Among them, these 10 came out on top as the most-listened-to Happy Half Hour episodes of 2023. Haven’t checked them out yet? Give them a listen below:

#1 Three-Star Michelin Chef Opens Burger Joint in San Diego

In this episode, Troy and David sit down with Brandon Rodgers of The French Laundry and Benu to discuss his newest venture: Tanner’s Prime Burgers, founded in partnership with Brandt Beef. Listen as they crush beef tallow fries and ice cream sandwiches, Brandon’s wife’s cookies, and a burger made with New School American Cheese.

#2 Coffee in Offices with Guitarists

David Kennedy, co-owner of James Coffee Co., joins the pod to share the story of his coffee company and its efforts to get rid of single-use coffee cups and be as environmentally responsible as humanly possible. Kennedy also describes how ditching single-use cups didn’t quite go exactly as planned. Go listen. It’s a fun one.

#3 It Will Rain On Your New Outdoor Restaurant

San Diego restaurateur Tracy Borkum and executive chef Tim Kolanko from Urban Kitchen Group discuss their newest eatery, Gold Finch (a contemporary take on a Jewish delicatessen), and their next prix-fixe dining concept in the center of MCASD. This episode has everything from illegal yard sales to lessons about adaptation and Olivia Rodrigo.

4. San Diego Food and Drink: Year in Review

To be fair, this was an episode in December 2022, but we left it in because you continued to love it and we needed another reason to post a pic of our resident mascot: Miles Davis Jr. This episode goes back to the start of Happy Half Hour, when Troy and David were just young whippersnappers with a mic and a dream. Today, Troy co-owns the mag and David is its chief sales and marketing officer, and HHH has nearly one million plays to date. Troy also lays out his hit list of the “10 Best Things I Ate This Year.”

#5 SD’s Parakeet Cafe Starts Big Expansion

On this episode, the gents talk with Carol Roizen and Jonathan Goldwasser, the owners of Parakeet Cafe, on the very personal reason why they created their healthy café and how they turned it into a huge success. Carol also calls out her favorite sushi spot in San Diego, David finds yet another soup that he can’t live without, and Troy slow-claps for the polenta plate at Cucina Urbana.

6. Raising the Bar on Stadium Food in San Diego

Troy and David get the inside scoop on Petco Park’s food and drink scene while grabbing a cold one at Alesmith’s 394 bar. Joined by vice president of hospitality Josh Momberg, they learn what it takes to feed nearly three million people each year. Go Pads!

7. What to Eat in San Diego Before You Die

This one isn’t as morbid as the title implies. The guys discuss their favorite meals of all time and get a sneak peek at the year’s Petco Park concerts, which included faves like Jimmy Eat World, Band of Horses, and Pixies. David also raves about the Sakura Bloom at Morning Glory, an egg-white cocktail worth a sip.

8. The Hit of Coronado

Having launched just before 2020, Coronado’s Little Frenchie made it through a global pandemic to become a Michelin-recognized spot and one of the best damn French bistros in San Diego. Troy and David chat with Blue Bridge exec chef Matt Sramek and VP of Operations Matt Gordon, who helped make Little Frenchie what it is today. They talk life on the island and their pandemic silver lining.

9. The Next Big Thing: New School American Cheese

One of the best chefs in the country, Eric Greenspan, stops by to talk about his latest project: reinventing American cheese. He shares the story behind the new fromage, made with real butter, real cream, and aged cheese. Troy and David couldn’t get enough. Neither could the public when it was first introduced at the inaugural Del Mar Wine + Food Festival.

10. The Life of Failed Umpire Drew Deckman

Rounding out our top 10 list, Baja’s wildly intelligent chef Drew Deckman stops by the office to chat with Troy and David about the precarious future of Valle de Guadalupe. Troy calls Drew “one of the funniest, most articulate, humblest, and give-a-damn people” he’s ever met as they chat about Drew’s failed dreams of becoming an umpire.

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Sponsors and partners for Behind the Brands included SONY, Keck School of Medicine at USC, Scripps Health, The Creative Group, Orangetheory Fitness, 1888 Doblemente Anejado, Wyoming Whiskey, Tequila Partida, Bear Naked Granola, Passion Planner, Enjet Media, and I Love a Clean San Diego.

