebo which stages continuous live music entertainment, announcements, and trophy presentations. Food pavilion and beer garden on site!

FALLBROOK AVOCADO FESTIVAL

When: April 24, 2022 The Annual Avocado Festival includes local artisans on the Artisan Walk on Alvarado, Cazadores Margaritas at the Main Stage area, featuring local talent, food, wine garden, local beer, community stage, kid’s zone and Avocado Central (located in the center of the event) where avocados and trees can be purchased.

Mission Hills Magazine | April 2022 | Page 3

Last Remaining Unit at 41West

2604 5th Avenue Unit 901 2 BD | 2.5 Bath | 3,995 SF | $4,459,000

Sophisticated, Exuberant, Inspiring! Welcome to The Manhattan, THE Penthouse masterpiece channeling the essence of a coveted urban existence. Soaring walls of glass in the main living spaces embrace the sky and inclusively capture the idyllic surrounding beauty of Bankers Hill.

Almost 4000sf of urban interior perfection transitions seamlessly into what is perhaps the grandest outdoor living offering of 3 massive terraces in San Diego highrise living. Formal and informal entertainment and gathering spaces, dual Primary Suites that have no peer, and views stretching 270 degrees over some of San Diego’s most pristine vistas.

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kengina.com Mission Hills Magazine | April 2022 | Page 5

San Diego County Housing Report: March 22, 2022

Out of Control With the number of available homes to purchase at extremely low levels, there simply are too many buyers competing against each other.

An Insane Market

When the Expected Market Time drops below 40-days, the Seller’s Market shifts from “hot” to “insane,” and today it is at 18 days.

A three-bedroom, two-bathroom, 1,500 square foot home on a 10,000 square foot lot, built in 1972, was placed on the market on the first Wednesday of February at $999,000.

There was a line going down the street to view the home during a threehour window on Saturday and a three-hour window on Sunday.

By Sunday evening there were more than 20 offers submitted to the listing agent. The seller countered to all offers and asked them to come back with their highest and best price. The home closed on during the first week of March at $1,200,000, an astonishing 20% above its list price.

Not every home sells 20% above its list price. In San Diego County, the sales to list price ratio for detached homes so far in March is 104.7%. That means that the average closed sales price was only 4.7% over the asking price. An unbelievable 72.2% of all closed detached homes sold above their list price during the first few weeks of March. The median days on market is 6 days, less than a week. It would probably be even faster, but there are just too many offers to sift through.

The housing market is out of control as home values continue to soar. At this point, it is like a runaway freight train barreling down the tracks at an unimaginable speed. There really is no end in sight due to the catastrophically low inventory. With such a scarcity of homes available, there are far too many buyers for every home that hits the market. This imbalance can be seen in the sheer number of buyers bumping into each other, eager to

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view the latest new listing that hits the market.

It is extremely difficult to convey just how devastatingly low the inventory is right now. Today, there are only 1,702 homes available to purchase in all of San Diego County. There were 2,294 homes last year, still tragically low, but 35% more than today. The number one complaint last year was that there were not enough homes to purchase, illustrating just how dire the issue has become. The lowest level prior to COVID was achieved in 2013 at 4,617 homes. That was more than double the current level.

The six-year average from 2014 to 2019 for this time of year was 5,913 homes, an additional 4,211, or 247% extra, more than triple. The current inventory level is severely low and the main reason home values are skyrocketing.

With such a limited supply of homes available to sell coupled with tremendous demand, the Expected Market Time (the time between hammering in the FOR-SALE sign and opening escrow) captures best just how insanely hot the San Diego County housing market is today. Anything below 90-days is considered a Seller’s Market. There are different levels of a Seller’s Market: slight, hot, and insane. A Slight Seller’s Market is between 60 and 90 days. Sellers get to call most of the shots, home values are slowly rising, and homes generate between one to two offers. An Expected Market Time between 40 and 60 days is considered a Hot Seller’s Market, where sellers get to call most of the shots, home values are rising, and there are a lot more multiple offer situations, especially in the lower price ranges.

Anything below 40-days is an Insane Seller’s Market, and the lower the Expected Market Time, the more housing is out of control and unprecedented. This is when sellers get to call all of the shots, home values are surging, multiple offers are the norm,

sales prices typically exceed their asking prices, and homes last only days on the market. At 18 days, the housing market is out of control at every price point.

Last year’s 21 day Expected Market Time was very similar to today’s ridiculous 18-day mark. In 2013, the Expected Market Time was at 38 days, the only year prior to COVID that reached the white-hot level for housing. The six-year average from 2014 to 2019 for this time of year was 53 days, much different than the current insane pace. With patience, buyers were able to isolate a home within a reasonable amount of time and were not competing against so many buyers writing offers on the same home.

The simple economic principle of supply and demand does not adequately capture today’s dilemma. There just is nothing available for buyers to purchase right now. Anything that does

hit the market is greeted with a deluge of showings and plenty of offers. There really is nothing spectacular about the number of buyers looking to purchase today. That is not the issue. The issue is that there are only 1,556 homes available today in the middle of March, when there are typically around 5,900 (the sixyear average between 2014 to 2019). Even with a similar number of buyers searching for a home today compared to past years, there are far fewer choices. This lack of FOR-SALE signs is precisely why the housing market is out of control.

As long as the inventory remains at catastrophically low levels, expect more of the same.

Copyright 2022 - Steven Thomas, Reports On Housing - All Rights Reserved. This report may not be reproduced in whole or part without express written permission.

Mission Hills Magazine | April 2022 | Page 7

PrTMS:

Dr. Kevin T. Murphy Founder & CEO of MindSet and PeakLogic

A Personalized Way to Address Brain Performance

By Carol Holland Lifshitz

Brainwave patterns in humans have been shown in many cases to predict performance and behavior. Incredibly,

it is now possible to perform EEGs on a patient and to immediately view a composite picture of the brainwaves on one simple graph. This graph is essentially a snapshot of all the brainwaves working together, giving us an accurate picture of current brain function and an individual's brain history. The brainwave pattern can then be adjusted and “tuned” through successive sessions of non-invasive and painless magnetic pulses. This innovative approach to an existing

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technology, rTMS, is termed PrTMS or personalized repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation. An extraordinary medical pioneer, Dr. Kevin Murphy, has made this new technology a reality. He is changing the world of brain health, one wave at a time.

The majority of psychology and psychotherapy techniques are intended to address the patients mind, not the brain. Standard therapies typically use passive and active techniques such as cognitive behavioral therapy, talk therapy, or medication management.

In contrast, PrTMS addresses the brain itself – the anatomy of the system – not just the mind. The idea is that nearly all humans are experiencing some degree of brainwave noise (brain arrhythmia,) and the removal of this noise can improve brain function.

Due to this personalized approach, and this treatment being administered at a lower amplitude, a wider variety of patients may be good candidates for PrTMS. Positive effects have been demonstrated in a number of patients with various symptoms associated

with anxiety, depression, PTSD, ADHD, insomnia, and cognitive performance. Recently, benefits have been documented in treatment of the neurological side effects and symptoms associated with long COVID infection, termed “COVID-brainfog.” Repeated quality electroencephalograms (qEEG) performed throughout the course of treatment are used to adjust various parameters, allowing the therapy to be personalized for each patient.

Whether it’s due to physical trauma (i.e concussion,) medications, or simply just poor sleep, the human brain shows the same response to being traumatized: it generally slows down and adds slow wave frequencies (noise) into the system. This slowing appears to be the predominant pattern following trauma or other forms of neuronal stress. To complicate matters, neurons can become agitated after trauma and are set to fire too quickly. The slow neurons are undersampling the environment (sleep), while the faster neurons are over-sampling the environment (agitation or anxiety states.)

Dr. Murphy likes to describe neuronal trauma by making an analogy to a marching band. Normally the band marches in a linear fashion. But what would happen if there were stragglers?

