San Diego CityBeat • Oct 18, 2017

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October 18, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 3

4 · San Diego CityBeat · October 18, 2017

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October 18, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 5

UP FRONT | FROM THE EDITOR

Apologizing is easy. Too easy.

A

few years ago, sports journalist Pat Caputo surmised that “I’m sorry” and “I apologize” might be “the most overused words in the English language.”

He was reporting on Tiger Woods’ public remarks following the revelations of his extramarital affairs, but the article could very well have been written about any philandering celebrity that had to make a similar apology, be it public or private.

One of the more touching public apologies I’ve heard recently was Jay-Z’s “4:44,” a highly confessional song that addressed his many shortcomings as a husband and a father. The song serves as a remorseful response to Beyoncé’s Lemonade, with Jay uttering the phrase “I apologize” nearly a dozen times throughout the song. It’s nice to hear someone who once bragged about “big pimping” confess that, actually, the biggest issue on that list of 99 problems was himself.

But here’s something I know about men and apologies from my own experiences: Most of us expect to be immediately forgiven once we apologize. It might be on a subconscious level and if we’re not forgiven immediately, then we always want the process of forgiveness sped up to our pace.

So imagine how the hundreds of thousands of women felt when, in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, they went to social media to post #MeToo stories of sexual assault, harassment and rape only to have men get defensive and air their own stories.

I shook my head in shame as post after post from these brave women was sullied with #NotAllMen-type responses.

Here’s a news flash, bro: Women already know that “not all men” are predatory harassers and sexual assaulters. They’re not personally accusing all men. They’re using an online platform to help shed light on an ongoing societal problem that, at the end of the day, men will largely never have to deal with. Put another way: This isn’t about you, and your defensiveness speaks volumes.

As the day went on, and perhaps after being called out a few times, men moved on to a more consolatory and conciliatory tone, posting apologies for their fellow man’s behavior. Then men started to offer up their own #MeToo stories of experiencing sexual assault.

I understand their hearts were in the right place and that they possibly feel that they

were showing solidarity with these women by confessing their own experiences with sexual assault, but come on! I am continuously amazed at men’s ability to co-opt anything and make it about their struggle. While it’s certainly nice that they were so moved by the #MeToo movement that they felt the need to share their own trauma, much of it just comes across more like #AllAbuseMatters. Again, this isn’t about you! Let women have this. Let them have one thing!

There were also a lot of “I empathize”type messages on these threads. I’m sorry, but that’s a word that a lot of men are misusing. The truth is, it’s virtually impossible for men to truly empathize with the vast and seemingly neverending amount of triflingass bullshit women go through on a daily basis. I happen to agree with Yale psychologist Paul Bloom’s case in his book Against Empathy. “Empathy is biased, pushing us in the direction of parochialism,” he writes, while also arguing for the more nuanced practice of “rational compassion.” Sure, men can truly be compassionate, but just as a white male would never think, “I understand what it’s like to be Black,” it should be just as unacceptable for men to ever even think they fully comprehend what it’s like to be a woman.

I went out of my way not to post anything on Sunday and Monday, lest some algorithm dictate that one of my friends see my selfserving post instead of a female friend’s #MeToo post. At the end of the day on Monday, one of my oldest and dearest friends posted one of the only things said by a male that mattered to me that day: I am guilty of being sexually aggressive, creepy, overly familiar, and of saying the types of things that make women type, “me, too.” I am working on being better. That does not negate or warrant forgiveness of being awful or allowing others to be awful while not speaking up. I would tag #YesAllMen, but I don’t want to defer blame to my entire gender. I own it. I’m sorry.

Same.

Men posting public apologies on social media or commenting on their female friend’s #MeToo post does not absolve us, even if we’d love to think it does. Think of it like a New Year’s Resolution. It doesn’t mean anything unless we actually resolve to change.

—Seth Combs

Write to seth.combs@sdcitybeat.com

This issue of CityBeat is wearing a beautiful quinceañera dress. And yes, it’s pink.

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6 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 18, 2017

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October 18, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 7

UP FRONT | LETTERS

FUNDING IS NOT FUN

I was hoping to send comment to the writer of the column “Thank You For Staring,” Rachel Michelle Fernandes.

As a volunteer for the San Diego Commission for Arts & Culture panel on funding, I thought she might want to know the ins and outs from behind the conference table.

We start early by finding out where to park, where the panel/committee/commission staff offices are. After our nomination or application goes through and is approved, we get the calendar when we will meet about a month prior. We are trained, given forms to familiarize ourselves, speak with Director, Staff and former panelists/commissioners. We get to order lunch for the long panel discussions at the next meeting, get our parking stamps and wait for pdfs, htmls and links to come to us.

We have to read through the applications that come in: dozens to hundreds of pages each. We must go view websites, watch videos and read articles about the organizations and events. About 2-3 hours per application, we get about a month to go over all of this.

Also we must evaluate using the methodology the staff and commission direct us with.

So add another 1-3 hours. We record the ratings on our own device generally, then save the forms/info for reviewing during the long general panel meeting evaluations. We must not use our own previous opinions of the event/group or how attendance at previous events have went. We must not be bias! [sic] Our scores/evaluations must be based on strong direct instructions, the answering of the applications and info sent by organization seeking funding. They can come and watch our evaluation process, but cannot participate, only watch, which I suggest any organization thinking of applying come to do, as it is open to the public, and very informational for applicants. So now you must plan this two years in advance, because if you plan to put in an application funding comes the year after the evaluation process.

Lastly, may I state, that we cannot read anything into the answers of the questions. We can only use direct answers to that specific question. Many times the answers are in earlier questions or following questions, but because they don’t answer within the question they cannot really be used in rating of that answer! P.S. Spelling, grammar, and writing skills matter! And it is good to have someone not within your group, maybe not even artistic, read your answers in relation to questions and criteria. And let them be honest!

By the time volunteers are done, we’ve put in about 130 hours within two months into the training, analyzing, dialoguing, evaluation and scoring. And this also includes a secondary process where we can try to re-score organizations that we feel had not gotten a fair first evaluation. Believe me this is a very, very difficult thing to do. Very hard to get an organization back into the mix once their total score has been tallied.

I tried very hard to get the largest arts and cultural festival to get some funding, but I just couldn’t get it back into the mix. Which is very sad because this organization spends the majority of its revenue on the artists that perform... much higher than any other organization. And as Ms. Fernandes stated in her column some organizations already have

8 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 18, 2017

UP FRONT From the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Sordid Tales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 At The Intersection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

BEST OF SAN DIEGO 15 Reasons Why We Stay . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-58 Readers Poll Winners. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60-79

FOOD & DRINK World Fare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 The Beerdist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

THINGS TO DO The Short List. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Calendar of Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82-84

ARTS & CULTURE Theater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Film. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87-88

MUSIC FEATURE: Mastodon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Notes from the Smoking Patio . . . . . . . . . . . 90 The Spotlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 If I Were U. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Concerts & Clubs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93-96

LAST WORDS Astrologically Unsound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

80-95 percent of their funding coming from other sources! Which is interesting because we have formulas on those numbers that are supposed to be met, and that would not qualify under the guidelines I was taught.

But the worst thing of all last year is that about 50 percent of the arts funding was cut by the Mayor at the last moment. Prior to that he’d suggested cutting even more, although it is proven that for every dollar put out by the commission the revenue return is multiple times amounts invested! Even more once someone learns of an event, an organization, or whom it affects the chances that they we participate again are highly likely. And I know this by personal experience, because I learned of events and organizations I’d not know of prior to my Arts & Culture Commission work and I put in hundreds to thousands of hours volunteering at those events and organizations this year.

I need to state one last thing. Many of these organizations and events are essentially parties for members paid for by the public in the exchange for letting the public participate.

Few of them that apply would be destitute or not happen if they didn’t get the funding. And of those who really need the funding I believe they get the short end of the stick as the application, process and time delay makes it very difficult for them to win funding.

If you wish to volunteer for the commission panels I suggest you send in your application or nomination for others very soon! And good luck! Only if we work hard at something can we help to make it better and the best for all.

Daniel Beeman Clairemont

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October 18, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 9

NEWS | OPINION

SO, WHATEVER HAPPENED WITH…

By Torrey Bailey, Jamie Ballard and Seth Combs

... Those accusations of sexual harassment against union boss Mickey Kasparian?

S

THE ISSUE: There are approximately 2,500 untested rape kits in San Diego. Unlike several other California police departments, which test every single rape kit collected, SDPD only analyzes a rape kit after determining that it’s likely to be a meaningful piece of evidence for a case.

Yay! Gov. Brown signed AB 485! Starting in 2019, all animals sold in pet stores must be rescues and not from puppy mills. But why wait ‘til 2019?

This is Torrey, a shep/lab mix puppy available right now at the Helen Woodward Animal Shelter. animalcenter.org

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING: “I have yet to hear a convincing explanation for why San Diego should not join with other cities in adopting a policy to test every rape kit that law enforcement collects.

The experience in other jurisdictions shows that the evidence in untested kits can prove valuable in solving cold cases and identifying serial rapists.”

—San Diego City Attorney Mara Elliott (Voice of San Diego)

“At the end of the day, testing a kit doesn’t mean anything—putting the information into the database is what means something.... It’s spending millions of dollars to say that you did something that gives you nothing.”

—Crime lab manager Jennifer Shen (San Diego Union-Tribune)

“To address questions regarding accountability and—more importantly—justice for victims, it would be prudent for us to receive an update from the San Diego Police Department on this issue.”

—Councilmember Chris Ward

HAM OF THE WEEK

County supervisor Dianne Jacob says that the county has “no intention of providing resources for maintenance and operations” of homeless facilities, despite the fact that there were apparently enough resources last year to offer $150 million for a Chargers facility. Then she accused local Democratic officials of trying to score political points off a public health crisis. Classy.

OUR TAKE: It’s no secret that victims of sexual assault face an incredible amount of difficulty when it comes to having their cases prosecuted. Having a concrete piece of evidence like an analyzed rape kit can go a long way in court. For SDPD to say it’s not worth it to test every kit feels like they just don’t want to deal with the paperwork. What’s more, the reasons they give for not testing the kits seem like issues that confront every police department—and yet many other jurisdictions seem to have somehow overcome those issues. Lastly, this year the city allocated an additional $500,000 with specific direction to reduce the backlog of rape kits. So really the only question is: Why are we still having to talk about this?

NEWSY BITS 10/11 BEST DAY EVER!

10/12

SANDAG gets independent auditor and more power to big cities thanks to overhaul signed

by Gov. Brown.

ince being booted from the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council in May, Mickey Kasparian’s new council, The San Diego Working Families Labor Council, has been unpopular. “[SDWF] is begging candidates running for public office to take their endorsement or to be interviewed by them,” says Sandy Naranjo, one of three former UFCW Local 135 employees suing Kasparian. “I’ve heard of people declining or trying to stay away from them, not wanting to be associated with them because of Mickey in particular.”

The lawsuits filed against Kasparian include accusations of sexual harassment, wrongful termination and more. When politicians do make public appearances with Kasparian, it’s not well received, Naranjo says. Earlier this month, SDWF’s Facebook posted a photo with politicians including Mary Salas, Todd Gloria and Myrtle Cole.

“When that picture came out, there was so much backlash to it,” Naranjo says. “Everything they post always gets backlash...So they’d rather stay quiet in a way.”

Naranjo and fellow accuser Isabel Vasquez have court dates set for 2018, while another accuser, Anabel Arauz, is still waiting to hear when hers will be. Naranjo says that going public with the accusations has been her best protection.

“It’s unfortunate that not one industry is exempt, particularly the labor movement where we advocate for worker justice,” she says.

“The more we acknowledge it, the more we can defeat it.”

SDWF did not respond to requests for comment.

All the seriousness, silliness and stupidity of the past week 10/13

10/14

10/15

10/16

Local breweries including Stone Brewing, Modern Times and Mikkeller announce plans to donate proceeds to victims of the NorCal wildfires.

Former Blink 182 frontman and alien enthusiast Tom DeLonge announces new company called To The Stars. Plans on building “electromagnetic vehicle” Local startup Impact to “travel instantaneously Biomedicines raises through space.” $22.5 million in hopes of further developing Documents reveal fedratinib, a drug that that there was a helps treat bone marrow significant amount cancers. of fecal matter in the San Diego River last winter, but officials claim there’s Police find human no connection to remains inside a Hepatitis A outbreak.

Pictures barrel anchored by We smell B.S. emerge of cinderblocks in San border wall Diego Bay. prototypes.

They look like walls. No protests scheduled.

California declares state of emergency to fight Hep. A outbreak.

Progressive state Sen. Kevin de León announces he’ll run against Feinstein for U.S. Senate.

Singer and former American Idol runnerup Jessica Sanchez takes a knee after singing the national anthem at the ChargersRaiders game.

Gov. Brown signs legislation authored by Toni Atkins that creates “genderneutral” option on state identification documents.

10/17 City announces expansion of safe parking program, creating a safe area for homeless people living out of their cars and offers them assistance to transition to permanent housing.

City council votes 7-2 to approve construction of the Legacy International Center, an Evangelical Christian tourism campus with Disneyinspired rides and this wackadoo right here.

Hepatitis A death count rises to 19; county finally releases data on cases by zip code revealing county-wide epidemic.

FML

10 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 18, 2017

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October 18, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 11

UP FRONT | OPINION

EDWIN DECKER

SORDID

TALES

The asinine responses to national anthem knee-takers

E

ver since former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick—and other NFL players—began kneeling during the national anthem to protest the mistreatment of African-Americans, I have observed three basic types of reactions from those who were offended. All three are asinine.

Response #1: These ungrateful knee-takers are disrespecting the country that made them rich and famous.

I find the idea that America made anyone successful to be dubious. Do these people believe that Colin Kaepernick’s prosperity came not by merit or luck, but as a gift? As if Uncle Sam is walking around the country pointing his legendary, knotty finger at those he deems worthy and declaring, “Uncle Sam Wants You— to be rich and famous.”

Lots of people, including the President, are saying this. The most clueless being Newt Gingrich who Tweeted, “If you’re a multi-millionaire who feels oppressed, you need a therapist not a publicity stunt.”

Earth to Newt! The knee-takers are not claiming to be oppressed. They are saying others are! I know, I know—as a far-right Republican—Newt’s probably unfamiliar with the concept of empathy. But dismissing their protest on account of being rich is like dismissing, “We are the World” because it was by a bunch of spoiled rock stars whining about how hungry they are.

Response #2: We should not be interjecting politics into sports.

Being that this response is a matter of preference, it cannot be “wrong” to hold this opinion. It could, however, be asinine. Sports are an entirely human endeavor, which does not exist in a vacuum: Humans play sports, humans broadcast sports and humans consume sports. Trying to detach it from politics would be like trying to detach Ridley Scott’s face-humper alien from the head of the poor bastard it is humping.

Just look at all the socio-political revolutions inspired by athletes: Jackie Robinson shined a light upon the disgrace of segregation, Muhammad Ali underscored the asininity of the Vietnam War, Billie Jean King helped improve gender equality and David Wells shattered the soft bigotry of low expectations for old, fat and drunken baseball pitchers.

Politics and social upheaval are all part of the magic and glory of the game and to separate them—to turn athletics into a one-dimensional “Man-Catch-Ball/ManRun-Ball” affair—would do it, and us, a grave injustice.

Response #3: When you disrespect the Anthem, it’s the same as disrespecting the flag, which is disrespectful to the military.

Look, I am sincerely grateful to our vets, but these knee-takers are being no more disrespectful to the military than they are to orthodontists. The flag doesn’t represent the military; it represents America, all of it, including our government, our people, our organizations and our businesses. Yet I’ve never heard anyone say, Colin Kaepernick is insulting the orthodon-

tists! Their sacrifices enabled him to protest with perfectly aligned teeth and jaws!

And let’s not act as though the members of the armed forces are all on the same page about this. By my wildly unscientific Google poll, it seems to be about a 50/50 ratio. Such as was reported by websites like connectingvets.com, on which local Colonel Doug Applegate was qweeted (a quote pulled from a tweet) as saying, “I respect the 1st Amendment and the peaceful protests of Steph Curry, Jemele Hill, Colin Kaepernick...”

Or Alan Millstein, a combat-wounded Marine, who Sports Illustrated quoted as saying, “. . . Either you endorse the First Amendment of free speech or not.”

And let’s not forget it was a former Green Beret who advised Kaepernick to kneel in the first place. So are they all disrespecting the military too? Do they hate America? Are they spitting on the faces of veterans, which would mean spitting on their own faces?

Asinine!

It should also be noted what the U.S. Flag Code says about respecting Old Glory and/or the National Anthem. Nobody seems to mind all the uniforms that have stars and stripes spackled on them (a huge nono), or all the flag-schwag being sold in the stores and kiosks (flagsphemy!) or the occasional bleacher-ape who thumps on his star spangled chest like a gorilla trying to dislodge the hotdog on which he is choking. All of these types of displays are explicitly deemed as “disrespectful” by the Flag Code.

Would anyone like to know what is not explicitly deemed as disrespectful according to the Flag Code? Kneeling!

“I have great respect for the men and women that have fought for this country,” Kaepernick has said about this controversy. “They fight for liberty and justice for everyone.”

This has nothing to do with the military and everything to do with racial injustice. And if you’re one of these people who thinks the U.S. no longer has an issue in the race department, then there’s really nothing I can do for you. Good luck with your failing eyes and ears. The larger point is that it shouldn’t matter.

Even if Black folks never get profiled by cops, or disproportionately thrown in prisons, or unfairly denied jobs or housing, or called the N-word for simply existing—even if none of that were happening here in these Imaginary States of America—it shouldn’t matter.

What does matter is that the knee-takers believe we have a problem with race. You can disagree all day about that point, but to try and stop them from making the point? Well that, my friends—far more than any amount of kneeling, or sitting, or burning or disparaging—is an affront to everything for which this country stands. And it’s an affront to all its citizens, and all who fought and/or died for it.

I’ve never heard anyone say, ‘Colin Kaepernick is insulting the orthodontists! Their sacrifices enabled him to protest with perfectly aligned teeth and jaws!’

12 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 18, 2017

Sordid Tales appears every other week.

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CULTURE | VOICES

MINDA HONEY

AT THE

INTERSECTION

When men abuse their power, it’s women whose money is in danger

I

don’t travel in the same circles as men who are as powerful as Harvey Weinstein, but a man doesn’t have to be an all-powerful Hollywood movie producer to abuse his power. From school administrators and the police officers commenting on my body before I was even old enough to drive, to a gyno in my twenties who felt like a shoulder massage and compliments about my belly ring and my breasts were appropriate behavior. And there was that drunk in the bar who hollered about being a veteran before sweeping his hand beneath my skirt and across my ass (the bouncer decided to carry me out for being, in his words, “disruptive”).

These occurrences with men have become so commonplace in my life—and the lives of many women—that sometimes they hardly seem worth talking about anymore. These men all know that the system in place is set up to protect them. That women who complain will be dismissed, won’t be believed or encouraged to shut up. It doesn’t matter if ours is the first story of this man stepping out of line or if we’re one of many cases, the results are generally the same: He and his place in the world are protected. We are not. After the shock and the disgust of this reality becomes dull, the bargaining with ourselves begins.

We coach ourselves in enduring slights, harassment and assaults because we’ve been made to believe our lives will be better for it. It’s an unspoken workplace tax women pay; a pound of flesh paid in uneasy installments throughout our careers.

I once worked as a sales rep covering all of SoCal. All day I was in and out of skyscrapers and fancy commercial campuses. Often, I was in basements, bathrooms, garages, empty floors and back hallways with men I hardly knew. I had to board up the parts of my brain that told me to panic and would usually blare you might get raped!. If past experiences have taught me anything, it’s that men are still not to be trusted even if I was wearing slacks and a conservative blouse. Besides, this was my job, it paid my bills and I was good at it. I took a lot of pride in my work.

One day, I got a call. On the other end of the line was a building engineer from a commercial campus for a software company whose name most readers would recognize. This man now works, at least according to LinkedIn, for a nonprofit whose name readers would definitely recognize. Anyway, this man who was probably in his late 60s, had called to invite me out.

“I have an extra ticket for the Nickelback concert,” he said before adding, “my wife is coming too.”

So, not only was a 60-something client of mine asking me out, he was also asking me to a Nickelback concert. Let’s not play ourselves; his wife would have

surely come down with the flu and not been able to make it out that night. The scenario was so absurd I laughed into the phone. I told him nope.

Of course, the creep behavior didn’t stop there.

There was another rep for a different company who seemed to get so much joy from telling me all the pervy shit this dude would say about me behind my back.

Because women being sexually harassed is fodder for gossip and cheap entertainment. At an industry networking event on a boat that floated slowly around the marina, a colleague noticed the way he stared at me from across the boat and how he always seemed to be in a position where I would be in his direct line of sight.

It wasn’t long after that when he began to have an issue with a product I’d sold him and I had to pay one of his buildings a visit. With my job, I regularly had to crawl underneath things. I was so concerned about not wearing a dress that might rise up or pants that gapped and exposed my underwear that I overlooked the way my blouse fell forward with too much movement. He didn’t overlook it. Soon, I was hearing from that other rep about how this pervert was certain I’d worn that blouse to tease him. He’d created this whole fantasy in his head like an over-lit, light-on-plot porno come to life.

I considered telling my manager that I didn’t want to work with that man anymore, but I was on the verge of closing a big sale. What would happen? Some other sales rep would profit off my hard work and I’d have endured this bullshit for nothing.

Lord knows I was already making less money for the same work (thanks gender wage gap!), and I’d potentially get labeled as the type of woman who created problems in a field where most of the people I worked with every day were men. I kept my mouth shut, closed the sale and never did business with that campus again because it was easier that way and better for my career. I was just like so many of the women Harvey Weinstein preyed on because they wanted to protect their careers.

When you’re a woman, sexual harassment and assault in the workplace means suffering through trauma and having your livelihood put at risk based on some man’s behavior. What’s more, men need to have hardly any power at all for it to be enough power to get away with it. And it’s not always a movie mogul in a bathroom in a swanky hotel suite. Sometimes it’s just a guy with a bad mustache who’s just good enough at what he does that society will overlook the danger he poses to women; that even if he is a danger, it’s still a fair and reasonable cost of doing business with him.

I was just like so many of the women Harvey Weinstein preyed on because they wanted to protect their careers.

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At The Intersection appears every four weeks.

OCTOBER 18, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 13

14 · San Diego CityBeat · October 18, 2017

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October 18, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 15

16 · San Diego CityBeat · October 18, 2017

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et’s not kid ourselves here—San Diego is a city of drifters.

Sure, we’ll occasionally run into that rare unicorn who was born and raised here, but if we’re meeting someone for the first time, it’s likely they moved here from somewhere else. It makes sense, really. In addition to being right next to an international border, there’s also the fact that we’ve historically been a military town. There’s also the steady stream of non-locals who move here seeking the California Dream (whatever that is).

Some of those people move back home after a while or move on to other cities, but for those of us who stay, it’s worth analyzing the things that keep us here. Many of the reasons why we really stay here, despite the high cost of living, aren’t the typical things like sunshine and beaches, but rather the everyday things we often take for granted. The favorite dish at the neighborhood restaurant. The nature hike that’s off the beaten path. The delicious beer that’s only available at the local bar.

In honor of our 15th anniversary, we asked some of our regular contributors to give us 15 reasons, in no particular order, why they choose to live and remain in San Diego. Sure, the beaches and sunshine are great, but if these lists are any indication, it’s the little things that make all the difference. We like to think that readers will keep this issue around, perhaps circling some of the items they want to check out for themselves. We’d also love for readers to send us their own lists of reasons why they love San Diego. But most of all, we hope that our little weekly paper is one of those reasons.

—Seth Combs

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BEST OF SAN DIEGO CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

OCTOBER 18, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 17

18 · San Diego CityBeat · October 18, 2017

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October 18, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 19

RACHEL COBB / SAN DIEGO BOTANIC GARDEN

drove out to San Diego in the year 2000 with every intention of moving back to Atlanta. Come out here, take care of my mom, finish school, and then return to my real home. Well, nearly 17 years later I can honestly say that the things that keep me here are almost certainly not the things that keep most people here. I like seasons! The beach… meh, too much sand and there’s nowhere to park.

The last time I went to Atlanta, I remember thinking for the first time that I couldn’t wait to fly home. It wasn’t exactly cathartic even if it was a surprise. It came naturally; I couldn’t wait to get home to San Diego where I knew these things would be waiting for me.

1.) Friday nights at the Whistle Stop (2236 Fern St., South Park): My drinking mainstay for well over 15 years, I always know there will be a good band playing, a bartender with a heavy pour (thanks, Drew and Jfre!) and familiar faces waiting to greet me on the smoking patio. whistlestopbar.com 2.) California Burritos at Saguaro’s (3753 30th St., North Park): Sorry every-other-city-ever, but San Diego has the best Mexican food in the world. And sure, I’m well aware that California Burritos are just a SoCal bastardization of a carne asada burrito, but what a glorious bastard it is. It’s the Jon Snow of burritos and the ones at Saguaro’s are an addiction that is likely the main cause of my skyrocketing cholesterol. Greasy, cheesy, beefy and starchy goodness that’s bigger than a baby’s arm and hits the spot whether I’m sober at 3 p.m. or drunk AF at 3 a.m. Extra hot sauce, please. saguarosmexicanfood.com 3.) Late summers at La Jolla Cove (1100 Coast Blvd.): It’s September and most of the selfie-snapping, seal-molesting tourists have gone back to wherever the hell it is they come from. Even the locals are weary thanks to the noxious poop stench, but not me. Readers can catch me hopping along the tide pools in cowboy boots and lounging around in the sun.

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4.) SRO Lounge (1807 Fifth Ave., Bankers Hill): Some of my drunkest, silliest nights have been spent in this comeas-you-are dive. The trans-friendly atmosphere is only complemented by the old-school opulence of the décor, which, admittedly, has seen better days. I was saddened to hear that the bar will soon have to move, but as long as the drinks are still stiff and the doorwoman Rhonda is still there to greet me, I’ll follow the bar anywhere.

