The post From Iran With Love appeared first on San Diego Magazine.
]]>“Memories that are very nostalgic, and I kind of can’t get out of my head, I think are really valuable,” she says. “It’s not going to ever read the same for someone else.”
Consider the Persian rugs draped over her table. “[Guests] come and see the table and they think the runner is just a really beautiful runner,” she points out, while in fact it’s a Persian rug from her father’s store and a crucial part of Iranian art and culture.
Half first-generation Iranian, Pourfard spent her childhood visiting to the mountains of Tehran, where she sat on rugs eating eggs and sangak with her family. “The rug was such a strong basis of that moment,” she says. “My dad comes from a family of 10. I only have one aunt that’s here. Everyone else is there. They all have so many beautiful memories and things that I can take from to bring here and be able to share with people.”
That longing to share her culture is what led her to launch Marjan Pourfad, her pop-up dinner series earlier this year. After graduating from culinary school and working at restaurants like AOC in Los Angeles, Pourfard yearned to bring the flavors of her heritage to her local community here in San Diego, where she didn’t see much Persian food representation. The series’ first event coincided with Nowruz (Persian New Year) in March, an auspicious time for new beginnings. It has since expanded to once a month seated dinners for 18 guests with wine pairings provided by Shrieking Meemies, a local natural wine pop-up business by Maggie Henderson and Jack Hughes.
Though rooted in Persian flavors, Pourfard’s menus don’t always adhere to tradition. Classic Iranian courses flow seamlessly between more contemporary ones. Every monthly menu is different, save the final dish: faloodeh, an ancient Persian dessert made with rose water (though she imparts it with a seasonal twang each time; last dinner, she used cucumber, finger limes, and sumac). Charcoal-grilled kebabs and tahdig, aguachile and fruit-filled salads—the five-course menus often stretch into six, seven, or eight, depending on what she feels like whipping up.
Pourfard’s entire family has helped her launch the series. Her brother Nicholas built out the space and furniture, with help from Maximus Killigrew, a local artisan builder. Her parents’ property, a sprawling locale filled with fruit trees and plenty of veggies and herbs that make their way onto her plates, serves as the venue for the dinner series. Personal friends lent their expertise and passion—Guava Floral creates the flower arrangements, Sofía Limón made the ceramic dishes, and even Pourfard’s boyfriend helps as a food runner for the meals. Her sous chef Chad Pernicano is another longtime friend who left professional kitchens like Jeune et Jolie to pursue a new full-time career in education. He didn’t have experience cooking Persian food, but Pourfard says his technique-driven style of cooking as the perfect counterpart to her more improvisatory, flavor-driven focus. “We’re able to bring our brains together, and it works great,” she adds.
In 2025, she’s planning more chef collaborations, and perhaps even an Italian-inspired dinner as a nod to the other half of her ancestry. Tickets become available for purchase on her Instagram page when the dinners are announced. While Pourfand knows she could always return to restaurant work, she’s invested in the pop-up series for now. “Pop-ups have given people freedom to sort of express themselves in a way that maybe we don’t always get to express ourselves in the kitchen,” she says. “For me, being able to see people eat my food and talk to them after… [it] satisfied something in me that I sort of never got in a kitchen.”
She’ll continue to help put Persian cuisine on the map in San Diego. “The culture is so giving and so caring and so loving,” she says. “Being able to display that for people feels like an honor.”
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]]>The post Cherry Blossom Festival at the Japnaese Friendship Garden & Museum appeared first on San Diego Magazine.
]]>The beauty of the blossom symbolizes renewal, the transient nature of life, and the arrival of warmer weather. Be in the center of the bloom at the Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum this upcoming spring!
How To Purchase Your Tickets:
Tickets can be purchased on the Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum website.Guests must have a valid 2025 Cherry Blossom Festival Ticket (Pre-sale Cherry Blossom Festival Ticket, Day-of Cherry Blossom Festival Ticket, VIP Cherry Blossom Festival Ticket) or a JFGM Membership for access to the event.Tickets are now on pre-sale for $18.Pre-sale Cherry Blossom Festival tickets will be available for purchase until 4:00pm PST on March 12, 2025. Day-of Cherry Blossom Festival tickets will be available for purchase in-person, starting at 10:00am PST on March 13, 2025 through 5:00pm PST on March 16, 2025
JFGM offers VIP tickets for $25. With the purchase of a VIP Cherry Blossom Festival ticket or a JFGM Membership, guests will be able to have expedited entry through the VIP gates located at the Upper Garden Back Gate.
How Long Will The Cherry Blossom Trees Be In Bloom:
The bloom varies each year, and is dependent on the weather conditions. Once a tree is fully blossomed, the flowers tend to last for approximately 1-2 weeks. This year, JFGM’s cherry blossom trees are expected to bloom in March 2025. Once the cherry blossom trees begin to bloom, updates can be found on the JFGM website.
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]]>The post Unhinged, A Dating Series: 8 of the Best Dating Stories of 2024 appeared first on San Diego Magazine.
