“I decided that something was missing from my life at that moment, and once more I needed to give back,” DeBerry says.

In January 2020, she became president and CEO of the County of San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce (CSDBCC), where she supports minority- and women-owned enterprises. “Everybody should live for a legacy transforming and shaping peoples’ lives for the better,” she says.

Early in her career, corporate HR roles offered DeBerry insight into the systemic challenges women and Black people face in the business world. DeBerry founded her consulting business to show executives how inclusive policies positively impact companies’ bottom line.

October 28, 2024

November Pub Note: Rising to the OccasionRELATED ARTICLE

“The struggles are still real for women, especially women of color, in business,” DeBerry says. “It’s a question of equality versus equity. Yes, we might have an equal opportunity to start a business, but we don’t have equitable access to the capital that we need to compete.”

In March 2024, CSDBCC launched the Women’s Kitchen Table as a safe space to network and organize. DeBerry keeps tabs on San Diego’s wealthiest institutions, like SDG&E and UC San Diego—just two of the many organizations CSDBCC partners with—to make sure minority-owned businesses have access to vendor contracts, along with funding to support growth. Under her tenure, San Diego–based corporations have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to support CSDBCC initiatives—Sony Electronics alone has contributed more than $200,000.

“[Something] I’m proud of, personally and professionally, is that any time I’m in an influential position, I bring more women along,” DeBerry says. “It’s my responsibility to open those doors.”

DeBerry recently sold her Carlsbad home and moved onto a boat at Pier 32. At 69, she has raised four children and now has four grandchildren. “This is my best life, doing something good for the community,” she says.

The post Donna DeBerry’s Second Act: Creating Equity for Minority- & Women-Owned Businesses appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

The daughter of Filipino immigrants, Garces grew up in Hawai‘i. After earning a degree in marketing at SDSU and working in event production for more than a decade, she started her company in 2020 with the intent of helping her community come together during the pandemic.

One of Social Artistry’s first “events” was not exactly a gathering. Called Box Creations, it was a response to the fear AAPI women felt while venturing out in a time when hate aimed at people of Asian descent was on the rise. Garces partnered with the Asian Business Association, Cox, SDG&E, and local artists to paint electrical boxes along Convoy with messages of hope and healing.

Garces is also part of the organizing force behind Balboa Park’s December Nights and helped make the beloved event a “drive-through” during the pandemic.

“We created a piece of San Diego history,” she recalls. “There was nothing else like it—people were honking along to ‘Jingle Bells’ while they waited in line in their cars. It brought San Diegans together at a time when we were so alone.”

Garces has now added her magic to Convoy San Diego Night Market, the Linda Vista Multi-Cultural Fair, and the Asian Film Festival, designing gatherings that connect local art, food, dance, music, entertainment, crafts, and cultural organizations to welcome visitors and residents alike. “One big event could be a celebration of a special time, but we also want it to be a showcase for what that community offers,” she says. “We want to inspire action to support our communities year-round.” She’s been invited to work on several Lunar New Year celebrations in 2025.

Most of the events Garces organizes are free to attend, backed by city, county, and local sponsors. She also co-chairs the San Diego Asian Pacific Islander Coalition, a partnership of more than 40 organizations from around the county. The coalition has secured empowerment grants from San Diego Foundation and driven a new research study of the AAPI diaspora in San Diego.

The post For This Local Entrepreneur, Events Are an Art Form appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

American Sampler Sando

Smallgoods

This artisan La Jolla deli, voted “Best Sandwiches” in town by our readers, makes a killer version of an Italian sub with all US-produced inputs. It’s got mortadella from San Francisco, Golden Nugget ham, finocchiona salami, sheep milk Alpine cheese, local Big Bill on the Hill’s mustard, mayo, baby arugula from Fred’s Urban farm, and Breadbar seeded loaf slices. It’s perfect. —JB

Chawanmushi

Omakase by Ambrely

Savory Japanese egg custard, known as chawanmushi, isn’t often served outside traditional Japanese restaurants in the US. Chef Ambrely Ouimette‘s spin on the classic dish showcases her experience behind the sushi bar, using eggs, celery tsukudani, and maitake mushrooms. One blissful bite transported me straight back to a ryokan in Kyoto. —BD

Turon Crème Brülée Latte

Mostra Coffee

One could argue that coffee culture is jumping the shark wearing a DayGlo tutu. Blame Instagram. If a drink doesn’t look like it’s headed to the Met Gala, it’s getting booted from the menu. The camera caffeinates first, after all. Enter this crunchy sugar-crusted, jackfruit-syruped, housemade-banana-milked Lady Gaga of a beverage in Bankers Hill (among other locations). It knows its angles, secretly loves paparazzi, and tastes like it went to private school. —MH

Chicken Fried Rice

Cross Street Chicken And Beer

A restaurant that shares a parking lot with a Ralphs might not inspire culinary confidence, but Del Mar plays by its own real estate rules. The Korean fried chicken at Cross Street (also in Convoy) is crispy and comforting. Get it on sandos, in salads, or alongside fluffy fried rice with a perfectly runny egg. Plus, an easy grocery run after. Win-win. —MH

