Anthony Wells has often been called a “chef’s chef.” The Juniper and Ivy executive chef has made a name for himself in the city simply by cooking the best fare without pretense.
Featuring a rotating seasonal menu, chef Well’s recipes often showcase his innovative take on Southern California cuisine while focusing on sustainably and hyper-seasonal, high-quality product from local purveyors.
He’s most known, though, for creating foods that feel comforting and nostalgic, which may be why his biscuit with smoked butter recipe has become a guest favorite. Though the dish has been around since the restaurant’s inception in 2014, it’s gone through a few adaptions over the years.
Now, chef Wells smokes the cream, salt, and butter to offer a more subtle smoky flavor. “It’s an easy recipe to make, a one-pot-wonder kind of dish that is a crowd pleaser,” he shares. “It makes you happy when you eat it.”
With the evenings cooling down and the holidays near, this is a cozy dish that will likely be a go-to in the coming months. To make chef Well’s biscuit with smoked butter recipe, follow the instructions below:
Enjoy this sweet fruit cake bursting with fall flavors and comforting spices at home
Recipe Easy Spiced Vegan Pear Cake from Rachel Steenland of The Garden Party
By Rachel Steenland
This sweet fruit cake recipe is bursting with fall flavors and uses all the warm and comforting spices that you crave this time of year. The gooey pear caramel topping takes the cake to the next level. You can get the best flavor by using fresh, in-season pears. This recipe is perfect for serving at holiday gatherings. –Rachel Steenland
Easy Spiced Vegan Pear Cake (Serves 12)
Toppings
2 red pears
6 tablespoons dairy-free butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
Prepare pears by cutting them in half and removing seeds and stem, then thinly slicing them lengthways.
Mix together dairy-free butter and brown sugar, then spread mixture over the bottom of a nine-inch round baking pan. Top with sliced pears, overlapping to create a circular pattern.
Batter
1 stick (4 oz.) dairy-free butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup oat milk
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup cane sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch of salt
Cooking Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. In a medium mixing bowl, add dairy-free butter and brown sugar and mix to combine. Then, add vanilla extract and oat milk and stir to combine.
Into a second medium mixing bowl, sift all-purpose flour, baking powder, and baking soda, then add cane sugar, ground spices, and salt. Stir to combine.
Pour wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients, then stir until combined.
Pour batter into the baking pan on top of the butter, brown sugar, and pear topping.
Place pear cake into the oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the cake comes out clean. Set aside to cool.
Once cooled, flip your pear cake. Place a serving plate over the top of the baking pan. Then, holding the plate and the pan together tightly, turn the pan upside down, placing the plate on your kitchen counter. Carefully remove the baking pan to reveal the spiced pear cake.
Serve warm or at room-temperature with a scoop of dairy-free vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Octopus can be daunting. Unlike the chicken or beef you probably have hanging out in your freezer at any given moment, it’s a rare ingredient on most American’s grocery lists. (Also, chickens don’t have tentacles.) Prepared skillfully, octopus is buttery, tender, even lightly sweet. Cook it wrong, and you’ve got rubber with suckers—which is why we usually leave it to the professionals to get it right.
But if you’ve got guts and a recipe (like the one you’re about to read), then you’re capable of transforming the aquatic critter into your most impressive dinner party entree ever. This octopus shawarma serves as a delicacy at the California coastal restaurant Mediterranean Room, located inside of the La Valencia Hotel in La Jolla.
Courtesy of executive chef Fabian Aceves, the recipe pays homage to the restaurant’s waterfront location by bringing together elements of both land and sea. “Octopus is nostalgic for me because it has a connection to memorable days I’ve spent cooking, eating, and learning delicious new versions of it over the years,” Aceves says.