]]>It’s been a wild ride. For the last 10 months, I’ve dished on my weekly dates; talked with locals about their experiences; and chatted with therapists, relationship coaches, and love gurus to help me answer all my lingering dating questions. All the while, I’ve made some new friends, reconnected with old acquaintances, and, of course, met my partner.
These are some of my favorite articles, topics, and interviews of the series so far. If you missed any, now’s the time to catch up!
Seeking Answers
It all started here, with one late-night writing sesh, a few back-and-forths with my editors, and a Valentine’s Day launch. Unhinged, A Dating Series officially became a column after a year of discussions and plenty of anxiety. I remember wondering if anyone would care or relate.
Hitting publish was exciting and scary as hell. I knew I wanted this column to be a place for people looking for love to feel less alone. When we posted that first piece on Instagram, it garnered 2,367 likes, 233 comments, and 950 shares, reaching more than 98,700 Instagram users. It hit.
Our Unhinged community soon grew from there. The DMs, emails, and texts came flowing in, and it was clear that we all felt burnt out with the current landscape of dating in San Diego and needed answers.
It’s Me, Hi, I’m the Problem
It wasn’t long after that first piece that I realized before I could truly dig into the state of dating SD, I’d have to turn the mirror back around to myself. This was the moment I knew that the column would require me to be incredibly vulnerable in sharing my own stories—and willing to call myself out in a real and honest way.
This piece helped me realize that, prior to this year, I had been a part of the problem that many singles face when dating: I wasn’t fully ready to commit to someone. While swiping, grabbing drinks with potential matches, and swapping numbers at bars, I hadn’t taken the time to fully heal from my past relationship and likely let a few good men slip through my fingers.
If this resonates with you, this piece may be for you.
Ask Me Anything
At some point, my girlfriends and I noticed something about the men we were going out with: They just weren’t asking us enough questions. It made me wonder whether this was a new phenomenon in the modern age or whether their gender was just wired differently. Hint: It’s a little bit of both.
Of course, there are men out there who are actively engaging in conversations during dates—this post isn’t for them. However, “research shows that this lack-of-men-asking-questions problem is real, and it’s common, and frankly, it’s embarrassing for them!” wrote author Sophia Benoit in her column for Bustle.
Need more proof that the phenomenon is real? This piece was one of the most-read of the year.
It’s Not That Complicated
In April of this year, I met my now-boyfriend (I call him Caleb in print) through the column. This is the story of us—or, well, how we met. While finding a partner through this series was something I had considered—and even hoped for—I didn’t plan on it happening as quickly as it did. Today, we joke that he ruined the column three months after it launched.
But my initial interaction with Caleb taught me (and maybe my readers) something valuable: a thoughtful first move, a unique date, and some intentional communication is all it takes to score that coveted second date.
Finding Connection in a Disconnected World
SD local Dannika Underhill and I agree: At some point, we all became a little bit more socially awkward. Partially thanks to a global pandemic that had us shut indoors and avoiding group hangouts, today’s digital space is filled with people fatigued by years of uncertainty and isolation. And it’s affecting how we date.
Collectively, we’ve changed in the past four years since Covid-19. In 2023, a poll conducted for Newsweek showed that 42 percent of participants admitted to being less sociable than in 2019. Underhill and I discussed how these new antisocial behaviors were causing plenty of dating woes. However, the conversation was also a good reminder that our collective struggle may be part of what brings us together at the end of the day.
You’ll Find it When You Stop Looking
All my life, people have told me that I’ll find love when I stop looking for it. To me, that advice has always seemed dismissive and unhelpful. In this piece, I challenged this way of thinking and discussed how dating with purpose (ahem, “putting yourself out there”) isn’t such a bad thing.
Anyone who’s been hit with this advice and felt disheartened, this one may be for you.
I’ve Never Been in a Relationship
I feel grateful to Felicity (not her real name) for sharing her story around this important and under-discussed topic. I received a number of responses to this piece—both men and women thanking me for not seeing them as broken or undateable because they’d never been in a long-term relationship.
Admittedly, I once privately thought that a lack of dating experience at 30 or 40 was a red flag. But my research—including a chat with San Diego matchmaker Sophy Singer of Sophy Love—taught me that I was wrong. Among other benefits, people who have spent their adult lives single have had ample time to figure out who they are without the influence of a partner.
There are some great takeaways in this piece, whether you’re like Felicity or have a slew of exes in your back pocket. Check it out.
Pain, Shame, & Redemption
Oof. This one was hard to write. I knew that, at one point in this column’s life, I’d have to come clean about a toxic relationship that nearly broke me. I molded myself into a person I could no longer recognize during that relationship. I also knew that discussing this topic publicly would mean that readers would have a front-row seat to some of my most personal and vulnerable struggles.
When this was published, I felt simultaneously confident in what I had written and worried that I’d be looked at as weak. “Why didn’t you leave him?” I’ve been asked plenty of times. If only it was that easy.
