Originally an agricultural fair for local farmers, the San Diego County Fair has grown and evolved since 1880. After shifting locations (including Balboa Park) several times, the Fair was forced into hiatus during the Great Depression.
In 1933, the state’s decision to legalize horseracing and gambling helped bring the event back to life, this time in Del Mar, chosen for its proximity to the 101 and the Santa Fe railroad line.
If the photo above was taken in 1936, the tightrope walker (center) is headlining act Bunny Dryden. Rancho Santa Fe resident, actor, and horse breeder Bing Crosby served as honorary steward of the harness races, and Barbara Watson was crowned Queen of the Fair (aka “Fairest of the Fair,” a competition which continued until 2004). Rain dampened the festivities, which took place October 8–18, prompting a move to June and July a few years later, and the fair has kept its home in those months and on those grounds ever since.
Interior designer Amy Meier, 33, blends classic East Coast prep with San Diego's easy-breezy beach lifestyle. Here, her must-haves for May.
Amy Meier
Neighborhood: Rancho Santa Fe
Current job: Founder and principal of Del Mar-based Amy Meier Design
Background: Amy is a graduate of Parsons The New School for Design. She worked as a graphic designer, photographer, and fashion designer before starting her own company in 2009.
Personal style: Gamine glamour with a dash of tomboy
Design philosophy: “Contrast is always dynamic. Don’t be afraid to pair unexpected colors, juxtapose textures, and mix antiques from different eras. Stay true to your personal style; hold out until you find the piece that will make you smile every day.”
San Diego County's best dental professionals and specialists, from general dentistry to periodonctics
INTRODUCTION
This list is excerpted from the topDentists™ list, a database which includes listings for more than 450 dentists and specialists in the San Diego metropolitan area. The San Diego area list is based on thousands of detailed evaluations of dental professionals by their peers. The complete database is available at www.usatopdentists.com. For more information call 706-364-0853; write P.O. Box 970, Augusta, GA 30903; email [email protected]; or visit www.usatopdentists.com.
SELECTION PROCESS
“If you had a patient in need of a dentist, which dentist would you refer them to?” This is the question we asked thousands of dentists to help us determine who the topDentists should be. Dentists and specialists are asked to take into consideration years of experience, continuing education, manner with patients, use of new techniques and technologies, and, of course, physical results.
The nomination pool of dentists consists of dentists listed online with the American Dental Association, as well as all dentists listed online with their local dental societies, thus allowing virtually every dentist the opportunity to participate. Dentists are also given the opportunity to nominate other dentists whom we may have missed who they feel should be included in our list. Respondents are asked to put aside any personal bias or political motivations and to use only their knowledge of their peers’ work when evaluating the other nominees.
Voters are asked to individually evaluate the practitioners on their ballots whose work they are familiar with. Once the balloting is completed, the scores are compiled and then averaged. The numerical average required for inclusion varies depending on the average for all the nominees within the specialty and the geographic area. Borderline cases are given a careful consideration by the editors. Voting characteristics and comments are taken into consideration while making decisions. Past awards a dentist has received and status in various dental academies (Academy of General Dentistry, American Academy of Periodontology, etc.) can play a factor in our decision.
Once the decisions have been finalized, the included dentists are checked against state dental boards for disciplinary actions to make sure they have active licenses and are in good standing with the board. Then letters of congratulations are sent to all the listed dentists.
Of course, there are many fine dentists who are not included in this representative list. It is intended as a sampling of the great body of talent in the field of dentistry in the United States. A dentist’s inclusion on our list is based on the subjective judgments of his or her fellow dentists. While it is true that the list may at times disproportionately reward visibility or popularity, we remain confident that our polling methodology largely corrects for any biases and continues to represent the most reliable, accurate, and useful list of dentists available anywhere.
DISCLAIMER
This list is excerpted from the topDentists™ master list, which includes listings of more than 450 dentists and specialists in the San Diego metropolitan area. For more information call 706-364-0853; write P.O. Box 970, Augusta, GA 30903; email [email protected]; or visit www.usatopdentists.com. topDentists has used its best efforts in assembling material for this list but does not warrant that the information contained herein is complete or accurate, and does not assume, and hereby disclaims, any liability to any person for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions herein whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause. Copyright 2010-2014 by topDentists, LLC, Augusta, GA. All rights reserved. This list, or parts thereof, must not be reproduced in any form without permission. No commercial use of the information in this list may be made without permission of topDentists, LLC. No fees may be charged, directly or indirectly, for the use of the information in this list without permission.
