Food and Drink | Concerts and Theater | Festivals and Art | More Things to Do 

Food & Drink Events in San Diego This Weekend

Mother’s Day Brunch at Hotel del Coronado

May 12

Celebrate Mom with an all-you-can-eat brunch at one of San Diego’s iconic seaside spots. In the Hotel del Coronado’s Southpointe Ballroom, guests will enjoy live music and brunch stations featuring sweet treats like Polynesian vanilla buttermilk pancakes and chocolate chip breakfast bread pudding, plus made-to-order omelets, eggs benedicts, and avocado toast. Guests ages 21 and up will receive a complimentary glass of Champagne. Mother’s Day Brunch at the Hotel del Coronado is $185 for adults, $95 for children ages 4 to 12, and complementary for children 3 and under with a paid adult. Seatings take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and there are still several reservation times available here.

1500 Orange Avenue, Coronado

Coronado Art & Wine Festival

May 11

The Coronado Schools Foundation and the Coronado Chamber of Commerce invite residents to wine, dine, and admire the art on display this Saturday from 12 to 5 p.m. The festival will feature more than 80 artist booths, plus live music and a varied selection of sips and bites, all in an effort to fundraise for local art education. Admission to the art festival is free, but to try wine, you’ll have to purchase one of several tasting packages, such as the $50 wine village pass (which comes with six vino samples, bites, and live music) or the $275 all-inclusive VIP pass (it comes with 15 wine tastings, plus access to all three tasting areas and a “meet the artists” pre-party invite). For the entire list of ticket options, visit here.

1125 10th Street, Coronado

Concerts & Theater in San Diego This Weekend

Wagner New Play Festival

May 8–11

San Diegans can support local playwrights on the rise at the 2024 Wagner New Play Festival, where five UC San Diego grad students will present their original works onstage at a trio of intimate theaters on UCSD’s campus. Highlights from this year’s showcase include the satirical military and musical theater mashup of Milo Cramer’s No Singing in the Navy and the dark coming-of-age comedy Dead Girl’s Quinceanera by Phanésia Pharel. Individual show tickets are $20 for general admission, $10 for UCSD students, and $15 for UCSD staff and faculty.

La Jolla

Wonderfront Music & Arts Festival

May 10–12

The Wonderfront Music & Arts Festival kicks off this Friday, bringing more than 80 musicians to downtown’s waterfront. In addition to headliners like Kaytranada, Dominic Fike, and Beck, expect appearances from a wide variety of local bands and Latin music artists. Wonderfont will also include pop-up sports and games at Ruocco Park, plus VIP boat cruises, yacht parties, art installations, and plenty of nighttime events to keep the party jumping all over the city. Wonderfront tickets are still available, with three-day general admission and VIP passes going for $329 and $399 respectively. Single-day passes are on sale for $135.

839 West Harbor Drive, Embarcadero

The Nowell Family Foundation Festivities 

May 11

The Nowell Family Foundation will sponsor a day full of activities in Oceanside, all aimed at promoting addiction recovery. A Sublime Life, a free sobriety festival featuring live music, workshops, speakers, and more at Oceanside Civic Center Plaza, takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. From 5 to 10 p.m., just down the street at the Oceanside Museum of Art, rock out at Sublime Family Jam, a benefit concert hosted by Sublime bassist Eric Wilson and new lead singer Jakob Nowell (son of original frontman Bradley Nowell) to raise funds for Bradley’s House, the foundation’s sobriety home. Tickets to the concert—which also includes a DJ performance from Troy Dendekker, a Sublime memorabilia exhibition, and an art competition highlighting artwork focused on addiction and mental health—are $115.

A Sublime Life – 300 North Coast Highway, Oceanside | Sublime Family Jam – 704 Pier View Way, Oceanside

Festivals & Art Exhibits in San Diego This Weekend

GI Film Festival San Diego

Through May 11

The annual GI Film Festival at The Museum of Photographic Arts recognizes veterans and active service members—including many residing or stationed in San Diego—working in front of and behind the camera to bring thought-provoking stories to the silver screen. The 2024 festival selections highlight the perspective of Black and LGBTQ+ veterans, soldiers grappling with the long-lasting effects of war, and the previously untold stories of fallen heroes. The festival also offers free interactive events like the Women Veterans in Film panel and filmmaker and fan happy hours. Tickets for individual screenings are $10 for general admission and $8 for active military and veterans.

1649 El Prado, Balboa Park

Border Blitz: Artistas del Cómic de Tijuana and Collaboration(s)! A Journey with John Jennings

Opening May 9

The San Diego Comic-Con Museum welcomes two new exhibits this Thursday. Part of the ongoing World Design Capital San Diego Tijuana 2024 festivities, Border Blitz: Artistas del Cómic de Tijuana features artwork from Charles Glaubitz, Alejandra Yépiz Portillo, and Urbano Mata, Tijuana artists depicting life in the border region. Collaboration(s)! A Journey with John Jennings showcases graphic novels and comic art collections from artist and author John Jennings, director of the Abrams ComicArts’ line Megascope, which centers the experiences of people of color.

2131 Pan American Plaza, Balboa Park

Gator by the Bay

May 9–12

Gator by the Bay returns to Spanish Landing Park for its 21st year with a familiar recipe: the tastes and tunes that define Southern Louisiana. The sounds of zydeco, rockabilly, and the blues will take over several live music stages, and attendees can indulge in a Cajun feast of epic proportions, featuring favorites like jambalaya, beignets, and, of course, 10,000 pounds of crawfish. Ticket options for Gator By the Bay include one-day ($70–$85), three-day ($185–$230), and four-day ($235–$295) general admission. Kids ages 17 and under get in free.

3900 North Harbor Drive, Point Loma

Community Arts Open House

May 11

From 1 to 5 p.m. this Saturday, the Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center hosts an afternoon of free workshops, concerts, and interactive programs, from hip-hop dancing to a drum circle. San Diegans will be able to tap into their passions under the tutelage of local artists and collectives like Drummers Without Borders, Malashock Dance, and Studio ACE. Enjoy live performances from Chiara Capobianco and the Euphoria Brass Band, as well as local middle school, high school, and college ensembles and students from the LJMS’ Community Music Center. Attendees are encouraged to RSVP in advance here.

7600 Fay Avenue, La Jolla

Mother’s Day Weekend Art, Garden & Studio Tour

May 11–12

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Saturday and Sunday, the San Dieguito Art Guild will host its 27th annual Mother’s Day Weekend Art, Garden & Studio Tour, with pop-up art exhibits tucked away in eight North County homes, gardens, and art studios. These properties will welcome more than 30 local artists selling paintings, ceramics, photography, and more, and scenic stops on the self-guided tour include various work barns, outdoor kitchens, and sculpture gardens. This unique Mother’s Day adventure also serves as the nonprofit’s major annual fundraiser, so everyone is invited to drop by each stop to enjoy refreshments, admire scenic outdoor spaces, and purchase some artwork. Tickets are $35 per person and are valid for the entire weekend.

