For the first time in school history, the men’s basketball program is eligible for the NCAA Division I basketball tournament. Affectionately and better known as March Madness, it’s the single-elimination tournament for the national championship that pits powerful “blue bloods” like Kentucky and Duke against mid-major “Cinderellas” like San Diego State University and, now, UCSD. 

“I think everybody’s excited about the opportunity to play in the postseason and be in that win-or-go home environment,” Olen said before a recent practice session. “There’s really nothing else like it.” 

In 2020, the UCSD men’s basketball program transitioned from Division II to the Big West Conference in Division I, the highest level of collegiate sports. NCAA rules prohibited UCSD from postseason play during a four-year “reclassification period.” This didn’t stop the team from acting like a postseason team. 

January 22, 2024

San Diego is Basketball City USARELATED ARTICLE

They went 21-12 last season, their best showing in Division I so far, and finished second in the Big West. Had they been eligible, UCSD would have needed to win just two games in the conference tournament to book their first-ever trip to the NCAA tournament. 

“I think our guys did a great job during the period where we didn’t have [postseason play],” said Olen, who became head coach in 2013 after serving as an assistant for nine years. “It was a little bit of that light at the end of the tunnel, that purpose at the end, like, ‘This is what we’re working towards, this is what we’re working for.’”

To build on that success, the team will need returning senior Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones to show why he was named to the Big West Preseason Coaches’ Team, though Tait-Jones brushed aside the significance of that recognition. “We’ve got a pretty new group of guys coming in, and it’s my last year, so I just want to be a leader out there,” the New Zealand native said. “A goal of ours is to win the league and go to March Madness this year and get out of the first round.” That won’t be easy, not with former Triton star Bryce Pope now at the University of Southern California as a graduate transfer, but the versatile Tait-Jones did rank among team leaders last year in points, rebounds, assists, and steals.

When asked if the campus is anticipating the upcoming season, which starts November 6 at SDSU, he beamed and seemed relieved to talk about his classmates rather than himself. “I just saw some students yesterday and they were super excited for the year and they were saying, ‘Oh, we’re going to make March Madness!’ I think there’s a real buzz around campus. I think everyone’s excited for the year and we’re all excited for it.”

This year’s homecoming being the first that revolves around the team’s home opener—the November 9 tilt against Pepperdine—indicates it’s a new era at the school, one that is known far more for its Nobel Prizes than for its championship trophies. (As if the nearby “Nobel Drive” left any doubt.)

The architect of the rise of sports at UCSD is athletics director Earl Edwards. On the job since 2000, Edwards has guided the school’s 23 sports programs from the depths of Division III, where no conference welcomed the school and few others wanted to play it. UCSD was too big, too resourceful, and its teams beat up on schools whose enrollments rarely eclipsed 2,000 students. 

“We had a lot of success [in Division III], but we wanted to be an extension of the university as a whole. Everything we do at UC San Diego is about the pursuit of excellence. So it became more of a discussion of, ‘Why don’t we have an athletic program that reflects that?’” Edwards said, though, like Tait-Jones, he invariably credited others. 

“The students were the ones that created the impetus for Division I because as they looked at UC San Diego, and they looked at other high-profile schools, athletics was the missing denominator. So then students came to us and said, ‘We’d like to move to Division I.’” 

Like a proud parent that refuses to play favorites, Edwards offered highlights beyond the men’s basketball team: The baseball team that won the Big West Conference championship. The women’s rowing team that took second in the Coastal Atlantic Association conference championships and whose coach, Colin Truex, won CAA’s Coach of the Year award. The fencing team that regularly sends athletes to the national championships. 

In all, 21 of the school’s 23 sports teams would have participated in postseason competition last year if not for the NCAA’s prohibitions. But Edwards seemed most proud of the “scholar-athletes,” as they’re called at UCSD, having a higher grade-point average than the school’s general student body. 