From pie shops and pet-friendly parks to art classes and beach boot camps, we've hand-picked and vetted the best new finds north of the 56. The takeaway: NoCo is cooler than ever.
By Ann Wycoff, Christine Pasalo, Marnie Brodersen, Nate Martins, Erin Jackson, Erin Meanley, Archana Ram, and Kimberly Cunningham | Photography by Taryn Kent
Implementing a farm-to-table model hardly deserves acknowledgement these days. It’s not a stretch. It’s not innovative. “It’s the bare f**king minimum,” says Herb & Sea‘s executive chef Aidan Owens.
When I arrive at the Encinitas restaurant, I’m ready to talk sustainability, farm-to-table stuff, with Owens. “Did you see the chin on that?” he says of the extra big jiggly chin on the sheephead that just arrived with the day’s fresh catch. I did. It was Jay Leno adjacent.
I learn quickly that he somehow oozes both charm and stone-cold honesty. Maybe he could construct a new dish with chin goo, like he did when he had a bunch of tuna scraps and voila’d it into a smooth and crowd-pleasing ‘nduja. “I want to know what’s in there,” he says.
Courtesy of Herb & Sea
The instinct to look closer, to dig into what others might discard, says a lot about the chef’s approach. I guide him back to our topic, but he has something else on his mind. “We’re overcomplicating food—what happened to just cooking good food and having fun with it?”
Owens grew up on a farm in Byron Bay, Australia, where sustainability wasn’t a concept you chat about so much as a way of life. Think dirt roads, backyard chickens, pulling vegetables straight from the ground, and a mother who believed that if you couldn’t pronounce the ingredients on a package, you shouldn’t eat what was inside.
Food wasn’t precious or performative. Making it was what you did because you were hungry and that’s still what inspires Owens today. “I like to cook good food because I like to eat good food,” he says.
His approach to sustainability at Herb & Sea began so naturally that it felt just like instinct. “I was just like, ‘Let’s order food from the people who live and work here,’” he says.
Courtesy of Herb & Sea
And why wouldn’t he when lives in San Diego? Cities all over the world vie for our goods. Our tuna is sent overseas. Our spiny lobsters hit dinner plates in China and Japan. Not to mention California’s producing a third of the country’s vegetables and three-quarters of its fruits and nuts.
“Why would we outsource when it’s all here?” Owens asks.
Sustainability, in this context, is about cooking what exists in abundance, nearby, right now. “I love the local fish here. It’s f**king delicious and San Diego citrus, I mean, it is so f**ing good,” he says.
Instead of importing ingredients, Owens also looks for nearby alternatives. “You can find really cool things in the local waters,” he says, pointing out that stingray cheeks taste similar to scallops.
Courtesy of Herb & Sea
Whatever he finds in that sheephead chin might just be the next substitute for marrow. But to make this work, it means getting diners amped up about the slightly unfamiliar.
Tasting menus, where diners are completely in his hands, become an opportunity to gently push boundaries. “I’ll serve mackerel, because people think they hate it,” Owens says, noting that the abundant local fish can have some fishiness. “But when it’s fresh, it’s arguably one of the best fish in the ocean.”
He also tweaks the language on the menu so people might feel more compelled to give dishes a try without preconceived notions. He might use “lengua” instead of “tongue.” “Whelk” instead of “snail.” When he puts “stingray throat” on the menu, he disarmingly calls it “skate.”
To reduce waste, scraps aren’t always discarded but rather turned into something new. Sometimes they’re smoked, cured or fermented. Apples going bad turn into apple ponzu. Lemons turn to marmalade, which stretches their usefulness far beyond peak season. “And it’s super tasty on our pizza,” he says.
