It’s our annual Best of San Diego issue where we share dozens of the best new things to do, eat, drink, and see in our city. This year, we grouped our curated list of editor’s picks by region: North County, Central San Diego, East County, and South Bay, so that you can quickly find all the cool things happening near you, or in a part of the county you’re wanting to explore more of. And as always, we include new restaurants, wineries, and experiences in our next-door neighbor, Baja California.
We also have some exciting announcements for this issue: we are reviewing restaurants again! Over the past year-and-a-half, our food critic, Troy Johnson, chronicled the struggles, pivots, and challenges our restaurants and small business owners have been experiencing. The editorial team decided that this month was the time to end the “Restaurant Diaries” series and devote those pages back to celebrating dining out. Troy’s first post- pandemic review is Lumi by Akira Back in the Gaslamp, a stunning rooftop sushi restaurant helmed by a Michelin-starred chef—read it on page 40 to see why youshould consider making a reservation there for a big night out.
Our Events Calendar also returns this month where you can find inspiration for several fun things to do. We’re excited about the Symphony’s opening night performance at the new Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, Carlsbad Music Festival, and the Padres’ home games against the Miami Marlins. We’re even more excited to announce that our Best of San Diego party is back! We are holding the event again at Liberty Station, and you can join us to sample the amazing food and drinks provided by some of the winners listed in this issue. And since we were not able to host the event last year, we invited the winners from the 2020 edition of Best of San Diego, along with last year’s winners of Best Restaurants. We’d love for you to come out and celebrate with us on August 20—visit sdmag.com/bestofsd to get your tickets.
Also featured in this issue is a new salon in South Park to visit for a treatment, three hiking trails to explore this season, and “Kicking Into High Gear,” a photo essay celebrating the city’s professional soccer team, the San Diego Loyal. Photographer Ariana Drehsler caught up with the team during practice at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center—a 155-acre facility where athletes from around the world are also training for the Tokyo Summer Olympics as of press time—and later at a game against the Oakland Roots. Led by their superstar manager Landon Donovan, formerly of the LA Galaxy, San Diego Loyal is one of three undefeated teams in the entire USL Championship league as we go to press. Check out Ariana’s stunning photos to get revved up for the season.
It’s been a long, hard road. And while we’re not completely out of the woods, brighter days are ahead. See you at the party!
Jicama tacos
