South Bay is a culinary gem filled with nearly never-ending options for wining and dining. The swath of land from San Diego to the border encompasses a range of cities, communities, and cultural influences that come together to form a unique epicurean identity. Whether you’re craving a decadent breakfast, a sweet treat to end the […]
South Bay is a culinary gem filled with nearly never-ending options for wining and dining. The swath of land from San Diego to the border encompasses a range of cities, communities, and cultural influences that come together to form a unique epicurean identity. Whether you’re craving a decadent breakfast, a sweet treat to end the day, or anything in-between, South Bay has you covered. Our South Bay dining guide is your go-to resource for this diverse dining scene.
ATMOSPHERE ⎯ Elisa and Michele Borelli wanted to represent their city in Italy and bring true Italian flavor to San Diego. Balsamico offers you Italian authenticity from a family-owned business directly from the city where balsamic vinegar was invented. All specialty ingredients are imported from Italy. At Balsamico, happiness is homemade!
SIGNATURE DISHES ⎯
VECCHIA MODENA: stuffed pasta with ricotta, spinach, a light cream sauce, crispy bacon, shaved parmesan cheese, and our aged balsamic vinegar
BALSAMICO VANILLA GELATO: vanilla gelato with fresh strawberry and balsamic raspberry vinegar
DON’T MISS ⎯ Our organic, imported barrel-aged balsamic vinegar of Modena, in three flavors: truffle, raspberry, and spicy. A full range of catering services to a bring truly authentic Italian cuisine experience to your next event. Try our other Italian classic dishes including lasagna and tiramisu.
791 Palm Avenue, Suite 101, Imperial Beach, California 91932 • 858-294-3183 • balsamicokitchen.com
ATMOSPHERE ⎯ A place where weekend brunch rituals extend to every day of the week, Eastlake’s Sunday Breakfast Society is an all-day brunch locale that introduces a playful culinary experience, paying homage to its proximity to Baja and Victorian-chic design influence.
SIGNATURE DISHES ⎯
BIRRIAQUILES: crispy chips, birria, pickled onions, cilantro, green salsa, and sour cream
SUNDAY CEREAL: mini pancakes, berry compote, organic maple syrup, and hazelnut spread
DON’T MISS ⎯ The Godinez family’s legendary birria recipe, also served at Birrieria Don Rafa Instagrammable moments in the all-pink dining room and forthcoming enclosed patio.
2326 Proctor Valley Road, Suite 103, Chula Vista, California 91914 • 619-349-3503 • sundaybreakfastsociety.com
ATMOSPHERE ⎯ Bonchon is known for hand-battered, double-fried Korean fried chicken. We double-fry our chicken in thin batter for an extra-crispy coating and juicy and moist interior. We also serve Asian fusion dishes such as pork buns and Korean tacos.
SIGNATURE DISHES ⎯
HOUSE FRIED RICE: a traditional wok-prepared dish with either chicken or marinated ribeye with Jasmine rice, fresh vegetables, and fried egg
DOUBLE-FRIED CHICKEN: choose from wings, drumsticks, strips or boneless served with a complimentary side of pickled radish or coleslaw
DON’T MISS ⎯ Choosing from our hand brushed soy garlic or spicy sauce on your fried chicken. Enjoying traditional Korean dishes such as japchae or bibimbap!
1420 E Plaza Boulevard, Suite D4, National City, California 91950 • 619-245-2618 • bonchon.com
Mad for Cheesecake
ATMOSPHERE ⎯ We specialize in Japanese desserts including the iconic fluffy and bouncy Japanese cheesecake. Our co-founder spent numerous years in Japan to master baking and graduated from Tokyo Confectionery school.
SIGNATURE DISHES ⎯
DOUBLE FROMAGE CHEESECAKE: baked premium cream cheese sandwiched between a frozen mascarpone cream cheese top and a cheese sponge cake
JAPANESE CHEESECAKE: delicate, light and fluffy cheesecake
DON’T MISS ⎯ A refreshing green or milk tea with your dessert! Everything is made from scratch in-house! Ordering ahead of time for your next celebration.
1420 E Plaza Boulevard, Suite B-5, National City, California 91950 • 619-773-6033 • @madforcheesecake
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Studio S
AUGUST 10, 2026
The Secret to a Home That Feels Just Right
Behind every beautiful space is a thoughtful process, and ASID San Diego is helping homeowners understand the value of professional design.
A perfectly designed home rarely happens by accident. Those kitchens that feel effortless and rooms that seem to tell a story the second you walk in? They’re usually the work of someone who knows exactly what they’re doing.
It’s knowing which ideas will actually work, which materials will hold up over time, and how to turn a collection of choices into a space that feels intentional. That’s where a professional interior designer comes in.
For the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) California San Diego Chapter, the goal is to help people see interior design as more than just the finished look. Behind every well-designed space is a process built on technical expertise. Designers are educated in everything from professional software and construction details to building codes, space planning, materials, and functionality.