5.) La Corriente Cevichería Nais (Flores Magón 803, Centro, 22000 Tijuana): When I cross into Mexico, I usually make a beeline to this charming eatery just off Revolución. It has the best ceviche in the city and a cute little dive bar in the back. Oh, and while the name is anything but enticing, the “Cilantro Cheese” special needs to be part of the order. You can thank me later. facebook.com/ lacorrientecevicherianaistj 6.) Switzer Canyon: The canyon running through North and South Park is essentially my backyard, but the natural vegetation and scenic trails make it worth exploring for all locals.

7.) Verbatim Books (3793 University Ave., North Park): The not-so-little-bookstore that could, Verbatim has officially made it in a neighborhood where businesses come and go. Go to one of its regular poetry readings or just go get lost amongst the shelves. verbatim-books.com 8.) Record City (3757 Sixth COURTESY OF VERBATIM BOOKS Ave., Hillcrest): I love Lou’s Records up in Encinitas just as much as the next vinyl dork, but digging through $1 vinyl bins at Record City can be an all-day affair for me. Treasures await! facebook.com/recordcity-136983436318263 9.) Balboa Park Carousel (Park Blvd. at Zoo Place): One of my fondest San Diego memories was with a girl I loved at this century-old carousel trying to grab the elusive gold ring out Verbatim Books of the chute above the carousel.

I got it, threw it at the clown and scored a free ride. Magical. balboaparkcarousel.org 10.) VAMP Showcases at the Whistle Stop: Sorry to be repetitive with the Whistle Stop, but nothing warms my heart more than to see people packed into a bar (and even trying to catch a glimpse from outside) every month to hear local writers share silly and serious tales. If anyone ever tries to argue that San Diego doesn’t appreciate culture, take them here. sosayweallonline.com 11.) San Diego Opera: Speaking of culture, it’s hard to believe that our amazing and underrated opera company almost died a few years ago. It’s coming off its best season

San Diego Botanic Garden ever (seriously, I saw them all this past year) and the new season, which started last week with Pirates of Penzance, looks just as promising.

12.) Ice Gallery (1955 Julian Ave., Logan Heights): Look, it was very difficult for me to pick just one art gallery in town, but I can always depend on this space—nestled inside the Bread and Salt warehouse—for meticulously curated shows from some of the best local talent. icegallerysd.com 13.) San Diego Botanic Garden (230 Quail Gardens Drive, Encinitas): Some people love the zoo, but his North County gem is still my favorite place to get lost. sdbgarden. org 14.) Chicano Park (between National Ave. and Logan Ave., underneath the Coronado Bridge): Look, what more is there to say about this national treasure?

Go stand underneath the murals, soak in the culture and go home feeling equals parts humbled and inspired. chicanoparksandiego.com 15.) “Gunslinger” Bloody Marys at Bluefoot on Sunday mornings: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: best Bloody Mary in town. And I wouldn’t watch my beloved Atlanta Falcons anywhere else. What? San Diego’s home, but I didn’t leave Atlanta completely behind. Saints and Patriots fans need not apply.

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October 18, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 21

TORREY BAILEY

eople are the reason why I stay in San Diego.

That being said, they’re also why I want to leave at times. At the spots below, the crowds don’t suck or, at least, the food, atmosphere or scenery are enough for me to overlook it.

1.) Pasta Espresso (4480 Haines St., Pacific Beach): My go-to for simple, made-in-house Italian. Pick a pasta type and select a sauce—that’s it. My favorite is spinach fettuccine with half-pesto and half-alfredo sauce, but every combination is well worth the inevitable garlic breath. pastaespressopb.com 2.) Sausage, egg and cheese muffins at Plant Power (2204 Sunset Cliffs Blvd., Ocean Beach): These breakfast sandwiches could change anyone’s outlook on vegan food.

The flavors are surprisingly similar to, and arguably better than, the real deal. It’s criminal they’re only sold until 11 a.m. plantpowerfastfood.com 3.) Spin Nightclub (2028 Hancock St., Middletown): This is where I go for weekly musical therapy sessions provided by underground house and techno artists. Plus, I’ve always felt respected by the crowd, which is atypical for women on dancefloors. spinnightclub.com 4.) Maple Canyon trail (West Maple St. near State St., Bankers Hill): In spring, the dirt path below the footbridge makes for an especially lush, but short, trail run. It cuts off a few blocks northeast of Little Italy and the bay, which gives me extra mileage motivation.

5.) Mission Bay at night: Forget about Mission Bay

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during the day. At night it’s desolate, making the shoreline an optimal spot to sneak a bottle of wine and to occasionally witness bioluminescence.

6.) Kilowatt Brewing (1875 Cable St., Ocean Beach): Kilowatt ditches the industrial design typical to tasting rooms. I’m down with the 3-D glasses, the repetitive pattern paintings and the holographic bartop. Not to mention the giant, makeshift Lite Brite and Bourbon Vanilla Oak Amber. kilowatt.beer 7.) CRSSD Fest (Waterfront Park, Downtown): CRSSD gets mixed reviews, but it’s the most accessible electronic music festival in San Diego. Some flower crown-wearing types still flood the main stage, but the techno stage blares beats dark enough to attract Berlin veterans. crssdfest.com 8.) Mesa Rim Climbing & Fitness Center (405 Camino del Rio South, Mission Valley): This location claims to be the largest climbing gym in San Diego. But Mesa Rim’s yoga classes are equally as valuable as its tall walls. The teachers are skilled, and a membership here is more affordable than any yoga studio I know. mesarim.com 9.) Sushi Kuchi (4475 Mission Blvd., Pacific Beach): This is not my spot for fine cuts of sashimi. This is where I drink 99-cent saké bombs and watch the staff flash strobe lights, don wigs and sing an obnoxious rendition of “Happy Birthday” to some unsuspecting soul. sushikuchi.com 10.) Balboa Park architecture: I lived in France for a bit and walking past the Spanish Renaissance style buildings along Balboa Park’s El Prado helps suppress my urge to move back. balboapark.org 11.) AçaíWol Nation at The Mad Beet (933 Garnet Ave., Pacific Beach): These are the best açaí bowls I’ve had in my life. But the pun-tastic, music-inspired menu item names, such as AçaíWol Nation and Ghostface Kale’a, make the visit even more worthwhile. themadbeet.com

Flashbacks 12.) Late-night happy hour at La Puerta (560 Fourth Ave., Gaslamp): This may be the only way to keep downtown cheap. From 10 p.m. until closing, La Puerta has half-off appetizers (and quesadillas!), plus $5 sangrias, frozen margaritas and frozen mojitos, which are my favorite. lapuertasd.com 13.) Flashbacks (3849 Fifth Ave., Hillcrest): Whether shopping for everyday or festival season, Flashbacks’ selection of up-cycled clothes and accessories is more unconventional than Buffalo Exchange and cheaper than Hunt & Gather. facebook.com/flashbackssandiego 14.) Amtrak Pacific Surfliner: The Surfliner is the obvious choice—as long as I can snag a forward-facing ocean view—for avoiding traffic (and drinking) on my way to visit family in Orange County. pacificsurfliner.com 15.) Green Bamboo Massage (3445 30th St., North Park): Green Bamboo has reasonably-priced, quality, onehour Shiatsu massages and foot reflexology. It’s also open until 10 p.m. and takes last minute reservations. Oh, and it’s only a 15-minute walk from the CityBeat office. Thank god. greenbamboomassage.com

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COURTESY OF PANTS KARAOKE

o use a cliche: the devil’s in the details. There’s a lot of big things to like about San Diego—our weather, the ocean, the laidback lifestyle—but the things that make this city great aren’t necessarily the things we’d write home about. Here are some things in San Diego that take up residence in my heart.

1.) South Bay Drive-In (2170 Coronado Ave., Imperial Beach): You’re gonna spend about half the money than you would at one of those bougie luxury theaters, and you can talk during the movie (and you can sneak beers in, but you didn’t hear that from me). southbaydrivein.com 2.) Vermin on the Mount reading series at La Bodega (2196 Logan Ave., Barrio Logan): CityBeat’s book columnist Jim Ruland’s irreverent, dark, funny reading series just celebrated its 13th anniversary. In a city where literary arts are sparse, this one is essential. verminonthemount.com 3.) Pants Karaoke at Til-Two Club (4746 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights): Weekly themes and occasional costume nights prove that DJ Scotty Pants puts more effort into his regular Sunday gig at Til-Two Club than a lot of bands put into their live shows. Plus he’s got the best songbook I’ve ever seen (hello, Misfits songs!). pantskaraoke.com 4.) Pizzeria Luigi (1137 25th St, Golden Hill): I’m currently researching what it takes for me to legally marry the pepperoni pizza at Luigi’s. pizzerialuigi.com 5.) Mission Trails Regional Park (1 Father Junipero Serra Trail, Tierrasanta): Cowles Mountain becomes an

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Pants Karaoke ant-line of hikers on the weekends, but there are countless other beautiful trails that run through California’s largest municipally-owned park. mtrp.org 6.) The Giant Dipper at Belmont Park (3146 Mission Blvd, Mission Bay): I always feel like I need a little bit of a back realignment after taking a ride on this wooden roller coaster, but it’s all worth it to get the old-timey thrill of riding this historic beast. belmontpark.com 7.) ¡Salud! (2196 Logan Ave., Barrio Logan): Perfection in simplicity. I don’t need crickets or sunflower seeds or whatever in my tacos—just delicious meat, garnish and salsa. saludsd.com 8.) Fall Brewing Company (4542 30th St, North Park):

I could drink its “Plenty for All” pilsner—named after my favorite Hot Snakes song—all day, every day. fallbrewing.com 9.) Biking along Adams Avenue: The roads in San Diego suck, and I’ve had to change more bicycle flats caused by potholes than I can remember. But Adams Avenue is a dream. Few potholes and cars actually give you room!

10.) North Park Native Plants: Owner Wes Hudson is a genius when it comes to San Diego’s native plants and landscape. Plus, he was willing to work within a miniscule budget, which made this poor writer want to cry with happiness. northparknativeplants.com 11.) $6 old-fashioneds at Seven Grand (3054 University Ave., North Park): C’mon. You saw what I said about being a poor writer, right? 213hospitality.com/sevengrandsd 12.) Breakfast at Cardamom Café & Bakery (2977 Upas St., North Park): The strawberry, hazelnut Brioche French toast at Cardamom shouldn’t exist. It should be relegated to the same fantastic realm as elves, unicorns and other magical things. But it does exist, so... thank you, universe. cardamomsandiego.com 13.) Exercise classes at the Copley-Price YMCA (4300 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights): Every Monday night, I get my ass handed to me by Jackie, who teaches a class called STRONG—a combination of crossfit and Zumba. Is this what it feels like to be into S&M? ymca.org/copley-price 14.) Coronado dog beach (Ocean Blvd.): I don’t own a dog and I don’t want to come off as creepy, dog parents, but can I pet your fur babies?

15.) Volar Records: Volar Records owner Craig Oliver puts out the darkest, meanest music in San Diego, and it’s people like him who keep our city from living down to its stereotype. volarrecords.bandcamp.com

OCTOBER 18, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 23

PHOTOS BY CANDICE ELEY

to be particular about haircuts. Heather at Goldline never lets me leave without looking awesome. #Hollywood goldlinesalon.com 6.) Hikes at Torrey Pines State Beach (12600 N Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla): Hikes aren’t usually my jam, but the trails here are peaceful, scenic and rarely uncomfortably hot. Plus the ocean is right there. ’m not the typical San Diegan: I don’t surf, I don’t lis7.) Seals at Children’s Pool (850 Coast Blvd., La Jolla): ten to reggae and I’m perfectly happy drinking Mexi- Past controversies aside, seal-watching at the Children’s can lager. But I’ve lived here my whole life, and there Pool is a great way to spend an afternoon. They’re fascinatare certain things that keep me here even if my experience ing, endearing creatures to watch, even when they’re doing bucks the stereotype. nothing.

1.) Influx Cafe (1948 Broadway, Golden Hill): As a 8.) San Diego Humane Society (5500 Gaines St., three-cups-a-day addict, I have high standards for coffee, Linda Vista): My wife used to work at the Humane Society, and the best in town is here, as is the addictively delicious which is where we ended up adopting our oldest cat, Banjo.

“Turkey 2” sandwich. influxcafe.com It finds good homes for animals, plus meeting new kittens 2.) Folk Arts Rare Records (3072 El Cajon Blvd., is good for the soul. sdhumane.org North Park): Crate digging is a way of life, and nowhere 9.) Pioneer Park (1521 Washington Place, Mission are the record bins stacked with more hidden gems, from Hills): This historic, peaceful, but also kinda creepy public Afrobeat to post-punk, than this long-running legacy shop. park is as goth as parks get. Have a picnic next to gravefolkartsrarerecords.com stones and commune with the spirits.

Fairweather’s 3.) The Casbah (2501 Kettner Blvd., Mid10.) Day drinking at Polite Provisions Piña Colada (4696 30th St., Normal Heights): I have no dletown): The Casbah’s been making San Diego cooler for more than 25 years, and owner patience for endless brunch lines, so my day Tim Mays brings countless great bands to drinking spot is at this laid-back locale whose town in addition to housing the best local menu is stacked with outstanding cocktails. Try bands. casbahmusic.com the addictive Coal Miner’s Daughter (bourbon 4.) Bleu Bohème (4090 Adams Ave., Kensand maple soda). politeprovisions.com ington): My wife Candice and I got married in 2009 11.) San Diego Airport (3225 N. Harbor and chose this charming French bistro as the site of Drive, Middletown): Getting to the airport in our reception. The escargots and basil martinis keep most cities is an ordeal, which makes me all the us coming back. bleuboheme.com more thankful SAN is centrally located, easy to get 5.) Goldline Salon (3009 Beech St., South Park): to and has good food. I always breathe a sigh of relief Too many unplanned crew cuts in my youth have led me whenever the wheels hit the ground.

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The Casbah 12.) Smitty’s Service (3441 Adams Ave., Normal Heights): I don’t love driving everywhere, but when I need a tune-up, this garage has reasonable prices and honest mechanics, which are surprisingly hard to find. smittysservice.net 13.) Tofu, potato, mushroom burritos at Pokéz (947 E St., Downtown): If I ever go vegan, it’ll be the result of a doctor’s order, or the veggies in this burrito, which are magically spiced in this savory, filling envelope of soy and seasoning. pokezrestaurant.com 14.) Red Crow Tattoo (2848 El Cajon Blvd., North Park): I only have one tattoo, but plans for any future art would involve a visit to Justin at Red Crow, who’s likely to play Chelsea Wolfe while he applies the ink. facebook.com/ theredcrowstudio 15.) Piña Colada at Fairweather (795 J St., East Village): San Diego’s gone tiki-crazy, but this Petco Park-adjacent balcony bar is the best for one reason: ridiculously tasty, refreshing-as-fuck frozen piña coladas, served in a tiki-head glass. godblessrareform.com

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October 18, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 25

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October 18, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 27

o be honest, it took me decades to love living here, and while envisioning life in other cities is one thing, it’s now impossible to imagine leaving San Diego. I toe the line of taking things for granted versus literally whispering ,“wow, this place,” often.

1.) Kwaay Paay Peak at night (Father Junipero Serra Trail, San Carlos/Santee): Ever since recent improvements and heavy promotion, Kwaay Paay got Cowles-level crowded. But at night, it’s still quiet. Chirping creatures, heightened senses and nobody else around. mtrp.org 2.) North Park Little League Snack Shack (2221 Morley Field Drive, North Park): After every frigid spring weeknight game, my kids beg for Snack Shack slushees, and I wonder: Is there a better smell than the combination of icy high fructose corn syrup, nacho cheese and “night grass”?

3.) Oat milk latte at Dark Horse Coffee Roasters (3794 30th St., North Park): Shitty, cardboardy alternative milks can ruin even the best espresso. Dark Horse has it all, perfect coffee and perfect trendy fake milk. darkhorsecoffeeroasters.com 4.) Battered tempeh vegan fish taco at Ranchos (3910 30th St., North Park): I hate fake fish, so this is a nice alternative for that battered, saucy regional obsession. Bring me two if I’m dying. ranchoscocinanorthpark. com 5.) Mt. Laguna Meadows (Sunrise Hwy., Mt. Laguna): I always feel transcendent when cresting the Sunset Trail

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into the meadows below. It’s magic year round, especially after snowfall.

6.) Jerry Schad (R.I.P.): The Afoot and Afield author passed away in 2011 but whenever on San Diego county trails, I think fondly of his lovely, complicated trail guides (recently updated and reissued), instructing you to turn at such landmarks as “circumspect” poppies.

7.) Scripps Institution of Oceanography footbridge (8622 Kennel Way, La Jolla): The Scripps crossing bridge is a marvel of hanging steel and concrete. Sit on the steps above and watch smart scientists walk across it to their dream jobs. scripps.ucsd.edu 8.) River Styx cocktail at KINDRED (1503 30th Street, South Park): Ignore the ingredient list (e.g. coffee liqueur, what?) and just try this complex and lovely take on a whiskey drink. barkindred.com 9.) “Skulls” exhibit at the San Diego Natural History Museum (1788 El Prado, Balboa Park): Upwards of 200 skulls are on display, including (if we’re lucky) one with the meat still attached so we can watch bugs feast. sdnhm.org 10.) Prep Pigskin Report on KUSI (Fridays at 10:30 p.m. on KUSI): The PPR has aired for nearly 20 years, covering high school sports year-round with pep, depth and sometimes even marching band coverage. kusi.com 11.) Central Library dome (330 Park Blvd., East Village): The new library’s dome forever changed our skyline.

I love working in the eighth floor reading room beneath the dome more than being on the observation deck. sandiego. gov/public-library/central-library 12.) San Diego Cooperative Charter School (7260 Linda Vista Road, Linda Vista): A free public K-8 charter, SDCCS focuses on socio-emotional development, constructivism and the whole child, all within the constraints of public school standards and testing. Plus, chickens. sdccs.org

JULIA DIXON EVANS

Mt. Laguna Meadows 13.) Ragnar Trail Race Los Coyotes (2300 Camino San Ignacio Road, Warner Springs): In this team trail relay, you run each leg of the race alone (even at night) on the wild slopes of San Diego County’s highest peak, Hot Springs Mountain. It’s gorgeous, exhilarating, brutal and hands down the best race poop experience I’ve ever had. runragnar.com 14.) El Zarape creamy green salsa (4642 Park Blvd.): It doesn’t matter what you order. Just fill six cups with the creamy avocado salsa, use two or three of them on your burrito and just pocket the rest to use on whatever else you eat that week. elzaraperestaurantsd.com 15.) The left side of an airplane coming home: That approach from the east, over the zoo and with the skyline out the window… it always reminds me that here is where I want to be.

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October 18, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 29

s a lifelong local, there are certainly more than 15 reasons why I choose to live here. We’re the biggest small city in the country, or maybe the smallest big one, and there’s none with a better combination of beach, biking, food and culture.

1.) Bodysurfing off Del Mar Beach (660 Coast Blvd., Del Mar): Mitt Romney famously, if stupidly, said Michigan trees are “the right height.” Well, San Diego’s waves are just the right height for bodysurfing: big, with long rides, and wet-sandy face-plants are rare (even for me). delmar.ca.us 2.) Wrench and Rodent Seabasstropub (1815 S Coast Hwy., Oceanside): There’s nowhere like it in the world: sushi but not sushi, fusion but organic, and creative yet traditional. It’s a thing unto itself, and I wouldn’t want to live anywhere I couldn’t get my fix. seabasstropub.com 3.) Urban foraging at Maple Canyon: Starting at the bottom of Mission Hills at Maple Street and heading deep into the canyons of Bankers Hill, there is something cool about picking your own mallows and nasturtiums and, better yet, not having to pay for them.

4.) The sunset from Inspiration Point (end of Inspiration Point Way, Mission Bay): One of the best ways to end a day of work is with a hard bike ride and there are few better destinations than Inspiration Point to watch the sun set over the Pacific.

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5.) Racing at the San Diego Velodrome (2516 Pershing Drive, Balboa Park): Speaking of bike rides, when it came to racing, I knew I was a sprinter because I definitely wasn’t a climber. A San Diego sprinter’s natural home is the velodrome: fun, fast with an open camaraderie. sdvelodrome.com 6.) East end of Broadway in Downtown San Diego: Look west and it almost looks like a big city. Look east and it says “small time.” Both tell the truth. I like the truth.

7.) Mount Helix Park (4905 Mt. Helix Drive, La Mesa): There are a lot of reasons to not like a big public cross but the charming little trails around the amphitheater almost make up for it. So do the views and the bizarre circular house. mthelixpark.org 8.) The Asian food paradise that is Convoy Street from Aero Drive to the 52: The Convoy District is Chinatown, Koreatown, Japantown and more all rolled into two square miles in the heart of San Diego. I eat there nearly every day.

9.) Tailgating before Chargers, er, Aztecs football games at the Q, eh, SDCCU Stadium (9449 Friars Road, Mission Valley): Tailgating as the late November sun sets isn’t about the NFL. It’s about San Diego.

10.) Addison Restaurant (5200 Grand Del Mar Way, Del Mar): I go here to remind myself what perfection looks and tastes like and how marvelously terrifying a professional kitchen can be. addisondelmar.com 11.) Summer Shakespeare at the Old Globe (1363 Old Globe Way, Balboa Park): There’s never been much rain, sleet or snow to stop the Globe’s Summer Shakespeare festival on the outdoor Lowell Davies Festival Theatre. There’s no better place to commune with the Bard. theoldglobe.org 12.) Hillcrest: Once a beacon of everything San Diego

MICHAEL GARDINER

Addison was not—a bit of New York’s Village or San Francisco—now it’s more a sneak preview of what we’re becoming.

13.) Big Laguna Lake (near Sunrise Hwy., Mt. Laguna): San Diego offers great hiking any time I want (an offer not often accepted). This 10 mile, five-hour trail is everything our hiking can be: moderate and sometimes challenging, beautiful and by a pristine lake.

14.) Lunch at Deckman’s en el Mogor (Carretera Ensenada, Tecate Km. 85.5, San Antonio de Las Minas): There’s never a bad time for a meal from a Michelin-starred chef in a bucolic glade overlooking the vineyards of Baja’s Valle de Guadalupe. There’s no better time than lunch and there may be no more idyllic lunch on this earth. deckmans.com 15.) The San Diego Bicycle Club Saturday ride: A 45mile loop featuring a signature stretch alongside San Elijo State Beach on South Coast Highway 101. The sound of the waves crashing and smell of the sea is reason enough to justify San Diego real estate prices. sdbc.org

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October 18, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 31

TORREY BAILEY

was fortunate to grow up in two beautiful cities that were unfortunately divided by a border wall. Memories as a kid, teenage girl and now a young professional are sprinkled throughout San Diego and Tijuana. From bike rides in Coronado and discovering new breweries, to the culinary boom south of the border, when I’m away from the region, these are the places I miss the most.

1.) Museum of Photographic Arts (1649 El Prado, Balboa Park): You can pay what you wish, but the walls in the room always host thought-provoking, engaging photographs that are worth a few dollars. mopa.org 2.) Pear crêpe at Café Madeleine (2248 30th St., South Park): It’s Sunday and the perfect place to enjoy a pear crêpe with pastry cream sprinkled with cinnamon is at the corner restaurant with the red facade and the big French windows. cafemadeleinesd.com 3.) Day drinking at Ballast Point (2215 India St., Little Italy): Fighting sobriety on a Sunday afternoon has never been easier. One of San Diego’s most popular breweries has dozens of beers available to assemble a beer flight. The stout beers on tap are especially a delight. ballastpoint.com 4.) Mint-chocolate ice cream waffle sandwich at Lighthouse Ice Cream & Yogurt (5059 Newport Ave. #102, Ocean Beach): A savory mint-chocolate ice cream scoop sandwiched between perfectly-sized warm waffles is a mandatory pit stop before the beach. facebook.com/lighthouseicecreamob

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5.) Latte Corto at Electric Roasters Coffee (Avenida Hipodromo No. 9-A, Tijuana): A small, urban coffee shop where baristas turn into alchemists and prepare strong, balanced espresso drinks that cost $2.50 at most. facebook. com/electriccoffeeroasters 6.) Talented bands actually tour here: From my first concert at SOMA to my first music festival in 2007, San Diego has never been dull when it comes to live music.

7.) Dollar night at The Ould Sod (3372 Adams Ave., Normal Heights): I was a broke college student when I heard about the special: buy two drinks and the third is $1.

It may not be the classiest move, but the fun is real and very cheap. theouldsod.com 8.) Orangutan watch at San Diego Zoo (2920 Zoo Drive, Balboa Park): Forget about the pandas already! Our orange, hairy friends who play hide and seek with burlap sacks are what’s up at the world-famous zoo. sandiegozoo. org 9.) Tacos Veganos food truck at Telefonica (Misión de San Javier 10643, Zona Rio, Tijuana): As a vegetarian who sometimes envies the care given to the preparation of Mexican meat dishes, this food truck gives me vegan carne asada and milanesa tortas that taste like heaven. facebook.com/telefonicagastropark 10.) Native Poppy flower arrangements (2335 University Ave., North Park): When I’m willing to give a good chunk of my income to a monthly subscription for flower arrangements, those flowers better be wild and gorgeous. Here, they most certainly are. nativepoppy.com 11.) San Diego skyline view from Coronado (1201 First St., Coronado): Whether I’m having dinner, on a bike ride or walking along the Coronado Ferry Landing, the view of the Downtown San Diego skyline at twilight is unbeatable.

12.) Hillcrest Cinemas (3965 5th Ave., Hillcrest): The

Native Poppy seats may not be leather recliners, but the independent movie selection and short queue for popcorn and candy make up for it. landmarktheatres.com/san-diego/hillcrest-cinemas 13.) Milo’s Pizza (6686 El Cajon Blvd., El Cajon): This pizza joint was the culprit of my Freshman 15 while at SDSU. IMO, the best New York-style pizza in the city. milospizza.com 14.) UC San Diego’s photography darkroom (9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla): Nestled deep within the university, among tall trees, this darkroom is a hidden gem for photographers who want a zen space to develop film. extension.ucsd.edu 15.) Readings at Upstart Crow Coffeehouse & Bookstore (835 West Harbor Drive, Downtown): When I was a little girl, this place propelled my hope of becoming a writer and one day owning a bookstore with a coffee bar in it. The outside area—a quiet corner in Seaport Village overlooking a pond—is my favorite spot. upstartcrowtrading.com

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BETH DEMMON

ortland is overrated. Austin is in Texas (‘nuff said).

