Featured articles
Featured articles
Featured articles
What's next
Featured articles
Featured articles
Featured articles
Ready to know more about San Diego?
SubscribeReady to know more about San Diego?
Litvak Dance uses modern movement to tackle our local history
There’s a magic that comes from sitting in a dark theater and watching a live performance, says Litvak Dance Artistic Director Sadie Weinberg. The crowd of strangers, the energy of the performers—it’s an experience that can be hard to translate onto Zoom. But Litvak Dance found a way to make it happen.
The North County–based modern dance company was putting the final touches on their latest work—The Suffrage Project—when the pandemic shuttered theaters and put a pause on live performance. Their initial plan, to take the project to local schools, theaters, and libraries, was wiped. In its place, Weinberg transitioned the project to a virtual platform, launching it as a collection of dance solos online and through a few live-streamed performances.
“The thing about the arts, and people in the arts, is that we make it happen and just keep moving forward no matter what,” she says. “I’m grateful that my dancers wanted to keep going and that audiences still wanted to watch, even if it was online.”
The Suffrage Project honors the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote in the United States from a modern perspective, exploring themes surrounding class, identity, race, and sexual orientation. Beyond the significance of inciting political change, the historical movement also encouraged people, mainly women, to question their current realities and realize the power and role they had in shaping democracy. It was that emphasis on going against the status quo that Weinberg and her dancers drew upon as inspiration for the dance project.
“I think it’s important that we continually investigate our perceived history,” she says. “There is so much more to the stories we learn in school. Working on this project has inspired me to think deeper on what suffrage looks like 100 years later and, in our case, use dance as the tool to do it.”
The dancers do that digging through a series of self-choreographed solos, connecting their own personal experiences and familial histories with the stories of San Diego’s lesser-known pioneer women. Each piece tells a different story, introducing viewers to figures like María Amaparo Ruíz de Burton, who lived through California’s turbulent transition from Mexican to United States territory, and America Newton, a Black woman who gained her freedom from slavery and helped found the town of Julian.
Viewers can find the dances on Litvak’s website, where additional materials like artwork by Wren Polansky and background information on the historical women offer more insight into the project’s many layers. Weinberg says that taking the project to a digital platform allowed them to have a broader reach—moving beyond their typical audience to reach young dancers and high schoolers around the county by working with teachers to incorporate it into their lesson plans.
And while Weinberg says that nothing will beat the feeling of performing for a live audience, she and her dancers have found a sort of sweet harmony in carrying on the legacy of some of San Diego’s most noteworthy women through a modern lens.
Litvak Dance
PARTNER CONTENT
Doug McMinimy
Chef collabs, cooking demonstrations, DJs, and tailgates—your guide to all the experiences featured at this year’s affair
Slip into the moment: You’re strolling through Surf Sports Park in the fall outfit you’ve been dying to wear, maybe even snagging some handmade jewelry with rare natural gemstones from Timka Jewelry while sipping locally made hard kombucha and snacking on Michelin-starred must-try meals from San Diego restaurants. In the background, celebrity chefs mingle by small parties with DJs spinning and professional athletes passing by floral photo ops that are basically made to be framed. You pause for a wine pour that looks almost too good to drink and catch acclaimed talents like Jackson Kalb collaborating with Quixote.
This is the Del Mar Wine + Food Festival—one of SoCal’s premiere food and drink events showcasing the unique culinary experiences infused with San Diego’s fitness and wellness culture. If you’re heading to the fest this year, we put together an insider’s guide to all the standout activations at the Grand Tasting taking place from September 13 & 14. Here’s what not to miss:
Across Saturday and Sunday, festival-goers can wander the grounds to enjoy activations from sponsors like LaCroix, Landmark Vineyards, Justin Wines, and Clink. These pop-ups will be offering food and drink tastings, goodie-bags, and little surprises that make wandering the festival half the fun.
Clink will be pouring a mix of wines in the picnic area just outside the VIP tent, while Justin, Landmark, and Lewis wines will host tastings nearby. Heaven Hill Tequila Ocho and Mezcal Vago, will be outside the beach area near Feeding San Diego, and LaCroix will be available throughout the grounds with sparkling water and an Instagram-worthy floral photo-op near the Locals zone.
