You grew up in La Jolla and went to La Jolla High. How did you get into dance? My girlfriend, Maggie, was taking dance for PE and convinced me to take it as well. I’m not sure I would have done it, except there were just three other guys who also took dance that year. Four guys, 26 girls. Do the math…
You lived in New York City and danced with Twyla Tharp’s company. You’ve also performed with Mikhail Baryshnikov. What’s your best backstage memory? The New York shows were fun because we always had celebs coming backstage to meet and congratulate us. I remember meeting Gene Kelly, Jackie Onassis, Paul Simon, Richard Avedon, Tommy Tune, Twiggy, Joel Grey, Dustin Hoffman, Andy Warhol, David Byrne, and John Irving, to name a few.
How do people elsewhere value dance differently from San Diegans? San Diego has a wonderful dance community, but it always suffers a bit from the perception that it is not a major cultural city. Comparing the value of dance in the US versus other parts of the world is apples and oranges. Europe, Canada, Australia, and parts of Asia consider the fine arts to be essential to life—not a luxury.
Tell us what we’ll see at your benefit concert this month.Fathom: The Body as Universe is a big, sweeping, dynamic collaboration of dance, artwork, and original music. And then the new work, A Man Found Wanting, is just the opposite. It is intimate and emotional—a series of solos, duets, trios, and quartets to the beautiful and haunting piano music of Leoš JanáÄek, which will be played live by the remarkable Gustavo Romero.
Do you collaborate with other performing arts groups? La Jolla Playhouse has been very supportive of a project I’m developing with composer Yale Strom, a dance musical called CHAGALL, based on the life, work, and relationships of the famous artist Marc Chagall. They have given us space for workshopping the show and guidance on how to develop it.
What’s your favorite theater space in San Diego? One that has not yet come to be. Luce Auditorium (next to Dance Place San Diego at Liberty Station) will become our home theatre once it is renovated and will truly transform Liberty Station as a destination. Anyone out there sitting on an extra $15 or $20 million?
How has San Diego theater changed in the last 30 years? The biggest change is the fact that there are many more layers and levels of work going on. There is a complete spectrum of exciting work—from emerging artists to established mid-level dance and theater companies, to the major, nationally recognized organizations. It feels like a much healthier artistic ecosystem.
Who else in San Diego theater are you watching right now? I really admire Christopher Ashley at La Jolla Playhouse. He is truly interested and supportive of artists and the development of their work. He is a talented director who is making good on his promise to be sincerely involved with our community.
Why are you still so committed to this town? There is something very powerful in the nature of “home.”
Short rib & scallop Farfalle with Angus tips Mini cheesecake trio
Got enough marble?” asks my dining companion.
If there is a shortage of expensive rock in the near future, blame Amaya La Jolla. Every inch of the restaurant is sturdy, costly, and perfectly attended to. There is no reclaimed wood, no wall hung with rusty farm tools or animal heads. This is no cheap curtsy to the modern, the trendy, nor the hip. Which explains why there are very few modern, trendy, or hip people here on a Friday night. Or many people of any kind, for that matter.
The lack of crowd is not for lack of investment. Designer Warren Sheets quite artfully decorated this restaurant with the best Italian Renaissance ornatery money could buy. The original Amaya is in the $400 million resort, Grand Del Mar. It’s a fine restaurant. Chef Camron Woods spent six years there. The problem? It shares a roof with Addison—the Relais & Chateaux’d, Zagat-ed, and starred apex of fine dining in San Diego. Chef William Bradley casts a mile-wide shadow.
So it’s nice to see Woods get a little sun, 10 miles to the southwest. He’s a native of Charleston, South Carolina, and his Southern food roots color the menu. You’ll find rutabaga and turnips, polenta, quail, butterbeans (limas), and corn muffins. It’s not a pot likker joint, but there’s a whiff of Mason-Dixon.
Amaya La Jolla farfalle pasta
Flavor Parade: Farfalle pasta with Angus beef tips, tomatoes, mushrooms, and basil
As a life pursuit, I’d like to eat nothing but quality bread and butter until some carb-based nutritional ebola knocks me dead. Nothing puts my astrological Jupiter in the doghouse quite like getting a cold, hard, yellow rock of butter. Woods makes a little art of it. His is a room-temp, soft triangle of three butters—garlic-herb, honey-pecan, plain salted sweet cream—served with pretzel rolls, cheddar-herb biscuits, and corn muffins. Eating just bread and butter at Amaya would be shortsighted, gauche, and highly enjoyable.
“The food is mostly excellent. The service is top-notch, as is the wine. Why, then, does it echo in Amaya?”
For dinner, we start with Woods’ short rib and scallop—a soft-textured surf-and-turf. Vanilla’s a renowned scallop helper, but many chefs get carried away and mistake their seafood for bread pudding. Woods does it right, leaving his vanilla-cauliflower puree unsweetened next to an excellent huckleberry sauce. It’s one of those dishes that inspires involuntary, libidinal noises. For another starter, he stuffs a boneless roasted quail with briôche and dried cherry, then rests it on a daring puree made of chicken livers with Sauternes. It’s unctuous, gamy, polarizing. I enjoy it because I prefer the taste of parts; my companion mostly gazes at it like someone might look at a worrisome new facial mole.