Courtesy of ASID
“People don’t always realize how much goes on behind the scenes,” Kirsten Recce , current president of the ASID California San Diego Chapter, says. “Our designers are not just doing furniture placement and color selection and picking out new fluffy pillows. That’s not what they’re trained for.”
ASID members bring formal education, continued learning, and industry knowledge to their projects, helping create spaces that are not only beautiful, but designed to work. A paint color that changes completely depending on the lighting. A material that looks beautiful in a showroom but doesn’t make sense for everyday life. A layout that photographs well but doesn’t function for the people living there. These are the details where professional guidance can make all the difference.
Still, one of the biggest misconceptions about hiring an interior designer is that it’s reserved for massive renovations, luxury homes, or people who already know exactly what they want. The process can feel intimidating. Where do you begin? Is a designer worth the investment? What if you only need help with one room?
ASID’s answer: start with one hour.
ASID’s Spruce Up events break down one of the biggest barriers between homeowners and professional design: knowing where to begin. Held twice a year, the community program gives homeowners the chance to work directly with an ASID designer through a one-hour, $125 consultation in their own home. Whether you’re looking for advice on furniture placement, window treatments, kitchen and bath updates, remodeling ideas, vacation rentals, color selections or something else entirely, the upcoming September 2026 event offers an approachable way to get expert guidance before committing to a full project. Signups are open through Sept. 7, with consultations taking place Sept. 21 through Oct. 31. Proceeds benefit ASID San Diego’s educational and community programs. Register here!
Courtesy of ASID
“It’s a great opportunity for people who are in that exploratory phase,” Recce says. “Maybe they’re not sure they want to hire an interior designer yet, or they think it sounds daunting or expensive. This gives them a chance to discover what working with a designer is actually like.”
Design is personal. A good designer isn’t just creating a beautiful room; they’re helping create a space that fits the way someone lives.
“We’re a resource to all of San Diego County,” Recce says. “It doesn’t cost anything to pick up the phone and call and ask. We’ll answer.”
Growing up, Laika Nur, MD, Scripps Clinic sports medicine specialist, loved watching beach volleyball when the Association of Volleyball Professionals tour came to her hometown of Chicago. A talented volleyball player herself, she remembers sitting in the stands all day, and once, even got a couple autographs. Years later, Dr. Nur was attending a professional event focused on women’s sports, and the discussion turned to a new professional women’s volleyball league. The general manager and coaching staff for San Diego’s team, the Mojo, happened to be in attendance, and Dr. Nur took the opportunity to ask them if they needed a team doctor. Flash forward to the Mojo’s inaugural 2024 season, when Dr. Nur officially became the team physician. Click here to read more about Dr. Nur and how she incorporates lessons she learned on the court into her practice.
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Your feet and ankles probably aren’t something you give much thought to—until something goes wrong. Orthopedic surgeons at Scripps Clinic are on the leading edge of foot and ankle reconstruction, treating patients with sports injuries, deformities, traumatic injuries and other conditions. That includes repairing torn Achilles tendons with a minimally invasive procedure that shrinks the incision site to less than a centimeter, and performing advanced ankle replacement on some patients with ankle arthritis. Read more about Scripps’ innovations in foot and ankle care here.
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Mai Vue was just 34 weeks pregnant when she delivered her baby. Her pregnancy had been complicated, and she’d had a recent second trimester pregnancy loss, which led to her receiving specialized care from Sean Daneshmand, MD, a Scripps Clinic perinatologist who oversees high-risk pregnancies. Dr. Daneshmand and his team took care of Mai during her pregnancy, through the birth of her healthy baby girl and beyond. Mai was part of a program Scripps launched to provide support to new moms in the weeks and months after delivery. The postpartum program, known as Scripps Health’s Fourth Trimester Continuum of Care, provides care for women with high-risk pregnancies to optimize their health after childbirth and reduce the risk of complications in future pregnancies. Click here to learn more.
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It’s estimated that one in five people in the U.S. will develop skin cancer at some point in their lives. When you factor in living in a sun-soaked city like San Diego and the outdoorsy lifestyle that comes with it, that figure can jump to as high as one in three, which makes early detection and intervention all the more important. Dermatologists at Bighorn Mohs and Dermatology Center are using innovative imaging methods and advanced surgical techniques to diagnose and treat skin cancer. For certain cancers in sensitive spots, like the face, dermatologists perform Mohs surgery, removing skin tissue layer by layer until reaching healthy, cancer-free tissue. They also use a process called immunohistochemistry to view tissue samples taken during Mohs surgery in far greater detail than previous methods. Read more about how Scripps is advancing skin cancer care here.
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When endurance athlete Isaac Sanchez learned he had cancer, he felt blindsided. He was healthy, surfed often and was training for an Ironman triathlon. But he had to put that on hold to undergo treatment. His physicians at Scripps Cancer Center developed a plan to treat the cancer in his tonsil and lymph nodes that included six-and-a-half weeks of near-daily radiation and weekly chemotherapy. He also worked with a Scripps Cancer Center dietitian to enhance his nutrition to promote strength and healing. Today, Isaac’s back to doing what he loves. Read more of his story here.
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