937 South Coast Highway 101, Encinitas 

 More Fun Things to Do in San Diego This Weekend

San Diego Padres vs. Los Angeles Dodgers 

May 10–12

The Padres will kick off their first homestand of the month with a three-game set against the boys in blue, beginning this Friday night at Petco Park. New Padres acquisition Luis Arraez brings a stellar batting average and tremendous plate discipline to an already stacked Padres lineup, but will it be enough to outscore the Dodgers and their MVP-winning trifecta of Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman? This series will likely come down to whoever’s more dominant on the mound, meaning the Friars will need strong outings from Yu Darvish and Michael King to fend off the league’s number-one offense and continue their charge for the NL West crown. Tickets for this weekend’s rival matchup start at $51.

100 Park Boulevard, Downtown

Posh on Prospect

May 11

The Living Room will host Post on Prospect, the latest fashion show from Fashion Week San Diego. The event will begin with photo ops at 11 a.m. At noon, models will strut the catwalk, showcasing looks from a variety of local boutiques and brands. Afterward, enjoy an all-day shopping spree at several nearby stores, where you can explore the couture and stroll the streets of La Jolla like they’re the Met Gala red carpet. The $49 Posh Pass gets attendees access to the whole event, as well as coffee, a baked treat, and promotions at participating boutiques. The $59 Posh Plus ticket comes with all those perks, plus a glass of champagne.

9850 Genesee Avenue, La Jolla

Balboa Park Pow Wow

May 11–12

From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. this Saturday and Sunday, the San Diego American Indian Health Center (SDAIHC) presents the 36th annual Balboa Park Pow Wow, a free community celebration of Native American culture, traditions, and heritage. The festivities will include Kumeyaay bird singing; gourd and intertribal dancing; Native American food, arts, and crafts vendors; and a special honoring of mothers, grandmothers, and maternal figures to commemorate Mother’s Day.

Corner of Park Boulevard and President’s Way, Balboa Park

The post 13 Things to Do in San Diego This Weekend: May 9–12 appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

But if you did find yourself there, this is a trail riding experience that affords breathtaking views of the El Capitan Reservoir and surrounding foothills. The farther up you climb, the more rewarding the views. In late spring/summer, the rocky landscape becomes green and wildflowers pop. Winter’s rains course their way like lifeblood from the ground up through the trunks of oaks, the groves taking on a deeper green hue than the grasses.

To get started, some visitors park at the T intersection of Alpine Blvd. and Peutz Valley Rd. off of the I-8 near Alpine in a dirt parking area, or they simply park along the road below the 8 that runs overhead. They then pedal up Peutz Valley Rd. for about one mile, watching on their left for a single track entrance. They take it. They then descend at the outset a little ways, about a mile or so. 

The trail has a cross-country-esque feel to it, meaning it dips and bends and has an uphill bump or two along the way. When it begins to noticeably climb, riders settle in for the relatively steep and long grind to the top, roughly three miles. With some chunk here and there, it is a perfect tech-lover’s training ground for boosting one’s ascending abilities.

The oak grove somewhere mid-way through the climb is a solid spot for a break to take in the views. At the summit, the trail opens up into what feels like a giant dirt parking lot. Again, the views. Not done? No problem. 

The ATT continues, but riders will come upon a well-signed and fenced area when reaching the Capitan Grande Reservation. No continuing past that point. Riders here must turn around and head back in the direction they came up. Along the way, though, they can watch for unmarked single track to the sides of the ATT. If feeling adventurous, riders can take one, like those choose-your-own-adventure books of yesteryear.

Not feeling it? The descent on the original up hill trail is phenomenal. It’s fast, hair-raising, white-knuckle downhill glory at its best. One thing though: that little descent at the start of the ATT—after all the fun downhill ends—riders have to climb a little to get back out.

Riders who choose this trail should be respectful of locals by not parking at the trailhead. There is no legal parking there. Also, riders should not try to access Capitan Grande Reservation lands. Riders are not permitted to be there.

Anyone who is hungry after can take Alpine Blvd. into Alpine for about three miles. Order what sounds good at Tapatio’s and take it up the sidewalk to Mcilhenney Brewing Company. Order what sounds good there and then carry beer and Mexican food out back. Enjoy!

The post Biking the Unsanctioned Anderson Truck Trail appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

That’s happened to me plenty of times. And while there is something beautiful about hiking the same routes over and over—noticing things you haven’t seen before, or seeing if you can reach a summit in a record time—it’s also important to explore. That’s the whole point of hiking, right?

A great way to explore new trails is to head to a part of the region where you don’t usually go. There are lots of trails in South County that you may not have set foot on before, and many are worth checking out.

So, here are three South County hikes to try.

Hollenbeck Canyon

This 4.7-mile, out-and-back hike takes you through a scenic canyon in Jamul with sweeping green hills on either side. Go in the spring and you’ll have beautiful views of wildflowers, and possibly a few small streams you’ll need to cross (pack a small towel and go barefoot across if you don’t want wet shoes and socks). There are a few steep places along the way, but the trail is well maintained and mostly not too challenging.

Directions: Start at the trailhead on Honey Springs Road off Campo Road.

Distance: 4.7 miles, out-and-back

Difficulty: Moderate

Dogs: Allowed

Details: Buy a California Department of Fish & Wildlife day pass for $5.66 online before you go.

Mother Miguel Mountain

This steep but relatively short climb near Chula Vista is a bit challenging, but the views from the top are totally worth it. On a clear day, you can see mountains to the east, Sweetwater Reservoir, and Chula Vista, plus the ocean and bay along with Mexico, Coronado, and downtown San Diego. The hike is best done before summer months because there’s no shade along the way, and there are steep switchbacks for part of the trail.

Directions: Start at Mount San Miguel Park on Paseo Veracruz.

Distance: 4.4 miles, out-and-back

Difficulty: Challenging

Dogs: Allowed

Details: Parking is free.

Tijuana Estuary

Forget Torrey Pines (OK, don’t forget it, because it’s also beautiful), this wide park along the ocean is way less crowded and still has beautiful views. You can hike along the US-Mexico border, winding your way around as many trails in the Tijuana River Valley as you’d like. Still perfectly pleasant as the weather gets warmer, this estuary is a great spot for bird watching and easy hiking with its flat trails. 

Directions: Start on Imperial Beach Boulevard to follow the North McCoy trail or the full route.

