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Beer, whiskey, jewelry, and more.
Tony Duquette Hutton Wilkinson Jewelry
This “Floral Wreath” Necklace is part of the all-jewelry ex- hibit, More is More: Tony Duquette Hutton Wilkinson Jewelry, opening at the Gemological Institute of America HQ in Carlsbad. The Duchess of Windsor (Wallace Simpson!) is said to have commis- sioned Duquette to create a wreath based on this one, making it accept- able to wear gold— not platinum—after 5 p.m. October 10–March 2014
Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure San Diego
Breast Cancer Awareness Month is big business. But instead of buying a pink lipstick, we’d rather get out in our city. A series of events benefiting Susan G. Komen for the Cure San Diego will take place throughout the month. The kick-off (October 5) is Bras Across the Bay and involves pink cocktails and live music aboard Flagship Cruise’s California Spirit. Other events range from Survivor Crop, a 24-hour scrapbooking party in Vista, to Row for the Cure, an annual regatta on Mission Bay, and culminate with the 17th annual Race for the Cure, November 3 in Balboa Park. Money raised goes to mammograms, surgeries, meal deliveries, and more in San Diego County. Don’t forget to wear pink.
Solid gold kero
Actually, his descendant, the leader of all the Inca, drank corn beer from this solid gold kero. As you’ll learn at the San Diego Museum of Man’s fascinating BEERology, beer dates back more than 10,000 years. The liquid has been used as cur- rency, medicine, and suste- nance (Amazonian men drank four gallons a day). “All these different cultures—the thing they have in common is beer,” says curator Rex Garniewicz. Check for scheduled tastings. Through Summer 2014.
whiskey
Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa’s food and bev team flew to Tennessee to select their very own Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Whiskey. Taste it at their Whiskey & Wine BBQ October 24 and see Estancia’s new Trinitas Cellars Wine Bar. $50 per person; $200 for two and take home a bottle (they’ll engrave it so you can gift it).
photo of a fashion model
Gallerists, boutique owners, and artists will take over Broadway Pier at Port Pavilion October 19. Exhibit Ambush Phase 2 is a walk-through interac- tive event and seated fashion show where guests can view art, “extreme set design,” and special effects make-up. Expect a DJ-loving crowd looking for inspiration, and say hello to fashion designer Jesus Estrada (a participant in Project Runway season 7) and Leslie Hughes from The Bachelor season 17, both in attendance. Best part of all? This ambush benefits Susan G. Komen for the Cure San Diego. 1000 North Harbor Drive, $40
FALL SEASON FOOD ALERT! After 50 years in Santa Ysabel, Dudley’s Bakery has decided to expand, with a new store in Santee. And look for Dudley’s new fruit bar flavor: Apple, Walnut, Cinnamon. We’re told it “tastes like the top of an apple muffin.” Delish.
Brighten up your week with poke, lobster, softball, craft beer, and tacos at these fun food events
Nevermind what the sun thinks, spring is here. You can beat the May gray by upping your seafood, softball, and craft beer consumption. We’ve got just the right opportunities for that, taking place in the next week.
Where: Mariner’s Point park, Mission Bay
When: May 19-20, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Beach, beer, and softball—three good things that aren’t often experienced at exactly the same time. Except during OMBAC’s Beerfest and Over-the-Line Tournament, a two-day softball tournament held on the sand at Mission Bay’s Mariner’s Point, featuring food trucks, beer, and spirits from the likes of BNS Brewing, Bay City Brewing, OB Brewery, Alesmith, Coronado Brewing, Thorn Brewing, Mason Aleworks, and Cutwater Spirits.
(This weekend tourney featuring 120 teams in various divisions is not to be confused with the World Championship Over-the-Line-Tournament held in July.)
Admission is $35 with advance online purchase on Eventbrite.
Where: Beerfish
When: Until May 19, from 11:30 a.m. until sold out
New day, new chef-created lobster menu. That’s the theme of Lobster Week at the no-frills North Park seafood destination Beerfish this week. Every day a new chef will prepare sustainable fresh Maine lobster in their style of choosing and pair with a different craft beer. Each day’s menu is available for $17 beginning at 11:30 a.m. until sold out.