But if the poets and quants on campus are resentful of the ascendance of sports, then there’s little indication of it. In fact, UCSD Chancellor Pradeep Khosla was selected in March to serve a four-year term on the NCAA Division I Board of Directors to represent the Big West Conference. It’s one of the most influential governing bodies in American sports. Through Pradeep, UCSD is now a power broker in collegiate athletics. This institutional backing isn’t lost on Edwards. “Now that we’re Division I—looking at the branding, the messaging, the signage around campus—it’s definitely a D-I program in terms of the overall support and enthusiasm,” he said.

Merely getting to Division I was not the goal, though. Edwards wants the school to compete every year for the Big West’s Commissioner’s Cup, which is awarded annually to the university with the greatest success across all sports, and he wants the men’s basketball team playing in the NCAA tournament every year. “I expect that March Madness will be part of who we are,” he said.

It’s an ambitious, if not astonishing vision for a university long perceived as a sleep retreat for academics. Edwards even wants San Diego to one day replicate Philadelphia’s legendary “Big 5” of University of Pennsylvania, LaSalle, St. Joseph’s, Temple, and Villanova which compete every year for the best college basketball team in the city.

Along with SDSU and the University of San Diego, there are now three Division I programs within a trolley ride of each other, and the newcomer to the party is planting its flag. “The respect that we’re getting now at UC San Diego, they recognize that we’re forced to be reckoned with.”

The post The New Era of D1 Athletics for UCSD appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

In 2014, Guillaume and Ludivine Ryon opened the first Le Parfait Paris in Gaslamp, followed by Del Mar, Coronado, Anaheim, Liberty Public Market, and Fashion Valley. But by the end of this year, they’ll add three more locations—at Westfield UTC in the old Häagen-Dazs suite (by October 15), in La Jolla Village at the old Beard Papa’s space (by November 15), and a bakery store attached to their brand-new baking headquarters (by December 15). 

Oh, did I not mention that? They’re also shifting operations from their production facility in Mission Gorge to the former Meals on Wheels space between Old Town and Mission Hills. Guillaume says they’re vacating their old, smaller space while moving to the 10,000-square-foot San Diego Avenue location to avoid any interruption of service and plan to be fully operational in the new space by October 1. In the new year, they’ll also open the production facility partly for the public so guests can watch bakers in motion all day long. 

“It’s gonna be quite a show,” promises Ryon. “It’s going to be really cool to watch.”

Ryon emphasizes that despite their growth, Le Parfait Paris is still a family-owned local business run solely by him and his wife. And neither of them is slowing down, even with a hugely busy fourth quarter ahead of them. “The last store that we’re going to open is going to be at Terminal One,” he says. “That’s going to be whenever the airport is ready… I think it’s going to be Q1 or Q2 2025.”

He laughs when he recalls the last decade of growth, while also trying to keep all their upcoming openings in order. “The only thing that reminds me it’s been 10 years are the grays in my beard,” he jokes. “It’s not flour that is stuck in there!”

San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events

Eppig Brewing Teams Up With Kona Kai For A Bayside Beer Dinner

Smoked quail? Mexican lager? All the yes. On Thursday, October 3, Kona Kai San Diego and Eppig Brewing will host the Dockside Brews & Bites beer pairing dinner, with six courses paired with Eppig beers, including their collaboration with the resort. It’s one of the most reasonably priced pairings I’ve seen in a while (tickets are $60), and who doesn’t like a bay view?

Beth’s Bites

• Knead Bakery is open at Symphony Towers. Downtowners can now get baked goods from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. seven days a week. Congrats to Adrian Mendoza and the whole team.
• I always say the more birria, the better, and San Diego is getting some more… eventually? Abuelita’s Birria has locations across Los Angeles, Orange County, and Miami but says San Diego is “coming soon.” The people want to know when, Abuelita! Call me back!
• Craft Coast and Visit Oceanside have teamed up to create a limited-edition version of O’riginal, Craft Coast’s pilsner. The new label celebrates the city with tacos, the Oceanside pier, and other local landmarks. It is available at both Craft Coast’s taprooms, as well as Oside Flavor and Taste of Oceanside. 