You can also catch San Simeon wines outside the VIP tent, Spritz in the beach area, Peroni and Blue Moon outside VIP, The Grill Dads throwing tailgate-style parties with Grillin’ Time canned cocktails flowing from branded coolers, and The Los Angeles Golf Club Dryvebox giving everyone the chance to test their swing on a golf simulator. Follow your taste buds, your camera, or your curiosity and you’re guaranteed to run into something worthy of a pause at every turn.
Chef collabs at the Del Mar Wine + Food fest mix flavor, personalities, and a little bit of culinary chaos in the best way. After all, how often do you catch two acclaimed talents sharing the same space? On Saturday, Jackson Kalb teams up with Quixote, while Jet Tila links with Serea and Lionfish for a full-on takeover of the Culinary Comp Zone. Both days feature Fox Point partnering with Haven’s Mawa McQueen in the VIP area, while Plant Paradise joins forces with Nichols Farms and chef Zuliya Khawaja.
And this is just some of many prime celebrity-spotting opportunities. Your favorite chefs will be sprinkled all across the weekend’s lineup. Get the full lowdown on where to find them here.
Beyond the zones, the weekend features some of the best SoCal names in the food and drink industry including A+M Catering, Amalfi Cucina Italiana, Quixote, Glass Box, Rosemarie’s Buns & Brews, Bianchi Winery, Rootdown Wine Cellars, and more. Saturday brings the star power of STK Steakhouse, Jake’s Del Mar, ARLO San Diego, and Provisional Kitchen, while Sunday turns the spotlight to Lana Restaurant, Waverly, Flame & Flavor, and Seasons 52. Click here to see the full list of participating restaurants.
Kyoku Knives will also make its mark as a headline sponsor throughout the festival, with chef Jeff Roberto breaking down sushi, sashimi, and Wagyu beef during the Sushi on a Roll activation in the VIP Reception Area. He’ll be joined by Brian Malarkey (Top Chef, Herb & Wood, Animae) and Tommy “The Fishmonger” Gomes (Outdoor Channel) so be sure to get your cameras ready.
Field games and foodie finds galore, throughout the weekend, attendees can catch some wiffle ball and classic ballpark eats at Ballpark in the Park, dive into a soccer experience with San Diego Wave FC or join tailgate enthusiasts with SDFC and DirecTV. Or, keep the celebration going with DJs spinning at the Mountain experience.
At Street Fleet Alley, find local food trucks and street food pop-ups serving their best fare. Plus, this year, Baja and Paso Robles head to San Diego to showcase their local breweries, restaurants, and lifestyle brands—keep an eye out for their activations.
Everywhere you turn, you’ll find art installations, local food, celebrity chefs, TV personalities, and unique pop-ups. It’s what the Grand Tasting is all about: living your best life, one sip, bite, and beat at a time.
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.
Where to eat, drink, shop, and play in this North County gem
San Marcos has a variety of delectable dining options conveniently located downtown in Old California Restaurant Row. This Spanish-style plaza houses a dozen chain and regional restaurants, many of which are open for outdoor dining, including mainstay Fish House Vera Cruz, gold-rush-inspired Old California Mining Company, and North County’s first microbrewery, San Marcos Brewery & Grill. Just up the street you’ll find Mama Kat’s. This charming café named for the owner’s mother offers breakfast favorites, specialty coffees, pastries, and pies.
Fish House Vera Cruz
Justin Halbert
San Marcos has some tasty drink options, too. Meadiocrity’s sweet honey wine supports local beekeepers and helps hives thrive. Visitors to Sunshine Mountain Vineyard can enjoy its varietals on a patio overlooking the lush, rolling hillsides.
Antique Village
Justin Halbert
Tucked amid the warehouses and showrooms along Furniture Row is Antique Village, a one-stop shop for vintage jewelry, collectibles, coins, china, toys, memorabilia, and more from over 60 vendors. San Marcos also caters to crafters and creators with stores like Yarning for You, Grand Country Quilters, Quilt in a Day, and Discount Hobby.
Double Peak
Justin Halbert
Affectionately known as “San Parkos,” this city is blanketed with green space and trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. Double Peak, accessible via scenic Discovery Lake, is one of the most popular treks. At the top of this 1,000-foot climb in the San Elijo Hills, hikers are treated to views stretching from the mountains to the sea. Not a hiker? Not a problem. There are plenty of outdoor options for you, too. Head to Lake San Marcos for a day on the water. Lakehouse Hotel & Resort rents motorboats to cruise along the calm waters, and you can even explore the lake by gondola by booking an advance tour with The Black Swan Gondola Company. End the day with a cold one at Decoy Dockside, the resort’s restaurant, which has two spacious decks.