The chef lineup is as follows:
Where: Waterfront Park
When: May 19, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Nothing says San Diego quite like eating tacos with a view of the bay. Head to Waterfront Park this weekend for live music, Mexican wrestling, Chihuahua races, and—most importantly—tacos from thirty local eateries. Participating restaurants include Tamarindo, Salud, Lucha Libre, City Tacos, Lolita’s, and more. Come hungry, leave full of tacos.
Tickets are $30-35 and do not include food and drink.
Where: Bali Hai
When: May 22, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Poke-lovers take note: For one price, you can try poke from 30 different chefs and restaurants including Island Life Foods, Bali Hai, Sweetfin Poke, Surf Side Deli, and The Lanai. The I Love Poke Festival offers that unlikely option as part of its celebration of Hawaiian food and culture. Bites, music, and dancing, all come with a $75 ticket; drinks priced separately.
4 Food and Beer Events to Get You out of the May Gray Funk
San Diego Taco Fest
How two of San Diego's most promising industries—beer and action sports— combined to form an instant success story
Saint Archer tasting room
Saint Archer tasting room
Saint Archer Brewing launched last April, one of many craft beer upstarts in the Miramar/Mira Mesa area of San Diego. In less than eight months, it has collected more than 20,000 followers on Instagram. That’s slightly less than industry icon Stone Brewing (30K), but more than Sierra Nevada (15K) and Ballast Point (5K). Now the company has raised $3 million to double its output and expand its distribution into Los Angeles.
“We have standing orders for 50 states,” says CEO Josh Landan. “We just can’t make enough beer.”
How’d the folks at Saint Archer do it? First, they hired two of the top brewmasters in the country—Yiga Miyashiro (ex-Pizza Port) and Kim Lutz (ex-Maui Brewing). Then they made 14 of the raddest dudes alive (and one woman) owners of the company. Saint Archer’s ownership includes: pro skaters like Mikey Taylor and Paul Rodriguez, surfers Taylor Knox and Josh Kerr, industry photogs and filmmakers Jeff Johnson and Atiba Jefferson—the list goes on and on.
Surfing and skating are two of the most idealized professional sports on the planet, full of shirtless global explorers, career beach bums, trespassing punks with superhuman physical skills. People want a glimpse into their lives. They want to be where they are, wear what they wear, drink what they drink.
Saint Archer is the portal into those lives—during happy hour.
Taylor Knox, Josh Landan
Taylor Knox, Josh Landan
Companies like Nike, Patagonia, Red Bull, and DC Shoes pay these icons millions of dollars a year to use their products. Pacifico beer recently hired surf filmmaker Taylor Steele for its ad campaign with the slogan: “Discovered in Baja, Imported by Surfers.”
But with Saint Archer, it’s different. Like the popular Girl Skateboards brand, the athletes actually own Saint Archer. They don’t even get free beer out of the deal (“Even I buy it in the store,” says Landan). Rather than being given free product and equity to be a face of the brand, many of Saint Archer’s star athletes put their own money into the startup.
“The most important thing to all of us is having good beer,” says Mikey Taylor, on a cell phone from somewhere in Malibu. “You can market a product, but you’re only going to get so far if your product sucks. We thought, ‘If we could have a good product and market our lifestyle along with it, we might do pretty well.’”
Saint Archer provides access to that lifestyle. And, as proxy, has become the official craft beer of the surf-skate world.
It wasn’t an inorganic process for Landan, who hatched the idea with Taylor at the Holiday Inn in downtown San Diego four years ago. There was no cold-calling. Landan is a respected filmmaker in the surf-skate world. Before Saint Archer, he ran a management company with his friend Pat Magnarella. Magnarella managed bands (Green Day and Goo Goo Dolls, to name a few) and Landan managed his pro surfer friends like Knox and Mick Fanning.
“I always wanted to do a company with my friends,” he says. “Coming from action sports, we helped give birth to all of these multimillion-dollar brands—from Quicksilver to energy drinks. Why had there never been a craft beer that’s come from us?”
There’s the big thing about beer: Unlike skate shoes or wetsuits, most of America has a use for it.
“The companies that influenced us were the ones who were rider-owned and -operated,” explains Landan. “People love brands that they connect to. Like Michael Jordan’s brand. You connect with Quicksilver athletes, but you know they pay them. But if I’m at Saint Archer and Taylor Knox pours me a beer and says, ‘Hey, thanks for drinking this. I own it’—well, just as a fan I’d say, ‘Holy shit, Taylor Knox owns a beer? I’ll never drink anything else.’”