To make chef Aceves’ octopus shawarma, follow the recipe below:
Octopus Shawarma
Octopus
Ingredients
1 whole 3–5 lb octopus (Spanish preferred)
4 gallons water
1 oz whole black peppercorns
1 oz fennel seed
1 oz bay leaves
1 cup red wine vinegar
½ cup sea salt
1 tsp chili flakes
Shawarma Marinade
Ingredients
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Zest of 2 lemons
7 oz lemon juice
7 oz white vinegar
7 oz orange juice
¼ cup tomato paste
2 lb yogurt
1 tbsp onion powder
2 tbsp sumac
1 tbsp coriander
1½ tbsp cumin
3 tbsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp dried oregano
Salt to taste
Mediterranean Bean Mix
Ingredients
1 qt cooked chickpeas
1 qt cooked gigante white beans
2 roasted red bell peppers, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup fresh dill, finely chopped
1 oz lemon juice
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp sea salt
Garnish
Ingredients
1 cup mayo
2 tbsp squid ink*
Chili thread to taste
Instructions
Poach the whole octopus in water with peppercorns, fennel seed, bay leaves, red wine vinegar, sea salt, and chili flakes for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
While the octopus is poaching, marinate chickpeas and gigante white beans in garlic, olive oil, dill, lemon juice, cumin, black pepper, and sea salt for 30 minutes. Mix together shawarma marinade ingredients. Make squid ink aioli by stirring together mayo and squid ink*.
Strain the octopus and portion out whole tentacles. Discard the octopus head. Once tentacles are cooled, sear on a flat top grill or large skillet until crispy on both sides (about 2 minutes on each side).
Toss the tentacles in the shawarma marinade and bake in a salamander oven or broiler until crispy again (about 4 minutes).
Create the Mediterranean bean mix by tossing the marinated garbanzo beans and gigante white beans with the roasted peppers together in a bowl.
To serve, arrange the octopus shawarma around the bean mix. Dot squid ink* aioli around the plate and garnish with chili thread.
*If squid ink is not available, substitute lemon juice to make a lemon aioli.
Melody Bathaee is a freelance lifestyle writer and creative producer based in San Diego, CA. She's covered arts & culture, food, politics, and music at regional and nationally recognized publications. When she's not scoping out the local music scene or rock climbing, you'll find her working on different media projects across SoCal. For more information, visit melodybathaee.com.
A.R. Valentien's chef Kelli Crosson shares this quick and easy recipe to keep you warm this winter
By SDM Staff
chestnut soup, AR Valetien
When nightfall begins at 5 p.m., the temps drop to a below-freezing 50 degrees, and San Diegans start to begrudgingly wear close-toe shoes, it can only mean one thing: porcini chestnut soup at A.R. Valentien inside the Lodge at Torrey Pines.
“Many of our regular guests (and cooks for that matter) look forward to seeing this on the menu,” shares chef Kelli Crosson. “This year you’ll find a variation of it on our Christmas prix rixe menu.” Having worked under chef de cuisine Jeff Jackson for the past 11 years at the restaurant, chef Kelli has finally taken the reins of fine dining venue. She’s earned it.
Kelli Crosson
Now, it’s her turn to make her mark on the beloved chestnut soup. Over the years, it has gone through its fair share of iterations, including using different nuts, becoming vegan, getting garnished with extravagant flavors such as truffles and chestnut tuille, and simply getting fancied up by adding crème fraîche and chives.
We asked chef Kelli to share her recipe for us to make at home and luckily, this year’s version doesn’t include any crazy bells and whistles—just some good old fashioned roasted chestnuts to get into the festive spirit. “This is the perfect soup to serve for your holiday dinner,” says chef Kelli. “It’s full of earthy flavor and I’d venture to say it’s unlike most mushroom soups you’ve tasted.”
To make chef Kelli’s porcini chestnut soup, follow the recipe below:
Porcini Chestnut Soup
Ingredients
1 Each Yellow Onion, Small Dice
1 Each Leek, Sliced
1 Pound Frozen Porcini
1/2 Pound Cremini Mushroom, Sliced
1/2 Pound Frozen Chestnuts
1/2 Cup White Wine
1 Cup Dry Sherry
1 Each Bay Leaf
1 Sprig Thyme
3 Quarts Chicken Stock
3 Tablespoons Clarified Butter***
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Thaw porcinis. Squeeze the juices from the mushrooms and reserve.
Thaw chestnuts and place on sheet pan. Roast in preheated oven until golden brown. Approximately 10 minutes.
In a large pot, heat one tablespoon of clarified butter over medium heat. Add leeks and onions and sauté. When tender add in the reserved porcini juice.
In a separate sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of clarified butter over high heat. Add cremini mushrooms and cook until golden. Add porcinis and continue to sauté until they’re golden brown as well. The more color you get on the mushrooms without burning them, the stronger the flavor will be.
Add the sherry and white wine to the pan with the mushrooms. Let cook for a minute or two, until the alcohol cooks off.
Transfer the mushrooms and chestnuts into the pot with leeks and onions. Add the herbs.
