Dreaming isn’t a matter of fantasy for LA-based cook Lisa Holmes—it’s the first step to making things happen. After all, it was a dream that led the food-and-lifestyle coach to land her first cooking show.
On the upcoming “Dare to Dream” episode of Be Well + Live Well with Lisa, Holmes tells her story and cooks up a delicious meal on a Rancho Santa Fe estate through HomWork, a service that’s like Airbnb but for coworking. The series airs on Taste on TV, a cooking channel dedicated to the food, culture, and voices of African Americans and people of color.
What’s on the menu? Holmes starts with goat cheese and almond-stuffed dates wrapped in bacon as an appetizer. The entrée features grilled cod with zucchini and summer squash topped with a roasted red pepper sauce, all laid on a bed of polenta. For dessert, you’ll learn how to make a Southern bourbon-buttermilk pie, which comes from a recipe passed down by her grandmother.
“What I’m hoping to do is just inspire,” Holmes says. “Especially if I have a platform that can encourage and motivate people and help get them redirected toward something that they’ve been trying to accomplish, or that they’ve given up on.”
In her dining discussions, Holmes draws from her experience in human resources. She worked 30 years as an executive coach for career success, and has motivated dozens of people to change their mindset and search for opportunities.
After struggling with her own medical conditions, Holmes was inspired to start a whole new lifestyle and launched Honey and Company for cooking products, skin care products, and home necessities, all of which are used on the show.
“I take people on my journey because I have a curiosity for life,” Holmes says. “Hopefully, it gets people to feel a little better after watching.”
One of my favorite chefs in the country, Patrick Ponsaty, gets own restaurant
By Troy Johnson
So this one is breaking. I don’t have all of the details. But when pressed to name my “favorite chef in San Diego,” the answer always includes a handful. But it always includes Patrick Ponsaty, the ex-Loews and El Bizcocho chef, one of only two Master French Chefs in San Diego (the other being Bernard Guillas at Marine Room).
Now he has his own restaurant, and it’s rumored his name will be part of the name of the restaurant. A well-deserved and long overdue development in San Diego’s food scene. He and his partner have taken over Delicias in Rancho Santa Fe. They are planning an extensive remodel. Though its own very affluent island in northern San Diego, it will be worth your drive out there. Trust me. Everyone I send to Ponsaty returns to say their lives have changed in an imperceptibly joyful way.
A few years ago, Ponsaty left Loews to join local businessman Brian Bonar’s emerging restaurant business. He’s been overseeing culinary at their Escondido bistro, Bellamy’s. He’s also cooking at Bonar’s historical ranch, Bandy Canyon.
And now the news breaks today that they’ve bought Delicias, the Rancho Santa Fe restaurant that’s been there for 26 years.
Bull Taco to Leucadia; Anthology's new owner?; tons of rumors
By Troy Johnson
JAZZ HANDS: Little Italy’s 13,000-square foot jazz supper club, vacant since early last year, sounds to have new owners. Originally, it looked like an L.A. group was set to invade, but multiple sources have told us that local Tim Aaron—who recently took over both Nicky Rottens locations—is heading the project now. Calls to Aaron haven’t been returned so we have zero direct confirmation. But we’re told they’re doing a big remodel and plan to open in June.
GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LEUC: Leucadia’s little food renaissance is on. The last couple years has seen Fish 101, Solterra Winery + Kitchen and Regal Seagull move into one of the last funky beach communities in SD. The new project from Vigilucci’s group—Robby’s—is reportedly coming along beautifully, but slow. Now Leucadia is getting Bull Taco—the proudly “inauthentic Mexican” joint made famous because a couple surf punks served creative tacos (lobster chorizo, shrimp curry, even foie gras back when it was legal) out a window overlooking the beach. The new location is going into the former Jamroc (101 N. Coast Hwy 101). There’ve also been rumors that Bull Taco would take over Woody’s in Solana Beach (near CPK, formerly fine dining joint Blanca). But a BT rep says “no, not yet.”