This one-on-one interaction happens at Saint Archer’s Ambassador Events, where the athletes work the bar and interact with fans. They also interact on Instagram and social media. Saint Archer’s first photo on Instagram was of Taylor Knox in a Saint Archer trucker hat. It received 66 likes. A recent photo of skater Mike Mo Capaldi drinking a Saint Archer reeled in 1,506 “likes.” Taylor estimates that, across all social media, Saint Archer’s celebrity owners reach about five or six million people.
“We just doubled our capacity in six months,” says Landan. “Every milestone we made, we tripled it. There was a photo we put on Instagram of Eric Koston barbecuing and we got 700 new followers in two hours. Crazy.”
Greg Koch, CEO of Stone Brewing Co. (which distributes Saint Archer from Santa Barbara to the Mexican border), puts it pretty succinctly. He says, simply, that they make a quality beer. Then? “Amass international fame for your prowess in extreme sports.”
After realizing an entire year had passed without his brewing even a single drop of beer, Jeff Bagby had an epiphany: “This is killing me,” he said.
Jeff Bagby
How did you get started brewing, anyway? I started sampling… appreciating craft beer when I got to college. My friends and I stumbled upon the fact that there was better beer to be had instead of just drinking the stuff that would get us drunk. Back then, before the Internet, you actually had to use books and maps to find these breweries.
You’re a brewer, not a builder. What’s this side of starting a business been like? After my experience at Pizza Port Ocean Beach and talking with friends who have done this kind of thing, I knew there would be a lot of work. But I had no idea what it really entailed. But that’s sort of been an exciting part for me, learning along the way. I mean, we have a structural engineer and contractors—a lot of people are involved. I want to understand every step of the process.
You had so much success at Pizza Port, winning all those Great American Beer Festival medals. And then you left. What were you thinking, Jeff? It goes back to my days at Stone, when I had aspirations of starting my own bar or brewpub, but I knew that I wasn’t capable or experienced enough to do it. It got to a point where it was time, where I felt as if I had all the experience I needed and it was a now-or-never deal. Before, it was kind of a pipe dream, and now we’ve got the opportunity to get going. Luckily, my wife is as passionate about it as I am.
You’re a North County guy, born and raised in Encinitas. Yet, your new place is in Oceanside. How did you end up there? My original goal was to be in Encinitas. They hadn’t had a brewery there since, I think, 1990 or 1991, and it didn’t last long. But the landlord we wanted to go with ended up going in a different direction. We wanted to stay in North County so we ended up in Oceanside. It’s a big area, a lot of square footage. It’s turned into a really good situation.
Spill the goods, Bagby. What styles of beer do you plan on brewing? I know from getting emails and comments from people, that they associate me with certain types of beers they had at Pizza Port, and how they can’t wait to have them again. But I would like to think of myself as someone who makes everything. I like making beer. I like drinking beer. I want to pull from past experiences and the heritage of beer. We’ll have some lagers, some big IPAs. We’re going to be all over the place.
You’re hearing about the craft beer bubble—are there too many breweries? And we’ve seen a lot of growth locally. More isn’t always better, is it? Beer is becoming more popular with more people. What scares me is that some of the new breweries don’t have the experience that many of the others have. A lot of us have spent a lot of time building San Diego’s reputation. All eyes are on San Diego. So it kind of frustrates me when I go to one of these places and the quality of beer isn’t that good. Hopefully, they can turn things around and improve their style and quality. And I’m one of these new places opening up. I know my beer has to be good.
Your brother-in-law, Josh Byrnes, is the general manager of the Padres. Are you a baseball fan and, conversely, is Josh much of a beer drinker? I never played baseball as a kid and was never a huge fan. I never really paid a lot of attention until Josh came into our lives. Am I really into it? Not fully. But the same can probably be said for Josh and beer. He’s tried a few he likes. I know he’s drinking more beer than he used to.
This month, the 2026 San Diego Business Impact Awards recognized local businesses making an impact in clean energy, biotech, hospitality, and beyond
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.”
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.”
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.”
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.
Explore restaurants, activities, and shops within this affluent North County community
The inland North County community of Rancho Santa Fe is often associated with wealth. It’s one of San Diego’s most expensive residential markets and is consistently ranked one of the highest-income zip codes in California and the U.S. Rancho Santa Fe is known for its large equestrian community including riding facilities and horse trails, as well as its country club lifestyle and associated golf courses.
