Welcome back to Happy Half Hour! We have a special treat for our listeners this week: Joining us on the show is Wil Myers! The San Diego Padres are the most exciting team to watch in Major League Baseball right now, and they just made history last week with their first no-hitter. Wil has been a familiar face in the Petco Park outfield since he joined the team in 2013. On April 10, 2017, he hit for the cycle against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field—it was only the second cycle in Padres history—and on August 18, 2020, he hit a grand slam in a 6–4 win against the Texas Rangers, which extended the Padres grand slam streak to two games. Two days later, the Padres would make history as the first Major League team to hit a grand slam in four consecutive games.
Wil joined us while on the road in Texas to talk about the new partnership between the Padres and Cutwater Spirits. Cutwater just launched new limited-edition cocktails whose can designs are inspired by the Padres’ uniforms: There’s a vodka mule with ginger, a splash of bitters, and lime; and a new paloma with Cutwater’s tequila and grapefruit soda. Wil teamed up with the distillery to promote the new line (he says the vodka mule is his favorite) and participated in the company’s Cut Out for Baseball campaign.
Wil shares with us how this season feels compared to 2015, the excitement of signing Fernando Tatís Jr., and the new high expectations for the team. He says this World Series chatter is new for him, so the pressure is on—but that’s a positive thing! Wil also talks about pregame food rituals, why he doesn’t wear batting gloves, and what city is his favorite to eat in. And yes, we asked the burning question about why he agreed to switch jersey numbers with pitcher Blake Snell. Tune in to hear what he says!
During this episode, we learned that the Padres have dedicated chefs at the clubhouse in Petco Park, and they can order food through an app. Although professional athletes have regimented diets and work with nutritionists, Wil says the chefs at Petco make amazing Philly cheesesteaks and quesadillas—which is what he orders when he’s able to indulge. His love for Chick-Fil-A is well known, and he says another one of his favorites is Lolita’s Mexican Food: He orders the California burrito and doesn’t add anything else to it because it’s perfect as is.
In Hot Plates, Junya Watanabe, the founder of RakiRaki Ramen, opened a new restaurant specializing in karaage, Japanese-style fried chicken. Metl Bar, which is known for their boozy ice cream, opened a second restaurant in North Park that’s serving brunch. The Kebab Shop is opening their tenth San Diego location tomorrow in La Jolla Village Square.
In Two People for $50, Wil’s pick is In-N-Out (celebrities, they’re just like us!). Troy’s pick this week is the carne asada tacos at Taquería Revolución, which has locations in Bonita and Otay Ranch. David recommends Rudford’s Restaurant, the historic diner that’s been in North Park since the 1940s (and he says the housemade salsa is really good!).
Thank you for listening! As always, we want to hear from our listeners. Need a recommendation for takeout? Is there a guest you want us to book on the show? Let us know! You can call us at 619-744-0535 and leave a voicemail, or if you’re too shy, you can email us at [email protected]. See you next week!
Wil Myers
