Azure Sky Hotel

Courtesy of Azure Sky Hotel

Toward the middle of my pregnancy, I had a sneaky suspicion that mine would get difficult (spoiler alert: it did), so I wanted to log as much movement as possible while I still could. Midwinter, I decided we needed to skip town for a couple of days, but it had to be cushy, so my husband and I found ourselves hoofing it over the San Jacinto Mountains to Palm Springs.

Our destination, the recently overhauled Azure Sky, a mid-century modern desert outpost, was exactly what I had in mind. Chic but not overbearing. Boutique but spread out enough that you weren’t on top of other guests. Vintage in concept but obviously updated. Things were so new, in fact, that it had just gotten its liquor license the day we arrived.

“Would you like a mezcal cocktail from our new bar?” the bartender-slash-front-desk-manager asked. I declined, but my husband accepted; within minutes, we were installed in our suite-like room, he with a spicy, mezcal-spiked tepache in hand.

Azure Sky Hotel, room

Courtesy of Azure Sky Hotel

Lurking just outside our room was the communal pool area. By this point, it was about 8 p.m., and the sun was long gone. We donned our branded hotel robes and sauntered through the gates, checking out the patio with its cute striped umbrellas and long outdoor gas fire pit that sits next to the pool and jacuzzi.

One of the great tragedies of pregnancy is that the person with child is not allowed to use a hot tub. I know. It’s ridiculous! I can’t think of another time in life when one would want to use a hot tub more, save for after running a marathon or something equally physically strenuous. That’s not one of the things “they” tell you before you get knocked up, at least not in my experience, and after sharing that fact with a lot of other people, it seems to be, at best, variably known.

Nonetheless, I was out of luck as far as luxuriating in an ultra-hot bath with jets was concerned. Too bad, because Azure Sky’s jacuzzi is really nice, and Palm Springs, with a much more visible starscape than we have in San Diego and cooler nighttime temperatures, is the perfect place to marinate in a bubbly human broth.

The pool at the Azure Sky Hotel in Palm Springs

Courtesy of: Azure Sky Hotel

Not one to make others around me suffer needlessly, I told my husband it was fine for him to use it; I’d just stick my feet in. And then I remembered something we were told as we were checking in: The pool is heated. Which, whatever, so is every hotel pool. But to what temperature? I glanced 10 feet to the right, watching steam rise off the pool’s glowing surface, and decided to test the water with my hand. Piss-warm. I squealed. “VICTORY!” I shouted in the general direction of my husband, who looked at me as if I was insane. I felt it. I was deliriously happy.

I fired off a quick DM to the hotel’s marketing manager, who confirmed, yes, it’s kept in the mid-90s range so that people can go in all year long. A Google search assured me that the danger zone for fetuses is above 102 degrees, sealing my fate. I disrobed and jumped in, letting the bath-like-but-not-TOO-bath-like(!) water ensconce my swollen, lumpy, and tired body.

Desert mission: accomplished.

The post Floating in the Desert appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Miixt’s new canned vodka-kombucha drinks in flavors Strawberry Lemonade, Peach, Mango, and Tangerine

Turn That Kombucha Up to 11

Kombucha with a kick pops up again in San Diego—this time in a different form. Miixt launched its first-to-market canned vodka-kombucha drinks. They’re low-carb (no added sugar), high in antioxidants, and gluten-free. Initial flavors include strawberry lemonade, peach, mango, and tangerine, and each can holds a mixture of organic, raw kombucha brewed in San Diego, vodka, fruit juice, and sparkling water. The result is an incredibly sessionable drink that’s different from typical hard kombuchas since the alcohol is added rather than fermented. It clocks in at just 4.5% ABV, 110 calories, and five grams of sugar.

lowriders, san diego

Courtesy of Wikipedia Commons

Lowriders Cruise Again

Crank up the lowrider jams and rev those engines: Earlier this spring, National City’s city council voted to repeal a ban on cruising that was initially enacted in 1992. In recent years, many California cities lifted their lowriding bans—National City was the last in San Diego County to do so. Expect Highland Avenue to host its legendary vintage car parades again soon.

A Plucked Zither by UCSD Ph.D. student Phuong T. Vuong

Plucked from Memory

UCSD PhD student Phuong T. Vuong just released A Plucked Zither, a beautiful and haunting collection of poems that spans space and time. In particular, she explores the dichotomy of making a home in the United States and Vietnam, two countries that have fraught war-torn histories with one another, and what that legacy means for the people left in the wake. In addition to her own observations of refugee migration and its aftermath, Vuong also leans on the anti-war Vietnamese singer and songwriter Trịnh Công Sơn, teasing out themes of grief, longing, and justice.

Interior of the Marriot Marquis San Diego Marina

Waterfront Upgrade

Located right on the waterfront, the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina recently completed a multi-million-dollar renovation devised by Boston-based Parker Torres Design. Upgrades to the two-towered hotel include refreshed guest rooms and presidential suites with subtly nautical navy blues and wood; a Top Golf Swing Suite; and a brand- new lobby in the North Tower. Marriott members (and any guest willing to tack on the fee) have access to the lobby’s M Club Lounge, functionally a perk- filled coworking space offering continental breakfast, all-day snacks, and evening hors d’oeuvres and sweets.

The post Local Stokes: June’s Hottest Picks appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Overall | Specific Cuisines | Specific Dishes | Ambience  | Drinks

This year’s “Top Five” is a chronicle of obsession. When Callie chef and San Diego native Travis Swikard learns local boats have fresh spot prawns, he drives to Scripps Oceanographic Institute, secures optimal seawater, and keeps the prawns swimming in his kitchen until dinner service.

On the other side of downtown, fellow hometowner Tara Monsod and her three main chefs at the heavy-draped, softly opulent Animae are Filipina a major local culture represented at the height of San Diego restaurant life.In Mission Hills, truckfuls of American red oak are stacked and set aflame at Fort Oak.

Live-fire chef Brad Wise is among the city’s most active and ascendant talents, and his surf-and-turf haven—charred bones with one of the best pokes on the planet in an Atomic Age car dealership—is still the one to beat. The gravity in Little Italy still leans toward Born & Raised, where F. Scott Fitzgerald meets rap culture, a maximalist revolt against old steakhouse tropes and warehouse minimalism.