At the center of this luxury master-planned community is a small, walkable downtown area referred to as the “village,” with The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe acting as both a landmark and social hub. Much of the community, including the historic Inn, was designed by acclaimed architect Lilian Rice, one of California’s earliest female architects. The Spanish Colonial-style architecture she brought to the village is still one of its defining characteristics today.
Whether you’re coming to Rancho Santa Fe for golf, horseback riding, or pampering at a resort spa, be sure to start with a short walk around the village to take in the neighborhood’s charm. Plan your next visit here with our neighborhood guide to the area’s best restaurants, things to do, and shopping.
Jump To: Restaurants | Things to Do | Shopping
Families congregate at The Pony Room for elevated California ranch-style cuisine. Lamb lollipops, carne asada tacos, burgers, and weekly dinner specials are offered here, alongside an extensive collection of wine and spirits (especially tequila) and sizeable kids menus. As the signature restaurant of Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa, this all-day eatery is a lively centerpiece of the local social scene.
5921 Valencia Circle
The piano bar at Mille Fleurs is the buzziest spot to be on Friday and Saturday nights in Rancho Santa Fe. French classics like escargot, lobster bisque, duck confit, and steak frites are the main dinner attractions at this local institution that has been around for more than 40 years. Spring for the four-course prix fixe menu before nabbing a coveted bar seat near the piano entertainer.
6009 Paseo Delicias
Nick & G’s is one of the most prominent restaurants in the village, with an outdoor patio that overlooks the main thoroughfare. Enjoy modern Italian food, steaks, and seafood dishes here, including homemade pasta, pizza, wagyu beef, and oysters. Be sure to check their live music schedule and events calendar for the latest happenings.
6106 Paseo Delicias
Named after renowned architect and planner Lilian Rice, Lilian’s is The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe’s flagship restaurant. Their upscale menus feature sustainable seafood, grass-fed meats, local produce, and even sushi rolls during dinner. Outdoor seating provides a bird’s-eye view of the village and an elegant backdrop for weekend brunch. Stop by Bing’s Bar (a nod to Bing Crosby) for craft cocktails, beer, wine, and light bites in a refined setting.
5951 Linea Del Cielo
Quaint cafe and bakery Thyme in the Ranch serves a small selection of breakfast and lunch items (don’t miss the tarragon chicken salad), but is perhaps best known for its pastries and baked goods. Cakes, pies, muffins, scones, and cookies fly off the shelves here, where locals come for special occasions, parties, and group catering orders.
16905 Avenida De Acacias
Located inside a historic building once home to Rancho Santa Fe’s original schoolhouse, Paseo RSF is one of the village’s newest dining options. The charming American bistro has pasta, salads, burgers, meat and seafood entrees, plus a thoughtfully selected California wine list and new sushi and omakase program. Kids and dogs are both welcome here.
6024 Paseo Delicias, Suite C
Grab a quick coffee to go from this walk-up window in the same shopping center as the post office. Cinnamon roll lattes, cold brew, spiced chai, smoothies, protein bowls, and more can be found at Rancho Roasters, where they brew beans from Dark Horse Coffee.
16950 Via De Santa Fe
Casual pizzeria and martini bar Goli is a popular spot for catching the latest sports games. Order one of their unique specialty pizzas like the Casbah with hummus and veggies, build your own pizza or burger, or go with one of their hearty wraps that’s made with an extra thin version of pizza dough.
18021 Calle Ambiente, Suite 403
Find generous portions of Mexican food at Cocina del Rancho, run by the same owners as Carlsbad’s Cicciotti’s Trattoria Italiana and Village Kabob. Get classic dishes like burritos, tacos, and enchiladas, plus their specialty items including pulpo, carne asada, and fajitas with lobster tail. Don’t skip the margaritas.
16089 San Dieguito Road
Kai Oliver-Kurtin is a San Diego-based writer who covers travel, dining, events, and culture. Her writing has been published in USA Today, Condé Nast Traveler, Fodor's Travel, Marie Claire, and HuffPost, among others.
We found a handful of inspiring people who live in, and truly know, these 'hoods and asked them how they’d spend their time out and about
Growing up in Carlsbad, I never quite understood why people vacationed there. What, so you want to check out the field where I have soccer practice? Pay my orthodontist a visit? Carlsbad just felt like a town by the beach, no better or worse than any other in the country. It took going to college out of state for me to actually understand just how rare a place like Carlsbad is.