Fig Leaf Old Fashioned

Roma Norte

The menu at this Seaport Village hotspot is encyclopedic, but ask the bartenders to bring you their favorite and you may get this ceramic teacup full of intrigue. You’ll need to leave the small talk at home-with butter-washed bourbon, fig leaf cordial, and cacao bitters, this slow sipper is made for deep conversation. Make sure you’ve done your reading. —MH

Local Sheepshead “Zarandeado”

Vistal Bar + Restaurant

Great things rarely come from restaurants that require staff name tags, but the seafood program at this fine-dining-establishment-meets-airport-lounge in the Intercontinental lobby is doing flavorful things with a top-notch locally caught fish program. Pretty cool considering the US imports upwards of 80 percent of its seafood. This dish is Tommy Gomes-supplied local sheepshead (whitefish, bouncy on the palate), baked Nayarit-style, then sauced (but not drowned atop poblano polenta. Memorably good, no name tag required. —MH

Panang

World Curry

I’ve always been tickled by World Curry‘s concept: curries from cuisines all over the planet-including the cozy Thai panang-available in one laidback restaurant. (Side note: Someone should do the same thing with different cultures’ fried chicken.) Though the longtime PB institution closes its doors in December, there’s still time for spicy excursions. —AR

Piña Colada Slushie

Bay Hill Tavern

With gloomy skies outside and my friends locked in to a football game on one of several TVs in Bay Park’s Bay Hill Tavern, summer couldn’t feel further away… until a vacation vessel of sweet slush lands on the table. It’s not a poolside cabana, but it’s close, and, since it’s sweetened only with pineapple juice, the cocktail won’t trigger Vegas-esque sugar headaches. Touchdown? —AR

Pad Thai

Sab Lai Thai Kitchen

Would I recommend taking your partner’s parents to dinner by simply plucking a restaurant name off a map? No. But it worked out, and now you don’t have to repeat my folly. Sab Lai is an underrated (see: not crowded) joint serving satisfying noodles and stir-fries in the Gaslamp. A friendly spot for pre-gaming a bar hop, fueling up for Petco concerts, or wooing the in-laws. —AR

Beef Carpaccio

The Amalfi Llama

Opened in March, Amalfi Llama at Westfield UTC is all about Patagonian live-fire cooking techniques mixed with Italian ingredients. It’s one of the few places in San Diego using this method to cook meat, adding that delicious charred flavor to the dishes. While all of the cuts are worth a try, don’t skip the beef carpaccio as an app. It’s incredibly thin slices make you feel like you’re eating clouds, and what’s not to love about that? —NM

No-Loko

J & Tony’s Discount Cured Meats and Negroni Warehouse

I recognize that the zero-proof version of an espresso martini is simply a latte. But the No-Loko at this East Village haunt endlessly streaming The Sopranos is complex enough to earn its spot on the cocktail menu. Café de olla syrup, coffee concentrate, cold brew, grated cinnamon. Don’t fuhgeddaboudit. —AR

Creamy Chicken Ramen

Tajima Ramen

Cooler weather means one thing: ramen season. Tajima on Adams Avenue is no-frills in the right ways. A solid joint to drop in for a quick hit of soup like vou’d stop for a quick beer (they have both). Sit at the bar and watch the kitchen cranking out an impressive number of to-go tubs while sipping on creamy chicken broth that isn’t just rich, it’s wealthy. Come on, thermostat, drop. —MH

Mini Burritos

John’s Market

Sequestered in the cuts of Solana Beach, John’s serves up some of the most soul-nourishing, family-recipe Mexican this side of Tecate. The mini burritos ($2.75) with housemade refried beans taste like a morning in some small coastal town 3,000 miles south. Machaca, chorizo, you can’t miss. Simple, made with amor. A true Mexican market with handwritten prices, hidden in a residential neighborhood. Oro. —MH

Kraken Roll

Ototo Sushi Co.

On the south end of Liberty Station, where the parking is plentiful and the patios are quiet, Ototo (also in Clairemont) anchors an oft-forgotten corner of Point Loma, next to an old landlocked Navy training ship. Bringing work or a book along for happy hour when the sun is out? Very SD. The Kraken is a can’t-go-wrong choice: yellowtail, cucumber, and avocado topped with more tuna, crispy onions, and garlic soy. —MH

The post 15 of the Best Food & Drinks to Try This November appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Fame came anyway.

Najjar and her brother Sean were students together at Monte Vista High School in Spring Valley. Sean was on the wrestling team before eventually moving into mixed martial arts. “He was like, ‘Come to the fighting gym with me,’” Najjar recalls. She wasn’t very active at the time but was curious about the sport. “I went to my first boxing class and I fell in love.”

Soon, she began helping her brother sell tickets to his fights and promoting his merch while learning to coach. As she improved her skills, she quickly became one of the most sought-after boxing trainers in the area. While Sean now occasionally competes in jiu-jitsu tournaments, Najjar found a space in the boxing world that few women occupy: mitt holding. Ever seen a fighter in training, jabbing at a strike pad while the person clutching the pads deftly matches their strikes and absorbs the impact? Najjar is that person.