Amaya La Jolla dining room
Amaya La Jolla dining room
Being connected to the Grand Del Mar, a sommelier farm of sorts, Amaya’s 300-bottle wine list is excellent—all under $100, and 20 by the glass (a Terrassen Gruner Veltliner from Domaine Wachau, a Spanish Tempranillo from Beronia, etc.). Enjoy one in the back room (“Club M”)—a supper club of sorts, with neon signage and gray-haired jazz beatniks.
For dinner entrees, we stick to French hunting proteins—duck and rabbit. Both are suggested by our server, who’s the sort of fine-dining lifer you’re lucky to come across. A real food person you’d like to ask to pull up a chair. All of Amaya’s servers are pretty much the same.
The duck is perfect in just about every way, poached with the small cap of fat and crisped skin on each slice. A dried cherry gastrique supplies the necessary acid, while the butterbean puree is some fancification of a classic Southern side-food. The rabbit comes braised in two parts—legs and loin. The legs are a tad dry and bland. Rabbit’s a skinny, faint protein that requires some chefly flavor-building. Woods’ elemental stock reduction isn’t enough. The rutabagas and turnips, too, are served whole with inexpressive seasoning. The tenderloin, however, is treated like pork and wrapped in housemade bacon from Julian’s Cook Pigs Ranch (they raise great swine). The combo yields a beautiful, moist bite—especially since the bacon is only lightly smoked, not overwhelming.
Amaya La Jolla mini cheesecake trio
Three Times Good: Mini cheesecake trio of vanilla, hazelnut, and passion fruit
For dessert, we try pastry chef Michael Luna’s trio of cheesecake—a vanilla (with white balsamic gastrique and tangerine), hazelnut (with chocolate sauce and praline bark), and passion fruit (with coconut-lime sorbet). All are very good, while the sorbet-topped passion fruit is excellent—a Hawaiian à la mode.
I come back on a Thursday for lunch. The restaurant is all but empty again. I eat more than humans ought to, and there is not a single bad bite. The crab-and-lobster bisque is deep and rich; it smells like tarragon and your good fortune. The daily flatbread with Creminelli salami is thin, crisp, and well-browned, arugula giving it a little food-garden required of SoCal lunches. The panzanella (Italian bread salad) is comically generous, served with lightly smoked and well-seared salmon in a Sherry vinaigrette that’s drinkable. Woods also makes a salad-less tuna Niçoise (a fancy way of saying seared ahi with cured olives and chimichurri) and a simple, excellent farfalle with Angus tips, wet with veal jus and topped with fresh basil and Parmigiano-Reggiano.
So the food is mostly excellent. The service is top-notch, as is the wine. Why, then, does it echo in Amaya? If I have to place blame, it’s with the room itself. It takes real fortitude to identify an ancient design fetish and really, truly go for it. But in doing so, there’s zero white space, zero restraint. Even my companion—an accomplished professional in his late 50s—says it feels too old, baroquely so. It’s the equivalent of a woman wearing a mink coat, diamond brooch, pearl earrings, and an emerald gemstone on a headdress—all while carrying a bedazzled Persian cat.
That said, if you find yourself with houseguests from 17th-century Florence, Amaya feels just right.
Got questions about that face tattoo, the infamous ear-biting incident, or his cameo in The Hangover? Iron Mike may have answers in his Spike Lee-directed one-man show, Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth.
March 6:
Sheridan Boutique presents an afternoon of fashion and lunch at Savor & Style at Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa.
March 7:
Grab your partner and put on your dancing shoes for the three-part Roots of Swing workshop at the Mingei Museum.
The House of Blues goes green with the luck of Irish rockers Flogging Molly.
March 8:
The 20th annual San Diego Latino Film Festival showcases works by Latinos and about the Latino experience. Oh, and there are tons of parties and panels, too.
At nearly 90 years old, this king still reigns. B.B. King sings the blues at the Belly Up.
February 23:
San Diego may be a sad pro sports town, but our neighbors to the south have reason to cheer. Support the champion Club Tijuana Xolos at a Mexican league soccer match at Caliente Stadium.
February 24:
Biblical opera Samson and Delilah reminds you to never underestimate the power of a good haircut.
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.”
La Jolla Music Society kicks off the New Year with one of the nation’s leading dance troupes, The Joffrey Ballet, performing at Copley Symphony Hall.
January 30:
San Diego’s hipster ’hood also boasts one of its best culinary corridors. Sample discounted specialties at dining and drinking hotspots during the 30th on 30th self-guided tour.
The San Diego Black Film Festival kicks off its four-day showcase of African-American cinema, screenings, panels and parties.
February 1:
Get your wallet-friendly culture fix throughout February during Museum Month with half-off entry into 40 local museums.
February 2:
Runners illuminate the Del Mar Fairgrounds with a million watts of light and sound at the 5K Electric Run.
February 3:
If you can’t get to New Orleans for the big game, spend your Super Bowl Sunday drinking beer and eating wings at Tilted Kilt, The Commons, or Dirty Birds.
Enjoy dinner and an operatic discussion at The University Club atop Symphony Towers at San Diego Opera’s Entertaining Entrees to Opera.
January 9:
These days, an empty parking lot is the perfect canvas for a culinary experience. Sample the goods from a selection of mobile eateries at the Wednesday night Eastlake Food Truck Gathering.
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.