Thanksgiving break my freshman year, my first time coming home after three months in the Midwest, my shoulders dropped. I rolled down the windows and drove to lifeguard tower 37—the hangout magnet for Carlsbad’s youths (and, in the summer, tourists)—and the smells of the ocean woke me right up like smelling salts do. I finally got it.
Carlsbad isn’t just a stopover town on your way to something better. It is the destination. Travel + Leisure named Carlsbad one of the top 50 places around the world to travel in 2026. From the whole globe, the travel magazine picked my home. Sure, we’ve got the Flower Fields and Legoland—but now it’s the smaller ships and indier dreams that are giving it street-level character.
It’s not just Carlsbad, either. People have talked about the “North County bubble” for decades—a force field that prevents its residents from traveling south of the 56. It’s often used derogatorily, and it’s a fairly accurate burn.
For decades, living up in North County meant giving up on culture, or at least culture within close proximity. But now, the main expansion of San Diego culture is happening up north. Central San Diego restaurants have started taking notice and are expanding into the area—spurred no doubt by Oceanside’s food boom and the Jeune et Jolie–Campfire–Wildland–Lilo constellation in Carlsbad. City Heights burger joint Key & Cleaver opened a new spot in Oceanside; the owners of Parc Bistro-Brasserie in Bankers Hill opened Parc Lounge in Rancho Santa Fe. Possibly the strongest market indicator is that Sam Fox—one of the most successful restaurateurs west of the Rockies—has started focusing on North County for his concepts. In 2025, he opened both The Henry in Carlsbad and Culinary Dropout in Del Mar.
For the ultimate insider guide, we found a handful of inspiring people who live and create and truly know six North County neighborhoods—San Marcos, Escondido, Oceanside, Leucadia, Rancho Santa Fe, and Vista—and asked them how they’d spend a dream day out and about in their town.
San Marcos is in full renaissance mode. The biggest story is that the grand North City vision is starting to peek through the scaffolding. It’s essentially the North County Downtown that’s been written in the tea leaves and discussed whenever someone gets stuck in traffic at the 5/805 merge: a 200-acre, pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use face-changer that’s slated for 2,600 homes, 350,000 square feet of retail and restaurants, 250 hotel rooms, and about a million square feet of offices and labs. Its most recent manifestation is 222 North City—a 12-story residential tower with over 450 residences, rooftop garden, pool cabanas, art installations, and almost 20,000 square feet of ground-floor retail (Necessity Coffee, Buona Forchetta, Draft Republic, Milonga Empanadas, and a grocery store anchor on its way).
Which means Restaurant Row is no longer burdened with being the primary caregiver for the hungry or the socially inclined. Patricia Prado-Olmos has watched the city morph during her nearly three-decade tenure at CSUSM, having spent the past six years as the school’s chief community engagement officer. She also just announced her forthcoming retirement at the end of the 2026–2027 school year, so she’ll have even more time to haunt local haunts.
Those in the know call the university “Cal State StairMaster” from the Sisyphean amount of stairs on the hillside campus. So, any day at or around CSUSM should start with a homestyle carbo-load (biscuits and gravy) from Mama Kat’s.
“There’s something about this breakfast spot that immediately puts me in a good mood,” she says. Mama Kat’s is also known for its pie (strawberry-rhubarb), which is breakfast if you change your perspective.
After a few hours on campus—with a break to pet the university’s official therapy goldendoodle, Frank, who helps ease finals tremors or apprehension of on-campus stairs—Prado-Olmos will wander into North City, just steps away. She says the almond croissant and coffee at Christophe Rull Patisserie rival Parisian cafés: “It feels like the kind of place you’d stumble across in a much bigger city.”
Rull, a Michelin-trained pastry chef who’s done stints on Netflix (Bake Squad) and Food Network (Super Mega Cakes, Halloween Wars), opened his patisserie last fall. The hype hasn’t cooled off yet: Get there early because the crowds do.
Emma Veidt is an editor at San Diego Magazine. She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from the Missouri School of Journalism. She loves running, hiking, and rock climbing, but really, she mostly loves encounters with the street cats around North Park.
It’s a Self-Care Summer. Because your best self is our favorite self.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
