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We asked 15 San Diego professionals with the coolest jobs in town how they landed their gigs—and how we could steal them
Senior Quality, Sustainability, and Innovation Manager at Dr. Bronner’s
Vista’s 70-year-old soap company is known for its commitment to organic, fair-trade materials. With an ethos like that, it’s no surprise they’re just as adamant about eco-friendly production. Enter: Darcy Shiber-Knowles.
“I look at the company’s environmental footprint,” says Shiber-Knowles, who’s worked at Dr. Bronner’s since 2013. “It’s my job to work across departments to help reduce our footprint and increase our positive environmental legacy.” That means implementing xeriscaping to curb water use, installing solar panels, reusing cardboard boxes, and holding an annual audit to gauge how well the company separates waste. Most recently, they launched an in-house café that serves free plant-based meals to employees. Any food waste from that café will be used in a compost program that launches soon.
Shiber-Knowles’s passion for sustainability stretches back to her teenage years when, yes, she used Dr. Bronner’s soap. After studying environmental science at Barnard College and earning an MBA in social justice at Yale, she spotted Dr. Bronner’s chief operating officer, Michael Milam, at the annual Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim. They kept in touch, and four months later, they co-created her job. “It’s exciting to do what I wanted to do—help an organization that has an organic supply chain better achieve its mission.”
If you’re interested in the subject, she says, don’t limit yourself to a self-proclaimed green company. “There are environmental footprint battles to be fought in every company. We all need to think about our impact—within finance, human resources, facilities. Whatever your discipline, there’s an opportunity for leadership. You don’t need to have ‘compost’ in your title.”
15 Coolest Jobs in San Diego and How to Get Them
Senior Policy Strategist at ACLU San Diego
What if you could wake up every morning knowing you’re about to make a concrete difference in the world? Christie Hill gets to do just that. Her job is to identify solutions to problems in the community and help enact policy changes.
Hill has always had the urge to give back. “After college I worked as a case manager at a program for homeless women,” she says. “I realized I was frustrated by the larger systemic problems affecting the lives of these women. It confirmed that I wanted to go to law school, to work within the legal system.”
She graduated from Columbia Law School and worked in DC and New York before returning to her native San Diego. “I really enjoy the policy side, working with people closest to the issue,” she says. At the ACLU, she lobbies government officials, state legislators, and local city council members on issues ranging from immigrant rights and education equity to police reform and criminal justice. “We have been working with a coalition of change groups locally to advocate for a nationwide search for the next police chief,” she says. “We secured the victory of getting the search, and we continue to fight to make sure it’s transparent and community centered. That’s something that isn’t over yet, but good to be a part of.”
For Hill, identifying her core passion has been crucial to her career path. “I’m a black woman, so it’s important I’m advancing causes that are going to impact people of color, especially black people, in a meaningful way. That is the lens I bring to everything I do.”
15 Coolest Jobs in San Diego and How to Get Them
Reporter and Producer at KUSI News
KUSI sports reporter and producer Brandon Stone has been on the field for it all, whether interviewing legendary running back LaDainian Tomlinson, reporting on championship games, or covering hometown great Tony Gwynn’s funeral.
Stone, who celebrates a decade at the San Diego news station this year, was still attending San Diego State University when he became a rookie sports reporter at KUSI as an intern. Now a familiar face across San Diego County, he says the most enjoyable part of his job continues to be reporting on student athletes who are determined to change the world in which they live.
Stone says that as a boy, he knew three truths: 1) He loved sports; 2) He wasn’t great at playing sports; 3) But he could write. Suited up with that self-knowledge, he went on to study the craft of sports journalism through and through. “Read, research, and understand the world you’re covering,” he advises.
The field is changing, though, and Stone says the rise of social media means he’s had to open up about his personal life more and learn how to be active on Twitter and Facebook to keep the public engaged. He’s also had to learn how to do everything when it comes to reporting—it isn’t rare for him to report, produce, and edit his own videos.
The pinnacle of Stone’s career thus far, he admits, was scoring a one-on-one interview with Chargers owner Dean Spanos almost immediately after last year’s bombshell that the team was leaving for Los Angeles. “If you look at the pivotal moments in San Diego history, the Chargers moving to Los Angeles is one of those moments,” Stone says. “They were an integral part in the economics of the city, so to be able to look at and talk to the guy who caused a lot of havoc in the city was pretty cool.”
15 Coolest Jobs in San Diego and How to Get Them
Head of Johnson & Johnson Innovation, JLABS in San Diego
When Johnson & Johnson launched a no-strings-attached facility for emerging life sciences companies in 2012, they set up shop not in the Bay Area or Boston, but in San Diego. Now there are locations in Toronto, San Francisco, and coming this year, New York. San Diego’s is located in Janssen Research & Development, a 300,000-square-foot research and development facility that counts UC San Diego and various Scripps Health institutions as neighbors. And Kara Bortone is at the helm, managing the operations.
JLABS provides equipment, operation teams, security, and shipping and receiving processes to life sciences ventures—taking care of the nitty-gritty so businesses can focus on the bigger picture. Beyond interviewing applicants, Bortone connects companies to investors and digs through the global pool of J&J employees to get resources for the startups, most of which are in the pharmaceutical sector. Every two months she also cohosts Fuel Friday, when all the companies come together for lunch. Once a quarter, they hold a CEO roundtable.
“Every week I meet companies on the edge of innovation and health care—new consumer products, pharmaceutical or biotech developments, as well as medical devices. I really do feel like I have the coolest job in San Diego.”
Before JLABS, Bortone worked at Galapagos, a Belgian biotech firm that partnered with Janssen. Moral of the story? “Networking, networking, and more networking. I got this job because of someone else, and in San Diego, because it’s such a close-knit community, you never know who you can help and who can help you in the future.”
15 Coolest Jobs in San Diego and How to Get Them
Activities and Events Coordinator for International Programs at UC San Diego Extension
Students from all over the world come to UCSD to improve their English conversation and writing skills while working toward a degree. Shaily Jariwala is the one who greets them at the get-go. By each student’s first day of orientation, she’s organized their schedule and managed the logistics for a smooth introduction to the university’s International Programs. Once they’ve settled in, students think of her as their personal party planner, regularly coordinating their extracurricular activities.
Jariwala schedules tours and plans student field trips to local businesses and attractions, including Rady Children’s Hospital and Petco Park, as part of related course curricula. She also plans athletic and social activities like soccer or volleyball tournaments, yoga classes, and talent shows, plus staff events for the nearly 200 employees at Extension. For one staff conference, she held a Family Feud–style game show to quiz staff on the school’s current happenings—and even dressed as Steve Harvey. She also styled a graduation ceremony as a full-on red carpet awards show and served as emcee.