SAN DIEGO MEANS BEER IN GERMAN: Craft beer bottle shops are the new wine bar. Bottlecraft in Little Italy and North Park has obviously done a great job. Now Solana Beach is getting one with San Diego BeerWorks—also going into the Beachwalk Retail Center in the former space of Cupcake Love.
NICE PLACE NEEDS CHEFS: Rancho Santa Fe’s top property Rancho Valencia has lost both exec chef Eric Bauer and sous chef James Noonan. We knew Noonan was leaving to be top toque for Urban Plates, but weren’t sure about Bauer’s new gig. Now Eater’s reporting Bauer has joined catering company H Events, which handles the annual Diner En Blanc. Look for Rancho Valencia to make a big new hire to helm its signature restaurant, Veladora. That $1M Damien Hirst art almost demands it.
TOTALLY UNCONFIRMED RUMORS: By no means are the following cemented nor confirmed, but… A source has told us that the long-shuttered On Broadway has a new owner. Our source also told us that the new club will be called YOLO—the internet acronym for You Only Live Once. Just kind of lets the soul leak out of ya, doesn’t it? Pray harder…. Oggi’s Pizza is reportedly working on opening a bunch of new locations around SD, concentrating the first efforts near SDSU… Pirch—the high-end kitchen showroom that hosts a slew of top-notch culinary events—is expected by expecters to open a few more spots around the city soon…. Three big renovations planned for iconic SD spots: The Catamaran Resort (Pacific Beach), The Horton Grand Hotel (Downtown) and Baleen (at Paradise Point in Mission Bay, home to talented chef Amy DiBiase)…. Keep your eye on the great and mighty Pannikin coffee shop in Del Mar’s Flower Hill Promenade. We have reason to believe there may be some big changes coming to that space as FHP continues its overhaul… We’re also hearing that PB Fish Shop has just signed on for a second location in Encinitas, and are planning a few more…
Bull Taco to Leucadia; Anthology's new owner?; tons of rumors
By Troy Johnson
JAZZ HANDS: Little Italy’s 13,000-square foot jazz supper club, vacant since early last year, sounds to have new owners. Originally, it looked like an L.A. group was set to invade, but multiple sources have told us that local Tim Aaron—who recently took over both Nicky Rottens locations—is heading the project now. Calls to Aaron haven’t been returned so we have zero direct confirmation. But we’re told they’re doing a big remodel and plan to open in June.
GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LEUC: Leucadia’s little food renaissance is on. The last couple years has seen Fish 101, Solterra Winery + Kitchen and Regal Seagull move into one of the last funky beach communities in SD. The new project from Vigilucci’s group—Robby’s—is reportedly coming along beautifully, but slow. Now Leucadia is getting Bull Taco—the proudly “inauthentic Mexican” joint made famous because a couple surf punks served creative tacos (lobster chorizo, shrimp curry, even foie gras back when it was legal) out a window overlooking the beach. The new location is going into the former Jamroc (101 N. Coast Hwy 101). There’ve also been rumors that Bull Taco would take over Woody’s in Solana Beach (near CPK, formerly fine dining joint Blanca). But a BT rep says “no, not yet.”
SAN DIEGO MEANS BEER IN GERMAN: Craft beer bottle shops are the new wine bar. Bottlecraft in Little Italy and North Park has obviously done a great job. Now Solana Beach is getting one with San Diego BeerWorks—also going into the Beachwalk Retail Center in the former space of Cupcake Love.
NICE PLACE NEEDS CHEFS: Rancho Santa Fe’s top property Rancho Valencia has lost both exec chef Eric Bauer and sous chef James Noonan. We knew Noonan was leaving to be top toque for Urban Plates, but weren’t sure about Bauer’s new gig. Now Eater’s reporting Bauer has joined catering company H Events, which handles the annual Diner En Blanc. Look for Rancho Valencia to make a big new hire to helm its signature restaurant, Veladora. That $1M Damien Hirst art almost demands it.