Cover with chicken stock by 2 inches.
Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes
Blend in batches in blender until smooth.
Serve immediately topped with a dollop of crème fraiche and chive.
*** can use other high heat oil like grapeseed or avocado
Renewable energy companies building hundreds of power plants. Biotech startups using artificial intelligence to create personalized medicine for children with rare diseases. Hospitality companies quietly powering thousands of local events. Consumer brands growing from beach-town startups into national businesses. These are the kinds of companies driving San Diego’s economy today, and the businesses recognized at this year’s San Diego Business Impact Awards offer a snapshot of where the region is headed.
Hosted July 23 by San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation (EDC) and JPMorganChase, the second annual awards event honored four local companies for innovation, growth, and economic impact. More than 100 nominations from San Diego’s middle-market businesses were reviewed by a 10-person judging committee, with winners selected across four categories: startup, early-stage innovator, rising star, and established heavyweight.
Two-time honoree Jimbo Someck, founder of Jimbo’s organic grocery stores, also joined the event for a fireside chat on buying local, supporting emerging brands, and giving back to the community.
“San Diego’s strength comes from its makers and builders—the resilient people who endure great risks and overcome obstacles to build and scale a company,” says Aaron Ryan, San Diego Region Manager and Middle Market Banking at JPMorganChase & Co. “These awards aren’t just recognition; they spotlight the talent, grit, and innovation shaping our region’s future. By celebrating those who create and build, we foster connections and fuel the growth that keeps San Diego thriving.”
Matt Furman Photography
Building the Infrastructure Behind Clean Energy
Heavyweight honoree SOLV Energy has grown alongside the country’s rapid investment in renewable power. “It’s an exciting time for SOLV Energy as we are experiencing significant growth,” says CEO George Hershman. “The business has doubled over the last year and has almost double-digit growth since its inception.”
The Rancho Bernardo-based company designs, builds, operates, and maintains utility-scale solar and energy storage facilities. Since its founding in 2008, SOLV Energy has built more than 500 power plants.
Growth has translated directly into hiring. About 200 employees work from the company’s local headquarters, including roughly 20 interns. “Our intern program is a big part of the way that we grow our workforce,” Hershman says. “Last year, 43 percent of our interns became full-time employees. We believe San Diego is a great community to build and grow a high-tech infrastructure and technology company because of the incredible workforce—the ability to attract top talent and draw from world-class universities.”
Developing Medicine One Patient at a Time
Startup honoree La Jolla Labs is tackling one of medicine’s biggest challenges by developing personalized RNA therapeutics for patients with rare diseases—many of them children with neurological disorders like ALS. Using proprietary artificial intelligence and machine learning tools, the biotech company develops treatments tailored to each patient’s specific genetic mutation.
CEO Tamar Grossman says the recognition reflects how far the company has come despite limited resources. “We’re honored to be recognized for our ability to change and save patients’ lives and turn our lean startup into a clinical company with very minimal resources,” she says.
Grossman credits San Diego’s concentration of research institutions—including UC San Diego, the Salk Institute, and Scripps Research—with creating a pipeline of talent and collaboration. “San Diego is one of the world-leading centers for technology, genomics, and RNA therapeutics,” she says. “We have over 30 RNA therapeutics companies here, and we support each other and help with anything related to drug discovery.”
She says that collaborative spirit extends beyond formal partnerships. “You can walk around Torrey Pines, go into a café, and find colleagues from the industry and have an ad hoc conversation,” Grossman says. “That’s something very unique to San Diego.”
While Snake Oil Venue Company may not be a household name, chances are many San Diegans have attended one of its events. The early-stage innovator honoree has expanded from beverage catering and mixology consulting into venue management, operating Julep Venue in Mission Hills, Bramble Bay Venue in Imperial Beach, Vesper Venue, the Chapel at Liberty Station, and five outdoor venues throughout Liberty Station—more than 500,000 square feet of event space altogether.
“We do a lot of launch parties for corporations and new products,” says CEO Mike Esposito. “I really like working on the entrepreneur side of things, where new businesses are entering the San Diego market and looking to make a splash.”
Snake Oil has executed more than 16,000 events, employed more than 1,000 people, and partnered with more than 900 local vendors, including caterers, florists, photographers, entertainers, and other hospitality businesses. The company also works with many of San Diego’s nonprofits, museums, and cultural institutions. “We get to celebrate people’s most important moments,” Esposito says. “Whether that’s a wedding, celebration of life, or quinceañera, we’re fortunate to be involved in the community in so many different ways.”