“If a meteor were to strike the band, half of the members would move off to one side, and the others would go too

brainwave disturbance are identified using these images. This information is then processed via a proprietary algorithm (unique to PeakLogic, Inc, San Diego, CA) to determine the exact treatment protocol necessary to remove noise and improve brainwave coherence and power.

PeakLogic’s mission

is dedicated to empowering professionals with the ability to transform sufferers’ lives and improve their health to normal brain function through this process of neurorestoration. quickly in the other direction. You’ve now gained ‘noise’ as neurons are reset to fire at a variety of frequencies.

So, instead of the band remaining in tune and making the correct music, it’s playing the wrong song, and the frequencies are discordant with each other.” It is that lack of uniformity which adversely affects optimal brain function.

Medication management tries to “fix” this by prescribing a stimulant, suppressant, or cocktail mix of other prescriptions. “The problem is that the whole band gets the same medication,” continues Dr. Murphy with his analogy.

“With drug therapy, if you want to make the slow neurons go faster, a stimulant may be the answer. But the neurons already going too fast say ‘Why did you give me a stimulant? That’s the last thing I needed!’ Hence, there will be a side effect of worsening anxiety. So, now a sedative may be prescribed to slow the system down. Neurons already going too slowly may be saying ‘I don’t need a sedative!’ Simply stated, there are a mixture of neuronal speeds in all of us, and not all of the neurons respond correctly to the same medication. And that’s why you may see side effects occurring with some medications.”

The qEEGs taken at baseline and once a week during PrTMS treatment show a summary picture of the brainwave distribution at that time.

Dr. Murphy has examined over 35,000 qEEGs! The location and degree of

The treatment that follows, called PrTMS, relies heavily on each individual’s personal response to successive stimulation. The protocols adjust continually, just as a doctor may need to adjust a patient’s dose of medication to find the best response.

TMS, in general, is a non-invasive brain stimulation therapy that uses electromagnetic pulses to stimulate nerve cells in order to improve symptoms of neurological or mental health disorders. But the personalized aspect of PrTMS treatment is what makes it revolutionary, a true industry first, and potentially more effective as each individual’s brain pattern and need are different. “It is the patient’s response to successive stimulation, and real-time adjustments of the protocols, which allow the process of neuromodulation to occur more rapidly and become more durable.”

Who is Dr. Kevin Murphy, and how did he develop such a life-altering concept within the current climate of the medical community? Until

around 1990, this multi-talented man was an engineering officer on a U.S. naval aircraft carrier. His engineering skills would come back into play years later, when he designed the technology that would eventually be used in PrTMS. After serving our country, this veteran pursued a decades-long career as a Radiation Oncologist, specializing in the treatment of brain tumors. He worked with both pediatric and adult cancer

patients, many of whom were afflicted with brain malignancies, and the side effects associated with such treatment.

Dr. Murphy was instrumental in developing and popularizing a technique called “stereotactic radiosurgery” using frameless techniques. Instead of bolting screws into the skull for immobilization, frameless techniques allow the tumor treatments to be monitored non-invasively, using the topography of the patient’s face. These techniques made it a lot easier to treat pediatric radiosurgery candidates, and provided for him a window into a novel way of conducting brain intervention in general. Dr. Murphy founded two companies to help with the wide variety of human performance challenges: MindSet, a private, PrTMS treatment center; and PeakLogic, a medical software company that automates the display, processing, and protocol treatment algorithm. Both are based in San Diego. At the MindSet clinic, Dr. Murphy, and Dr. Lisa Duhaylongsod, along with a devoted staff of technicians and directors, help those with anxiety disorders, depression, ADHD, PTSD, sleep disorders, concussion, migraines, autism, and other maladaptive issues.

PrTMS has even helped professional athletes with personal performance.

PeakLogic’s mission is dedicated to empowering professionals with the ability to transform sufferers’ lives

and improve their health to normal brain function through this process of neurorestoration. The company has enabled practitioners across the country to do the same work that is being done in San Diego – by utilizing the proprietary software as a clinical decision-making tool.

Looking far into the future, Dr. Murphy believes that personalizing rTMS and other forms of neuromodulation therapy will continue to expand. Couldn’t we all, in theory, use a “tune-up”? Dr. Murphy’s response to these questions is that perhaps someday, decades from now, “we’ll be able to slip on our neuromodulation caps while we drink our morning coffee.” But for now, thanks to his amazing vision and unbridled determination, the world has already become a better place for many.

Mission Hills Magazine | April 2022 | Page 9

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Information provided by the San Diego Association of Realtors as of June 2020. This information has not been verified by the broker. All information should be independently reviewed and verified for accuracy. Properties represent a compilation of listings from various brokerages and may or may not have been listed or sold by Mercer Group Real Estate of Keller Williams Realty La Jolla.

A Research Tood Provided by the Greater San Diego Association of REALTORS®

MARKET REPORT ||| OCTOBER 2020 MARKET REPORT OCTOBER 2020 MARKET REPORT OCTOBER 2020 MARKET REPORT | MARCH 2022

MISSION HILLS, HILLCREST MARKET REPORT | OCTOBER 2020 MISSION HILLS, HILLCREST, 92103HILLCREST MISSION HILLS, BANKERS HILL 92103 92103 19 -9.5%

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*Detached homes only

Homes Sold % Change from previous year

* Detached homes homes only only ** Detached Detached homes only * Detached homes only

MARKET REPORT | OCTOBER 2020 Median SalesPrice Price $1,575,000 Median Median Sales Sales Price Price $1,575,000 $1,575,000 Median Sales $1,575,000 % Change from 12.5% % % Change Change from from +80.0% +80.0% % Change from +80.0% previous Year Median Sales Price $1,575,000 previous previous year year previous year % Change from +80.0% previous year * Detached homes only Sales to List 104.2% Sales to List Price% Sales to List Price %% 96.9% 96.9% Sales to List Price Price % 96.9%

Average Days on Market

24

MISSION HILLS, HILLCREST 92103

New Listings % Change from previous year Sales to List Price %

31 -3.1%

96.9%

Sales to List Price % 96.9% New Listings New Listings MARKET REPORT New Listings|| OCTOBER MARKET REPORT OCTOBER 2020 31 31 2020 31 New Listings % from Median Sales Price % Change Change from $1,575,000 17 % Change from -3.1% -3.1% -3.1% % Change from New Listings previous year previous year previous year - 31 26.1% % Change from +80.0% previous Year % previous Change from year -3.1% previous year Average Average Days Days on on Market Market Average Days on Market 24 24 24 ** Detached Detached homes only only 96.9% Sales Days to List Price %homes Average on Market 26 Average Days on Market 24 Homes Homes Sold Sold Homes Sold 19 19 19 % from % Change Change from % Change from New Listings -9.5% -9.5% -9.5% 31 Homes Sold previous year previous year previous year 19 Homesfrom Sold % Change 20 Median Sales Price $1,575,000 Median Sales Price -3.1% $1,575,000 % Change from -9.5% %previous Changeyear from +17.6% year %%previous Change +80.0% Change from from +80.0% previous Year previous previous year year Average Days on Market Information provided by the San Diego Associaton of Realtors as of March 5, 2022. This information24 has not be verified by the broker. All information should be

MISSION MISSION HILLS, HILLS, HILLCREST HILLCREST 92103 92103

Median Sales Price % Change from previous year

$1,575,000 +80.0%

* Detached homes only

MISSION HILLS, HILLCREST 92103 MARKET REPORT | OCTOBER 2020

independently reviewed and verified for accuracy. Properties represent a complation of listings from various brokerages.

Sales Sales to to List List Price Price %% Homes Sold

96.9% 96.9%

Information Informationprovided providedby bythe theSan SanDiego DiegoAssociation AssociationofofRealtors RealtorsasasofofJune June2020.

