currents - Pacific San Diego Magazine

san diego’s where, when and wow 

juLY 2011 

PacificSd’s 

Hotbody 

Contest Winner! 

(See more fiery physiques inside) 

Hot Summer Rock: 

Kona Brewing Co.’s Liquid Aloha 

Music Festival, X-Fest and more! 

Darth Invaders 

Comic-Con Redux 

and they’re off! 

Ponies, Hats and Cougars 

in Old Del Mar 

Body Shop 

UCSD’S Stem 

Cell Revolution 

Pumping Irony 

Cinema-Based 

Workouts for 

San Diegans 

pacificsandiego.com

Local judges and attorneys attest 

to our reputation for: 

Experience, integrity, and aggressive 

representation of our clients. 

Better Business Bureau A+ Rating. 

WHEN YOU NEED LEGAL 

REPRESENTATION, 

CALL SAN DIEGO’S MOST 

POWERFUL LITIGATORS. 

Never settle for less. 

AREAS OF EXPERTISE: 

SEXUAL HARRASSMENT: 

Watch how fast we can make it 

stop. 

If you’ve been sexually harassed 

at work, it’s time to call us. 

Mitchell | Gilleon fights employers 

and insurance companies…and 

wins. Let us help you regain your 

dignity and make the harasser 

accountable. 

PERSONAL INJURY: 

Money can make things better. 

If you’ve been hurt in a car 

accident, injured at work, tripped 

over something that shouldn’t have 

been there, bitten by a dog—if 

you’ve been hurt, for any reason, 

you have immediate and long-term 

needs. Mitchell | Gilleon will fight 

for your rights. 

WRONGFUL TERMINATION: 

They can’t fire you like that. 

If you’re employment has 

been terminated unjustly, your 

employer may have broken 

the law. Mitchell | Gilleon 

fights employers and insurance 

companies…and wins. 

RESULTS: 

CALL OR VISIT US ONLINE 

FOR A FREE CONSULTATION 

Mitchell | Gilleon obtained a $17,350,000 

judgment against a white supremacist. 

READ ABOUT THIS AND OTHER CASE STUDIES AT MGLAWYERS.COM. 

619.702.8623 

WWW.MGLAWYERS.COM

let 

down 

your 

hairr. 

AIRR…(yes, its different) 

AIRR, 526 MARKET ST. SAN DIEGO, CA 92101 

P. 619-546-8306 F. 619-546-8309 INFO@AIRR.US 

W W W . A I R R . U S

© 2011 Imported by Birra Peroni Internazionale, Eden, NC

Top-Shelf, 

All-Natural 

Spring Water 

Refresh with nature’s 

perfect spring water 

from a higher source: 

At 4,800 feet, atop 

Palomar Mountain 

San Diego County 

Served by the 

glass bottle at these 

fine restaurants: 

BENCOTTO 

BLUE POINT 

HOTEL DEL CORONADO 

JAKE’S DEL MAR 

LA JOLLA STRIP CLUB 

SBICCA DEL MAR 

THE MELTING POT 

VIGILUCCI’S 

ZENBU SUSHI 

palomarwater.com 

Palomar Mountain Premium Spring Water 

Escondido, California 

editor’s note 

“It’s like someone is blowing air into your muscle, and it just 

blows up and it feels different.” —Arnold Schwarzenegger 

I 

was wrong. The world is 

coming to an end. 

And somewhere in our 

collective consciousness, I 

think we all knew it would 

end this way. 

Members of our proud nation’s 

government have officially tarnished 

the sanctity of marriage. 

With all the sexed-up, anything-goes 

images the media (not to mention 

local magazines) shove down our 

throats—all but guaranteeing the 

sexual delinquency of our youth—it 

was only a matter of time. 

Legions of neoconservatives are 

scrambling to regain a sense of order 

in the lascivious aftermath of this new 

nuptial paradigm. 

Despite what you’ve heard, it is a 

choice, not something you’re born with. 

It’s called being a dick. 

Of course, I’m talking about our 

defunct ex-governor, the Sperminator 

himself. He pooped on marriage. 

Maybe we shouldn’t be surprised. 

