It was 1967. While her dusty tire was attended to, Becket wandered off to a dilapidated recreation hall nearby. Inside, she saw a stage caving in, walls covered in mud, and floors warped from flood damage, but as she peeked through the cracked door, the structure whispered to her. We could make magic together.

When the allure of California called, Becket—a lifelong New Yorker who was then in her 40s—answered with a singular passion few have matched. An artist to the core, trained to dance, paint, and play piano, Becket cast aside her Broadway life and moved to Death Valley Junction (population: a handful), setting up shop in the squalor. The place had potential, after all, even if only she could see it. This project would be her opus.

Renting the theater for $45 a month, Becket paid for repairs and got to work painting an ornate mural depicting a permanent audience on the walls, with cherubs rejoicing on the ceiling. She changed the building’s name to the Amargosa Opera House and, in 1968, began performing original dances and acts for a few people at a time—or sometimes none at all. It wasn’t about fame, it was about freedom.

But fame came nonetheless. National Geographic wrote about her, as did Life. People were curious to see the ballerina in the desert. For more than four decades, Becket performed on her fixed-up stage, delighting and inspiring countless theater lovers willing to make the trek to nowhere.

Along the way, Becket became owner of the entire town, which she turned over to a nonprofit organization that now oversees Death Valley Junction, including the opera house and an adjoining hotel.

Becket would have turned 100 this year. Though she died in 2017, her legacy continues. Business operations took a hit during Covid, but the opera house still offers daily tours and hosts sporadic shows on that famous stage.

“Even if you’re not an artist, you have to appreciate what she was about,” Amargosa Board of Directors President Fred Conboy says. “She was a courageous and audacious woman. There’s nobody like Marta.”

The post The Odd Little Opera House in the Middle of Nowhere appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Somewhere Pizza aims to be a true-blue neighborhood pizza joint, with a few other bread and bread-adjacent things on the menu. “Slices and Italian sandwiches for lunch, small seasonal plates, and a menu that is borderline classic ‘red sauce’ spots, but without the kitsch,” Remsbottom says. Sienna Walters of Companion Bread is consulting on how to launch an in-house bakery element, working alongside Scrimshaw chef Jeannette Silva (Pujol in Mexico City, Verlaine in Los Angeles, Communal Coffee in San Diego, and her pop-up La Selva). 

Remsbottom wants Somewhere to meet a need the neighborhood didn’t even realize they had. “Think checkered floors, comfy booths, and an aesthetic that is either brand new nor has been there for decades,” he says. 

It won’t be pretentious or clubby, he promises. “I think the SD ‘scene,’ where every new spot is trying to be Disneyland, is forgetting about the neighborhood restaurant at a rapid clip,” he says. “So that’s what we’re going to aim to be.”

Somewhere Pizza, located at 5540 El Cajon Boulevard, should start serving Brooklyn-style pizzas, natural wines, housemade sodas, and more sometime in December. A crowdfunding campaign is live; you can follow their progress on Instagram at @somewherepizza_sd.

San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events

It’s Oktoberfest Season, Y’all

My favorite season is upon us—the time of marzens, dirndls, pretzels, and oom-pah bands. It’s Oktoberfest time across San Diego, and there are more than ever to choose from. I recommend checking out whatever local party is closest to you, but let’s not ignore the German granddaddies of San Diego Oktoberfests: I’m always partial to the German-American Societies of San Diego’s two-weekend bash in El Cajon (September 27–29 and October 4–6), but the county’s largest party comes back to La Mesa on October 4–6 and the beachy Bavarian bacchanal returns to Ocean Beach on October 11–12. Really, you can’t go wrong with any of them, so find your favorite Oktoberfest destination and remember to prost responsibly. 

Beth’s Bites

• New restaurant alert: A Mexican eatery is headed to 4566 30th Street in North Park. Smoky Habanero Mexican Cuisine is poised to take over the former Living Tea space along the same delicious block as Chris’ Ono Grinds, The Friendly, and Fall Brewing.  
• Coronado Brewing is getting into the fall spirit with its new cider release, a small-batch cranberry cinnamon apple cider with a refreshing 5.8 percent ABV. If this heat wave ever breaks, I’ll be ready to pair this with a slice of apple pie and my cable-knit sweater. 
• San Diego Cooks, from San Diego writer Ligaya Malones and photographer Deanna Sandoval, releases this month. The hardcover cookbook features 70 recipes from local chefs and restaurants, including 24 Suns, TJ Oyster Bar, Ambrogio by Acquerello, Valle, and many more. Head to Ponto Lago at Park Hyatt Aviara on Tuesday, September 24, for a cooking demonstration and book signing with executive chef Pierre Albaladejo.

Have breaking-news, exciting scoops, or great stories about San Diego’s food scene? Send your pitches to [email protected].

The post Somewhere Pizza is Coming This December to El Cerrito appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

It’s the first time in a few months the women’s schedules have aligned. So they go.

By the time Orr rolls up in the palm-tree lined parking lot, across from dorms where she went to college over 40 years ago, the rest of the women are already there, including Vanessa Kirker, who grew up in North San Diego County. She went to Moonlight Beach every summer but never touched a surfboard until she was her 60s.

Marianne McPherson, 68, is there, too, with her red matte lipstick and a torn rotator cuff. Her doctor told her not to surf, and if she’s honest with herself, she’s dreading this. Nevertheless, she stands by her car (emblazoned with a ‘Bichhin’ license plate) on an artificial grass changing mat Orr gifted her.

Orr, meanwhile, is “vibrating stress.” A 63-year-old third grade teacher—her classroom door has the kid’s names written on bright surfboard cut-outs—her week consisted of incessant rain that kept her students stuck inside. She still has a pile of essays to grade. She shouldn’t be here. But the chit-chat is a distraction, and she welcomes it.

“I have your tennis racket.” 

“Do I need my hat?”

“The booties stick, so they don’t necessarily land where I want them to land.”

Gauzy fog lingers over the ocean beyond the fence, beckoning. The women unzip long, shiny bags and lay their boards down on the wet cement. They pull sweatshirts over their heads and begin the transformation. Ann Wilbanks, who has dirty blonde hair “proudly going silver,” asks if the wetsuit with neon blue calves Orr takes out is new. 

She nodes and jokes. “It’s baggy on me. I was like, ‘Have I shrunk?’” 