TOTALLY UNCONFIRMED RUMORS: By no means are the following cemented nor confirmed, but… A source has told us that the long-shuttered On Broadway has a new owner. Our source also told us that the new club will be called YOLO—the internet acronym for You Only Live Once. Just kind of lets the soul leak out of ya, doesn’t it? Pray harder…. Oggi’s Pizza is reportedly working on opening a bunch of new locations around SD, concentrating the first efforts near SDSU… Pirch—the high-end kitchen showroom that hosts a slew of top-notch culinary events—is expected by expecters to open a few more spots around the city soon…. Three big renovations planned for iconic SD spots: The Catamaran Resort (Pacific Beach), The Horton Grand Hotel (Downtown) and Baleen (at Paradise Point in Mission Bay, home to talented chef Amy DiBiase)…. Keep your eye on the great and mighty Pannikin coffee shop in Del Mar’s Flower Hill Promenade. We have reason to believe there may be some big changes coming to that space as FHP continues its overhaul… We’re also hearing that PB Fish Shop has just signed on for a second location in Encinitas, and are planning a few more…
Finding a gift that feels truly personal can be surprisingly difficult. In a sea of generic options — flowers, gift cards, candles, and the like — Xplosion Box offers something more lasting: a customized keepsake built around the photos, messages, and memories that matter most.
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At its core, Xplosion Box helps people turn favorite photos, stories, and words into something tangible: a keepsake that can be opened, revisited, and remembered long after the occasion has passed. asion has passed.
Designer of Craft + Commerce tapped for reinvention
By Troy Johnson
One of SD’s top chefs is getting a new room. James Beard Award nominee Carl Schroeder will get a few days off Oct. 14-24 when Market Restaurant + Bar closes for a complete remodel. Local design firm Basile Studio is handling. Judging by Paul Basile’s past work (Craft & Commerce, Bankers Hill, Polite Provisions, etc.), the new Market should be fun to look at.
Market partner Terryl Gavre is quick to point out that this will not be anything like Craft & Commerce. But that fantastic spot is an example of Basile’s work, and why we should all give a damn about this news.
Gavre says they’re adding a wood-stone oven to the bar area and rolling out a new casual menu cooked exclusively in the hot pit (flatbreads, roasted meats, shellfish, etc.). They’re also opening up what was formerly known as the “Red Room” (the lounge off to the side), making it part of the main dining room. Custom glass doors will give ‘em the option of sealing it off for a private party.
Gavre on the aesthetic of the new space: “The finish materials haven’t been finalized yet, but we’re using natural materials, warm woods, neutral colors. The look will be a comfortable, ‘Napa style.’ Our location close to the hills and horse farms of Rancho Santa Fe lends itself to the same feel of the wine country. So it seemed a natural direction.”
TROY’S PICKS Maine lobster salad Scottish trout Olive-oil cake
Dear Grandma,
It’s with a heavy heart that I write today. I wanted to tell you in person, but with your valves not as valve-like as they once were, I felt I should prepare you for your annual respite in Rancho Santa Fe.
San Diego is different. Shamu still draws a crowd, but a smaller and sadder one. Bartenders are extinct; the polite nomenclature is now “mixologist.” They’re very artistic, and sensitive.
So much change. Including your favorite spot in all of life—The Restaurant at Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa. Remember the blue-and-yellow Spanish tiles? How you said they reminded you of a swimming pool at a very affordable motel? They’re gone. Remember how you’d have me recite the jokes from Ladies’ Home Journal while you crocheted by the sunny window? How some jokes, especially ones about ironing, were so funny that you spilled your tea? Well, the restaurant is less Ladies’ Home these days.
There’s no easy way to say it. The place you loved is gone, Grandma. But if I can convince you of anything in this letter, it’s that… it’s beautiful! World-class! They spent $30 million making the Relais & Châteaux property even more Relais-y.
“I know change is hard, Grandma. I know you loved the old restaurant, but I always felt the phrase ‘dull torpor’ described my feelings about it. I was concerned the new designers would ruin the ‘soul’ of the place. But, I assure you, that $30 million was incredibly well spent.”