And, finally, this year has to be Addison’s. They hauled in their third Michelin star, making them one of only 14 restaurants in the country to hold that esteem. No matter your feelings about the tire company, chef William Bradley put San Diego on a mythological culinary map. People who travel the world for food will come here—and, in the process, discover tiny charms like Muzita Abyssinian Bistro or Wolf in the Woods.

This is the 2023 “Best Restaurants” list. Not the ultimate list. Just mine. A notebook scribbled in and adjusted and fine-tuned all year—my fifteenth year of eating the city, obsessing over its details.

Overall

Best Restaurants in San Diego

Critic’s Picks

Callie

Fort Oak

Addison

Born & Raised

Animae

Reader’s Picks

Callie

Mister A’s

Animae

Kingfisher

Herb & Wood

Best New Restaurant in San Diego:

Critic’s Choice:

Marisi

Reader’s Choice:

Paradisaea

Runner-Up:

The Sushi Stand

Best Chef in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

William Bradley

Reader’s Choice:

Brad Wise

(Trust, Fort Oak, Cardellino, Rare Society, Wise Ox)

Runner-Up:

Kelston Moore

(Bad Boyz of Culinary)

Best Restaurant Service in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Solare

Reader’s Choice:

Callie

Runner-Up:

Solare

Best Hotel Restaurant in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

AR Valentien

Reader’s Choice:

Nine-Ten

Runner-Up:

Arlo

Best Catering in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Wild Thyme

Reader’s Choice:

Rubicon Deli

Runner-Up:

Chef Kelston’s Culinary Experience

Best Restaurant in Baja California

Critic’s Choice:

Deckman’s

Reader’s Choice:

Fauna

Runner-Up:

Animalon

Best Cheap Eats in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

The Friendly

Reader’s Choice:

The Friendly

Runner-Up:

The Kebab Shop

Best Healthy Food in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Parakeet Cafe

Reader’s Choice:

Parakeet Cafe

Runner-Up:

Shak’s Mediterranean Bistro

Best Vegetarian/Vegan Restaurant in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Kindred

Reader’s Choice:

The Plot

Runner-Up:

Kindred

Best Farmer’s Market Food Vendor in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Maya’s Cookies

Reader’s Choice:

Island Life Foods

Runner-Up:

Casa Ocho

Best Breakfast in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Breakfast Republic

Reader’s Choice:

Breakfast Republic

Runner-Up:

Morning Glory

Best Bar in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Youngblood

Reader’s Choice:

Understory

Runner-Up:

Swan Bar

Best Brunch in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Morning Glory

Reader’s Choice:

Trust

Runner-Up:

Le Parfait Paris

Best Bakery in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Izola

Reader’s Choice:

Izola

Runner-Up:

Wayfarer Bread

Best Seafood Restaurant in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

The Fishery

Reader’s Choice:

The Fishery

Runner-Up:

Mitch’s Seafood

Best Barbecue Restaurant in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Grand Ole BBQ

Reader’s Choice:

Phil’s BBQ

Runner-Up:

Grand Ole BBQ

Best Steakhouse in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Rare Society

Reader’s Choice:

Rare Society

Runner-Up:

Cowboy Star

Best Dessert Spot in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Sugar & Scribe

Reader’s Choice:

Extraordinary Desserts

Runner-Up:

Le Parfait Paris

Best Food Truck in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Shawarma Guys

Reader’s Choice:

Shawarma Guys

Runner-Up:

The Craft Taco Truck

Best Chain Restaurant in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

The Plot Express

Reader’s Choice:

The Kebab Shop

Runner-Up:

Rubio’s Coastal Grill

Specific Cuisines

Best Asian Fusion Restaurant in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Animae

Reader’s Choice:

Animae

Runner-Up:

Kingfisher

Best Caribbean Restaurant in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Havana Grill

Reader’s Choice:

Rock Steady Real Jamaican

Runner-Up:

Miss B’s Coconut Club

Best Chinese Restaurant in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Eastern Dynasty

Reader’s Choice:

Zen Modern Asian Bistro

Runner-Up:

Fortunate Son

Best Ethiopian Restaurant in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Muzita Abyssinian Bistro

Reader’s Choice:

Muzita Abyssinian Bistro

Runner-Up:

Awash Ethiopian Bistro

Best Filipino Restaurant in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

White Rice Bodega

Reader’s Choice:

Animae

Runner-Up:

White Rice Bodega

Best French Restaurant in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Jeune et Jolie

Reader’s Choice:

Et Voilà!

Runner-Up:

Le Parfait Paris

Best Greek Restaurant in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Mezé

Reader’s Choice:

Olympic Cafe

Runner-Up:

Mezé

Best Indian Restaurant in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Charminar

Reader’s Choice:

Taste of the Himalayas

Runner-Up:

Punjabi Tandoor

Best Italian Restaurant in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Catania

Reader’s Choice:

Amalfi Cucina Italiana

Runner-Up:

Solare

Best Japanese Restaurant in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Matsu

Reader’s Choice:

Sushi Ota

Runner-Up:

Matsu

Best Korean Restaurant in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Woomiok

Reader’s Choice:

Woomiok

Runner-Up:

Grandma Tofu

Best Mediterranean Restaurant in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Callie

Reader’s Choice:

Callie

Runner-Up:

Kebab Craft

Best Mexican Restaurant in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Valle

Reader’s Choice:

Casa de Pico

Runner-Up:

Casa de Bandini

Best Middle Eastern Restaurant in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Tahini

Reader’s Choice:

Shak’s Mediterranean Bistro

Runner-Up:

The Kebab Shop

Best Peruvian Restaurant in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Q’ero

Reader’s Choice:

Q’ero

Runner-Up:

Coya Peruvian Secret

Best Southern Restaurant in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Flying Pig

Reader’s Choice:

Bud’s Louisiana Café

Runner-Up:

Louisiana Purchase

Best Spanish Restaurant in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Cafe Sevilla

Reader’s Choice:

Costa Brava

Runner-Up:

Cafe Sevilla

Best Thai Restaurant in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Plumeria

Reader’s Choice:

Bahn Thai

Runner-Up:

Supannee House of Thai

Best Vietnamese Restaurant in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Kingfisher

Reader’s Choice:

Kingfisher

Runner-Up:

Shank & Bône

Specific Dishes

Best Donuts in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Sidecar

Reader’s Choice:

Barrio Donas

Runner-Up:

Dodo Bird Donuts

Best Ice Cream/Gelato in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Stella Jean’s

Reader’s Choice:

Stella Jean’s

Runner-Up:

Salt & Straw

Best Pho in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Shank & Bône

Reader’s Choice:

Shank & Bône

Runner-Up:

Pho Hòa

Best Ramen in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Menya Ultra

Reader’s Choice:

Menya Ultra

Runner-Up:

Underbelly

Best Wings in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

OB Noodle House

Reader’s Choice:

Dirty Birds

Runner-Up:

Shank & Bône

Best Burrito in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

La Perla de Michoacan

Reader’s Choice:

The Taco Stand

Runner-Up:

Colima’s Mexican Food

Best Chips & Salsa in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Puesto

Reader’s Choice:

Miguel’s Cocina

Runner-Up:

Barrio Starr

Best Birria in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Tuétano Taquería

Reader’s Choice:

Tuétano Taquería

Runner-Up:

Mike’s Red Tacos

Best Fries in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

The Kebab Shop

Reader’s Choice:

The Kebab Shop

Runner-Up:

In N Out Burger

Best Poke in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

It’s Raw

Reader’s Choice:

Blue Poke

Runner-Up:

It’s Raw

Best Sushi in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Sushi Todokoro

Reader’s Choice:

The Sushi Stand

Runner-Up:

Wrench and Rodent Seabasstropub

Best Fish Taco in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

TJ Oyster Bar

Reader’s Choice:

Mitch’s Seafood

Runner-Up:

Oscar’s

Best Taco in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Ed Fernandez

Reader’s Choice:

Tacos El Gordo

Runner-Up:

The Taco Stand

Best Sandwich in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Moto Deli

Reader’s Choice:

Rubicon Del

Runner-Up:

Smallgoods

Best Pizza in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Buona Forchetta

Reader’s Choice:

Ambrogio15

Runner-Up:

Amalfi Cucina Italiana

Best Burger in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Nine-Ten

Reader’s Choice:

Rocky’s Crown Pub

Runner-Up:

The Friendly

Best Soup Dumplings in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Steamy Piggy

Reader’s Choice:

Din Tai Fung

Dumpling Inn & Shanghai Saloon

Runner-Up:

Best Pasta in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Cesarina

Reader’s Choice:

Cesarina

Runner-Up:

Cori Pastificio

Ambience

Best Restaurant or Bar Design in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Part Time Lover

Reader’s Choice:

Paradisaea

Runner-Up:

Animae

Best Date Spot in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Wormwood

Reader’s Choice:

Understory

Runner-Up:

Mister A’s

Best Patio Dining in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Monarch Ocean Pub

Reader’s Choice:

Mister A’s

Runner-Up:

Gravity Heights

Best Dog Friendly Restaurant in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Sally’s Fish House

Reader’s Choice:

Ambrogio15

Runner-Up:

Dodo Bird Donuts

Best Diner in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Corvette Diner

Reader’s Choice:

Corvette Diner

Runner-Up:

Station Tavern

Best Restaurant for Big Groups in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Stone Brewing

Reader’s Choice:

Herb & Wood

Runner-Up:

Park 101

Best Restaurant at Petco Park

Critic’s Choice:

Grand Ole BBQ

Reader’s Choice:

Grand Ole BBQ

Runner-Up:

Puesto

Best Restaurant with a Waterfront View

Critic’s Choice:

Marine Room

Reader’s Choice:

Coasterra

Runner-Up:

Marine Room

Best Restaurant with a View of the City

Critic’s Choice:

Mister A’s

Reader’s Choice:

Mister A’s

Runner-Up:

Seneca Trattoria

Best Restaurant Reinvention/Rebirth/Remodel in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Mister A’s

Reader’s Choice:

Mister A’s

Runner-Up:

Cardellino

Drinks

Best Dive Bar in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Nunu’s

Reader’s Choice:

Swan Bar

Runner-Up:

The Loft

Best Bloody Mary in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Cafe 21

Reader’s Choice:

Barleymash

Runner-Up:

Snooze

Best Margarita in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Cantina Mayahuel

Reader’s Choice:

Cantina Mayahuel

Runner-Up:

Barrio Star

Best Wine Bar in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Wolf in the Woods

Reader’s Choice:

Gianni Buonomo

Runner-Up:

Ambrogio15 Enoteca

Best Brewpub in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Gravity Heights

Reader’s Choice:

Gravity Heights

Runner-Up:

Blind Lady Ale House

Best Coffee in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Por Vida

Reader’s Choice:

Dark Horse Coffee Roasters

Runner-Up:

Bird Rock Coffee Roasters

Best Cocktails in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Polite Provisions

Reader’s Choice:

Understory

Runner-Up:

Paradisaea

Best Distillery in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Pacific Coast Spirits & Kitchen

Reader’s Choice:

Pacific Coast Spirits & Kitchen

Runner-Up:

You & Yours

Best Brewery in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Fall

Reader’s Choice:

Hopnonymous

Runner-Up:

Fall

Best New Brewery in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Rincon

Reader’s Choice:

Rincon

Runner-Up:

Seek

Best Winery in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Gianni Buonomo

Reader’s Choice:

Gianni Buonomo

Runner-Up:

Rustic Ridge

Best Wine List in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Addison

Reader’s Choice:

Solare

Runner-Up:

Ambrogio15

Best Juice Bar in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Northside Shack

Reader’s Choice:

Pina Smoothies

Runner-Up:

Rad Habits

Best Alt-Drink, Alcoholic (Cider, Seltzers, Canned Cocktails) in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Bivouac Ciderworks

Reader’s Choice:

Bivouac Ciderworks

Runner-Up:

Juneshine

Best Kombucha in San Diego

Critic’s Choice:

Nova Easy Kombucha

Reader’s Choice:

Juneshine

Runner-Up:

Nova Easy Kombucha

The post San Diego’s Best Restaurants of 2023 appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Miniland

Honey, I Shrunk San Diego!

A new, all-ages-friendly reason to brave the throngs of little humans at Legoland: Miniland San Diego—a Lego version of America’s finest city—has opened at the park with all of our favorite landmarks depicted in tiny plastic block form. Highlights include the Gaslamp sign, Coronado Bridge, San Diego Public Library, Petco Park, The San Diego Fair, and Santa Fe Depot.