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The Mission Hills Concerts in the Park is an annual event that occurs on Fridays in Pioneer Park. Bring your picnic baskets and catch up with neighbors and friends while you sing and dance to the music.

The MHTC and the Summer Concerts relies 100% on sponsorship and financial donations by local residents, businesses and organizations. Production costs are over $5,500 per concert.

We need your help in raising the funds necessary to make the concerts happen, so please consider becoming a sponsor or supporter.

Donation link: missionhillstowncouncil.org/what-we-do/events/concerts/#sponsor

17 JUNE

Dirty Bird

22 JULY

Rising Star

24 JUNE

The Mighty Untouchables

29 JULY

The 90s Rock Show

4 JULY

The Don L Big Band

5 AUG

Radio Thieves

8 JULY

Grand Sonic Theory

12 AUG

Full Strength Funk

15 JULY

Captain J & The Jive Crew

Friday, 6:00 pm Friday, 6:00 pm

Monday, 12:00 pm Friday, 6:00 pm Friday, 6:00 pm

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Friday, 6:00 pm Friday, 6:00 pm Friday, 6:00 pm Friday, 6:00 pm

Looking for a new challenge?

ROCK IN ROLL RUNNING SERIES JUNE 4-5, 2022 COURSE OVERVIEW From the start line next to Balboa Park to the finish line in Downtown, you’ll race through some of the most iconic neighborhoods in San Diego. With perfect running weather queued up for race weekend, you’ll want to hurry down to the epic finish! · · · · · ·

Date: June 5, 2022 Start Time: 6:15am Time Limit: 7 hours * Times subject to change Start Line: Sixth Ave & Quince St at Balboa Park Finish Line: Ash St & Union St How to Register: runrocknroll.com/san-diego-register

Our on course entertainment makes up the heart and soul of the event. Live bands and DJ’s will pack the streets playing hits from all genres and decades of music to keep you moovin’ and groovin’ from start to finish!

Mission Hills Magazine | April 2022 | Page 13

13 Fascinating Facts About

Mourning Doves Heights

By Teri Dunn

Mournings doves are beloved in backyards across America. Here are some interesting facts you should know about this beautiful dove.

I already knew that mourning doves will sometimes hang around our cold, snowy Northeast winters rather than migrate, if there is food—that is, if we keep our bird feeders stocked. My thoughts turned to this as I watched from the window as a pair of them scooped up some spillage off the ground below one of our backyard feeders. They’re still here, and I resolved to to keep the feeders full and help them stay around. I find their cooing sound comforting. Here are some interesting facts about the mourning dove, which may enhance your appreciation of this bird, too.

since it expands during feeding. Scientists once found a recordholding bird with 17,200 bluegrass seeds stuffed away in its crop.

What Do Mourning Doves Eat?

What Does a Mourning Dove Look Like?

Mourning doves are primarily seed-eaters, not insect-eaters.

These birds can and do eat weed seeds, which is certainly valuable to gardeners as well as farmers, or anyone living near overgrown vacant lots. (They do like corn, though.) These doves evolved specifically for ground foraging, eating up to 20% of their body weight in seeds daily.

Both male and female mourning doves are known for their brown and gray coloring, black spots, small heads and slender tails. “They have that really amazing mix of muted tones, with beautiful defined black spots on their wings. You can sort of see an iridescence,” says John Rowden, who is the senior director of bird-friendly communities at the National Audubon Society.

They are 12 inches long with an 18 inch wingspan. Check out 15 breathtaking photos of mourning doves.

The Best Mourning Dove Feeders To attract these gorgeous doves to your yard, install an open platform feeder, ground feeder or even scatter seeds across the ground. Wild grasses, grains and ragweed are a few of their favorite foods, though they will eat larger seeds, including sunflower seeds, cracked corn and shelled peanuts in a pinch.

Check out the best cardinal bird feeders and birdseed.

Mourning Doves Stockpile Food When these birds grab seeds off the ground, they are not necessarily eating them. Instead, they are stockpiling for digesting later. The seeds collect in the “crop,” which is simply an enlarged part of their esophagus. Then they head to a secluded perch for digestion. Mourning doves often have a noticeably round breast,

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Mourning Dove vs. Eurasian Collared Dove Mourning doves are sometimes confused with Eurasian collared doves or white-winged doves. If a thick black band is present on the collar, it’s a collared dove. You can tell white-winged doves apart by their namesake white wing stripe.

What Does a Mourning Dove Call Sound Like?

Why do doves coo? The cooooOOOOO-woo-woo-woo call is almost always uttered by the male mourning dove, not the female. These distinctive mourning dove sounds are—wait for it—a wooing call, an enticement to a mate or potential mate. Many passionate backyard birders find the soft, distinctive cooing of this dove to be calming and utterly peaceful. “The birds vocalize quite a lot and that’s where they get their name, because of their mournful call,” says John Rowden.

Unique Sleeping Position When they sleep, their head rests between their shoulders, close to the body (they do not tuck their little heads under their shoulder feathers, like a lot of other birds do).

How Fast Do Mourning Doves Fly? Their long, pointed wings are almost falcon-like in appearance, while their pointed tails are longer than those of any other doves. These “design features” enable the birds to fly fast. Mourning doves have been clocked at 55 mph!

Mourning Doves Mate for Life It’s fairly common to see two mourning doves cuddling with each other. Mating pairs are monogamous and often mate for life. Another name for them is “turtle doves.” So, small wonder that the author of the favorite Christmas song kept them as a pair. (Besides, “a mourning dove in a pear tree” just doesn’t sound right!)

Two Eggs are Common in Mourning Dove Nests When they lay eggs, it is almost always just two. (Singletons are rare, as are bigger clutches.) Incubation takes just two weeks. Learn more about mourning dove nests.

These Birds Have Good Co-Parenting Skills Males and females work together to feed their new babies something called “crop milk” or “pigeon milk” for the first few days of their life. Rich in protein and fat, it resembles

cottage cheese, is secreted by the adults’ crop lining, and is regurgitated to the little ones. Weaning is fast, though— by the fourth day of life, the diet starts to segue to seeds, and by two weeks, the youngsters are nearly fledged.

Mourning Doves Have a Famous Ancestor Mourning doves are in the pigeon family and are considered closely related to the late, lamented passenger pigeons.

Doves Are Hunted These doves are still hunted as a game bird in many areas and are easy prey for outdoor cats. However, I haven’t read any concerns about population decline. It’s estimated that there are more than 100 million mourning doves.

Mourning Doves Have a Wide Range You can spot mourning doves nearly anywhere—in cities, backyards and even the middle of the Mojave Desert.

Mourning doves are commonly found in southern Canada, the contiguous United States and northern Mexico. They are mainly attracted to open spaces, only avoiding areas with deep forests. “Wherever you are, you might have a mourning dove in your area,” John Rowden says. He adds that very few species are so common both geographically and seasonally.

This article was originally published in Birds & Bloom.

See more at: https://www.birdsandblooms.com/birding/ attracting-birds/10-surprising-facts-about-mourning-doves/

Mission Hills Magazine | April 2022 | Page 15

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| VOLUME 7 | ISSUE 4

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Mission Hills Magazine | April 2022 | Page 17

The Nine

Best Hikes in San Diego It’s a quintessential California pastime, and this city is full of options. By Archana Ram

If you’ve had enough sand and surf, lace up your hiking boots.

San Diego’s surrounding geography lends itself to tons of trips for all skill levels and interests, ranging from rocky rambles along ocean cliffs to lengthy treks up mountains and into biodiverse forests. Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, Sunset Cliffs, and Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve are just a few of the natural gems that will take your time in San Diego to new heights. Whether you just want a perfect moment in front of a tidepool or are into backwoods trekking, you don’t have to stray too far from the city for the best hikes in San Diego.

