Women’s sports are finally getting their due.
San Diego Surge brought full-contact women’s football to San Diego way back in 1975, but the floodgates (and people’s minds) really opened in 2021 when the National Women’s Soccer League launched San Diego Wave FC. Today, there’s San Diego Mojo (indoor volleyball) and Rebellion (football), and youth leagues to train the next generation of superstars.
Despite a long history, often far outperforming their male counterparts, women professional athletes are paid less and get far less television airtime. That lack of access is exactly what inspired Kalani Millsaps to start One Of Us—what they hope will become the city’s first women’s sports bar.
“It started out because we didn’t have a place to go to watch any women’s sports,” she explains. Whenever she and her wife, Patricia Sebold (co-founder of One of Us), would try to watch a televised women’s game at a sports bar, they were either turned down or relegated to a corner. “It just got too frustrating.” Then they saw women’s sports-centric bars opening in places like Portland (The Sports Bra) and Long Beach (Watch Me! Sports Bar).
One Of Us started hosting tailgates and pop-up watch parties last fall for Wave games, then games for the U.S. Women’s National soccer team and Mojo. They’re aiming to do the same for rugby and NCAA March Madness. Most events take place at 619 Spirits in North Park, and Sebold and Millsaps hope to secure their own North Park space soon.
If and when, it’ll be a family-friendly space open to all sports fans. “As long as you identify as a women’s sports fan, we’re going to welcome you here,” she promises. They’ll also show plenty of men’s sports—as long as they don’t conflict with women’s games.
“I’m sure we’re going to get people that want to come to our bar to watch Padres games versus going to other traditional sports bars, just because the environment is going to be different,” she says. “We’re not going to have those rowdy guys that are yelling at the TV and cursing and throwing beer around kind of thing.”
One Of Us is currently raising funds to afford a permanent home, and they plan to continue hosting watch parties at 619 Spirits as often as they can until then. So far, attendance has exceeded even their most optimistic estimates—which the pair says proves the concept isn’t just viable, but needed.
Find out about One Of Us’ upcoming events and watch parties on Instagram at @oneofusbar, and keep up with their progress at oneofusbar.com.
San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events
Drink Wine, Fight Hunger
Feeding San Diego can rescue millions of pounds of food every month, but it takes everyone chipping in. You can always donate your time and money, but now you can drink wine for the cause. To celebrate their first anniversary, on April 15 Finca in North Park will donate $3 from every bottle of wine sold directly to Feeding San Diego. Win, win.
Beth’s Bites
- Estancia La Jolla will add a dash of mystique to its beverage program when it opens The Remedy Lounge on Friday, March 28. The menu at the “apothecary-inspired elixir bar” only has eight cocktails, but each one is specifically designed to target a different part of the body by using adaptogenic herbs and botanical ingredients. Drinking flowers in a “secret” garden sounds like a decent way to kick off spring.
- Joe Busalacchi is the man behind a lot of Little Italy’s modern Italian scene, he and his nephews and sons populated a large portion of Little Italy with spots like Barbusa, Nonna, and Lala. And he’s a hell of a raconteur, which should make his new “Tavolo Tasting Tour” interesting. He’ll personally guide 12 guests per night through each concept with cocktails, appetizers, pasta, wine, dessert, and plenty of stories. There are only a few dates available.
- For the pizza and beer lovers out there (my people!), URBN Pizza is now the permanent food partner at Pure Project’s North Park taproom every Wednesday through Friday (starting at 4 p.m.) and Saturdays and Sundays (starting at 1 p.m.). As long as they (occasionally) have the mashed potato pizza for me to pair with a pilsner, I’ll be all set.
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