Original cast members Rema Webb, Andrew Rannells, and Josh Gad (photo courtesy of Broadway San Diego)
It’s the show everyone’s buzzing about. Broadway San Diego’s production of the hilarious Book of Mormon runs through June 8. From the creators of South Park and the co-creator of Avenue Q, the laugh-out-loud musical won nine Tony Awards, and is making its San Diego premiere at the Civic Theatre.
Don’t have tickets? Not to worry. The producers are offering a lottery system on the day of each performance, and a lucky few will get $25 seats to the show.
Head to the box office 2.5 hours before curtain. Note: The lottery happens before each performance including matinees.
Print your name and the number of tickets you want (one or two) on the provided card.
The winning names will be drawn at random two hours before show time.
Tickets are $25 each. Only one entry per person. Cards will be checked for duplicates before the drawing. Two tickets per winner.
You must be present to win and have a valid ID, so stick around after you turn in your card.
Good luck to all who enter! Of course, we hope that you win the real lottery. But if you don’t, we think some hearty belly laughs (courtesy of Trey Parker and Matt Stone) are a pretty good consolation prize.
The Book of Mormonruns through June 8 at the Civic Theatre. For show schedule, please visit broadwaysd.com.
Abutting Balboa Park and situated between North Park and Golden Hill, South Park might be best described as a marriage of those neighborhoods’ greatest charms: North Park’s linger-worthy restaurants and shops with Golden Hill’s slower pace and envy-inducing homes. A pleasant place to gather with friends or wander solo, this idyllic neighborhood offers much to eat, see, and buy.
Slinging lattes, teas, matcha, and café bites (sandwiches, toasts, pastries, and bowls) out of a vintage trailer, Communal Coffee invites those passersby to stop, sit, and sip on the shop’s sprawling patio before browsing the thoughtfully curated onsite boutique.
2221 Fern Street
Il Posto
An Italian-born trio founded Il Posto, an airy eatery serving pasta and pizza for happy hour and dinner. The robust vegan pizza menu makes this a friendly spot for plant-based diners. If you’re down with a little meat and dairy, try the lasagna.
A one-stop shop for futuristic-sounding wellness products (quinton shots and “neuro gum,” anyone?) and healthy bites, Rad Habits Juice Co. is best-known for its smoothies, boosted with hard-to-find ingredients like cordyceps, bee pollen, and sea moss.
2967 Beech Street
Curryosity
In addition to Indian classics like butter chicken and veggie korma, Curryosity cooks up fun fusion dishes, including chicken tikka poutine and naan bruschetta. Diners can also order creative craft cocktails made with Indian spices.
3023 Juniper Street
Kindred
Plant-based eats for hardcore peeps. Guests at Kindred will hear heavy metal while sipping thoughtful bevs and chowing down on seasonal, animal-free brunch, dinner, and late-night bites that make interesting use of standby vegan ingredients such as seitan and Gardein “meat.”
1503 30th Street
Whistle Stop Bar
A fun neighborhood hang, Whistle Stop Bar is a great place to grab a drink with friends. Divey in the best way, the watering hole hosts live music, DJ-driven dance parties, and raucous Saturday night shindigs dubbed “Booty Bassment.”
2236 Fern Street
Seven Seas Roasting Co.
Seven Seas Roasting Co. specializes in direct-trade coffee, meaning that the team buys their beans directly from farmers (a more transparent process that gives more money to the source). They use ’em in tasty lattes like the choco-cherry-cinnamon Cherry Bomb.
1947 Fern Street
Station Tavern
South Park restaurant Station Tavern dwells in a building that was a trolley stop from 1929 to 1948. The restaurant has incorporated that history into its design and theme. Stop by for burgers, sandwiches, and salads, plus a full bar.
2204 Fern Street
Fernside Bar & Kitchen
The food can sometimes be an afterthought at laid-back bars like Fernside, which slings boozy slushees and cocktails both inventive and classic. But you can’t go wrong with anything from the kitchen here, especially the fried chicken sandwich and citrus salad.
1946 Fern Street
Buona Forchetta
Italian spot Buona Forchetta opened its first location in South Park in 2011, with numerous other San Diego outposts following. With a fun build-your-own pasta option and more than 30 different pizzas (including vegan and gluten-free pies), options abound here.