Sunset Cliffs This 68-acre park is a postcard-come-to-life, with its expansive ocean views, namesake cliffs, and an intertidal area ripe for exploration. It’s popular with surfers, but even if you just want to catch a sunset or listen to crashing waves you won’t be disappointed. You might even catch a pod of California gray whales during their annual migration to Baja, California.

Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve A short 30-minute drive outside of downtown San Diego, this 1,750-acre oceanfront reserve promises sweeping ocean views for hikers. (See our favorite San Diego area hikes, here.) The reserve is dedicated to preserving its namesake tree, the Torrey Pine, and surrounding wildlife, but travelers and locals come for the miles of trails through pine forests and sandstone canyons, and the 4.5-mile Torrey Pines State Beach. Torrey Pines is no hidden secret, but there’s a reason crowds flock here. Plans to go are easy to make: The reserve is open 365 days a year, from

Page 18 | Mission Hills Magazine | April 2022

sunrise to sunset, and all entering cars must pay an admission fee, which ranges from $10-$25 (or free with a California State Parks Vehicle Day Use Pass), depending on whether you park in the the North or South Beach parking lots. Keep in mind the visitors center is currently closed and guided hikes aren’t offered at the moment.

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Many people don’t realize the hidden slot canyons and abandoned mines of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park exist in California. It’s about a 90-minute drive outside the city, but true adventurers will be rewarded with the park’s great hikes, abundant wildflowers, and hundreds of miles of dirt road. The Borrego Palm Canyon Trail, a 3.25-mile loop in the park, ascends 450 feet into the desert canyon. You’ll pass through one of the largest palm oases in California at the end, while hiking along seasonal waterfalls. The palm grove itself is closed to the public for restoration. If you have a full extra day in San Diego and are looking to get out of the city, California’s largest state park is well worth the trip.

Cuyamaca Peak Loop As the second highest peak in San Diego County—and only by a mere 20 feet—it’s no surprise that Cuyamaca Peak’s trails afford hikers some of the best views in town. The seven-mile out-andback loop trail starts from the Paso Picacho Campground and leads to the summit of the 6,500-foot Cuyamaca Peak, where views span the valley; on a clear day, if the marine layer cooperates, you can see the ocean.

Cowles Mountain Trail Likely the most popular hiking destination within the city, Cowles Mountain is the highest peak in San Diego. If you want a tranquil, nature-filled hike, look elsewhere. For all of its merits, the trail is shared with dozens of other hikers and runners; the secret is out.

But if you’re looking for a stellar Instagram op or view though, it’s worth the 30-minute drive from downtown and the crowd navigation.

El Cajon Mountain Trail Forget the Stairmaster—this epic hike is one of the most strenuous in Southern California. The 11.1-mile out-and-back trail is dog-friendly and accessible year-round, making it a favorite for serious adventurers. Those who brave the continuous ups-and-downs will be rewarded with impressive views from the top of “El Cap,” but beware: this hike will likely take you a full day, so start early.

Big Laguna Trail Anyone who wants a full day of hiking on a reasonably easy trail will be delighted by Big Laguna. This lightly trafficked trail is low-incline and relatively low-effort, and your endeavors will be rewarded with scenic pine tree groves and tranquil lakes, as well as wildflowers in the spring. Just note the $5 day pass fee, and be mindful not to venture onto the more difficult Pacific Crest Trail if that’s not what you had in mind.

Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve The rustic and wild Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve is vast, with historical ties to the region’s Native American inhabitants dating

back as far as 7,000 years—a fact that flies under the radar of many tourists. Because it’s primarily visited by locals, it’s not as congested as other trails experience. Come for dense foliage and tranquil wildlife; but chase ocean views and dramatic sunsets elsewhere.

The main trail runs alongside a creek, which feeds a dense forest ultimately leading to a small waterfall.

Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve The rustic and wild Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve is vast, with historical ties to the region’s Native American inhabitants dating back as far as 7,000 years—a fact that flies under the radar of many tourists. Because it’s primarily visited by locals, it’s not as congested as other trails experience. Come for dense foliage and tranquil wildlife; but chase ocean views and dramatic sunsets elsewhere.

The main trail runs alongside a creek, which feeds a dense forest ultimately leading to a small waterfall.

Balboa Park Trails San Diego’s massive Balboa Park is home to 17 museums, the city’s famous zoo, acres of gardens, and 65 miles of trails. There’s a little—or rather, a lot—for just about everyone. If we’re talking hikes, Balboa Park Trail #1 is paved and short, at just 1.5 miles, but it also avoids most of the more heavily touristed parts of the park. If you’re looking to get in a quick trail run or workout, that’s the way to go.

For something more heart-pumping, lace up for Trail #5, a 6.6mile loop that traverses paved and dirt paths through some of the lesser-seen parts of the park as well as landmarks like the Cabrillo Bridge and Spreckels Organ Pavilion.

Share with us your favorite hikes in San Diego, email Gina@kengina.com.

Mission Hills Magazine | April 2022 | Page 19

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Mission Hills Magazine | April 2022 | Page 21

BBQ

a e p k Chic RANCH SALAD

Serves 4 as a side

 Ingredients: For BBQ chickpeas 1 cup chickpeas 1/3 cup BBQ sauce For low-fat ranch dressing 1 cup tofu (soft, but not silken) 2 tsp nutritional yeast 1 tsp maple or agave syrup 1/2 tsp lemon juice 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar 1/2 tsp garlic powder 3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground coriander 1/8 tsp pepper 1 tsp minced fresh dill For Salad 2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms 1/2 cup corn 1 cucumber, chopped 1 carrot, shredded 1/3 cup low-fat ranch dressing recipe, or store bought ranch dressing

 How to make it:  Preheat oven to 375oF. Line a baking sheet with baking paper.  In a bowl, combine the chickpeas and the BBQ sauce, mix well. Place the chickpeas on the lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.  Make the low-fat ranch dressing by combining all the dressing ingredients, except the dill, in a high speed blender or small food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a jar and stir in the dill until well combined.  To make the salad, mix together the lettuce, mushrooms, corn, cucumber and carrot in a large salad bowl.  Add the BBQ chickpeas to the salad and top with the ranch dressing or serve with dressing on the side.

23 Page 22 | Mission Hills Magazine | April 2022

y s a E

WATERMELON CAKE INGREDIENTS 1 Seedless watermelon Berries and mint for decoration

DIRECTIONS Cut the ends off the watermelon Stand on one end Using large knife, cut a circle out of the center — make sure knife is straight Remove rind Trim watermelon cake to right size and roundness Top with berries and mint Display on a cake stand

20 2 20 0 INDIE PUBLISHING

| SPRING 2022 Mission Hills Magazine | April 2022 | Page 23

4

| VOLUME 7 | ISSUE 3

The crew eating lunch.

The crew gathers in their lounge area (l to r): Steve Asaro, Captain Scott Fuller, Tim Troncone, and Lauren Thiel.

Captain Scott Fuller boarding the station’s fire truck.

Fire Station 18 serves both Normal Heights and Kensington.

Lauren Thiel stocking the kitchen pantry.

LUNCH AT FIRE STATION 18

Creativity and Careful Planning Go Into Crew Meals

By Frank Sabatini Jr.

It was a quiet, late morning at Fire Station

It was a quiet, late morning at Fire Station 18 in 18 in Normal Heights, where two crew Normal Heights, where two crew members had just members justfrom returned returned withhad groceries a nearbywith Vons.groceries from a nearby Vons.

One of them, firefighter Lauren Thiel, enjoyed a quick workout on gym equipment situated within the station’s garage amid theLauren presence of an imposOne ofroomy them, firefighter Thiel, ening shiny-red fire truck.

She would soonequipment join firefightjoyed a quick workout on gym er and paramedic Tim Troncone inside the firehouse’s situated within station’s roomy gawell-equipped kitchenthe to help prepare lunch for their rage amid team. the presence of an impos- ing four-member shiny-red firewas truck.