Seattle seems dreary, and don’t get me started on Chicago winters. And while I’m not a native, I’ve been here for nine years. Despite the homeless crisis and outrageous housing issues, there’s no place I’d rather be.

1.) Swimming in La Jolla Cove (1100 Coast Blvd., La Jolla): I don’t mind braving the stink to swim in a place that’s less crowded than the Y.M.C.A., doesn’t cost a cent and is freakin’ gorgeous.

2.) Day drinking at ChuckAlek Biergarten (3139 University Ave., Suite B, North Park): Any place where I can breastfeed my kid while crushing a pint without side-eye from other patrons is good by me. chuckalek.com 3.) The view from the Coronado Bridge: For someone as afraid of heights as I am, this is an odd pick. But that picturesque view of the bay and skyline is worth an acrophobia flare-up.

4.) Taking twisties on State Mariposa Route 94: City motorcycle riding Ice Cream is for chumps. When I want to take

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my Triumph Bonneville out for a spin, heading east toward Campo is pretty close to perfection.

5.) The Ota B at Sushi Ota (4529 Mission Bay Drive, Pacific Beach): Sandwiched between a 7-11 and a Planned Parenthood is the best damn sushi shop in San Diego. There aren’t many things that draw me to PB, but this combination sushi platter is one of them. sushiota.com 6.) El Cajon Oktoberfest (1017 S. Mollison Ave., El Cajon): Some people think La Mesa Oktoberfest is superior. They’re wrong. I bust out my dirndl every year for lagers and an Oom-pah band flown in from Germany. germanclubsandiego.org 7.) Sunday mornings at Heartwork Coffee Shop (3993 Goldfinch St., Mission Hills): My friends and I have an unspoken ritual every Sunday—meet at Heartwork for coffee and snacks. Beats church, right? heartworkcoffeebar.com 8.) The Waffle Spot (1333 Hotel Circle South, Mission Valley): Of my pregnancy cravings, waffles topped them all. Long live Sir Waffelot and his loyal knights Sir Up and Sir Robin of Flapjack. wafflespotsandiego.com 9.) Anime movies at The Ken Cinema (4061 Adams Ave., Kensington): Every few years, I relish the chance to cosplay my favorite Studio Ghibli characters such as Princess Mononoke and Totoro without the Comic-Con crowds. landmarktheatres.com/san-diego/ken-cinema 10.) Mariposa ice cream (3450 Adams Ave., Normal Heights): The tiny marshmallow they put in the bottom of waffle cones to prevent that sticky drip shows you how much they care. mariposaicecream.com 11.) Beach yoga: It’s peak crunchy, but I love getting my namaste on near the ocean. Nowadays, I need all the zen I can get.

12.) Club Sabbat at The Merrow (1271 University

La Jolla Cove Ave., Hillcrest): I only went to “Bat Day” at Disneyland once, so I’m a part-time goth at best. With its sad but danceworthy soundtracks, Club Sabbat is my favorite outlet for my dark side. clubsabbat.net 13.) Curry fries and IPAs at Panama 66 (1450 El Prado, Balboa Park): Even though some spoilsports ruined eating on the grass, I still enjoy tasty beverages near some pretty rad art. panama66.blogspot.com 14.) Anvil & Stave at AleSmith Brewing Company (9990 AleSmith Court, Miramar): In my humble opinion, “secret” speakeasy-inspired bars are passé, but I do love a flight of barrel-blended beers, followed by an Uber home. alesmith.com 15.) Getting tattooed by Jasmine Wright (Downtown): I hate getting tattooed, yet I keep doing it. It’s because I like hanging out with strong, talented women like Jasmine. Getting to keep her art on me forever is a nice bonus. jasminewrightisyourfriend.com

OCTOBER 18, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 33

’m going to be honest, I used to call San Diego Bland Diego. I moved from here to San Francisco and then to New York City, and I really didn’t think I’d be back, let alone loving the beach culture and art scene. Looks like I’m here to stay, and here are 15 reasons why.

1.) Linksoul Lab and the Hill Street Country Club (530 S Coast Hwy., Oceanside): I love Oceanside! Linksoul is a golf apparel company with a huge gallery space. Their events are worldly and meaningful to the community, plus the gallery attendees are the coolest without trying to be. thehillstreetcountryclub.org 2.) Karaoke at Larry’s Beach Club (1145 South Tremont St., Oceanside): This skuzzy gem has cheap beer and karaoke almost every night, either on the main stage or in a side room decorated with Three’s Company furniture. larrysbeachclub.com 3.) Learning to surf in Del Mar: I just started surfing.

I’m almost 40. In Del Mar, from 15th Street down to north Torrey Pines, there are plenty of waves to tackle without pissing off the intense brahs.

4.) The poke bar at Lazy Acres (150 Encinitas Blvd., Encinitas): This super fancy grocery store has the most flavorful cubed raw fish and fixings like real snow crab and caviar. It’s also pricey since it’s by the pound, but snow crab is pretty light so it all evens out. lazyacres.com/locations/encinitas.html

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5.) My day job at HayHouseRadio.com: Dead people, and survived cancer twice. So when she said she wanted to angels, chakras, oh my! This is what I talk about with random get a medical marijuana card I was like, helllll yeah! Urbn Leaf dispensery off treated us like queens. urbnleaf.com strangers every day when I screen their calls for talk radio.

11.) Fish tacos at South Beach Bar and Grill (5059 6.) Openings at Bread and Salt (1955 Julian Ave., Logan Heights): They’re always housing edgy, relevant ex- Newport Ave., Ocean Beach): South Beach is the perfect spot to chomp down some baller fish tahibits and events at this factory space.

COURTESY OF THE BELLY UP cos while staring at the surfers, pier and It showcases organizations and artists sunset. The fish is fresh, the cabbage such as JXL Studio, Jason Xavier Lane’s crisp, and the tortillas are soft. design studio and the Athenaeum Art 12.) Pacific Shores Bar (4927 NewCenter. breadandsaltsandiego.com port Ave., Ocean Beach): This is one 7.) Second Chance Dog Rescue (4284 of my favorite dive bars anywhere in Cass St, Pacific Beach): This dedicated America. Cheap drinks, a killer jukebox nonprofit takes socially awkward doggies and handsome, flirtatious semi-bitchy (like my four-pound miniature werewolf bartenders. Oh, and more importantly, @PhoebeFernandes) and fosters them black light mermaid paintings and giant in private homes so humans can find out clam shells on the ceiling. about their personalities before adopting.

13.) Concerts at the Belly Up (143 secondchancedogrescue.org S Cedros Ave., Solana Beach): I love 8.) The Ché Café (1000 Scholars shows here because it has perfect temDrive South, La Jolla): This all-ages perature control, excellent acoustics, UCSD venue shaped my taste in music. multiple vantage points and reasonably I saw Blonde Redhead, The Locust, Cat priced drinks and tickets. bellyup.com Power, Le Tigre, No Knife, At the Drive In, 14.) Artist & Craftsman Supply Black Heart Procession… the list goes on.

(3804 Fourth Ave., Hillcrest): The best thechecafe.blogspot.com art supply store in town. The people that 9.) Nick Lesley and Alexis Negron Belly Up Tavern work there are all artists themselves and of SPACE TIME: This couple of sweetheart weirdos curate and make cool experimental films and don’t just want to sell you crap. They have a genuine intershows. If readers haven’t gone to a SPACE TIME screen- est in helping your practice along. artistcraftsman.com 15.) $6 concerts at the racetrack (2260 Jimmy Duing/event yet, get on it. spacetimeart.org 10.) Hanging with my 95-year-old grandma at Urbn rante Blvd., Del Mar): I’ve only been once so far, but it was Leaf dispensary (1028 Buenos Ave., Linda Vista): My some of the best people watching and cheap entertainment grandmother is a miracle. She’s been hit by a car three times I’ve experienced in forever. dmtc.com/concerts

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October 18, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 35

36 · San Diego CityBeat · October 18, 2017

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October 18, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 37

JAMES VERNETTE

ack in the ‘70s, locals would often see sports cars with bumper stickers on them stating, “There is no life east of I-5.” Today, that might be amended to 805 or, if feeling generous, to Interstate 15, but there are plenty of cool things west of I-5 and even in the heart of East County.

1.) Julian Cemetery (Farmer Road and A St., Julian): The best view of this mountain town is reserved for dead people high atop a hill overlooking the whole area. The postcard view goes great with some local cider. juliancemetery.org 2.) Barrett Junction (1020 Barrett Lake Road, Dulzura): Driving Highway 94 to this backcountry quonset hut restaurant is a fun day trip. Get the frog legs, BBQ ribs or fried fish, as well as a tacky souvenir. barrettjunctioncafe.com 3.) Shawarma fries at Sahara Express (2654 Jamacha Road, El Cajon): This Middle Eastern restaurant in Rancho San Diego has the perfect lunch rush dish: French fries covered with beef shawarma with tahini sauce on the side.

4.) Cricket tostada at Galaxy Taco (2259 Avenida De La Playa, La Jolla): The Avocado Tostada with lime and chile crickets at Galaxy Taco is still one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. galaxytaco.com 5. ) Spicy ceviche at Pisco (2401 Truxtun Road, Point Loma): The Mixto Ceviche at Pisco in Liberty Station is the perfect meal for global warming: cold yet spicy seafood soup that is wonderfully bracing. piscorotisserie.com 6.) Re-Animated Records (8320 La Mesa Blvd., La

Mesa): This indie record shop is small but it has a great selection: almost every album, video, cassette and music book I’ve ever wanted to listen to, watch or read. facebook.com/ reanimatedrex 7.) Playing backgammon at Hoffer’s (8282 La Mesa Blvd., La Mesa): Located a block from Re-Animated Records, Hoffer’s has a stellar beer and wine selection and cigars on the back patio. Many top local musicians come here to play Backgammon on their off nights. cigarlamesaca.com 8.) Unarius Academy of Science (145 S. Magnolia, El Cajon): The nicest UFO cult you’ll ever meet. Visiting their El Cajon headquarters is like hanging out with your grandmother (if your grandmother believed 33 spaceships were going to land one on top of each other in Jamul). unarius.org 9.) Holes 8 and 12 at Morley Field Frisbee Golf Course (3090 Pershing Drive, Balboa Park): These two holes are great places to watch the world go by and meet stoners who might smoke you out. morleyfield.com 10.) The Smokeshow cocktail at Banzai Bar & Grill (3048 Midway, Midway): The single best cocktail in San Diego is a smoky blend of mezcal, blackberries and pineapple juice. It’s fruity with a pleasantly burnt aftertaste. banzaibar.com 11.) Ground beef tacos at Nati’s (1852 Bacon St., Ocean Beach): These hard shell ground beef tacos hit a spot in the stomach that other, more authentic Mexican dishes can’t. Bonus: There are unlimited chips and carrots. natisrestaurant.com 12.) Minus tides at La Jolla Cove (1100 Coast Blvd., La Jolla): One of winter’s highlights is when the tides go out really far and it’s possible to really explore the nooks and crannies of this rocky shoreline. Don’t step on the anemones.

Shawarma fries 13.) The Black (5017 Newport Ave., Ocean Beach): This pioneering headshop is still the place where college freshmen buy their bongs or a poster of Bob Marley smoking a spliff. theblackoceanbeach.com 14.) Lunch special at Himalayan Cuisine (7918 El Cajon Blvd., La Mesa): The lunch special at La Mesa’s best (read: only) Himalayan restaurant is a steal: $8.95 gets you two tasty entrees, soup, rice and daal. And there will be leftovers. himalayancuisineone.com 15.) Jetpack America Mission Beach (1010 Santa Clara Place, Mission Bay): Jetpacks still aren’t the preferred form of transport, but this Mission Bay facility allows people a glance into the future by riding around the ocean powered by huge jets of water. jetpackamerica.com

s a parent of a tween, I’m closer to an empty nest than a swing set. Meaning, I gotta have stuff on the agenda for the family, but also for my own damn self. Behold, there’s something for everyone here.

1.) Nate’s Garden Grill (3120 Euclid Ave., City Heights): A rustic spot dropped like a house on a witch in the middle of the city, Nate’s is a fam fave. Homemade root beer and live music most nights are scene-stealers. I may or may not have had the Cobb salad (with grass-fed steak) twice in one day. natesgardengrill.com 2.) Weekend yoga at Law Street with Namasteve (end of Law Street, Pacific Beach): Namasteve’s easy-like-Sunday-morning mantra drives yogis of all ages and levels to this breathtaking spot on the hill. I love ommm-ing with the masses overlooking the Pacific. namasteveyoga.com 3.) The Young Lion series at Panama 66 (1450 El Prado, San Diego): Every Wednesday night, San Diego jazz legend Gilbert Castellanos turns the stage over to artists born in this century.

Twelve-year-old Johnny Murray and 14-year-old Alvin Paige slay. younglionsjazzconservatory.org/panama66 4.) The Narrators at Tiger!Tiger! (3025 El Cajon Boulevard, North Park): Raw, unpolished and unvarnished storytelling on the back patio beneath strung lights always holds possibility. tigertigertavern.blogspot.com

5.) Bonfires at Ocean Beach: Bringing friends, s’more fixins, a blanket and a flask make all the problems of the world fall away. Unless you get busted for the flask. Don’t get busted for the flask.

6.) Tako Factory (7287 El Cajon Boulevard, La Mesa): The chipotle chicken taco has a thin layer of fried cheese on top, which is a tiny death all its own. Best taco in S.D. Go there now. facebook.com/takofactory 7.) Open skate at Skate World (6907 Linda Vista Road, Linda Vista): This joint is a sticky mess of the best kind.

Makes me want to skate loops with my hand in my boyfriend’s back pocket. Don’t tell my husband. skateworldsandiego.com 8.) Rick Lyon at the Imperial House (505 Kalmia Street, Hillcrest): A San Diego legend, Lyon is still hammering away at classic covers. I go early to snag a booth and split after a second cocktail or when Rick channels Neil Diamond, whichever comes first. imperialhouserestaurant.com 9.) Showing Up for Racial Justice—San Diego (College-Rolando Library, College Area): OK, so I founded this gig, but others run it now and it’s the place to be twice a month for racial-justice education for us white folks. After meeting attendees, we get into our feelings and then turn that into action. surjsandiego.org 10.) Walks at Chollas Lake (5850 College Grove Drive, Oak Park): Built in 1901, Chollas Lake is a quiet suburban-urban spot where kids under 15 can fish. The dirt path around the lake is adorable and almost motivates me to jog it out. Almost.

11.) Ferry ride with bikes to Coronado (990 North Harbor Drive, Downtown): It’s both fun and disturbing to pedal around Pleasantville for a day to see what Trumpians are aiming for when they scream MAGA. The ferry ride provides time to contemplate what it all means. flagshipsd. com/cruises/coronado-ferry

MANUEL CRUCES CAMBEROS

The Young Lions 12.) People’s Co-op (4765 Voltaire Street, Ocean Beach): All the organic vegetarian goods you could possibly want without going to Amazon... er... Whole Foods. The Goddess Bars are divine. obpeoplesfood.coop 13.) Digital Gym Media Arts Center (2921 El Cajon Blvd., North Park): Intimate theater and indie films from around the world make this local spot a beacon of hope in the era of corporate overlords. Workshops, programs and camps for kids are a bonus. digitalgym.org 14.) Island Spice (4109 University Ave., Rolando): Authentic Jamaican food served in generous portions.

Regulars rave about the oxtail, but I’m solidly in the jerk chicken camp. Mostly I like saying “jerk chicken.”

15.) Fathom Bistro, Bait & Tackle (1776 Shelter Island Drive, Shelter Island): Hot dogs and beer don’t seem revolutionary, but consumed in the company of hobbyist fishermen and the smell of chum make it all kinds of innovative. fathombistro.com

here’s something comforting about living within five miles of the hospital where I was born, the high school where I graduated, the college where I didn’t and the place I met, and married, my husband. I love calling La Mesa home, as can be deciphered from the list below, but I love other parts of San Diego as well.

1.) Margaritas at Marieta’s (8949 La Mesa Blvd., La Mesa): I’ve yet to find a more satisfying margarita. Boozy enough to make you sing along with the mariachis, but refreshing and without too much heartburn-inducing mixer. marietasrestaurantlamesaca.com 2.) Treasure-hunting at The Consignment Shack (7835 El Cajon Blvd., La Mesa): Not your nana’s thrift store, this spot sells records, quirky furniture and a menagerie of knick-knacks I could peruse (and Instagram) all day. theconsignmentshack.com 3.) Happy hour at Il Postino (3959 30th St., North Park): Two hours of dangerously large pours and sizable appetizers. The Gamberi e Fagioli al Rosmarino is delicious but hard to say so my friends and I awkwardly ask for “shrimp and beans.” ilpostinorestaurant.com 4.) Street art around La Mesa: Businesses along La Mesa Boulevard have recently been sprinkled with splashes of color, making a stroll around the Village for dinner or drinks even more appealing.

5.) Turquoise Room tots at Riviera Supper Club

(7777 University Ave., La Mesa): Tots loaded with chili oil and bleu cheese (bacon optional) are my go-to drunk snack with enough leftovers to serve as an epic hangover breakfast. rivierasupperclub.com 6.) Adams Avenue Street Fair: Forget Labor Day; this music and arts fest is my unofficial end of summer as I try to catch as many bands as I can in two days. adamsavenuebusiness.com 7.) Secret stairway system in La Mesa: These steep sets of stairs in the Mt. Nebo neighborhood instantly enchanted me with stunning views, an ass-kicking workout and quiet solitude. cityoflamesa. com/298/Secret-Stairs 8.) Legally drinking alcohol at Reading Cinemas Grossmont Center (5500 Grossmont Center Drive, La Mesa): This is the same theater I would illegally drink alcohol in as a teenager so it’s cool to see I can now grab craft beers, decent wines and actual cocktails. It sure beats mixing Dr. Pepper with gin in the bathroom before City of Angels. readingcinemasus.com/grossmont 9.) Venissimo cheeseboard and beers at Bottlecraft North Park (3007 University Ave.): My husband and I come at off-peak times, end up with the place to ourselves and gorge on delicious cheese and craft brews. bottlecraftbeer.com/pages/north-park, venissimo.com 10.) “Locally Grown” by Tim Pyles at Public Square Coffee House (8278 La Mesa Blvd., La Mesa): These allages, after-hours shows are a new endeavor by the mayor of La Mesa to support local music. publicsquare.coffee

11.) La Mesa Walk of Fame (La Mesa Village between Spring St. and 4th St.): I find it endearing that the city takes pride in being able to claim folks like NBA legend Bill Walton and NASA astronaut Ellen Ochoa as past residents. cityoflamesa.com/576/Walk-of-Fame 12.) La Mesa Oktoberfest: Good news: this event improves each year with the merriment JEN VAN TIEGHEM and corny contests one would expect, as well as a rad lineup of local bands.

The bad news? The next one is over 11 months away. lamesaoktoberfest.org 13.) Wine at Negociant and coffee at Grinds and Vine (2419 El Cajon Blvd, North Park): My dude doesn’t share my lust for the nectar of the vines and I can’t comprehend his preference for caffeine at happy hour. Luckily, these sister businesses satiate us both. negociantwinery.com, grindsandvine.com 14.) Mai Tai at Bali Hai before a concert at Humphreys (2230 and 2241 Shelter Island Dr., Shelter Island): Boasting ambiance and views so quintessentially San Diego, I feel like a tourist whenever I’m at these neighborSecret stairs ing venues. Also the high-alcohol Mai Tai comes with a warning that should be heeded. balihairestaurant.com, humphreysconcerts.com 15.) Wild parrots of La Mesa: A flock of bright green birds I find strangely soothing to hear and see daily near La Mesa Village. They leave around sun-up for parts unknown and return at sunset with a symphony that sounds somewhere between a caw and a wail.

42 · San Diego CityBeat · October 18, 2017

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October 18, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 43

like to consider myself someone with original taste but, honestly, I’m just too easily amused. I’ve lived in San Diego for only two years, so I still consider myself a tourist at heart, which means I still find joy in nearly every little thing about this city. Don’t judge me.

1.) San Diego Asian Film Festival (various venues): One of the most moving moments I’ve experienced was watching over 50 people stand up to applaud Konrad Aderer for his documentary about Japanese incarceration camps during WWII. I was clapping with them. sdaff.org 2.) View of Downtown San Diego and the marina from the top of Talbot St. Hill (3501 Talbot St., Point Loma): I make that drive home every day after school and, if I’m lucky, I catch the view right at sunset so the water and the city is entirely gold.

3.) Watching the fishing boats and sailboats from the benches of Point Loma Nazarene University’s soccer field (3900 Lomaland Drive, Point Loma): It’s one of my favorite spots to study on campus, but I rarely get any work done since I sort of get preoccupied by all the pretty boats.

4.) Painted electric boxes throughout Point Loma (Catalina Blvd., Point Loma): From biker silhouettes to pods of whales, San Diego has some of the most aesthetically pleasing electric boxes I’ve ever seen.

5.) Oldies games at The Tipsy Crow (770 Fifth Ave.,

44 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 18, 2017

Gaslamp): Not only does this bar have a killer Orange Crush cocktail, but it encourages guests to embrace their inner child with Connect Four, Jenga and Pac-Man. thetipsycrow.com 6.) Street performers at Balboa Park (1549 El Prado, Balboa Park): I have a special place in my heart for the man painted gold and who will recite Shakespeare for a quarter.

7.) The wall paintings at The Lion’s Share (629 Kettner Blvd., Gaslamp): This eclectic restaurant and bar has a warm and homey atmosphere, but I doubt any home has a bad-ass portrait of a lion dressed in a colonial suit with a David Bowie lightning bolt on his face. lionssharesd.com 8.) Superhero finger puppets in Old Town (4010 Twiggs St., Old Town): The back of the Old Town market is about as miscellaneous as it gets. It’s likely the only place wool finger puppets of Batman, Spiderman, Ironman and Shrek can be found. oldtownmarketsandiego.com 9.) The couples who take cheesy pictures at the “Embracing Peace” statue by the USS Midway (55 Tuna Lane, Downtown): Modeled after the iconic WWII photograph, this statue does manage to bring out the cheesiness in just about every couple. My personal favorites are the elderly couples who go up to mimic the classic kissing picture.

10.) The roaming peacock at the San Diego Zoo (2920 Zoo Drive, Balboa Park): I have no idea what his name is but I, along with all semi-regulars at the zoo, have adopted this flightless and often elusive bird as a sort-of pet. zoo. sandiegozoo.org 11.) The Nutcracker at San Diego Civic Theater (1100 Third Ave., Downtown): A night out to see the California Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker is really the only time I can wear a red velvet dress in Southern California and not have it look totally weird. californiaballet.org 12.) Splash zones at SeaWorld (500 Sea World Drive, Point Loma): It’s pretty amazing watching a dolphin do five

TORREY BAILEY

The Lion’s Share backflips in the air, but even more precious to see a child’s cry of betrayal as he’s attacked by water. seaworld.com 13.) The Marine families walking through the arches of the yellow MCRD buildings (1600 Henderson Ave., Point Loma): I will never forget the moment I saw my husband graduate from boot camp. I was so proud. We laughed, we cried, he mistook me for a small child… good times. mccsmcrd.com/basemap 14.) Blasting The Beatles while driving along Coast Highway: Staring out my window at the Lagoons glistening in the sunlight, it really does invoke feelings that maybe all the world really does need is love.

15.) The walls covered in old comics at Modern Times Beer (3725 Greenwood St., Point Loma): Oddly enough, I don’t actually like beer. I only go there for the coffee, but that doesn’t stop me from geeking out over Archie, Garfield, Blondie and Beetle Bailey. moderntimesbeer.com

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October 18, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 45

hate wearing pants.

There are very few cities where a person can wear shorts, skirts or sundresses almost year-round, but thanks to both the weather and the laid-back approach to life , San Diego is one of them. Here are some places where you can opt to not wear pants (but please, do wear some sort of bottoms).

1.) The rope at Sunset Cliffs (near the end of Sunset Cliffs Blvd., Ocean Beach): At the very end of a trail near Sunset Cliffs, there’s a rope tied to a rock that helps you rappel down a small cliff to the beach. It sounds sketchy and it really kind of is, but that’s also part of the fun.

2.) Ho Chi Minh trail (9883 La Jolla Farms Road, La Jolla): Speaking of sketchy ropes, this trail is another unique route to the beach that ends with a rope climb down to the sand. It winds through narrow sandstone arches where wind and water have eroded the cliffs. Be aware (because I wasn’t) that the trail ends relatively close to Black’s Beach, which is a nude beach.

JAMIE BALLARD

Turtle Pond

46 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 18, 2017

3.) Lake Murray (Kiowa Drive, La Mesa): This place has nice routes for running or walking, but my favorite thing is renting a boat and floating around the lake. Pro tip: if the staff tells you it’s too windy to use a rowboat, they’re right.

You are not stronger than the wind. mtrp.org/lake_murray 4.) The water ski jump ramp at Fiesta Island (1590 East Mission Bay Drive, Mission Bay): The first time I jumped off this ramp, my rope (again with the ropes) got caught on a rusty nail poking out the side of it and I crashed badly. Some bro hammered the nail back in and told me to try again. I did, and I landed a pretty sick jump. So there’s probably a lesson in there.

5.) Tourmaline Surf Park (La Jolla Blvd. and Tourmaline St., La Jolla): I’m pretty bad at surfing, but I’ve made several valiant attempts here. The other surfers seem pretty cool (no territorial bros), and I’ve gotten a couple thumbs-up when I occasionally do catch a wave.

6.) Turtle Pond at San Diego State University (5500 Campanile Drive, College Area): Although most may not recognize this place as a true San Diego landmark and icon of the College Area, I would argue that it is. It’s a pond in the heart of campus filled with koi fish and turtles. It’s also surrounded by students napping (eh, studying) between classes.

7.) The Sager Group: A jack-of-all-trades creative agency that gives writers, filmmakers and artists the advice and means to help them share their work. Founder Mike Sager is a bestselling author and award-winning reporter, but more importantly, he’s a great friend and mentor. thesagergroup.net 8.) The 4x4 combo at Sushi Deli (228 W. Washington St., Mission Hills): The 4x4 combo is four pieces of a crunchy roll, a Keith Special roll, a rainbow roll and a spicy tuna roll. The best part is it’s $10 for all of that delicious goodness.