Photography by Kambria Fischer.

Behind the Brands 2020

Kambria Fischer

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Kay Coleman, chair of the ACS Desert Coastal Area Board and the “SDC4” event, said, “There are many celebrations for cancer survivors, but this is the first one for the cancer care professionals who make a difference in the lives of cancer patients every day.”

Photos by Lauren Radack

Event Photos: Celebration of Cancer Care Champions

Danielle and Jason Sicklick

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Photos by Paul Nestor and Daniel Audick

Event Photos: 14th Annual ArtWalk

Sarah Cusey

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Photos by Bradley Schweit

Event Photos: #SKY5Year

Sirius K. Yoo, MD and Theresa Hadley

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Learn more about LJI at lji.org.

Event Photos: A Day at the Races

Kathleen Bowles, Jeffrey Miller, Hilde Cheroutre, Mitchell Kronenberg, Denny Sanford, Ingrid Velasquez, Mark Bowles

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The event at Humphreys Concerts by the Bay, which featured a performance by the Grammy Award–winning ensemble Mariachi Los Camperos, celebrated the work M.O.S.T. volunteers have done for over 30 years. More than $50,000 was raised through a live auction, which included a Lake Tahoe vacation package, a carne asada fiesta for 50 people, and a getaway to Whitefish, Montana.

Pediatric ophthalmologist Harry O’Halloran, MD was honored for making 33 trips with M.O.S.T., during which he provided nearly 4,000 eye surgeries. Miguel Cervantes, a former M.O.S.T. patient who now volunteers with the organization, was a special guest speaker. Since 1987, M.O.S.T. volunteers have helped more than 14,000 children with life-changing surgeries.

Photos by Carol Sonstein

Event Photos: 8th Annual Scripps M.O.S.T. Mariachi Festival

Guy and Judy Maddox, Liz Morrell, Ann Moore, Cindy Caruso, Mia and Drew Harenski, John Morrell, Mario Mack, Lindsay Olson-Mack, Mike Caruso

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Video by @noahrickertsen

Happy Holidays From San Diego Magazine

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The highlight of the evening was a chef competition sponsored by the Community Health Improvement Partners (CHIP) and Nutrition in Healthcare Leadership Team (NHLT). The competition featured Prime Healthcare, Plum Healthcare Group, and UC San Diego Health, which are all members of NHLT. Guests were able to cast their vote for the best dish for an audience choice award, and a panel of judges determined the winners in the other categories.

Sponsors and partners for the Top Doctors Celebration included Community Health Improvement Partners, Nutrition in Healthcare Leadership Team, Audi, Orangetheory Fitness, Scott Dunn Private Journeys, Getaround, High Noon, and Noble Oak.

Photos by Kambria Fischer Photography

Event Photos: Top Doctors 2019

KAMBRIA FISCHER PHOTOGRAPHY

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• Woman of the Year: Verna Griffin-Tabor, Center for Community Solutions
• Industry Leader: Jeri Miuccio, San Diego Fire Department
• Military Service: Sarah Schaffer, United States Marine Corps and Law Offices of Sarah T. Schaffer, APC
• Nonprofit Visionary: Katie Sawyer, San Diego Women’s Foundation
• Rising Star: Elizabeth Banker, Shore Solutions

The event had live entertainment, complimentary professional headshots provided by Ultimate Software, pop-up shops, bites and sips, and an inspiring keynote by Dr. Alicia Gwynn.

Sponsors and partners for Celebrating Women include Wells Fargo, Sony Electronics, Ultimate Software, Orangetheory Fitness, Scripps Health, Topo Chico, KYLA , Mike Hess Brewing, Kashi, Out of the Ordinary Group Adventures, Control Entertainment, Yes Way Rosé, Redfearn and Associates, Getaround, I Love A Clean San Diego, and The Wild Thyme Company Catering and Events.

Photos by Kambria Fischer Photography

Event Photos: Celebrating Women 2019

KAMBRIA FISCHER PHOTOGRAPHY

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