The women slip salt-soaked wetsuits onto bodies that have skied mountains, cycled hundreds of miles, raced sailboats, swum in triathlons, birthed babies, and cradled grandbabies, pulling and tugging until the spongy neoprene sticks like a second skin.

Go to any coastline, and you’ll find that women have continued to reclaim their place in the surfing lineup. Look closer, and you’ll see an abundance of laugh lines on more and more faces of women lured by the beauty and thrill of the ocean.

It’s hard to say how many older women surfers there are in California. Nearly a third of the 60 members of the San Diego chapter of The Wahine Kai Women’s Surf Club are 50-plus—a number that tracks with their three other West Coast chapters. The San Diego Surf Ladies Community, a former nonprofit that’s now a Facebook group, also has its fair share. Co-organizer Alexia Bregman, 51, says there’s a circularity that comes with surfing older. 

“There’s a wildness to the ocean that we don’t have in our lives anymore. The wind is in your face and the water is spraying you and the sense of play from being a child comes back,” she says. “It invigorates and reawakens something in your cellular being.”

Despite growing up in the ’60s in the heyday of Gidget, the movie-turned-television-series about a sassy teen girl surfer, surfing came much later for the Santa Barbara women. Careers and children took precedence, with some watching instructors push their kids into the waves instead. 

After her children grew up and she had more free time, Orr, for one, finally decided it was her turn. She discovered Salt Water Divas, a Santa Barbara group created by then-46-year-old Toyo Yamane-Peluso in 2012 with the goal of getting more local women into surfing. To date, there are more than 600 members. Doug Yartz, owner of the shop Surf Country, teaches most of the lessons.

Orr took her first lesson on Mother’s Day eight years ago. She remembers second-guessing her decision shortly after signing up. “[I worried,] What will people think of this older woman going out and wanting to surf? Then I saw this older man with white hair, and he got a surfboard and walked down to the beach,” she says. “I thought, Well, nobody thinks twice about an older man.”

The second lesson went poorly, and she almost didn’t continue. A “Never Give Up” sticker she saw on a car afterward led her to the friends she regularly surfs with now: Nancy Arkin, a retiree from the US Forest Service whose daughter is a global surf photographer; McPherson, a mid-level manager at an aerospace company who always wanted to surf but grew up near Oregon’s frigid waters; and Mary Johnson, a retired physical therapist who is dedicated to keeping active. 

They were a formidable foursome for a few years. The group expanded when two lawyers who changed careers joined later: Kirker, a therapist who often saw surfers while open water swimming and thought, I could do that; and Wilbanks, an art and antique dealer from Connecticut who spends have the year living near her grown kids, including a daughter who encouraged her to surf.

“There’s nothing I’ve ever done athletically that gives you that feeling of power and speed [like surfing],” Wilbanks, 65, says. “It’s like dancing on water.”

The women all took lessons through Salt Water Divas and gravitated toward each other because of their similar ages. They found they also shared athletic backgrounds, a level of comfort in the water, and another trait, perhaps the most important: stubbornness.

“We were taught to accept the world as it sees us,” Kirker, 66, says. “Learning to surf in your 50s and 60s is not accepting the world as it sees you but accepting you for yourself.” 

The parking lot this morning is nearly empty. Campus Point is known for being beginner-friendly, often crowded with college kids, but every now and then the women have had to contend with jerks—teenage boys, mostly, who try to take every wave. Often, they’ll move to another spot or let the boys know it’s time for them to share, with letting a little of their annoyance come through in their voices.

It’s not always the boys, though. Once, at C Street, a more aggressive and advanced surf spot in Ventura, a woman yelled at Kirker for accidentally dropping in on her. Kirker apologized, but the woman still berated her, shouting, “What are you doing? You don’t belong here.”

Kirker said nothing, got out of the water, and cried. As a family law litigator for 30 years in a profession dominated by men, she’d had enough of feeling like she didn’t belong. She didn’t want to surf angry, and her board sat in her garage for four years until the pandemic started—around the time she shifted careers, which she attributes to surfing. She was tired of fighting with people. 

Today, the wet weather holds the promise of fewer people. The women wax their boards, slip on booties speckled with grains of sand, and, one by one, head to the beach path. Their wetsuits squeak as they walk past the humble Marine Science Institute and over a driftwood-laden rocky shore. Johnson, the oldest of the crew at 71, has wasted no time snapping on a surf cap over her short, white hair and is the first one in the water.

Arkin brings up the rear, holding a longboard with a hook she’s attached so she can grip it better. Her forearm has a fish tattoo with a Buddhist design for freedom. She’s headed towards Poles, a left break named after three poles that used to mark an underground water intake valve. A bonus, they joke later, is that it’s out of range of the surf camera that continuously streams on a giant TV in Yartz’s shop. 

Arkin paddles out, the whoops and hollers from her friends already mixing with the screeching of the seagulls.

Women have been surfing for a long time—as far back as the 17th century in Hawaii and other Polynesian islands (the daring Princess Kelea of Maui was legendary)—but you wouldn’t know it if you looked at any surf magazines before the ’70s, when women got their own professional circuit. Even then, it took two decades for lifestyle brands to embrace female surfers—usually ones that were blonde and conventionally attractive—in their marketing campaigns.

Representation in the sport has long skewed young, white, and male, but that’s changing. Women surfers who identify as queer, BIPOC, and curvy have led the way in advocating for a more inclusive surf culture. 

Older women surfers are a smaller subgroup, though no less loud. When they’re not chasing waves, they’re in Facebook groups and Reddit threads, piping up whenever someone asks, “Am I too old to surf?”

The Santa Barbara women might still be outliers, but they say it’s becoming more and more common to see others who look like them—although it’s not something they fixate on. “I forget about the age thing when I’m in the water,” Johnson says, adding that she does get a kick out of surprising people.

Letting go and living in the moment is one of the draws of surfing. But it’s also a practical strategy, as timing is everything. No wave is ever the same. Then there’s the added variable of age, which comes with decreased flexibility or slower reactions that can make it challenging to pop up, ride a wave for a while, and try out fun tricks. 

“We don’t have a pop up. We have a lumber up,” McPherson likes to joke. 

The women have all experienced their share of injuries—broken toes and fingers, head gashes, face cuts and bruises—but it’s not enough to stop them.