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

The post Le Parfait Paris Expanding Their Bakery Empire appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

In addition to her prolific philanthropic activities around town, she’s a long-time Promises2Kids Board member and a past chair of the organization’s Board of Directors. She also hosts the nonprofit’s Dream On Concert Gala at her home. This year, it will be held on Monday, September 9, and will feature a Kool & The Gang concert for 500+ of San Diego‘s top business and philanthropic leaders, who will raise awareness and funds for foster children. 

“I was honored to have Christian Louboutin for a private meet and greet event at my home. He is known for his success with his red-soled shoes all over the world. Despite his highly recognizable brand, he is a humble man who loves small gatherings and is very private,” says Waitt. “We got to know the man behind the shoes and hear his stories of how he got started in the fashion business. A special thank you to Nordstrom Fashion Valley for hosting him at my home.”

Photos by Phillip Faraone

The post Photos: Christian Louboutin Makes Appearance in La Jolla appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

At a little over one square mile in size and reaching offshore depths of some 330 feet, the area between the shores and La Jolla Cove is technically a marine protected area called the Matlahuayl State Marine Reserve. Under the surface of the water, you might spot sea lions and seals, leopard sharks, garibaldi and other fishes, various kinds of rays, lobsters, and possibly even moray eels. Above water, winged creatures like brown pelicans and egrets dart through the skies. One of the joys of snorkeling here is when you spot a Brandt’s cormorant “flying” underwater, fishing for a meal.

Past most of the snorkelers and in front of the flotilla, I turn south and head over to where the water is more open and less hectic. After 10 minutes or so, with the leash wrapped around my ankle, I squat down and straddle my SUP. Then, I secure my paddle through the accompanying loops on the side of the board. Strapped under the SUP’s bungee webbing are my snorkel, mask, and fins. I put them on and drop into the water.

The visibility is okay, about 15 feet or so. Immediately, I see the territorial garibaldis protecting their watery turf. Juvenile ones, identifiable by the iridescent blue-purple spots on their backs, swim by. Snorkeling in the direction of the undulating grasses, I pass over a patch of sand. Down there, round stingrays hover. No bigger than a small dinner plate, they are in their element, fluttering with ease.

Above the grasses, I hover, emulating the rays. It is one of my favorite things to do while snorkeling: I simply float, using my fins only to maintain my position and avoid being pushed into the rocky underwater cliffs. As the waves roll in and back out, the green grasses shimmer in the sunlight, dancing to and fro.

Amidst it all, my body sways with the grasses, recalibrating my being for the days ahead.

Tips for Stand-Up Paddleboarding in La Jolla

• La Jolla Shores and La Jolla Cove are very busy and crowded areas. Be mindful of those around you while SUPing. Your board can cause injury to others in the blink of an eye. Be very aware that open ocean swimmers and sometimes scuba divers are out there as well. 
• You cannot SUP in the La Jolla Cove zone. Lifeguards will get on the intercom and ask you to leave the cove. As a rule, I suggest staying around the sea caves—if you’re going to pass them, go north, not toward the beach-goers in the shore break zone.
• You can rent SUPs in the village area at La Jolla Shores. Be sure to have a waterproof bag—also called a dry bag—for your phone and other valuables. 
• Do not forget to wear sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, and perhaps a long-sleeved sun shirt with a hood. You get burned more quickly out on the water.

The post A Guide to SUP and Snorkeling in La Jolla appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Courtesy of Georgina Trevino

“I feel like I love to go into the chaos knowing that I can come home,” she says, adding that she often gets asked why, after all she’s accomplished so far, she doesn’t simply move. “I love San Diego. I just love being here, because I’m in between both worlds.”