The new owners (their dad created Qualcomm, which makes phones without cords) brought in a flashy designer. His business name is Mr. Important Design, which I’ll take at face value because the new room looks important. The restaurant is now called Veladora, which is I believe is Italian for “over budget.”
It’s appointed with beautiful hunting-lodge wooden frames, iron chandeliers, and candles galore (I just consulted the Internet—it seems veladora is actually Spanish for “candle”). The centerpiece is a huge, brightly colored piece of art that looks like a Buddhist mandala, or a splayed-out collection of tie-dyed t-shirts. But it’s made of hundreds of real butterfly wings and cost $1.1 million! The artist’s name is Damien Hirst. He’s British and famous for putting dead animals behind glass.
There’s a new cocktail den called the Pony Room. I know, I know. Grandpa said places named after animals were always “sellin’ flesh.” And I guess they are—Kobe beef sliders on brioche with Béarnaise, candied garlic chicken wings, wood-fired pizzas, and salamis they make themselves. They have more than 100 tequilas, so I tried the Neck Shot cocktail with blanco tequila, serrano-infused simple syrup, and house-made grapefruit soda. My wife you don’t approve of chose the Peachy Paddock Mule with Bulleit Rye, fresh peaches, house-made ginger beer, and lime juice. Both were remarkably fresh, as if some prankster spiked your hand-squeezed juice. That said, our cocktails tasted nearly identical; some nuance is desired.
The Pony Room is, however, one of the most stunning places I’ve ever had an indistinguishable cocktail. The wooden barstools are branded like cattle, standing on hoof-shaped feet! The wallpaper is textured. There are deep leather chairs, oil paintings, candle-shaped light bulbs, and a massive hutch filled with stemware. It smells like new leather and feels like home, if my home were prettier.
We’ve eaten there twice now. The first evening, the maître d’ walked us through Veladora’s warm, lovely main dining room and its legion of throw pillows, and sat us in the Sunrise Room. Remember this room? Such sentimental value! Unfortunately, that’s its only allure. Compared to the main dining room’s $1.1 million supply of butterfly wings, both Unapproved Wife and I felt like we’d been banished to the kids’ table. So remember to ask to sit in Veladora’s main area, or just eat in the Pony Room.
Veladora’s chef is Eric Bauer, formerly of that jazz club called Anthology, and the Four Seasons. He uses produce from local farms, including a famous patch of earth called Chino. All of his herbs are grown on-property. He also has six honeybee hives! And an olive grove to make his own oil! He is The Luckiest Chef in the World.
Do try his slow-poached Maine lobster salad, Grandma. You won’t miss the mayonnaise dressing, I swear. It has pickled and roasted beets, so sweet, with avocado and tufts of burrata cheese in a lemon vinaigrette. It’s art on a plate. The wild-caught ono crudo we didn’t love as much. The tang from pickled apples, white soy, and poached black mustard seeds overwhelmed the roasted pepper oil and silky ono. The steak tartare comes out in a generous roll. It looks like a sausage someone forgot to cook; but just scrape off a bit of the salty lemon-and-caper aioli and it’s very good.
Bauer is making excellent extruded pastas! The kind pressed through bronze dies (like a gun chamber for pasta) with durum wheat for that rough, textured surface that catches every bit of sauce! Both the lamb osso bucco and Bolognese with Reggiano cheese were lovely. The wild mushroom risotto with whipped mascarpone and Reggiano had great creamy-forest flavor—though we did find the rice a bit hard-centered, as if someone had a lapse and added cold stock.
Now, I know you’ve called vegetarians “bony fanatics,” but they’ve spawned and grown in number. Bauer is thoughtful to include two options for them. The Anson Mills polenta with wood-roasted ratatouille ragout and smoked tomato sauce is sinfully creamy, with enough vegetable acid to give it a kick. I’d like a touch less cream and a bit more polenta grit, but that’s a quibble.