9.) The Ugly Dog Pub (6344 El Cajon Blvd., Rolando): Great beer, free pool, friendly bartenders and a nice patio area—what more do you want? It’s the kind of place you go to catch up with a friend and get pleasantly tipsy. theuglydog.com 10.) Pancho Villa Farmers Market (3245 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights): I once had a chicken burrito from here and it genuinely changed my life. The produce is amazing, the baked goods never disappoint, and the fresh tortillas (made right in front of you) are to die for. panchovillamarket.com 11.) North Park Produce (3551 El Cajon Blvd., North Park): Despite what the name implies, this is actually an international grocery store and the produce isn’t the best thing about it. It does have, however, some of my favorite Turkish snacks, perfectly flakey baklava and the best spicy hummus I’ve ever had. northparkproduce.net 12.) The Esquire cocktail at The Office (3936 30th St., North Park): I’m a sucker for themed cocktails. But this one—made with bourbon, aperol and averna liqueur and lemon—is actually really tasty. I’d drink it even if it didn’t

JAMIE BALLARD

Ho Chi Minh trail have a cool venue-related name. theofficebarsd.com 13.) The Living Room Café (5900 El Cajon Blvd., College Area): There are three Living Room locations, but I prefer the one on El Cajon for its creative coffee drinks, generously sized pastries and cozy seating. livingroomcafe.com 14.) Michael McConnell: It’s fair to say that Michael is probably the hardest-working person in San Diego when it comes to dealing with homelessness. He shares important news and updates with the community via his Twitter and Facebook page, but before the homeless situation became a full-blown crisis, Michael was there, helping and documenting the lives of people struggling with homelessness, and he continues to do so with compassion and clarity. facebook.com/HomelessNewsandEvents 15.) Baras Foundation (1455 University Ave., Hillcrest): As with most thrift stores, the best method is not to go in looking for a super-specific item, but let the universe/Baras present what it may: books, furniture, weird art, household items, etc. I’ve never left this place disappointed. Best of all, proceeds go to local foster youth programs. barasfoundation.org

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October 18, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 47

very time I’m tempted to look for a new place to migrate, I catch a movie outside in October, put on flipflops in December, find a new jazz group to catch live, or sit outside on a hillside watching the city lights in the warm rain. It’s in these moments that I’m reminded why I never quite manage to leave San Diego.

1.) Coastal View of Mission Bay (Mission Bay Drive): On my first day in town, my new roomie gave me the perfect welcome. She took me on a ride up the bay at sunset.

The sky was splattered in shades of red and purple above shimmering (literally) blue water. I’ve been hooked on that particular view ever since.

2.) Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore (5943 Balboa Ave. #100, Clairemont,): My genre fiction mecca for over 12 years; friendly, well-informed, happily bookish staff who are happy to let me book-push along with them. There’s also great onsite author events where I never know when another author I love will be in the audience with me as a fan. mystgalaxy.com 3.) Dog Beach at Fiesta Island (1590 East Mission Bay Drive, Mission Bay): I’ve been tricked into taking more than one walk here. The view is so gorgeous it made me forget I was exercising and basically walking in circles. sandiego.gov/park-and-recreation/parks/regional/missionbay/fiestaisland

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4.) Grant Grill at the U.S. Grant Hotel (326 Broadway, Downtown): Jazz acts like the Whitney Shay Trio make this a laidback option in the heart of downtown. It also has my favorite Julian Hard Cider on the menu and a tapas special. grantgrill.com 5.) International Peace and Justice Institute at Universty of San Diego (University of San Diego, Morena/ Linda Vista): The perfect lookout point to watch the Fourth of July fireworks or just sit and clear your mind when you feel you’re no longer able to. sandiego.edu/peace/institutes/ipj 6.) San Diego Symphony concerts at Copley Symphony Hall (750 B St., Downtown): A beautiful venue with to-die-for acoustics; it’s a symphony sound heaven that does equal justice to the soaring soul of Jill Scott’s voice as it does to the San Diego Symphony playing Beethoven’s Ninth. sandiegosymphony.org 7.) Horrible Imaginings Film Festival (1649 El Prado, Balboa Park): A mellow-cool way to take in some A-level horror indie shorts and feature films that always has talented local creators in the mix. hifilmfest.com 8.) San Diego Safari Park (15500 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido): Because elephant herds and tigers splashing around in water are everything. The tour ride almost makes me forget how close to civilization I actually live everyday. sdzsafaripark.org 9.) Riding the Trolley: Best people watching two bucks can buy, and it goes all the way to the border and back. sdmts.com 10.) Humphreys by the Bay (2241 Shelter Island Drive, Shelter Island): I’ve seen Andra Day and Gary Clark Jr. at this incredible outdoor concert venue right on the water. There’s always an amazing schedule of acts coming to town especially during the summer. humphreysconcerts.com 11.) Liberty Station movie nights (2820 Historic De-

COURTESY OF HORRIBLE IMAGININGS FILM FESTIVAL

Horrible Imaginings Film Festival catur Road, Point Loma): One of my favorite summer activities is grabbing a blanket and a bag of Skittles while enjoying an outdoor movie evening. libertystation.com/blog/ second-saturday-cinema 12.) Comickaze Comics and More (2750 Historic Decatur Road #101, Liberty Station, Point Loma): One of my favorite comic book shops. I can neither confirm nor deny that my pull-list is getting out of hand. facebook.com/Comickaze2 13.) Paraná Empanadas Argentinas (2820 Historic Decatur Road, Point Loma): Nestled inside the Liberty Public Market, this place creates my favorite spinach, mozzarella, feta and sautéed onion empanada ever. Seriously, I now like spinach because of these addictive things. paranaempanadas.com 14.) Old Town House of Jerky and Root Beer (2754 Calhoun St, Old Town): The place that has the one thing I miss from North Carolina: perfectly bottled root beer. fiestadereyes.com/jerky 15.) San Diego Bay Parade of Lights (North Harbor Drive, Downtown): The West Coast version of rolling through neighborhoods that go all-out with the holiday lights, except the lights here cruise by my chosen spot along the harbor. sdparadeoflights.org

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ALEX ZARAGOZA

’m a cheater. While everyone else has stuck it out in San Diego, I blew the popsicle stand three months ago for our Chargers-thieving neighbors to the north. But I come back every other week for…

1.) The sparkling rosé, salad pizza and Scrabble at The Rose (2219 30th St., South Park): My favorite eatery/wine spot in S.D., hands down. Warm vibe, cute patio, no loud music and they have frosé. IFWU, The Rose. therosewinebar.com 2.) Margaritas at the Whistle Stop (2236 Fern St., South Park): They’re deliciously dangerous, especially if Jimmy makes them, and there’s always at least 10 friends smoking on the patio and good tunes to accompany this tall glass of tartness. whistlestopbar.com 3.) Shopping at Fashion Valley (7007 Friars Road, Mission Valley): I’m basic and love the mall. The sales racks at Zara, Topshop and Madewell, followed by a solo lunch at True Food Kitchen. Give me mallrat life! simon. com/mall/fashion-valley/stores 4.) Crossing to Tijuana for Lucha Libre fights: There’s 100 reasons to go to TJ, but I’ll go with Lucha Libre bouts because they’re the most fun you’ll have watching adult men kick each other in the dick.

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Lucha Libre 5.) Bloody Marys at Tobey’s 19th Hole and hitting the driving range at Balboa Park Golf Course (2600 Golf Course Dr., Golden Hill): The view at Tobey’s is beautiful, and the Bloody Marys are on point. Cap it off with a bucket of golf balls to whack at the driving range next door. sandiego.gov/park-and-recreation/golf/bpgolf 6.) Magic 92.5: I miss hearing the Mary Jane Girls and “Genius of Love” every hour. I really do. magic925.com 7.) Picnicking at Balboa Park on Free Museum Tuesday (1549 El Prado, Balboa Park): All I ever want is to look at beautiful things and picnic. I get to do both at Balboa Park, especially on Free Museum Tuesday. Bring a bottle of wine and set up in front of the Botanical Garden, as that spot allows for legal drinking. balboapark.org/residents-free 8.) Hot Tub Cruisin on Mission Bay (1010 Santa Clara

Place, Mission Bay): When I’m on my deatthbed, I’m going to smile warmly remembering my yacht rock playlist floating in the breeze as I soaked in a bubbling jacuzzi floating on sparkling Mission Bay. hottubcruisin.com 9.) Tochomorrocho chilaquiles plate at Cocina 35 (1435 6th Ave., Downtown): The best chilaquiles in town.

Don’t let anyone tell you different. cocina35.com 10.) Cafe de Olla at Talavera Azul (365 Third Ave., Chula Vista): From the moment this smoky, sweet traditional Mexican coffee arrives at the table, it’s a warm experience. Its cinnamon aroma and nutty cane flavor is why I drink six cups in a sitting. facebook.com/Talavera-Azul-138360876175660 11.) Driving under the 163 Cabrillo Bridge underpass: This little piece of freeway—with its lush green landscape, twinkly lights and gorgeous arches—makes me love San Diego so much. It’s just so beautiful.

12.) The Coronado Ferry (990 N Harbor Drive, Downtown): It’s a little boat that takes you to and from Coronado. There’s not much to it, but, man, do I love it. flagshipsd. com/cruises/coronado-ferry 13.) Walking Black’s Beach and finding the Mushroom House (La Jolla): After sunning with my flaps out at the city’s nude beach, I stroll north to find the spaceshiplooking house overlooking the water. It’s a strange architectural gem worth seeing.

14.) Dirty martinis and Sunday night piano at Turf Supper Club (1116 25th St., Golden Hill): The red lighting, sizzling meat, stiff drinks and crooning is the way to end the weekend. turfsupperclub.com 15.) Unherd (Saturdays at 11:45 p.m. on ABC): Another reason I’m here so much is to shoot this music and pop culture show, which I host. I like making it. You should watch it. unherd.tv

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n 2009, I was in the Navy, living in Texas and had my choice of duty stations. I was just getting into craft beer so, naturally, there was only one place I wanted to be: San Diego. Eight years and a few belt notches later, I’m still here. And one thing that hasn’t changed in that time? Local beer still gives me life.

1.) Baja beers at Machete Beer House (2325 Highland Ave., National City): My favorite taproom, there’s always beer on tap you can’t find anywhere else, as well as a friendly bar staff and an interesting, diverse clientele. machetebeerhouse.com 2.) Tacos El “G” National City (1940 Highland Ave., National City): This close-but-notquite clone of the better-known Tacos El Gordo is just as good, less crowded and a short walk north from Machete.

3.) Liquid lunches at Toronado (4026 30th St., North Park): Toronado is a mainstay in the San Diego beer scene, but it can get uncomfortably crowded during peak hours. Still, the beer and food is just as good during the day, and the crowds much more manageable. toronadosd.com 4.) O’Brien’s Pub on Sundays (4646 Convoy St., Kearny Mesa): This pioneering pub has been pouring craft beer for more than 20 years, and there’s always some of the best brews around on tap. Just get there early if the U.S. Soccer team is playing. obrienspub.net

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5.) New beers at Bine & Vine (3334 Adams Ave., Normal Heights): Bine & Vine doesn’t have the largest selection of beer, but what is on the shelves represents a large variety of the best of what’s out there. bineandvine.com 6.) The “beer museum” at Palm Springs Liquor (4301 Palm Ave., La Mesa): Not literally a museum, but this little liquor store is packed to the gills with a vast array of beer, including many bottles that have been collecting dust for months—or years.

7.) Rubbing elbows at Guild Fest Brewer Takeover (Broadway Pier, Downtown): Each year, the San Diego Brewers Guild kicks of San Diego Beer Week with this festival. I’m no fan of beer festivals, but the Friday night “Brewers Takeover” is probably the best of the year. sdbeer.com 8.) Third Avenue in Chula Vista: La Bella’s Pizza, Third Avenue Ale House, Chula Vista Brewing and the recentlyopened Three Punk Ales have transformed downtown Chula Vista into a legitimate craft beer destination.

9.) Craft beer at SDSU: The Eureka! restaurant at San Diego State (5140 College Ave.) brought an extensive tap list to the Bud and PBR-soaked College Area. Being able to have beers from Societe, Burgeon and Modern Times just steps away from the student union makes for a unique experience in the middle of this active campus. eurekarestaurantgroup.com 10.) Craft by Brewery Igniter (3052 El Cajon Blvd., North Park): Three breweries—San Diego Brewing, Pariah and Eppig—all under one roof. Bonus: Folk Arts Records is right next door. hgfenton.com/breweryigniter 11.) Cheesesteaks at Monkey Paw (805 16th St., East Village): Although recently sold to Coronado Brewing, little has changed at Monkey Paw, save for a fresh coat of

ANDREW DYER

Palm Springs Liquor paint. Still the best place to get a beer and cheesesteak in town. monkeypawbrewing.com 12.) Liberty Public Market (2820 Historic Decatur Road, Point Loma): You can order a beer at Bottlecraft and carry it throughout the market, which helps, because the food selection here can be overwhelming. libertypublicmarket.com 13.) Post-soccer beers at Pizza Port OB (1956 Bacon St., Ocean Beach): If your kids play soccer at Robb Athletic Field, it’s nice having a beer after a long afternoon. pizzaport.com/locations/ocean-beach 14.) Newport Pizza and Ale House (5050 Newport Ave., Ocean Beach): When Pizza Port is too crowded, I usually walk to Newport Pizza, a few blocks away. There’s always good beer and a great view from the patio. obpizza.com 15.) “SD Beer Friends” on Facebook: This FB group boasts almost 7,500 members and represents the best and worst of everything beer in San Diego. Once I sift through the trolls and snapshots of #basicbeers, there is interesting content. facebook.com/groups/sdbeerfriends

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October 18, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 57

an Diego theater is at the forefront of the city’s arts landscape. Two producers (the Old Globe and the La Jolla Playhouse) regularly send shows to Broadway, but there are also gifted, region-centric companies. Make no mistake: the local theater experience rocks, and here are 15 good reasons.

1.) Diversionary Theatre (4545 Park Blvd., University Heights): In giving voice to LGBTQ playwrights and telling stories for all people, Diversionary’s productions are consistently provocative and thought provoking. diversionary.org 2.) InnerMission Productions (4545 Park Blvd., University Heights): In the tiny blackbox space upstairs from Diversionary, this company headed by Carla Nell and Kym Pappas specializes in daring works whose impact is just as profound and unfolds in such intimate confines. innermissionproductions.org 3.) Intrepid Theatre Company (Horton Grand Theatre, 444 Fourth Ave., Downtown): Having begun as a Shakespeare company, Intrepid has staged everything from the crowd-pleasing Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story this year to the sublime The Quality of Life in 2015. intrepidtheatre.org 4.) ion Theatre (3704 Sixth Ave., Hillcrest): Immersion is the operative word for the audience experience at ion’s BLKBOX space in Hillcrest, where the unexpected can be expected and the drama is always razor-sharp. iontheatre.com 5.) Moxie Theatre (6663 El Cajon Blvd., Rolando): Moxie is aptly named. It’s a courageous and determined

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theater company whose consistently engrossing productions champion female playwrights and emphasize intelligent and diverse depictions of women. moxietheatre. com 6.) Theater under the stars at Moonlight Amphitheatre (1200 Vale Terrace Drive, Vista). The summer season at Moonlight is a multisensory trip: the stars above, the aroma of picnic dinners brought to the outdoor amphitheater, and reliably high-quality musical productions. moonlightstage.com 7.) Herbert Siguenza in anything. The co-founder of the Chicano comedy troupe Culture Clash is a producer in residence at the San Diego Repertory Theatre. Lately though, he’s stolen shows as an actor with his impeccable timing and physicality, too.

8.) Pre-show lounging at ion Theatre: ion’s Sixth Avenue-facing lounge is, like the theater itself, small, but the cozy seating and ambient music playing and an affordable bar make it ultra-cool before a show or at intermission. iontheatre.com 9.) Jim Mooney setting the mood. A talented guitarist and banjo player, Mooney’s accompaniment has added depth and emotion to productions at venues like Lamb’s Players Theatre and Intrepid’s Horton Grand space.

10.) Being awestruck by Sean Fanning’s scenic designs. This imaginative set designer’s creations are the first thing you see when a show starts, and all over town they’ve elicited oohs and aahs. seanfanningdesigns.com 11.) Admiring the artwork in the San Diego Repertory lobby (79 Horton Plaza, Downtown). Area artists’ paintings or photography or multimedia works on display are thoughtful enhancements to the SD Rep experience. sdrep.org 12.) Theme cocktails at New Village Arts on opening nights (2787 State St., Carlsbad): It’s always a hoot to see

JIM COX

The Old Globe what special libations get created here to fit the theme of the show on stage. newvillagearts.org 13.) Kicking it on the Cygnet patio (4040 Twiggs St., Old Town): Heat lamps, cocktails, people watching... What else could I ask for before a show? cygnettheatre.com 14.) Sandy Campbell in anything: Whether in comedic or dramatic roles, this versatile actress and singer is a delight (Beau Jest at Lamb’s Players and Awake at New Village Arts are recent examples).

15.) Calls of the wild behind the Old Globe’s Festival Stage (1363 Old Globe Way, Balboa Park): The close proximity of the San Diego Zoo to the Old Globe Theatre complex is never more evident than during the outdoor Summer Shakespeare Festival when the zoo’s nocturnal critters can sometimes be heard along with the actors. theoldglobe.org

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BEST OF SAN DIEGO READERS POLL RESULTS FOOD

Best Bagel Shop

★★Big City Bagel Cafe Brooklyn Bagel & Bialy Golden Bagel P. L. Bagels Spill the Beans Coffee and Bagels

Best Bakery

★★Bread and Cie Blackmarket Bakery Con Pane Rustic Breads & Cafe Hans & Harry’s Bakery The French Gourmet

Best Barbeque

★★Phil’s BBQ Cali Comfort BBQ Coops West Texas BBQ Grand Ole BBQ Y Asado Iron Pig Alehouse

Best Breakfast

★★Hash House A Go Go Breakfast Republic Swami’s Cafe The Mission Restaurant The Waffle Spot

Best Breakfast Burrito ★★Lolita’s Brian’s 24 Kono’s Surf Club Cafe The Mission Restaurant World Famous

Best Brunch Spot

★★Great Maple 94th Aero Squadron Hotel Del Coronado Crown Room Karl Strauss Brewing Company Urban Solace

Best Burger

★★Hodad’s The Balboa Bar & Grill Cold Beer & Cheeseburgers Rocky’s Crown Pub Slater’s 50/50

Best Burrito

★★Lucha Libre Taco Shop Lolita’s Senor Grubby’s Sombrero Mexican Food Taco Surf Pacific Beach

Best Business Lunch Spot

★★The Local Eatery & Drinking Hole (Downtown)

Barleymash Bully’s East Prime Bistro Sports Bar Karl Strauss Brewing Company Urban Solace

Best Butcher Shop

★★The Heart & Trotter Butchery Cowboy Star Restaurant & Butcher Shop Iowa Meat Farms Siesel’s Meats Tip Top Meats

Best Cajun Restaurant ★★Crab Hut Restaurant Bourré Southern Bistro Bud’s Louisiana Café LouZiana Food New Orleans Creole Café

Best Casino Buffet

★★Valley View Casino & Hotel Barona Casino Harrah’s Resort Southern California Sycuan Casino Viejas Casino & Resort

Best Ceviche

★★TJ Oyster Bar Karina’s Mexican Seafood Oscars Mexican Seafood Puesto Tostadas North Park

Best Chinese Restaurant ★★Royal Mandarin Restaurant City Dragon Dumpling Inn & Shanghai Saloon Hong Kong Restaurant Wong’s Golden Palace

Best Coffeehouse ★★Lestat’s Bean Bar Caffè Calabria Halcyon East Village Krakatoa

Best Contemporary Cuisine

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Snoice Sugar and Scribe Bakery & Fine Food

Best Donut Shop

★★Nomad Donuts Donut Bar Donut Panic StreetCar Merchants of Fried Chicken, Doughnuts & Coffee VG Donut & Bakery

Best International Food Market

★★99 Ranch Market Balboa International Market Northgate González Markets Pancho Villa Farmer’s Market Zion Market

Best Family Restaurant ★★Corvette Diner Blind Lady Ale House La Bella Pizza Garden Station Tavern Waypoint Public

Best Farm-to-Table Restaurant

★★Cafe 21 Farmer’s Bottega The Smoking Goat Restaurant Urban Solace Whisknladle

Best Farmers Market

★★Hillcrest Farmers Market La Jolla Open Aire Market Little Italy Mercato Farmers’ Market North Park Thursday Market Ocean Beach Farmers Market

Best Fast Food

★★In-N-Out Burger Jack in the Box McDonald’s Roberto’s Mexican Food Rubio’s Coastal Grill

Best Fish Tacos

Urban Solace Louisiana Fried Chicken StreetCar Merchants of Fried Chicken, Doughnuts & Coffee

Best Gelato Shop ★★Gelato Vero Caffe Bobboi Natural Gelato Chocolat Figaro Dessert Cafe Pappalecco

Best Hot Dog

★★Lefty’s Chicago Pizzeria Daddy’s Hot Dogs Dog Haus Biergarten Doggos Gus Fathom Bistro, Bait & Tackle

Best Ice Cream Shop ★★Hammond’s Gourmet Ice Cream Cold Stone Creamery Mariposa Ice Cream MooTime Creamery The Baked Bear

Best Indian Restaurant ★★Taste of the Himalayas Bombay Exotic Cuisine of India Punjabi Tandoor Royal India Spice Lounge

★★Urban Solace BO-beau Kitchen Herb & Wood Kettner Exchange Starlite

★★Brigantine Seafood & Oyster Bar Pacific Beach Fish Shop Rubio’s Coastal Grill South Beach Bar & Grille TJ Oyster Bar

Best Italian Restaurant

Best Cupcakes

Best Fish-N-Chips

Best Japanese Restaurant

★★Babycakes Cupcakes Squared Cute Cakes Frost Me Gourmet Sugar and Scribe Bakery & Fine Food

Best Deli

★★D.Z. Akin’s Carve Modern Deli & Beer Elijah’s Restaurant & Delicatessen Milton’s Mona Lisa Italian Foods

Best Dessert

★★Extraordinary Desserts Chocolat Eclipse Chocolate Bar & Bistro

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★★Shakespeare Pub & Grille Beerfish Mitch’s Seafood Pete’s Seafood and Sandwich Princess Pub & Grille

Best Food Truck

★★Tacos la Mezcla Dang Brother Pizza Devilicious Food Truck Mastiff Sausage Company Monster Crafts Food Truck

Best Fried Chicken ★★The Crack Shack Crispy Fried Chicken Hash House A Go Go

★★Buona Forchetta Arrivederci Cucina Urbana The Godfather Restaurant Vigilucci’s

★★Tajima Cafe Japengo Osaka Japanese Food & Sushi Samurai Japanese Restaurant Shogun Restaurant

Best Korean Restaurant ★★Manna Korean BBQ Buga Korean Restaurant Jeong Won Korean BBQ Buffet HANDOO Korean BBQ Taegukgi Korean BBQ

Best Local Catering Company

★★San Diego Taco Company

Gringas Tacos & Catering Mastiff Sausage Company The Wild Thyme Company Catering & Events Waters Fine Foods & Catering

Best Local Pizza

★★Woodstock’s Pizza Bronx Pizza Filippi’s Pizza Grotto Lefty’s Chicago Pizzeria Pizzeria Luigi

Best Mediterranean Restaurant

★★Luna Grill Aladdin Mediterranean Restaurant Alforon Mama’s Bakery & Lebanese Deli Olympic Cafe

Best Mexican Restaurant

★★Las Cuatro Milpas Casa de Pico El Comal Mexican Restaurant Old Town Mexican Cafe Ponce’s Mexican Restaurant

Best Mexican Seafood Restaurant ★★TJ Oyster Bar Karina’s Mexican Seafood Miguel’s Cocina Oscars Mexican Seafood Rockin’ Baja Lobster

Best New Restaurant (Opened Since Oct 2016)

★★Tamarindo Latin Kitchen & Bar Ambrogio15 Bar One The Smoking Gun Voltaire Beach House

Best Organic Food Store ★★Ocean Beach People’s Organic Food Market Barons Market Bristol Farms Jimbo’s...Naturally!

Stehly Farms Market

Best Outdoor Dining ★★Panama 66 Carnitas’ Snack Shack

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BEST OF CONTINUED FROM PAGE 60 Coasterra The Patio on Goldfinch The Prado at Balboa Park

Best Philly Cheesesteak ★★Gaglione Brothers Famous Steaks & Subs Alex’s Brown Bag Canada Steak Burger Giorgino’s Monkey Paw Brewing Company

Best Pie Shop

★★Julian Pie Company Betty’s Pie Whole San Diego Chicken Pie Shop Pop Pie Co. Sugar and Scribe Bakery & Fine Food

Best Place for Late Night Dining

★★Rudford’s Restaurant Brian’s 24 Saska’s Tacos El Gordo The 3rd Corner Wine Shop & Bistro

Best Place to get Locally Made Sausage ★★Tiger!Tiger!

Iowa Meat Farms

Mastiff Sausage Company T & H Prime Meats & Sausage The Heart & Trotter Butchery

Best Poke

★★Poki One N Half Poké Go Poke-Poke San Diego Poke Company The Patio on Lamont

Best Prime Rib

★★Donovan’s Steak and Chop House Brigantine Seafood & Oyster Bar Bully’s East Prime Bistro Sports Bar Cafe La Maze Steakhouse The Butcher Shop

Best Ramen

★★Tajima BESHOCK Ramen Izakaya Masa Rakiraki Ramen & Tsukemen Underbelly

Best Restaurant Staff ★★Corvette Diner Barleymash Buona Forchetta Garage Kitchen + Bar Urban Solace

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MICHAEL GARDINER

Best Romantic Restaurant

★★Mister A’s George’s California Modern Il Fornaio The Marine Room The Prado at Balboa Park

Best South American Food Restaurant

Best Salad Bar ★★Tender Greens Barons Market Jimbo’s...Naturally!