3001 Beech Street
Matteo
A member of Buona Forchetta’s family of restaurants, Matteo is a nonprofit eatery and bakery that donates all profits to community and educational programs for local kids. Matteo serves breakfast classics, coffee, and pastries in the morning, then switches to Italian bites at night.
3015 Juniper Street
Meraki
Another Buona Forchetta–owned business, Meraki is a new addition to the South Park neighborhood. The bar, restaurant, and event venue draws upon global influences, offering beef cheek empanadas alongside Wagyu burgers and Roman flatbreads.
1648 30th Street
The Rose Wine Bar
The Rose Wine Baris a local favorite for date nights or friend group catch-ups. The woman-owned spot lays down natural wines by the glass and the bottle, plus bar snacks, small bites, and more robust entrees like the “salad pie,” a pizza loaded with greens on top.
Jordyn Berg is a freelance writer whose favorite topics include food and travel. A Pacific Northwest native, she delights in exploring the best of San Diego, by searching for hidden gems, experiencing must-try restaurants, and soaking in the city’s amazing views.
South Park’s Newest Tenant Is an Ode to Midcentury Furniture
Whatever Gallery showcases an exclusive collection of one-of-a-kind midcentury pieces
Chad Kelco
By Sarah Pfledderer
Walking into Whatever Gallery is much like walking into your most design-savvy friend’s apartment. It’s styled to a T, and there are no price tags on the furnishings.
That’s because, as the name indicates, it is a gallery—or showroom—of Noah Feldman and Graham Loper’s proudest midcentury finds. Look, learn, and, if you feel so obliged, suggest a price.
“It’s a gallery in that we only have a few pieces displayed,” explains Feldman. “People can come in and buy. But we’re wanting to use this as a space to not just sell things but also to teach people more about midcentury furniture.”
Co-owners Feldman and Loper are capable teachers. They’ve each built their career out of a love for midcentury pieces, and their joint venture started because of one simple truth: Furniture can be heavy and hard to move.
They met about four years ago when they showed up at the same time to make an offer on a Mastercraft brass-framed sofa for sale in Point Loma. As Feldman recalls: “It was a slightly awkward situation. We were both curly-haired, scraggly guys. We’re both twins. We had all these things in common. We recognized we could help each other out, so we teamed up on that sofa and the rest was history.”
They’ve been “flipping furniture” together ever since, finding undervalued midcentury furnishings across the US, buying them—sometimes refurbishing—then selling them to those who see greater value. That’s mainly interior designers and architects, but also avid midcentury collectors.
And even as the Feldman and Loper didn’t write the book on the midcentury furniture craze, the self-taught collectors do own plenty of those books—stacked all over the floor, Loper admits—and can authoritatively argue for style’s timelessness.
“This was the first furniture designed for modern living, and that’s why it stays around, because it’s made for the spaces we still live in,” Loper explains. “It’s also a bit of a rebellion from your parents’ or grandparents’ furniture. If you sit on a piece of furniture from 1890, it’s not comfortable. They wanted to torture you a little bit. The pieces from 1950 onward, there’s an emphasis on comfort that didn’t exist before then.”
Feldman adds that many midcentury pieces can also be considered collector’s editions, since they’re often tied to a certain name, like Charles and Ray Eames, Vladimir Kagan, or Isamu Noguchi. “People are collecting them as they would art,” Feldman says. “It’s functional sculpture.”
Whatever Gallery 2
Chad Kelco
Much of Whatever Gallery’s sales are conducted through their website and Instagram, and they have a space in Barrio Logan that houses their inventory. They consider the South Park showroom, which opened just before the new year, a means for them to directly play to the demo of San Diego’s own midcentury enthusiasts and midcentury-curious.
In light of the pandemic, shoppers or even browsers can visit by appointment only. Eventually, Feldman and Loper plan to have open hours. Make an appointment by email at [email protected], or do as the millennials do and simply DM them with sourcing requests.
“We can source anything,” Feldman says. “That’s what we do.”
Since our last guide to South Park, the neighborhood’s impressive roster of eats has expanded with newcomers, rebrands, and pandemic pivots. Order a wagyu beef shawarma pita or plate of lemon cream chop fries at Shawarma Guys to see why this food truck was ranked no. 1 on Yelp’s list of top places to eat in 2019. Buona Forchetta’s Matteo is a 100 percent nonprofit eatery where you can shop freshly baked goods, pastas, sauces, and more to raise money for educational programs for San Diego’s youth.