Networking and maintaining relationships with vendors and venues is her key to success.
“I bring cookies to every new person I meet so they remember me and are quicker to help me with anything I need,” says Jariwala, who also moonlights as a fitness instructor at local gyms. “I love working in a university environment. The students keep me young, and I’m surrounded by brilliance and energy.”
15 Coolest Jobs in San Diego and How to Get Them
President and CEO at FreshForm
Scott Robinson believes every company is on its way to becoming a technology company, and the separation between traditional and digital branding is a thing of the past. Now everything revolves around user experience, dictated by perception and reputation. At Robinson’s design and innovation agency, he helps clients like Reef, Ballast Point, and Eagle Creek cultivate their identities in ways that are valuable or meaningful to their business or community.
FreshForm primarily supports businesses in technology, education, finance, and health care, handling marketing and social media, brand strategy, website design and development, and customer experience. Robinson’s first major client was American Honda. Word of mouth helped him land the account, and he revamped auto dealership training programs for all Honda and Acura brands in the country.
“The business foundation was one of the most important pieces to my education,” says Robinson, a native San Diegan who studied graphic design and business at SDSU. “It’s important that young designers take a stronger interest in business early in their career.”
As a new graduate, he started out working for a large tech company, later landing a job at an internet startup that was eventually acquired. On January 1, 2001 (“the ultimate nerdy binary date”), he started his own business out of a garage—which he quickly outgrew. Today, FreshForm has 15 employees and an office in the historic Mission Brewery Plaza building near the airport.
Outside of consulting for clients and mentoring the FreshForm team, Robinson leads a local nonprofit called the Design Forward Alliance. For up-and-comers, he recommends investing in the best hardware and software tools available, and preparing for unexpected economic challenges.
“Hiring top talent but holding them back with mediocre tools is like getting into a Ferrari and not letting it out of second gear,” Robinson says.
15 Coolest Jobs in San Diego and How to Get Them
Tim Stahl 619-987-8763
Sales Manager at Pizza Port, Board Member and President Emeritus of the San Diego Brewers Guild
“Beer has transcended time and place and culture and civilization,” says Jill Davidson. “It’s always been at the center of community, and I think that’s something worth perpetuating, celebrating, and remembering.”
Davidson has made it her mission to celebrate beer on a daily basis. She started at Pizza Port as a bartender in 2010 and then worked her way up to sales manager.
She manages a team of five reps across three states, “all in the spirit of spreading good cheer” about her company. She also remains an active board member for the San Diego Brewers Guild, which was founded in 1997 as a way to promote local breweries and create a strong local beer community.
Among their many efforts, they’re responsible for November’s annual San Diego Beer Week festivities. “When I got approached with the opportunity to join the board, I was completely humbled and honored,” she says. In 2016, when the previous president stepped down, she was elected interim president—a position she held until last month. She will stay on the board as president emeritus for another year to “keep the momentum moving forward in a positive direction.”
Though Davidson is truly passionate about her job, she doesn’t take it too seriously. “At the end of the day, remember—it’s just beer.”
15 Coolest Jobs in San Diego and How to Get Them
Director of New Play Development at La Jolla Playhouse
Gabriel Greene is a lousy mechanic—”I can’t change my oil, and I don’t know where to start taking apart a clock”—but not when it comes to putting together a play.
As director of new play development at La Jolla Playhouse, Greene is pitched roughly 500 scripts per year and helps handpick just six to feed into the production pipeline.
That’s the worst part of his job— “saying no to 90 percent of what comes across my desk.” The best part, to quote Hamilton, is being in the room where it happens. He says he sometimes has to rub his eyes in disbelief. “It’s an honor being entrusted to bring writers’ stories and voices to life.”
Shepherding projects from script to curtain call is what the field of dramaturgy is about. During his 10-year run at the playhouse, he’s brought more than two dozen original plays to fruition, including the multiyear making of Up Here, by the songwriters of Frozen. He also has assisted in producing four consecutive seasons of all-new work. Eleven plays he’s touched have gone to New York.
But breaking out of San Diego isn’t how the Playhouse measures success, he notes. It’s whether a play speaks meaningfully to the local community.
Greene came to San Diego from Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company after realizing the playhouse was “one of the most eclectic theaters I’ve ever come across.”
His advice for others looking to work in play development? “See as much theater as you can to find out what type galvanizes you. Then, bug artistic directors relentlessly.”
15 Coolest Jobs in San Diego and How to Get Them
Executive Vice President of Action Sports and Olympics at Wasserman Media
She’s been called one of the most influential women in action sports—for good reason. Circe Wallace started her career as a pro snowboarder in the ’90s, and from there, she found her path in the industry. “I worked with various brands, including Vans and Ride Snowboards, to develop some of the first women-specific products in the space,” she says. “After a couple of knee surgeries, I parlayed that into managing talent, specializing in action sports, and an expansion of the things I loved.”
Today, Wallace works with big names like Olympic medalist snowboarders Torah Bright, Scotty Lago, and Iouri Podladtchikov. She’s responsible for developing, securing, and managing brand relationships for the athletes she represents. “Part of my expertise is in content, developing film and TV,” she says, referring to a slate of successes in developing various properties with her clients in traditional and new media.
Wallace’s typical workday starts with trying to get her daughters to school on time. Then it’s “either a desk day or a travel day meeting with clients, negotiating deals, conflict resolution, maybe a little counseling, and a lot of fun.”
It may sound like a dream job, but she points out it’s not an easy career. “Be tough, work hard, and remember that anything is possible if you keep a focus, set and achieve goals, and work your butt off.”
15 Coolest Jobs in San Diego and How to Get Them
Interactive Editor for San Diego Tourism Authority
Brent Bernasconi might have the world’s easiest job: convincing people to vacation in San Diego. As Visit San Diego’s social media guru, he’s in charge of picking the prettiest sunset photos for Instagram and coming up with the cleverest weather-related memes for Twitter.
But it’s not all rainbows and beaches, says the lifelong San Diegan. “We try to get people to see that we also have a thriving arts culture and booming restaurant scene.”
And though his day-to-day isn’t as glamorous as his posts that receive double taps—Bernasconi says he’s deskbound about 80 percent of the time—the job does have its share of pinch-me moments, like when he got to take his wife to a swanky chef’s dinner in La Jolla. “Here we were at The Lodge at Torrey Pines, enjoying wine, the sun was shining, and I’m thinking, ‘Holy crap, this is what I get paid to do.’”
His first position after graduating from the University of San Diego with a master’s degree in history was at the Air & Space Museum, where he started Balboa Park’s first Twitter account.
For social media managers in the making, he recommends: “Know what Snapchat is. Prove that you can understand the social media scene and explain the ROI, why someone should be investing in social media.”