Salad Style Windmill Farms

Best San Diego Chef ★★Deborah Scott Brian Malarkey Kevin Templeton Matt Gordon Richard Blais

Best San Diego Restaurant

★★Buona Forchetta Cowboy Star Restaurant & Butcher Shop Cucina Urbana Juniper & Ivy Urban Solace

Best Sandwich Shop ★★Big Front Door (BFD) Board & Brew

Bonnie Jean’s Soul Food Cafe Felix’s BBQ with Soul Proud Mary’s Southern Bar & Grill Sister Pee Wee’s Soul Food

Ike’s Place Rubicon Deli The Deli Llama

Big Front Door

Best Seafood Restaurant ★★The Fish Market Blue Water Seafood Market & Grill Ironside Fish & Oyster Mitch’s Seafood The Oceanaire Seafood Room

Best Smoothie/ Juice Bar ★★Señor Mango’s Juice Crafters O.B. Smoothies The Mad Beet Unico Juice Shop

Best Soul Food Restaurant

★★Louisiana Fried Chicken

★★Fogo de Chão Brazilian Steakhouse Brazil by the Bay Market Pisco Rotisserie & Cevicheria Puerto La Boca Rei do Gado Brazilian Steakhouse

Best Spanish Restaurant ★★Cafe Sevilla Bar Bodega Cafe Bar Europa Costa Brava Cueva Bar

Best Steakhouse

★★Cowboy Star Restaurant & Butcher Shop Bully’s East Donovan’s Steak and Chop House Island Prime The Butcher Shop

Best Sushi Restaurant ★★Sushi Ota Azuki Sushi Saiko Sushi

BEST OF CONTINUED ON PAGE 64

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BEST OF CONTINUED FROM PAGE 62 Sushi Deli Sushi Deli 2

Plant Power Fast Food Swami’s Café

Best Vegetarian Food

Best Tacos

★★Plumeria Vegetarian Restaurant Cafe Gratitude Donna Jean Jyoti-Bihanga Sipz Vegetarian Fuzion Café

★★City Tacos Galaxy Taco Puesto Salud!

Tacos El Gordo

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Best Vietnamese Restaurant ★★OB Noodle House Pho Point Loma & Grill Pho Van Restaurant Phuong Trang Saigon on Fifth

City Tacos

Best Thai Restaurant

★★Taste of Thai Amarin Thai Bahn Thai Bangkok Spices Thai Restaurant Lotus Thai Cuisine

Best Vegan Food ★★KINDRED Anthem Vegan Evolution Fast Food

Best Wings

★★Dirty Birds Bub’s at the Ballpark OB Noodle House Redwing Bar & Grill Werewolf

Best Yogurt Shop

★★Fiji Yogurt Paradise Yogurt Rockie’s Frozen Yogurt Yog-art Yogurt on the Rocks

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DRINK Best Bar in San Diego County

★★The Waterfront Bar & Grill El Dorado Cocktail Lounge Seven Grand The Local (Pacific Beach) Urban Mo’s Bar & Grill

Best Bar to Play Pool ★★The Alibi McGregor’s Ale House Pockets Billiards & Brew Society Billiards & Café The Silver Fox Lounge

Best Beach Bar

★★Wonderland OB Lahaina Beach House Open Bar PB Shore Club Sunshine Company Saloon

Best Bloody Mary ★★Small Bar Baja Betty’s Barleymash Hash House A Go Go The Waterfront Bar & Grill

Best Cigar Lounge ★★Cuban Cigar Factory Churchill Cigar Lounge

Excalibur Cigar & Scotch Lounge Gran Havana Cigar & Hookah Lounge Hoffer’s Cigar Bar

KINDRED Seven Grand SOHO Gastropub Sycamore Den

Best Cocktail Lounge

Best Domestic Beer

★★Starlite Bar Pink Polite Provisions Prohibition Lounge Seven Grand

Best Coffee Roasters

★★Dark Horse Coffee Roasters Bird Rock Coffee Roasters Cafe Moto Caffe Calabria Manzanita Roasting Company

Best Craft Beer Bar ★★Hamilton’s Tavern Blind Lady Ale House High Dive Grill Knotty Barrel Live Wire

Best Craft Beer Store ★★Bottlecraft Best Damn Beer Shop Bine & Vine Bottle Shop Clem’s Bottle House Keg N Bottle

Best Craft Cocktail Bar ★★Craft & Commerce

★★Blue Moon Budweiser Coors Light Miller High Life Pabst Blue Ribbon

Best Downtown / Gaslamp Bar

★★The Local (Downtown) Barleymash Bootlegger Bub’s at the Ballpark Henry’s Pub & Restaurant

Best Gentlemen’s Club ★★Pacers Showgirls International Cheetahs Goldfingers Gentlemen’s Club Pure Platinum The Body Shop

Best Happy Hour

★★Bali Hai Restaurant Florent Restaurant & Lounge Garage Kitchen + Bar

BEST OF CONTINUED ON PAGE 66

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October 18, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 65

BEST OF CONTINUED FROM PAGE 64 West Coast Tavern World Famous

710 Beach Club Carriage House Cocktails & Karaoke Red Wing Bar & Grill The Hive

Best Hookah Bar

Best LGBTQ Bar

★★Myst Lounge Art Hookah Lounge Mina Lounge Nara Ultra Lounge The Living Room Lounge

Best Imported Beer ★★Pacifico Corona Guinness Modelo Especial Tecate

Best Irish Pub

★★The Field Irish Pub Dublin Square Irish Pub & Grill Hooleys Irish Pub & Grill The Harp The Ould Sod

Best Jukebox in a Bar ★★Live Wire Hamilton’s Tavern Small Bar The Aero Club Turf Supper Club

Best Karaoke Bar ★★The Lamplighter

★★Urban Mo’s Baja Betty’s Gossip Grill Martinis Above Fourth Red Wing Bar & Grill

Best Local Craft Beer (specific beer)

★★AleSmith Brewing Co .394 San Diego Pale Ale Coronado Brewing Company - Orange Ave. Wit Fall Brewing - Plenty for All Pilsner Karl Strauss - Aurora Hoppyalis Mike Hess Brewing - Grazias

Best Local Craft Spirit Company ★★Cutwater Spirits Henebery Spirits Kill Devil Spirit Co. Malahat Spirits Old Harbor Distilling Co.

Best Local Craft Spirit (specific spirit)

★★Cutwater Three Sheets Rum 619 Vodka

66 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 18, 2017

Henebery Rye Whiskey Malahat Rye Whiskey You & Yours Sunday Gin

Best Margarita at a Bar

★★Baja Betty’s Cantina Mayahuel Del Sur Mexican Cantina La Puerta Ponce’s Mexican Restaurant

Best Martini Bar ★★Park & Rec Ginger’s Martinis Above Fourth The Butcher Shop Tony’s Martini Bar

Best Michelada ★★TJ Oyster Bar Baja Betty’s Craft and Sea La Diabla Michelada La Puerta

Best Neighborhood Bar

★★The Waterfront Bar & Grill Bluefoot Bar & Lounge Common Theory McGregor’s Ale House Small Bar

Best Neighborhood Bar to Dance At

Best Outdoor/ Rooftop Bar

Best New Bar (open since October 2016)

Best San Diego Brew Pub

★★Whistle Stop Air Conditioned Lounge Manhattan Bar Tavern at the Beach The Office

★★The Smoking Gun Banzai Bar Hundred Proof Salt & Whiskey at the Horton Grand Hotel Voltaire Beach House

Best New Brewery (Open since October 2016) ★★Knotty Brewing Co. Chula Vista Brewery Eppig Brewing Little Miss Brewing Longship Brewery

Best North County Bar ★★Union Kitchen & Tap (Encinitas) Pour House Señor Grubby’s Tap That The Kraken

★★Panama 66 ALTITUDE Sky Lounge Mister A’s PB Shore Club Rustic Root

★★Blind Lady Ale House Karl Strauss Brewing Company Monkey Paw Brewing Company Pizza Port South Park Brewing Company

Best San Diego Brewery ★★Karl Strauss Brewing Company Coronado Brewing Company Fall Brewing Company Green Flash Brewing Co. Modern Times Beer

Best San Diego Brewery Tasting Room ★★Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens Fall Brewing Company Karl Strauss Brewing Company Mike Hess Brewing Mission Brewery

BEST OF CONTINUED ON PAGE 68

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October 18, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 67

BEST OF CONTINUED FROM PAGE 66 Best San Diego Dive Bar

★★The Silver Fox Lounge High Dive Grill Live Wire Nunu’s The Tower Bar

Best San Diego Winery ★★Bernardo Winery Cordiano Winery Fallbrook Winery Orfila Vineyards and Winery Witch Creek Winery

Best Sangria

★★Cafe Sevilla Buona Forchetta Cafe 21 Romesco Mexiterranean Cocina The Prado at Balboa Park

Best Sports Bar

★★McGregor’s Ale House Barleymash Miller’s Field The Local Eatery & Drinking Hole (Downtown) True North Tavern

Best Tequila Bar

★★Cantina Mayahuel

MY SUN AND STARS

Baja Betty’s La Puerta Old Town Tequila Factory Ponce’s Mexican Restaurant

Best Art Gallery

★★La Bodega Gallery A SHIP IN THE WOODS Sparks Gallery Teros Gallery Thumbprint Gallery

Best Uptown Bar ★★Polite Provisions Bar Pink Gossip Grill Starlite Uptown Tavern

Best Art School

★★San Diego Art Institute Art Academy of San Diego Bravo School of Art Coronado School of the Arts San Diego Art Loft

Best Wine Bar

★★The Rose Negociant Winery Splash Wine Lounge & Bistro The 3rd Corner Wine Shop & Bistro The Wine Pub

Best Bowling Alley

Best Wine Shop

★★BevMo Bine & Vine Bottle Shop Holiday Wine Cellar Valley Farm Market Vino Carta

ART & CULTURE Best Annual Art Event ★★Mission Federal Artwalk Art Around Adams KAABOO La Jolla Festival of the Arts North Park Festival of the Arts

68 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 18, 2017

Ray Street Custom Framing The Frame Station

The Rose

Best Annual Event (non-music)

★★San Diego County Fair Balboa Park December Nights Comic-Con International OMBAC’s Over-the-Line World Championship San Diego Pride

Best Art Framing ★★Art of Framing Aztec Graphics Once Upon A Frame

★★East Village Tavern & Bowl Kearny Mesa Bowl Parkway Bowl Poway Fun Bowl Viejas Bowl

Best Casino

★★Harrah’s Resort Southern California Hollywood Casino Sycuan Casino Valley View Casino & Hotel Viejas Casino & Resort

Best Comedy Club ★★The Comedy Store

American Comedy Co. The Comedy Palace Finest City Improv Mad House Comedy Club

Best Cultural Festival

★★San Diego Pride Pacific Islander Festival Bazaar Del Mundo’s Latin American Festival Día de Los Muertos in Old Town German American Oktoberfest

Best Dance Studio

★★Culture Shock Dance Center A Time To Dance San Diego Civic Dance Arts San Diego Dance Theater Starlight Dance Studio

Best Film Festival

★★San Diego International Film Festival San Diego Asian Film Festival Latino Film Festival San Diego Black Film Festival San Diego Surf Film Festival

Best Golf Course

★★Torrey Pines Golf Course Balboa Park Golf Course Maderas Golf Club

BEST OF CONTINUED ON PAGE 70

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October 18, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 69

BEST OF CONTINUED FROM PAGE 68 Sycuan Golf Resort The Riverwalk Golf Course

Best Live Theatre

★★The Old Globe Cygnet Theatre Diversionary Theatre La Jolla Playhouse San Diego Repertory Theatre

Best Museum

★★San Diego Natural History Museum Mingei International Museum Museum of Contemporary Art Museum of Man San Diego Museum of Art

Best Performing Arts Group

★★San Diego Ballet Malashock Dance San Diego Dance Theater The PGK Dance Project Visionary Dance Theatre

Best Skateboard Park ★★Robb Field Skate Park Paradise Hills Skate Park Washington Street Skate Park YMCA Encinitas YMCA Mission Valley

Best Theatre Production

★★The Rocky Horror Show Live Cygnet Theatre 42nd Street - Coronado Playhouse Aida - Moonlight Amphitheatre Escape to Margaritaville La Jolla Playhouse Guys and Dolls - The Old Globe

MUSIC Best CD / Record Store ★★M-Theory Music Folk Arts Rare Records Lou’s Records Record City Spin Records

Best Coffee Shop with Live Music ★★Lestat’s Java Joe’s Kaffee Meister Coffee Shop Public Square Coffee House Rebecca’s Coffee Shop

Best Concert Club ★★Belly Up Soda Bar The Casbah The Holding Company The Music Box

70 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 18, 2017

Best Concert Venue

★★The Observatory North Park House of Blues Humphreys Concerts by the Bay Mattress Firm Amphitheatre SDSU Open Air Theater

Best Dance Club ★★Rich’s Omnia Nightclub Onyx Room Nightclub PARQ San Diego Spin Nightclub

Best Jazz or Blues Club

★★Panama 66 Dizzy’s Hoffer’s Cigar Bar Patrick’s Gaslamp Pub Proud Mary’s Southern Bar & Grill

Best Live Music Venue (All Ages) ★★House of Blues Ché Café Panama 66 The Irenic The Observatory North Park

Best Live Music Venue (Over 21) ★★Belly Up Brick by Brick House of Blues

The Casbah The Music Box

Best Music Equipment Store

★★Mark’s Guitar Moze Guitars Music Central Pitbull Audio Top Gear Guitar Pro Shop

Best Music School in San Diego

★★School of Rock Avant Garde Music Company Recreational Music Center SoCal Music Academy Villa Musica

Best Open Mic Night ★★Lestat’s Lazy Hummingbird Public Square Coffeehouse The Merrow The Remedy

Best Place to See Local Bands ★★The Casbah Blonde Bar Soda Bar SPACE Winstons Beach Club

Best San Diego Music Event

★★KAABOO Adams Avenue Street Fair Gator by the Bay San Diego Blues Festival San Diego Oysterfest

Best San Diego Blues Band

★★Lady Dottie and the Diamonds Bayou Brothers Len Rainey & the Midnight Players Missy Andersen Tomcat Courtney

Best San Diego Club DJ ★★DJ ArtForm DJ Claire DJ IDeaL DJ Marc Thrasher DJ Yodah

Best San Diego Country/ Americana Band ★★Trouble in the Wind Behind The Wagon Clay Colton Band Morgan Leigh Band Nancarrow

BEST OF CONTINUED ON PAGE 72

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October 18, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 71

ROBERT SANCHEZ

BEST OF CONTINUED FROM PAGE 70

★★Mesa College City College Cuyamaca College Palomar College Southwestern Community College

Best San Diego Jazz Band ★★Gilbert Castellanos Dave Scott Steph Johnson Uptown Rhythm Makers Whitney Shay

Best San Diego Rock Band

★★The Creepy Creeps Prayers Schizophonics The Verigolds Wild Wild Wets

Best San Diego Singer/Songwriter ★★Nina Francis Jon Campos Kathryn Cloward Morgan Leigh Tolan Shaw

Best San Diego World Music/Reggae Band ★★Tribal Theory Brothers Gow Dubbest Hirie Through The Roots

Best Community College

Gilbert Castellanos

SAN DIEGO LIFE Best Beach ★★Coronado La Jolla Shores Mission Beach Ocean Beach Pacific Beach

Best Career College

★★Art Institute of California San Diego Brightwood College California College San Diego Coleman University National University

Best College or University

★★San Diego State University Cal State San Marcos Point Loma Nazarene University University of California San Diego University of San Diego

72 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 18, 2017

Best Elected Official ★★Todd Gloria David Alvarez Dianne Jacob Chris Ward Mary Salas

Best Hiking

★★Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Iron Mountain Mission Trails/Cowles Mountain Mt. Woodson

Best Local Charity

★★San Diego Humane Society Father Joe’s Villages Mama’s Kitchen Meals on Wheels San Diego Food Bank

Best Monument or Landmark

★★Chicano Park Cabrillo National Monument Coronado Bridge

Mt. Soledad USS Midway

Best Neighborhood ★★North Park Chula Vista Hillcrest Normal Heights Ocean Beach

Best Place for a Family Outing ★★San Diego Zoo Mission Bay San Diego County Fair Santee Lakes SeaWorld

Best Place to Get Married

★★Balboa Park Bali Hai Horton Grand Hotel Hotel Del Coronado The Prado at Balboa Park

Best Place to Go Camping

★★Mount Laguna Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Lake Cuyamaca San Elijo State Beach South Carlsbad State Beach

Best Public Park ★★Balboa Park Bird Park Chicano Park Kate Sessions Park Kimball Park

Best Radio Program

★★91X Loudspeaker 105.3 The Show Dave, Shelly & Chainsaw on 100.7 KFM-BFM Kramer and Geena on Channel 933 Magic 92.5’s Jagger and Kristi

Best Radio Station ★★91X 100.7 KFM-BFM FM 94.9 KPBS KSON

Best San Diego Day Trip ★★Julian Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Palm Springs Temecula Wine Country Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico

Best San Diego Pro Athlete ★★Tony Hawk

BEST OF CONTINUED ON PAGE 74

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October 18, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 73

BEST OF CONTINUED FROM PAGE 72 Jimmie Johnson Manuel Margot Meb Keflezighi Wil Myers

Best San Diego Sports Team

★★San Diego Padres San Diego Gulls San Diego Sockers SDSU Aztecs USD Toreros

Best Tourist Attraction

★★Balboa Park Old Town San Diego Craft Beer San Diego Zoo SeaWorld

Best TV Anchor ★★Raoul Martinez Barbara-Lee Edwards Kathleen Bade Kimberly Hunt Lisa Remillard

Best TV Station ★★Fox 5 ABC 10 CBS 8

KUSI 9 NBC 7

Best TV Weathercaster ★★Aloha Taylor Chrissy Russo Dagmar Midcap Heather Myers Jodi Kodesh

FITNESS, HEALTH & BEAUTY Best Barbershop ★★Floyd’s 99 Barberside Classic Cuts & Shaves Mister Brown’s The Urban Shave

Best Chiropractor

★★Spence Chiropractic CHIROPRACTIQUE urban retreat LGBT Chiropractic San Diego Chiropractic Doctors The Joint Chiropractic

Best Cosmetic Surgeon in San Diego ★★Pousti Plastic Surgery, Dr. Tom Pousti

74 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 18, 2017

La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre, Dr. Lori Saltz Pompeii Surgical, Dr. Sergio Quinones Shumway Cosmetic Surgery, Robert A. Shumway Umansky Medical Center for Plastic Surgery, Dr. Jeffrey Umansky

Best Day Spa

★★Omni La Costa Resort & Spa Girl on the Go! Night Spa Karma Relaxation Spa Revive Salon & Spa The Catamaran Spa

Best Dentist

★★Hillcrest Dental Centre Kensington Dental Group Mission Trails Dentistry Pacific Beach Dentistry Rolling Hills Family Dentistry

Best Hair Salon (Guys)

★★Disconnected Salon Avia Salon and Day Spa Detour Salon Head East Salon & Day Spa Say Lula Salon

Best Hair Salon (Ladies)

★★Electric Chair Salon Belli Belli Salon

Disconnected Salon Gila Rut Groom the Salon

Best Hospital

★★Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla Kaiser Permanente Sharp Grossmont Hospital Sharp Memorial Hospital UCSD Medical Center Hillcrest

Best Laser Eye Center ★★Clearview Eye & Laser Medical Center Associated Eye Surgeons Global Laser Vision Motwani Lasik Institute Shiley Eye Institute

Best MMA or Boxing Gym ★★TITLE Boxing Club City Boxing The Boxing Club Undisputed Victory MMA

Best Nail Salon

★★Hello Birdie Nail & Lash Lab Diva Nails Lulu’s Nail Spa & Boutique Tippy Toes Uptown Nails

Best Place for Acupuncture

★★North Park Acupuncture Adams Avenue Integrative Health Beach Community Acupuncture Chiropractique Urban Retreat SD Herbal Medicine and Acupuncture

Best Place to Get a Massage

★★The Knotstop Bodhi Massaage & Wellness Center Karma Relaxation Massage Envy Pacific Beach SD Wellness Center

Best Place to Get Pierced

★★Enigma Professional Piercing Apogee Body Piercing Big City Tattoo Church of Steel Tattoos on Fifth

Best Place to Get Waxed ★★LunchboxWax Gingerly Wax The Pretty Kitty The Undercarriage Viva Brazil

Best Tanning Salon ★★iTan

BEST OF CONTINUED ON PAGE 76

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October 18, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 75

BEST OF CONTINUED FROM PAGE 74 California TAN Summer Sheen Sunless Revolution The Tan Banana

Best Tattoo Artist

★★Gemma Pariente (Full Circle Tattoo) Dave Warshaw (Avalon Tattoo II) Fip Buchanan (Avalon Tattoo II) Steph Burnside (Vivid Tattoo) Su’a Sulu’ape Angela (Big City Tattoo)

Best Tattoo Parlor ★★Avalon Tattoo II Big City Tattoo Flying Panther Tattoo Full Circle Tattoo Left Hand Black

Best Work Out Gym ★★Chuze Fitness Crossfit 858 FIT Athletic Club Last Real Gym Orange Theory Fitness

Best Yoga Studio ★★Core Power Cosmic Flow Pilgrimage of the Heart Puravida Yoga One

GOODS & SERVICES Best Accounting Firm ★★San Diego Taxman Abbo Tax Coastal Tax Services Considine and Considine Mission Tax Services

Best Antique Shop

★★La Mesa Antique Mall Fallbrook Vintage Village India Street Antiques Vignettes Antiques & Collectables Zac’s Attic

Best Arts & Crafts Store

★★Artist and Craftsman Supply Dick Blick Art Materials Hobby Lobby The Art Stash Visual Urban Contemporary Art

Best Auto Dealer

★★Mossy Nissan Ball Honda Courtesy Chevrolet San Diego Greg Miller Toyota Lexus Escondido

Best Auto Repair Shop ★★Smitty’s Service

76 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 18, 2017

Lee’s Auto Repair Mission Bay Automotive Mission Hills Automotive Snappy Auto Repair

Best Bank

★★Chase Bank Bank of America Union Bank U.S. Bank Wells Fargo

Best Bathing Suit Shop

★★Gone Bananas Beachwear Everything But Water Fables by Barrie Hola Swim!

South Coast Wahines

Best Bead Store ★★The Black Bead Bead Cellar Beads and More Gem & Bead Mall Pacific Bead

Best Bike Shop ★★North Park Bikes Adams Avenue Bikes Bicycle Warehouse Cal Coast Bikes Holland’s Bike Shop

Best Bookstore

★★Adams Avenue Book Store Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore Upstart Crow Coffeehouse & Bookstore Verbatim Books Warwick’s

Best Bridal/Tux/Formal Wear Shop ★★Friar Tux A Better Deal Tuxedo D’Angelo Couture Bridal Men’s Fashion Depot The White Flower Bridal Boutique

Best Camera Store ★★George’s Camera Camera Exposure Encinitas Photo Center Kurt’s Camera Repair Nelson Photo

Best Car Wash

★★Washman Car Wash Body Beautiful Genie Car Wash Soapy Joe’s Car Wash Uptown Car Wash

Best Comic Book Store

★★Comics-N-Stuff Comickaze Comics, Books and More Southern California Comics

Villainous Lair Comics & Gaming Yesteryear Comics

Best Construction Company

★★Lars Remodeling & Design BPS Construction CNT Construction Jackson Design & Remodeling K-Co Construction

Best Dive Shop

★★San Diego Divers House of Scuba MERIC Spearfishing and Freediving Shop Ocean Enterprises Scuba San Diego

Best Eyewear

★★North Park Optical Hillcrest Optical Specs Optometry Sunglass & Optical Warehouse The UnOptical

Best Flower Shop ★★Dave’s Flower Box Allen’s Flowers & Plants Florabella Native Poppy Rainbow Flowers

BEST OF CONTINUED ON PAGE 78

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October 18, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 77

BEST OF CONTINUED FROM PAGE 76 Best Furniture Store ★★Jerome’s Furniture Boomerang for Modern Living Spaces Metro Decor Mor Furniture For Less

Best Garden Supply Store/Nursery ★★North Park Nursery City Farmers Nursery Evergreen Nursery Mission Hills Nursery Walter Andersen Nursery

Best Golf Shop

★★The Golf Shop at Torrey Pines Golf Galaxy Riverwalk Golf Club Stadium Golf Center The Golf Mart

Best Grocery Store

★★Barons Market Cardiff Seaside Market Jimbo’s...Naturally!