Though gravitate toward cruisy waves, aware of their bodies’ limits, they are still addicted to the excitement of getting better and better each year. The friend might never go pro, but they have certain advantages that age brings: acceptance, patience, and unapologetic enjoyment of something they can claim as theirs after a lifetime of caring for others.

“We’re like these little lights out there communing in the surf. We all respect and honor each other’s individual experience. And we’re not in relation to anyone. We’re not someone’s mother, someone’s wife, someone’s daughter,” Kirker says. “It’s really freeing.” 

The waves are better than they expect this morning. The water is glassy, meaning there’s little wind, the smooth sheen ideal for surfing.

The women are the only ones in the water except for two surfers who are far enough away to leave them alone. Johnson paddles to catch a wave. Kirker, the crew’s most vocal cheerleader, yells: “Go left, go left!” Johnson stands up, compact and still as a statue, and rides the wave nearly all the way to the shore. Kirker hollersl “Woooohoooo!”

A big part of the joy of surfing is being with each other. Some of it is a matter of safety, knowing that if they wipe out or have the wind knocked out of them someone will be there to help. But it’s the camaraderie that keeps them going out together week after week; everyone else knows to make plans around their surf schedule.

“There’ll be days when I don’t catch anything,” McPherson says. “But the enjoyment of being together and celebrating your own successes with an audience of people who love you, and celebrating their successes—it’s double the adrenaline.”

Nearly all are partnered, with husbands or boyfriends, but most of their men don’t share the stoke. Surfing has become a defining feature of their identities, met with a combination of raised eyebrows and subtle boasts. McPherson’s cousin will often introduce her to others and say, “This is Marianne. She surfs every day.” (She doesn’t.) 

Now McPherson straddles the back of her board, lipstick still intact. Kirker is nearby and waits with the others for a good swell. Orr also sits close, her brown-blonde bob she has yet to dye now dark from the saltwater. The rocking of the ocean relaxes her shoulders.

“I just feel like the weight’s off,” she says. 

“It’s because I’m here,” Kirker says. Orr laughs.

In an instant, the calm is broken. Orr spots a potential wave. She lies down on her board, turning its nose around toward shore. Everyone cheers. “Go, go, go!”

Careful not to strain knees that need replacing, she pops up for a few seconds before tumbling backwards into the water. “I blew it,” she says when she’s straddling the board again. “That could’ve been a nice, long wave.”

They all flail at some point, limbs flying everywhere, boards bouncing along the whitewash.  “Come on, bitches!” Kirker says one time to the waves, furiously paddling, only to have them fizzle out.

It takes a lot for everything to be in sync, and learning how to cope with failure is one of surfing’s greatest lessons. There’s joy in that, too. 

“You tend to become competent in the things you do at a certain age,” Arkin says. “But what’s been really fun for me is being incompetent at something new.”

Yet Arkin and the other women are far from incompetent, catching numerous waves, a testament to the number of years they’ve taken lessons together not only at Campus Point, but at surf clinics in Costa Rica and Mexico. They’ll also travel around California together—every Memorial Day for the past eight years, they’ve headed down to Beacons in Encinitas. 

Just today, they’ve been out for nearly two hours. Onshore, more people are strolling along the nearby cliffs, while college kids in wetsuits stand at the edge of the water, about to paddle out. 

“I’m getting cold,” Arkin says, metal in her finger from a surf injury stiff. They all agree to stop soon. 

As they wait for the last few waves, Kirker hums The Monkees theme song. “There’s just something about the ocean that makes me want to sing,” she adds.

The women carry the boards back to their cars. The parking lot is busier, and a 20-something-year-old wearing a UCSB sweatshirt walks by with an older couple, presumably his parents. One of them sees the friends pulling terry cloth surf ponchos over their heads and smiles. They don’t notice.

There’s talk of going to Starbucks afterwards. Over coffee and chai, they will laugh at obnoxious men on dating sites, reminisce about raising athletic children, and share their personal surfing stats from the Dawn Patrol apps they all have on their Apple watches. (Johnson had 11 waves, with one at 20 mph, nearly twice the average speed.) And they’ll make plans to go surfing again tomorrow.

For now, the focus is on getting warm. The clouds have parted. “Here’s your sunshine!” Kirker says. 

“Well, I had more good biffs today,” Arkin says, brushing her wispy hair.

Kirker won’t hear it. “I thought you did fine.”

Today, they’ve emerged both tired and triumphant, the ocean leaving them breathless at times. When they go home, they will be unable to fully articulate the feeling—of being themselves, of being together—but it is one they will continue to chase. Because with so much life still ahead of them, they unabashedly want more. Since she began surfing, “my whole world is better,” Kirker says.

She sits down on the side of her white cargo van with a “Soul of a Mermaid, Mouth of a Sailor” sticker and pours a jug of water over her head. McPherson towels off, her shoulder fine, at least for right now. Wilbanks helps Johnson slither out of her wetsuit.

Orr is the last one to return. In the back of her mind are the essays she still needs to grade, but they don’t seem as urgent. And, like the rest of her friends, she doesn’t ever foresee a time when she’ll stop surfing. “When I started, I thought, I’ll probably be able to do this for, like, five or six years, and then I won’t be able to do it anymore. But look at Mary. She’s my hero,” she says. “And now I think, God, I hope I can keep surfing as long as her.”

The post Paddling Out with California’s Older Women Surfers appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Lassen Volcanic National Park

Sacramento Valley

Lassen Volcanic National Park is one of the state’s least-visited national parks—a surprise, considering how much it resembles one of the nation’s most popular. In Shasta County, the Sierra Nevada, the Cascade Mountains, and the Great Basin collide to form hydrothermal spectacles that make the park California’s personal Yellowstone.

Mercer Caverns

Murphys

Deep in Calaveras County hides an otherworldly network of limestone cave formations. Discovered during the Gold Rush, Mercer Caverns became a popular tourist attraction in the late 19th century. Like generations of visitors before you, you can book a tour to explore winding paths lined with stalactites and stalagmites and descend flowstone staircases.

Hot Creek Geologic Site

Mammoth Lakes

Split by its namesake waterway, Hot Creek Geologic Site lies in a valley within the Inyo National Forest. Underground magma chambers heated up the area over the course of around 1,000 years. Arising from the site’s scalding puddles, geysers have occasionally erupted, mostly during earthquakes.