15 Coolest Jobs in San Diego and How to Get Them
Director of the Qualcomm Institute’s Power of NeuroGaming Center
Can video games make the world a better place for people on the autism spectrum? That’s what neuroscientist Leanne Chukoskie hopes to find out.
A self-proclaimed video-game lover and mother of two teen boys, Chukoskie studies the potential for gaming to help people with autism train their brains through eye-movement therapy. At UC San Diego, she and her team create “gaze-contingent” video games—games you control with your eyes—to help individuals with autism improve focus and manage ADHD.
At the soon-to-be-launched Power of NeuroGaming Center (appropriately nicknamed PoNG), they’ll make their game design and development skills available to other researchers in the UCSD community, while an internship program provides real-world work experience for young adults with autism.
“There’s a lot of focus on early intervention and identification, but autism is a lifelong disorder,” she says, adding that the transition to adulthood is especially tough for people on the spectrum, since most autism-support programs end after high school. Many lack the “soft skills” crucial for acing a job interview or reading social cues to learn how to behave in an office setting.
“They’re wickedly smart, and yet they’re not engaging in the workforce.” With the internship program, she hopes to create a work environment more sensitive to the unique needs of people on the spectrum, while giving them the tools to design games of their own.
Chukoskie was able to create her dream job after double majoring in anthropology and neural science at the University of Pennsylvania, followed by a PhD in neuroscience, specializing in eye movements. “I want to use my research position to create more games for good,” she says.
15 Coolest Jobs in San Diego and How to Get Them
Lesley Vu
Tech Evangelist at Intuit
“Even Intuit people want to know what the heck my title is,” Aliza Carpio says. “It’s the best conversation starter.” As tech evangelist, Carpio focuses on building the brand of Intuit—the business and finance software company behind products like TurboTax and QuickBooks—and creating an engaging, supportive culture for their engineers.
Carpio has coded, managed programs, and consulted for companies like Hewlett-Packard and Kimberly-Clark. Using her tech base, she organizes events, spearheads partnerships, and hosts meet-up groups—all to build Intuit’s “street cred.” Internally, she arranges annual hackathons, hosts tech talks for staff, and is committed to diversity in the industry. She’s the sole female board member at local startup incubator EvoNexus, is on the leadership team of Girl Develop It, a nonprofit for women who want to get into software development, and she helps organize Intuit’s mentoring programs.
“Creating diverse teams is a journey for all of tech,” she says. “It requires men and women from every background. It doesn’t start in college. We need to start thinking of community partnerships to influence young women. And it’s not just Intuit that’s doing this.”
Carpio’s other mission is to fix San Diego’s “brain drain”—when local talent flees the city for seemingly greener pastures (i.e., Silicon Valley). Carpio herself interviewed in the Bay Area but ultimately chose San Diego. “San Diego’s tech community is alive and well. You don’t have to leave. You can code and surf and eat tacos and make an impact.”
15 Coolest Jobs in San Diego and How to Get Them
Director of Reproductive Sciences at San Diego Zoo Global’s Institute for Conservation Research
Barbara Durrant has most working professionals’ morning routines beat. Many days before 10 a.m., she’s rubbing the bellies of rhinos. Though it may be a warm and fuzzy image, it addresses a serious concern: extinction.
From her lab at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, Durrant leads a team of 18 researchers and oversees experimentation and processes that encourage species reproduction, including hormone monitoring and stem cell biology. Her job takes her from animal enclosures in Escondido to partner research centers in China, Japan, and India, to name a few.
For 20 years, Durrant had a hand in the zoo’s giant panda breeding program, which has succeeded in producing six cubs, the first by artificial insemination, the rest naturally.
“There’s so many things we don’t know about the reproductive processes of these animals,” she explains. “It takes years to figure out what’s going on. We are learning things no one has ever learned before.”
Durrant has been with the San Diego Zoo for 38 years, beginning as a postdoctorate researcher after earning her PhD in reproductive physiology. An undergraduate reproductive sciences class sparked her interest in the field. “Take every science class you can; they’re all valuable to you,” she advises.
Her passion has paid off, particularly for the Frozen Zoo, which today houses over 10,000 living cell cultures, sperm, and other genetic material from almost 1,000 species and subspecies. It’s fueling hope for the zoo’s effort to revive the endangered northern white rhino. Only three remain alive today, but the Frozen Zoo holds embryos and sperm from the subspecies. Durrant’s never-been-done-before idea? Use southern white rhinos as surrogates.
“If every step goes according to plan, we could have a calf in the next 10 years.” And another belly to rub.
15 Coolest Jobs in San Diego and How to Get Them
Director of the Center for Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation at UCSD’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography
After spending 20 years monitoring Hawaiian sea-level rise, Mark Merrifield is riding a new wave of discovery from his alma mater as the inaugural director of the Center for Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation. Launched in 2015, the center hosts a hotbed of marine and atmospheric scientists with research rooted in climate change and connections to policymakers with the clout to combat it.
“The impacts will be very severe unless we find ways to limit greenhouse gas emissions,” Merrifield says. Born in Hawai‘i and raised in Orange County, he joined the center in September following a directorship at the University of Hawai‘i Sea Level Center. “I had gotten to a point in my research that proved sea-level rise problems are very apparent. Now as director, I’m seeing to it that my and others’ research is being translated into actionable activities.”
This includes expanding on some of his existing fieldwork and coordinating with government agencies—the Department of Defense, to observe sea-level rise near local military bases, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to build a national seasonal forecast system with insight into how sea levels affect coastal flooding.
Merrifield will teach at UCSD in the 2018–19 academic year in addition to building relationships around the county to fuel public outreach about how climate change affects San Diego.
“The best part of my job is definitely meeting students and faculty who are excited about getting involved in the center. That constantly motivates me.”
15 Coolest Jobs in San Diego and How to Get Them
Senior Manager of Marketing and Public Relations for the Farmers Insurance Open at Century Club of San Diego
Gema Tarango Deleon wears a lot of hats. Oddly enough, none of them are golf caps.
Working under the nonprofit planning organization Century Club of San Diego, Deleon has a hand in all aspects of marketing the three-day leg of the PGA Tour that swings into Torrey Pines once a year.
From placing advertisements—some of which are her own design—to planning events “outside of the ropes,” to riding around in a golf cart to document the tournament live on social media, she says she rarely finds time to play golf herself. Then again, she never has.
“That’s the funniest part,” she says. “But it also really speaks to our organization and that we don’t want to put on just a golf tournament. It’s about putting on a community event.”
Still, Deleon’s interest in sports began at young age. She played softball growing up, and became interested in marketing as a freshman at SDSU.