It’s hard to choose being single again over being with someone who is sometimes nice to you. It took me years to fully accept that there is a world in which I could date someone who behaves as though they’re the luckiest person to be with me. I hope this article helps others like me who need to hear that a good and healthy relationship is possible—from someone who has gone through it.
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 launching this month. Get exclusive content, Q&As with Nicolle, and subscriber-only meet-ups!
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]]>The post The 10 Biggest Highlights in San Diego Sports This Year appeared first on San Diego Magazine.
]]>This action contributed to so many memorable moments that July’s rugby match between Fiji and the legendary All Blacks of New Zealand at Snapdragon Stadium must settle for honorable mention. But another “moment” might emerge with time and perspective: When we look back at it, 2024 might be the year that the city finally lays to rest its “small market” reputation.
Mojo brings indoor volleyball to San Diego
Everyone watches women’s sports, and that includes indoor volleyball. USA Volleyball reported a 9.6 percent increase in membership in 2022-23 alone, and the 2023 Division I women’s volleyball championship between Texas and Nebraska set both attendance and viewership records. Fittingly, the Mojo, one of San Diego’s newest teams, ushered in 2024 by kicking off the inaugural season of the Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF).
“Options were limited while I was growing up,” says Kendra Dalhke, a Fallbrook native and outside hitter for the Mojo. After 10 years away playing collegiately in Arizona and professionally overseas, she’s “watched San Diego volleyball grow, and it’s so much better now.” Look for more of the Mojo in 2025. After averaging more than 5,000 fans per match, PVF inked a deal with FS1 and FS2 to nationally broadcast games for the upcoming 2025 season.
Padres ace Dylan Cease throws no-hitter
The Padres’ Dylan Cease was already the most interesting man in baseball, then he threw a no-hitter on July 25 in Washington against the Nationals. Cease dominated the Nats and sent shockwaves through San Diego 3,000 miles away. Coworkers shattered the office quiet around noon that day with hysterical cheering. That cheering continued through the season, as Cease’s performance this year helped propel the Padres into the postseason, which set up the next best sports moment this year…
Fernando Tatís blows the roof off Petco Park in NLDS Game 3
The second inning of Game 3 of the National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers started innocuous enough. Padres third baseman Manny Machado grounded a single up the middle. Seven batters later, outfielder Fernando Tatís stepped to the plate with a 4-1 lead and a man on first. He then launched the ball into Orange County. It’s arguably the most triumphant moment in Padres history since Steve Garvey hit a walkoff home run in game 4 of the 1984 National League Championship Series.
“When I hit it I just blacked out and started screaming at my teammates,” Tatís said after the game. “The energy was through the roof.” The Padres inexplicably failed to score a run in the ensuing 24 innings and painfully lost the series in five games. But for an inning—for an at-bat—the Padres were on top of the world. It shows what could be in 2025.
San Diego FC sign Hirving “Chucky” Lozano
This year saw San Diego’s newest soccer team inch closer to reality. Their first kits dropped, their development academy broke ground, and fans lined up for season tickets. But there’s probably no bigger news so far than San Diego FC signing its first star player in Hirving “Chucky” Lozano in June.
The 29-year-old forward has earned 70 caps for the Mexican national team, and he’s been a prolific scorer wherever his club career takes him. In two stints at PSV Eindhoven, a top Dutch team, Lozano has scored 44 goals, in addition to his 23 goals at Napoli and 31 at Mexican side Pachuca. His cross-border appeal was on full display when hundreds of fans attended a rally at the Rady Shell to welcome him to San Diego.
Oceanside’s Caitlin Simmers becomes youngest-ever surfing world champion
When I was 18, I was on my way to failing calculus. When she was 18, Oceanside’s Caitlin Simmers was being carried out of the ocean on shoulders, a posse of friends and family celebrating her becoming the youngest-ever world champion surfer. It’s tempting to call Simmers a prodigy, but her victory at the World Surf League Finals this summer at Lower Trestles proves she’s fully arrived and ready to dominate the sport for years to come.
Alex Morgan calls it a career
Statistically, Alex Morgan is a legend. She scored over 200 goals for club and country. She’s a two-time World Cup champion. She’s an Olympic gold medalist. She’s one of two U.S. women, along with Mia Hamm, to record 20 goals and 20 assists in a calendar year. But how does one quantify the impact of proving women’s soccer is a force in San Diego? Or putting the National Women’s Soccer League on the map? Or rallying a country around women’s sports? Or inspiring young athletes around the world for almost two decades? That’s what made Alex Morgan’s final game, on a hot September night at Snapdragon Stadium, so emotional. She made us believe that greatness was possible and now we must wait for the next hero to take up the mantle. As one fan-made sign put it: I’m not crying, you’re crying.
SDSU men’s basketball team hangs another Sweet Sixteen banner
Led by Jaedon Ledee, who won the 2024 Karl Malone Award as the nation’s best collegiate power forward, SDSU beat University of Alabama-Birmingham in the first round of this year’s March Madness. The Aztecs then dismantled Yale in the round of 32 to earn a second consecutive Sweet Sixteen berth. That banner, unveiled at the opening game of the 2024-25 season, hangs among those recognizing the three conference tournament championships since 2018 and their 2023 Final Four appearance. The Aztecs are currently ranked No. 23 and are primed for another tournament run come March. Put simply, coach Brian Dutcher’s program is one of the best in the country.