Matt Furman Photography
Growing a Beach-Town Brand into a National Business
Rising star honoree ALOHA Collection is proof that a simple idea can grow into a thriving company. Founded by two roommates who wanted a better way to carry wet swimsuits after a day at the beach, the lifestyle brand has grown into a business while maintaining strong year-over-year growth.
Now headquartered in Carlsbad, ALOHA Collection employs more than 100 people and operates its California flagship store in Encinitas, which is slated for a remodel. With roots in Hawaii, the company is known for its lightweight, splash-proof travel bags that have become a familiar sight on beaches in San Diego and beyond.
“‘Aloha’ is part of our name, but it’s also how we move through the world,” says CEO Lynna Barnard. “It’s how we show up for people, the way we travel, the way we give back.” Since day one, the company has maintained a 5 percent giveback to Hawaii conservation efforts, contributing millions of dollars over the years.
“I think what’s so inspiring about ALOHA Collection, and the founders in particular, is when you dream big, those dreams can come true when you work hard and trust in the universe,” Barnard says. “It’s inspiring to be a role model for other people wanting to start businesses from humble beginnings. Start small and watch it grow.”
Together, businesses like these form a cornerstone of San Diego’s economy—not only through the jobs and revenue they generate—but through the local workers they hire, vendors they support, and investments they make in the region. Their growth doesn’t happen in isolation; it ripples outward, strengthening the broader business community and the people who call San Diego home.
It’s cold out—well, cold for us San Diegans at least (ignore us, Idaho). And with 5 p.m. feeling more like 10 p.m. these days, all we really want are holiday lights outside, cozy blankets inside, reality TV and comfort food to fill our evenings with.
So, we looked to none other than Louisiana Purchase for the goods on what to make to warm up our bones this winter. Their suggestion? Chef Quinnton “Q” Austin’s Uptown Sink Gumbo.
The New Orleans native marinates the charm and character of his hometown into every item on the menu, creating diverse Cajun flavors and creole tastes—with his chef Q twist.
“The background of the Uptown Kitchen Sink Gumbo is taking a little bit from everyone I’ve been around that made great gumbos, bouncing from house to house on Sunday and being a taste tester,” says chef Q.
Louisiana Purchase, gumbo vertical
Courtesy of Louisiana Purchase
There are many different kinds of gumbos and choosing your flavors means you get to pick your party. Chef Q likes to use chicken stock, onion, celery, file, garlic, herbs, and proteins such as andouille sausage. Though he notes it’s hard to find in San Diego.
But the real trick to a good gumbo is the roux, which is equal parts fat to flour, and should be dark brown and silky. For the kitchen sink, you’ll want to throw it all in—go ahead, get crazy.
Chef Q goes with roasted chicken, shrimp, crawfish, and blue crab. “Yes, California people, blue crab,” he says. “Don’t put snow crab in a Louisiana person’s gumbo.”
Finally, don’t forget the spices. Don’t mess with Louisiana’s spices. To make Chef Q’s Gumbo at home, follow the recipe below:
Louisiana Purchases’ Uptown Sink Gumbo
Ingredients
Lite vegetable oil
1 lb diced onion
1 lb diced celery
2 cups garlic
3 tbsp thyme
2 tbsp oregano
3 lb sausage
½ cup file
Garlic powder (to taste)
Onion powder (to taste)
Cayenne pepper (to taste)
Creole seasoning (to taste)
12 bay leaves
Brown roux
3 gallons chicken or seafood stock
5 blue crabs
2 lbs roasted chicken
3 lbs shrimp
3 lb crawfish tails
3 lb crab meat
Instructions
Sweat down your onions, celery, and garlic then add your ½ cup of file
Season with garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and creole seasoning to taste and add your bay leaves, brown roux, three gallons of chicken or seafood stock, and blue crabs.
Allow this to come to a simmer, then add your roasted chicken and shrimp. Take it up to a boil then reduce again to a simmer.
Once all of your flavors come together, taste and season more to your liking.
Add your crawfish tails and crab meat at the very end and cook for only a few minutes till done.
Kayla Barber tells stories about culture, leadership, and sport through her writing and visual journalism as a photographer. She creates for Major League Baseball, San Diego Magazine, and is a freelance storyteller for purpose-driven entrepreneurial ventures.