Fern Canyon

Humboldt County

Humboldt County’s Fern Canyon was a setting in the second Jurassic Park film, The Lost World, for good reason: At 325 million years old, the lush paradise’s ferns inevitably witnessed some real dinos in their day. A Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park secret, the canyon features hanging moss gardens, miniature waterfalls, and chances to splash around. The area’s lollipop-shaped loop trail is a sunrise favorite, with glistening canyon walls and cinematic views.

Fonts Point

Anza-Borrego

Tucked in California’s southeastern corner amongst distinct ridgelines and desert flora lies Fonts Point in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Nicknamed “California’s Grand Canyon,” it’s one of the best spots to view the Badlands’ rugged ridges, casting dramatic shadows over sandy arroyos.

Red Rock Canyon State Park

Cantil

Right where the southernmost tip of the Sierra Nevada collides with the El Paso Range, Red Rock Canyon State Park unveils its landscape of dramatic rock formations and unique canyons. This secluded valley offers a serene escape with opportunities for hiking, rock climbing, and even spotting ancient petroglyphs.

Monarch Grove Sanctuary

Pacific Grove

Every October, thousands of monarch butterflies migrate to Monterey County’s Pacific Grove, gathering on its pine and eucalyptus trees in bizarre yet beautiful clusters and giving the city the nickname “Butterfly Town, USA.” The Monarch Grove Sanctuary is typically open from October to February, welcoming visitors to observe the flame-colored insects.

Mono Lake

Mono County

Mono Lake’s ultra-salty, alkaline waters rest in the heart of a vast desert in the lake’s namesake county. Peculiar towers emerge from the million-year-old lake’s surface, while a trillion brine shrimp swim below. Birdwatchers, hikers, kayakers, and photographers come for stunning views of mountains and desert, while locals swear a dip in the ancient waters cures almost anything.

Sentinel Dome

Yosemite Valley

Looking for an Ansel Adams view of Yosemite without Capitan-sized crowds? Sentinel Dome, on the south wall of the Yosemite Valley, has remained a criminally underrated spot in one of the nation’s most beloved parks. The two-mile hike is more than worth it for the breathtaking panoramas at the top.

Artists Palette

Death Valley

Never underestimate a modest dusty terrain—behind it might lie rolling hills of rainbow pastels. Part of the Artists Drive Scenic Loop in Death Valley, the Artists Palette is a must-see at sunrise or sunset, when the shifting light and shadows bring out its rich reds, oranges, yellows, blues, pinks, and greens. With no maintained trails but plenty of pullouts for safe parking, it just might inspire you to try your hand at a little landscape painting yourself.

Bodie State Historic Park

Bridgeport

Cue an Ennio Morricone song when you step into Bodie State Historic Park, a former gold mining hot spot turned spaghetti Western–worthy ghost town. Rather than repairing Bodie’s 150-year-old structures or simply letting them crumble into dust, the state park service maintains the buildings in a state of “arrested decay.”

The post 11 of California’s Most Underrated Natural Places appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

A bunch of San Diego’s most innovative Latina bakers and other makers have banded together to form a culinary collective called La Tiendita, throwing pop-up events at places like Home Ec and Friends of Friends (two business which also operate in shared spaces—I’m sensing a pattern here). Organizer Veronica Enriquez says she first got the idea in 2022, when Carynn Pinckney, owner of Home Ec, invited her to provide baked goods to a fundraiser for abortion access. 

“The vibe of all these people getting together and doing something that was important to all of us—it was like a high,” Enriquez says. She’s worked in restaurants and kitchens for years, currently as the pastry lead at Born & Raised. But she didn’t have an outlet for her own creations, and she knew plenty of other Latinas in the same situation. So, riding that high of the first event, she asked Pinckney to provide space for her and eight other Latinas to showcase their stuff. La Tiendita was born in 2023.

The goal of La Tiendita is to cultivate community and connect like-minded Latinas who tend to be outnumbered in male-dominated kitchens. Even the name reflects the tight-knit nature of the group. “It literally translates to the little shop … but it also means your family-owned neighborhood corner store,” she explains. “Everyone goes to that corner store to pick up their milk for the day. It’s very family-oriented, community-oriented.” 

And the family is definitely growing. “Every single time, it gets bigger and bigger,” Enriquez laughs. Makers like Vanessa Corrales (SPLIT Bakehouse Vegan Bakery), Arely Chavez (Michimichi), Helena Quesada (Hell Yeah Helena), and Yajaira Cody (Badu Eats) make up the current roster of 14 creators who now have five events under their belts. The next one isn’t slated until October, but Enriquez they’ll do them as often as they can squeeze them in between their full-time jobs. But for now, her goal is twofold: keep growing and keep inspiring.

“I just want to keep giving Latinas a space and the opportunity to showcase what they can do,” she says. “It can usually be a male-dominated industry, [so] I just want to keep putting it out there and show women, You have the support. You can join in if you want. You can do this, too.”

San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events

Vino Carta To Host J. Brix Wines on Thursday, August 29

Can’t wait for local winemakers Jody and Emily Towe to open their forthcoming wine tasting room? You don’t have to—just head to Vino Carta (2161 India Street) this Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m. for a Winemaker Tasting with J. Brix. Twenty dollars gets you four wines and sparkling (okay, at least bubbling) conversation. The next day is Vino Carta’s weekly Friday pizza night, with OMG-F Pizza as this week’s featured pizzeria. (It’s gluten-free. Get it?)

Ponyboy at The Pearl Hotel Launches Dive-In Movie Nights

Every Wednesday, hop in The Pearl’s pool for themed drink and bite specials from onsite restaurant Ponyboy to go with the throwback movie of the night. (Think Blue Hawaiians during The Endless Summer.) Upcoming movies include The Graduate, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Godzilla, and The Creature from the Black Lagoon—which, hilariously, will feature a “killer seafood” special of linguini and clams. Check out all the hotel happenings right here.