Distance: For the longest hike, follow the 9.2-mile Valley Scenic Route, or do the shorter North and South McCoy trails.

Difficulty: Easy

Dogs: Allowed

Details: Parking is free. A trail map can be found here.

The post 3 South County Hikes to Try appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

At the time, the young man had been doing a handstand on his skateboard past her privacy hedge. She could only see his red shoes as he passed by. “The rest is history,” she laughed. 

My date looked at me, and smirked, “This is a good sign.”

I met Caleb (not his real name) through this column. He slid into my DMs after the first post went live, thanking me for understanding what it’s like out there. I hadn’t thought much of it at the time. I had plenty of those types of messages, along with 500 new followers in one day. When I started reaching out to a handful of locals who had messaged me to do some research and interviews, I remembered to go back to his profile.

He was intriguing, listed a bunch of hobbies on his Instagram which was filled with photos of travels. Noticeably absent, however, were pictures of his face. After reaching out for a chat, we scheduled a call a week later to talk about his dating history and the challenges he was facing as a man in his late 30s. For me, this was purely research for my burgeoning column, or so I thought.

There was an ease to our conversation on the phone. Caleb was open and honest, it didn’t feel like he was putting on a show. Still, though, I could hear some inconsistencies in what he was saying and wrote him off as someone who wasn’t ready to date.

Weeks later, I got a text from him asking me out. “Hey would you wanna get a drink sometime?” he wrote. Short and to the point, there had been no messages leading up to this. But Khruangbin, a band whose name I still can’t pronounce, was playing at the Shell and he wanted to take me. I was in. 

A week later, we stood on the grass with VIP bracelets (he wanted me to be able to see, he said) discussing his red shoes. He was cuter than I expected. We talked like old friends, plenty of banter and no uncomfortable moments of silence. With a bottle of red and two wine glasses, we spent the evening chatting, laughing, and flirting.

He was child-like, overly excited to be spending time with me, giddy even. “Your eyes are like a garden,” he said at one point, calling out their hazel coloring. It wasn’t meant to be romantic, I don’t think, he was more blurting out the first thoughts that came to his mind as I took off my sunglasses. But I liked it.

I’m used to fighting for someone’s affection, so feeling wanted is new for me. And Caleb had done his homework, recalling past articles as he asked questions about me. He had clicked on each Unhinged article to learn everything he could.

“Neither,” he had chosen a couple weeks earlier when I had polled readers about which guy I should date between Ryan and Connor. He was paying attention.

Before the headliner, we got another bottle of wine. “The second one has to be more expensive, right? To show your date you’re interested?” he said. Noted. By the end of the evening, I wanted to kiss him. If you’ve been reading this column since the start, you’ll know this isn’t typical for me on first dates. 

A good sign.

As my Uber approached at the end of the night, he asked if he could kiss me. It was simple, sweet. “Send me a text when you get home,” he said as he closed the car door. He asked me out the next morning and we made actual plans. We’ve talked every day since—he gave me his phone’s passcode.

If I’m being honest, I didn’t want to write this post. This is a world of false starts and normally, those conversations exist only between friends and over text. If this goes nowhere, thousands of readers will know. It’ll be embarrassing. But I didn’t start this column to paint an unrealistic picture of dating. There will be lessons learned through Caleb, whether he remains in my life for a week, a season, or more.

Here’s the thing, at the end of the day it’s maybe not that complicated to show someone you’re interested in them. I think Caleb could teach a masterclass on catching a woman’s attention. He made a thoughtful first move. He took me on a cool first date, wasn’t afraid to flirt up a storm, yet remained respectful and didn’t push. He asks questions. He shows actual interest, and doesn’t (yet, at least) leave me guessing if I matter to him. Hell, he even reads my work. So for what it’s worth, hope you’re taking notes, gents.

Oh, and if you’re wondering, he no longer reads the column. “I want you to keep being completely honest with it, that’s what makes it so good…,” he texted. “If you know that I’ll eventually read it, you may alter it in some way that you wouldn’t have previously and I don’t want to do that to you and it.”

For those of you in relationships, I’m curious, what did you do to make your partner fall for you? How did you impress? Did you spring for the expensive bottle, write a love song, or do a handstand on your skateboard? Email us at @[email protected] with your story and a chance to be featured in the Unhinged newsletter.

If you’re new to Unhinged, catch up on all the dating chats you’ve missed here and follow along at @monicles and @sandiegomag on Instagram to know when a new article drops each week.

Sign-up now for the Unhinged newsletter for exclusive content, Q&As with Nicolle, and subscriber-only meet-ups!

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The post Unhinged, A Dating Series: It’s Not That Complicated appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Before heading out to the grass next weekend, check out our guide to some of the must-see musical acts at the 2024 Wonderfront Festival in San Diego. 

BADBADNOTGOOD

Saturday @ 3:25 p.m. | Ocean Stage

Must Listen Track: In Your Eyes

BADBADNOTGOOD? More like GOODGOODQUITEGOOD. The Toronto-based group has shaken up the music industry with their boldly unapologetic jazz jams that have captivated audiences worldwide. 

The young, unsuspecting trio without a lead singer has garnered collaborations with rap’s heaviest hitters including Kendrick Lamar, MF Doom, Earl Sweatshirt, and Wu Tang Clan’s Ghostface Killah along with indie heads Samuel T. Herring (Future Islands), Daniel Cesar, and Charlotte Day Wilson. Their performance at Wonderfront will certainly be a palate cleanser in a sea of booming 808s and nostalgic pop anthems.

Marcus King

Sunday @ 5:20 p.m. | Ocean Stage

Must Listen Track: Wildflowers & Wine

With his 2020 debut album El Dorado, the South Carolina-based singer and songwriter, Marcus King, has made waves with his bluesy ballads and warm guitar riffs that soothe the soul. A guitar prodigy from an early age, Marcus first started playing with his father at age eight, appeared on his father’s albums at 11, and began gigging in night clubs after dropping out of high school. King’s road to stardom began with the help of Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach who produced his debut album and has led to collaborations with The Allman brothers, B.B. King, Billy Strings and other blues greats. 

Kaytranada

Friday @ 8:45 p.m. | Marina Stage

Must Listen Track: YOU’RE THE ONE

In two albums (one of which won the 2021 Grammy award for Best Dance/Electronic album), Kaytranada has cemented himself in the electronic music world with his sonic grooves, Tahitian-inspired drum beats, and star-studded collaborations. Similar to Badbadnotgood (who Kay has previously collaborated with), Kaytranada packs a wide variety of musical influences and features into his albums including tracks with Goldlink, Kali Uchis, Anderson Paak, H.E.R. Masego, Syd, Little Dragon, Freddie Gibs, and Vic Mensa. 