Her talents garnered her the nickname “Mitt Queen” amongst her male counterparts in the gym. Now 36, the Carmel Mountain resident counts pro fighters, high-profile athletes, and celebrities among her trainees.

“She made herself into her own. She carried the torch,” says Berlin Kerney, a boxing coach at Bomber Squad Academy in El Cajon. He has known Najjar since she was 18. “I feel like she helped [women] think it’s possible to achieve a level that wasn’t really seen before. There was no market, no spot for a female mitt holder. I see a lot of [women] now doing the same thing that she has done.”

But her rise took time. In 2020, when Covid was keeping us indoors, Najjar quit her job at Louis Vuitton (her other love is high fashion) to begin filming her workouts.

“I cleaned up my whole Instagram, got rid of everything, [and] said, ‘I’m going to stick to just mitt work and I’ll show a little bit of myself,’” Najjar says. “I posted my first video with [pro boxer] Jonny [Mansour], and it went viral.”

She began posting regularly, growing over months from hundreds of views per video to sometimes over a million. It’s easy to get lost in her clips. She’s quick, nimble, strong—often meeting the punches of men nearly twice her size.

As her account took off, she caught the attention of actor Michael B. Jordan, who direct messaged her, asking her to be in the latest installment of the Creed franchise, boxing movies set in the Rocky universe. “I didn’t know who he was,” Najjar says. She had to Google him before responding. “He was like, ‘You’ve never seen Creed? Black Panther?’ I was like, ‘No, I live and breathe fighting.’”

Next thing she knew, she was moving to Atlanta, Georgia for a year to work as a trainer for the cast and play herself, Ann “Mitt Queen” Najjar, in 2023’s Creed III. Pro boxers like Canelo Álvarez, José Benavidez Jr., Florian Munteanu, and Tony Bellew shared the big screen with her, acting as characters or as themselves.

“That’s the cool thing about the movie. All the fighters are real; all the refs are real. All the commentators are real,” Najjar says. “I worked with [pro boxer Terence Crawford] on the movie set. He went 28 rounds straight with me. No budging.”

But being a great mitt holder isn’t as simple as knowing how to catch a punch. One of the most important skills a coach can have, mitt holding requires balance, skill, and the ability to clearly communicate with your fighter as they move around—as well as hours of daily practice. Doing it well is a key step on the road to creating a world champ.

“When you’re the holder, you’re guiding,” Najjar says. She determines her trainees’ combinations—as she calls out movements, they follow her lead.

Bomber Squad Academy strength and conditioning coach Tez Avant says Najjar’s competitive nature is a huge part of what makes her so good at what she does. “If there’s an obstacle, she wants to beat it. No matter who’s there, she wants to try to beat them,” he says. “I think that’s the thing that will keep her thriving.”

Najjar trains four to six hours a day. When she’s not in the gym with clients, she’s running to improve her cardio and posting on social media, hoping to inspire more young women to become holders.

“I was Sean’s little sister, and now, my brother is the Mitt Queen’s brother,” Najjar says with a smirk. Sometimes, a bit of sibling rivalry is all you need to become great.

The post Inside the Ring with Ann “Mitt Queen” Najjar appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

San Diegan Ilona Maher led the US women’s rugby team to their first medal and landed a turn on Dancing with the Stars in the process. Swimmer Katie Ledecky clinched her place as the most decorated woman in Olympic history. Oceanside’s own Sky Brown nabbed team Great Britain a bronze medal for skateboarding… with a dislocated shoulder. And then there’s the staggering stat that, if American women were their own country, they would rank third for overall number of medals. In Paris, women ran the show.

June 26, 2024

The Young Locals Leading the Wave of Next-Gen AthletesRELATED ARTICLE

That kind of visibility is a powerful currency. This issue is about exactly that, featuring women who we saw and said, “Damn, you’re doing the thing.” Like Danielle Boyer, the 23-year-old Indigenous engineer who saved for two years to join her high school robotics club. Now she’s at the forefront of using technology to preserve cultural heritage.

Or Meg Ferrigno, the entrepreneur who runs a B Corp that distributes free compostable period products to underserved communities. Or our cover star, Ann Najjar, who took a male-dominated position and made it her own.

Women make up 52 percent of San Diego’s population. They run or own 33 percent of all the city’s businesses. They head 70 percent of its households with children. Women are the list makers, the appointment schedulers, the budget balancers, the food shoppers. They are caregivers, financial planners, healthcare experts, therapists, personal assistants, teenager punching bags. And, with 59 percent of women over the age of 16 working for a paycheck, many of them are carrying the weight of two full-time jobs—at home and at work.

I offer these stats as perspective. The challenges women face aren’t universal, but there are commonalities in their stories. The women we feature in this issue didn’t walk a straight line to success. It took hard work, risky decisions, and the determination to overcome social and economic obstacles to get to where they are. This issue is as much about celebrating them as it is about naming the challenges and adversities women continue to face.