Recognizing herself as a minority in the sports industry, she got ahead in the early years of her career by founding the San Diego chapter of Women in Sports and Events, a nonprofit networking group.
“Being a woman is actually a check mark in the positive column in this industry, because you provide a perspective that folks aren’t used to,” she says, and notes of San Diego’s sports industry: “If you want to work here, know that someone already has the job you want. It’s a small market. Get involved early with volunteering and internships.”
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15 Coolest Jobs in San Diego and How to Get Them
Discover eateries, outings, and shops within this inland North County community
Just south of Lake Hodges near 4S Ranch and Poway, Rancho Bernardo is a suburban community that blends residential neighborhoods with industrial pockets, elevated by a decidedly diverse food scene.
Over 60 years ago, this North County neighborhood was once part of a family ranch. Since that time, big tech companies have taken up residence here, including Amazon, Sony Electronics, Oura Ring, HP, Teradata, and ASML. Rancho Bernardo Inn serves as a community hub, with locals frequently meeting at the hotel’s restaurants, golf course, and spa.
Whether it’s work or a round of golf that brings you to Rancho Bernardo, we’ve taken care of the agenda planning with our guide to the area’s best restaurants, activities, and shops.
Sample ingredients plucked straight from Rancho Bernardo Inn’s onsite garden and served at their signature restaurant Avant. One of the neighborhood’s most upscale dining options, they serve a French-inspired menu with nods to California, including many seafood options. Don’t miss their more casual sister restaurant Veranda for al fresco dining.
17550 Bernardo Oaks Drive
Wood-fired pizzas and handmade pastas are standouts at The Kitchen, Bernardo Winery’s counter-service restaurant specializing in Sicilian flavors. Charcuterie boards and bruschetta make for great starters or snacks while wine tasting.
13330 Paseo Del Verano Norte
Fast-casual and family-owned eatery Bushfire Kitchen recently opened a location in Rancho Bernardo, serving sandwiches, bowls, salads, burgers, protein plates, and housemade empanadas. Bushfire prepares comfort food with healthy ingredients, and offers plenty of vegetarian and vegan options.
11962 Bernardo Plaza Drive, Suite 110
Some might call The Cork & Craft an overachiever. This gastropub has an in-house craft brewery and winery: Abnormal Beer and Wine. The more, the merrier. Their sushi menu is definitely worth exploring, but don’t miss other specialties like garlic noodles, chicken wings, and pork belly.
16990 Via Tazon
You don’t have to leave Rancho Bernardo to get a white tablecloth steakhouse experience. Carvers Steaks & Chops has prime rib (their best seller), filet, ribeye, porterhouse, New York strip, and other cuts, served alongside crab-stuffed mushrooms, wedge salad, French onion soup, potato skins, and other steakhouse specialties.
1940 Bernardo Plaza Drive
This no-frills Burmese restaurant is known for its traditional tea leaf salad that’s topped with sesame and sunflower seeds, garlic chips, peanuts, tomatoes, jalapeños, fried yellow beans, and fermented green tea leaf dressing. Tucked into a nondescript strip mall, Burma Place is a great takeout option when you want to eat garlic noodles, fried rice, chicken curry, and samosas from the comfort of your couch.
16719 Bernardo Center Drive, Suite A
Find authentic Vietnamese cuisine at Phở Ca Dao, including favorites like phở noodle soup, vermicelli noodles, broken rice dishes, and spring rolls. One of eight locations throughout San Diego, this family-owned chain uses robot servers for food delivery.
11808 Rancho Bernardo Road, Suite 100
It’s all about the sauce at fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant The Kebab Shop. Smothering your chicken shawarma, gyro, or falafels in garlic yogurt, cilantro jalapeno, fire chili, and dill yogurt sauce is practically a rite of passage. The hardest part is deciding whether to order a wrap, bowl, or salad.
11980 Bernardo Plaza Drive
Get a taste of South Asian flavors at Casa Lahori, a Pakistani restaurant noted for its grilled meat kabobs. Other best-selling dishes include beef nihari, chicken biryani, and shahi paneer— best enjoyed with naan bread.
11975 Bernardo Plaza Drive
Grill your own meat on the tabletop at Kangnam Korean BBQ, an interactive, all-you-can-eat experience that’s well-suited for large groups. Marinated beef bulgogi, grilled galbi short ribs, and spicy pork are served alongside traditional banchan dishes like kimchi, japchae glass noodles, and flavorful stews. Weekday lunch specials provide a nice discount on these filling meals.
11828 Rancho Bernardo Road, Suite 117–119
Dig in to your favorite curries and kebabs at Curry & More Indian Bistro. Most entrees are served with a choice of two side dishes, including basmati rice, potatoes with cumin, daal, naan, or mixed greens. Help offset the spice with one of their sweet mango or strawberry lassi drinks.
11808 Rancho Bernardo Road, Suite 123
Kai Oliver-Kurtin is a San Diego-based writer who covers travel, dining, events, and culture. Her writing has been published in USA Today, Condé Nast Traveler, Fodor's Travel, Marie Claire, and HuffPost, among others.
From San Diego’s coastline to Los Angeles stadium and fan zones across the region, here’s how to experience soccer’s biggest event
When three nations and 16 cities come together to host the FIFA World Cup 2026, the scale stops feeling like a tournament and starts feeling like geography. A continent becomes the stage as borders soften into corridors. And Southern California—shaped by migration, sport, entertainment, and constant movement—sits inside that landscape with all eyes on it.
San Diego and Los Angeles have always felt connected. Hop on the Pacific Surfliner, and the trip unfolds in one continuous stretch of coastline, passing beach towns, neighborhoods, and city centers.
Traveling from San Diego, everything still feels slightly suspended as the Pacific Surfliner follows the coast north with ocean on one side and a slow suburban blur on the other. San Diego stays in exhale. Los Angeles is already building toward something louder.
This summer, Los Angeles will host eight matches of the FIFA World Cup at Los Angeles Stadium, including the US Men’s National Team opener on June 11, while the region stretches into 39 days of programming across stadiums, parks, transit hubs, beaches, and neighborhoods. Instead of one massive fan hub, Los Angeles is embracing a citywide celebration, with fan zones spread across its entirety.
But this pattern has been rehearsed here for decades. In 1994, Southern California became one of the defining stages of the World Cup, when matches at the Rose Bowl placed global attention on the region and turned local stadiums into international landmarks, confirming its ability to hold the world at scale.
What distinguishes Southern California is not just infrastructure, but cultural permeability. Fashion, music, film, art, and sport constantly overlap here, creating an environment where identity is flexible and always in motion. From the Venice boardwalk, where skate culture shaped modern street style, to global soccer stars rubbing shoulders with Hollywood celebs, to authentic Spanish cuisine moving up and down the I-5 corridor, everything circulates.