Kaytranada first garnered attention through his early SoundCloud projects sampling and remixing R&B icons like Janet Jackson, Missy Elliott, and Jill Scott before exploding on the scene with hit albums 99.9% (which I still listen to on repeat) and Bubba. 

Dominic Fike

Saturday @ 7:25 p.m. | Ocean Stage

Must Listen Track: Phone Numbers

Dominic Fike has been all the rage these days having amassed a whopping 22 million monthly listeners on Spotify and hitting just under 1 billion streams on his hit song “3 Nights.” Another remnant from the SoundCloud era, Dominic pursued music while growing up in a broken household in Naple, Florida which is reflected in personal lyrics woven through his albums. 

At 22, Dominic released his first EP “Don’t Forget About Me” while under house arrest and was soon after signed to Columbia Records. Dominic skyrocketed into pop-music stardom making music with supergroup Brockhampton, Kenny Beats, and Justin Beiber while also appearing on the second season of HBO’s Euphoria. His sound, that fluctuates betweens indie pop and rap, has struck a chord with billions of listeners worldwide. 

Mt. Joy

Sunday @ 7:25 p.m. | Ocean Stage

Must Listen Track: Silver Lining

The Los Angeles–based group Mt. Joy is the latest band to take over the folk rock genre that’s experiencing a renaissance in recent years. Their hit song “Silver Lining” quickly hit #1 on Billboard’s Triple A radio charts and kickstarted their careers landing performances at Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, and Austin City Limits. Their three album run, starting with their 2018 self-titled album and punctuated by their 2022 release, “Orange Blood,” has shown signs of the band’s gradual expansion into indie pop and psychedelic territory. Matt’s Quinn’s vocals are a focal point in the group’s tracks layered with clean guitar melodies, mellow percussions, and a twinge of psychedelia. 

JID

Friday @ 7:45 p.m. | Ocean Stage

Must Listen Track: Dance Now

Hailing from Atlanta, JID is a rapper that should be on everyone’s radar. JID has been making waves with his own strain of conscious rap pairing finely crafted bars with unhinged, speaker-rattling beats. Growing up, JID was a top football prospect having earned himself a Division 1 football scholarship, before a career-ending hip injury altered his trajectory. JID pivoted from sports and found his footing in the underground rap scene with Virginia-based rap-duo EarthGang with whom he released his first mixtapes. Following his debut EP Dicaprio, JID was signed into J. Cole’s Dreamville label and four albums later he’s the tour-de-force representing Atlanta’s rap scene with four platinum records under his belt.

Steel Pulse

Sunday @ 3:25 p.m. | Ocean Stage

Must Listen Track: Handsworth Revolution

Spark one up and fade away into the reggae jams of legendary UK band Steel Pulse. Formed in Birmingham in 1975, the prominent Rastafarian band has been an outspoken political and musical force against racism, government corruption, and religious intolerance. Their music features elements of roots reggae popularized by Bob Marley including one-drop rhythm, slow drum beats, and lyrics dissecting the social climate of the world. The band has cycled through members over their 40-year discography, but singer and guitarist David Hinds remains the glue that propelled the band through 12 studio albums, a best reggae album Grammy win for their 1986 album Babylon the Bandit, and headlining reggae festivals throughout the world. 

Before you go, here are a few details you should know about Wonderfront Festival 2024:

What time does the 2024 Wonderfront Festival start? 

The festival starts Friday, May 10 and concludes Sunday, May 12 with performances from 12 p.m to 10 p.m. daily.

Where is the Wonderfront Festival? 

The 2024 Wonderfront Festival takes place across multiple downtown venues including the Embarcadero Marina Park North, Seaport Village, and Ruocco Park. See the 2024 daily schedule here.

Where can I buy tickets for the 2024 Wonderfront Festival?

You can buy tickets online at the Wonderfront Festival’s website. General admission tickets are $135 per person and three-day tickets are $329 (offering a $76 discount). 

What can you bring into the 2024 Wonderfront Festival? 

Festival attendees can bring small purses or fanny packs that are smaller than 6” x 8” x 3,” clear backpacks that meet their bag policy, binoculars, blankets, kids strollers, hydration packs, towels, empty water bottles up to 1 liter in size, and sunscreen (no aerosol containers). 

The post 7 Must-See Artists at the 2024 San Diego Wonderfront Festival appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

The World Design Festival is run by Tijuana Design Week and invites guests from both border cities, along with international visitors to experience Tijuana design through lectures, exhibitions, public design workshops and design studio open houses. According to event organizers, the event “encompasses all dimensions of time to open a space for reflection on the history, identity and future of the city, the binational region and the global environment.” Registration is free for events through the website.

We highlighted some of the event’s best offerings below, but be sure to check out their full list of activities here.

2024 World Design Festival Events – Day 1

Exhibición BOSQUE

This installation, BOSQUE (FOREST), created by Fernanda Uribe, is more than just an enchanted garden. It’s meant to be an immersive design experience where sculpture and functional design blend with handmade miniature ceramic sculptures of imaginary plants, flowers, fungi, and insects.

Date: Wednesday, May 1
Time: 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Location: Observatorio | Av Constitución 1337, Zona Centro, 22000 Tijuana

Ballet adultas y adultos abierto a la comunidad

This ballet workshop for adults gives anyone the chance to experience ballet as a tool for bodily expression.

Date: Wednesday, May 1
Time: 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Location: Conservatorio de Danza México | 11 y o Plutarco Elías Calles 9137, Zonaeste, 22000 Tijuana

2024 World Design Festival Events – Day 2

Taller de diseño: Jornadas Comunidades de Reciclaje

This event is part of the “Pollution Prevention at Alamar Creek” initiative, and gives attendees the chance to explore waste management solutions. The suggestions collected at the end will inform future community strategies.

Date: Thursday, May 2
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Location: CETYS Universidad | Av. Cetys Universidad.4, El Lago, 22217 Tijuana

Taller Compa Laboratorio de narrativa ciudadana a través de la tipografía

This Citizen Narrative Laboratory comes from TMX – Typography Mexico. It was developed in Mexicali and Calexico in 2023 by Héctor Ruíz, a student from Mexicali at the MFA Design for Social Innovation SVA. The exhibition showcases languages and transborder identities.

Date: Thursday, May 2
Time: 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Location: Escuela libre de Arquitectura | C. Coahuila 8206-int. 203, Zona Nte., 22000 Tijuana

No Cuerpo and the creation of a digital archive on design, art, and culture in the SDTJ border region

This event showcases No Cuerpo, a digital platform focused on creating art, entrepreneurship, and social reality content that’s displayed as design, audiovisual, and written formats. The platform shows off local talent and creates connections.