San Diego Clippers come home
It took 40 years, but the Clippers came back to where it all started. Well, maybe not the original Clippers, but in a major splash the G League, the NBA’s developmental affiliate, moved the Ontario Clippers to Oceanside’s new Frontwave Arena. At their first game in November, the team honored favorite son and former Clipper Bill Walton, who died in May. The tribute reminded us where the franchise name belonged all along. The Clippers’ presence is also a significant recognition of the region’s thirst for professional sports. “Getting the stamp of approval from the NBA is a huge feat,” Frontwave Arena Co-founder and CEO Josh Elias told San Diego Magazine in September. Fans at Frontwave Arena get to see “truly the best players, guys who are hungry to compete and make it at the highest level.”
UC San Diego men’s basketball team earns landmark win in new era
This year’s NCAA tournament will be the first UC San Diego is eligible for. Utah State University has four NCAA tournament appearances since 2019. UCSD competes in the Big West Conference, which includes only one school outside of California. Utah State plays in the competitive Mountain West Conference. UCSD was an 8.5-point underdog in their recent matchup against Utah State. The Tritons won by two.
UC San Diego athletics elevated to Division I this year, and the men’s basketball team’s win over previously-undefeated Utah State this month—on the road, no less—is nothing short of a landmark victory. Long known for its academic excellence, UC San Diego is planting its flag at the highest level of college basketball.
Lincoln High School football win second state title in three years
Akili Smith Jr., the Oregon-bound quarterback and one of our young athletes to watch, led Lincoln High to their second state title in three years, but it was never an easy journey. It never is for the school, which serves one of the poorest, most disinvested areas in the county.
This year, the Lincoln Hornets football bussed to every practice and game because their water-damaged home field was unplayable. They won the state title anyway.
In 2022, they were awarded a key to the city after an underdog run at their first state title in school history. A year before that, Lincoln players pulled out of a game in protest of racist social media posts targeted at them. Students at Lincoln High achieve so much despite being given so little. Imagine what they can achieve with the resources and investment that they deserve. There may be no brighter light in San Diego sports than Lincoln High School’s football team.
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]]>The post The Jetty To Open in Former Voltaire Beach House Location appeared first on San Diego Magazine.
]]>“We want to be a place for people in town,” says Jaworski. “Ocean Beach is a very unique community, and a unique market where it’s important that you cater to the locals.”
Jaworski says The Jetty is not a gastropub but is reluctant to define exactly what it will be. He calls it a beach pub-meets-lounge with an “eclectic menu” that will draw a lot from Widman’s craft beer and cocktail experience and dishes they feel OB currently lacks. “But I don’t want to give away too much about our menu ideas yet because it’s still a work in progress,” he laughs.
But he knows one thing for sure—they’re committed to contributing to the local OB community. Jaworski estimates he worked for the NZ Eats Group (Raglan Public House, Queenstown Public House) for around 14 years and has been on the Board of Directors of Ocean Beach Main Street Association for nearly nine years. Widman is part-owner of Ocelot Brewing Company in Virginia, was the sales manager for Amplified Ale Works for years, and was the bar manager at local OB spots The Joint and The Bowl. All this is to say that one, they have the industry chops, and two, Ocean Beach has become home to both over the years. They feel ready to create a gathering space that fits with the, shall we say, particular OB flavor.
Part of that means renovating the former Voltaire Beach House, both physically and psychically. Voltaire Beach House first opened in January 2017 and unceremoniously closed this September amid allegations of theft, assault, and other accusations from both managers and employees, according to Fox 5 San Diego.
“There were some bad vibes, bad blood,” he says. “Just not a good feeling about the place from the community… [but] we really feel that with our connections to the community, we can make this an anchor for his side of town.” Renovations will be primarily aesthetic, but Jaworski says they plan to rebuild the outdoor patio and update some paint and finishes to spruce up the place. They’ll also work on community events with adjacent businesses and subtenants, such as The Artist Outpost.
It’ll take a lot of work, probably some luck, definitely some money, and heaps of resolve. But Jaworski says getting the opportunity to leave their mark, especially in that area of OB, is worth it. “To be able to actually own a business in town is an awesome, awesome feeling.”
San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events
New Updates On That Brewpub on Adams Avenue
Well, it didn’t open this fall, out Collin Corrigan, founder of Cerveceria Transpeninsular in Ensenada and former partner in El Cruce in Chula Vista, says he and his wife are the new managers of what will be known as Una Mas, opening in March 2025.
The mixed-use space at 2611 Adams Avenue will still be beer-focused, with a heavy emphasis on San Diego local beer from places like AleSmith, Karl Strauss, Coronado, Ballast Point, and Pizza Port, as well as Baja breweries like Insurgente, Transpeninsular, Wendlandt, Baja Brewing, and more. Corrigan says there will also be wines, kombuchas, and NA offerings as well, with Mexican-inspired street food and pub favorites on the menu. The indoor/outdoor concept will be kid- and pet-friendly. “Myself and the partners are all born and raised here in San Diego, so that makes us very proud to do this,” he says.