You must try the sautéed Scottish trout with braised millet (it’s a very old grain, apparently good for your constitution), roasted and smoked turnips, mussels, and fennel-orange reduction. Oh, my. The skin cracks like glass, and the meat is perfectly cooked (a few degrees past raw in center). Bauer also manages to keep his Berkshire pork tenderloin from drying out—a feat. It’s a touch salty, but the sunchoke purée and roasted local figs balance that out if eaten as a composed bite.
For dessert, pastry chef Jean Marie Verhoeven makes an olive-oil cake with honey-roasted figs and lemon-thyme tuile (fancy thin cookie) and sliced Marcona almonds. It’s good, as is the spiced fruit consommé, served with strawberry bits, lemon verbena, a pistachio tuile, and citrus mascarpone. A light treat.
I know change is hard, Grandma. I know you loved the old restaurant, but I always felt the phrase “dull torpor” described my feelings about it. I was concerned the new designers would ruin the “soul” of the place. But, I assure you, that $30 million was incredibly well spent.
If you’re anything like us, it can be easy to get so caught up in taking care of everyone else, that your own needs get lost in the ether. But while this may be a cliché, that doesn’t make it any less true: You can’t give your best self to other people unless you’re taking care of yourself.
Sometimes, that looks like stopping in for your regular acupuncture or chiropractic appointment. Other days, it means giving your body the fresh, organic fuel it needs to truly feel and function at its best. And some other times still, it involves leaving your responsibilities behind for a weekend to pamper yourself at an incredible resort and spa.
Only you can decide what your truly need. We’re just here to help you find the best ways to get it.
Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa
Island living meets desert luxury at the Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa in Indian Wells. When you step onto the 11-acre property, you’ll be surrounded by sweeping view of the Santa Rosa Mountains with olive trees and fragrant citrus groves decorating the grounds. In other words, everything about this relaxed but refined resort is primed to help you let go of the stress from home and enjoy easy sun-soaked days and gorgeous starry nights.
The rooms blend calming, woven textures with Tommy Bahama’s signature tropical prints and feature private lanais, making it easy unwind the moment you walk in the door. If you book one of the four Villa Suites, you’ll be treated to exclusive Tommy Bahama furniture and unique personal touches to further that feeling of instant ease.
At the award-winning Spa Rosa, the expert team will help reset and recharge your body and mind using methods and rituals inspired by the desert. The 12,000-square-foot retreat includes outdoor soaking pools, eucalyptus steam rooms, and outdoor cabanas, as well as massages, facials, and body masks—all aimed at creating a day dedicated to you. We’re particularly partial to the Day Long Escape, an indulgent all-day affair of CDBs soaks, renewing scrubs, life changing massages, and transformative facials.
Following your treatment, continue the experience with a meal on the patio at Grapefruit Basil. We love the Hamachi Crudo, a light, citrus-forward dish featuring premium yellowtail, house-made ponzu, creamy avocado, and fresh seasonal garnishes.
Whether you’re strolling the gardens, relaxing beside its saltwater pools, or indulging in a restorative treatment, you’ll be able to escape in style and relax in luxury at the Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa.
Healcove Chiropractic
There’s no shortage of ways to stay active in San Diego—but if you really want to enjoy everything the city has to offer, you’ve got to make sure you’re giving your body its tune-ups. Enter: Healcove Chiropractic. The board-certified chiropractors and wellness professionals at Healcove are experts at addressing that stage where you’re not injured, exactly, but you’re not at 100%, either. Maybe you’re feeling a bit tense or stressed out. Or it could be that you’re not quite moving the way you want to. Sometimes, it’s just that the accumulation of days, weeks, or even years of daily strain is starting to take a toll. No matter what stage you find yourself at, the Healcove Chiropractic team can provide integrated, preventative care centered on long-term, science-backed approaches that ensure you can always stay active and live the life you want to live pain-free.