Majorette

Grand Opening in Rolando

The team behind College Area’s beloved Scrimshaw Coffee just opened up a restaurant and bar further down El Cajon Boulevard in Rolando: Majorette. Picture a dog-friendly patio out front and classic bar fare with twists, including shared plates, sandwiches, and milkshakes for dessert. Highlights include the flat-top burger, dad’s beer snacks (tinned fish and saltines), a Cubano with slow-cooked mojo pork, house-made sausage, and sauerkraut.

McGills

Courtesy of Tony Hawk

A Skate Shop Begins Again

After 35 years, legendary Encinitas skate palace McGills Skate Shop has moved locations to 140 Encinitas Boulevard and recently reopened. Guests at the grand reopening included Tony Hawk, skate photographer (and SDM contributor) J. Grant Brittain, Rodney Mullen, and Bryce Wettstein. (In that legend-filled photo are, from left to right, Steve Caballero, Kevin Staab, Christian Hosoi, Stacy Peralta, Tony Hawk, Mike McGill, and Lance Mountain.)

Arawayuu

Photo Credit: Odom Media

Woven Together

Color fiends, rejoice: San Diego accessories brand Arawayuu just released its 2023 spring-summer collection. The local brand, run by founder Maria Salazar, who is originally from Colombia, sells handwoven mochila bags and clutches made by artisan women of the Wayuu tribe in La Guajira, Colombia. The new collection features neon versions of the company’s signature bags, bright tassel earrings, and yoga mat straps.

inHarmony

Getting Harmonized

The tech-assisted meditation tools from San Diego–based inHarmony help practitioners reach whatever higher level they seek. Its mindfulness gadgets, including hooked-up cushions, massage tables, and a brand-new sound lounge (all of the above in one), utilize sound, vibration, and frequency. Each device can be paired with inHarmony’s app featuring music meditations.

The post Local Stokes: May’s Hottest Picks appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Pacabol, San Diego

Arguably, one of the most important jobs in the legal cannabis industry is that of a budtender. For consumers, budtenders are usually the only human access they’ll have to cannabis before they buy it. This is especially important in an age where new brands, consumption methods, and products pop up seemingly every day (weed gravy, anyone?).

Cannabis is also an intoxicating substance that has medicinal uses and was only recently decriminalized. To that point, budtenders serve as a wealth of information in an age where access to cannabis is greater than ever. Still, widespread knowledge isn’t exactly at a premium, and stakes get raised immediately once medical and intoxication considerations are added to the mix. Being the main point of contact consumers have with a specific product means budtenders have an additional burden to know about biology, medicine, and basic chemistry, among other complex topics.

For brands and retailers alike, budtenders are equally important. Because of its federal illegality, cannabis brands face strict barriers to traditional advertising, and social media platforms like Meta (which includes Instagram) have technically disallowed the promotion of anything having to do with weed, disabling and censoring brands’ accounts left and right. With fewer ways to reach customers than in other consumer segments, those on the front lines actually selling the products are vital to a brand’s success.

Contrast all this with, say, other types of retail or service jobs, like selling clothes or scooping ice cream, and it’s clear to see how being a budtender might be different. Still, many budtenders are only paid close to minimum wage or just above it, which can be a hard sell when so much education and know-how are required. Many do it because of a longstanding commitment to and love for the cannabis plant, as well as the fact legal cannabis jobs were not something that ever existed before recently.

Employers are beginning to step up to bridge the gap, too, offering better wages and benefits, like continuing education and childcare stipends, while some are cooperating with employees unionizing so they can bargain for better conditions (on the other side of the coin, many cannabis retailers and companies have been particularly hostile to unionization across the country).

We checked in with a few budtenders at local dispensary chain March & Ash, which also owns Chula Vista’s Pacabol, to see why they do it and what makes budtending a career rather than a job (employees at several locations of the chain are unionized with UFCW Local 135). They also give some helpful tips for weed shoppers who are both seasoned and new to the cannabis buying game.

March & Ash, San Diego

Chelsea Ramirez Concierge (Budtender)

March and Ash in Mission Valley

“I have been a concierge for a little over a year now, and I chose this type of retail industry over others because I am passionate about it, and it’s constantly evolving,” Ramirez says, adding that she “would love” to stay employed in the cannabis industry long-term because it’s exciting and ever-growing.

Ramirez says that “cannabis requires a high level of knowledge because there is a broad number of product offerings and brands,” and that cannabis products “require a lot of trial and error when it comes to personal use. Products won’t always work the same from customer to customer. In other retail jobs, some products can be black or white.” She adds that being able to suggest several product options for a customer’s needs is particularly important.

“The worst question I get is, ‘You told me you liked this and I hated it. Why?’ Which usually leads to telling the customer one of the first analogies I heard when I was hired,” Ramirez says. “‘Think of it like food. You may love Thai food, but your best friend hates it. It doesn’t mean it’s bad, it’s just not for you.’”

To get new cannabis consumers comfortable, Ramirez says she typically asks them what their preferred consumption method is—Smoking? Vaping? Edibles? Dabbing? Tinctures?–and what type of high they’re looking for. “I will always say to start with low doses and go slow,” she says. “You can always consume more, but too much at one time might be overwhelming.”

Ramirez adds that budtenders like her receive frequent training sessions from brands, “which are great because it gives us a good idea of different brands and how their products differ or are similar to others.”

Pacabol, San Diego

Erica Abalos, Lead Budtender

Pacabol in Chula Vista

Abalos has been a budtender for almost two years. “I took this type of retail job because it’s a humbling industry that I fell in love with, breaking stigma and normalizing cannabis use,” she says. “I like seeing how this industry is becoming more successful over the years and has the potential for growth.” She aspires to be a store manager one day, and says that budtending supports what she likes to do in her personal life, too.

Abalos is emphatic about the knowledge required to be behind the counter or on the floor talking to customers about cannabis. “Budtending requires a high knowledge of these products because we have a variety of customers who come in looking for relief, who have insomnia, anxiety, et cetera,” she says. “We are impacting lives daily in order for our customers to have a better experience. I think the science behind cannabis is essential to know, and this simply makes us different from other retail jobs.”