Beth’s Bites

• Two San Diegans are finalists in the 2024 Next Wave Awards, hosted by drinks industry media company VinePair. Erick Castro (Gilly’s House of Cocktails) is up for Drinks Professional of the Year, while Derek Gallanosa (GOAL Brewing) is in the running for Brewer of the Year. Best of luck to them both!
• I love Korean food more than any other type of cuisine—in fact, I’m eating some tonight—so I’m very much looking forward to Solsot’s arrival at 8657 Villa La Jolla Drive, Suite 103. It’s hot pot, not Korean barbecue, a nice addition to the already stellar lineup of Korean restaurants we’re spoiled with here in SD.
• Two new restaurants are coming to Westfield UTC. Coconut-centric dessert shop Melo Melo will join the mall munchie roster in October, while we’ll have to wait until November for Van Leeuwen Ice Cream. (I’m quite content making do with SomiSomi until then.)

Have breaking news, exciting scoops, or great stories about new San Diego restaurants or the city’s food scene? Send your pitches to [email protected].

The post La Tiendita Highlights Latina Chefs & Bakers Through Pop-Ups appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Californian identity is deeply intertwined with the palm, for good reason—along with the Gold Rush, the palm tree was one of California’s early big wins in branding.

Palm mania started slowly, explains Donald Hodel, an emeritus horticulture advisor for the University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Canary Island date palms, he says, were first brought over by mission-building padres in the late 1700s. They wanted the real-deal fronds when Palm Sunday came around.

From there, palms built up some serious nonsectarian steam. Hodel tells me that, in the late 1800s, developers used palm trees as a siren song for East Coasters, summoning them westward to seek out paradise. They planted Mexican fan palms around citrus orchards and manufactured postcards depicting California as healthy, tropical, and exotic.

After World War II, young veterans exiting the military came west for “their own piece of the pie,” which included a “postage-stamp-sized lot” with, of course, a palm planted out front, Hodel says.

“They are iconic,” he adds. “Rightly or wrongly, [palms] became associated with the upper echelons of the economic ladder.” A frond-crowned tree in your yard meant you’d made it.

Nowadays, those non-native palms are to southern California what pine trees are to Christmas. They’re culturally entrenched—which explains why governments will go to great lengths to protect them. The Encinitas City Council, for example, recently approved a $382,250, five-year plan to defend the Moonlight Beach heritage palm, which involves dousing it quarterly with insecticides, conducting regular inspections, and removing nearby infestations.

At this point, there is only preventative treatment—spraying and crossing one’s fingers—or doing nothing and just rolling the dice. Either way, the palm may die, leaving tree lovers not only bummed out but broke: A tree corpse can cost $6,000 (or more!) to remove.

It’s been tough for palm people in California. Austin Kolander, an arborist with Aguilar Plant Care and first responder on the weevil front, spends his days breaking the news to homeowners that, due to a weevil attack, there’s no hope for their beloved palms. “This woman today was so distraught,” he says. The dying palm had been planted 80 years before by her grandfather. It wasn’t just a tree to her—it was a tether to her familial history.

Luckily, a seasoned pro is on the case. Hoddle (with the help of his entomologist wife, Christina Hoddle) previously cracked the code on the Asian citrus psyllids’ decimation of California’s orange groves.
He’s now working nonstop to find an answer to this weevil problem before the impending desert date palm blitz.

A predator is helpful to get an animal population into check, but the weevil doesn’t have one in California, so Hoddle began a search. In Brazil, he found a tachinid fly, which would have inspired the likes of Hannibal Lecter. It, like the weevil, deposits its eggs atop the palms, but then the freshly hatched maggots wiggle down and entomb themselves within the weevil’s cocoon. “They eat the larva alive,” Hoddle says.

Then, they pupate, using the emptied-out cocoon as a sleeping bag.

The issue is that the fly currently won’t reproduce in a lab setting. Even if Hoddle manages it, there’s still a long process involved in green-lighting the introduction of a new natural enemy.

But there is some hope: He’s also currently testing a method he calls “attract and kill” in a 10-square-mile area that includes Rancho Santa Fe and Fairbanks Ranch. The process involves a hanging contraption that lures the weevils using their own pheromones—it’s like backstabbing them with their own horniness.

He points to a tiny vessel. “This is weevil pheromone aggregate.”

“What does it smell like?” I ask.

“It smells like weevil pheromone aggregate,” he says, laughing.

I bring my nose in close. Hints of musk, rust, and maybe old BandAid. Not great, but if it was a candle called Weevil Nookie, someone out there would pay 40 bucks for it.

Once the weevil lands on the trap, the insect is dosed with a puddle of potent poison. “Instead of hundreds of gallons of insecticide,” Hoddle explains, “we’d just have to put out a couple of ounces over vast areas.”

It’s still not foolproof. If it works—and, based on the numbers of weevils that have fallen for the traps so far, it does look great—and is deployed widely, the remaining Canary Island date palms will likely only have a 70 percent survival rate. But that’s far better than the 70 percent death rate so far.

The public can help the fight, as well, by reporting any symptomatic palms one observes to the University of California, Riverside’s Center for Invasive Species Research.

As we wrap up our tour of destruction, Hoddle spots a massive palm he’s been keeping an eye on for the past six years. It’s dead, with telltale signs of weevil activity. He can’t completely blame the weevils, though, he says.

Ten new insects are established in California each year, three of which become a problem agriculturally or ecologically. “Don’t blast through signs at the airport asking you to declare produce when your bags are full of mangos,” he pleads. The repercussions can be enormous: increased taxes to pay for eradication programs; higher prices for produce; more insecticides in our water, land, and bodies.

“Bugs don’t stay in your own backyard,” he says. “They spread, and then we all end up paying the price for it.”

The post Weevils Are Coming—CA’s Date Industry is at Risk appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Food & Drink | Festivals & Concerts | Theater & Art | More Fun Things to Do

Food & Drink Events in San Diego This Weekend

Taste of East Village 

August 28–29

At Taste of East Village this Wednesday and Thursday, food lovers can fulfill their hearts’ (and stomachs’) desires with a gastronomic odyssey through nearly three dozen eateries in the East Village. Check off every stop on your “Taste Passport” to enjoy items such as smoked brisket mac and cheese and wagyu meatballs, plus tequila, beer, and cold brew samples. Tickets are $45 per day and can be purchased here.  