My hope is that you’ll see some aspect of your own path reflected in this journey. For every incredible story we discover, there are thousands more we haven’t seen whose accomplishments deserve to be told. Every year, San Diego Magazine lauds the women of San Diego at our annual Celebrating Women event, honoring the industry pioneers and rising stars that you, our readers, nominated and voted for. In 2024, we received a record-breaking 350 nominations, proof of the power of community. I personally can’t wait for the event on November 6 at UCSD’s Park & Market. I always leave feeling humbled and inspired.

This is why we do what we do, and why San Diego Magazine remains committed to telling the stories of all San Diegans. This month, these pages are dedicated to the women of this city who are doing the damn thing.

Here’s to you.

The post November Pub Note: Rising to the Occasion appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

I’m shopping for…

The Chef | The Socialite | The Homebody | The Adventurer | The Parent | The Local

San Diego Gifts for the Chef

They’re the designated executive chef for every holiday dinner, whipping up dishes that rival those at San Diego’s Michelin-starred spots.

Community Supported Agriculture Box, $29–39

Yasukochi Family Farms

What’s better than a single surprise? One every week. With a subscription to Yasukochi Family Farm’s CSA box, a ridiculously generous (and reasonably priced) bounty of seasonal, local fruits and veggies will land at your recipient’s door four times a month. They won’t get to choose what comes, but figuring out a menu based on the latest cornucopia is half the fun.

San Diego Etched Whiskey Glasses, $40

Apollo Emporium

Give them the world—or at least the city. With these glasses from Little Italy home goods shop Apollo Emporium, one can trace all of San Diego across a single old fashioned. Neat! (No pun intended.)

San Diego Cooks: Recipes from the Region’s Favorite Eateries, Bakeries, and Bars, $34.95

Figure 1 Publishing

Really, this new book from SDM contributors Ligaya Malones and Deanna Sandoval is just as much a gift for you—as long as your recipient is willing to share when they try their hand at homemade versions of iconic San Diego dishes like JRDN’s steamed mussels, Smokin J’s brisket chili, and Extraordinary Desserts’ lemon meringue cake.

Bourbon Vanilla Extract, $20

Bees & Teas Herbal Apothecary

Bourbon infused with real Madagascar vanilla adds complexity to holiday baked goods—as well as coffee, french toast, horchata, and other treats. The bottle comes full of whole vanilla pods, so your giftee can simply pour in more bourbon when things run low.

Puebla Talavera Mantequilla, $37

Casa y Cocina

Handmade in Puebla, Mexico and sold at dangerously-easy-to-get-lost-in North Park home goods shop Casa y Cocina, this gorgeous ceramic dish keeps butter soft, safe, and close at hand.

Chili Crisps, $18

Karanchi

Karanchi founder Nguyen Le’s favorite way to eat his addictive, garlic-studded chili crisp is atop avocado toast—but, really, there’s no going wrong here (one NYT Cooking recipe even suggests adding the ingredient to fettuccine alfredo). You can pick it up online or at local shops like Home Ec (Little Italy), Bica (Normal Heights), Tablespoon (North Park), and Wildwood Flour Bakery (Pacific Beach).

Hand-Painted Stoneware Platter, $45

Apostrophe Home

Charcuterie boards just got even more photogenic, thanks to this weighty, 16-inch stoneware serving dish from downtown’s Apostrophe Home. (Looking to shop for a set? The store sells a pretty serving bowl in the same pattern.)

San Diego Gifts for the Socialite

They get a free drink everywhere they go and can reapply their lipstick flawlessly in even the smokiest vintage restaurant mirror.

Milano Slim Crossbody Bag, $110

Mavis by Herrera

Local Mavis Herrera works with artisans in Mexico to produce this stylish bag made from recycled plastic. It’s sized just right to hold a phone, wallet, key, and a hand cream or lip balm (without being so big it becomes a receipt graveyard).

Lucia Strand, $557 & Saltwater Strand, $123

Ordoñez Le

Handmade in SD, Ordoñez Le’s beaded necklaces add a delicate pop of color and the alleged energy-balancing powers of gemstones. They’re all cute, but we’re partial to the Lucia (with two hands to rep your friendship) and the Saltwater (featuring a shell charm for beach-loving besties).

Restore Mini Set, $70

Aloisia Beauty

This set from Latina-owned, cruelty-free skincare company Aloisia Beauty is intended to provide everything your recipient needs for healthy skin—two cleansers, a gently exfoliating peel, and a moisturizing gel—in travel-ready packages.

Mahiri Lip + Cheek Tint, $38

Dehiya Beauty

Available in seven shades with names like “The Queen,” “Warrior,” and “Siren,” this oil- and shea butter–based tint from Moroccan-inspired beauty brand Dehiya adds a buildable flush of color to cheeks and lips.

Alia Argan Beldi Cleanser, $38 & Mihakka Moroccan Exfoliating Tool, $22

Dehiya Beauty

Paired with a cotton-covered, Marrakech-made, terra cotta exfoliating tool called a mihakka, this argan oil cleanser is designed to clean skin without stripping it. Plus, the packaging is so pretty they’ll want to leave it out on the counter.