Following Treviño’s Instagram is something of a whirlwind experience itself; a crash course in what it means when an up-and-coming designer generates enough buzz to where they’re becoming the go-to accessory for photo shoots and step-and-repeats for the likes of Olivia Rodrigo, Lady Gaga, and Bad Bunny, the latter of whom insisted on keeping a pair of earrings she created after he wore them for a music video. “That almost made me cry,” she admits.

Courtesy of Georgina Trevino

Inspired by lowbrow pop culture as much as by ’80s punk rock aesthetics, Treviño’s custom rings, bracelets, and dangles have appeared in Teen Vogue, Purple magazine, and most recently, the Los Angeles Times, who commissioned her for a custom spread in their style magazine, Image. This is in addition to her even more notable accomplishments, such as appearances in a Nike Air Max campaign and a deal to bring her signature pierced designs to Chunks hair products. She’ll also be customizing purses and creating her own in- store intervention for Spanish fashion tastemaker Bimba y Lola inside their Mexico City storefront. Not bad for an Otay Ranch local who, only a few years ago, switched her SDSU major from painting to metalsmithing.

Courtesy of Georgina Trevino

Next up, she says she’s going to check out real estate while in Mexico City in hopes of opening her own brick-and- mortar space there. “There are so many more, other things I want to do to challenge myself,” Treviño says. “I’m just going to figure out how to do it, you know?”

The post Jewelry Designer to the Stars appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

What made you want to become a volunteer for Birch Aquarium?

I moved to the San Diego area from the Bay Area in late 2022, but I’ve lived all over. I was born in the Midwest and grew up in Hawaii, so I have a connection with the ocean—tide pools were part of my childhood for sure. I loved that Birch Aquarium was a smaller aquarium and was really dedicated to animal preservation and education. Conservation and protecting the environment is something near and dear to my heart. Not everybody has access to the ocean and to be able to give back in that way and provide that experience is unique. 

What do your volunteer duties entail? 

I try to do whatever is needed. Sometimes I read, sometimes I help in the classroom. It’s based on what the need is and the availability I have and how I feel. It could be interacting with kids or the tide pools or helping out at a corporate event. They offer a variety of areas that volunteers are able to help in. 

Can you describe your favorite or most memorable experience while volunteering? 

One of my favorite things is to see some people’s initial reaction with wildlife. For example, in the tide pools when you’re showing people different species of shark eggs, and some people don’t even know that sharks lay eggs, or they’d seen them washed up on shore but didn’t know what they were. I think that’s fun. 

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced?

Just trying to make time. That’s the biggest challenge because it’s so rewarding. 

Any advice for someone considering volunteering as a way to give back?

Definitely give it a shot and contact the volunteer office. There’s a lot of information on Birch Aquarium’s website. Look at the things that are important and see if your values align. Do something because your heart is in it. 

The post Volunteer Diaries: Birch Aquarium appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Photos by Stacy Keck

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Think mood lighting, red velvet booths, lacquered wood, verdant plants, and an inviting 36-foot, stone-topped circular bar that welcomes you into the space. Complete with a “more functional and modern kitchen,” Monsod says, it’s a total overhaul of the 1930s La Jolla building at 7837 Herschel Avenue that once housed Puffer Malarkey’s Herringbone.

If Herringbone was a fairy grotto, Le Coq is a little more grown-up and libidinous, catering to modern running-away-to-Europe fantasies over storybook escapes. It’s made for tét-â-tét, flirting, lingering over dinner.

Certain elements of the 1930s warehouse, which once housed an Oldsmobile dealer, are still intact: exposed brick walls, naked steel trusses. Designer Megan Power of Workind Studio chose to keep some raw industrial elements, blending the building’s working history with retro ’70s supper club intimacy and hospitality.

“[There’s] old-school Parisian service [and] white-hatted chefs,” Monsod says. “But [it’s] not buttoned-up. We want you to relax and enjoy the experience.” To prep for her role in a French kitchen, Monsod, fresh off her James Beard nom, spent a couple weeks in the City of Light in February, soaking up knowledge and saucisson from Parisian chefs. 