Discovery Lake
Nearby Elfin Forest is a hiker’s paradise and Halloween-lover’s delight. Legend has it that shadowy apparitions, a wicked witch, and a ghostly woman in white roam this rugged reserve after dark. However, after-hours visits are strictly off-limits for a dangerous practical reason: Mountain lions and the other wildlife who call the reserve home need to do what they do undisturbed.
Mama Kat’s
Justin Halbert
Must-visit restaurants, shops, and attractions in San Diego’s North County
One of the great joys of San Diego is the way its culture shifts between neighborhoods. We all contain multitudes—and there’s a SD borough for every self. We can unleash our inner Carrie Bradshaw amid the high rises of downtown. Relive our halcyon college days in hard-partying PB. Cultivate the cocktail taste of a film noir detective at a North Park whiskey bar.Sometimes, though, we want to leave city life behind for the slower pace of smaller coastal ’burbs, where we can wake to the sound of crashing waves and make leisurely plans over diner coffee. Of course, in SD county, things can slow down, but they’re never boring.Just north of downtown San Diego is a collection of towns that are rich in history and full of unique attractions. From surf museums to three-star Michelin restaurants and family-friendly activities, North County celebrates Southern California’s creativity and sense of community.Here are the top must-visit spots to eat, adventure, shop, and stay in North County San Diego, California:
Courtesy of 101 Cafe
An Oceanside staple, the 101 Cafe has been serving diner-style food since 1928. The retro, easygoing eatery is a local-favorite spot to enjoy a hearty omelet, stack of pancakes, and a good ‘ole cup of joe.
Photo Credit: Eric Wolfinger
There’s no menu at Southern California’s first and only three-star Michelin restaurant, Addison. Instead, diners place their palates in the capable hands of chef William Bradley and explore a seasonal, nine-course tasting that celebrates California ingredients and cuisine.
View this post on Instagram
Satisfy your sweet tooth at Cali Cream. The Encinitas ice cream shop is known for their vast selection (50-plus flavors!) and generous scoops. With a second shop located in the Gaslamp Quarter, Cali Cream is a must-visit for a sunny day treat.
Courtesy of Campfire
Inspired by the California landscape and its produce-forward flavors, Campfire is a rustic spot built on the spirit of bringing people together. The Carlsbad eatery lives up to their name, preparing meals on a custom 12-foot hearth. Led by chef Eric Bost, Campfire offers fun cocktails, vegan options, and s’mores for dessert.
If you’re looking for a cozy breakfast and lunch joint, then Claire’s on Cedros is the place to go. Try meals like the brioche breakfast grilled cheese sandwich, blackberry-stuffed french toast, and salted caramel waffles, all made with locally sourced ingredients. Claire’s Too, the restaurant’s coffee shop and bakery, is a great quick stop for grab-and-go goodies.
Courtesy of Golden Coast Mead
Golden Coast Mead sells delicious, preservative-free sips made from fermented honey. Serving dry, sour, sweet, and spiced versions of mead, the Oceanside shop prides itself on innovative flavors—and its commitment to saving the bees.
Courtesy of Encinitas Visitors Center
Bringing coffee shop cuteness to Encinitas is Ironsmith Coffee Roasters. The team focuses on sourcing high-quality coffee beans and providing rejuvenating drinks. Need a little treat? Ironsmith serves Wayfarer Bread pastries and sourdough loaves on Sundays.
Courtesy of Pizza Port
While Pizza Port has made its mark in San Diego with multiple spots, the original location is nestled in Solana Beach. Siblings Gina and Vince Marsaglia opened the restaurant in 1987, launching their line of craft brews five years later.
View this post on Instagram
Carlsbad watering hole Rouleur Brewing Company is a local, cycling-inspired craft brewery that keeps charity and philanthropy top of mind. They’ve collaborated with orgs such as Curebound, a local nonprofit striving to raise money for cancer research.
In 1946, Tony and Catalina Gonzales transformed their family home into a cozy Mexican restaurant called Tony’s Jacal. Today, their daughters, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren run the business, cooking up the couple’s original recipes for turkey tacos and chile rellenos.