East Village

Summer Nights: Wine Tasting and the History of Wine

August 29

The San Diego Botanic Garden will conclude its annual Summer Nights series this Thursday with a crash course in wine history from SDBG sommelier Dane Kuta. An expert on Bordeaux and Champagne, Kuta will guide enthusiasts through wine’s evolution from the Middle Ages to 2024. This presentation in the Conservatory Amphitheater will include three wine tastings. This event is a $47 add-on that can be purchased alongside your entry ticket for the garden.

300 Quail Gardens Drive, Encinitas

Fierce and Kind Spirits Presents Bourbon & Blues, Session II

August 29

The Guild Hotel will host a night of Southern spirits and soul music at Bourbon and Blues this Thursday. The evening will begin with a happy hour at 7 p.m. featuring Fierce & Kind bourbon and cocktails from mixologist Stephan Ahearn, followed by a concert by Lady Dottie & The Diamonds at 8 p.m. Funds raised from tickets and drinks sold at the event will go to Happy Hour Heroes, which provides low-cost childcare for single moms in the service industry. General admission is $25, while VIP is $45 and comes with a welcome cocktail, souvenir glass, swag bag, and maybe even a band meet-and-greet. 

500 West Broadway, Downtown

Lincoln High School Labor Day Brunch & Boil at Louisiana Purchase

September 2

Support the Lincoln High School football program this Labor Day while dining on a New Orleans–style brunch at Louisiana Purchase. The restaurant will host this community fundraiser from 12 to 3 p.m. on Monday to cap off the holiday weekend with live music, raffles, a medley of Cajun breakfast options, and, for an additional $44, a hearty crab boil. Partial proceeds from the Brunch & Boil will go towards the school’s football team. Reservations can be secured on OpenTable. 

2305 University Avenue, North Park

Festivals & Concerts in San Diego This Weekend

Def Leppard, Journey, and Steve Miller Band at Petco Park

August 30

Def Leppard, Journey, and Steve Miller Band will turn back the clock this Friday night at Petco Park, playing hits like “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” and “Fly Like an Eagle.” Tickets start at $105.80 for this concert.

100 Park Boulevard, Downtown

Santana and Counting Crows at North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre

August 30

San Diegans will have a prime opportunity to see two members of rock n’ roll royalty this Friday: Santana and Counting Crows are coming to North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre. Resale tickets are still available on LiveNation, starting at $58.91 a pop.

2050 Entertainment Circle, Chula Vista

San Diego International Children’s Film Festival

August 31

This Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the 20th annual San Diego International Children’s Film Festival, the San Diego Central Library will present dozens of family-friendly screenings, including movies from young filmmakers, live-action and animation selections from UCLA students, and five all-time audience-favorite short films. Reserve your free spot here. ​​​ ​​

330 Park Boulevard, Downtown 

Vista Vibes Mini Music Festival

August 31

Party to R&B, jazz, and hip-hop tunes at Local Roots as the Vista Vibes Mini Music Festival closes out the summertime with an afternoon of live music this Saturday from 2 to 7 p.m. The festival will include a set from San Diego’s own We The Commas, DJs playing throwbacks all afternoon at the “Backyard Boogie,” and local food vendors like Frida’s Taqueria, Cookn Creole Soul Food, and Kona Ice. General admission is $25 and VIP is $45 with perks like priority seating and exclusive merch access. Children ages 12 and under receive free admission. 

1430 Vantage Court, Vista

Theater & Art Exhibits in San Diego This Weekend

Rachmaninoff and the Tsar

Through August 31

Jack-of-all-trades musical theater performer Hershey Felder is back with another onstage portrayal of an iconic classical music figure in Rachmaninoff and the Tsar. Felder wrote the book for the musical and will take the stage as Russian composer Sergei V. Rachmaninoff, who, in a near-death haze, recalls his musical triumphs and personal pitfalls, including an encounter with Tsar Nicholas II. There will be six performances of the production at the Balboa Theatre, with tickets available starting at $75.80.

868 Fourth Avenue, Gaslamp

8-TRACK: The Sounds of the ’70s

Through September 15

New Village Arts’ production of 8-TRACK: The Sounds of the ’70s rolls through the decade’s greatest earworms in disco, folk, funk, and more. The cast of 8 TRACK will offer five performances this week on The Ray Charles Stage. General admission tickets are $60. A pair of pre-show karaoke nights this Friday and Saturday is free for show attendees and $10 for everyone else. NVA will also host an artist talkback following the Sunday matinee performance.

2787 State Street, Carlsbad

Best Laid Plans

Opens August 29

Premiering at Tenth Avenue Arts Center this Thursday, Robert Salerno’s Best Laid Plans stars This is Us actor Blake Stadnik and draws upon the real-life story of blind architect Chris Downey. The play follows a man’s creative breakthrough after he loses his sight. See Best Laid Plans Fridays through Sundays until September 22. General admission tickets are $35 for each performance.

930 10th Avenue, Downtown

Out of the Blue Opening Reception at Ashton Art Gallery

Opens August 31

The newest regional juried exhibition at the Ashton Art Gallery is all about one color: blue. Out of the Blue will showcase artwork from San Diego artists, selected by Katie Dolgov, the Oceanside Museum of Art’s Director of Exhibitions & Collections. This Saturday, the gallery will host a free reception from 4 to 7 p.m. with wine and light refreshments, celebrating the opening of Out of the Blue and local artist David Burakoff’s new solo show, both of which will be on display through September 27. 

4434 30th Street, North Park

Charlene Mosley: Embrace Your Inner Wild

Opens September 1

Sparks Gallery hosts a new exhibition from San Diego–based oil and watercolor painter Charlene Mosley. Embrace Your Inner Wild will be on view this Sunday through the end of September. Anyone interested in attending the exhibition’s free opening reception this Sunday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. can RSVP here.

530 6th Avenue, Gaslamp

More Fun Things to Do in San Diego This Weekend

SDSU Aztec Football vs. Texas A&M Commerce Football at Snapdragon Stadium 

August 31

Get your tailgate plans in order—football season is back! The Aztecs will open their 2024 campaign on the home gridiron against Southland Conference squad Texas A&M Commerce this Saturday. Tickets start at $27.15. 

2101 Stadium Way, Mission Valley

The Sandlot 30th Anniversary with the Cast

August 31

Thirty years on, you’re still killing me, Smalls! The Sandlot, one of cinema’s greatest tributes to America’s national pastime, will celebrate three decades with a special screening at The Magnolia featuring a handful of members from the cast. Tickets range from $30.50 to $154. 