What makes the food even richer, is the relationships he’s built with farmers. Though it didn’t always feel natural, Owens sought personal connection first. He recalls approaching a fisherman at the Tuna Harbor Dockside Market. “I was awkward,” he says. “I went up to him and said, ‘I like your fish.’”
Owen’s is now so close to his suppliers—like fishermen Ryan Sebo and Joe Daly—that he gets texted pictures of fresh catches right as they flop on the boat. The messages always ask if he wants first dibs. “I say yes to a lot of fish,” Owens says, noting that Herb & Sea can go through 2,000 pounds of seafood a week.
Courtesy of Herb & Sea
The next evolution of sustainability, in his view, will be chefs working directly with producers such as his alliance with Sebo, cutting out middlemen and purveyors where possible. “It will put more money in the pockets of the people doing the work,” he says.
It will mean that chefs can’t just know their local farmers and producers, but they’ll choose to work with the ones who have the best practices. Dining and sustainability will become much less about the final plate. “It will be more about the impact that plate has on the Earth,” he says.
Ultimately, he believes sustainability doesn’t need to be loud. It doesn’t need hashtags. It just needs to be honest.
“We aren’t saving lives. We’re feeding people good food,” he says.
And yet, in feeding people well—simply, thoughtfully, responsibly—something meaningful happens. Guests leave satisfied. Ingredients are respected. Local ecosystems are supported and food returns to what it has always been at its core: nourishment, pleasure, and a quiet reflection of the place it comes from.
Drink up these fun facts about Little Italy's historic watering hole.
By Christina Orlovsky Page
The Waterfront Bar & Grill
The Waterfront Bar & Grill | photo by Paul Body
Turning 80
Opened by Chaffee Grant and Clair Blakley shortly after the repeal of Prohibition, the bar changed ownership several times over the past 80 years, until Nancy Nichols became the sole owner in the 1980s. Nichols still co-owns the bar with grandsons Chad Cline and
Jason Nichols
Beer and More Beer
Customers drive the Waterfront’s beer selection—to the tune of roughly 4,000 pints served per week.
One for the Books
Established on December 5, 1933, “San Diego’s Oldest Tavern” holds the oldest full liquor license in the city.
Menu Favorites
The Waterfront is famous for its juicy burgers, but the popcorn is also a hit, with about a case a day popped.
Naming the Bar
The establishment got its name because at the time it was the closest bar/restaurant to the water.
Wall of photos
Wall of photos at the Waterfront | photo by Paul Body
Design by Customer
When Nichols took over the bar, the walls were bare. One fisherman friend brought his photo in and asked her to hang it—then another, and another. And so the collection started. There’s also a photo of Nichols and her parents sipping a drink from back in the day: Scotch and milk
Got Ghosts?
There may be a few, at least according to the bar’s night cleaning crew.
Breakfast and a Beer
Night owls and early birds alike can get their fill of both food and drink, thanks to opening hours from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Howard Bass’s ashes
Howard Bass Memoriam | photo by Paul Body
In Memoriam
Regular customer Howard Bass so revered the bar where he drank his daily Merlot that he asked to have his ashes placed there when he died. His wish was granted: Look on the north side wall, behind the bar, next to a bottle of wine.
Who’s Who
From judges and lawyers to fishermen and oil workers, an eclectic crowd has always frequented the Waterfront. Few fights occur today, but back in the ’40s, one Navy sailor lost his—ahem— family jewels in a fight over a fisherman’s wife.
Famous Faces
Among the celebrity clients that have bellied up to the bar is actor Bill Murray
By Elisse Miller | Photo courtesy of the San Diego HIstorical Society
San Diego Cycle and Arms Co. in 1904
Vintage San Diego: Free Wheelers
The biking scene is nothing new to San Diego. More than 100 years ago, San Diegans who were passionate about their two-wheeled wonders formed the San Diego Wheel Club. When they weren’t riding, cyclists could pursue their hobby at the San Diego Cycle and Arms Co. (pictured). Originally located at the southeast corner of Fourth and E, the store was much more than a bike shop. The SD Cycle and Arms Co. sold cutlery, fishing tackle, ammunition, sporting goods for games such as baseball, golf, and tennis, and, as the name implies, guns and bicycles (notice the taxidermy on the left-hand wall). It also offered a range of bicycle and gun repair services. The store’s owners, Stanley Andrews, Archie Aldridge, and Max Toews, stood proudly in their establishment in 1904.