She would join On the menu a veggie-loaded salad soon augmented with polloerasada. did the slicing andTroncodicing firefightandThiel paramedic Tim while Troncone cooked the Mexican-seasoned chicken ne inside the firehouse’s well-equipped thighs on a new outdoor smoker-grill he recently kitchen toDansons help prepare secured from in Arizona.lunch for their four-member team.

Valued at around $1,000, he exclaimed, “It was a huge, awesome gift for the station that came after I had themwas from their online donation page. ” On emailed the menu a veggie-loaded salad As lunch came amid aasada. wide choice of comaugmented together with pollo Thiel did mercial salad dressings, Captain Scott Fuller and guest the slicing and dicing while Troncone engineer Steve Asaro credited Thiel and Troncone for cooked Mexican-seasoned chicken often takingthe the culinary reins within this particular thighs on a new outdoor smoker-grill he crew.

“They do most of the shopping and always have a recently secured from Dansons in Ariplan, ” said Fuller while pointing out that meal budzona. gets at any fire station are always out-of-pocket. City employers do not foot the bills.

Valued around $1,000, heoperating exclaimed, “We eachatpay $12 per shift, so we’re on a “It was huge, giftand fordinner, the ”sta$48 budgeta every dayawesome based on lunch he tion“For thatbreakfast camewe’re afteronIour had emailed them said. own. ” The station employs donation three divisions, with each crew from their online page.” working 24-hour shifts spanning up to four days at times.

As lunch came together amid a wide Fuller further explained that $4 from their daily choice of iscommercial salad dressings, “chow fund” earmarked for condiments and pantry Captain Scott Fuller and guest engineer items.

The perishable ones are kept in a designated refrigerator known as “the condo fridge, takes Steve Asaro credited Thiel and” which Troncone in of spreads, pickles and jamswithin purfora host often takingdressings, the culinary reins chased by other rotating this particular crew.divisions as well.

Food shopping occurs daily, and always with bargains in mind and coupon apps in hand.

“They do tomost of inthe shopping and who al“I go right the sales the stores, ” said Asaro, ways have plan,” normally works ataFire Stationsaid 9 in LaFuller Jolla. “If while we’ve been thrifty with our budget and have extra money to Page 24 | Mission Hills Magazine 2022 spend, I might look for| April sales on seafood and rib eye steaks—or chuck roast, which I’ll turn into a big batch

pointing out that meal bud- gets at any fire station are always out-of-pocket. City employers do not foot the bills.

Although places such as Costco in Mission Valley and Panchos Villa’s Market in North Park are never ruled out.

“We each pay $12 per shift, so we’re operating on a $48 budget every day based on lunch and dinner,” he said. “For breakfast we’re on our own.”

As I lunched with the crew at a large, rectangular table in a dining area just off the kitchen, Thiel and Troncone had already planned the day’s dinner. It would be chicken stir-fry in coconut and sesame oils, and cooked in a wok with fresh ginger and veggies.

The station employs three divisions, with each crew working 24-hour shifts spanning up to four days at times.

Lauren Thiel gives the salad a final tossing.

Fuller further $4 from their bers.

Thiel says sheexplained knew a littlethat bit about cooking daily becoming “chow fund” is earmarked condibefore a firefighter, but that shefor learned a lot about and timingpantry techniques and food over ments items.

Thetextures perishable the seven years she has at stations throughout ones are kept in worked a designated refrigerathe torcity. known as “the condo fridge,” which Asado, too, learned mostly from experience on the takes in ahehost of some spreads, dressings, job, although absorbed of the recipes made pickles andgrandmother jams pur- when chased by other by his Sicilian growing up. In rotating divisions as made well.him a fan of cast-iron addition, the workplace cookware, which can be found in nearly every fire-station kitchen in San Diego, he said.

Food shopping occurs daily, and always “I like using cast iron for making smash burgers with bargains in mind and coupon apps and big breakfast scrambles,” he added while sorting in hand. through the station’s sizable collection of skillets.

Troncone, the youngest member of this team, learned his way the kitchen senior said “I go right toaround the sales in thefrom stores,” members on the normally job. And since the arrival of the Stanew Asaro, who works at Fire smoker, he’s been eagerly exploring its capabilities tion 9 in La Jolla. “If we’ve been thrifty for making everything from kalua pork roast with with ourtobudget andand have pineapple garlic bread eggs.extra money to spend, I might sales on jump seafood As for the captain,look Fullerfor joked that he’ll into the ring of guilt when he sees his crew always and ribout eye steaks—or chuck roast, which doing the into cooking.

His batch specialtyof dish is Ecuadorian I’ll turn a big shredded beef “seco, ” whichor was taught to him by his mother-in-law. for tacos Mexican lasagna.”

It’s a chicken-based stew that incorporates cilantro, bell peppers, garlic and tomatoes.

Thiel says, “I’m The more of apermeate Sproutstheperson “It’s phenomenal. aromas entire because theit,”better produce prices.” station whenof I cook he said while noting that his recipe also calls for a full can of beer.

The team’s culinary virtues and budget climb up a few notches during holidays and special occasions,

Steve Asaro shows off one of the station’s cast-iron skillets.

Cooking backgrounds vary among the crew members. Thiel says she knew a little bit about cooking before becoming a firefighter, but that she learned a lot about timing techniques and food textures over the seven years she has worked at stations throughout the city.

Asado, too, learned mostly from experience on the job, although he absorbed some of the recipes made by his Sicilian grandmother when growing up. In addition, the workplace made him a fan of Tim Troncone tends to pollo asada at thecan station’s grill. cast-iron cookware, which be new found in nearly every fire-sta- tion kitchen in in jalapeno-ranch San Diego, hedressing, said. the crew was called out for an emergency. I don’t know whether it was fire or medical-related since there was no time to ask.

“IWithin like using iron for smash seconds,cast we sprinted frommaking the table to the burgers and breakfast he garage.

There, thebig team hopped intoscrambles,” their overalls as Asaro tookwhile to thesorting wheel of the fire rig. the Thenstation’s off they added through went, withcollection lights flashingofand siren activated. sizable skillets.

Prior to our sudden departure, I asked specifically what happens in these scenarios when pasta is boiling Troncone, youngest member on the stove, orthe if there is a roast cooking is in of the this team,And learned his when way crew around the kitchen oven? what about members are in from senior members the middle of grocery shopping?on the job. And “Everything in the kitchen gets turned off. We don’t leave anything on,” Fuller emphasized. As for meals that are barely consumed when emergencies arise,

since the arrival of the new smoker, he’s been eagerly exploring its capabilities for making everything from kalua pork roast with pineapple to garlic bread and eggs.

As for the captain, Fuller joked that he’ll jump into the ring out of guilt when he sees his crew always doing the cooking. His specialty dish is Ecuadorian “seco,” which was taught to him by his motherin-law. It’s a chicken-based stew that incorporates cilantro, bell peppers, garlic and tomatoes.

“It’s phenomenal. The aromas permeate the entire station when I cook it,” he said while noting that his recipe also calls for a full can of beer.

The team’s culinary virtues and budget climb up a few notches during holidays and special occasions, when family members are invited to dine at the station. “We go big for the holidays with prime roast, turkey or leg of lamb,” said Troncone.

Lauren Thiel gives the salad a final tossing

Or for last year’s Superbowl, Thiel orchestrated a big spread consisting of chicken wings, jalapeno pop- pers, spring rolls, and nachos. Although for birthdays, the honoree is responsible for bringing in a cake or dessert, either store-bought or homemade.

My visit was unfortunately cut short because just as I was finishing a bowl of the colorful salad I drizzled in jalapeno-ranch dressing, the crew was called out for an emergency. I don’t know whether it was fire or medical-related since there was no time to ask.

Within seconds, we sprinted from the table to the garage. There, the team hopped into their overalls as Asaro took to the wheel of the fire rig. Then off they went, with lights flashing and siren activated.