One customer question she gets asked often is, “Which one has the highest THC percentage?” Abalos explains that one of the biggest misconceptions about weed is that higher THC content means higher quality bud, which leads to a better, stronger high. “The truth is,” she says, “THC has nothing to do with the quality of your weed and is also a poor indicator of potency.” She says this is one of the essential things she tries to teach customers.

Considering that, Abalos says she likes to take her time to get to know customers and ask how experienced they are with cannabis before recommending the right product to them. “It helps us narrow down which route to go because we have many alternatives that can benefit anyone, she says. “For edibles, I like to refer customers to start low and slowly,” echoing a common refrain from cannabis users and workers. For her, that means “reaching for products with 5mg or less of THC. That way, you will still feel the effects even if it’s a little too strong for you, it won’t last as long as eating a 100 mg brownie.”

Abalos echoes the importance of training sessions: in them, she has learned different types of terpene profiles she didn’t previously know about. “They play a major role in the aroma and flavor of a cannabis strain and other cannabis compounds to produce the effects we’re seeking,” she says.

Martelle Casas, March & Ash

Martelle Casas, Concierge (Budtender)

March and Ash in Mission Valley

Casas has been a concierge at March and Ash for two years. “On this side of cannabis retail, it’s more than just making a sale,” she says. “You get to connect with the customers and help them find what works best for them.”

“I plan to stay in the cannabis industry for a long time,” Casas says of her chosen career path. “One of my goals is to grow with March and Ash as they keep expanding throughout California and hopefully to other states in the following years.”

Budtending requires a lot of specific knowledge, Casas explains. “Understanding the product helps when you’re selling it to customers–there are thousands of products in the shop, which may overwhelm the customer. Knowing each product makes it easier to help choose what will best suit the customer.” For example, she notes that an “uncommon” but serious question she’s been asked is what product for sale would make someone aroused.

Casas says she approaches customers with an open mind. “I like to educate them about THC & CBD so they get familiar with the plant. When recommending products to new customers, I recommend micro-dosing on edible products first. But when it comes to flower, I recommend smaller, shorter puff intakes,” she says.

She echoes Ramirez’s enthusiasm for brand training sessions and notes that, in particular, she loves educating customers about CBD. “We get a lot of patients who have [wellness concerns]. CBD is purported to alleviate post-workout inflammation, relieve muscle soreness, and may even mitigate temporary stress,” she says, noting some of the suggested uses she likes to pass on to customers.

The post A Peek Behind the Weed Counter appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Romolo & Remo pasta sauce

Gettin’ Sauced

To the delight of anyone consistently underwhelmed by jarred sauces (me), an artisanal brand called Romolo & Remo has sprung up in City Heights. Their Roman-style tomato sauces are fit for pastas, pizzas, and anything else that requires red liquid gold. Chef Nico Del Guidice-Piña was raised in Rome, where his mom is from, returning to the United States in 2007 to live and attend high school in City Heights, where he’s been ever since. The sauces come in four varieties with either a garlic or basil base, each with a spicy option aided by chile de arbol. Hand-jarred (and delicious, I can confirm), the sauces are always vegan and gluten-free, with no added sugars.

SD Museum of Natural History – 50th Anniversary Canyoneers Program

Into the Wilderness

If dating app profiles are to be believed, hiking is easily one of the most popular activities among San Diegans. This month is the San Diego Museum of Natural History’s 50th anniversary of its Canyoneers program, comprised of volunteer naturalists who offer free, expert-guided hikes all over SD County. What began in 1973 as an advocacy group to help preserve Florida Canyon has evolved into a full-fledged program providing natural history interpretation and info on regional flora and fauna. A list of led hikes can be found online.

Nomadic, Presented by The Colony

Desert Dreaming

If you’ve been hearing about new stuff popping up in far East County, you’ve been hearing right. The latest opening is Nomadic, presented by The Colony, an artistic playground-slash-desert-resort with glamping, a geodesic dome, motel rooms, full RV hookups, customized park model homes, and an on-site arts collective. The park model homes are designed by Leslie K. Monroy, a local cannabis florist and installation artist, each with its own color and theme (’60s Sunrise Yellow, ’70s Afternoon Blue, ’80s Sunset Purple, and the others garden-themed). It’s in Jacumba Hot Springs, right past the Golden Acorn Casino.

Pop Up Picnic Co. – Picnic + Flowers

In Full Bloom

Bust out those wide-brimmed hats and floral digs: Pop Up Picnic Co. is hosting Picnics + Flowers through May 14 at Carlsbad’s The Flower Fields. The picnic series includes ranunculus-filled ocean views, a prix-fixe meal, a variety of non-alcoholic drinks like aguas frescas and iced teas, cold towel service, and a Polaroid photo. The picnics are also customizable for guests with accessibility limitations. There’ll be two seatings per day at 11:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Tickets available online for $125 per person.

Oh Glory Day Spa, North Park

Glory Be 

A brand-new day spa, called Oh Glory, has arrived in North Park. Focusing on holistic treatments that incorporate acupuncture, facials targeting microbiome and cell regeneration, massage treatments that fuse intuitive modalities with traditional techniques, and powerful plant compounds like healing herbs, cold-pressed organic oils, and floral waters, the program is designed to bring peace to both body and mind. Owners (and best friends for 17 years) Jessica Anderson and Serena Kahlen have long careers in spa care: Kahlen, an esthetician for 20 years, owns La Jolla’s Zio Skin Spa. Anderson has been a hairstylist for 20 years and owns Salvage Salon and the newly opened Lovesong Coffee next door to the spa.

Palihotel San Diego

Downtown Digs

Adding to the ever-growing list of posh lodgings debuting in the Gaslamp is Palihotel San Diego, a 122-room boutique hotel from the chic Palisociety portfolio. The site was originally built as the St. James Hotel in 1912—the transformed version has stylish, modern updates as well as design features that nod back to the building’s early 20th-century roots. The hotel also boasts a guest-only roof deck and a new restaurant, Saint James French Diner, which melds American diner-style food with French bistro classics.