The World Cup is not introducing anything new here, it’s showing up for the summer and showing out, revealing what this city has always known about itself. What follows is a look at the fan zones and how Los Angeles turns itself into a city-wide stage for the tournament, one neighborhood at a time.
As the heart of Los Angeles, Union Station is an official Fan Zone June 25-28 during the World Cup, but in practice it never really stops being one.
It is the city’s circulation point, its meeting ground, its pressure valve. Commuters, travelers, match-day crowds, and everyday Angelenos all move through the same space, and everything mixes, overlaps, and scales in real time. In a way, this is where the World Cup stops arriving in Los Angeles and starts moving through it.
The Pacific Surfliner from San Diego to Los Angeles makes that shift feel almost too easy. No stress or gridlock anxiety, just a straight line up the coastline with ocean on one side and everything slowly becoming more built on the other. It’s one of the rare ways into LA that doesn’t feel like arrival as friction. You can sit with a laptop, watch the Pacific drift past, grab coffee from the café car, and let the city come to you in pieces.
That’s the beauty of arriving at Union Station. Instead of feeling like you’re on the edge of the city, you’re immediately surrounded by it. And, inside, the station already reads like a World Cup nerve center: banners, movement, multilingual energy, the sense that something global is about to funnel through this exact point. The Heart of the City Fan Zone only sharpens that feeling, with simultaneous match screens, DJ sets, meet and greets, and immersive activations built around marquee games like USA vs. Türkiye.
From there, the city splits outward.
ROW DTLA feels like the first exhale after arrival. A converted industrial campus turned creative district where restaurants, retail, and open-air courtyards form a self-contained ecosystem. If you’re looking for the perfect first meal in LA, make it lunch at Pizzeria Bianco. The thin-crust pizza is reason enough to go, but the space leaves just as much of an impression.
What I liked most about ROW DTLA is how quickly it resets you after the train. One minute you are stepping off at Union Station, and the next you are in a space that feels like its own version of LA, a city inside a city with some of the most curated shopping I’ve ever seen.
Bodega hides itself behind a convenience-store front, a sneaker and streetwear space disguised as something ordinary, like LA refusing to make anything feel too obvious. The whole campus moves like that, part retail, part gallery, part neighborhood you are only temporarily inside.
Isabella Dallas is a freelance writer for San Diego Magazine and the Arts and Culture Editor at The Daily Aztec in her final year at San Diego State University. She previously worked as an editorial intern for SDM, but when she’s not writing, you can find her trying the best coffee spots in SD, devouring the latest rom-coms, and indulging in anything and everything pop culture.
We rounded up the city’s best events, activities, and restaurants to celebrate Dad on June 21
Father’s Day is often the overlooked summer holiday that doesn’t quite get the extravagant brunch treatment or overflowing bouquets that Mother’s Day does. Sure, there’s the annual pair of socks, Padres hat you’re convinced he doesn’t already own, beer subscriptions, phone case doubling as a wallet, plus the classic “Best Dad” keepsakes. But this year, let’s flip the narrative with events, activities, and specials made with Dad in mind.
Whether he wants a quiet dinner, a big screen full of San Diego sports and wings, or a weekend that somehow includes NASCAR, a jazz festival, and a Broadway reimagining, there is something for every dad. Here’s your guide to a memorable Father’s Day in San Diego.
Jump To: Activities | Bars & Drinks | Dining Specials
Nothing says “Happy Father’s Day” like the sound of engines ripping across Naval Base Coronado. NASCAR is turning this into a historic race weekend that feels less like a casual outing and more like a full-scale San Diego moment people will be talking about long after June is over. This is the first time a NASCAR Cup Series race has ever taken place on an active military base, which instantly puts it in “you had to be there” territory.
It’s fast, loud, and very on-brand for a Father’s Day where Dad suddenly becomes an expert on tire strategy, pit stops, and track positions. The bar might be set unreasonably high for every Father’s Day that follows, but that’s a next-year problem, right?
Price: Tickets available on Ticketmaster
Dates: June 19–21 | Weekend Schedule
Address: Naval Base Coronado
At Humphreys, Father’s Day gets a little more sophisticated. Roger Friend and an all-star lineup of jazz musicians bring decades of international experience to the bay, where dads can lean into their musical side with head nods and shoe taps. It’s smooth, layered, and exactly the amount of jazz you didn’t realize your playlists were missing.
Price: Tickets available on Ticketmaster
Time: 6 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Address: 241 Shelter Island Drive, San Diego
Belmont Park is rolling out a Father’s Day lineup that basically turns Mission Beach into a living garage scene, with a free car show featuring everything from polished 1960s Camaros to classic Bel Airs and lowriders. If he has a ride of his own, vintage car owners can join the lineup for $35 per vehicle. After the chrome tour, it’s straight into a Mission Beach classic: boardwalk strolls, fish tacos on the sand, and rides at Belmont Park.
Price: Free to attend | Register vehicle here
Time: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Address: Belmont Park, 3146 Mission Boulevard, San Diego
I think it’s an unspoken rule that dads love Bob Dylan. Mine is already figuring out how he’s getting to San Diego for this. But this isn’t just a Father’s Day activity, it’s a cultural event that happens to land on Father’s Day weekend and immediately becomes the plan. Bob Dylan at The Rady Shell means you’ll be surrounded by city lights sparkling across the harbor, legacy music, and at least one moment where Dad leans over and whispers, “You know, this guy wrote everything.” And honestly? He’s not wrong.
Price: Tickets available on Ticketmaster
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Address: 222 Marina Park Way, San Diego
The San Diego County Fair returns with fried everything, questionable decisions, rides that definitely looked safer in the 2000s, and Dad’s very confident plan to “just walk around for an hour” that somehow turns into an entire day. It’s also the biggest, longest-running community event in San Diego County, running Wednesday, June 10 through Sunday, July 5, with a “Once Upon a Fair” theme. It basically becomes part of the Father’s Day season whether you planned it or not. So, consider this your annual reminder that “happily ever after” can, in fact, involve Cajun honey dogs, cinnamon rolls, a Ferris wheel you swore you wouldn’t go on, and Dad somehow knowing exactly which booth has the best Spam wonton tacos.
Price: Tickets available here: website
Date & Time: June 10 – July 5 (closed Mondays & Tuesdays) | 11 a.m.
Address: 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd, Del Mar
Isabella Dallas is a freelance writer for San Diego Magazine and the Arts and Culture Editor at The Daily Aztec in her final year at San Diego State University. She previously worked as an editorial intern for SDM, but when she’s not writing, you can find her trying the best coffee spots in SD, devouring the latest rom-coms, and indulging in anything and everything pop culture.