Prior to our sudden departure, I asked specifically what happens in these scenarios when pasta is boiling on the stove, or if there is a roast cooking is in the oven? And what about when crew members are in the middle of grocery shopping?

Steve Asaro shows off one of the station’s cast-iron skillets.

“Everything in the kitchen gets turned off. We don’t leave anything on,” Fuller emphasized. As for meals that are barely consumed when emergencies arise, those plates are naturally abandoned with never any time for putting them in the fridge. “We have to write off that food as a loss,” he added.

Even while food shopping, Thiel says “We are always on duty. So I like to find someone who works at the grocery store to store away whatever we already picked out as we run out the door.”

Despite the abrupt ending to what was a relaxing lunch—and over a game of “firehouse cribbage” a few members played—these were among the most wel- coming and skilled meal hosts anyone could ask for.

Tim Troncone tends to pollo asada at the station’s new grill.

Mission Hills Magazine | April 2022 | Page 25

6

| VOLUME 7 | ISSUE 3

DESSERT PARADISE

When Your Sweet Tooth Strikes, San Diego Renders the Goods Supreme carrot cake

By Frank Sabatini Jr.

From traditional to flamboyant, dessert options throughout San Diego offer a wide spectrum of flavors and textures that even restrained eaters can’t resist. Whether you are the type who enjoys an occasional sweet moment after dinner, or who savors confections before, after and in-between meals, save your guilt for later. Because we’ve summoned our sugar angles to steer us to some of the area’s most joyous desserts.

Twiggs Bakery & Coffeehouse, North Park (additional location in University Heights) 2804 Adams Ave.; twiggs.org

Dark chocolate marquis Parc Bistro-Brasserie, Bankers Hill 2760 Fifth Ave.; parcbb.com

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By Frank Sabatini Jr.

A tall-standing carrot cake and a strawberry-cream cake at Twiggs.

By Frank Sabatini Jr.

Dark chocolate marquis at Parc Bistro-Brasserie.

Even if you’re indifferent to chocolate, this decadent puck of creamy chocolate mousse enrobed in dark chocolate will send your eyeballs rolling backwards. The endorphin rush occurs upon first bite, when the mousse and its delicate shell melts rapidly on the tongue. The experience intensifies when your fork hits the dark Oreo-like crust. As far as French restaurants go, this happy ending takes the cake.

Twiggs is a coffeehouse in the front, and a serious bakery in the back. The shop has been belting out retail and custom-made cakes since the early 1990s. Customers ever since consistently rate their carrot cake as the best in San Diego.

Available whole or by the slice, the cake stands tall and balances layers of tangy cream cheese frosting with a tamely sweet-tasting crumb. Walnuts in the batter give the cake a nice, toasted flavor. And if you’re a fan of strawberry-anything, you won’t go wrong with Twiggs’ strawberries-and-cream chiffon cake.

Oh My Cake’s apricot-yuzu macarons.

WƵŋĞƐ Boba Bar and Desserts, Kearny Mesa (additional locations in Kearny Mesa and National City) 4619 Convoy St.,

^ƉŝŶĚƌŝŌ ĐĂƉƉƵĐĐŝŶŽ ĐŽďďůĞƐƚŽŶĞ ƉŝĞ The Marine Room, La Jolla 2000 Spindrift Drive; marineroom.com

Hand pies Pop Pie Co, University Heights (additional locations in Point Loma and Costa Mesa) 4404 Park Blvd.; poppieco.com

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A matcha puffle at Boba Bar and Desserts.

By Chemistry PR

Spindrift cobblestone pie at The Marine Room.

Crank up the decadence of Mississippi mud pie and you end up with the Marine Room’s version—and with close-up views of the ocean to boot. The dessert has been on the menu for a long time. It features a melange of hazelnuts, chocolate nuggets, and Maker’s Mark bourbon sauce. The restaurant’s newest executive chef, Mike Minor, has added his own touch to the dessert with tableside pour-overs of hot caramel.

Bread & Butter PR

Several dessert pies share the menu with the savory ones at Pop Pie Co.

Sure, we love the round mini pies as well as the nine-inch whole ones at this popular eatery. But the “hand pies” are as wonderfully utilitarian as sliced bread. Shaped like half moons, their all-butter crusts are filled with either guava and cream cheese, or lemon curd and mixed berries. We’re partial to the latter, which offers a tangy bouquet of citrus, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and blueberries. They are the perfect portable desserts when you’re on the go.

Page 26 | Mission Hills Magazine | April 2022 LOCAL NEWS | LocalUmbrellaNews.com

These bubbled-surfaced egg waffles are a staple on the streets of Hong Kong. Here, they serve as partial cones to a plethora of sweet ingredients such as vanilla or chocolate custard, cheesecake bites, graham crackers, marshmallows, tropical fruits and more. In the case of “The Perfect Matcha,” the puffle contains green tea and it’s complemented by matcha-vanilla custard, red bean, and condensed milk drizzle. It’s a toothsome Far-East iteration of an American sundae.

Blood orange cupcakes Babycakes, Hillcrest (additional location in Imperial Beach) 3795 Fourth Ave., babycakessandiego.com

^ƚƵīĞĚ ŵĂĐĂƌŽŶƐ Oh My Cake, Hillcrest 3650 Fifth Ave.; ohmycakecalifornia.com A single display case inside Pappalecco’s in Hillcrest shows off an inventory of fine desserts created by Ukrainian pastry chef Daria Nadar.

The lineup includes double-stuffed macarons capturing such ingredients as fresh fruit purees, cream, yuzu, and toffee. Understandably, they are big sellers. As of early March, Nadar has committed to donating 25 percent of all sales to organizations providing aid to Ukrainian refugees. /LocalUmbrellaMedia

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By Courtesy photo

Babycakes offers the best blood orange cupcakes in town.

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VOLUME 7 | ISSUE 3 | Amid a plethora of fabulous cupcake flavors that include tres leches, chocoholic, lemon Bavarian, and pistachio is the unbeatable blood orange creation. It has been a hands-down favorite over the years thanks to how tastefully the citrus infuses the white cake. The raspberry center is a surprise bonus. And cream cheese frosting with an orange slice on top seals the deal. The shop also makes custom and signature cakes for all occasions.

Banana cream pie Urban Plates, La Jolla (additional locations in Del Mar and Carlsbad) 8707 Villa La Jolla Drive; urbanplates.com

7

This gluten-free treasure is a well-engineered layering of vanilla cake, mascarpone mousse, and bright-tasting raspberry mousse. There’s a unified play of flavors in every bite: sweet, tangy, and fruity. A plethora of other fine desserts can be found here as well, such as chocolate domes, espresso-buttercream opera cake, and classic crème brulee.

Princess Kaiulani cheesecake Extraordinary Desserts, Little Italy (additional location in Bankers Hill) 1430 Union St.; extraordinarydesserts.com

By Frank Sabatini Jr.)

Toran Grays shows off his latest pudding flavors.

dŚĞ ƵůƟŵĂƚĞ ĐŝŶŶĂŵŽŶ ƌŽůů Cardellino, Mission Hills 4033 Goldfinch St.; cardellinosd.com

By Facebook

By Chemistry PR

Irresisitable banana-cream pies from Urban Plates.

This modern-casual eatery cranks out individual-size banana cream pies deserving of a blue ribbon. Their graham cracker crusts are vessels for ripe bananas, scratch-made caramel sauce, vanilla-bean pastry cream, and fresh whipped cream. Chocolate shavings serve as a poetic garnish.

Red Berry mascarpone Figaro Dessert Cafe, North Park 3011 University Ave.; figarodesserts.com

By Figaro Desserts

Red berry mascarpone.

Luscious Princess Kaiulani cheesecake at Extraordinary Desserts.