View this post on Instagram
A San Diego legend, the Belly Up Tavern has been North County’s hottest venue for live music since the 1970s. Located in Solana Beach, the venue has hosted a laundry list of talented artists and bands, including Etta James, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and the Rolling Stones.
Courtesy of the California Surf Museum
Jordyn Berg is a freelance writer whose favorite topics include food and travel. A Pacific Northwest native, she delights in exploring the best of San Diego, by searching for hidden gems, experiencing must-try restaurants, and soaking in the city’s amazing views.
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.
Tired of your housemate? Check out these serene spots around town
Often confused with the Desert Garden off Park Boulevard, Balboa Park’s 1935 Cactus Garden is home to a wide variety of cacti and succulents, including a collection of exotic African and Australian Protea plants. The garden has also been claimed by a feral cat colony—the cats are friendly and mind their own business, and local organizations have worked to spay and neuter and re-release them. You can access the garden by walking through the parking lot behind the Balboa Park Club or taking a trail from Palm Canyon.
2144 Pan American Road West, Balboa Park
This garden’s unassuming location off bustling Adams Avenue is part of what makes it such a sacred place for meditation. You won’t find any frills here, just a few benches, simple landscaping, and a statue in honor of the garden’s namesake spiritual leader, creating a small, tranquil respite from our busy world. For those who want to take their practice a step further, San Diego’s Sri Chinmoy Centre, located a couple miles down the road, offers free online meditation courses.
2508-2518 Adams Avenue, University Heights
San Diego Botanic Garden
Riley Murphy
A true urban oasis in North County, the Botanic Garden boasts 37 acres of peaceful landscaping to get lost in. Here, you’ll find flowering trees, vistas, thousands of plant species from all over the world, and the nation’s largest public bamboo collection. As you wend your way through the 29 themed gardens, you’ll catch glimpses of the Pacific Ocean beyond. The garden is currently operating by reservation only, so book ahead of time.
300 Quail Gardens Drive, Encinitas
1935 Cactus Garden
Riley Murphy
The Rising Co. provides more than a dozen San Diego businesses a home in a bright, open retail space
A 1930s gas station in Oceanside has transformed into The Rising Co., a bright, open retail space for more than a dozen San Diego businesses to share as a co-op. The South Coast Highway gem also serves as a community hub for locals to gather and connect—a valuable business model in today’s physically distant world.
“You have your home, you have work, and you’ve got this other place where you come and feel just as comfortable, and connect with in a different way,” says Jessica Vargas, designer and owner of Adobe by Jess Vargas. “We really want this to become everyone’s third home.”
Adobe by Jess Vargas
The Rising Co., named for brands that are on the rise, is home to local businesses who share similar values of sustainability, community, and producing artisanal goods. More than half of the businesses are also minority- or women-owned.
Each merchant leases a space and works eight hours a week inside the store, allowing for low overhead costs.
“Honestly, I wouldn’t be able to afford a place to get started in,” Vargas says. “To have that brick-and-mortar for customers to come in and see and touch the product, and have that conversation. You’re able to tell your story in a different way; it takes it to another level.”
The Rising Co. opened its doors last December. Three months later, they closed because of the pandemic. The team quickly developed a website and created hours for pickup and window shopping. Some merchants helped the community by making masks and gift bags for first responders, and they opened their parking lot for free to gyms to hold outdoor classes. They reopened in June.
Ornamental Plant Boutique
“I don’t think my business could have survived if I had been a new business owner with my own lease and possibly employees. I think it would have been devastating in the first year to have all of this happen and try to make it through,” says Janet Shepard, owner of Ornamental Plant Boutique.
The Rising Co. is not only helping support local businesses—it’s also provided a much-needed space for the community during the pandemic. Shepard says, “People who are coming in are like, ‘I want to support you guys because I know you just started. This is such a cool thing; we want to have this in our neighborhood and we want to support you.’”
“We wanted to create a place where we could come with our kids, hang out, and not feel obligated to shop. Get a coffee but be able to stay longer than you can at a normal, indoor coffee shop,” says Julie Rais Ellis, designer and owner of Rais Case. “That was originally part of the plan for that space, and then with the pandemic, it’s shown that is working.”
Elena Gomez is a freelance journalist. Her lifestyle blog, Wander North San Diego, focuses on all things North County.
The Rising Co. / Exterior
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.
For more nutrition, wellness, and healthy living tips, sign up for the San Diego Health newsletter here.