I Smell Like Money Eau de Parfum, $65

Gavin Luxe

What’s the aroma of wealth? According to fragrance company Gavin Luxe, it’s vanilla and jasmine with touches of brown sugar, tonka bean, patchouli, amber, and musk.

Ring Sueño 2, $175

June Handmade

Alongside its broad collection of adorably twee leather shoes, June Handmade makes conversation-starting ceramic pieces, including statement rings that would look equally elegant strung on a necklace chain as they do on a finger.

Tortuga Gin, $100

Storyhouse Spirits

The product of a collab between East Village distiller Storyhouse Spirits and the new Omni San Diego hotel in downtown, this citrus-forward gin has notes of lemon and orange peel and lemongrass.

San Diego Gifts for the Homebody

They’ll change careers before they return to office, and they refer to their patio as “the sanctuary.”

Matcha & Bergamot Scented Candle, $24.99

Home Base Smell Good Co.

Celebrated Asian fusion steakhouse Animae burns candles from local maker Home Base Smell Good Co. in its chic bathrooms. This lightly sweet tea scent will bring gravitas to even the most cramped apartment commode.

Monthly Membership, $120

Vino Disco Wine Club

Send natty wine straight to their door with this subscription. San Diegan Erin Callahan curates four organic, biodynamic, and small-batch bottles every month—along with a playlist that matches the vibes.

Secret Keeper, $85 & Chimenea Incense Burner, $85

Perro y Arena

Tijuana-born artist Socrates Medina Ahearn produces playful, functional, and gorgeous ceramic pieces like a mini chimenea that directs plumes of incense smoke upward and a coyote-head box for storing small objects (and secrets). You can find his work at outposts in SD and TJ, including the Mingei International Museum’s onsite shop.

Moss Art DIY Kit, $45

Euflora

There are few things a homebody loves more than a plant… except maybe a project. This kit is both in one. Recipients can spend a happy afternoon or two arranging and gluing preserved moss and lichen in a wood frame to create evergreen art. 

Club Time Warp Sun Catcher, $60

Apollo Home

Available at Apollo Home, this sun catcher from California artist Club Time Warp adds funky hippie sensibilities to any space with poured resin, crystals, and stones on a macrame rope. 

San Diego Gifts for the Adventurer

They show up to work with wet hair and a too-big-for-a-Monday smile from a morning surf sesh.

Kelly Slater: A Life of Waves, $55

Rizzoli

San Diego–born surf photographer Todd Glaser has spent more than 15 years capturing 11-time World Surf League champion Kelly Slater in and out of the water. The duo explore that archive in this new coffee table tome sure to inspire any grom. 

The Underworld: Journeys to the Depths of the Ocean, $19

Penguin Random House

Local author Susan Casey takes readers into the deep, talking with oceanographers and marine geologists and biologists about the alien creatures and strange landscapes that exist where light can’t reach.

Leopard Shark Mug, $118

Ludvik Handcrafted

Ludvik Handcrafted’s one-of-a-kind mugs are functional works of art depicting marine critters like green sea turtles, bat rays, and leopard sharks—La Jolla’s most beloved annual visitors. 

Rainbow Turkish Cotton Towel, $18–80

Citizens of the Beach

Upgrade their ragged beach towels with a soft, Turkish cotton variety in a fun print. Local company Citizens of the Beach sells these linens on Amazon, on Etsy, and at pop-up markets around town.

Roy Lichtenstein MCASD x Slowtide Beach Blanket, $80

The Shop at MCASD

The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego partnered with San Diego towel brand Slowtide to produce this eye-catching beach blanket (with a water-repellent lining) based on legendary pop artist Roy Lichtenstein’s Mirror #4, a piece on display at the La Jolla arts institution.

Original Surf Wax, $3

Horny Toads Surf Wax

A Pacific Beach native launched this surf wax company in 2020, naming it after his father’s surf club (members Hank Warner and Mike Lovell went on to craft sought-after boards and fins). The watermelon-scented wax makes a great stocking stuffer.

Cozy Reversible Jacket, $222

All That Apparel

Local entrepreneur Jody White turns deadstock fabrics into sustainable clothing like this reversible jacket. Giftees can wear the playful print on the outside and the cozy fleece inside for foggy coastal mornings and then flip for a subtler look while running errands. 

San Diego Gifts for the New Parents

They somehow manage to wrangle twin newborns and three rescue pets into matching sweaters for a holiday card photo that’s not leaving your fridge… ever.

Insulated Dog Water Bottle, $28 & Persimmon Classic Leash, $37

Cookies & Co.

Make hikes on San Diego’s many dog-friendly trails safer and more stylish with goodies from local pet company Cookies & Co.: a sturdy leash in an eye-catching hue and a metal water bottle that pups and their people can both drink from.

Nooee Pet Cave, $86.99 & Speckle & Spot California Dog Toy, $18.99

Decker’s Dog & Cat

The hardest part about shopping for pet-centric presents at Decker’s Dog & Cat’s La Jolla and Clairemont outposts? Deciding what to choose from their massive inventory. For kitties, may we suggest a sleek, easily cleanable bed? Puppies, on the other hand, will dig a squeaky toy paying homage to the Golden State.