If you’re lucky enough to sink your choppers into this masterpiece, you’ll end up with mouthfuls of mildly sweetened cream cheese, caramelized pineapple, and coconut cream held together by a gluten-free cookie crust. Pop down one of the tropical blooms garnishing the top to add a floral note to the flavor profile. The cake rotates sporadically through the cafe’s vast repertoire based on the availability of ingredients.

When it comes around, it can be ordered whole or purchased by the slice.

Banana pudding Extraordinary Banana Pudding, La Mesa 8257 El Paso St.; extraordinarybananapudding. com In what is considered the only shop in the U.S. that exclusively sells pudding to go, we find entrepreneur Toran Grays giving us a taste of his late great-grandmother’s recipes. Yes, the banana pudding made with whole milk, light cream, and wafer cookies is dreamy. But so are all of his other flavors, which include lemon, butterscotch, pistachio, coconut, chocolate, and more. The puddings are sold in 8 and 12-ounce containers, as well as 12-x-12-inch trays.

By Facebook

Cardellino’s ultimate cinnamon roll.

If you want to go straight to the sweet stuff during brunch at Cardellino (9 AM to 2:30 PM Saturdays and Sundays), then look no further than this sinful cinnamon roll. It’s a far cry above what you’ll find at malls and airports, thanks to the additions of pecan ice cream, bean glaze, and currants. The menu changes monthly, so there’s no guarantee this gem will stick around past the end of March. (We vote that it does.)

HOMEMADE ENGLISH MUFFINS FOR EASTER BRUNCH

By Rebecca Jefferis Williamson

Homemade English muffins can elevate your Easter breakfast, or brunch, and they are not difficult to make. And making the homemade version can be a family affair that can include multiple generations.

If there are any left after your Easter brunch, they can be used to make homemade egg sandwiches. Easter is April 17, but these muffins can add to any weekend breakfast or saved for a workday on-the-go sandwich.

While labelled as English the history of the muffin, or toaster crumpet, is credited to a British ex-pat, Samuel Bath Thomas.

According to a story by Anna Goldfarb in kitchn, published Sept. 26, 2019, Thomas invented the “English muffin” in his bakery in the New York City neighborhood of Chelsea in 1874.

Thomas’ muffins differed from the traditional crumpet---his were drier and f latter and produced the “nooks and crannies” that most consumers like for holding runny egg yolks, jams such as Jackie’s Jams, or jellies.

LOCAL NEWS | LocalUmbrellaNews.com

Photos by Rebecca Jefferis Williamson

In Southern California some might prefer a “hot” jelly such as jalapeno. Or, for adventurous cooks making their own champagne jelly to add a fancy touch to their menu.

The recipe can be adapted to a vegan version by using a milk substitute and coconut oil.

Ingredients: 1 cup of milk (or a vegan substitute), 2 tablespoons of white sugar, 1 cup of warm water, 1 pack of active dry yeast, ¼ cup of melted shortening (or preferred vegan substitute), 6 cups of all-purpose f lour, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ cup of cornmeal. /LocalUmbrellaMedia

@LocalUmbrellaMedia

Directions: warm the milk, add sugar, and let cool. Dissolve yeast in the warm water in a bowl. Let stand for about 10 minutes. In a large bowl, mix the milk, yeast mixture, shortening and 3 cups of f lour. Beat until smooth. Add the rest of the f lour and salt.

Knead, Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place, covered by a small kitchen towel, until it doubles in size for about an hour.

Punch down the dough. Roll out to about ½ inch thick. Using a biscuit cutter, glass, or round cookie cutter—cut out the rounds.

Sprinkle waxed paper with cornmeal and let rise for about ½ hour. Dust both sides with cornmeal.

Heat greased griddle, transfer the muffins from the wax paper to the griddle, and cook for about 10 minutes on each side at medium heat. Either serve warm or cool and store for future use.

Some prefer whole wheat f lour, others like the Portuguese version which use eggs in the recipe, and some cooks like to bake theirs in the oven at 325 degrees monitoring for preferred golden or light brown tone.

Mission Hills Magazine | April 2022 | Page 27 ADVERTISE | Press@LocalUmbrella.com

VOLUME 7 | ISSUE 3 |

15

PUESTO CREATES IT’S OWN CRAFT BEER

By Vince Meehan

Douglas Hasker is the brew master at Puesto Mexican restaurant in Mission Valley. He has been a brewer for 30 plus years and is currently tasked with the job of creating a line of craft beers that matches the quality and authenticity of their menu. Luckily for Puesto, Hasker is the perfect man for the job.

“I’m 30 years making beer, I started with Gordon Beirsch in 1990 and learned –mastered – the German style lager,” Hasker said. “Puesto was taking over the building and they wanted to keep me and make Mexican beers, so here I am!”

Puesto is located in the western section of the Westfield Mission Valley shopping center in a building that was the former home of Gordon Beirsch for over 20 years.

Gordon Beirsch was a brewing company from up in the bay area that opened up restaurants across California that featured their German-styled craft beer as a compliment to their food menu. The restaurant was built with a fully operational brewery as a way to not only showcase the chain’s brewery roots, but to ensure that the guests were treated to freshly brewed craft beer as part of their culinary experience. The eatery had to close in 2019 and a year later shut down operations altogether. Puesto took over the building and decided to keep the brewery as a way to provide fresh craft beer for all of its nine locations.

Hasker was instructed to produce a line of authentic Mexican beers to compliment the gourmet tacos on the Puesto menu. The idea was to replicate the traditional Mexican lagers that have historically been a favorite south of the border. Luckily for Hasker his years of making German-style lagers made him the most qualified guy for the position.

“It was tasked to me when I got hired – ‘Can you do Pacifico better than Pacifico? And can you do Dos Equis Amber better than Dos Equis does it? Negra Modelo better than Modelo?’ And we have!” bragged Hasker. “But it was daunting at first, cause I really wasn’t sure how I was

Page 28 | Mission Hills Magazine | April 2022

going to do it. I had confidence that I could make lagers, but I wasn’t sure about the transition. And it turned out that it was easier than I thought, and I think we nailed them all!”

Puesto is a local Mexican food restaurant that started here in San Diego and has now grown to 9 locations throughout California.

The first location opened in La Jolla 10 years ago, followed by a second at The Headquarters center Downtown. The Mission Valley location was opened in 2020 and was the seventh location in the chain, but

the only one to feature an active brewery on the premises. This was due to it being the former Gordon Beirsch location and Puesto decided that it was a good idea to keep the brewmaster who was running the show. This made sense for a couple of reasons, the first being that Hasker was intimately familiar with the brewery and how it operated.

The second was that Gordon Beirsch specialized in lager beers, which take more finesse to brew due to the cooled fermentation process that gives lagers their unique taste. And with Puesto wanting to create their

own line of unique Mexican lagers, Hasker turned out to be the perfect brewmaster for the task.

“We have some core lagers – Mexican lagers – and they’re really similar to German beers so it was really an easy transition for me,” noted Hasker about the selection of craft beer at Puesto.

“I have six beers currently – basically it’s light, medium, and dark for the Mexican lagers – so it’s a Clara, an Amber and a Negra.

We also do an IPA since we’re in San Diego – so we rotate that around.”

In addition to the lagers, Hasker has created a couple of specialty beers for Puesto that are limited editions that you need to grab while the supplies last.

“Right now I have a celebration beer – it’s a Vienna-style lager. Recently, it was Puesto’s ten-year anniversary of being in business, so they asked if I could make a ten-year beer. So we did sort of an original Vienna-style beer that the Mexicans would have made in the 1860’s or so. I also have one keg left of Navidad that I left over, which is a Mexican version of a winter bock beer – a German winter bock beer.”

Hasker’s craft beers add another level of quality to the Puesto experience, which features top of the line Mexican food and specialty items such as home-made chicharrones, something that is not typically found on many menus. Hasker sees it as the exclamation point to a fun dining experience. Mexican lagers have become a new hit in the last few years with many local breweries now offering them on their line.