210 East Main Street, El Cajon

The post 15 Things to Do in San Diego This Weekend: August 28–September 2 appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Several critical services are designed to meet the needs of seniors: One, called Rides & Smiles, relies on volunteers who drive seniors to medical appointments, grocery shopping trips, and other essential errands. It also organizes excursions, which are planned trips to cultural, recreational, and social destinations, helping to combat loneliness and isolation. Overall, the program is designed to be flexible, customizable, and responsive, ensuring that seniors can continue participating in community life, attend appointments, and maintain their independence as long as possible. 

Longtime On the Go volunteer driver Betty Carroll shares her experience driving seniors with Jewish Family Service of San Diego over the years. Those interested in becoming a volunteer driver can call (858) 637-3050 or fill out this form. More information on the On the Go program can be found here.

What made you want to volunteer for this organization?           

I was already a volunteer with two other organizations, but a friend who was a scheduler for Rides & Smiles thought that I needed something else to do! I was somewhat familiar with the program from talking to her, and it sounded like a good way to meet and help some nice people. Plus, I could fit rides around my other obligations.

What do your volunteer duties entail? 

Duties as a driver for Rides & Smiles are easy: contact clients who have requested rides, pick those clients up at an appointed time, drive them to their destination, and sometimes return to take the clients back home again. In my case, I have chosen to exclusively drive a visually impaired man for the last two years and stay with him at his appointments or assist him in grocery shopping.

Can you describe your favorite or most memorable volunteering experience?

It is hard to select a favorite experience. I have met some fascinating people: a 100-year-old gentleman who came to San Diego in his 40s and started a business (when I was driving him, he was going to play bridge every week), and a senior lady (I would rather not disclose her age) who lived in England during WWII, moved to the US in 1947, and had an exciting career path, including some jobs that would have been considered “man’s work” when she undertook them. My most memorable might be helping my visually impaired rider during his mother’s illness and her death.

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced?

The biggest challenge is that it’s hard not to want to take as many rides as possible, as so many people need assistance. That is why I have been the exclusive driver for both the “senior lady” and the visually impaired man.

Any advice for someone considering volunteering?

Just do it! You really set your own schedule by accepting only the rides you want to take and you can meet some interesting people along the way.

The post Volunteer Diaries: “On the Go” with Jewish Family Service of San Diego appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

The week culminates in the festival’s crown jewel: The Grand Tasting, a two-day celebration featuring over 100 exhibitors dishing up samples from the city’s top restaurants, celebrity chefs, and wineries at Surf Sports Park (formerly the Del Mar Polo Fields). Plus, a portion of proceeds from Del Mar Wine + Food Festival will be donated to Feeding San Diego. Last year, DMWFF raised $25,000 for the nonprofit.

The inaugural DMWFF in 2023 included highlights like a tequila-paired dinner with actors Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, oceanfront dining at Michelin-starred Valle, a pickleball tournament with quarterback Drew Brees, and a Grand Tasting event that drew more than 6,000 guests. The 2024 Del Mar Wine + Food Festival promises to be even bigger and better. Here’s your daily guide to the upcoming festivities:

BUY YOUR GRAND TASTING TICKETS NOW

Wednesday, October 2 

Tacos, Tortas + Tequila Hosted by San Diego FC at Monarch Ocean Pub

Kick off the festival with one of San Diego’s newest professional sports teams, San Diego FC, at Monarch Ocean Pub in Del Mar. This opening event features tacos, tortas, and tequila—three things essential to all San Diegans’ diets. And what could be better than taking shots off the field with winger Chucky Lozano and goalkeeper Duran Ferree? 

Price: $165 | Time: 6–9 p.m. | Buy Tickets

Thursday, October 3

Marisi Fall Harvest

Welcome autumn with a five-course feast at Marisi in La Jolla. Hosted by Italian winemaker Pio Cesare (a brand known for its famous barolo made with grapes from Northern Italy’s Piedmont region), this seasonal dinner will showcase the latest harvest from Chino Farm, handmade pasta from Marisi, and curated wine pairings from the family behind Pio’s 142-year-old wine empire.  

Price: $225 | Time: 6–9:30 p.m. | See the Pairings & Buy Tickets

Trattoria Dia Prato on The Lawn at Rancho Santa Fe

Enjoy a traditional four-course Italian supper on the lawn at Rancho Santa Fe. The dinner features dishes crafted by chef Jackson Kalb (Top Chef/Ospi Venice), celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito (James Beard Award winner and best-selling cookbook author), and restaurateur Jason McLeod (CH Projects) in a beautiful outdoor setting. 

Price: $300 | Time: 6–9:30 p.m. | Buy Tickets

Fine Wine + Spirits at The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe

The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe will also host a fine wine and spirits seminar on October 3, giving attendees the chance to learn from some of the biggest pioneers in winemaking. The afternoon will feature talks led by winemakers and sommeliers from The Court of Master Sommeliers Americas, Pyramid Valley Vineyards, Benchmark Wine Group, and more. The event also includes a rare Burgundy tasting and a blind tasting experience to test your palate against the pros. 

More details coming soon!

Friday, October 4

Drew Brees Hosts the Whispering Angel Celebrity Pickleball Tournament

Drew Brees may be famous for his football skills, but don’t underestimate his pickleball game. For the second year in a row, Brees will host the annual celebrity pickleball tournament in Encinitas, featuring a lineup of heavy-hitters in support of Feeding San Diego. Participants can sign up for casual, intermediate, or advanced tournaments—or sip a refreshing beverage from the comfort of the sidelines. 

Price: $125 for spectators; $150–$600 for pickleball players | Time: 12–4 p.m. | Buy Tickets

Napa Luxe at the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe

Napa’s top winemakers, including Benchmark Wine Group, Chateau Montelena, Gagnon-Kennedy Vineyards, and more, will offer a tasting experience at the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe. Guests will enjoy a flavorful tour through Central Valley varietals, with thoughtfully paired bites served alongside each glass. 