Date: Thursday, May 2
Time: 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Location: Observatorio | Av Constitución 1337, Zona Centro, 22000 Tijuana

Vero Glezqui: Temporalidades de un santuario

“Temporalities of a Sanctuary” is all about nature from different angles—like looking at it through a cosmic lens. You’ll see paintings, drawings, and more that blend the real world with the abstract.

Date: Thursday, May 2
Time: 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Location: Casa de la Cultura | Av. París y, C. Lisboa 5, Centro, 22054 Tijuana

FADINGS x Spel Uno

Step into the world of “FADINGS” and see how art can bridge the gap between the digital and the physical. It’s like a journey through murals, paintings, and even furniture, all blending together seamlessly.

Date: Thursday, May 2
Time: 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Location: Julep Café | Av. Mutualismo 1233, Zona Centro, 22055 Tijuana

Pop-up: El humano y sus cuevas: interpretaciones sobre el humano transitando en el tiempo

This experience explores the concept of migration through art. It’s meant to be a blend of different creative minds sharing their ideas, just like how people used to share along the coast before borders were a thing.

Date: Thursday, May 2
Time: 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Location: Restaurante Bhumi | Gobernador Ibarra 9510, Davila, 22040 Tijuana

2024 World Design Festival Events – Day 3

Andrea Carrillo / CreativeMornings Tijuana

Kick off the morning with some inspiration. CreativeMornings Tijuana, features Andrea Carrillo Iglesias, an artist with a knack for design. Get ready to learn how design shapes our world.

Date: Friday, May 3
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Location: Enigma Creative | Av. Juan Sarabia 208-Local 2, Zona Centro, 22000 Tijuana

Krzysztof Wodiczko (Guide Visit)

Meet Krzysztof Wodiczko, a master of large-scale projections on buildings, whose work has focused on marginalized and estranged city residents. His work brings communities together and gives a voice to those often unheard. 

Date: Friday, May 3
Time: 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Location: CECUT Sala de video | P.º de los Héroes 9350, Zona Urbana Rio Tijuana

Borderless Experiences: The Lecture

This event explores the future of design in a digital world. Scott Robinson takes attendees on a journey through experience design, where boundaries are just a thing of the past. Get ready to think outside the box.

Date: Friday, May 3
Time: 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Location: Escuela Libre de Arquitectura | C. Coahuila 8206-int. 203, Zona Nte., 22000 Tijuana

Taller de Codiseño de Persona Drag

This workshop is all about drag in Tijuana, and will explore gender and design. Of course, with live appearances, and the chance to take in a show.

Date: Friday, May 3
Time: 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Location: Enclave | C. Primera 8250, zona Nnte. 220000 Tijuana

2024 World Design Festival Events – Day 4

Jorge Gutierrez y Sandra Equihua

Sandra Equihua and Jorge R. Gutiérrez are known as the dynamic duo behind favorite animated series including El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera, El Tigre, The Book of Life, Son of Jaguar, and Maya and the Three. They’ll share their journey from Tijuana to global recognition, and you’ll leave feeling inspired.

Date: Saturday, May 4
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Location: CECUT – Sala Carlos Monsivais | Blvd. Independencia, Zona Urbana Rio Tijuana

AIGA Symbol Signs / Símbolos Significativos de AIGA

Susan Merritt takes attendees on a journey through the history of design. You’ll explore the iconic AIGA Symbol Signs and learn how they’ve shaped transportation and communication.

Date: Saturday, May 4
Time: 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Location: CECUT – Sala Federico Campbell

Yee Foo: Two-Fold Encounters

Come meet Yee Foo Lai and discover his world of design. Foo Lai co-founded Temporary Office, a multi-disciplinary design collaborative and is a project designer at Trahan Architects and will share his journey from Singapore to New York.

Date: Saturday, May 4
Time: 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Location: CECUT – Sala de video

The post What to See at the WDC’s 2024 World Design Festival appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

“[The exhibition is like] pilots testing the sound barrier of Mach 1 […] pushing into the unknown,” says artist Jason Clay Lewis. The show is a feast of sensory engagement, featuring sculptures that inspire touch fantasies, paintings that creep into the third dimension, and fabric pieces that wrap the viewer’s experience in silk and netting. Within every work, details anticipate their moment of reveal. 

Although it is a large group show, artists do not have to fight for their limelight. Each piece feels perfectly positioned, the space curated into zones of understanding and energy that create room for thoughtful and purposeful experience.

The show is, in many ways, similar to the gallery that hosts it. Techne Art Center is quickly making a name for itself in the contemporary art world. The space expands inwardly, offering art like Mary Poppins pulling magic out of her capacious bag. It includes many smaller rooms, which offer artists the opportunity to install expansive work and create a treasure-hunt experience for viewers. Around every turn, new art greets you and pulls you in.

In one of those rooms, an installation piece by Tim Murdoch turns the space into a surreal echo of local ecology; it is quiet, mysterious, and meditative. Murdoch’s work not only transforms the room, it also showcases his masterful ability to transform the materials he is using. A simple but powerful color palette and attention to balance and shadows transfigure familiar wood into something entirely new. “I really like spaces like this because there’s freedom to explore new things and show work that is challenging,” Murdoch says.

Prominent San Diego ceramic artist Sasha Koozel Reibstein has taken up the same call. Her work Antivenom stands tall in the main space, drawing attention with offshooting, open-mouthed snake heads; anthropomorphic petals; unexpected textures; and loud colors. 

Murdoch and Reibstein’s pieces resonate so strongly at Techne because it is surrounded by work from artists who are all pushing towards their own version of Mach 1. As a whole, the show boldly requests the viewer set aside everything they know and expect from certain materials. In exchange, it offers radioactive painted ceramics, massive circuit boards woven from fabric, and paintings that deal purely in deception and distortion.

Artist and Techne founder Charles Thomas says his goal for opening his space was to “show work that is so good, people have to come out.”

In Afterburner, he has succeeded. His careful curatorial approach has produced an imperative body of work. 

Afterburner opens at Techne Art Center (1609 Ord Way, Oceanside, CA 92056) on Saturday, April 27, from 5 to 8 p.m. 

The post Afterburner Breaks the Sound Barrier at Techne Art Center appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

I realize this is a pretty apocalyptic way to introduce our annual celebration of San Diego’s food and drink culture—our bible of the restaurant scene, with its attendant bao bun psalms and birria haikus.

But that lurking doomery only underscores the heights San Diego’s restaurant culture has finally reached. It’s never been harder to operate a restaurant, and yet our food and drink people made national headlines and hype reels again. It has not always been this way. After eras of deep-fried pain, we’re in a far better place.