The annual event honors middle market companies creating jobs, scaling up, and investing in the region
San Diego is known for its startup culture and innovation economy, but what happens when the company moves beyond its early-stage years? The San Diego Business Impact Awards aim to answer that question, spotlighting the middle market businesses helping drive the region’s economy.
Hosted by San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation (EDC) and JPMorganChase, the second annual awards celebration takes place on Thursday, July 23, from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m. at Scripps Research Auditorium. More than 200 executives, entrepreneurs, and business leaders are expected to attend the networking and cocktail event honoring some of San Diego County’s fastest-growing companies.
Businesses headquartered in San Diego County that have operated for at least two years are encouraged to submit their nomination by Thursday, June 18 at 4 p.m. Companies across industries—from technology and life sciences to tourism and consumer products, as well as pre-revenue startups—are eligible for recognition.
For EDC President and CEO Mark Cafferty, the event is as much about building connections as celebrating success. “We’ve had a longtime partnership with JPMorganChase; their work aligns with our efforts to support underserved communities and drive talent development,” says Cafferty. “And the networking was invaluable last year. I’m still in touch with people I met at last year’s awards.”
EDC is an independently-funded nonprofit that works directly with San Diego companies to help them grow the local economy, make the region as a whole more competitive, and attract and retain top-tier talent with quality jobs. Through EDC, companies can get help starting or expanding their business with support for things like site selection, permit navigation, and regulatory guidance, plus connections to local resources and potential business collaborators.
The San Diego Business Impact Awards began as an idea with one of EDC’s longtime strategic partners, JPMorganChase. The two organizations share a commitment to San Diego and are dedicated to bolstering middle market businesses.
“We’re blessed with a robust innovation economy and startup community,” says Aaron Ryan, San Diego Region Manager for JPMorgan’s Commercial and Investment Bank and vice chair of the firm’s’ San Diego Market Leadership Team. “But one of the segments of the business community we felt was overlooked was emerging middle market companies—the businesses that are no longer small but not yet large.”
Ryan says supporting those companies is critical as they scale and decide where to invest, hire, and grow.
San Diego’s high cost of living remains one of the region’s biggest business challenges, making talent recruitment and retention increasingly competitive. But local leaders point to the region’s quality of life, climate, and collaborative business community as advantages that continue to attract employers and workers.
“In order to support thriving households, there has to be enough high-quality jobs for people to be able to afford to live here,” Cafferty says. “Once a company grows and excels past that middle market point in their growth cycle, they become much more likely to pay higher wages and compete globally.”
Both Cafferty and Ryan proudly tout the unique collaboration that exists among San Diego County businesses. Bringing together top universities producing high-quality talent, cutting-edge research institutions, a robust military and defense presence, leading ocean science and environmental organizations, and a binational, cross-border identity creates a distinct business ecosystem that defines and strengthens the San Diego region.
Last year’s San Diego Business Impact Awards celebrated nearly 60 honorees from 49 industries, representing a total of 8,232 jobs across eight sectors, including: software and technology, healthcare and life sciences, consumer goods, professional services, finance, construction and manufacturing, defense, and hospitality and tourism. On average, honoree companies doubled their revenues over the previous year, employed more than 145 San Diegans each, and offered an average annual compensation of $192,415.
Top honorees included defense contractor Innoflight, environmental consulting firm Bancroft Construction Services, life sciences startup Element Biosciences, defense technology contractor GALT Aerospace, organic grocery store chain Jimbo’s, and biopharmaceutical company LENZ Therapeutics. During the event, Innoflight Founder and CEO Jeff Janicik held a fireside chat offering his insights on investing in the community and embracing San Diego culture.
This year, organizers hope to continue highlighting the middle market players driving economic impact across the region. Nominations are now open through June 18 at 4 p.m. Get your tickets to the San Diego Business Impact Awards celebration to enjoy drinks by Snake Oil Cocktail Co., light bites, live music, and networking.
Food writer Beth Demmon names local bites we love—both at the high and low ends of our budgets
We love a mega-fancy tasting menu, but let’s be honest—we’re not all blessed with unlimited Wagyu funds. So we picked some of the breakout dishes of the last year (or couple of years) from the best chefs in the city, reverse-engineered their chief charms (salty, smoky, caramelized?) in the test lab of our mouths, and found some budget-friendly alternatives that hit some of the same notes with an everyday price tag.
Where do delicately plucked marigold blossoms adorn Deer Isle scallops, or ingredients like fermented raspberry precede roasted coffee oil, shiro miso caramel, or bronze fennel in a parade of hit-after-hit dishes? Lilo in Carlsbad, of course. San Diego’s newest Michelin star changes its menu with the seasons, but one stalwart dish has kept tongues wagging since opening day last April: the caviar ice cream. A boat-shaped sliver of orgeat ice cream, smoked celery root bushi, and freshly pressed almond oil are topped with a generous heap of caviar. It’s a dish so good and defining that chef Eric Bost will tire of talking about it for a very long time.
Price: $265 for the tasting menu (before tax, tip, and drinks)
There’s a reason Stella Jean’s s’mores ice cream is part of the local scoop shop’s “always available” menu. Made with fire-roasted marshmallows and coconut ash ice cream mixed with dark chocolate-covered graham crackers and mini marshmallows, its strangely ashen hue dabbled with flecks of tawny brown is a far cry from the wildly vibrant ube and pandesal toffee flavor seemingly made for Instagram reels. But it’s a sensation in your mouth—smoky, toasty, torched, creamy, marshmallowy, coconutty, ashy, and bitter from the dark chocolate. Pro tip: If you really want to DIY Lilo’s ultra-luxe treat, bring your own caviar.
Price: $6.25 for a single scoop
There’s no question what comes first at Lucien. It’s the egg. Chef and co-owner Elijah Arizmendi’s 12-course tasting menu begins with welcome bites under the calamansi tree before moving inside to start the Journey (the actual name of this section of the menu). The first step is one of the most astounding—a perfectly intact, upright, ochre-hued eggshell containing his take on Japanese chawanmushi (egg custard), topped with a dollop of caviar. The accompanying ingredients have ranged from sweet corn and huitlacoche to banana and buckwheat, but each one has precisely demonstrated Arizmendi’s commitment to French technique with California experimentation and global influence.
Price: $260 for the chef’s tasting menu (before tax, tip, and drinks)
The biggest difference (besides price) is that while Lucien’s dish changes with the season, Sushi Ota is comfortably predictable. A San Diego staple since 1990, the legendary Sushi Ota has been one of those if you know, you know joints that locals try to keep off the radar. (It hasn’t worked at all.) Known for ultra-fresh fish and ultra-traditional service, the small Pacific Beach restaurant also serves Japanese comfort foods like udon noodle soup alongside sashimi, nigiri, and rolls. But it’s the savory steamed egg custard, called chawanmushi, that really gives you the warm and fuzzies. Add a side of salmon roe (ikura) for a few bucks more, and this dupe is about as good as it gets.