“Le Coq’s menu is an ode to the classics, [but it’s also] inspired by a new wave in French cooking,” Monsod says. “There are no rules; there’s influence from every which way.” 

Energized by conversations with Asian chefs in Paris, Monsod added nods to Asian cuisine to the dishes she and her team developed for Le Coq. Take the jambon salad, for example: a Parisian bistro staple Monsod updated with chrysanthemum leaves (from Girl + Dug farm in San Marcos), Japanese sour plum, and ume vinaigrette. Under Monsod’s auspices, canard a l’orange becomes duck with tamarind puree, kumquat, and chicory, a twist on the sweet-sour classic that takes the flavor further east. 

Look for Monsod’s version of mussels à la Les Enfants du Marché, a tiny counterside establishment with an outsized reputation nestled in Paris’s oldest open-air market. Her approach to land-and-sea dishes differs by focusing on the flora the ocean has to offer—“pork and seaweed,” Monsod explains, “and lamb and sea beans.” You’ll find hyper-local steak, pork from Thompson Heritage Ranch in Ramona, yellowtail from San Diego waters, and produce from San Diego farms on the menu. 

And, of course, it wouldn’t be French without wine and dessert. French and Californian bottles share the wine list. Basque cheesecake, strawberry mille-feuille with vanilla cream, pistachio Paris-Brest with pâté à choux, and Herbsaint sorbet crowd the proverbial dessert cart. Executive pastry chef Laura Warren developed several sweet offerings around fresh fruit from San Diego growers. Warren and Monsod both worked with Puffer Malarkey Collective in the Herringbone days.

“It’s a full-circle moment,” says Puffer Malarkey Collective marketing director Lillian Dang. “It’s like a homecoming.” 

Two old friends at the helm may help the Le Coq team cultivate the dinner party vibe they’re aiming for. “In Paris, we saw people gathering inside and outside restaurants, hanging out, talking, eating,” Monsod says. “That’s what we want to see here: diners engaged with each other, with lots of wine, lots of laughter, enjoying each other’s company. This restaurant is not meant to be quiet.” 

Le Coq opens on June 20 at 7837 Herschel Avenue in La Jolla.

The post First Look: Le Coq Restaurant appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Julian Hakim and Aram Baloyan run Shōwa Hospitality, the group behind other local concepts such as The Taco Stand, Convoy Music Bar, Himitsu, and Showa Ramen, and are intimately familiar with the space. 

“We used to go there all the time for breakfast,” explains Hakim. “We know how good that little spot is, then it became available… We thought, ‘Wow, this could be a super good fit.’”

He says they plan to keep the same 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. hours as Coffee Cup before them and will emulate (but not replicate) the breakfast and lunch concept. “We’re hoping in the future, six months or so, to start doing dinner as well,” he says. 

In the meantime, their menu will focus on Mexican-Japanese fusion without leaning too far in either direction. “It’s not going to be extreme one way or another,” promises Hakim, adding they plan to offer simple dishes with twists from chef Pancho Ibañez, former chef de cuisine at Pujol in Mexico City (which earned two Michelin stars in the first Michelin Guide to Mexico). 

“Eggs, a version of his French toast, maybe Japanese pancakes, probably a version of chilaquiles and enchiladas…” he says, adding the menu is still in progress, but hopefully one that will fill the void Coffee Cup left behind. “It’s keeping what was there—same hours, breakfast and lunch—and doing our take on that.” Hakim adds that while chef Ibañez mainly works on The Taco Stand, after setting up Comedor Nishi’s menu, he’ll hand the reins to a sous chef who is also coming from Mexico.

“‘Comedor’ is basically a dining hall in Mexico… and ‘Nishi’ is a Japanese word that means ‘west,’ like West Coast,” says Hakim. “We always have some sort of a tie to Japan, and in this case, keeping a very simplistic approach to the menu and just letting the ingredients speak for themselves.”