Price: $225 | Time: 6–9 p.m. | Buy Tickets

Fine Wine + Spirits at The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe

Couldn’t make it to The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe’s Thursday event? Here’s your second chance to get in on all the fun. Attendees have the chance to hear from legendary figures in the wine industry, such as David Ramey of Ramey Wine Cellars (he’s called “Professor Chardonnay” among oenophiles) and master sommelier Ian Cauble, known for his appearance in the 2012 documentary SOMM. The evening will include moderated discussions and exclusive tastings, including a blind tasting led by prominent sommeliers.

More details coming soon! 

Saturday, October 5

THE BIG EVENT: Grand Tasting Day One

The Grand Tasting is the Del Mar Wine + Food Festival’s marquee event, with more than 100 local restaurants, wineries, and drink makers in attendance. In addition to endless bites and sips, the event will feature live DJs, a professional photo station, shopping from women-owned businesses in a vendor area hosted by San Diego Magazine, and so much more. Upgrade to a VIP ticket for early entry and access to exclusive eats from restaurants like Azuki Sushi, Deckman’s, Warung Rie Rie, Ambrogio by Acquerello, and many others. 

Price: $165–425 | Time: 12–4 p.m. for VIP and early-entry ticket-holders; 1–4 p.m. for general admission | Buy Tickets

Sunday, October 6

THE BIG EVENT: Grand Tasting Day Two

Regretting not nabbing that delicious-looking crudo you side-eyed on your way out on day one? The Grand Tasting continues with another opportunity to sample the best of San Diego’s culinary scene. Consider purchasing a two-day ticket bundle for the chance to ease your stomach’s FOMO. Check the exhibitors’ page for updates on the latest additions to the Grand Tasting roster.

Price: $165–425 | Time: 12–4 p.m. for VIP and early-entry ticket holders; 1–4 p.m. for General Admission | Buy Tickets

Beach Cleanup and Seafood Brunch with Brian Malarkey + Javier Plascencia

Start your Sunday by giving back to the 619 with a beach cleanup at Cardiff Reef with pro surfer Jake Marshall. Afterward, head to Herb & Sea for a seafood brunch prepared by chefs Brian Malarkey and Javier Plascencia on the restaurant’s outdoor deck, accompanied by morning cocktails. 

Price: Beach Cleanup – Free; Brunch – $150 | Time: Beach Cleanup – 7:30–8:30 a.m.; Brunch 9–11 a.m. | Buy Tickets

Mer de Baja with Chefs Benito Molina + Drew Deckman

Savor a French-Baja fusion dinner at Rancho Bernardo Inn prepared by Drew Deckman, the Michelin-starred chef who recently debuted 31ThirtyOne in North Park, and Benito Molina of Masterchef Mexico, known for his Michelin-recognized restaurant Manzanilla in Ensenada. This dynamic duo promises a tasty culinary journey that won’t require a passport.

Price: $250 | Time: 6–9:30 p.m. | Buy Tickets

Hometown Heroes Hosted by Tiffany Faison at Nolita Hall

Celebrate with San Diego Wave FC at this chic Little Italy venue while dining on dishes inspired by the hometowns of Wave players. The evening’s roster includes two-time Olympic medalist Alex Morgan and Olympian (and SDM cover star) Jaedyn Shaw.

Price: $150 | Time: 6–9 p.m. | Buy Tickets

Monday, October 7

Happy Fillmore Golf Classic Benefiting Feeding San Diego

Put your short game to the test at the Happy Fillmore celebrity golf tournament, the grand finale of the Del Mar Wine + Food Festival. This event is your chance to hit the links with the stars and burn off the food and drinks from the Grand Tasting the day before. Sorry, neither Bob Barker nor Drew Carey will be in attendance. 

More details coming soon! 

The post A Guide to the Events at the 2024 Del Mar Wine + Food Fest appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

But look for other cultural cuisines—Laotian, Basque, or Hawaiian, for instance—and the city offers few choices. Luckily, lovers of the latter will add one more option to the roster this summer: The Haole Shack opens at 707 Grand Avenue in Pacific Beach in early August. 

The Haole Shack is located directly adjacent to PB Shore Club at the corner of Grand Avenue and Ocean Boulevard. Grind & Prosper Hospitality (Louisiana Purchase, Coco Maya) operates both businesses. The Haole Shack’s director of operations, Ben Carroccio, says the restaurant’s menu of Hawaiian-inspired eats will be available all day through late night onsite and at PB Shore Club once its own kitchen closes.

“We’re hoping to introduce a great, quick-service option for burgers, teriyaki bowls, and shaved ice, whether you’re off to the beach, waiting in line at PB Shore Club, or looking for late-night grub,” Carroccio explains. He says the group aims to create a retro, ’80s-esque Hawaiian beach shack inspired by the founder’s recent trips to the island state. 

The menu will focus on smashburgers (single and double), teriyaki bowls, and shaved ice. Diners will also find black bean burgers and “Double Shaka” dirty fries with tri-tip, chicken, kook sauce, green onions, and sesame seeds over french fries. Teriyaki bowls include chicken, tofu, or tri-tip with steamed vegetables, kimchi-seasoned fried rice, togarashi, teriyaki, and kook sauce. Food will be available to go from the counter, but the space also offers patio parklet seating for 16 people. However, I recommend bringing a blanket and enjoying your bites only a few feet away on the sand. 

San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events

Ember & Rye Reopens With Two Interactive Events

Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Ember & Rye is back. It’s celebrating a grand re-opening inside the Park Hyatt Aviara with two events this week. The first, “BBQ with Blais,” takes place Sunday, July 14, from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Chef Richard Blais will demonstrate how to hone some serious grill skills. Then, on Thursday, July 18, he’ll guide guests through a four-course meal with cocktails from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Tickets for both events and reservations for regular dining are available on Ember & Rye’s website. 

Beth’s Bites

North Park’s Vegan Market returns this Saturday, July 13, from noon to 4 p.m. at 3812 29th Street. You’ll find more than just vegan goodies—the event is also a vinyl record fair, brought to you by Chakasonica Fronterizx Vinyl Collective. Come hungry and ready to dig through thousands of LPs and 45s for the perfect score.

Happy birthday, Bica! The Adams Avenue eatery turns one on Sunday, July 14, and it’s throwing an all-day party to celebrate. From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., expect vendors, giveaways, and live music, followed by DJs, tapas, and tattoos in the evening.

The post The Haole Shack Bringing Hawaiian Eats to Pacific Beach appeared first on San Diego Magazine.