Beth’s Bites
- Roseacre is coming to La Jolla in the spring 2025 from owners Paul Basile (Basile Studio) and Jules Wilson (Jules Wilson Design Studio). The duo will also be behind the design of the restaurant set to replace Adelaide’s flower shop at 7766 Girard Avenue, with chef Erik Anderson tapped to head the kitchen. Anderson has a star-studded past, working in kitchens like Coi in San Francisco and earning two Michelin stars as executive chef. His resume is glitteringly impressive—The French Laundry, Noma. We already had eyes on La Jolla, so now I’ll spare another one because that area just can’t stop, won’t stop.
- A grab-and-go concept called Quick Bites opens in Little Italy in January, promising high-quality convenience for us tornado people on the go. As a working parent, I have basically zero time to screw around on any given day, so I say hallelujah! Did I mention there will be cold brew, too?
- The Midway District is on the precipice of massive change but it’s not immune from the typical restaurant turnover. At 3145 Sports Arena Boulevard, Round Table Pizza is out (buh-bye!), and Kiiro Sushi Izakaya is in. I’m not sure yet when this swap will happen, but hey, there’s always an In-N-Out across the street while you wait.
- The sister businesses Tablespoon and Collins & Coupe are hosting The Twelve Tastes of Christmas this month, with a different local vendor on hand every day for you to meet, greet, and shop with directly. Check their Instagram for upcoming vendors’ schedules, including a mobile knife sharpener and a few local bitters companies.
Have breaking news, exciting scoops, or great stories about new San Diego restaurants or the city’s food scene? Send your pitches to [email protected].
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]]>The post 15 Must-Try Meals From San Diego Restaurants This Year appeared first on San Diego Magazine.
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Tajima Ramen
Creamy Chicken Ramen
Cooler weather means one thing: ramen szn. Tajima on Adams Avenue is no-frills in the right ways—A solid joint to drop in for a quick hit of soup like you’d stop for a quick beer (they have both). Sit at the bar and watch the kitchen cranking out an impressive number of to-go tubs while sipping on creamy chicken broth that isn’t just rich, but wealthy. This ramen checks the boxes of being both affordable and memorable. Come on, thermostat, drop. –MH
Bincho Taco
Yakiniku California Burrito
Is it blasphemy to say this is the best California burrito in San Diego? And possibly the best breakfast burrito? Maybe, but I stand by it. The Yakiniku Cali from Bincho Taco, a Japanese-Mexican fusion spot, has me chasing its pop-up around the city each week. On Sundays, you’ll find it at Sherman Heights coffee shop Mixed Grounds, where you can order this masterpiece featuring tender Yakiniku beef, spicy avocado, roasted peppers, scrambled eggs, and hashbrowns. Add a touch of the tangy, housemade hot sauces for an extra kick. On Tuesdays at Thorn Brewing and Fridays at Whistlestop, pair one of the pop-up’s dinner entrees with the drink of your choice. –CN
Hodad’s
Chicken Tenders
Chick-fil-a’s “irreverent” billboards of cows throwing cluckers under the bus disturb me, but I’m afraid the sentiment applies here. Branch out from Hodad’s famed burgers to try the sleeper hit: crispy chicken tenders with a potato-chip breading (and the same addictive potato wedge fries on the side). –AR
Roma Norte
Fig Leaf Old Fashioned
Whether it’s your first date or your hundredth, Roma Norte is made for eye contact, and the drinks are made for pleasure. The menu at this Seaport Village hotspot is encyclopedic, but ask the bartenders to bring you their favorite and you may get this ceramic teacup full of intrigue. You’ll need to leave the small talk at home—with butter-washed bourbon, fig leaf cordial, and cacao bitters, this slow sipper is made for deep conversation. Make sure you’ve done your reading. –MH
Muse Cheesecake
Ube Cheesecake
I pretty much fell in love with Muse Cheesecakes’ burnt Basque delicacies the second I tried them. Creamy, thick, and OMG good, these cheesecakes are made by local baker Lada Sadovnyk in seven flavors, several of which are gluten-free. The ube is just-the-right-amount-of-sweet, melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness. While orders can only be made via the company’s Instagram page currently, Sadovnyk is currently looking for their first brick-and-mortar. So keep your eyes peeled on their IG page for updates. —NM
John’s Market
Mini Burritos
The chile relleno burritos here are worth the trip alone. Hidden in the cuts of Solana Beach, John’s Market serves up some of the most soul-nourishing family-recipe Mexican this side of Tecate. The mini burritos ($2.75) with homemade refried beans taste like a morning in some small coastal town 3,000 miles south. Machaca, chorizo, you can’t miss. Simple, made with amore. A true Mexican market with handwritten prices, hidden in a residential neighborhood. Oro. Remember to get extra beans and extra house-made salsa to-go. –MH