Ocean Beach People’s Organic Food Market Windmill Farms

Best Hardware Store ★★Hillcrest Ace Hardware

Crown Ace Hardware Downtown Ace Hardware North Park Hardware San Diego Hardware

Best Hotel Swimming Pool Open to the Public

★★The Lafayette Hotel, Swim Club & Bungalows Andaz Rooftop Harrah’s Resort Southern California Hilton Bayfront Mission Bay The Pool House

Best Hydro Store

★★San Diego Hydroponics & Organics Encinitas Hydro Hydrobrew Mighty Hydro Miramar Hydroponics

Best Jewelry Store

★★Leo Hamel Fine Jewelers Charles Koll Jewellers Levi Family Jewellers The Diamond Source Unicorn Jewerly

Best Landscaping Company

★★Pacific Landscaping & Maintenance Mooch Exterior Designs Nature’s Elements Landscaping

78 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 18, 2017

Shasta Landscaping SpringView Landscape

Best Law Firm

★★King Aminpour Batta Fulkerson Law Group Law Office of Brett Peterson Lawyer in Blue Jeans Group Procopio

Best Legal Marijuana Dispensary ★★Point Loma Patient Consumer Co-Operative A Green Alternative Harbor Collective Mankind Cooperative Urbn Leaf

Best Lingerie Store

★★Deja Vu Love Boutique Barnett Adult Superstore Bras & Honey Boutique The Enchantress Fantasyland

Best Liquor Store ★★Keg N Bottle Boulevard Liquor Chris’ Liquor & Deli Clem’s Bottle House Holiday Wine Cellar

Best Local Boutique Hotel ★★The Lafayette Hotel, Swim

Club & Bungalows Horton Grand Hotel The Atwood Hotel The Pearl Hotel The Pendry

Best Local Credit Union

★★San Diego County Credit Union California Coast Credit Union Mission Federal Credit Union North Island Credit Union Point Loma Credit Union

Best Local Print Shop

★★Any Budget Printing & Mailing A7D Copy2Copy CopyScan PB Printing

Best Mattress Store ★★Jerome’s Furniture Mattress Firm Mattress Makers Real Deal Mattress Sleep Bedder

Best Mens Clothing Store ★★Sun Diego Boardshop Hanger 94 Hunt & Gather

Men’s Fashion Depot Mythology Eco-Boutique

Best Mortgage Broker ★★Dawn August Andy Brikho Clay Robison David Johnston Ian Wright

Best Motorcycle Shop

★★San Diego Harley-Davidson Bigg’s Harley-Davidson El Cajon Harley-Davidson Fun Bike Center Triumph San Diego

Best Outdoor Rental Shop (Kayak, Jet Ski, Boat)

★★Mission Bay Aquatic Center Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa (Action Sports Rentals) Everyday California Mission Bay Sports Center Seaforth Boat Rentals

Best Pawn Shop

★★Golden Hill Pawnbrokers Cash Co Pawn Simon’s Loan & Jewelry The Pawn Shop Inc. Treasure Trove

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Best Pet Service

★★South Bark Dog Wash Camp Run-A-Mutt Dogtopia Doozydog! Club Paws to Pavement

Best Pet Store ★★Pet Kingdom City Dog Dexter’s Deli Earthwise Pet Pet Palace

Best Place to Buy a Gift ★★Bazaar Del Mundo Leaping Lotus Love & Aesthetics Pangaea Outpost Pigment

Best Real Estate Office ★★Mission Realty Group Good Life Management Co. North Properties The Heritage Group Whissel Realty

Best Realtor

★★Teresa Robbins Carlos Gutierrez Catrina Russell Jennifer Gorman Tizoc Hernandez

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Best Scooter Shop ★★Vespa Motorsport Main Street Scooters North County Vespa San Diego Scooter Repair The Scooter Farm

Best Sex Shop / Adult Bookstore ★★Adult Emporium Adult Depot Deja Vu Love Boutique Mercury Books Pleasures & Treasures

Best Shoe Store

★★Road Runner Sports BLENDS Footwear Etc. Miss Match Overload

Best Shopping Center ★★Fashion Valley Mall Grossmont Center Las Americas Premium Outlets Mission Valley Mall UTC

Best Skate Shop ★★OB Surf and Skate Grandeur Overload Slappy’s Garage Sun Diego

Best Smoke Shop

★★Illusions Vape Smoke Shop Liberty Tobacco PB Tobacco Smoke Shop Smoke Zone Smoker’s Land

Best Solar Company ★★Solar City Home Energy Systems Semper Solaris Solar Alliance Sunrun

Best Sporting Goods Store ★★Play it Again Sports A&B Sporting Goods Adventure 16 Road Runner Sports soccerloco

Best Storage Facility ★★A-1 Self Storage Big Box Cubesmart Self Storage Eastlake Self Storage Price Self Storage

Best Sunglasses Shop ★★Sunglass & Optical Warehouse Blenders Eyewear Dziner Eyez

TORREY BAILEY

Eyes on Fifth Specs Optometry

Best Surf Shop

★★South Coast Surf Shop Bird Rock Surf Shop Clairemont Surf Shop Hansen Surfboards Mitch’s Surf Shop

Best Thrift Store

★★Buffalo Exchange Goodwill Industries Salvation Army San Diego Rescue Mission Thrift Store The Rock Thrift Store

Best Toy Store

★★Geppetto’s Toys Gunnzo’s Japanese Toys and Gifts Replay Toys So Childish Totally Thomas Toy Store

Best Vape Shop

★★OSV Vape Garnet Vape Illusions Vape Smoke Shop Mr. Vape San Diego Vape

Best Veterinarian

★★ABC Veterinary Hospital

Mimi & Red B Street Veterinary Hospital Bodhi Animal Hospital El Cajon Valley Veterinary Hospital San Diego Pet Hospital

Best Vintage Clothing Store ★★Frock You Bad Madge La Loupe Vintage San Diego Vintage Company The Girl Can’t Help It

Best Womens Clothing Store ★★Mimi & Red Bazaar del Mundo’s Ariana Shop Dreamgirls Temptress Fashions Wild Dove

OCTOBER 18, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 79

UP FRONT | FOOD

BY MICHAEL A. GARDINER

THE WORLD

MICHAEL GARDINER

FARE

Ignore the hype.

It’s really good anyway.

I

am instantly suspicious when a new restaurant opens to massive hype and is declared “the best” of its kind. I get really nervous when a food TV personality drops in and declares that restaurant’s dish “might just be the best in America.”

So when Travel Channel’s Andrew Zimmern said that about Kearny Mesa’s Menya Ultra (8199 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., Suite M) I expected the worst. But if I didn’t get “the best,” what I did get was something that was, at the very least, pretty damned close.

The menu at Menya Ultra is brilliantly short and is laid out as such: 1.) Tonkotsu ramen (two variations); 2.) Miso ramen and; 3.)

Tantan Men (with a paiko option). Side dishes include gyoza (think potstickers), kaarage (think fried chicken), edamame (soybeans) and dessert in the form of fried ice cream. Each of the ramen soups is available with additional toppings of pork chasu (braised rolled pork belly) slices, seasoned boiled egg, butter, wood ear mushrooms, green onions, bean sprouts, seaweed and corn. At the core of Menya’s menu are the alkaline noodles themselves, 55 pounds of which are made in-house daily and all of which are served on the firm side (ramen noodles aren’t supposed to be as soggy as is often the case in other local ramen joints).

The dish Zimmern gushed over was the tonkotsu. The most common style of ramen in San Diego, tonkotsu broth results from boiling down massive amounts of pork bones for the better part of a day until they collapse from their own weight. The result is a milky white, deeply delicious and meaty broth that highlights the savory flavors and a deep, umami warmth. It is pig in liquid form. While there are a number of places in San Diego making good tonkotsu ramen, the depth of flavor of Menya’s broth is unparalleled, totally round and satisfying.

There is nothing missing that needs to be there and nothing frivolous anywhere in sight.

80 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 18, 2017

Paiko tan tan men Still, don’t overlook Menya’s miso ramen.

While the broth is also pork-based, the miso adds an exotic depth. The vegetables come to the front of the stage first, particularly the bean sprouts and wood ear mushrooms. The creamy broth with its slight hint of spice, though, is still the star of the show and will remain with you after the vegetables and noodles are gone.

The best main at Menya is the Tantan Men, a Japanese take on the Sichuan Chinese classic, Dan Dan Noodles. The original features noodles with minced pork in a spicy sesame and chili oil sauce. Japan’s take on the theme turns it into a ramen-like soup with the sauce interpreted as broth and the spice turned down a notch or two. It is an ingenious dish with the power of the original Sichuan rendered elegant and graceful instead. Get the paiko version that includes a pork cutlet.

The lines at Menya were long even before the restaurant officially opened. They only got longer after Zimmern’s pronouncement. The lines are still long, and however remarkable and unusual it might be to say this, they don’t seem to be any longer than they ought to be.

The World Fare appears weekly.

Write to michaelg@sdcitybeat.com.

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UP FRONT | DRINK

THE

BY ANDREW DYER

BEERDIST

Bringing home the hardware

F

or 31 years, breweries from across the country have trekked to Denver each October to compete at the Great American Beer Fest.

The craft beer bubble—once limited mainly to the West Coast, Colorado and Michigan—has expanded into all 50 states. As the industry has grown, so has GABF. This year’s numbers are staggering: 2,217 breweries entered 7,923 beers across 98 categories. The most popular category—IPA—saw 408 entries this year, an increase of 94 from 2016.

“The competition is getting fierce,” says Jill Davidson, president of the San Diego Brewers Guild.

“The effort the Brewers Association has put into developing the guilds in the different states is definitely starting to show. There’s a lot of really good beer out there.”

San Diego County breweries claimed 13 medals this year.

Among them, Second Chance Beer (15378 Avenue of Science #222, secondchancebeer.com) brought home two medals, including a second consecutive gold in the robust porter category with Tabula Rasa.

Newcomer SouthNorte Beer Co. (southnorte.com) won bronze—its first GABF medal—for specialty beer with Agavemente, an agave pilsner.

It wouldn’t be GABF without some controversy, of course. Last year, there was a medal mix-up with Karl Strauss and Ohio’s Fat Head’s. This year, Florida-based Brew Hub’s Rome City IPA won gold in the session IPA category despite its 5.8 percent ABV. The Brewers Association’s style guidelines define a session IPA as a beer with an ABV of 5 percent or lower, so it’s interesting that a beer outside its own definition was not only entered into, but won the category.

“That is interesting,” says Davidson. “There are categories that they don’t award (any) gold because the beer isn’t 100 percent true to style or exhibit characteristics of a gold medal beer. I think (style guidelines) are very important.”

Part of the issue could just be the scope of the competition.

“Several of our peers from San Diego were judges,” she says, “and they were tasting 72 beers a day for two and a half days.”

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Dan Becker of The Full Pint blog (thefullpint.com) called the competition a “mess” in a post, suggesting regional competitions leading up to the national convention might be a way to get things on track.

Another glaring omission from the awards was the lack of a New England IPA category. The style has exploded in popularity, but its signature haze is frowned upon in the traditional IPA style guidelines judges are supposed to be following. Maybe next year?

Despite its flaws, GABF still reigns supreme as the preeminent brewing competition in the U.S. Davidson says it’s a big part of what built the industry.

“When no one was paying attention to American craft beer, they were,” she says. “It’s an important part of the development of American craft beer culture.”

SAN DIEGO COUNTY MEDALISTS Karl Strauss Brewing Company Orange Blossom Common—Gold, Honey Beer Stone Brewing Witty Moron—Gold, Other Belgian-style Ale Second Chance Beer Company Tabula Rasa Toasted Porter—Gold, Robust Porter Pizza Port Ocean Beach Guillaume—Gold, Session Beer Second Chance Beer Company Legally Red—Silver, American-style Amber/Red Ale Bagby Beer Company Herd of Turtles—Silver, Baltic-Style Porter Monkey Paw Brewing Back in the ESSA—Silver, English-style Summer Ale Pizza Port Carlsbad Z-man—Silver, Export Stout Ocean Beach Brewery Hidden Gem—Silver, German-style Wheat Ale Mother Earth Brew Co. (Nampa, Idaho) Fresh as it Gets—Bronze, Fresh or Wet Hop Ale Culture Brewing Co. Blonde—Bronze, Golden or Blonde Ale Alesmith Brewing Company Wee Heavy—Bronze, Scotch Ale SouthNorte Beer Co. Agavamente—Bronze, Specialty Beer

The Beerdist appears every other week.

OCTOBER 18, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 81

EVENTS

SHORTlist

ART

the

THREE YOU HAVE TO SEE

COORDINATED BY

SETH COMBS

SAN DIEGO

WOW FACTOR

The only bad thing about the La Jolla Playhouse’s With- es that really needed an urban environment,” La Jolla Playhouse artisout Walls Festival (WOW Fest, for short) is that it doesn’t tic director Christopher Ashley told CityBeat earlier this year. “We’ve been stacking up projects that needed an happen every year. We’ll settle with evLANDON NORDEMAN urban vibe.” ery other year (the last one was in 2015) Other highlights from WOW, which runs especially when the multi-venue, citythrough Sunday, Oct. 21, include Marike wide fest has established itself as one of Splint’s Among Us, an audio-theater experithe premier site-specific theatre events ence that begins at Horton Plaza Park and in the country. takes patrons through Downtown, as well Created in 2010 to, as Playhouse Asas Yehuda Duenyas’ virtual reality-based sociate Producer Marike Fitzgerald puts CVRTAIN and the family-friendly scavit, “address the changing relationship enger hunt The Quest 3.0 at the New Chilbetween the audience and the art,” the dren’s Museum (200 W Island Drive). We’re WOW Fest begins this year on Thursalso partial to Incoming: Sex, Drugs and day, Oct. 19 with nearly a dozen perforCopenhagen, So Say We All’s spoken-word mances throughout the city. Highlights event centered on uncensored military stoinclude Lux Boreal Dance Company’s ries at Border X Brewing (2181 Logan Ave., 4x4 TJ Night at Bread & Salt (1955 JuWithout Walls Festival Barrio Logan). lian Ave., Logan Heights) at 7 p.m. and Prices for the Fest range from free to $35. There’s also a Family Gob Squad Arts Collective’s Super Night Shot, a film-based, audiencedriven performance that begins at the Central Library (330 Park Blvd.) Days event that includes museums such as the Timken and MOPA providing art-based activities for families in addition to the performances. and weaves throughout the streets of Downtown.

“As we were programming the first two, we kept coming across piec- Check website (lajollaplayhouse.org) for availability and times.

DOWNTOWN

DOWNTOWN

CITYBOAT

DOG BAYS

Toot toot! That’s the sound we’ve been making around the office for CityBeat’s A Night at the Besties, or as we now like to call it, CityBoat. A three-story yacht will be setting sail around San Diego Bay on Thursday, Oct. 19 to celebrate CityBeat’s 15th(!) anniversary and annual Best Of issue. There will be food from 20 local restaurants, including Communal Coffee, Hash House a Go Go and City Tacos, plus, an open bar, art from Sparks Gallery and casino games. And last, but COREY HART certainly not least, The Creepy Creeps, The Verigolds, Leonard Patton and DJ Ideal will be providing the tunes. Boarding at Hornblower Cruises (1800 North Harbor Drive) begins at 6 p.m.

Tickets are $40 to $50 and include all food and drinks. sdcitybeat.com

A Night at the Besties

82 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 18, 2017

Speaking of yachts, there are many Halloween events around San Diego for kids and adults, but these events exclude the most important member of any household: the dog. The Bow Wow Brunch Cruise will offer a chance for four-legged friends to join the fun, with a Halloween-themed canine costume contest, a doggie buffet and a take-home treat bag. For the owners, there’s a brunch with sparkling wine, mimosas and desserts, as well as a chance to win prizes and get pet-handling tips from expert Darris Cooper. The best part is that a portion of the money from each ticket will go toward the pets COURTESY OF HELEN WOODWARD ANIMAL CENTER and programs at the Helen Woodward Animal Center. It all starts at noon on Sunday, Oct. 22. The boat departs from Hornblower’s Grape Street Pier (1800 N. Harbor Drive). Tickets are $57.20 for children and $92 for adults. hornblower.com/bowwow

Bow Wow Brunch Cruise

HDowntown at Sundown at MCASD - Downtown, 1001 Kettner Blvd., Downtown. MCASD’s after-hours event offers free admission and guided tours of exhibitions at MCASD and the SDSU Downtown Gallery, as well as specials at local businesses and live music. From 5 to 8 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 19. Free. 858-454-3541, mcasd.org HBC to BC at San Diego Art Institute, 1439 El Prado, Balboa Park. Last chance to see this group show featuring ceramic sculptures by more than 30 artists who live up and down the West Coast, from British Columbia to Baja California. Closing reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20. $5-$8. 619-236-0011, sandiegoart.org HHinky-Die-Die at Art Produce, 3139 University Ave., North Park. Ashley Fenderson’s 2017 Art Produce/SDSU MFA graduate award-winning exhibit is an account of Mojave Desert obscurities found via late-night talk radio archives, internet message boards and more. Opening from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21. Free.

619-584-4448, artproduce.org HOh the Humanity at A Ship in the Woods, 3007 Felicita Road, Encinitas. Selections from a private collection featuring artists Christian Jankowski, Marilyn Minter, Tony Oursler, Puppies Puppies, Jon Rafman, Pipilotti Rist and Lu Yang. Halloween costumes encouraged. From 6 to 10 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 21. Free. facebook.com/ events/964455693692443 HBright Lights at Kensington Club, 4079 Adams Ave., Kensington. Art Unites’ quarterly exhibit that highlights local artists will feature hip-hop music art by Bry Blue$, K.Oh!, 10-19 and Sir Daniel. Plus records via Vinyl Jukies and art via Thumbprint Gallery for sale.

From 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 21. $12. 619-284-2848, facebook.com/ events/272656596580084 HBrian & Ryan & Jeremy at SDAI Project Space, 324 Horton Plaza, Gaslamp.

The sculpture duo Bryan and Ryan will showcase their new Sound Collection Helmets while Jeremy Zierau will be showcasing an array of 2017 works, including part of his theoretical database series. Opening from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 22. Free. sandiego-art.org Evil Doers at Basic Bar/Pizza, 410 10th Ave., Downtown. A horror art show arranged by Thumbprint Gallery that features more than 20 artists. From 7 p.m. to midnight Tuesday, Oct. 24.

Free.

619-531-8869, facebook.com/ events/2184774425082653

H = CityBeat picks

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EVENTS Art Meets Science: Symbiosis Explored at Sparks Gallery, 530 Sixth Ave., Gaslamp. Solo artist Alexandra Hart and geologist and biologist J. David Archibald will lead a discussion about some of the themes explored in the Symbiosis exhibition. From 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24.

Free. 619-696-1416, sparksgallery.com Art Above Artist Talks at 1805 Gallery, 1805 Columbia St., Little Italy. Exhibiting artists Jeremy Zierau, Chantal Wnuk, Kim Kane Niehans, Robert Andrade and Ry Beloin will give artist talks followed by an audience Q&A. Paintings, drawings, sculptures and mixed media work will be on view and available for purchase. From 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 25. Free.

1805gallery.com

BOOKS HRita Sanchez and Sonia Lopez at Logan Heights Library, 567 S. 28th St., Logan Heights. A discussion with the authors and editors of Chicana Tributes: Activist Women of the Civil Rights Movement. Other prominent Chicanx activists will join the conversation. At 6 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 18. Free. facebook. com/events/890098237832564 HLoren Rhoads at Mysterious Galaxy Book Store, 5943 Balboa Ave., Ste. 100, Clairemont. The writer of horror and sci-fi novels will sign her new nonfiction book, 199 Cemetaries to See Before You Die. At 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20. Free. 858-2684747, mystgalaxy.com Nikki Katz at Mysterious Galaxy Book Store, 5943 Balboa Ave., Ste. 100, Clairemont. The managing editor of SocialMoms.com will sign and discuss her new novel, The Midnight Dance. At 2 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 21. Free. 858-268-4747, mystgalaxy.com

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California Screamin’ at Mysterious Galaxy Book Store, 5943 Balboa Ave., Ste. 100, Clairemont. Join editor Danielle Kaheaku and other contributors for the release event for the new horror anthology.

Contributors will be also available to sign copies for readers after the readings. At 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 22. Free. 858-2684747, mystgalaxy.com

DANCE HShaping Sound: After the Curtain at California Center for the Arts, 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido. Acclaimed choreographer Travis Wall presents his new show about a man trying to find his creative voice after the death of his one true love. At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21. $35-$70. 800-988-4253, artcenter.org Swan Lake at Copley Symphony Hall, 750 B St., Downtown. The Russian Grand Ballet performs this Tchaikovsky classic in its full three acts. From 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24. $30-$105. 619235-0804, sandiegosymphony.org

FILM HSan Diego Design Film Festival at various locations. A two-day festival featuring films touching upon architecture, design and planning themes. See website for full list of films and schedule. Various times. Thursday, Oct. 19 and Tuesday, Oct. 24. $15$25. 619-295-6660,sddesignff.com

FOOD & DRINK Wine & Dine at The BLVD Market at 2855 El Cajon Blvd., North Park. A wine and food pairing night, celebrating local sustainable

EVENTS CONTINUED ON PAGE 84

BOOKS: THE FLOATING LIBRARY All hallows’ reads

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ctober is the perfect season for catching up on new horror flicks or revisiting old favorites, but there are plenty of spooky books out there too. Here’s a sampling of some recent poetry and prose to get readers in a morbid mood.

The Dead Girls Speak in Unison

by Danielle Pafunda, published

by Bloof Books earlier this year, is a book-length series of short poems in which the dead call out to the living with their desires and demands. “We count night by a plateful / of spiders, and later we count day / by the spiders’ shells.”

By turns playful and macabre, Pafunda—who is a lecturer in literature at UCSD—weaves darkly portentous lines that will unleash our inner goths.

Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado was released to great acclaim this month

by Graywolf Press and has already been named a finalist for the National Book Awards in Fiction.

Machado blends a heady mix of fairy tales, erotica and magic realism that toys with the readers’ expectations and lingers in the imagination afterwards. My favorite story in the collection, the novella length “Especially Heinous: 272 Views of

Law & Order SVU,” defies classification. Using the format of a TV Guide listing and the tropes of the show, Machado takes the SVU characters Benson and Stabler on an absurd yet haunting journey neither they, nor the show’s creators, ever could have imagined.

From the opening lines of Stephen Graham Jones’ new novella Mapping the Interior we know we’ve stepped into a different kind of story. “I was twelve the first time I saw my dead father cross from the kitchen doorway to the hall that led back to the utility room.”

In Mapping the Interior Jones—author of over 20 books, most of them novels—uses the genre of the haunted house story to explore Native American issues. Junior, the young protagonist, is a sleepwalker who has trouble reconstructing the things that he sees and experiences in his home during his nighttime rambles. This serves as an apt metaphor for the systemic racism and injustices that his family faces. “You can leave the reservation, but your income level will land you in a reservation house, won’t it?” Mapping the Interior is a short, spooky book with a lot to say.

—Jim Ruland

OCTOBER 18, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 83

EVENTS EVENTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 83 seafood with a whole fish butchery demo

by Heart & Trotter. There will also be salsa and bachata music to dance to. From 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20. Free. 619-5648976, theheartandtrotter.com Bayside Brew & Spirits Festival at Pepper Park, 3299 Tidelands Ave., National City. The first bi-national beer festival in San Diego brings together more than 100 beers, wines and spirits from both sides of the border. There will also be a variety of food trucks, entertainment and music.

Noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21. $25$75. baysidebrewfest.com Horizon Oktoberfest at Embarcadero Marina Park North, 500 Kettner Blvd., Downtown. A day of unlimited beer tastings from dozens of California breweries, along with tropical music by Klingande.

VIP tickets include a reserved table and bottle service. From 1 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21. $20-$75. intothehorizon.com HTijuana Zombie Taco Crawl at Tijuana, Baja California. The first zombiethemed edition of Turista Libre’s Tijuana taco tour in which brains, eyes, tongue and blood sausage are a few adventurous menu items. Tour visits three taquerias, one taproom and an artisan ice cream parlor. From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21. $59. turistalibre.com HHamiltons 11th Anniversary Beer Dinner with Beachwood Blendery at South Park Brewing Co., 1517 30th St., South Park. A seven-course guided food and beer dinner revolving around sour beers. Chef Matt Cammack will be preparing dishes, along with guest chefs Mike Arquines, Nick Brune, Travis Clifford, Victor Jimenez and Keith Lord. From 6 to 11 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 22. $75. hamiltonstavern.com

HALLOWEEN HOut at the Scream Zone at Del Mar Racetrack, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar. An LGBTQ-friendly night at the Scream Zone which includes discounted tickets and a family-friendly performance at 8 p.m. from San Diego Scream Queens Sienna Desire, Dayamis Styles, Destiny Moore, Jaeda Reign, Brooke Stone and Friidae. From 7 to 11 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19. $10-$33. 858755-1141, thescreamzone.com HauntFest on Main at Downtown El Cajon, El Cajon. This family-friendly Halloween themed event features a haunted car show, candy challenge activities, a variety of local vendors, and food available from local restaurants and food trucks. From 5 to 10 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 20. Free. hauntfest.org HHaunted Aquarium: Sea Monster Mash at Birch Aquarium at Scripps, 2300 Expedition Way, La Jolla. A fun, spooky event for all ages, with a make-your-ownslime station, a chance to see Frankensquid, a costume contest, scary stories and live music. From 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20 and Saturday, Oct. 21. $13.50-$20.

858-534-3474, aquarium.ucsd.edu HHaunted Tales at Maritime Museum of San Diego, 1492 N. Harbor Drive, Downtown. A Halloween event with lantern-led tours on the Star of India, featuring ghostly tales of crewmembers past. The museum will also be open until 8 p.m. From 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21 and Saturday, Oct. 28. $9-$18. 619-234-9153, sdmaritime.org

MUSIC Paul Metzger, John Saint Pelvyn & Scott Nielsen at Helmuth Projects, 1827 Fifth Ave., Bankers Hill. The three musicians, two from Minnesota and one local,

84 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 18, 2017

each perform solo experimental strings that mix deep folk and avant garde improvisation. From 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20. $7. spacetimeart.org

PERFORMANCE HThe Pirates of Penzance at San Diego Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave., Gaslamp.

San Diego Opera begins its new season with Gilbert and Sullivan’s family-friendly operetta about a young swashbuckler who must choose between love and sailing the seas. At 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20 and 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 22. 619-5701100, sdopera.org HLas Migas at California Center for the Arts, 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido.

The Barcelona-based group blends flamenco music with dance and authentic costumes. At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21. $25-$40. 800-988-4253, artcenter.org

SPECIAL EVENTS HA Night at the Besties at Hornblower Cruises & Events, 1800 North Harbor Drive, Downtown. Come hang out with us and enjoy an evening celebrating our annual Best Of issue. Includes food from 20 restaurants, an open bar, casino games, art and live music. Proceeds benefit the San Diego Food Bank. From 6 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19. $40-$50. 619-281-7526, sdcitybeat.com HDía De Los Muertos at La Vista Memorial Park, 3191 Orange St., National City.

The ninth annual festival includes contests, live performances, and cultural exhibits. Organizers ask that attendees not wear Halloween costumes, only Día De Los Muertos attire. From 2 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21. $5-$50. 619-475-7770, lavistamemorialpark.com

HBankers Hill Fall Festival 2017 at various locations. A walking event around the Bankers Hill neighborhood near Fifth and Fourth Avenues, highlighting local eateries, wellness demos, art galleries, shopping specials and other local businesses.

It all starts at the St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral at Fifth & Nutmeg. From 1 to 5 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 21. $15-$20. bankershillbusinessgroup.com FilAm Fest at San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts, 2425 Dusk Drive, National City. A family-friendly celebration of Filipino American History Month through arts, music, food and more. From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21. Free. filamfest.org HZombiewalk Sock Drive at Bea Evenson Fountain, 1549 El Prado, Balboa Park.