This past summer, Ballast Point Brewing appointed chef Tommy Dimella as its culinary director overseeing all of the brewer’s kitchen operations. Since taking the reins, Dimella has crafted a globally inspired menu paired with pub favorites to complement the flavor profiles of the brand’s beers.
On his menus, guests can find everything from whipped goat cheese to 12-hour smoked pork shoulder, buttermilk fried chicken sandwiches, and a patron favorite: Sculpin beer cheese sauce. Developed in conjunction with Ballast’s flagship West Coast IPA and expert brewers, the sauce is served alongside pretzel breadsticks in their Little Italy and Miramar tasting rooms.
“It’s so satisfying to make,” says Dimella. “Melted smooth and creamy cheese is always fun to play with. The technique of making this sauce goes back to a classic French Mornay sauce.”
One of five foundational French mother sauces, French Mornay sauce is a variation on béchamel sauce and includes flour as a base, butter, milk, eggs, freshly grated parmesan and gruyere to produce a creamy, white sauce.
Creamy and refined, Dimella’s beer cheese sauce is incredibly versatile and decadent. “This sauce can be used in a variety of dishes, especially for a grown-up version of mac-n-cheese,” says Dimella.
To make chef Tommy Dimella’s Sculpin beer cheese sauce at home, follow the steps below:
Sculpin Beer Cheese sauce
Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup Ballast Point Sculpin IPA
1 1/2 cups half & half
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Instructions
1). Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until the flour is completely absorbed. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, for 1 minute.
2). While whisking constantly, slowly pour in the beer and half & half. Whisk in the mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, and cayenne pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly, then reduce to a simmer and continue cooking, whisking frequently, until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes.
3). With the heat on low, add the cheeses a handful at a time, whisking between each addition, until the cheese is fully melted before adding more. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Transfer the dip to a serving bowl and sprinkle with fresh chives, if using. Serve immediately.
If you’re anything like us, it can be easy to get so caught up in taking care of everyone else, that your own needs get lost in the ether. But while this may be a cliché, that doesn’t make it any less true: You can’t give your best self to other people unless you’re taking care of yourself.
Sometimes, that looks like stopping in for your regular acupuncture or chiropractic appointment. Other days, it means giving your body the fresh, organic fuel it needs to truly feel and function at its best. And some other times still, it involves leaving your responsibilities behind for a weekend to pamper yourself at an incredible resort and spa.
Only you can decide what your truly need. We’re just here to help you find the best ways to get it.
Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa
Island living meets desert luxury at the Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa in Indian Wells. When you step onto the 11-acre property, you’ll be surrounded by sweeping view of the Santa Rosa Mountains with olive trees and fragrant citrus groves decorating the grounds. In other words, everything about this relaxed but refined resort is primed to help you let go of the stress from home and enjoy easy sun-soaked days and gorgeous starry nights.
The rooms blend calming, woven textures with Tommy Bahama’s signature tropical prints and feature private lanais, making it easy unwind the moment you walk in the door. If you book one of the four Villa Suites, you’ll be treated to exclusive Tommy Bahama furniture and unique personal touches to further that feeling of instant ease.
At the award-winning Spa Rosa, the expert team will help reset and recharge your body and mind using methods and rituals inspired by the desert. The 12,000-square-foot retreat includes outdoor soaking pools, eucalyptus steam rooms, and outdoor cabanas, as well as massages, facials, and body masks—all aimed at creating a day dedicated to you. We’re particularly partial to the Day Long Escape, an indulgent all-day affair of CDBs soaks, renewing scrubs, life changing massages, and transformative facials.
Following your treatment, continue the experience with a meal on the patio at Grapefruit Basil. We love the Hamachi Crudo, a light, citrus-forward dish featuring premium yellowtail, house-made ponzu, creamy avocado, and fresh seasonal garnishes.
Whether you’re strolling the gardens, relaxing beside its saltwater pools, or indulging in a restorative treatment, you’ll be able to escape in style and relax in luxury at the Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa.
Healcove Chiropractic
There’s no shortage of ways to stay active in San Diego—but if you really want to enjoy everything the city has to offer, you’ve got to make sure you’re giving your body its tune-ups. Enter: Healcove Chiropractic. The board-certified chiropractors and wellness professionals at Healcove are experts at addressing that stage where you’re not injured, exactly, but you’re not at 100%, either. Maybe you’re feeling a bit tense or stressed out. Or it could be that you’re not quite moving the way you want to. Sometimes, it’s just that the accumulation of days, weeks, or even years of daily strain is starting to take a toll. No matter what stage you find yourself at, the Healcove Chiropractic team can provide integrated, preventative care centered on long-term, science-backed approaches that ensure you can always stay active and live the life you want to live pain-free.