Price: $12 for chawanmushi, $11 for ikura
Enough ink—and tears, I’m sure—has been spilled over Chick & Hawk’s long and arduous journey to opening its doors. But now that the Encinitas eatery is in full swing, chef Andrew Bachelier’s tightly curated menu of fried chicken sandwiches, fries, and bowls command lines of hungry locals and skate-culture loyalists. The Birdman, the signature hot chicken sandwich named for partner and skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, is piled with cabbage slaw and pickles and slathered with a tangy kimchi comeback sauce on a soft brioche bun. Although this Nashville meets California meets Mississippi meets Korea sando doesn’t command a triple-digit price tag, the fact that it’s nearly a $20 chicken sandwich (sans side) has been a topic of conversation. Bachelier—who worked at Addison before opening Jeune et Jolie, then launched SDM’s 2024 “Best New Restaurant,” Atelier Manna—and his team earned that price tag.
Price: $18
It’s hard to beat Koreans at the chicken game. Korean fried wings are defined by a double-fry technique—first at a low temperature to ensure the chicken is cooked through, then at a high temperature to ensure the famed extra-crispy, ear-splittingly crunchrageous magic. At Cross Street, they follow a similar fusion ethos as Chick & Hawk, using inspiration from the American South as well as Thailand, Korea, Vietnam, and more, with flavors like “Seoul Spicy” or “Honey Butter” for whatever you’re feeling that day. Pair it with a cold beer to go full chimaek (a popular Korean combination of pairing fried chicken and beer). Now that’s a combo—and price tag—that’s hard to beat.
Price: $8.75 for five wings
PB&J. Captain & Tennille. Brad Wise and steak. Steak frites ranks among the iconic global duos. And when the holy union of prime cuts and twice-fried carbs comes from Wise and the meat-loving masters at Trust Restaurant Group, it’s a pretty safe bet. À L’ouest—the group’s newest fancy, but not fussy, drippy plant dreamscape of a French steakhouse on the prime corner of 30th and University in North Park—gives guests a choice: 12-ounce New York strip, 8-ounce filet mignon, or 8-ounce Wagyu hanger, topped with sauce au poivre (the classic French pan sauce—peppercorns, shallots, heavy cream, brandy) and served with a heaping pile of 24-hour salt-brined fries and a watercress salad. One bite acts as a transport to a Parisian brasserie, so if you think about the cost in terms of time-space travel, it’s a pretty great deal.
Price: starts at $48
To satisfy the same urge for meat and potatoes, feel at least moderately European while doing so, and save a couple quid, a trip to The Shakespeare in Mission Hills ticks all the boxes. The classic British shepherd’s pie arrives in a piping hot oval au gratin dish, smothered with a thick layer of mashed potatoes. Beneath it lies a hefty portion of marinated ground beef and vegetables in the pub’s secret sauce, and while there are a few choices of sides, the correct order is peas and “proper” chips (a.k.a. chunky, thick-cut fries versus the typically thinner American “French” fries). It’s more tickety-boo than très bien, but it’s immensely satisfying in any language.
Price: $22.95
Beth Demmon is an award-winning writer and podcaster whose work regularly appears in national outlets and San Diego Magazine. Her first book, The Beer Lover's Guide to Cider, is now available. Find out more on bethdemmon.com.
From dedicated line cooks to seasoned bartenders, these are the people making magic happen in city's top restaurants
Chefs have done gobs of thankless, lumbar-breaking work over years to land the role. Restaurateurs put their entire livelihoods on the line, microdosed sleep, took ultimate responsibility for every minor stress. They earned the spotlight they get. But ask one of them, and they almost always defer to a line cook who’s showed up for years, been deep in the thing, and whose absence would bring the kitchen to its knees. Or the bartender with a warmth that draws people whether they’re thirsty or not. Or the noble and spreadsheetable soul in charge of purchasing everything needed for the nightly show.
They call it the “heart of the house.”
Spotlight or not, these are the people who make a food culture hum at its daily core.
For this year’s “Best Restaurants” issue, we asked a handful of the top chefs and one restaurant owner—Tara Monsod (Animae/Le Coq), Jason McLeod (Ironside Fish & Oyster), Ananda Bareño (The Marine Room), Owen Beatty (A.R. Valentien), and Ryan Thorsen (Mister A’s)—who that person is for them.
These are the hearts of houses.
Roger Feria Krile is not only the guy you want to be friends with at work, but also the guy you want to hire: respectful, nose-to-the-grindstone, versatile. And he’ll drop off a fresh batch of cinnamon rolls at your house for the holidays. Born in Tijuana, Krile moved to the US with his mom and sister when he was in elementary school. He saw the sacrifices his mother made to give her children a better life, and he pushed himself to live up to that brighter future.
He came to cooking during the pandemic, asking himself, “What do I really love to do?” His answer: “Bake cakes for friends and break bread with people,” he says. That led to a culinary school degree and a stint in a Michelin-starred NYC kitchen, where he grew to “love and understand” fine dining. Now back in San Diego, Krile’s showing up at Animae in a major way. He does prep work three mornings a week and comes later in the day twice a week for dinner service. Most line cooks do one or the other, but he requested both tours of duty.
“Gotta get my reps, keep my skills sharp,” Krile says, “and I don’t want to miss the rush.” Prep work in the mornings helps him learn how Executive Chef Tara Monsod uses each ingredient to the fullest. Krile’s not just a line cook. One-quarter Filipino (and learning about his culinary heritage from mentor Monsod), he’s building his own Mexican-Filipino pop-up concept. Look for Sarsa—Filipino for salsa—where every dish is a play on words fusing Mexican and Philippine Spanish or Tagalog. He’s already R&D’d a breakfast sandwich, the tortantalong: a torta filled with a signature Filipino eggplant omelette called a tortang talong. Friends in the industry say it’s unexpectedly delicious.
“He shows up every day with a clear goal of one day opening his own restaurant, and that drive pushes him to go above and beyond,” says Monsod. “He is constantly learning, asking questions, and absorbing as much as possible, all while leading by example on the line.”
Ruben Martinez knows every bottle of wine at Mister A’s—not necessarily by taste (though he was on the tasting committee for years), but by where they are in storage and whether they need replenishment. Owner Ryan Thorsen wants the wine list at 100 percent available every night, and Martinez’s job is to make that a reality. He’s been keeping inventory on Mister A’s wines since the 1970s, back when he worked for founder John Alessio. And it’s not just vino: Martinez also procures the ingredients, arriving at 5 a.m. to meet delivery trucks, stock shelves, and alert chefs if anything’s amiss.