Why? Because our seafood’s right there. Because our produce is among the best on the planet—and any cook will tell ya that using the world’s best ingredients is like running a 100-yard dash and starting at the 40-yard line. That’s why the top chefs have come. Plus, moms and pops who started cooking furiously four years ago (due to The Terrible Thing) are opening kitchens. The proximity to Mexico’s fire and ash and stew culture never hurts. So many reasons.

This list is a citywide tradition we’re honored to keep. You guys picked your favorites (with 41,000-plus votes, a new record), and I picked mine.

I switched it up a bit. I left out a few that have become institutional and duh-of-course. Once Addison landed three Michelin stars, no one needed to be told to go there. Same with Jeune et Jolie, a pinnacle of Frenchishness. I politely placed them over on Mt. Olympus and made room for other places that deserve that spotlight.

I’ve been lucky enough to document, study, and tell stories about food and drink for almost two decades. I did the math recently and realized I’d been to thousands of restaurants, tried tens of thousands of dishes. It’s been an obscenely obsessive career without complaints.

I know food better than I know myself. That said, I’ll never pretend my list is somehow the only valid take. It’s just mine. It’s the list I keep in my pocket and constantly update as I eat my way through the city and send to friends when they come to town and ask, “What should I eat in San Diego?”

I urge you to make your own. –Troy Johnson

And Now the 2024 Best San Diego Restaurants Winners List…

You voted. Food critic Troy Johnson picked his favorites. We chose the must-try dishes at some of the winning joints and unpacked the people and trends changing SD’s dining scene for the better. Hope you’re hungry, because it’s time to dig in.

The post San Diego’s Best Restaurants of 2024 appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Getting real with you all each week has been fun, eye-opening, and anxiety-inducing (please send nice messages on Thursday nights). Recently, I took the time to think about what lessons have come from my adventures and my chats with readers and friends. I share those insights below.

While there are still more vulnerable pieces of me that I’m not ready to share yet publicly—like the lingering effects of my past relationship—having so many new friends rooting for me and sharing their own stories has been incredibly humbling in the best way. I’m the most hopeful I’ve ever been that maybe we can figure this out together.

So, here are five things I’ve learned since starting this column:

Men are struggling, too

As a woman, it can be easy to fall into the trap of thinking men have it easy when it comes to heterosexual dating (stay tuned for guest columnists speaking to other types of relationships). It’s not uncommon to hear women complaining about men’s reluctance to commit and about how hard it is to find someone genuine. 

I’ve been surprised, though, at the amount of men who have written to me to say thank you for this series. They’ve shared their stories, opened up to me personally about unrequited love, and took the time to reflect on some of the things I have written about. Many have also said that they don’t speak about this stuff to anyone. 

In a society where little boys are taught to hold their feelings in, hopefully more men will start to see the benefit in talking out their emotions with friends or seeking advice from experienced professionals such as therapists. After all, you can’t know what you don’t know, and sometimes the best advice will come from those with unbiased opinions. 

Dating is a numbers game

I’ve never dated so much in my life. With my matchmaker setting me up with potential suitors, DMs rolling in from readers of this column, and friends introducing me to their single pals, it’s been overwhelming (and a little exhausting). 

Most of the dates I’ve been on haven’t led to a second date, but they have taught me more about what I want, what I’m willing to potentially compromise on, and what I need to work on personally in romantic connections.

Expecting to find “the one” by only going on one or two dates every few months means that you’re significantly lowering your chances. Get outside, invest in hobbies that you love, head out to happy hours, sign up for classes, keep swiping (if you’re into that kind of thing), take chances on strangers at bars, say “yes” to everything—you never know who you may meet. 

What you ask is just as important as doing the actual asking

One of the biggest things I hear from women is that men don’t ask any questions on dates. It’s not completely a gendered issue, but research shows that men and women are taught to approach conversations differently. 

After I wrote about this, we got a flood of comments on our Instagram post and in my inbox from people who could relate. It seems obvious, but if you’re out there and dating, just ask a question—it may lead to your next relationship. 

But what you ask also matters. During a singles mixer this past February, matchmaker Sophy Love walked participants through some dating exercises with a focus on first-date questions. We learned that asking deeper, more emotionally driven questions tends to make people feel more connected to the asker. 

I genuinely became more interested in the people sitting across from me during the exercise. So skip the “what do you do for a living” questions and ask what childhood memory stands out as one of their favorite experiences. 

People will put in the effort when they’re interested

One of the first people I met during this column was a guy who I was very attracted to but who was only putting in the bare minimum when it came to dating me. He was cute and we had fun, but he only made plans with me last minute and made me feel like an afterthought. 

I remember telling him that I would like him to be intentional if he really was looking to get to know me. We ended things. 

There are people out there who will make it clear that they are wanting to get to know you and will make time to do so—and desiring that effort is not too much to ask. But we have to be willing to ask for what we want and be willing to walk away if they can’t provide it. I’ve also learned recently that the ones who are ready to be in a relationship won’t leave you guessing about future dates. You won’t be an afterthought. 

You can have it all

I recently asked the question, “Can you really have it all when it comes to love?” Stability, support, and compatibility and butterflies, passion, and bedroom chemistry with someone? At a certain age, we can start to feel the pressure to settle to avoid being alone.

Recently, I met someone who is making me believe that it’s possible to find a person who meets all your needs and wants. We’ve only been talking for a short time, but he’s unknowingly helping me heal from the trauma of a past relationship by being incredibly kind, honest, and intentional. On the other hand, I get nervous and excited to see him, something I’ve been missing in the past few dates.

I don’t know if this connection will turn into anything more. But what it is giving me is hope that I don’t have to settle for anything less than amazing. Fairytale romances aren’t just a thing in storybooks.  

If you’re new to Unhinged, catch up on all the dating chats you’ve missed here and follow along at @monicles and @sandiegomag on Instagram to know when a new article drops each week.

Sign-up now for the Unhinged newsletter for exclusive content, Q&As with Nicolle, and subscriber-only meet-ups!

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The post Unhinged, A Dating Series:  What Looking for Love Taught Me appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

View the 2024 Best Restaurants Winners List

The Smokeshow: Brad Wise

By Troy Johnson

When it comes to things on fire, in Wise we trust. This year, San Diego’s star steakhouse chef went national. Brad Wise had a great track record (Trust, Fort Oak, Cardellino, The Wise Ox), but his casual-ish take on the steakhouse experience—Rare Society—boomed at a different decibel. Why? Because he’s nailed the art of woodsmoke, which has 400-something more flavor compounds than oven- or pan-seared proteins. And Rare’s lazy-Susan “steak boards” offer commitment phobes a ménage à steak. He expanded the concept up and down the West Coast, from Santa Barbara to Washington (the sixth iteration will open in Vegas next year). But he’s not done here at home—his “French-ish” brasserie arrives in North Park next summer.