Matteo
Justin Halbert
Down the street, Grant’s Market recently relaunched as Grant’s Coffee Room to better reflect its standing as a favorite for a caffeine fix. (It still offers beer and wine!) And when it’s time for your next homebound happy hour, sip one of Kindred’s to-go cocktails, like the lemon-basil Palace of Certainty.
Shop
Stop in to Thread + Seed to see owner Melanie Michaud’s refreshing rebrand. In 2020, she transformed her clothing boutique Graffiti Beach into a second location of her Bankers Hill home goods shop. Here you’ll find clean beauty products, decor, and curated gift boxes fit for every occasion.
Thread + Seed
Justin Halbert
Vintage enthusiasts will want to set aside some time to sift through Bad Madge & Co.’s expansive collection of vintage, resale, and locally made fashion and home goods. In addition to its regular business hours, the shop also offers appointments for private shopping. At Vinyl Junkies, by Eric Howarth and the Casbah’s Tim Mays, crate diggers can add to their record collection in a fun and funky setup.
Vinyl Junkies
Justin Halbert
Support
In a year already full of tough challenges, cherished local haunt Hamilton’s Tavern suffered a major blow when a devastating fire broke out in November. But when owner Scot Blair estimated the damages at around $1 million, dedicated patrons rose to the occasion. A GoFundMe was launched, raising money to go directly to Blair and his efforts to keep Hamilton’s, and its neighbor South Park Brewing, afloat. Show support for this longtime small-business owner here: gofundme.com/f/help-hamilton039s-tavern.
Switzer Canyon
Justin Halbert
Get Outside!
Nearby Switzer Canyon hugs the east side of Balboa Park in an easy—albeit a little rocky—out-and-back trail. Plan your trip during the spring season and you’ll be treated to a bounty of bold wildflowers.
Entrepreneurs typically launch businesses because they’re passionate about a product or service, not because they want to manage its finances. While working to carve out a niche in their respective industries and drive their companies forward, many business owners find themselves bogged down by day-to-day accounting. Their existing accounting tools don’t provide the necessary visibility or insight, and they don’t have the time or resources to hire additional staff or a chief financial officer. That’s where NOW CFO comes in.
For more than 20 years, NOW CFO has been pairing businesses across the country with experienced accounting and finance professionals. Its outsourced model allows clients to customize solutions that match their individual needs, size, and financial challenges, whether that’s fractional or interim support, project-based services, or full-time placement.
NOW CFO’s clients range from startups preparing for rapid growth to established companies that need additional financial leadership without the commitment or expense of building an in-house team. However, many of these companies don’t fully understand their needs until they experience a “trigger” event: preparing for an acquisition or capital raise, navigating a first-time audit, or another period of transition. With a team of over 300 consultants nationwide, NOW CFO can start quickly and match the right expert to the right business.
“It’s important for companies to have financial visibility, and we can help them avoid a lot of the potholes that companies often run into,” says Mariah Block, a partner at NOW CFO’s San Diego branch. “Roughly half of our clients have an in-house finance person or department, and we’re resourced for more bandwidth when they need an extra set of hands at the staff or senior accountant level, or the controller or CFO level. Some clients use this a few hours a month and others use multiple people close to full-time. Our model is solution-based and customizable. We’re like a faucet you can turn on and off.”
With NOW CFO, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Solutions are based on the client’s individual goals, challenges, needs, and budget, meaning a client never pays for more than they need. Whether it’s a few hours of executive-level guidance or a full accounting team to support daily operations, NOW CFO meets businesses where they are and grows alongside them.
“We pride ourselves on providing our clients with the right resources at the right rate and being able to evolve as their needs evolve,” says Block.
And clients appreciate on-demand access to cost-effective support designed to improve performance and profitability.
Luxury car storage service Auto Concierge has partnered with NOW CFO to support growth over the past year. The arrangement began with a staff accountant who covered a leave of absence, but as the client’s needs changed, they also added a controller role. This allowed Auto Concierge to put effective processes in place and navigate operational challenges. Lori Church, Auto Concierge’s chief operating officer, says NOW CFO has been an “outstanding resource” and a “true strategic partner.”