Harry’s Coffee Shop
Eggs Benedict
Opened in 1960 by a former Los Angeles Dodgers batboy, Harry’s Coffee Shop is a living time capsule and proudly holds the title of La Jolla’s oldest diner. There’s nothing quite like starting your day to the tune of bottomless coffee, vinyl booths, and the buzz of café chatter in this spot brimming with nostalgia. I’m an unapologetic eggs benedict enthusiast, so Harry’s had my full attention—and it delivered. The classic egg dish comes topped with a velvety hollandaise; a side of crispy, golden hash browns; and a classic cup of joe. Harry’s isn’t just breakfast; it’s a mid-century diner experience that every San Diegan should try at least once. And, as at any self-respecting diner, breakfast is served all day. –CN
Échale
Mussels
Anchoring the plaza in the Encinitas Lumberyard, Échale has turned what was a sleepy and under-utilized primo location into a sexy and dark wine bar escape. The mussels, a smoky and luscious take, drown in mezcal fennel broth and are studded with crumbled chorizo. Soak it all up with cheesy garlic toast and pair with a glass of natural rosé. –SL
The Amalfi Llama
Beef Carpaccio
This year, Amalfi Llama opened at Westfield UTC in March featuring Patagonian live-fire cooking techniques mixed with Italian ingredients—one of the few places in San Diego using this method to cook meat. While all of the cuts are worth a try, be sure to throw in the beef carpaccio as an app. Its incredibly thin slices make you feel like you’re eating clouds. —NM
Kairoa Brewing Company
Citrus Otago Salad
University Heights’ Kairoa is a true California brewery: open-air rooftop seating, unbridled dog-friendliness, myriad vegan menu choices. I get the omnivorous version of the citrus otago salad (crunchy pancetta and creamy goat cheese, I love you). With berries, candied lemon peel, charred grapes, and kumquat-passion-fruit vinaigrette, though, the purely plant-based take isn’t short on joy, either. –AR
Animae
Tuna Crispy Rice
Who knew that a rice appetizer could steal the show at one of San Diego’s top restaurants? At first, my mind was fixated on the flashier entrees I had ordered, including the short rib kare kare and pork tomahawk tocino perfected by 2024 James Beard finalist Tara Monsod. Instead, the unassuming tuna crispy rice had me floored. It layers wakame and charred pepper ponzu with a side of spicy aioli. The presentation isn’t jaw-dropping, unlike most items on Animae’s menu, but the crunchy texture and rich tuna have me daydreaming about my next visit. –CN
Cake De Partie
Thai Tea Crepe Cake
There’s a jiggly, ice cream–topped soufflé pancake at every table at this Convoy bakery for a reason. However, if you’re short on time (the pancakes call for a half-hour-or-so wait), stick your fork into a slice of the crepe cake. The Cake De Partie team lays down dozens or perhaps thousands of alternating layers of paper-thin crepes and whipped cream, then glazes it all in flavors like ube, mocha, and, my favorite, Thai tea. –AR
The Space Pad
Spaceman’s Sour
Step outside the typical speakeasy aesthetic and trade your well-worn leather for chrome and neon at The Space Pad from Kilowatt Brewing in Oceanside. The “Rillisporian” side of the cocktail menu, named for the bar’s resident alien race, offers creative riffs on tiki classics. The Spaceman’s Sour pops with notes of passionfruit and sangria. Don’t forget to pop the bubble tower that strides atop the drink, and breathe in its cosmic mist. You’re a real Rillisporian now! –SL
The Marine Room
Japanese A5 Wagyu Strip Steak
I fully believe that there’s not a bad dish at The Marine Room. But the Wagyu strip steak may be my fave. The chef’s special comes with Oaxacan ancho creme, onion ash, arugula, bacon jam, and sweet drop pepper. Get it rare for a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth experience with a hint of charred goodness on the outside. –NM
Atelier Manna
Manna Porridge
I’m a porridge person. Wheat, corn, rice, doesn’t matter. It’s like a hug in bowl form. Manna’s buckwheat rendition, studded with mixed mushrooms, egg yolk, and seared scallop, cover my Sunday morning oxytocin needs. A hint of miso adds depth and umami to the warm grain embrace. –SL
Stratford at the Harbor
Cinnamon Bacon Pancakes
Pancake fans mount up. We ride for O’Side at dawn for one of the best ‘cakes this side of the moon. The earliest historical reference to pancakes dates back to Greece in the 5th century BC, but p-cakes probably began with our neolithic relatives, who ground plants, added water, and cooked the flattened batter on coals. If I could give those hairy cousins one pancake to show them how far we’ve developed as a species, this flapjack from this Oceanside gem might be the one. It also happens to be Jordan Howlett (@jordan_the_stallion8) approved. –MH
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]]>The post Sneak Peek: Chef Brad Wise’s A’L’ouest Coming to North Park appeared first on San Diego Magazine.