But none have mastered them like Hasker, and just like Mexico’s original lager beers, he has a German beer-making heritage that makes that possible.

“It’s Quality, it’s what we’re big on.

The food is upscale tacos, something you’d see in a high-end restaurant in Mexico City. We’ve already won awards for our margaritas, we’ve won awards for our tacos, and we’ve won one award now for our beer.

We won a silver award for our Negra at GBF (Great American Beer Festival), which was a really big honor for us. So the idea is to make the best of everything!”

14

| VOLUME 7 | ISSUE 3

SD VODCAST SERVES SAN DIEGO

By Vince Meehan

Business marketing has changed a lot in the past five years, and savvy business owners must know how to navigate the ever-changing marketing landscape in order to stay relevant in the digital world. But it is equally important to come up with a plan and strategy of how to use media to best showcase your story as well as your brand. And that is where SD Vodcast comes in.

Florentino Buenaventura is the CEO of SD Vodcast, and along with his co-founder and COO Paul Berezetsky, runs the digital studio located on Miramar Road near several of the breweries that have made the area a Mecca.

The term vodcast is a hybrid label they use to combine the idea of a podcast with video. The result is a medium where clients can share their unique stories with a lot of visual input as well.

“We want people to be entertained,” noted Buenaventura. “We want people to be informed, and we want people to get some good insights into these really cool businesses. It’s a really cool show, it’s all very conversational.”

The partners make it a point to seek out unique stories from local businesses that have deep ties to the community, especially those who give back to the community, including non-profits and foundations. “It’s a great way to discover the local businesses in San Diego, there’s some really cool creative companies out there that are doing great work,” added Berezetsky.

Both Buenaventura and Berezetsky are musicians and have solid ties to the music scene.

In fact, musicians make up a good portion of their clients. Livestreaming performances, a service already offered by SD Vodcast before the Covid pandemic, became an invaluable solution for bands during the lockdowns and proving to be a popular new medium even after the restrictions were lifted. A uniquely valuable way to market, livestreaming essentially has no limit to the audiences it can reach, with virtually anyone able to tune in online from around the world. Buenaventura sees this as an organic way of bridging the music and the business world to create fruitful content creation. And content creation is really the heart and core of SD Vodcast.

Berezetsky noted that he and Buenaventura have seven years of experience together in content creation and have now expanded to marry this experience with marketing. Content creation is their passion and helping clients develop a strong media brand presence is the name of the game. Utilizing the rich media aspects of video and audio is their way of capturing audience attention and interaction, and livestreaming takes that to another level.

SD Vodcast also produces traditional audio podcasts, as well as offering both social media management and website design to help with brand marketing. They offer custom video production in the form of ads, product demos, interviews, and event production, including fundraising events.

The SD Vodcast locale is a 1700 square foot LOCAL NEWS | LocalUmbrellaNews.com

studio, which features a green room, dressing room, and a 20 x 20 foot stage with a complete backline of guitars, basses, amps and drums. It also features full stage lighting for that professional concert look.

Networking and connections are key to SD Vodcast’s success and Buenaventura says that over the years, those relationships have blossomed into a component that helps his clients reach an audience that helps promote their business. Even partnering with other media companies has proven a valuable tool for maximizing the impact and extending the range of his clients’ messaging.

“One of the media companies we ended up partnering with was SD Metro, and together we created a vodcast called San Diego Metro Business Rock Stars. We combined our musical passion with the idea of creating content that helps spotlight businesses with a really interesting story. We focus on three key areas - the passion that inspired the founding of the business, what makes that business unique, and most importantly, the ways in which it gives back to the community. What difference are they making in this new, dynamic world?

We have met a lot of people throughout this business – we’re working with our partners to let them know about what we’re doing. It’s really a lot of networking.”

The partnership with SD Metro Magazine helps to showcase the various businesses they cover. “We’re here to help businesses build their brands and we are really happy to work with SD Metro magazine to create a show that spotlights that.” /LocalUmbrellaMedia

@LocalUmbrellaMedia

Other partnerships include Local Umbrella Media and Bart Mendoza with Music Scene SD. And being at the right place at the right time surely can help with that. Buenaventura noted that they applied for a loan with the Small Business Administration (SBA) and that led to them being introduced to their education arm, the Small Business Development Center (SBDC). A meeting with the SBDC leadership and San Diego City Board of Supervisors was a chance to demonstrate SD Vodcast’s multi-camera livestreaming capability.

Thoroughly impressed and recognizing that broadcast TV Quality could be accessible by average businesses, the SBDC commissioned Buenventura to produce their awards shows and their SBDC Day livestrem events. This also led to him becoming a regular instructor for their small business learning program, conducting a monthly workshop on Content Marketing.

“I learned when I was doing these classes with the SBDC, there was a big demand to learn what content marketing is. Many weren’t familiar with how to do it and weren’t fully sure why they need to do it. It’s the way that almost every company is going to have to go in the future. And they need some really good direction on how to make that happen.

So we started doing those classes.”

SD Vodcast is looking to expand their online content to what Buenaventura refers to as a “terrestrial media format”, specifically broadcast television. “We don’t have any official word yet, but we are talking to a couple of local networks about doing this because it really is a community piece – we’re really going out there to find some of the more interesting businesses and their stories. Content is sharing what you do and then, more importantly, sharing what you do that impacts people’s businesses and their lives. Create the content, help design it, produce it, and then help you figure out how to get it to the people in ways that will affect the success of your marketing program.”

For more info go to: www.sdvodcast.com Mission Hills Magazine | April 2022 | Page 29 ADVERTISE | Press@LocalUmbrella.com

What People are Saying

“Andy and his team were ablet o get us into the home we watned and in such a better position for our future (and potentially growing) family. I HIGHLY recomment The Wilt Group and home everyone reading this will call Andy and team for a starter conversation. You’ll be glad you did!” - Amanda S. “We are so grateful that a friend referred us to Andy and his amazing team of mortgage superheroes! As first time buyers, we knew we had a lot to learn and some hurdles to jump through. No matter what the issue was at hand, Andy and his team were always supportive, profession and on top of things. We will be recommending them to others to use. Keep up the amazing work everyone!” - Amber A.

We look forward to working with you. Call us today.

619-717-7300 Page 30 | Mission Hills Magazine | April 2022

MEET OUR team OF professionals Andy Wilt

Branch Manager & Senior Loan Officer. Lending since 1997.

Unique perspective & experience allows him to provide sound advice & guidance throughout the loan process.

Ron Berg Senior Loan Officer & Sales Manager. Lending since 2001.

Dedicated to finding the best fit solution for each borrower & well versed in down-payment assistance programs.

Dulce O’Neal Senior Loan Processor. With experience since 2005, she is essential in setting up loans for a smooth process. She reviews the file prior to submitting the loan package to underwriting, then follows it through funding and closing.

Leah Bentley Business Development Manager. With real estate experience since 2009 and customer service experience since 1995, she supports with client relations and loan coordination.

LO Licensing: Andy AZ LO – 0911694 CA – DOC168690 NV – 56215 NMLS 168690 4312 Voltaire St, San Diego, CA 92107 RON – CA DBO974839 NV- 49743 NMLS 974839 7061 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. #222, San Diego CA 92111 Company Licensing: AZ BK – 0904164 CA-FLL603L266/RMLA4130661 Licensed by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation Under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act NV-4200 NMLS – 6274 Equal Housing Lender www. peoplesmortgage.com/privacy-policy Mission Hills Magazine | April 2022 | Page 31

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Compass RE is a licensed real estate broker and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only.

Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale or withdrawal without notice. No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footages are approximate. This is not intended to solicit property already listed. Nothing herein shall be construed as legal, accounting or other professional advice outside of the realm of real estate brokerage.