The post Local Stokes: April’s Hottest Picks appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

March & Ash

Photo Courtesy of March & Ash

Ahh, ‘tis the season! No, not that holiday season, but rather the greener, smellier one for weed smokers affectionately known as 4/20. In years past, events have been either more hush-hush, owing to the quirks of legalization, or nonexistent, thanks to Covid.Judging by the sample here, people are out and about in full force once again, and the quality of the gatherings reflects that. This year’s 4/20 events around San Diego include lots of food (naturally), flash tattoos, live music and DJ sets, fairy activations, conservation-themed camping weekends, infused dinners with a sound bath dessert, and one of the best cannabis cups in California.By a nice quirk of the calendar, the cannabis culture celebration day always falls on or around Earth Day, another beloved celebration for those who love to indulge herbally, so expect some events to touch on both themes.Here are nine 4/20 events in San Diego to check out this year:

2nd Annual Blaze Under the Stars

The second annual Blaze Under the Stars 4/20 event is exactly what it sounds like an outdoor, weed-friendly super sesh featuring all kinds of different activities, food, music, and art. A live podcast will be recorded by West Side’s Very Own (I may or may not be making an appearance) and there will be live DJ sets by Julian Ramirez of Psyco Realm, MindPower DJ Profile, Department, and Winyl Club.There’ll also be food by Eat Wet Tacos, Flavor lab and many more plus a night market featuring Bling Tooth Gemz specials, 619 star shots, tarot card readings by Goddess Garden, cannabis-inspired flash tattoos by Cryptic Tattoo and The Lower Left, and a participatory Art Night Table hosted by local legends Mike Giant and Brisk One. The event is co-hosted by dispensary Emjay. Pre-registration is required and the event itself is cash-only.

Breathing With Flowers Dinner

Gina Golden, a 15-year cannabis entrepreneur and founder of Golden Goddess Botanicals, is hosting her periodic Breathing With Flowers experience, this time on 4/20 at a private ranch in Temecula. She brings herbal expertise while her partner, Steph, an executive chef from France, who will be serving a three-course meal that utilizes local ingredients like citrus, seasonal produce, honey, olive oil, and artisan bread.Flower will be provided, and guests will enjoy a sound bath by starlight after dinner. Tickets are limited to 25 guests and can be found here. There’s also an opportunity to rent a room at the ranch and post up overnight.

Farmers Cup, 420 Event

Courtesy of Farmers Cup

Farmers Cup 420 Edition

San Diego’s very own cannabis competition, The Farmers Cup, is holding yet another judging panel and awards ceremony. Judging, which is done by each participant based on the package and category chosen, begins just before the holiday on April 18. That means you can have your goods in hand to smoke, vape, dab, and eat the day away on actual 4/20.As a frequent judge at this competition myself, let me personally endorse joining the festivities. The juice is worth the squeeze. The awards ceremony will be held on May 20.

Church of Herbalism Fairy Sesh & High Above Art Show

Barrio Logan’s Church of Herbalism at NG Apothecary on Logan Avenue is hosting a Fairy Sesh on 4/20 that also doubles as a soft launch of its tea bar. On order will be tea, matcha, and golden milk lattes; mushroom coffee, and custom tea blends. On the cannabis side of things, a full flower and dab bar will be on offer, as well as food from Lety McKenzie of Brujas Cocina, a fairy-themed photo booth, fairy activations, tea leaf readings, and a full charcuterie spread. Tickets are $55 with everything included and can be purchased here.Church of Herbalism is also hosting a 4/20-themed art show at the same location on 4/15 featuring local artists and their finest weed-tinged creations.

Month-Long Celebrations at Jaxx Cannabis

4/20 is much more than just a single day at Ramona’s Jaxx Cannabis: If customers spend at least $29.99, they can order additional selections from a menu of specially priced $4.20 products all month long. Selections include Lost Farms edibles and Claybourne and Ember Valley flower and pre-rolls.Additionally, shoppers can receive a $42 ounce when they invest in Weed4thePeople, the crowd fundraising campaign for the dispensary’s parent company—Black, veteran, and San Diegan-owned Prime Harvest (Jaxx’s old moniker). On the day of 4/20, Nomadic Pizza Trolley and Rapido y Sabroso will be serving at the dispensary from 4:20 p.m. to 8 p.m. Festivities include special promotions, goodie bags, and a transportation bus with a special surprise on board.

Ecopig Labs

Photo Courtesy of Ecopig Labs

The Ecological Escapades: Earth Day Community Conservation 2023

Ecopig Labs, local maker of organic plant nutrients, is hosting a 4/20 event and Earth Day-themed conservation weekend at Los Coyotes Campground in Warner Springs on April 22 and 23. The BYO-camping weekend, which is cannabis consumption-friendly, is geared toward fun and educational activities promoting regenerative agriculture, holistic medicine, natural living, and getting people on the 40-hour work week grind out into nature to prove they can still be connected, too.In addition to a variety of workshops, a $25 VIP ticket features a goodie bag and a shuttle to a nearby Native-owned cannabis dispensary. General admission tickets are free, but people are encouraged to register so the hosts can get an accurate idea of how many guests to expect.

House Show Featuring Blue Hour and The Resinators

Billed as a show at San Diego State University, rock bands Blue Hour and The Resinators are hosting a 4/20 house show on Faber Way near campus (last year, The Resinators played their 4/20 show at THC in OB, where they’ll be playing again this year on 4/25). Doors open at 7 and tickets are $5.

Dispo Deals at March & Ash and Pacabol

March and Ash’s Mission Valley and Vista locations are hosting farmers-market-style events from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m on 4/20. Vendors and food trucks will be set up outdoors, and inside the store, guests can enjoy 25 percent off all products.Sister dispensary Pacabol opened last August in Chula Vista and will be marking its first 4/20 with an exclusive product drop: Wonderbrett eighths of Northern Lights and 30 percent off storewide, plus a merch drop with new hats. DJs will be spinning all day. First-time customers will also get an eighth for $1 with a $30 minimum purchase.

Nomadic by The Colony & Source Retreat

On 4/20 in Jacumba Hot Springs, event venue and glamping resort Nomadic by The Colony is hosting a 420 retreat with wellness collective Source. Expect a movement ceremony, cooked supper, taco bar, elixir bar, breathwork, a product-laden goodie bag, and more in a consumption-friendly setting. Tickets are $120 with overnight accommodation included.

The post The Best 4/20 Events in San Diego appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Nighttime reveals a special and serene magic at Amangiri—the quiet emanating from the ancient rocks is almost deafening.