Maison Rue City Blocks & Gems Set, $80

Palomita

SD–based kids’ company Palomita curates stuff for children that’s sustainable, artist-driven, and—maybe best of all—so pretty that parents won’t mind when it ends up scattered all over the living room. Case in point: Maison Rue’s cute wooden houses, which help toddlers develop fine motor skills as they slide pretty lucite blocks into window-like cutouts.

Vintage Youth Sweater, $40

Timshel

Charming University Heights shop Timshel vends new and antique homewares, locally made jewelry and accessories, and vintage fashion, including retro knitwear for little ones in a range of kid-friendly colors. 

Yellow Linen Striped Shorts, $32

The Milk Crew 

A linen-viscose blend makes these soft shorts from kids’ clothing brand The Milk Crew comfy and durable for beach days, play dates, and trips to The New Children’s Museum in downtown.

Custom Charm Jewelry, $65–$350

Raiz

Portraits of kids and pets are the most common subject on mom-owned jewelry company Raiz’s delicate, customizable charms, but the founders say customers get creative, requesting signatures, old photos of their ancestors, and more. 

Red Cozy Things Print, $24

Cozy Made Designs

In addition to jewelry and custom invitations, menus, temporary tattoos, and more, San Diegan Kara Gil vends cute art prints, like this nursery-ready compilation of comforting doodles, on her site Cozy Made Designs.

Gifts for Any San Diegan on Your List

Neighborhood Ornaments, $15–25

 WTF Mary

Local designer WTF Mary laser-cuts mini versions of San Diego’s iconic neighborhood signs and transforms them into holiday ornaments. Sure, a star on the top of the tree is classic, but repping your ’hood amid the Santas and sparkly baubles? Way cooler. 

The post 2024 Holiday Gift Guide: 35 San Diego Goods & Local Finds appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

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

Food & Drink Events in San Diego This Month

San Diego Beer Week

November 1-10

Check out what’s on tap as the San Diego Brewers Guild—a collective of local crafters, taprooms, and breweries—unveils its all-star suds for San Diego Beer Week.

Concerts & Festivals in San Diego This Month

Día de Muertos

November 2

A free Día de Muertos celebration at downtown Chula Vista’s Memorial Park will honor passed loved ones with an altar competition, a lowrider car show, crafts for kids, and more.

Coronado Film Festival

November 6-10

Coronado’s annual film festival will bring five days of movies, panels, and premier parties to the peninsula. To enjoy all the motion picture magic, snag the all-inclusive Emerald Badge.

Becky G

November 17

Latin pop phenom Becky G will serenade downtown audiences with English and Spanish hits like “Shower” and “Por el Contrario” at Gallagher Square’s first full-seated concert.

Encinitas Holiday Street Fair

November 24

Find gifts for every recipient on your list before December hits at the Encinitas Holiday Street Fair, where attendees can shop hundreds of local vendors.

Theater & Art Exhibits in San Diego This Month

Hadestown

November 8-10

Calling all fans of musicals and Greek mythology—head to the Civic Theatre for Hadestown, a concept-album-turned-stage production adapting the ancient tale of Orpheus and Eurydice.

Your Local Theater Presents… at the La Jolla Playhouse

November 11/19-December 12/15

As the years and his aspirations slip away, an actor struggles to leave a small-time A Christmas Carol production behind in Anna Ouyang Moench’s Your Local Theater Presents… at the La Jolla Playhouse.

More Fun Things to Do in San Diego This Month

Celebrating Women Event

November 6

San Diego Magazine toasts the city’s trailblazers across industries at our annual Celebrating Women event, featuring awards, panels, networking, and more at UCSD’s Park & Market.

Downtown Skate By The Bay

November 25-January 5

Other towns may have frozen lakes for ice skating, but San Diego’s got a seaside roller rink. Glide over to the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina for Downtown Skate By The Bay.

Rady Children’s Invitational

November 28-29

Four men’s college basketball teams, including two from last year’s Final Four, will hit the hardwood at LionTree Arena for year two of the Rady Children’s Invitational.

The post The Best Things to Do in San Diego This Month: Nov. 2024 appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

This dance welcomes visitors into the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego’s For Dear Life, an examination of illness and disability on view into February 2025. The show is part of PST ART, a Getty initiative bringing together over 70 institutions to mount exhibitions themed around the relationship between science and art.

Featuring more than 80 artists, For Dear Life is the first survey of its kind since the 1960s. It follows “what some people talk about as a kind of second wave of the disability rights movement, often referred to as disability justice … and a surge of work being created around themes of illness and disability since the Covid pandemic,” says MCASD Senior Curator Jill Dawsey. But the exhibition, which spans decades, proves that artists with disabilities have always been here, producing pieces that probe the limitations and possibilities of their own bodies and minds.

The show takes an expansive approach in defining its central subjects. “We all fall ill. We all will become disabled, if we aren’t already. Disability is a category that applies to a quarter of the US population,” Dawsey says. “[It] is a thing that touches everybody.”

Grouped by era, the showcase begins in the mid-’60s, when feminist artists began to push the boundaries of what was considered worthy of scrutinizing in art. “[They were] making work about the vulnerable body, the unruly body,” Dawsey says.