The tenth annual zombie walk will collect socks for the homeless. Participants are encouraged to dress up in zombie makeup and bring at least two pairs of new socks, which will earn them a treat. From 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21. Free. facebook.com/events/1855615854454273 HFall Plant Sale at San Diego Botanic Garden, 230 Quail Gardens Drive, Encinitas. The sale features plants from over 100 local growers and nurseries, including an extensive selection of houseplants and succulents. There will also be a used book sale, homemade jams and jellies and more. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21 and Sunday, Oct. 22 and 9 a.m. to noon Monday, Oct. 23. $8-$14. 760436-3036, sdbgarden.org HDay of the Dead Festival at Artelexia, 3803 Ray St., North Park. A festival to celebrate the Mexican tradition of honoring and remembering those who have passed. There will be sugar skull decorating, face painting, a community altar, tequila and mezcal tasting and more. From

noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 22. Free.

619-501-6381, artelexia.com HBow Wow Brunch Cruise at Hornblower Cruises & Events, 1800 North Harbor Drive, Downtown. Enjoy a Halloweenthemed canine costume contest, buffets for dogs and humans, and bottomless sparkling wine and mimosas at this annual fundraiser for Helen Woodward Animal Center. At noon Sunday, Oct. 22. $57.20$92. hornblower.com/bowwow HHomeless Crisis Forum at Balboa Theatre, 868 4th Ave., Gaslamp. A conversation about San Diego’s homeless crisis and some of the possible solutions. Featuring speakers from Father Joe’s Villages, Alpha Project, the Homeless Outreach Team and the Regional Task Force on the Homeless, along with a local philanthropist and a formerly homeless woman.

From 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 25.

Free. sandiegouniontribune.com

TALKS & DISCUSSIONS HTed Washington at The Starving Artists Club, 900 Otay Lakes Road, Chula Vista.

The local artist and poet is a guest speaker at The Starving Artists Club gathering, where attendees are encouraged to engage with him on any subject. From noon to 1:10 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19. Free. facebook.com/events/1904332263161749 HA Musician’s Role In Today’s America: Al Howard at Tiger!Tiger!, 3025 El Cajon Blvd., North Park. A live podcast recording for Cura Caos, a show that hosts live conversations with luminaries from both sides of the border. This week’s guest is local musician Al Howard. From 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24. Free. soundcloud.com/user-727286176

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October 18, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 85

THEATER DAREN SCOTT

Georgia on his mind

A

side from some of the more obvious telltale signs, one surefire way audiences can tell they’re at a drag show is they’ll likely hear Whoo! or Whoo-hoo! at ear-splitting volume repeatedly during the performance.

So goes it with Cygnet Theatre’s production of The Legend of Georgia McBride, at least after the foundation is laid for all the whooing and whoo-hooing. In Matthew Lopez’s divergent but predictable script, a young Elvis impersonator named Casey (Spencer Bang) is dragged into the job of drag show queen in order to pay the bills accrued by himself and wife Jo (Alexandra Slade). Of course, it turns out he’s good at it and he likes it, too, but that’s it. The discovery of his new calling by wife Jo, from whom the secret has been kept, constitutes the crisis moment, and yet there’s never any doubt how it will all play out.

While Bang is affable and agile as both Casey and his drag queen persona Georgia McBride, the production is owned by David McBean in the funnier, flashier role of veteran performer Tracy Mills, who is blessed with all the best lines. And props must go to costume designer Jennifer Brawn Gittings, whose outrageous ensembles keep topping themselves as The Legend of Georgia McBride sweeps toward its flamboyant finale.

The Legend of Georgia McBride runs through Nov. 12 at Cygnet Theatre in Old Town. $38$59; cygnettheatre.com ••• he atmosphere in the little ion Theatre is choked with testosterone and angst in its presentation of Eric Bogosian’s one-man show Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll. Part of ion’s “Double Dare” rotating repertory (with E.M. Lewis’ The Gun Show being the other

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Spencer Bang (left) and David McBean in The Legend of Georgia McBride part of the rotation), SDR&R stars ion’s executive artistic director, Claudio Raygoza, who immerses himself in 10 characters living and ranting during the post-Reagan/ Bush I era. His is a manic, chameleonic performance of admirable stamina, though much of the subject matter comes off as dated, even anachronistic by the standards of today’s faster paced, social-media-driven society.

Tellingly, most of the laughter in the audience came from the male contingent, as Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll preoccupies itself to a considerable extent with the frustrations and anxieties of those men who are perpetually trapped between neurosis and machismo.

Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll runs in rotating repertory with The Gun Show through Oct. 28 at ion Theatre’s BLKBOX space in Hillcrest. $12-$35; iontheatre.com

—David L. Coddon

Theater reviews run weekly.

Write to davidc@sdcitybeat.com.

OPENING: Hand to God: A possessed sock puppet takes possession of young boy’s arm and starts to air out everyone’s dirty secrets in Robert Askins’ acclaimed musical. Presented by San Diego Repertory Theatre, it opens Oct. 19 at the Lyceum Theatre in the Gaslamp. sdrep.org Without Walls Festival: The biennial festival devoted to site-specific theatre and performances. Presented by La Jolla Playhouse, it happens Oct. 19 through Oct. 22 at various locations throughout San Diego. lajollaplayhouse.org Evil Dead—The Musical: A spirited musical based on Sam Raimi’s cult film about demonic zombies and one badass dude with a chainsaw. Presented as part of Terror at the Tenth series, it opens Oct. 20 at the Tenth Avenue Arts Center in Downtown. tenthavenuearts.com Princess Diana: The local premiere of the Karen Sokolof Javitch-penned musical about the life and death of the British princess. Directed by Geoffrey A. Cox, it opens Oct. 20 at the Patio Playhouse Theatre in Escondido. patioplayhouse.com

NOW PLAYING: Benny & Joon: A world premiere musical based on the ‘90s rom-com about two eccentrics falling in love despite the disapproval of a caretaker sibling. Directed by Jack Cummings III, it runs through Oct. 22 at the Old Globe Theatre in Balboa Park. theoldglobe.org Father Comes Home from the Wars, Parts 1, 2 & 3: Suzan-Lori Parks’ Pulitzer finalist play that uses music, poetry and modern slang to tell the story of a slave trying to earn his freedom by fighting for the Confederacy in the Civil War. Presented by Intrepid Theatre Company, it runs through Oct. 22 at the Horton Grand Theatre in Downtown. intrepidtheatre.org Ironbound: A Polish immigrant and factory worker struggles to find love and acceptance in Martyna Mayok’s poignant comedy. Directed by Jennifer Eve Thorn, it runs through Oct. 22 at the MOXIE Theatre in El Cajon. moxietheatre.com For full listings, visit “Theater” under Culture at sdcitybeat.com

86 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 18, 2017

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CULTURE | FILM

The Florida Project

Play time Sean Baker’s new film sees magic in the mundane

by Glenn Heath Jr.

S

No matter the romp, Baker and his talented cinomewhere over the rainbow, Sean Baker’s The Florida Project takes place in a humid and lethar- ematographer Alexis Zabe lock the camera in at gic slice of Americana called Orlando. It is a town Moonee’s level, hitching the entire film to her trailwhere enchantment is artificially created for adults blazing perspective. Yet Baker also makes room to and seemingly concocted out of thin air by children, address how the adults in this world form a shield of and thus split into two distinct experiences: capitalist protection around the bemused children. Bobby, ever fantasy and fantastical reality. The former belongs to the shepherd to this rowdy flock, comes to embody hordes of off-screen tourists that visit Disney’s stable this motif in one scene involving a predatory old man. of theme parks, while the latter unfolds just down the Here, Dafoe’s transitions in tone and mood are stunroad at a stretch of kitschy pastel motels with names ning, and indicative of adult interactions Moonee and like Futureland Inn that itinerant families call home. her pals are not ready to witness.

Despite the chaotic movement and vocal screechSix-year-old Moonee (Brooklynn Prince) and her friends Scooty (Christopher Rivera) and Jancey (Vale- ing, The Florida Project never comes across as exploitative or manipulative like Beasts of the Southern Wild, ria Cotto) rule this frantically magical kingdom.

As with Baker’s previous film, Tangerine, a ride-or- another Southern indie film about an interminable die Los Angeles-set comedy about two transgender young girl navigating the emotional terrain between poverty and imagination. Inprostitutes shot on an iPhone, stead of using these characters The Florida Project exudes masto portend tragedy, Baker infussive amounts of restless energy.

THE FLORIDA es them with an impenetrable It’s told through a series of viPROJECT reverie that stands alongside gnettes that avoid typical nartheir many flaws and mistakes. rative traditions, resembling Directed by Sean Baker This is especially evident in something closer to poetry than Starring Brooklynn Prince, Halley, a single mother who in linear storytelling. Moonee and Willem Dafoe and Bria Vinaite essence is still a child herself. It her friends are rhythmic forces would have been easy to judge of nature, searching endlessly Rated R her based on her many quesfor their next adventure. Often tionable parenting techniques this gets them into trouble with and bad decisions she makes, property manager Bobby (Willem Dafoe), who spends every waking hour trying to but The Florida Project understands that to do so balance maintenance priorities and interpersonal would deny the complexity of her underlying pain and beefs between residents. Moonee’s mother Halley uncertainty.

With deep love and affection for their characters, (Bria Vinaite), still very much caught in the reckless Baker and co-writer Chris Bergoch create a vibrant haze of her 20s, gives him the most grief.

The motel itself is a dense maze of purple walls, community pushed to the fringes by economics but stairwells and cramped rooms surrounded by hot still bursting at the seams with creative possibility. asphalt and spots of greenery. Helicopters offering Moonee and her friends may live in the shadows of tours of the skyline take off just beyond the perim- Mickey Mouse, but they have something far better to eter, a sight that Moonee and her horde take as a di- lean on—each other. The Florida Project, which opens rect affront. But mostly the children are screaming Friday, Oct. 20, is a gorgeous mad dash dedicated to and running and playing in their own epic sand box spirited adolescence and the stressed adults doing that extends well beyond the familiar confines of their everything they can to prolong it in the face of daily home base. Day trips to the ice cream parlor show the pressures to survive. extent to which they will hustle for their dessert, and an exploration into abandoned projects displays the Film reviews run weekly. potential danger of leaving children free to run amok. Write to glennh@sdcitybeat.com

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OCTOBER 18, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 87

CULTURE | FILM

Goodbye Christopher Robin

Bear in mind

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he enchanting qualities of Ashdown Forest in Sussex— the inspiration for Winnie the Pooh’s Hundred-acre wood— are on full display from the beginning of Goodbye Christopher Robin.

Exaggerated camera moves ascend through thick foliage rustling in the wind as blinding sunbeams dart between branches. It is a luminous place devoid of unnatural noise where children can get lost in their imaginations. That’s exactly what happens to the sprightly young son of author A.A. Milne (Domhnall Gleeson), who decides to relocate his family after growing weary of London social circles and comedic playwriting in the years following World War I.

88 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 18, 2017

A veteran of “the war to end all wars,” Milne suffers from bouts of PTSD and hopes the countryside move will quiet his demons. This idea sounds absolutely dreadful to party girl wife Daphne (Margot Robbie), who’s much more interested in frequenting speakeasies and debutante balls than being domesticated. Both parents are strangers to their eight-yearold son Christopher Robin (Will Tilston), who up to this point has been raised by a dutiful nanny named Olive (Kelly Macdonald).

Simon Curtis’ unmemorable biopic doesn’t flinch from painting the elder Milnes in a slightly negative light. They are often selfish, delusional and narrow-minded about parenting responsibilities.

Signs of life appear when Daphne leaves for a self-imposed sabbatical back in the city, giving Milne and Christopher Robin the chance to bond. From these freeing experiences, Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, Tigger and company are born.

It is here that Goodbye Christopher Robin develops something akin to a warm-hearted soul. This fleeting period of smiles and laughter eventually give way to the toxic culture of fame when Milne’s book takes on mass appeal. Curtis tries to weave in anti-war sentiments,

class division and the damning privilege of wealth. It all feels like too much weight for a film that quite serviceably laments the inevitable bastardization of childhood magic by the adult world.

—Glenn Heath Jr.

OPENING Bullets, Fangs, and Dinner at 8: Local Matthew Rocca directs and stars in this biting horror film about a vampire posing as a priest who creates a cult of people thirsty for blood. Opens Friday, Oct. 20, at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

Geostorm: Gerard Butler apparently plays a scientist responsible for creating a network of satellites protecting Earth from extreme weather events. When the system goes down, only he can save the planet.

Sounds fun, right?

GI Film Festival: This event presents a series of films that bring the stories of America’s military to the big screen through fiction and documentary films. Runs from Wednesday, Oct. 18 through Sunday, Oct. 22 at various San Diego venues. For more information visit gifilmfestivalsd.org.

Goodbye Christopher Robin: The story of author A.A. Milne (Domhnall Gleeson), who created Winnie the Pooh after witnessing his son Christopher Robin find peace and tranquility in the Ashdown Woods in Sussex.

La Habitación (Tales of Mexico): In this anthology film, eight directors capture 100 years of Mexican history through the

eyes of individuals who have occupied the same room at different time periods.

Opens Friday, Oct. 20, at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

Only the Brave: A group of elite firefighters risk their lives to protect a historic town from massive wildfires in this true story based on the Granite Mountain Hotshots.

Stars Josh Brolin, Jennifer Connelly and Taylor Kitsch.

The Florida Project: Sean Baker’s dreamy, frantic comedy about young ruffians running amok takes place in and around the kitschy motels hiding in the shadows of Orlando’s Disney theme parks.

The Snowman: Michael Fassbender stars as a police detective who must solve a series of grisly murders perpetrated by a snow-obsessed killer in this thriller from director Tomas Alfredson.

Tyler Perry’s Boo 2! A Madea Halloween: The characters made famous by Tyler Perry’s series of comedies attend a campground haunted by monsters. Scary indeed.

Walking Out: Matt Bomer (Magic Mike) stars in this riveting emotional thriller about an estranged father and son who are forced to rely on one another to survive an unforgiving wilderness. Opens Friday, Oct. 20, at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.

For complete

movie listings, visit Film at

sdcitybeat.com.

@SDCITYBEAT

JIMMY HUBBARD

MUSIC astodon aren’t the same band they used to be. Taken literally, that statement isn’t exactly true. The same four musicians that founded the band—bassist Troy Sanders, guitarists Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher, and drummer Brann Dailor, all of whom share vocal duties—have remained in the group for 17 years. Yet in that time, they’ve evolved a lot as songwriters and musicians.

When heard back-to-back, their debut album Remission and their newly released full-length, Emperor of Sand, don’t share much in common outside of having big, distorted guitar sounds. Yet the group’s evolution has been a gradual one.

As one of the biggest success stories in metal in the 21st century, Mastodon have been on a consistent yet gradual ascent for nearly two decades. Their 2004 album Leviathan was a breakthrough for the band, balancing intense sludge metal riffs with a Moby Dick-inspired narrative, while 2006’s Blood Mountain found them moving up to major label Reprise, where they’ve only become more experimental and, admittedly, less metal since.

There’s no question about it—Mastodon have undergone a lot of changes since forming in Atlanta in 2000. But Kelliher says in a phone interview that there are some things about the band that will always stay the same.

“Everyone’s been there since day one,” he says. “We’re still the same four guys since we started. We’re different, but we still make fart jokes and tell old war stories from the road. We all were there. We all have our own language out here with each other. It keeps us going.”

Emperor of Sand, released in March, is the logical conclusion of Mastodon’s ongoing evolution from underground metal to hard rock. They’re still playing heavy, complex music with big riffs and intense rhythms, but with more of a focus on melody and accessibility. A single like “Show Yourself” finds the band playing a more straightforward classic rock sound with big hooks and burly guitars, while “Precious Stones” balances the band’s intricate prog-rock tendencies with some of the dense, thunderous guitar sounds of their early days.

In the context of their overall catalog, Emperor of Sand is Mastodon’s weirdest album. And yet it’s one that also somehow

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The mutual appreciation and respect that each member has for one another is a large part of what’s kept them going for so long. From day one, they’ve had a no-member-left-behind policy, and Kelliher says it’s worked well for them.

“I think it’s just knowing each other really well, and knowing how to choose your battles,” he says. “I think a lot of bands go wrong when they have one guy who’s the main dude, like he’s the writer, and he takes more credit than everyone else. When we first started, our lawyer was trying to draw up all the percentages and how all that shit works. And we were like ‘we want everyone to be equal and nobody to be left out’ and it’s worked. With us, everyone has a job. Everyone contributes in some way. It’s not lopsided.”

From left: Bill Kelliher, Troy Sanders, Brent Hinds and Brann Dailor makes perfect sense given the direction they’ve taken throughout their career.

“We just try to get better at what we already do,” Kelliher says. “I feel like getting weirder is a good thing. Not staying in the same genre all the time and jumping around a little bit here and there. Just keep things interesting. If you listen to our first record and our new record, it sounds like two different bands. I mean, it’s been 17 years, but we’re just constantly evolving; trying to get better, and deeper and weirder.”

The four members of Mastodon have

spent a lot of time on stage and on the road together, often in close quarters. They’ve also all been through a lot of difficult life experiences, many of which have ended up inspiring their records. For instance, 2009’s Crack the Skye was named after Dailor’s sister Skye, who committed suicide at 14, and Emperor of Sand is inspired by family members and loved ones of three members of the band who had battled or succumbed to cancer, including Kelliher’s mother. In many ways, Mastodon is as much a support system as it is a musical outlet for these four men.

There’s another reason why Mastodon has lasted for as long as they have: They have no illusions about how fortunate they are to have made a sustainable career out of playing music, something that’s almost never guaranteed. So while it’s taken a long time for them to get where they are, they still made it happen thanks to one simple principle that Mastodon lives by: Get in the van and fucking do it.

“It’s the greatest job in the world,” Kelliher says. “I get to travel and play guitar and make great records and I don’t know what else I would do if I wasn’t doing this. I don’t think any of us would. We’re kind of like four lost souls. We all had part time jobs washing dishes and doing construction and it was like ‘I don’t want to do this, I want to rock out every night’. A lot of people ask, ‘what’s your secret’? I don’t know, you just get in the van and fucking do it. You just keep on going.

There’s a lot of stuff to sacrifice, there’s no easy answer—you just keep on doing it.”

Write to jefft@sdcitybeat.com and follow him on Twitter at @1000TimesJeff

OCTOBER 18, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 89

BY RYAN BRADFORD

MUSIC

NOTES FROM THE SMOKING PATIO LOCALS ONLY

T

he Stalins of Sound are coming to an end. The synth-punk band, which has been active since 2010, have announced their final two shows of the year, which will take place Nov. 10 at Pour House in Oceanside and Dec. 10 at The Casbah. The decision to end the group ultimately came MOLLY MILLS as a result of founding member and bassist Dave Masur’s decision to leave the group after moving out of San Diego. Guitarist/vocalist Hadi Fever says that the change in lineup signaled to him that it was time to move on.

“Dave, our origiThe Stalins of Sound nal bass player, quit in May,” he says. “He lives in Orange County and has a kid. So he was having a struggle with the rush-hour traffic coming down to San Diego. But he lasted a lot longer than I would have in that situation.

ALBUM REVIEW Bobby Cressey and Friends Cali Native (Self-released)

B

obby Cressey is the rare San Diego musician who regularly plays to audiences of thousands. He’s been the house organist for the San Diego Padres for eight years, regularly bringing the gift of music to home games at Petco Park. But Cressey’s been playing music for a lot longer than that, having performed with the likes of Snoop Dogg, Warren G and Ice Cube, in addition to collaborating with a long list of local performers. With Cali Native, he’s showcasing his own music through a selection of eight extra-funky soul-jazz tracks that prominently showcase his Hammond organ playing.

Cali Native is credited to Bobby Cressey and Friends, so while this is ultimately Cressey’s show, he’s got a lot of notable local names in his corner, including trumpet player Gilbert Castellanos, saxophonist Robert Dove and drummer Jake Najor, among many other players. As such, each track showcases a large ensemble that rarely includes the same lineup but manages to maintain a consistently funky mood throughout.

90 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 18, 2017

THE

SPOTLIGHT

“Dave and I have been playing together since 2008,” he adds. “Without him it just doesn’t feel right.”

As one band reaches its end, however, another is just getting started. Fever announced that he’s already formed a new group called Revolutionary Guard, which will be making their debut in February 2018, after the final Stalins shows take place. Fever says that Revolutionary Guard will share some qualities in common with the Stalins, but ultimately will be something new and different.

“I’m debuting the new band at Awesome Fest,” he says.

“We’ll have a live drummer, but he’ll be using an electronic drum set. It’s still going to be synth punk, but it won’t be like the Stalins. I want to scale it back and go for a basic, more melodic sound.”

The final Stalins of Sound shows will feature Masur playing bass, so that the band will bow out with the two founding members performing together. It’s a bittersweet finale, but Fever says that he’s ready to move on and enjoyed the experience while it lasted.

“I recruited Dave to come back again. We’re going to call it a day after these two shows,” he says. “But it’s been fucking awesome. We made a lot of friends and had a good time doing it.”

—Jeff Terich

Opening track “Master of Whispers” is a laid-back jam session that balances a thick, melodic horn section against some subtle guitar licks and Najor’s effortlessly syncopated beats.

Meanwhile, “Climbing the Tower” digs deeper into some nasty grooves and “Cha Cha Guanaca” shows off a fun Latin jazz approach. And the aptly titled “Muy Shreddings” gives all of its players ample room to let loose with some of their flashiest solos and instrumental indulgences. It’s a fun track, but it’s definitely over the top, especially the squealing electric guitar.

Given that jazz is an art form with 100 years of history and countless innovations in that time, there’s nothing particularly experimental or groundbreaking on Cali Native.

Nor does that seem to be the intent.

It’s simply a laid-back set of soulful, funky jazz instrumentals from a group of some of the best musicians in the city having a good time in the studio.

And Cressey himself has some consistently excellent performances throughout. After all, it’s unlikely he’d be hired to provide the soundtrack to Padres games if he wasn’t at the top of his own game.

The Vandals

L

ast year, when 91X announced Ye Scallywag!, its inaugural punk music and craft beer festival, it sounded like an absolute shitshow. Beer festivals are already spectacles of sweaty, red-faced dudes stumbling around, but then add some loud and fast music? No thanks. It sounded like one puke away from Riotsville, U.S.A. But then I went and—you know what?—it turned out to be really fun. The crowd of older punks didn’t treat it like an all-you-can-drink buffet as is often the case with so many beer fests. What’s more, the bands killed it.

This year’s Ye Scallywag! features bands that’ll please anyone who was raised listening to Fat Music for Fat People and Punk-O-Rama compilations. Here’s a little rundown of the bands that are playing: Me First and The Gimme Gimmes are essentially a novelty band that does covers, but NOFX’s Fat Mike plays in it, so I guess that makes it legit. Right?

Lagwagon does the sort of by-the-book punk that I call “the Fat sound,” due to the fact they sounded like all the bands that were signed to Fat Wreck Chords in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s: Fast, clean and melodic.

The Vandals are fucking hilarious. I saw them a couple months ago, and they’re still wild. I’m not ashamed to say I pumped my fist to the “DIARRHEA!” chant when they played “Live Fast, Diarrhea.”

The Adolescents are punk rock royalty. Bow down.

Pennywise are headlining, and they’re reliably decent. All they need to do is play “Bro Hymn” and I’ll be happy.

Strung Out and Western Settings are also playing, but I’m not as familiar with them. But after getting nice and sloshed, it won’t really matter.

Ye Scallywag! goes down on Oct. 21 at Waterfront Park. scallywagsd.com

—Jeff Terich

@SDCITYBEAT

@SDCityBeat

October 18, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 91

MUSIC

JEFF TERICH

IF I WERE U A music insider’s weekly agenda

JEN DESSINGER

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 18

PLAN A: Allah-Las, Entrance, Mapache @ Music Box. There’s nothing terribly complicated about Allah-Las, just upbeat, jangly, lightly psychedelic pop that recalls The Byrds and ‘60s garage rock. PLAN B: Songhoy Blues, Elektric Voodoo @ Belly Up Tavern. Songhoy Blues is a Malian desert-blues band whose music is big on killer guitar riffs. In spite of the language barrier, their electric blues sound is universal.

THURSDAY, OCT. 19

PLAN A: Mastodon, Eagles of Death Metal, Russian Circles @ House of Blues.

Read my feature this week on Mastodon, one of the biggest metal success stories of the 21st century as well as a band who simply never stops kicking ass. PLAN B: City of Caterpillar, Thou, Vril @ Soda Bar. Metalheads have a lot of tough choices this night, which includes this show that features hardcore legends City of Caterpillar and Louisiana’s epic sludge metal band, Thou. BACKUP PLAN: Gojira, Torche, Code Orange @ Observatory North Park.

FRIDAY, OCT. 20

PLAN A: Joyce Manor, Wavves, French Vanilla @ SOMA. The thing I love about Joyce Manor is that they’re emotional, sensitive punks, but they still rarely fuck with songs longer than two minutes. Once a punk, always a punk. PLAN B: KMFDM, OhGr, Lord of the Lost @ House of Blues.

I make no apologies for my industrial fandom, though KMFDM is more like a guilty pleasure. They’re over the top and schlocky, but still super fun. BACKUP PLAN: Michael Nau, Skyway Man @ Soda Bar.

SATURDAY, OCT. 21

PLAN A: Tei Shi, Twelve’len @ Soda Bar. Tei Shi is the stage name of Canadian artist Valerie Teicher, whose style of music is an eclectic blend of pop, soul and electronic sounds that’ll make Saturday night feel just a little bit funkier and more sensual. BACKUP PLAN: Ruines ov Abaddon, Harlequin, Warpath, Valkyrium @ The Merrow.

SUNDAY, OCT. 22

PLAN A: Yawning Man, We Are the Asteroid, Great Electric Quest @ Soda Bar. The name’s a little misleading, as there’s nothing boring or sleepy about Yawning Man. Rather, they make powerful, epic instrumental rock and have quietly built up an impressive cata-

92 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 18, 2017

Escape-ism log over the past 30 years. PLAN B: Soft Lions, Facial, Of Ennui @ Blonde. Facial is a dark, jittery band from L.A. whose music is reminiscent of Liars in their prime. They’re playing with a couple of ace local bands, including openers Of Ennui, who’ll blow you away.