This starts by providing truly individualized care. Every patient can expect a thorough 60-minute consultation session that includes a posture and movement screening. This allows the team to develop a completely personalized plan. That plan might include chiropractic care, acupuncture, or massage therapy, as well as functional fitness training, vibration and sound therapy, and Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization, a clinical rehabilitation method that retrains the body’s stabilization systems. Whatever the team recommends, you can be sure that it’s tailored to meeting your body’s needs today and the future.
There’s a reason that San Diego Magazine named Healcove the “Best Chiropractor in San Diego”—don’t wait until you’re struggling with an injury to find out why. Book an appointment today for holistic, integrated care that helps ground and heal your body before it reaches a crisis point.
Juice Holler
West Coast wellness culture meets the community feel of Southern Appalachia at Juice Holler. Juice Holler’s menu consists of made-to-order smoothies and smoothie bowls, as well as grab-and-go cold-pressed juices, wellness shots, salads, and more. It operates from the blissfully simple premise that fueling up with food and drink that’s guilt-free and good your body should be simple, accessible, and, above all else, delicious. And if you haven’t yet made it out to the Encinitas café, which opened just this year, let us be the first to tell you: Juice Holler delivers on each and every of these fronts.
We love the Supercharger smoothie, a mood-lifting and body-fueling option made with banana, almond butter, blue spirulina, maca, grass-fed whey protein, raw cacao nibs, medjool dates, and coconut milk. We’re also partial to the Thrive Alive smoothie bowl, where avocado, mango, sea moss, spirulina, mint, coconut milk, and agave are mixed and topped with coconut, chia seeds, strawberry, mango, and chocolate drizzle. The wellness shots include the Detoxifier, a cleansing blend of kale, cucumber, lemon and spirulina, plus a shot specially designed to fight inflammation (named, fittingly, Anti-Inflammation). Probiotic overnight oats, lemon turmeric bars, and strawberry shortcake chia pudding are other standouts on the grab-and-go menu.
Much of the vibe feels beachy North County chic—think green tile with orange and pink accents, grounded with greenery and natural wood—but Juice Holler founder Kelly Sergott, a longtime Encinitas local, has also enfused the space with her Kentucky roots. In Appalachia, a holler is small valley between hills and mountains, where nature reigns, community is king, and nourishment comes right from the land. At Juice Holler, Sergott has created a holler for the busy modern times, using local ingredients to create a spot for people to come together and enjoy fresh, fast, feel-good fuel for their day.
Everwell Acupuncture
We’ve all had that experience with a medical professional where we’ve felt rushed, ignored, or misunderstood—and ultimately, like we didn’t get the answers that we needed. But at Everwell, the holistic acupuncture practice located in Solana Beach, the care team wants to transform your understanding of what healthcare can look like.
Patients at Everwell experience care rooted in intentional listening and radical empathy—and trust us, those aren’t just corporate buzzwords. This place actually puts those ideas into practice. You will always be given the time you need to tell your story— initial in-take appointments are two hours long—and you can rest assured that your story will be believed. Every single question and concern will be addressed by a dedicated practitioner who wants to find the specific solutions that work best for you, and you’ll receive care that’s aimed at healing the body, mind, and spirit.
Everwell’s highly trained, doctorate-level practitioners blend evidence-based acupuncture with the practice of classical Chinese medicine. (If you’ve never tried acupuncture before or aren’t sure if the team will be a fit, we’d highly recommended Everwell’s complimentary 20-minute consultations.) Research shows that by stimulating specific points on the body, acupuncture activates a natural healing response in the body, helping to restore balance, regulate the nervous system, and improve overall wellbeing. This allows the practice to address an incredibly wide range of conditions from chronic pain and autoimmune disorders to digestive issues, from stress and burnout to headaches migraines, fertility and postpartum struggles, hormonal imbalances, sleep concerns and more.
At Everwell, you can expect to feel heard, trusted, respected, and cared for. This is a space that doesn’t want to be just another healthcare provider you visit; it wants to provide patients with dedicated partner who will be there for their entire health journey.