]]>And now chef Brad Wise—the stocky mensa chef who first woodsmoked his way into North Park hearts with his debut restaurant Trust—is opening his dream French spot. It’s going into the iconic corner of 30th and University Ave in May, 2025 (gods willing).
It’s going to be named A’L’ouest, which sounds like a spendy cologne and means “to the west.” It’ll seat 200, with a massive patio. It’ll be open and airy with Bill Walton-sized windows. He wants every damn seat to have a view of the North Park sign. It’ll serve riffs on all-day French classics that smell like the good part of camping.
“This corner is special,” says Wise. “It’s where I wanted to put my first restaurant.”
But he couldn’t because he hadn’t earned it yet. When he opened Trust in 2016, no one knew what to make of this chef nicknamed Panda (he’s apparently real good at MMA, nearly pro or something, and would often show up to the kitchen with a shiner). Trust was SDM’s “New Restaurant of the Year” back then and it only kept spawning good things—Fort Oak, Rare Society (steakhouse), Wise Ox (a marinated meatery and un-vegan sandwich spot), Cardellino, and Wild Child (an ice cream experience). He’s opened a handful of Rare Societys across California and, soon, Vegas.
Now that we got the details out of the way, let’s riff.
Finally. This corner was sad and particle-boarded for too long, front and center at North Park’s pearly gates like a protest against negronis and social facilitation. I’m sure the asking price wasn’t small. North Park is the next food-scene promised land; Little Italy east with more facial hair-based irony. A marquee spot like this often requires out-of-town money, nice people but not people who know the neighborhood. Instead, it got Brad, who’s been dreaming of this spot for eight years.
“The restaurant’s a nod to my journey out this way,” says Wise, who started cooking in Jersey as a kid. “I started in a French kitchen. Not a high end fancy one—a blue-collar New York-style kitchen where everyone was classically trained.”
It’ll be designed by San Diego’s GTC Design, the same people who’ve built all of Wise’s places, including Fort Oak’s 50s-era Ford dealership that has pretty incredible car-salesmen-and-veneers vibes. Vegetation everywhere.
“When we went to Paris, they do such a great job of balancing city life with nature—soil and minerals and natural stone,” he says.
We’re both afraid to stereotype, but if it’s ok, it seems like he’d like a traditionally feminine vibe to it. I’m thinking Jeune et Jolie when he says it, but maybe I’m wrong.
The space is basically square, with a big wraparound patio that stretches down 30th street, and the main seating part along University. For food, think unpretentious, wood-smoked brasserie classics, like tartare, steak frites with au poivre, coq au vin, pastas, and some brunch ideas.
“How do you bridge duck a l’orange with scrambled eggs and toast?” he asks. “The most important thing for me is consistency. Something you can count on. I wanna have a beef tartare so good and consistent that it’s the same for 25 years.”
Beverage director Jess Stewart will do cocktails (“delicate, effervescent” say her people), French and California wines from wine director Ben Zuba.
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]]>The post 14 Things to Do in San Diego This Weekend: Dec. 18–22 appeared first on San Diego Magazine.
]]>Food & Drink | Concerts & Festivals | Theater & Art Exhibits | More Fun Things to Do
Food & Drink Events in San Diego This Weekend
Monello Cocktail & Spirit Pairing Dinner
December 19
Chef Fabrizio Cavallini and GBOD Beverage Director Ryan Andrews will lead a four-course pairing dinner at Monello featuring Woodford Reserve Bourbon this Friday at 7 p.m. Guests will dine on handmade pasta and sip bourbon-infused cocktails. Andrews will also explore the history and production process of the whiskey. This meal is $125 and only open to 24 guests. To RSVP, you must submit a $50 reservation deposit.
750 West Fir Street, Little Italy
Duck Dive Holiday Onesie Brunch
December 20
Enjoy a cozy meal in Pacific Beach at Duck Dive’s annual Holiday Onesie Brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Come in your most comfortable onesie or pajamas and indulge in sweet and savory breakfast items like chorizo potato hash and stuffed French toast. Buying an entrée gets you $19 bottomless mimosas, also available until 2 p.m.
4650 Mission Boulevard, Pacific Beach
Coastal Chill: Winter Solstice Celebration at Garibaldi
December 21
Spend your Winter Solstice at Garibaldi‘s fun and frosty Coastal Chill event at 4 p.m. this Saturday on the third floor of InterContinental San Diego. The event includes music from DJ Ayla Simone, luxe winter parkas, a snow machine, heaters, and an all-you-can-eat buffet that features oysters, lobster, and mussels. Also included in the ticket price are bottomless Amaro hot chocolate and Mediterranean s’mores with a dessert wine pairing, as well as an intention-setting station, where every card completed marks a $1 donation to the conservation nonprofit Wildcoast. Tickets can be purchased on Resy for $85.
901 Bayfront Court, Downtown
Concerts & Festivals in San Diego This Weekend
Digable Planets and The Pharcyde at The Sound
December 19
Legendary hip hop groups from opposite coasts—Brooklyn-based Digable Planets and LA’s The Pharcyde—will collide for a night of alternative rap at The Sound this Thursday at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $61 for this concert.