“From the controller to the bookkeeper, every professional they’ve placed has brought a high level of expertise, responsiveness, and professionalism to our organization. Their team took the time to understand our business of high-profile clients and needs, adapted quickly to our fast-paced environment, and became a trusted extension of our team,” she says. “As Auto Concierge continues to grow, having a reliable financial partner like NOW CFO has allowed us to strengthen our financial and business operations while remaining focused on delivering exceptional service to our clients.”
Four Questions With…Josh Malmuth, Creator of New NBC Sitcom Set in South Park
“Abby's” introduces viewers to an illegal bar in a South Park backyard—and the very San Diego characters who frequent it.
Josh Malmuth on the set of <em>Abby’s</em> | Photo courtesy of NBC
By Chase Scheinbaum
Abby’s, a new NBC sitcom set in a makeshift bar in South Park aired its first episode on March 29. Wouldn’t you know it, the show’s creator, Josh Malmuth, a veteran of comedy hit New Girl, is a son of San Diego, now living in L.A. The setting—an unlicensed bar in a suburban backyard—is more “Cheers” than “Baywatch.”
“I didn’t want it to feel surf- or beach-centric,” says the Carmel Valley native. “I wanted it to be a different side of San Diego maybe people hadn’t seen before,” We caught up with Malmuth to find out more.
I just love it there. Writing for TV, it’s more practical to live in L.A., so maybe it’s a way to keep one foot in San Diego. There’s a really interesting mix of people down there. You’ve got the strong military influence, and also the younger generations who are doing really interesting things in food and beer. South Park is really multi-generational and diverse, I knew it would be a good setting for a show of people hanging out at the bar. I wanted to create this place where an audience could come and hang out and have a good time—San Diego has that feel built in.
What are some very San Diego aspects of the show?
Abby, the main character, was a marine. That’s how she ended up in San Diego to begin with. Her stalwart regular is a guy named Fred who worked doing commercial fishing and deep sea fishing charters with tourists. Another character is an engineer who works at Qualcomm. I wanted it to feel relatable to people who aren’t in San Diego also, so I tried to balance a specific sense of place with things everyone has in common.
Are any other San Diegans involved?
A couple of people on the crew are from San Diego, and another one of the writers, Russ Finkelstein (Malmuth’s fellow graduate of Torrey Pines High School). Russ used to a do a lot fishing and spearfishing, so he was my go-to person for that stuff.
You’ve already turned heads with how you chose to shoot this show.
We shot it outside, with an outdoor audience, which has never been done before. Part of the experience was dealing with planes, and a few skunks walked through the set when we were shooting.
Four Questions With…Josh Malmuth, Creator of New NBC Sitcom Set in South Park
Josh Malmuth on the set of Abby’s | Photo courtesy of NBC
Two Food Festivals You Won’t Want to Miss in September
Two mid-month food festivals to take in much of what these foodie neighborhoods have to offer
The Daily Scoop is among the participating locations in Taste of South Park
By Chase Scheinbaum
The list of eateries to check out and revisit in this city grows less manageable by the minute. These two half-day food festivals make it easier to stop in to try new things and revisit old favorites in a couple of San Diego’s hottest food neighborhoods.
Taste of Downtown
Where: East Village, City Center, and the Gaslamp Quarter
When: Sept. 13, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Downtown San Diego has far too many eateries to explore at once. The next closest thing to doing that is the Taste of Downtown, a four-hour extravaganza of sample bites from 40 restaurants. Tickets ($40, day of) include free shuttle service around the participating areas. Among the eateries are names like McFadden’s, Gaslamp BBQ, Ciros Pizza, Café Sevilla, Monzu Fresh Pasta, Gaslamp Fish House, Gourmet India and plenty more.
Taste of South Park
Where: South Park at Fern St.
When: Sept. 15, noon to 4 p.m.
Take yourself on a tasting tour of some of South Park’s—and San Diego’s—most notable eateries. Ticketholders will be given a map to 20 participating restaurants, including Buona Forchetta, Kindred, The Rose Wine Bar, Cafe Madeleine, Communal Coffee, and Mariscos Nine Seas. The event is for all ages and limited to 400 people. Purchase tickets here.
Two Food Festivals You Won’t Want to Miss in September
The Daily Scoop is among the participating locations in Taste of South Park
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.