The Experience: Omakase-Only

By Troy Johnson

San Diego’s Japanese food scene owes a debt to Jiro Dreams of Sushi. Seven years after watching the 2011 documentary, John Hong opened Hidden Fish on Convoy Street. Like Jiro’s famed restaurant in Japan, Hong’s spot is omakase-only—no à la carte ordering. The chef simply serves you course after creative course, using the day’s best ingredients. Taking choice away from Americans? Scandalous, blasphemous, and gold. It was the first of its kind in San Diego. Hong received national press, as did his newest concept Hitokuchi. Now he’s not alone. In the last year, two more omakase-only spots opened: Kinme (in Bankers Hill, from the beloved Azuki Sushi crew) and Ichifuji (thanks to two chef vets from Michelin-starred spots). A third, Hasekura, is on its way in Barrio Logan. Choice is overrated.

The Trend: Dry-Aged Fish

By Jackie Bryant

Finally, it’s being said. The supremacy of fresh fish is a myth. Sushi only gets its trademark silkiness when aged. Most beef served in high-end steakhouses is aged over 20 days, so why wouldn’t the same benevolent science work wonders on seafood? It does. While the craft was already popular in Spain (where aged, cured tuna is called mojama), San Diego fishmongers and chefs—from Tommy Gomes of Tunaville and the crew at La Jolla’s Marisi to Davin Waite of Oceanside’s Wrench & Rodent Seabasstropub (one of the OGs of the trade)—started tinkering with the technique this year. “Dry-aging fish is a game-changer when it comes to hedging the peaks and valleys in local fish supply,” Waite says. “It’s just like putting a piece of fish in the fridge, only it gets better with time, instead of worse.” Even though the process has “literally been around forever,” he adds, it’s still new to many of us. Not for long.

The Place: North Park

By Beth Demmon

North Park’s been billed as the heir to the city’s central food nerve for a long, long time. After a decade of revitalization, it’s finally happening. From Tribute Pizza (pictured) and Finca to Mabel’s Gone Fishing, Happy Medium, and Saigon Coffee, something delicious awaits every few feet. Three new concepts are incoming from some of the biggest names in the food and drink scene: Drew Deckman’s 31ThirtyOne (arriving around May), CH Projects’ Persian-fusion concept Leila (summer-ish), and Brad Wise’s French brasserie (sometime next year). The simmer is now a boil.

The Treat: Asian Bakeries

By Beth Demmon

There’s a time and place for Boston creams and maple bars. And that time ended around when skinny jeans went out of style. This year, San Diego’s pastry adherents turned to melt-in-your-mouth Japanese milk bread, sugar-sprinkled Chinese doughnuts, and uber-fluffy red bean buns. SD’s Asian-owned and -inspired bakery scene exploded—probably because Asian desserts tend to be less excessively sweet than their Western counterparts, and the nation’s collective palate has shifted away from sugar bombs. Enter ube, black sesame, mango, and pandan treats. At places like ASA Cafe Bakery or Phoenix Dessert, you can switch up that iced vanilla latte in favor of royal milk tea, shaved ice with coconut milk and various fruits, or boba Thai iced tea.

The Arrival: José Cepeda

By Troy Johnson

The biggest news in the city’s dining scene this year was arguably the 6,000-or-so (okay, seven) concepts artfully shoved into North Park’s newly re-loved and relaunched LaFayette Hotel. The food had to make a statement as loud as the décor (not easy). CH Projects tapped elite chef Perfecte Rocher (El Bulli, Tarsan i Jane, Manresa) to quality control the whole operation, but the one to watch is Puebla, Mexico–raised José Cepeda, chef at the hotel’s signature Baja-goth restaurant, Quixote. “My grandmother used to tell me you get people from the stomach—that’s how people fall in love with you,” he says. Quixote’s menu is a mix of his family’s favorite dishes with twists learned during his time cooking alongside Joshua Gill at LA’s Mexican standout Mírame. Cepeda’s crab corn doughnut alone is a fairly romantic notion.

The Fermentalist: Tiago Carneiro

By Troy Johnson

Hard kombucha hasn’t yet made a huge splash nationwide, but it’s catching fire ($179 million in 2023, with a projected $17 billion market over next decade). San Diego is ground zero for the movement thanks to our athleisure souls and twin fangirling for both probiotics and happy hour. Brands like Boochcraft and JuneShine broke the seal, and now the emerging force is Tiago Carneiro and Nova Easy Kombucha. Raised in Brazil by a father obsessed with fermentation, Carneiro and his brother built and sold Brazil’s largest craft brewery, Wäls. He moved his family to San Diego and opened South Bay’s first brewery, Novo Brazil, in 2015. The pandemic had him on the edge of losing it all. “I said to myself, ‘This was the biggest failure of my life,’” he recalls. So he gave spiked booch a try, and Nova took off. His bright pink, just-sweet-enough La Ola Dragon Fruit—a collab with Wave FC— was the drink of last summer and this summer, too. Now he’s partnered with the Padres.

The Cocktail Whisperer: Beau du Bois

By Troy Johnson

His first move was to ditch bottled lime juice. To do this for an operation as large as Marisi (one location) and Puesto (nine), Beau du Bois hired a juice guy—a full-time role to keep fresh juice flowing, storing it in kegs to preserve shelf-life and eliminate waste. By opting for seemingly minor, time-consuming tweaks (like using a centrifuge to clarify peach juice for Marisi’s epic white peach bellini), du Bois and co-conspirator Derek Cram are producing some of the most craft-driven drinks in the city. No surprise, since the former was beverage director of a three-star Michelin (The Restaurant at Meadowood) before coming to San Diego. Up next is a 100-seat, Mexico City–inspired cocktail bar in downtown called Roma Norte, set to open this summer. The bar man says we can expect the best rum and Coke he’s ever had, using clear cola made from scratch.

The Curator: Tracy Borkum

By Troy Johnson

For decades, museum food in the US was a forgery. Art on walls, shrugs on plates. Other cities realized Renoirs didn’t pair great with fridge-flavored pita wraps, so New York got Untitled from Danny Meier, Seattle got Taste from Craig Hetherington, and (finally) San Diego culture-seekers have Tracy Borkum and chef Tim Kolanko. Most know Borkum for her string of Italian cucinas (Urbana, Enoteca) and her Jewish deli, Goldfinch. But over the last few years, she has radically improved the mealtime fates of aesthetes in the city with Artifact at the Mingei and The Kitchen at MCASD La Jolla. Borkum got her art history degree from UC Berkeley, so maybe we owe a bit of gratitude to selfish pursuits.