Staring at a towering mesa in front of my hotel room porch, I noticed my phone’s screen light up. I was surprised I even had service, seeing as we were deep in the Utah desert with no man-made structures other than ours to be found for miles. It was a message from a friend, who sent no text but a link to a New York Post article headlined, “Kanye West and new ‘wife’ Bianca Censori honeymoon at lavish Utah resort.”

Wait a minute, I thought. I was at a lavish Utah resort! One click confirmed it: Kanye West and I had identical honeymoon plans mere days apart. Our shared resort: the famed Amangiri, part of the Aman luxury portfolio of resorts (to call it a chain would be accurate but almost feels wrong). The beleaguered rapper-designer and his bride departed right before my new husband and I arrived. It’s also where his former sister-in-law, Kylie Jenner, babymooned in 2020 and where countless other celebrities have bedded down. Most recently, in February, Travis Barker and his wife, Kourtney Kardashian, also visited.

To get the obvious question out of the way: Though I was honeymooning there, that was a happy technicality—in reality, I was there for work, checking it out so I could write this travel piece. My now-husband and I decided to elope in Las Vegas on the way since, at a minimum $3,000 a night for even the most basic room, we would likely never be able to stay here again. Unlike West, we are both journalists, a profession not typically known for providing rapper-fat bank accounts. Work, but make it a special occasion; it’s the travel writer’s way.

Architects Rick Joy, Marwan Al-Sayed, and Wendell Burnette designed the resort with southern Utah’s ancient rocks and local Navajo heritage in mind.

I smiled, thinking of the famous Nora Ephron line, “everything is copy,” and returned to my work duties, which at that moment included taking in the aforementioned otherworldly hulking mesas out past the desert scrub. The sun was setting, coloring the sky flamingo pink. I warmed my feet on an outdoor banquette beside our private gas fireplace.

Soon, we’d head to dinner—this being far out in the hinterlands, all meals (which are excellent) are included, à la carte or tasting menu–style, and served on-property. As Amangiri is adjacent to the Navajo Nation, the main dining room features a nightly menu dedicated to Navajo ingredients and foodways, including a fry bread dish with blue corn masa and elk and Colorado River trout main dishes.

The 680-or-so acres for the 34-room luxury resort is located on land ancestral Pueblo people long called home, before it was taken and refashioned as federally protected parklands. Unlike how they traded hands way back when, those lands aren’t exactly easy to buy and sell nowadays.

Beginning in 2005, the would-be developers and owners of Aman resorts made their intentions known to the Utah State Legislature. This resulted in a remarkable land exchange with the federal government that had to be approved by the United States Congress and Senate and then-President George W. Bush. Seriously.

Camp Sarika is an on-property private retreat, complete with suites and its own spa and pool that guests can rent. There is also a restaurant that, each night, offers tasting-menu style dining for all Amangiri guests.

All that for a resort that opened in 2009 and remains one of the most exclusive in the country, both by price and the fact it’s not easy to get to. Those are hallmarks of the Aman resorts worldwide. Its address is technically listed as Canyon Point, Utah. It is not so much a real town as a US Postal Service and map designation, ensuring Amangiri remains tethered to the real world ever so slightly.

Zooming out a little further, it’s stunning to realize where the resort is, geographically and geologically speaking. Butting up against red rocks, it also touches the expansive Grand Staircase National Monument and is just down the road from Lake Powell and Horseshoe Bend, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, and Antelope Canyon, to name a handful. A bit further afield, but within a few hours’ drive at most, are Bryce Canyon, Zion National Park, and the Grand Canyon (Amangiri can arrange a helicopter tour over most of these sites).

Amangiri’s internet-famous pool, built around a 165-million-year-old Aeolian sandstone rock. The resort (and its pool) was essentially planned and built around this rock, which remains the centerpiece of the property and is flanked by day beds, lounge chairs, a hot tub, and the resort’s restaurant.

The resort itself was designed in painstaking detail to amplify such grandeur. You can’t see Amangiri from the nearest road (Highway 89), which is entirely the point. Even hiking over a couple of hills directly in front of the resort will completely obscure any view of its sand-colored concrete cubes, which are camouflaged into the promontories lurking behind it. When it is in view, if you squint, you could be forgiven for thinking you’ve stumbled upon an outcropping of pillboxes on the moon.

Back on earth and ensconced inside the resort’s buildings, a beige, stark, and minimalistic luxury seeps into every space. I think the point is to make guests feel as though they’ve entered an ultra-chic cave dwelling, and, if so, then mission accomplished. Amangiri’s furniture is sleek and modern in style; its floor plan in common spaces open. At the top-of-the-line spa, it’s appropriately dark, cavernous, and cordoned off, with outdoor soaking tubs and pools built directly adjacent to the rocks.

At night, wood fireplaces in the lounge and restaurant boast tall, full flames that hiss, crackle, and pop, appropriately setting the mood, especially during dinner service. During the day, it’s all about the views. To the north: Enormous glass windows beckon to the mesas lining the horizon. To the south: All views direct toward the pool. Tall-ceilinged rooms, the least expensive of which is very much a suite, mimic the vibe of the dining room and are also long on dramatic vistas.

A view of the mesas surrounding the resort from one of the private suites. Each room’s porch has an outdoor gas fireplace, ample seating, and a view of the rocks beyond—with more amenities in higher priced suites.

And about that pool: It’s heated to 86 degrees year-round, curved around a giant rock, and, according to commentary by management and staff, it’s what the resort was designed around. Social media posts and geotags confirm this; the pool is incredibly photogenic. A few handfuls of cabana beds and chaise lounges line the perimeter, belying how few guests are on-property at any given time, which is a feature, not a bug.

I don’t think the resort was at capacity when I stayed there in mid-winter, but several other couples were there, and we only bumped into each other at mealtimes, which was perfect. You want a buzz during dinner—the rest of the time, seeing no one is a treat.

This is to say that, had Kanye and I overlapped rather than played resort tag, it’s not likely I would have even seen him. It’s the whole point of Amangiri: to get away to places most can’t go and, by default, to be among people who are also similarly inaccessible. In that way, it’s the poshest echo chamber possible—just as I could scream out to the rocks around me and have it bounce back, those used to staying at resorts this otherworldly have also become accustomed to this atmospheric level of luxury and intimate-but-not-overbearing service. The fine line Amangiri walks is making sure none of it is gaudy or over-the-top, so as to lull its visitors into a comfortable state.