Then came veterans’ explorations of the impacts of the Vietnam War in the ’70s, and, in the decades after, the work of those affected by the HIV and AIDS epidemic.

Pieces confronting substance use disorders bring context to the War on Drugs. Some link the use of pesticides in agriculture to illness and death. Others reference the Black Panthers’ community healthcare clinics in the mid-20th-century.

October 18, 2024

MCASD's New Exhibit Examines Illness & DisabilityRELATED ARTICLE

The result is an exhibition that resists the pressure to reduce social movements into bullet points on a timeline. Instead, it reminds the viewer that the waves of history always pass over the body, often to devastating effect.

Indeed, embodiment is core to the show, even as its more abstract works offer alternative ways to imagine corporality. In a piece by Senga Nengudi, spiky cones of clear vinyl filled with dyed water stretch across the gallery floor, evoking both sterile IV bags and limbs or organs, something illegible and alive.

In another, Richard Yarde’s Ringshout: Mojo, the watercolorist’s palm prints form a circle on the massive, 90-by-90-inch canvas. “His body enters the practice in a different way,” Dawsey says. “Even though he’s not representing his whole physical form, you have this large sense of the artist being in the work and moving around the work.”

Mobility aids and prosthetics also stand in for—or expand definitions of—the body (a placard under filmmaker and activist Ray Navarro’s photograph of a cane reads “THIRD LEG,” while a wheelchair is labeled a “HOT BUTT”), and many featured artists approach them and other aspects of living with disabilities with a wry humor—and a powerful sense of ingenuity.

Take Rainer’s Hand Movie, the way it distills and compresses choreography to create a form of dance that feels wonderfully strange and new. Or Sandie Yi’s Crip Couture series, which, as Yi wrote in a 2020 manifesto, “uses wearable art as a medium to articulate new meanings of disability.” Painter Katherine Sherwood’s work shifted after she experienced a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 44 and, with her dominant hand paralyzed, relearned to paint with the other.

So often, stories about artists with disabilities center around them “overcoming” or “triumphing” over their impairment, language “that implies that [not being] disabled is the better and more normative position,” Dawsey adds. For Dear Life offers a different perspective: Disability as an impetus for creativity and innovation.

“It can really transform artists’ work,” Dawsey says. “It becomes a catalyst for developing new processes and new subject matter and new politics. Illness and disability are actually very generative.”

The post MCASD’s New Exhibit Examines Illness & Disability appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Historically, white men have been the dominant group included in research—which meant medications coming into the market could be ineffective or even harmful for other groups. There is not comprehensive data on the diversity of today’s research participants, but a 2022 study found in trials that gathered racial data—less than half of which do—the vast majority of enrollees were still white, even in research on diseases which disproportionately affect certain groups.

A review by FCB Health New York of federally registered clinical trials from 2000 to 2020 found that zero percent of diabetes clinical trial patients were Native American, yet the disease hits Native communities the hardest. Similarly, Black patients die of heart disease at a higher rate than any other race, but they make up just three percent of clinical trial enrollees for the illness.

In early 2023, San Diego transplant Dr. Renarda Jones founded Diverse Research Now to educate marginalized communities about the benefits of participating in clinical trials and help scientists develop lasting community relationships. The organization’s various programs help participants find clinical trials that suit their needs, help patients understand how trials work, and provide “study buddies” that advocate for participants at trial visits.

“In order for us to have a drug that’s going to work for everyone, we have to test it on everyone,” Jones says.

The post Diverse Research Now Looks to Bring Racial Equity to Medical Trials appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Searching for saganaki? Hit Greek town on the Danforth. Thali? Head to Little India in the east end. Momos? Parkdale’s Tibetan dumplings come fried or baked. Craving sweets? Little Portugal slings pastéis de nata, the tiny, cinnamon-dusted offspring of a créme brulée and a tart. And shumai? There are two Chinatowns downtown and four more in the Greater Toronto area. The range of food options speaks to the diversity of the city, as do its hotels, which bear their own global influences.

The Shangri-La Toronto, for instance, nods to the traditional décor of the hotel chain’s Hong Kong hometown in its sleek and expensive guest rooms. Its onsite spa, however, draws upon the Middle East, while the hotel restaurant, Bosk, offers Northern Italian food by way of Canadian produce.

For a hipper vibe, go with the historic Broadview Hotel in the east end. It has a lively rooftop restaurant with a view and rooms equipped with quirky wallpaper and vinyl record players. Or choose the Gladstone House on Queen West, one of Toronto’s oldest hotels. A refresh brought local art and funky mood lighting to contrast the building’s exposed brick walls.

To do Toronto right, start at Kensington Market. On a food tour from Chopsticks & Forks, I learn that Kensington began as a Jewish market. By 1931, 80 percent of all Jewish people dwelling in Toronto lived in and around the Kensington Market neighborhood just west of downtown, most from Eastern Europe. After the second World War, however, waves of immigration brought people from all over the world—from Asia, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, and beyond.