San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events

SD Beer Weekend Returns June 21–23

Launched in 2022 by the San Diego Brewers Guild, SD Beer Weekend is a pint-sized party to tide over beer lovers until San Diego Beer Week every November. Starting on Friday and running through Sunday, beer lovers can bop around town to find new favorites and rediscover old friends. There are no tickets or RSVPs for this low-key event—just an appreciation for fresh, local craft beer made in the Capital of Craft. 

Beth’s Bites

• As of today, Punta Mar is soft open at 345 S. Coast Highway 101 in Encinitas, serving mariscos, micheladas, and more. I’m all about ceviche, but I have my eye on their “pizza birria” and whatever this is.
• Belmont Park has made some significant improvements getting ready for its Centennial celebration next summer, adding new food options like Pizza Port, rebranding Belmonty’s Burgers (which uses Brandt beef for their burgers), and Cannonball’s first menu refresh since opening in 2015. Lily Williams, director of food & beverage for Belmont Park, says sourcing as local as possible will remain a cornerstone of the park’s future. “We want to be known as the gateway to San Diego,” she says, offering everyone value and fun. “Come here and feel like you’re having the ultimate San Diego day.” Sign me up for a ride this summer on the Giant Dipper.
• Calling all crab heads! Duck Dive in Pacific Beach is hosting a crab boil on Thursday, June 20, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. For $42, you can get 1.5 lbs. of snow crab prepared Cajun style, plus the requisite Andouille sausage, corn on the cob, shrimp, and potatoes. For a little extra, you can also get drink specials from Humboldt Distillery. Snag a ticket ahead of time right here. 

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

The post Mexican-Japanese Breakfast Spot Coming to La Jolla appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

It’s the first, but probably not the last outpost in the U.S., explains Diego González, who co-founded La Corriente Group with Karim Reza in 2012. “It made sense to us to open in the U.S. in San Diego, anywhere in San Diego,” he explains, pointing to the proximity of Tijuana, where the first La Corriente Cevichería Nais opened in 2014. González says the two cities naturally overlap with food, art, culture, and activities, and people constantly travel from Los Angeles and San Diego to eat in Tijuana. Why not bring it to them? 

González said they’d been eyeing locations in San Diego for three years, everywhere from Del Mar, Encinitas, and further north. He says more locations in Coronado, Chula Vista, or even in L.A. are future possibilities. But for now, they’re happy to focus on streamlining the new location in La Jolla. 

La Corriente is best known for its take on fresh Pacific Ocean seafood, especially its signature red snapper tostada. “In terms of music, this is our first single,” he jokes. “That dish is what made us popular.” Other favorites include their ceviches, tacos, and tostadas, with beer and wine. (González adds they may add a full liquor license in the future, but for now, try the Clamatos.)

He’s also quick to point out that guests can expect the same quality and presentation as their other locations. “It’s exactly the same—the same quality, the same flavors, everything,” he promises. And if a bit of heat isn’t your thing, he says not to worry. “We were worried about Americans that the food was too spicy,” he laughs. “[But] people seem very, very happy with the results so far.”

San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events

April is Earth month, and a few San Diego businesses are partnering with I Love A Clean San Diego by pledging a portion of their monthly sales. Participants include George’s at the Cove, Spill the Beans, The Original 40 Brewing Company, and more. Find out more ways to help keep San Diego clean at cleansd.org. 

Head to the third-floor rooftop at the InterContinental San Diego on Wednesday, April 24, for a hosted dinner at Garibaldi starting at 6 p.m. The ticketed event includes a five-course meal and accompanying wine pairings from Pio Cesare, the fifth-generation northern Italian winery. 

Recently, the Carlsbad-based hummus substitute, Bitchin’ Sauce, was named by Good Housekeeping a Best Snack award-winner. I’ll dip to that.

All That Shabu, an AYCE Korean hot pot spot located in Alhambra and Irvine, is coming soon to Mira Mesa Blvd. I don’t know if I’ll try the spicy beef hot pot or seafood hot pot first, but it’s nice to see they also offer a vegetarian option. 

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

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