MONDAY, OCT. 23

PLAN A: George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic @ Observatory North Park.

All you really need to turn your Monday around is a few bars of the bassline from “Flash Light.” Then you’ll be ready to tear the roof off the sucker. PLAN B: Red Fang, Death Eyes, All Souls @ The Casbah.

Heavy bands don’t often make party music, but Red Fang is an exception. The Portland stoner rock band makes catchy, loud anthems that are perfect for epic nights.

TUESDAY, OCT. 24

PLAN A: Escape-ism, US Underground @ Whistle Stop. Escape-ism is the new project from Ian Svenonious of The Nation of Ulysses and The Make Up fame. The music has a buzzing synth sound inspired by Suicide and The Normal. It rules. PLAN B: Open Mike Eagle, Billy Woods, DJ Artistic @ The Casbah. Mike Eagle is a multi-talented emcee who not only drops some lyrical science, but has a smooth singing voice and, for that matter, is pretty funny! Dude has skills.

BACKUP PLAN: M. Ward, Palehound @ Belly Up Tavern.

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MUSIC

CONCERTS HOT! NEW! FRESH!

Fallujah (Brick by Brick, 12/1), Pig Destroyer (Brick by Brick, 12/8), The Album Leaf (Casbah, 12/15), L.A. Witch (Casbah, 12/22), Cherry Glazerr (Observatory, 12/27), The Mattson 2 (Casbah, 12/29-30), Mary Timony plays Helium (Casbah, 2/15), Third Eye Blind (Observatory, 1/1), T.S.O.L. (Casbah, 1/4), Kris Kristofferson (BUT, 1/15), Converge (Brick by Brick, 1/27), Steven Wright (Balboa Theatre, 2/1), Majid Jordan (Observatory, 2/6), Killswitch Engage, Anthrax (HOB, 2/13), Enter Shikari (Music Box, 2/25), Janiva Magness (Casbah, 2/26), Galactic (BUT, 3/29), Los Lonely Boys (BUT, 4/22), Weird Al Yankovic (Humphreys, 5/12).

CANCELED ‘Low End Theory Anniversary Party’ w/ Gaslamp Killer (Music Box, 10/31).

GET YER TICKETS Thievery Corporation (BUT, 10/26), Turnover (Irenic, 10/27), Flying Lotus in 3-D (Observatory, 10/27), Roky Erickson (Casbah, 10/27), Iron and Wine (Balboa Theatre, 10/28), The Drums (Observatory, 11/1), ‘Live Wire 25th Anniversary’ w/ Rocket from the Crypt (Observatory, 11/4), Cults (Irenic, 11/5), Hamilton Leithauser (BUT, 11/9), Fall Out Boy (Viejas Arena, 11/15), Gary

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Numan (Observatory, 11/15), Tera Melos, Speedy Ortiz (Casbah, 11/16), Mayhem (Observatory, 11/17), Boris, Torche (Casbah, 11/17), Diarrhea Planet (Soda Bar, 11/17), Guttermouth (Brick by Brick, 11/18), Mogwai (Observatory, 11/20), New Found Glory (HOB, 11/25), Syd (Observatory, 12/2), Pere Ubu (Soda Bar, 12/8), Jamila Woods (Soda Bar, 12/9), The Slackers (Casbah, 12/12), Chris Isaak (BUT, 12/12-13), METZ (Casbah, 12/13), Julien Baker (Irenic, 12/15), Jay-Z (Viejas Arena, 12/19), X (Observatory, 12/22), Ozomatli (Music Box, 12/22-23), The English Beat (BUT, 12/22-23), Cracker, Camper Van Beethoven (BUT, 12/27), Donavon Frankenreiter (BUT, 12/28), Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue (BUT, 12/29-30), Willie Nelson (Harrah’s Resort, 1/6), Milky Chance (HOB, 1/8), Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (HOB, 1/15), Josh Ritter (BUT, 1/16), Wolf Parade (Observatory, 1/23), St. Vincent (Observatory, 1/27), Margo Price (BUT, 3/3), Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (HOB, 3/31), Steven Wilson (HOB, 5/13), Celtic Woman (Civic Theatre, 5/18).

OCTOBER WEDNESDAY, OCT. 18 Café Tacuba at Observatory North Park.

Arcade Fire at Viejas Arena. Little Steven and the Disciples at Humphreys by the Bay. Eddie Izzard at Balboa Theatre.

Allah-Las at Music Box. The Strypes at The Casbah. Songhoy Blues at Belly Up Tavern.

at Observatory North Park. Mastodon at House of Blues. Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie at Humphreys by the Bay.

FRIDAY, OCT. 20 Tegan and Sara at Balboa Theatre.

KMFDM at House of Blues. Penny & Sparrow at Music Box. The Kooks at Observatory North Park. Michael Nau at Soda Bar. JR JR at The Irenic.

SATURDAY, OCT. 21 Nick Murphy at Observatory North Park.

Echosmith at Music Box. Jimmy Buffett at Mattress Firm Amphitheatre. Tei Shi at Soda Bar. Beats Antique at Belly Up Tavern.

SUNDAY, OCT. 22 A$AP Mob at Observatory North Park (sold out). Carla Morrison at Humphreys by the Bay. Have Mercy at The Irenic. Pigeons Playing Ping Pong at The Casbah. Yawning Man at Soda Bar. Beats Antique at Belly Up Tavern.

MONDAY, OCT. 23 Red Fang at The Casbah. George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic at Observatory North Park. Knuckle Puck at The Irenic. Frederick the Younger at Soda Bar. Slightly Stoopid at Belly Up Tavern (sold out). Regina Spektor at Balboa Theatre.

TUESDAY, OCT. 24 Hanson at House of Blues. M. Ward at Belly Up Tavern. Open Mike Eagle at The Casbah. The Score at Soda Bar.

THURSDAY, OCT. 19 City of Caterpillar, Thou at Soda Bar. The Bronx at The Casbah (sold out). Gojira

MUSIC CONTINUED ON PAGE 94

OCTOBER 18, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 93

MUSIC MUSIC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 93 WEDNESDAY, OCT. 25 Delicate Steve at Soda Bar. A Tribe Called Red at Music Box. Messer Chups at The Casbah. Crystal Castles at Observatory North Park. Haley Reinhart at Belly Up Tavern.

THURSDAY, OCT. 26 Thievery Corporation at Belly Up Tavern. A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie at Observatory North Park. Elettrodomestico at Soda Bar. Paul Cauthen at The Casbah.

FRIDAY, OCT. 27 Luke Bryan at Mattress Firm Amphitheatre. Bloody Beetroots at Music Box. Flying Lotus in 3-D at Observatory North Park. Roky Erickson at The Casbah.

Turnover at The Irenic. Consider the Source at Soda Bar.

SATURDAY, OCT. 28 Iron and Wine at Balboa Theatre. The World Is A Beautiful Place and I Am No Longer Afraid to Die at The Irenic.

The Creepy Creeps at The Casbah. The Darlings at Soda Bar. WYO and Band of Gringos at Belly Up Tavern.

SUNDAY, OCT. 29 Joan Osborne sings Bob Dylan at Belly Up Tavern. Keali’i Reichel at Humphreys by the Bay. Parachute at The Irenic. Musiq Soulchild at Music Box.

MONDAY, OCT. 30 Steel Pulse at Belly Up Tavern. Zombie Surf Camp at The Casbah. Denim Robot at Soda Bar.

94 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 18, 2017

TUESDAY, OCT. 31 Black Star at Observatory North Park, 10/31 (sold out).

NOVEMBER WEDNESDAY, NOV. 1 Bret Michaels at Belly Up Tavern. Nekromantix at Brick by Brick. The Drums at Observatory North Park. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists at The Casbah. Feels at Soda Bar.

THURSDAY, NOV. 2 The B-52s at Belly Up Tavern (sold out).

Yelawolf at Observatory North Park. A Giant Dog at Soda Bar. Gondwana at Music Box. Jolie Holland and Samantha Parton at The Casbah.

FRIDAY, NOV. 3 Greyboy Allstars at Music Box. Azealia Banks at House of Blues. The B-52s at Belly Up Tavern (sold out). The Black Heart Procession at The Casbah. The Devil Makes Three at Observatory North Park. Whiskey Shivers at Soda Bar.

SATURDAY, NOV. 4 Black Heart Procession at The Casbah.

Son Little at Soda Bar. ‘Live Wire 25th Anniversary’ w/ Rocket from the Crypt at Observatory North Park. Ekali at Music Box. Max Frost at The Irenic. Vale of Pnath at Brick by Brick.

SUNDAY, NOV. 5 Truckfighters at Soda Bar. Halsey at Viejas Arena. Cults at The Irenic. Poncho Sanchez at Music Box. My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult at The Casbah. Caifanes at Observatory North Park.

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MUSIC MONDAY, NOV. 6 Noname at Observatory North Park. Kacy Hill at The Casbah. Naked Giants at Soda Bar.

TUESDAY, NOV. 7 Lizzo at Music Box. Yelle at The Casbah.

Red Wizard at Soda Bar.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 8 Will Hoge at Belly Up Tavern. Foxtrax at The Casbah. Hovvdy at Soda Bar.

THURSDAY, NOV. 9 Cloakroom at Soda Bar. Hamilton Leithauser at Belly Up Tavern. Tedeschi Trucks Band at Civic Theatre. David Ramirez at The Casbah. Dope, hed (p.e.) at Brick by Brick.

Blonde, 1808 W. Washington St., Mission Hills. Wed: ‘Dance Klassique’. Thu: The Babe Rainbow, Maybird, The Orange Kyte, Valley Cult. Fri: ‘Harvard Bass’ w/ The Homies. Sun: Soft Lions, Facial, Of Ennui. Mon: ‘Depeche Mode vs. New Order Dance Party’. Tue: ‘That Loud HipHop and R&B Show’.

Boar Cross’n, 390 Grand Ave., Carlsbad. Thu: Sweede. Fri: ‘Club Musae’.

Brick by Brick, 1130 Buenos Ave., Bay Park. Fri: 36 Crazyfists, The Last Ten Seconds of Life, 1001, A Hero Within. Sat: Sun: Avatar. Tue: Cloud Catcher, Monarch, Kimmi Bitter and the Night Howls, Bedlams Edge.

The Casbah, 2501 Kettner Blvd., Middletown. Wed: The Strypes, The Bassics.

Thu: The Bronx, Plague Vendor, ’68 (sold out). Fri: Mister Heavenly, Fan, The Color Forty Nine. Sat: Mary Lambert, Mal Blum, Buddy Wakefield. Sun: Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Flamingosis. Mon: Red Fang, Death Eyes, All Souls. Tue: Open Mike Eagle, Billy Woods, DJ Artistic.

Dizzy’s, 4275 Mission Bay Drive, Downtown. Fri: Richard Thompson Quintet.

Sat: Joshua White Trio. Sun: Michael Oletta.

The Field Irish Pub, 544 Fifth Ave., Downtown. Wed: Fiore. Thu: TJ Hooker. Fri: Blue Jean Simmons. Sat: Coral Bells.

Sun: Tim Orrahood. Mon: Eric French.

Tue: Gary Flick.

F6ix, 526 F St., Downtown. Fri: DJ Shadowman. Sat: Bootlegkev.

Fluxx, 500 Fourth Ave., Downtown. Fri: J. Espinosa. Sat: DJ Esco.

Henry’s Pub, 618 Fifth Ave., Downtown.

Thu: DJ Yodah. Fri: ‘Good Times’. Sat: ‘Rock Star Saturday’.

The Holding Company, 5046 Newport Ave., Ocean Beach. Wed: King Taylor Project. Thu: Fever Feel, Wicked Tongues, Bad Kids, Creature & The Woods. Fri: Keep Your Soul, Strawberry Moon, DJ OMZ. Sat: Law, Running & Screaming, DJ Product + Micah, DJ Chelu. Sun: Soundvault.

Hooley’s, 5500 Grossmont Center Drive, La Mesa. Fri: Up Front. Sat: King Taylor Project.

House of Blues, 1055 Fifth Ave., Downtown. Thu: Mastodon, Eagles of Death

Metal, Russian Circles. Fri: KMFDM, OhGr; Remo Drive, Diners, Bad Kids (Voodoo Room). Sat: Johnnyswim, Striking Matches. Sun: Bebe Rexha, Marc E. Bassey. Tue: Hanson.

Humphreys Backstage, 2241 Shelter Island Drive, Shelter Island. Wed: The Emergency Exit. Thu: Rosy Dawn. Fri: Rising Star. Sat: Funk’s Most Wanted.

Sun: B.I.G., Stellita. Mon: Sue Palmer.

Tue: Bayou Brothers.

The Irenic, 3090 Polk Ave., North Park.

Thu: Cody Simpson, Bay Ledges, Mom Jeans, Walter Etc., Beach Goons, Pueblo.

Fri: Michael Nau, Skyway Man. Sun: Have Mercy Boston Manor, Can’t Swim,

MUSIC CONTINUED ON PAGE 96

FRIDAY, NOV. 10 Amine at Observatory North Park. Deer Tick at Belly Up Tavern. D.R.I. at Brick by Brick. The Heavy Guilt at The Casbah.

Astronautalis at Soda Bar.

SATURDAY, NOV. 11 Pine Mountain Logs at Belly Up Tavern.

Roadkill Ghost Choir at Soda Bar. The Blasters at The Casbah.

SUNDAY, NOV. 12 Nahko at Belly Up Tavern (sold out). Battalion of Saints at Soda Bar. Lion Cut at The Casbah.

MONDAY, NOV. 13 Cold Specks at Soda Bar. Death from Above 1979 at House of Blues. New Crimes at The Casbah. Citizen at The Irenic.

TUESDAY, NOV. 14 The Sounds at Observatory North Park.

Bernard Collins and the Abyssinians at Belly Up Tavern. Gavin Turek at The Casbah. Dani Bell and the Tarantist at Soda Bar. Crowbar at Brick by Brick.

rCLUBSr

710 Beach Club, 710 Garnet Ave., Pacific Beach. Thu: Van Goat. Fri: Manic Fanatic, NuVintage. Sat: True Press, Unitree. Tue: Cherry Road.

Air Conditioned Lounge, 4673 30th St., Normal Heights. Wed: MC Kahlee. Thu: ‘Centerpiece’ w/ DJ Eliasar Gordillo. Sat: ‘Juicy’ w/ Mike Czech. Sun: ‘Chvrch’ w/ DJs Karma, Alice.

American Comedy Co., 818 B Sixth Ave., Downtown. Thu: Jay Mewes. Fri: Chris Hardwick. Sat: Chris Hardwick.

The Bancroft, 9143 Campo Road, Spring Valley. Thu: Sutherlin. Sat: Sending Signals, Dirty Pennies, League of Liars.

Bar Pink, 3829 30th St., North Park. Wed: Hey Ho! Let’s Go! Ramones tribute. Fri: DJs Grimm, Old Man Johnson. Sat: ‘Neon Beat’.

Beaumont’s, 5665 La Jolla Blvd., La Jolla. Thu: Adam Block Duo. Fri: Gusto. Sat: Part Time Model.

Belly Up Tavern, 143 S. Cedros Ave., Solana Beach. Wed: Songhoy Blues, Elektric Voodoo. Thu: G. Love and Special Sauce, Nancarrow. Fri: Runnin’ Down a Dream, Jack of Hearts Band. Sat: Beats Antique, ASADI. Sun: Beats Antique, ASADI. Mon: Slightly Stoopid. Tue: M. Ward, Palehound.

Black Cat Bar, 4246 University Ave., City Heights. Thu: ‘Release the Ratts’ w/ DJ Ratty. Fri: ‘Bands in the Nude’ w/ Patrick Dennis. Sat: The Great Silver Sun.

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OCTOBER 18, 2017 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · 95

MUSIC MUSIC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 95 A Will Away. Mon: Knuckle Puck, Movements, With Confidence, Homesafe.

Kava Lounge, 2812 Kettner Blvd., Middletown. Wed: ‘Reaching Out for the Hand of Love III’. Thu: ‘Acid Varsity’. Fri: ‘Techno Sabbath 004’. Sat: ‘Techniche’.

Kensington Club, 4079 Adams Ave., Kensington. Sat: ‘Bright Lights’ w/ Bry Blue$, K.Oh!, 10-19, Sir Daniel.

Lestat’s Coffee House, 3343 Adams Ave., Normal Heights. Fri: Strictly Skunk.

Sat: Steffan James and Joe Ackerly. Sun: Tyler Gilbert, Julian Jaime.

Loft @ UCSD, Price Center East, La Jolla. Fri: MNDSGN. Mc P’s Irish Pub, 1107 Orange Ave., Coronado. Wed: Goodall Boys. Thu: Stilettos. Fri: Manic Bros. Sat: 4-Way Street.

Sun: Street Heart. Tue: Harmony Road.

Martinis Above Fourth, 3940 Fourth Ave., Hillcrest. Wed: ‘Bad Heroine’ w/ Varla Jean Merman. Thu: ‘Bad Heroine’ w/ Varla Jean Merman. Fri: Janice & Nathan. Sat: La Voix. Sun: Ria Carey and Don L. Tue: ‘Stars of the Future’.

Music Box, 1337 India St., Little Italy.

Wed: Allah Las, Entrance, Mapache.

Thu: Sarah Jarosz, Brother Roy. Fri: Penny and Sparrow, Sister Speak (early show); Mark Farina, Cris Hererra (late show). Sat: Brogue Wave, Tony Cummins and Jerry McMorrow, The Fooks, San Diego’s Celtic Collection. Sun: ‘Virgin Islands Benefit’ w/ Rebecca Jade.

The Office, 3936 30th St., North Park.

Wed: ‘One Two Three’ w/ DJ EdRoc. Thu: ‘No Limits’ w/ DJ Myson King. Fri: ‘After Hours’ w/ DJs Adam Salter, Ikah Love. Sat: ‘Strictly Business’ w/ DJs EdRoc, Kanye Asada. Sun: ‘Uptown Top Ranking’. Mon: ‘Saved by the Beat’.

OMNIA Nightclub, 454 Sixth Ave., Downtown. Thu: Craig Smoove. Fri: Jack Novak. Sat: Mashd N Kutcher.

Parq, 615 Broadway, Downtown. Fri: Karma. Sat: DJ Mustard.

Plaza Bar at Westgate Hotel, 1055 2nd Ave., Downtown. Fri: Gilbert Castellanos.

Sat: Allison Adams Tucker. Mon: Julio de la Huerta.

Rich’s, 1051 University Ave., Hillcrest.

Wed: DJs John Joseph, Kinky Loops.

Thu: DJ Moody Rudy. Fri: DJs Drew G, Will Z. Sat: DJs Hektik, Paulo Ramirez.

Sun: DJs Cros, Paulo Ramirez.

The Merrow, 1271 University Ave., Hillcrest. Wed: Kitty Plague, The Touchies, Starcrossed, Mark Kramer, DJ Dyno. Fri: Bumblefoot, Brett Ellis Band, Big Tooth Comb, RDG. Sat: Ruines Ov Abaddon, Harlequin, Warpath, Valkyrium. Sun: ‘The Playground’ w/ DJ Heather Hardcore.

Tue: J. Hofstee, Ronhaar, Shane Hall.

Riviera Supper Club, 7777 University Ave., La Mesa. Wed: ‘Boss Jazz’ w/ Jason Hanna. Thu: Brennan Orndorff. Fri: Three Chord Justice. Sat: League of Liars.

Mr. Peabody’s, 136 Encinitas Blvd., Encinitas. Thu: California Rangers. Fri: Ristband. Sat: The Traumatics, Stoney B Blues. Sun: Tony Ortega Jazz Jam.

Seven Grand, 3054 University Ave., San Diego. Wed: Miss Erika Davies and the Men. Thu: Jimmy Ruelas. Fri: Cassandra Jenkins. Sat: Jimmy Ruelas. Mon: ‘Ma-

Rosie O’Gradys, 3402 Adams Ave., Normal Heights. Fri: Soul Ablaze. Mon: Jazz Jam w/ Louis Valenzuela.

96 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 18, 2017

KIM BLACK

kossa Monday’ w/ DJ Tah Rei. Tue: The Gabriel Sundy Jazz Trio.

Soda Bar, 3615 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights. Wed: Kalashnikov My Wife, The Killer Hz, Micelves. Thu: City of Caterpillar, Thou, Vril. Fri: Michael Nau, Skyway Man. Sat: Tei Shi, Twelve’len. Sun: Yawning Man, WE Are The Asteroid, Great Electric Quest. Mon: Frederick the Younger, Sights and Sages, Stray Monroe. Tue: The Score, Mainland.

SOMA, 3350 Sports Arena Blvd., Midway.

Thu: Stick to Your Guns, Stone, Modern Color. Fri: Wavves, Joyce Manor, French Vanilla. Sat: My American Heart, Speak Low, Tim Atlas.

SPACE, 3519 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights. Wed: Said the Whale. Fri: ‘KMFDM After Party’ w/ DJs Vaughn Avakian, Javi Nunez. Sat: ‘The Stomp’ w/ Funk Freaks DJs. Sun: ‘Pocari Sweat’ w/ DJ Rees Withrow.

Spin, 2028 Hancock St., Midtown. Wed: Yehme2. Fri: CamelPhat. Sat: Alex Acosta, Tristan Jaxx, Taj. Sycamore Den, 3391 Adams Ave., Normal Heights. Thu: The Great Silver Sun, Evyn Oliver. Sun: Jackson Price Band.

Til-Two Club, 4746 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights. Fri: Isaac Rother and the Phantoms, Kids in Heat, Alvino and the Dwells.

Sat: Behold the Monolith, Solar Haze, Galena, Nebula Drag. Sun: Pants Karaoke.

Tin Roof, 401 G St., Downtown. Wed: Noah Rickertsen, Evan Diamond Goldberg. Fri: Coriander, Chad and Rosie.

Sat: Kenny and Deez, Coriander. Sun: Kenny and Deez, Jen Hecht Duo. Mon: Mitch Clark. Tue: Mitch Clark.

Tio Leo’s, 5302 Napa St., Bay Park. Thu: The Fremonts. Fri: Funk’s Most Wanted.

Iron & Wine plays at the Balboa Theatre on Oct. 28.

Sat: ‘Bless Your Heart Burlesque’. Tue: Uptown Rhythm Makers.

Fri: Kid Wonder. Sat: DJ Qenoe. Tue: ’31 Flavors’.

Tower Bar, 4757 University Ave., City Heights. Fri: The Fountain of Youth, The Ghost Dance, Long Lost Suns, Heir Gloom. Sun: Ducking Punches, Spanish Love Songs, Rayner, Ash Williams. Mon: Sam Coffey and the Iron Lungs, Sixes, Fresh Brunettes.

Whistle Stop, 2236 Fern St., South Park.

Thu: ‘Cure Night’ w/ DJ Jon Blaj. Fri: ‘Fing in the Bushes’ w/ DJ Daniel Sant. Tue: Escape-ism, US Underground.

U-31, 3112 University Ave., North Park.

Wed: ’10 Year Anniversary’ w/ DJs Junior the Disco Punk, Kid Wonder, Artistic, Camron. Thu: ‘Boom Boxx Thursday’.

Winstons, 1921 Bacon St., Ocean Beach. Wed: Dubbest, The Orchard, DJ Carlos Culture. Thu: Easy Wind. Fri: The Devastators. Sat: EN Young & Imperial Sound, Janelle Phillips. Sun: Blue Jean Simmons. Mon: Electric Waste Band.

Tue: Trevor Green and Plexus.

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October 18, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 97

LAST WORDS

CHRISTIN BAILEY

ASTROLOGICALLY

UNSOUND

Semi-weekly forecasts from the so-called universe

ARIES (March 21 - April 19): It can be so frustrating when you walk into a room and forget what you’re there for because you were distracted by a monstrous figure in the shadows heaving with labored breaths. Anyway, you were looking for batteries.

TAURUS (April 20 - May 20): Don’t trust any of the following people: 1.) Anyone who tells you they have a strategy for winning on slot machines; 2.) Someone who says they have a puppy in the back of their van, or; 3.) Any person who says they really want to hear your honest opinion.

GEMINI (May 21 - June 20): You might think that

experiencing perfect darkness is when your eyes are open, but it feels like your eyes are closed. The truth is that not everything is just a variable version of something else.

CANCER (June 21 - July 22): The prism’s beautiful effect is achieved from the conflict of ripping apart things that long to be together. In general though, being needlessly divisive tends to have overwhelmingly negative results.

LEO (July 23 - August 22): You know where winding up the Jack-in-the-Box will lead. Yet you’re startled every time the little man pops up and grips you with his impossibly strong hands and pulls you

98 · SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT · OCTOBER 18, 2017

down into a world you cannot name.

VIRGO (August 23 - September 22): Obstinately refusing to adapt to things is a good way to end up waiting at the bottom of an out-ofservice escalator for hours just because you shouldn’t “have to” take the stairs.

LIBRA (September 23 - October 22): Okay, since you’re so smart, you can do it for me: You’ll have a/n [adjective] week if you remember the secret to [present participle verb] is making sure you [adverb] [verb] the [collective noun].

SCORPIO (October 23 - November 21): You may be deceived by appearances this week.

Remember, just because zebras have the general shape of horses doesn’t mean they have the same gentle demeanor. They—and I can’t emphasize this enough—do not.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 - December 21): The powerful psychological process known as

“projection” is the means by which all the people in the grocery store look like The Joker. Or maybe it’s because it’s Halloween and they’re in costumes?

CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 19): The biggest living organism is a four-mile wide mushroom in Oregon. Not a lot going on this week for you, but I’ll keep you updated on the mushroom news as it develops.

AQUARIUS (January 20 - February 18): Your lucky color this week is red. But there’s no way to tell whether it’s good luck or bad luck so, I mean, wear a red outfit…? Or you really shouldn’t?

Dunno. Could go either way.

PISCES (February 19 - March 20): A message for you is in the stars: A stork is gonna pick you up in a little bundle if you keep acting like such a baby.

Astrologically Unsound appears every other week. Follow Christin Bailey on Twitter at @hexprax.

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October 18, 2017 · San Diego CityBeat · 99