Amangiri boasts a number of private alcoves, giving guests extra privacy in its common spaces.

I confess, even after just a couple of nights, dare I say, it felt… normal? I deserve this, I thought at one point while slathering Aman-branded amethyst oil onto my pregnant belly and sliding into a lukewarm bath. The truth is, however one ends up here, it’s because of some rarified circumstance. Either you can afford it (or someone else in your orbit can) or, like me, you’ve created other capital that grants you access. Whatever the case, it’s worth trying to get there, just to experience the feeling, if only once. If you get the opportunity, take it. The next stop is the moon.

The post Walking on the Moon appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Humboldt Family Farms

“Humboldt cannabis has been brought down the state to San Diego for generations,” says Scott Vasterling, founder and owner of direct-to-consumer cannabis company Humboldt Family Farms.

He’s right. Anyone who has sparked up long enough in this town is well acquainted with the San Diego-Emerald Triangle pipeline, which finds weed grown up there later sold and smoked down here. There was even a documentary about a murder within that subculture, Murder Mountain, which detailed the story of an OB grower and seller in Humboldt County who met a tragic end.

But things have changed, especially since Prop 64 became the effective law of the land in 2018. The weed trail downstate has become more legit. Scott Vasterling, who grew up in San Diego and graduated from Poway High School, had been living in Humboldt since 2001, when he met his now-wife, Alice, who’s from a family of second-generation cannabis growers.

Humboldt Family Farms focuses on lower-THC, legacy cannabis varieties that offer a more balanced high.

The couple eventually opened a coffee and community spot in Trinidad called Beachcomber Café. Soon after, Vasterling ditched his career working for health and wellness companies and became “heavily involved” in the cannabis side of the family business when they married in 2007. Back then, weed was only legal for medical cultivation and sales in California.

Today, he runs the newly operational Humboldt Family Farms, which, true to its name, is a family affair—Alice’s brother is their business partner on their small farm, which also supplies food for the café in addition to its just-under-5,000-square-foot cannabis grow. Bucking the storefront retail sales model, the company sells most of its sun-grown weed legally through a delivery service covering most of the state, including San Diego (some dispensaries across California carry the brand, too).

Scott Vasterling of Humboldt Family Farms clutches a fresh chop of cannabis leaves on his small family farm.

All its partner growers are small farms in Humboldt County, including the legendary Amaranth Farms (whose seeds were brought to California from Afghanistan by its founders in the late 1960s and early 1970s) and Arcata Fire, which produces high-quality cannabis concentrates. In other words: This herb is the real deal.

Part of the brand’s allure includes Humboldt Family Farms’ focus on so-called legacy cannabis varieties—cultivars like Maui Waui, OG, Train Wreck, and Blue Dream, which have been grown and sold for decades before cannabis became legal even for medical use. Thanks to its relationships with deep-rooted local growers, Humboldt Family Farms sells those strains today as whole cannabis flowers, pre-rolled joints, and vape cartridges.

A 1975 photo of Amaranth Farms’ Karen Hessler and children, Nya and Elan. “This is the land that they homesteaded on in southern Humboldt,” Vasterling says of the farm, which sells its bud via Humboldt Family Farms.

A nice antidote to the high-THC “dessert strains,” like Ice Cream Cake or Gelato, dominating the market today, these legacy cultivars tend to clock in lower in THC. But they often contain higher percentages of other cannabinoids, like CBD, and more terpenes, which give cannabis varieties unique tastes and smells to offer a more balanced, multifaceted high.

Would-be tokers can mosey over to Humboldt Family Farms’ website to order. In San Diego, the company has partnered with delivery service Grassdoor to get the weed to local doorsteps. For Vasterling, building and maintaining a presence in town isn’t just a good business idea; it’s personal, too. “I love San Diego. I still have family in San Diego,” he says. “And so it makes sense for us to have a heavy focus down [here].”

The post From Humboldt, With Love appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

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Photo Credit: Erik Jepsen

Pink Tide

Throughout late January and early February, researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography released nontoxic pink dye at the mouth of the Los Peñasquitos Lagoon, which turned the surf pink at Torrey Pines State Beach. The experiment, titled Plumes in Nearshore Conditions (PiNC), aims to study how small freshwater outflows interact with the surf zone, a little-understood process that has important implications for how pollutants, sediments, larvae, and other materials spread into the coastal ocean. Preliminary data analysis will be completed soon, with a peer-reviewed publication to follow.

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Luxury Underfoot

Local luxury flooring company Duchateau has released its first designer collection with renowned interior designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard. Each design is named after a prominent architect—for example, Niemeyer, Lutyens, Neutra, Napoleon III, Jeanneret, and Palladian—with a corresponding hue and underlying wide plank 9.5-foot European oak.

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Photo Credit: Leah Paquette

Drinks & Kinks

On March 11, ReBru Spirits in Barrio Logan will host Bondage & Brews: Hoe Down. It’s a live rope bondage, BDSM, burlesque, pole, and queer line dance show with an erotic art display featuring a variety of well-known and loved BDSM and burlesque performers, including Gisella Thorn and Ginger N. Whiskey. Tickets are $65 if you buy beforehand, or, if there are any left, $75 day off.

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Photo Credit: Jasmine Fitzwilliam

In The Club

Coffee-turned-wine-and-home-goods shop Communal (locations in Oceanside and North Park, including the newly opened Haven) just released a monthly wine club. Selections focus on biodynamic and natural wines. Memberships start at $165 for three months and include two bottles a month. Club members will also have access to a monthly pick-up party, a “Glass Pass” for free bottles or glasses (depending on the length of subscription), a monthly exclusive gift, and 10 percent off all bottles in shops.

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Safer Streets

When it comes to pedestrian accessibility, little improvements often have big impacts. Recently, Balboa Park access in the Golden Hill area has become much safer and easier thanks to a $380,000 project to restore the pathway for pedestrians and bicyclists along 26th Street. Started in 2019, a makeshift trail created by bicyclists and pedestrians over the years was formalized by California Conservation Corps members who cleared, widened, and stabilized the trail, adding fencing, a small bridge, and 25 baby coast live oak trees.

The post Local Stokes: March’s Hottest Picks appeared first on San Diego Magazine.