This starts by providing truly individualized care. Every patient can expect a thorough 60-minute consultation session that includes a posture and movement screening. This allows the team to develop a completely personalized plan. That plan might include chiropractic care, acupuncture, or massage therapy, as well as functional fitness training, vibration and sound therapy, and Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization, a clinical rehabilitation method that retrains the body’s stabilization systems. Whatever the team recommends, you can be sure that it’s tailored to meeting your body’s needs today and the future.
There’s a reason that San Diego Magazine named Healcove the “Best Chiropractor in San Diego”—don’t wait until you’re struggling with an injury to find out why. Book an appointment today for holistic, integrated care that helps ground and heal your body before it reaches a crisis point.
Juice Holler
West Coast wellness culture meets the community feel of Southern Appalachia at Juice Holler. Juice Holler’s menu consists of made-to-order smoothies and smoothie bowls, as well as grab-and-go cold-pressed juices, wellness shots, salads, and more. It operates from the blissfully simple premise that fueling up with food and drink that’s guilt-free and good your body should be simple, accessible, and, above all else, delicious. And if you haven’t yet made it out to the Encinitas café, which opened just this year, let us be the first to tell you: Juice Holler delivers on each and every of these fronts.
We love the Supercharger smoothie, a mood-lifting and body-fueling option made with banana, almond butter, blue spirulina, maca, grass-fed whey protein, raw cacao nibs, medjool dates, and coconut milk. We’re also partial to the Thrive Alive smoothie bowl, where avocado, mango, sea moss, spirulina, mint, coconut milk, and agave are mixed and topped with coconut, chia seeds, strawberry, mango, and chocolate drizzle. The wellness shots include the Detoxifier, a cleansing blend of kale, cucumber, lemon and spirulina, plus a shot specially designed to fight inflammation (named, fittingly, Anti-Inflammation). Probiotic overnight oats, lemon turmeric bars, and strawberry shortcake chia pudding are other standouts on the grab-and-go menu.
Much of the vibe feels beachy North County chic—think green tile with orange and pink accents, grounded with greenery and natural wood—but Juice Holler founder Kelly Sergott, a longtime Encinitas local, has also enfused the space with her Kentucky roots. In Appalachia, a holler is small valley between hills and mountains, where nature reigns, community is king, and nourishment comes right from the land. At Juice Holler, Sergott has created a holler for the busy modern times, using local ingredients to create a spot for people to come together and enjoy fresh, fast, feel-good fuel for their day.
Everwell Acupuncture
We’ve all had that experience with a medical professional where we’ve felt rushed, ignored, or misunderstood—and ultimately, like we didn’t get the answers that we needed. But at Everwell, the holistic acupuncture practice located in Solana Beach, the care team wants to transform your understanding of what healthcare can look like.
Patients at Everwell experience care rooted in intentional listening and radical empathy—and trust us, those aren’t just corporate buzzwords. This place actually puts those ideas into practice. You will always be given the time you need to tell your story— initial in-take appointments are two hours long—and you can rest assured that your story will be believed. Every single question and concern will be addressed by a dedicated practitioner who wants to find the specific solutions that work best for you, and you’ll receive care that’s aimed at healing the body, mind, and spirit.
Everwell’s highly trained, doctorate-level practitioners blend evidence-based acupuncture with the practice of classical Chinese medicine. (If you’ve never tried acupuncture before or aren’t sure if the team will be a fit, we’d highly recommended Everwell’s complimentary 20-minute consultations.) Research shows that by stimulating specific points on the body, acupuncture activates a natural healing response in the body, helping to restore balance, regulate the nervous system, and improve overall wellbeing. This allows the practice to address an incredibly wide range of conditions from chronic pain and autoimmune disorders to digestive issues, from stress and burnout to headaches migraines, fertility and postpartum struggles, hormonal imbalances, sleep concerns and more.
At Everwell, you can expect to feel heard, trusted, respected, and cared for. This is a space that doesn’t want to be just another healthcare provider you visit; it wants to provide patients with dedicated partner who will be there for their entire health journey.