These days, two synagogues call the area home alongside a cultural collision of many different communities. As you explore the market’s streets, you may hear a Bob Marley song emanating from one door, someone playing an accordion down the street, and an old man busking on an erhu (akin to a Chinese fiddle) on the corner. In less than three hours, we sample foods from nine countries and five continents, passing vintage clothing boutiques, bulk spice stores, butchers and cheese shops, specialty markets, and bohemian cafés along the way. After a smoked trout bagel sandwich from NU Bügel—a bakery started up by two Venezuelan friends—I scarf Jamaican food at Golden Patty, then wash down bites from Chilean-owned Jumbo Empanadas with a bright yellow Peruvian soft drink called Inca Kola. At Koi Japan Sushi, I nibble salmon avocado sushi, wrapped in tofu instead of seaweed and sprinkled with flakes of 18-karat gold. We finish our tour with a stop for a cookie and a rooibos tea at Fika Café, a Swedish coffee shop with a cozy room in the back where one wall is papered with open books.

And Kensington is just one of many markets in the city. St. Lawrence Market was the city’s first, beginning operations in 1803. Now spread over three buildings, it’s hopping with people picking up fresh fruit and vegetables; visiting seafood stalls, bakers, and butchers; and buying local favorites, like the peameal bacon sandwich.

Of course, food choices aren’t merely sequestered in the city’s markets. There are almost 9,500 restaurants in Toronto, including more than 80 Michelin-recognized spots, so visitors can’t run out of places to explore, even if they try.

At Adrak Yorkville, a fine-dining Indian restaurant, the rani kachori my husband and I share resembles a dispatch from Barbieland, its yogurt sauce dyed bright pink with beetroot and its crispy, puffed puri shell stuffed with veggies and adorned with edible flowers.

February 13, 2024

A Weekend Guide to Tokyo's Culinary Scene in 2024RELATED ARTICLE

The next night, we dine on an outdoor patio at Viaggio, an Italian restaurant near the west end’s Polish turned-hipster Roncesvalles Village. We began with the panzanella, the implied stodginess of a bread salad made light and refreshing with the addition of heirloom tomatoes, buffalo mozz, and wild leeks. It stands in perfect contrast to our next plate, the mafaldine, a rich tomato-based ragu with bone marrow, sausage, and rapini. And then dessert: tiramisu pancakes drenched in a warmed espresso syrup and topped with mascarpone mousse and a dash of cocoa.

The following week, we bike downtown to the Northern Thai spot PAI, where we descend a staircase into a labyrinth of connecting rooms with colorful flags draped from the ceiling. Our meal begins with the plum mule cocktail, a sweet, spicy take on the Moscow mule with plum wine in the mix.

A couple of nights later, I end up at BB’s Diner, an unpretentious Filipino restaurant bearing cozy booths and stools perched around an omakase-style bar. I start with the G&T—made with a cordial based on calamansi, a citrus native to the Philippines—then dig into the Adobo fried chicken with pineapple habanero sauce.

Toronto, truly, is a great place to get full. But while food tells you much about a city’s culture, Toronto’s diversity is also something you can see, feel, and hear.

The city loves its street festivals, from celebrations of salsa dancing on St. Clair and the Polish festival on Roncesvalles to the Ukrainian Festival on Bloor West and the Toronto Caribbean Carnival, the largest of its kind in North America. The colder months bring an ice sculpture fest, light shows, and winter markets.

Toronto’s more than 60 galleries and museums, too, reflect the breadth of the city’s cultures. Venture beyond standbys like the Royal Ontario Museum, Art Gallery of Ontario, and Museum of Contemporary Art to wander lesser-known but equally fascinating spaces such as the Aga Khan Museum, which showcases Islamic art and artifacts amid stunning, rectilinear architecture. The museum also hosts lectures and poetry, music, and dance performances, including the Duende Flamenco Festival, taking place November 14 to 17.

The newly opened Toronto Holocaust Museum was intentionally designed, says Marketing and Communications Director Michelle Fishman, as a “contemplative space” where visitors are invited to “approach the content through the lens of their own unique immigration experiences, efforts at acculturation, [or] lived trauma.” Across town, the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto offers free tours, giving visitors the chance to explore the city’s Indigenous Canadian roots.

Wellness opportunities also abound, accommodating more customs and budgets than other towns might. An hour-long Thai massage on Bahn Thai Spa’s traditional floor mats will set you back a mere 100 Canadian dollars (about 75 US bucks), while those seeking decadence can invest hundreds into a facial with French ingredients at Hotel X’s fancy Guerlain spa. At the South-Western Bathhouse, tucked in a back alley on the side of a strip mall in Mississauga, you can unwind the Russian way, sweating in a cedar parilka or Finnish sauna and indulging in the strangely soothing charms of a venik, essentially a whipping with a bundle of tree branches. Throw back a shot of vodka, cup of tea, or hearty bowl of goulash before you leave.

Then, relaxed and fortified, find the nearest map, close your eyes, and point. Chances are, wherever your finger lands, Toronto provides the opportunity to explore a multitude of cultures mere steps away.

The post A Guide to Toronto’s Diverse Culinary Scene appeared first on San Diego Magazine.