The Vin-Garde: Chelsea Coleman + Coco Randolph

By Jackie Bryant

San Diego’s not historically a wine town. But that’s changing, thanks in part to juice nerds like Chelsea Coleman and Coco Randolph. Coleman is co-owner of three low-intervention wine temples—Mabel’s Gone Fishing, The Rose, and Bodega Rosette (along with sourdough bakery Secret Sister)—and she co-founded the natural wine festival Nat Diego, which lured national wine icon Alice Feiring to town. Randolph is wine director at North Park bistro Black Radish, as well as co-owner of the two-Michelin-star Californios in San Francisco. She won tons of accolades for her work at the latter, including Michelin’s 2021 Sommelier of the Year.

The Coffee: Saigon Coffee

By Maren Hawkins

Vinh and Tu Duong’s father set the bar high for how a husband should treat his wife. Growing up, the siblings—and Saigon Coffee founders—saw their dad travel to faraway villages in the central highlands of Vietnam to bring back the finest coffee beans for their mother. Their mom taught them to slow-brew java with time-tested Vietnamese phin filters (pour-over, but make it fancy). From humble beginnings in 2012 at the Hillcrest Farmers Market to two bustling brick-and-mortars in North Park and University Heights, Saigon Coffee creates every cup with this ancient technique. The rich egg foam that tops one of their strong, satisfying iced beverages is worth being late for work… which you will be, unless you rise with the baristas themselves to beat the omnipresent line.

The Bread: Wayfarer Bread

By Amelia Rodriguez

If Crystal White’s sourdough starter were a human child, it’d be in second grade right now. But instead of learning to subtract, the bubbly colony of lactic acid and wild yeast is doing what it does best: making bread delicious, with help from White’s lovingly obsessive attention to details like humidity and the seasons. Trained by bakers at The French Laundry, Tartine, and Proof, White launched Wayfarer Bread in Bird Rock in May 2018 following a series of successful pop-ups. The humble outpost has since made like its starter and sent San Diego’s bread culture rising ever-higher. While White’s crackly baguettes and fluffy cream buns generate Disneylandish morning queues, weekend evenings draw fans for pizza nights, when Wayfarer lays down veg- and meat-loaded pies with—you guessed it—killer crusts.

The Pizza: Amalfi Cucina Italiana

By Troy Johnson

When four Italian friends who’d helped build the Buona Forchetta empire struck out on their own, some raised brows at the spot they chose—Lake San Marcos, a man-made, cult-loved boat community in suburban North County. Not exactly food-scene central. And maybe that was their stroke of genius. Putting a six-time World Pizza Champion (chef Marcello Avitabile) in a part of the county that’s been unfairly ignored by the culinary arts? Like putting a tiki bar in a PTA meeting. Huge hit. Now, the quartet has expanded to another un-hyped food neighborhood with Amalfi Cucina Italiana in Carmel Valley. The menu and specials are different, but both locations offer the same hefty Valtellina pizza, crafted with speck, provola di agerola, brie, caramelized onion, and sausage and wood-fired in a majestic Napoletano-style oven.

The Breakout: Shawarma Guys

By Amelia Rodriguez

Shawarma Guys founder Bryan Zeto grew up in an Iraqi Chaldean family in Detroit and was hailed as a top-notch home cook. But he still had a lot to learn about Middle Eastern cuisine before launching his food truck in South Park in 2019. A month of daily munching on slow-roasted meat, falafel, and other dishes helped the former phone salesman hone his recipes, including his now-iconic Wagyu shawarma and an addictive “garlic paste.” The truck nabbed a feature on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives, and, in 2020, Yelp named it the number-one restaurant in the country. The long lines that followed helped Zeto open a brick-and-mortar in La Mesa, with a Mira Mesa location on its way. His shawarma-stuffed egg rolls will melt you.

The Next Big Thing: Tanner’s Prime Burgers

By Troy Johnson

Get ready to hear this name. A lot. Years ago, Brandon Rodgers moved to San Diego to learn from iconic chef Tony DiSalvo of the now-defunct Jack’s before joining Gavin Kaysen at El Bizcocho (Rodgers cooked on Kaysen’s Iron Chef team, winning the battle against Michael Symon). After a stint at French Laundry, he helped his friend Corey Lee open Benu. Rodgers was chef de cuisine when Benu was awarded its third Michelin star. And now he’s back in San Diego for a burger with a hell of a resume. He teamed up with Eric Brandt of family-owned Brandt Beef to open the first Tanner’s in Oceanside. Their calling card is one-third-pound USDA prime patties, smashed then topped with beef bacon, caramelized onions, New School American Cheese, sauce, sweet onions, pickles, and tomatoes on a brioche bun. Oh, and they also serve a beef tallow ice-cream sandwich. Watch out, Shake Shack.

The Marquee Maker: Jojo Ruiz

By Troy Johnson

Some of the most promising chefs never get the support they deserve. Others get too much “support,” their talent and dreams sucked up by the bottom line of an unfeeling corporate structure. San Diego born-and-raised JoJo Ruiz seems to have found just the right fit with Andy Masi and Clique Hospitality. Together, they crafted marquee restaurants for two of the city’s top properties (Serẽa at Hotel Del and Lionfish at The Pendry), plus a sustainable sushi hand roll bar in Encinitas (Temaki). This year, their big unveilings were Lilian’s and Bing’s—the signature restaurant and bar, respectively, of the $100 million reimagining of the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe. Their secret? “JoJo’s passion is contagious, and it’s the soul of what we do together,” Masi says. A James Beard nod for Ruiz’s work in sustainable seafood doesn’t hurt, either. And they’re not done yet.

The Cornerstones: Mario + Morgan Jean Guerra

By Troy Johnson

Leucadia’s got loads of charms: unincorporated shagginess, farmy beach town chutzpah, cliffside homes with stairways once used to smuggle drugs. But, for decades, a thriving food scene was not one of them. Mario Guerra did something about that. Born in Mexico City, he moved to San Diego when he was young (he was GM at downtown’s sorely missed Candelas). He got “real jobs” in finance and manufacturing and moved his family to Leucadia, but he kept dreaming about that restaurant life. He traveled the world based on food scenes and became a hell of a home chef. And, finally, he couldn’t resist: He opened Moto Deli in 2015 as a little food truck, and now he and his wife Morgan (head of design) have seven concepts, including Hamburger Hut (good burgers meet tiki drinks), Corner Pizza, pheromonal date spot Valentina, and Vale Bodega. Leucadia’s food scene owes a debt to his inability to stay away.

The post 17 Trends and Icons Shaping San Diego’s Food Scene in 2024 appeared first on San Diego Magazine.