2260 Jimmy Durante Boulevard, Del Mar
The Vandals Christmas Formal at House of Blues
December 20
Orange County–bred punk rockers The Vandals have always had a soft spot for Christmas, dating back to their 1996 holiday album Oi to the World! This year, the band is bringing its annual Christmas Formal concert to San Diego this Friday night at the House of Blues. Tickets start at $42 for this show.
1055 Fifth Avenue, Gaslamp
Las Posadas: A Traditional Mexican Christmas Celebration at Balboa Theatre
December 20
This Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the Balboa Theatre, Las Posadas will tell the story of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem and the birth of Jesus through traditional Mexican carols and American holiday tunes. Tickets start at $34.
868 Fourth Avenue, Gaslamp
Sara Petite Presents A Loretta Lynn Christmas at The Casbah
December 22
Local americana artist Sara Petite will channel the country storytelling of the legendary Loretta Lynn in a performance with her band and some special guests this Sunday at 6 p.m. at The Casbah. Petite will debut her track “Honky Tonk Angel” and sing a handful of Christmas essentials in this intimate performance. Tickets are $20 for this concert.
2501 Kettner Boulevard, Harborview
Theater & Art Exhibits in San Diego This Weekend
Merry Grinch-Mas at Exclusive Collection Gallery
Through December 31
Ted Geisel, known to readers worldwide as Dr. Seuss, penned iconic children’s books like How the Grinch Stole Christmas! In the new Merry Grinch-Mas exhibition from Exclusive Collection Gallery’s The Arts of Dr. Seuss collection, the gallery will display private images featuring Seuss’ beloved green grump, including works signed by his wife, Audrey Geisel.
621 Fifth Avenue, Gaslamp
Fates, Boots and Bob: A Hijacked Hootenanny Holiday Hullabaloo at Bread & Salt
December 20
This Friday at Bread & Salt Gallery, performers from Project [BLANK] will present the intergalactic comedy Fates, Boots and Bob: A Hijacked Hootenanny Holiday Hullabaloo. It’s A Christmas Carol with several twists, including an extraterrestrial visitor and a piece of sacred toast. This event has all-in pricing—you can choose your cost, from $5 to $50. Attendees are also invited to bring items like new clothing, undergarments, reusable water bottles, and non-perishable food items to donate to Border Angels.
1955 Julian Avenue, Logan Heights
Golden State Ballet Presents The Nutcracker at Civic Theatre
December 20–22
Travel to the Land of the Sweets with Clara and the Nutcracker Prince at Golden State Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker at the Civic Theatre. There will be five performances of The Nutcracker this weekend. Tickets start at $48 for this timeless holiday ballet.
1100 Third Avenue, Downtown
Lighthouse Players Present: A Christmas Carol, the Musical
December 21–22
The Lighthouse Players offer a musical version of A Christmas Carol with period-era costumes and a live orchestra this weekend. There will be performances on Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. at The Bornemann Theatre. Tickets range from $25 to $35 and can be purchased here.
555 Deer Springs Road, San Marcos
More Fun Things to Do in San Diego This Weekend
Mini Golf Pop-Up at Swing Social
December 18
Test out your putt-putt skills this Wednesday from 4 to 9 p.m. as Swing Social sets up 18 holes of mini golf in the Gaslamp. Golfers can enjoy nearby food and drink specials, such as $16 draft beers and $10 Wagyu smash burgers and fries at Swing Social, long happy hours at Huntress (6 to 9 p.m.) and Lumi (4 to 9 p.m.), and $12 Wagyu sliders and spicy chicken sliders at Rustic Root. Tickets for this all-ages pop-up are $20; ticket prices will rise to $39 the day of the event.
527 Fifth Avenue, Gaslamp
The Office: Holiday Party at Rooftop Cinema Club Embarcadero
December 19
Spend your Thursday evening with Dunder Mifflin employees and superfans of The Office at the Rooftop Cinema Club Embarcadero. The Office: Holiday Party will run through the show’s iconic holiday party episodes: “Christmas Party,” “A Benihana Christmas – Parts 1 & 2,” and “Moroccan Christmas.” The screening at 6:30 p.m. is already sold out, but tickets ($33) for the 9:45 showing are still available. Your booking comes with a reserved loveseat; a heater; and a hot, seasonal, non-alcoholic beverage of your choice.
1 Market Place, Embarcadero
Fit Athletic Yoga at The Rady Shell
December 21
Beat the holiday stress with a free group yoga session this Saturday morning on the grass lawn of the Rady Shell at Jacobs Park. Instructor Viktoria Talbot of FIT Athletic leads the class from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.. Anyone interested in attending can RSVP on Eventbrite.
222 Marina Park Way, Embarcadero
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]]>For many people, seasonal stressors can also encourage drinking. Experts say it’s important to recognize what can trigger overindulging and come up with a strategy to handle situations where alcohol is easily available. Click here for healthy alternatives to drinking.
For more nutrition, wellness, and healthy living tips, sign up for the San Diego Health newsletter here.
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