Then he hits the dining room for a once- or twice-over to find any imperfections. If a light is out, if the plumbing acts up, if something major happens after he leaves in the afternoon, he’ll fix it all. He’s the best guy to ask, anyway; he knows every inch of Mister A’s. “Before ‘Google it,’ there was ‘Call Ruben,’” Thorsen says.
Martinez started out in hospitality at 17 with his father at Hotel Del. “I thought it would be easy working with my dad,” he says. “But early on, he caught me fooling around with the boys and told me, ‘We’re here to make money for the company. If you’re not willing to work, get out of here.’” That set him straight and set the foundation for Martinez’s lifelong dependability.
He moved to Mister A’s a couple years later, and after over five decades, he’s now the indispensable purchasing manager who worked with Alessio, Betrand Hug, and now Thorsen. Later this year, he’s planning on retiring—though he’s already offered to keep showing up a couple days a week and help out with Thorsen’s new project at Liberty Station.
Thorsen knows this man is a gem. “I don’t think we fully grasp what it will feel like without him,” he says. Last year, he threw Martinez a surprise birthday party in Mister A’s Blue Room, inviting Martinez’s family and a whole cast of coworkers going back to Alessio days. Martinez says he had to leave the room to hide his tears.
There’s an hour most people never see, when a restaurant’s technically awake but not yet accountable, and that’s where Patrick Mattoon lives. He’s been the foundation of Ironside’s prep team for the past five years, quietly guiding the day toward success. He and his team are the first in, and they turn on ovens, check deliveries, catch mistakes before they become problems, and fix everything without ceremony so the chefs and line cooks walk into a day that already works.
Mattoon organizes, but more importantly, he owns. There’s no job too small, no detail beneath notice. In a kitchen, bad prep’s the one thing you can’t fix later, no matter how talented of a chef is at the helm.
Five years in, Mattoon still approaches each day with the same care and intensity that he had on day one. He takes every task seriously and sees it through completely—the kind of consistent work that doesn’t draw attention but makes everything else possible. When the restaurant got a soft serve machine, a notorious maintenance nightmare, he taught himself how to clean and run it just to make sure it never broke, not for credit but because that’s just how he’s wired.
“He is a silent leader who has the respect of the entire team due to leading by example,” says Ironside chef Jason McLeod.
Through 23 years, three executive chefs, and a recent kitchen remodel, lead line cook Arturo Celestino is a constant at A.R. Valentien. He’s there at 6:30 a.m. five days a week—sometimes six—for the Lodge’s breakfast service. That means he’s up early prepping potatoes, slicing mushrooms, whisking pancake batter, and stirring sauces “always with a smile,” says Owen Beatty, the restaurant’s new chef de cuisine. “He’s a good leader.”
Celestino shows the younger guys how to make the eggs fluffy, so the omelettes are always perfect (don’t stop twirling the spatula!). He keeps his line in line when their spirits start to naturally droop during the morning shift home stretch when his crew just wants to get out of there. As the lead, he’s also the one chefs turn to when newbies need motivation.
His secret sauce: “mucho talking!” It keeps people happy, and it also helps the chefs retain talent in the kitchen.
Celestino learned to cook out of “necesidad,” he says. He cut his teeth on fine dining at Pacifica Del Mar at the Hyatt and moved to A.R. Valentien in 2003, just a few months after it opened in 2002.
“I’ve had good jefes,” Celestino says of the three executive chefs he’s known at A.R. Valentien: Jeff Jackson, Kelli Crosson, and now Michelin-starred Eric Sakai. Under Jackson—who’s known for pioneering farm-to-table dining in San Diego—Arturo learned to appreciate local ingredients.
“My favorite is basil,” he says, “added to tomato sauce with garlic, it’s mmm.” Fresh basil plays the supporting role in A.R. Valentien’s signature brunch plate, which is also Celestino’s top choice on the menu (to make and to eat), via the Bull’s Eyes: slow-roasted eggplant with sunny-side-up eggs, tomato sauce, and La Quercia prosciutto.
“I love my job,” Celestino says as he flashes that smile. “It’s not just a plate of food. It’s an experience.”
If you’ve been to The Marine Room, you’ve probably met bartender Tony Suarez. With his charming Cuban accent and dapper vest and tie, he makes it his business to regale guests coming and going—even while he’s pouring, mixing, shaking, polishing glasses, and taking orders.
“Over 90 percent of our guests are celebrating a special occasion,” he says. “So I keep up the celebration throughout their whole visit.” He’ll make you a sparkling toast and a customized cocktail, and on your way out, he’ll wish you a happy birthday (again) and invite you back for drinks on him.
“My goal is always to delight the guest,” he says. “I like to discover how you feel and lead you to what you would like to drink.” That spirit of experimentation has led to new signature cocktails, such as the Gerald—crafted for a neighbor who’s a regular—featuring housemade pomegranate puree and bourbon, or the I Drink of You with local Bebemos tequila, Gran Marnier, and Green Chartreuse. You won’t find this anywhere else.
“[Suarez] has mastered the art of the personalized guest experience,” says Marine Room’s Executive Chef Ananda Bareño. “He remembers the small details and favorite orders that make our regulars feel like family.”
Suarez’s tenure at the Marine Room started with a walk on the beach and a knock on the door. He was impressed by the beautiful location, and he asked if they were hiring. He immediately started as a server assistant—right before Valentine’s Day. The bartender took Suarez under his wing, and he took to the books to learn all about spirits.
He’s taken on the bartender role with wisdom and grace, offering a sympathetic ear, a pick-me-up, and a “human to human connection,” he says. Ten years into his career, the surroundings still inspire him as much as they did on day one.
“The Marine Room, the windows onto the ocean, [all] have a healing effect,” he says.
Leorah Gavidor won her first essay contest at age 5. She writes features, news, and non-fiction in San Diego.
Scripps study shows that some patients may be able to taper their dose and maintain results
While glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agents have been used to treat Type 2 diabetes for more than 20 years, their recent emergence as weight-loss wonder drugs marked a new frontier in medicine. But their effectiveness has left some patients wondering what to do once they’ve reached their goal. Stopping the medication could mean regaining some, if not all, of the weight. A Scripps Clinic internal medicine physician recently conducted a small study of whether GLP-1 patients who had reached their goal weight could maintain that weight by taking their regularly prescribed injection every other week instead of weekly. Spoiler alert: 30 of 34 patients did. Read more about the study here and what that may mean as pharmaceutical companies roll out oral GLP-1s.
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