By The Numbers
2,000
Riders participating in the Campagnolo Gran Fondo, taking off in Little Italy on April 6. The longest course is 105 miles.
2013
San Diego held its first CicloSDias event
20
Bike racks that will soon be installed throughout Balboa Park
1,800
Bikes that will be available through San Diego’s bike share program starting this summer
$312 million
Cost of new plan that’ll add 595 miles of bike paths in San Diego by 2030
Torch Heroes: Why San Diego’s Most Trusted Businesses Win by Doing the Right Thing
In a world overflowing with shortcuts, marketing fluff, and “good enough,” there are still companies that choose a different answer. And in San Diego, there are plenty of them.
2025-Torch-SD-09131839 (2)
In a world overflowing with shortcuts, marketing fluff, and “good enough,” there are still companies that choose a different answer.
Integrity guides how they show up every day. They make hard decisions, hold themselves accountable, and build trust the old-fashioned way, one action at a time. At the Better Business Bureau, we call these businesses Torch Heroes: leaders who demonstrate that ethical leadership strengthens businesses and drives long-term success.
And in San Diego, there are plenty of them.
Take House Collective Marketing Solutions, a Carlsbad-based digital agency that won the 2025 Torch Award for Ethics for its people-first approach to marketing. Instead of pushing flashy campaigns, the team often takes a step back to make sure clients’ foundations are strong before going big. Their philosophy? Truth over transaction builds partnerships that last.
Or look at Young Black & N’ Business, where integrity shows up through community action. When a local school lost art funding, founder Roosevelt Williams III and his team stepped in with workshops, mentorship, and hands-on support to help restore creative opportunity. That kind of engagement reflects ethical leadership rooted in real impact.
And in Vista, Lotus Sustainables carried its commitment to ethics all the way to the product line. After discovering defects in a shipment of eco-friendly products, the company issued full refunds and redesigned its offerings at its own expense, a choice that shaped its identity and reinforced to customers that ethics guide every decision.
In North County, Greenway Landscape Design & Build brings integrity into everyday service. When a client’s glass was damaged, likely not by their crew, owner Scott Lawn chose responsibility over blame and covered the repair personally. For Greenway, doing the right thing serves as a north star, guiding every interaction through transparent pricing, accountable partnerships, proactive communication, and follow-through long after the job is done.
Other honorees include At Your Home Familycare, whose leadership turned down a lucrative state contract during the pandemic to protect vulnerable clients and staff, and Bill Howe Family of Companies, where hiring practices, training, and service centers around shared values, every day, on every call.
What connects these diverse businesses, from marketing to nonprofit support to home services, isn’t size, industry, or revenue. It’s something deeper: a commitment to trust as a business strategy.
In San Diego’s competitive marketplace, that trust gives companies an edge. Clients invest in relationships. They refer friends. They stay loyal when others fade.
As one Torch Award winner puts it, integrity isn’t a section in the employee handbook. It’s the operating system of the company, the invisible code that determines every choice, every day.
And that’s exactly the point of the BBB Torch Awards for Ethics: to spotlight companies that dispel the myth that ethics and success are at odds. These businesses show that when leaders choose honesty, fairness, and accountability, especially when it’s hard, they build brands that matter.
At BBB, we see nominations come in from clients, employees, and business partners who have witnessed ethical leadership up close. These submissions aren’t polished promotions. They’re stories of moments when a company chose people over profit, clarity over confusion, and trust over convenience.
The nomination window for the 2026 Torch Awards for Ethics is open through March 31, 2026, and there are more Torch Heroes waiting to be recognized.
Who comes to mind in San Diego’s business community?
A vendor who always delivers — and always explains why.
A competitor who chooses the high road even when shortcuts tempt.
A team within your own company whose day-in, day-out choices reflect deep character.
And yes, businesses can nominate themselves. We encourage it. If you’ve built your business on principles rather than buzzwords, we want to hear your story.
Because in a world full of noise, integrity still deserves the spotlight, and San Diego is full of stories worth telling. Nominate your hero now.