In the 1977 documentary Pumping 

Iron, Arnold describes the “pump” he 

gets from weightlifting: 

“It feels fantastic. It’s as satisfying to 

me as coming is, you know, as in having 

sex with a woman and coming. So can 

you believe how much I am in heaven? I 

am like getting the feeling of coming in 

the gym. I’m getting the feeling of coming 

at home. I’m getting the feeling of coming 

backstage. When I pump up, when I pose 

out in front of 5,000 people, I get the 

same feeling, so I am coming day and 

night. It’s terrific, right? So you know, I 

am in heaven.” 

Heaven, huh? 

After all these years, it turns out 

Arnold was really saying, “I’ll be on 

your back.” 

Dude wasn’t just pumping iron— 

there was also the maid. And if that’s 

all it takes to get through the pearly 

gates, there’s gonna be a lot of clean 

houses ‘round these parts. 

Arnold may be full of huge 

muscles, but it’s that little one in the 

middle that keeps getting him in 

trouble. (They’re trying to grow small 

body parts at UCSD, by the way. See 

“Body Shop,” page 52.) Back in 1994, 

he even got himself pregnant—ever 

the movie, Junior? 

And poor Maria Shriver. Maybe 

we’ll see her at Cougar II Day at the 

Del Mar races (see “Horsing Around,” 

page 40). 

Incongruousman Anthony Weiner’s 

in on the marriage massacre, too. 

It wasn’t entirely his fault, however. 

He was just born too late—at a time 

when technological advances have 

rendered America’s second favorite 

pastime, photographing one’s gonads, 

nothing less than political suicide. 

When I grew up, you had to Xerox 

your junk. You couldn’t shoot it with 

your smartphone and then Tweet it. 

Plus, I wouldn’t have faxed those pics 

to anyone anyway—printer resolution 

was terrible back then. I digress. 

Point is, it isn’t the fact that gay 

people are now legally permitted to 

wed in New York (can Househusbands 

of Manhattan be far off?) that 

desecrates holy matrimony. To the 

contrary, it’s all the damn heteros, 

especially our elected officials, taking 

their dedicated betrotheds for granted. 

(This is a good time to profess 

my love for my wife. Our 10th 

anniversary is coming up in a few 

months. Love you, Honey.) 

The publicized indiscretions of 

Dickhead and Weiner tell a cautionary 

tale (tail?): 

Unless you’re willing to risk getting 

caught with a mess on your hands, 

don’t enter government if your real 

focus is entering the housekeeper or a 

blackjack dealer from New Jersey. 

And to be safe, take only mental 

pictures of your crotch from now on. 

Lest those ancient photocopies of 

my bum resurface, I would never run 

for mayor of this town. Well, that and 

I wouldn’t get many votes, especially 

not from the neocons. 

It’s Pride month and a great time 

to hug an LGBT neighbor. Love wins 

again. 

Hats off, New York. And hats on, 

Del Mar fans! See y’all at opening day! 

David Perloff, 

Editor-In-Chief

staff VOL.5 ISSUE 7 JuLY 2011 

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 

David Perloff 

PUBLISHERS 

David Perloff 

Simone Perloff 

E X E C U T I V E 

EDITOR 

CREATIVE 

DIRECTOR 

C O N T R I B U T I N G 

EDITOR 

C O N T R I B U T I N G 

WRITERS 

PHOTOGRAPHERS 

MARKETING 

DIRECTOR 

Pat Sherman 

Kenny Boyer 

Brandon Hernández 

Kelly Cisek 

Amanda Daniels 

B r a n d o n H e r n á n d e z 

Catharine Kaufman 

David Nelson 

David Moye 

John Parker 

C o o k i e “ C h a i n s a w ” 

Randolph 

Andrea Siedsma 

Alex Zaragoza 

Brevin Blach 

brevinblach.com 

Jeff “Turbo” Corrigan 

t u r b o . f m 

John Mireles 

j o h n m i r e l e s . c o m 

Alyson C Baker 

a l y s o n @ p a c i f i c s a n d i e g o . c o m 

A C C O U N T 

EXECUTIVES 

Tim Donnelly 

t i m @ p a c i f i c s a n d i e g o . c o m 

Brad Weber 

brad@pacificsandiego.com 

Reach 150,000 of the world’s sexiest readers 

via print, web and social media. 

Read, click, connect...BOOM! 

619.296.6300 

pacificsandiego.com; facebook.com/pacificsd 

Twitter @pacificsd

DYNAMIC VIEWS 20TH FLOOR ROOFTOP TERRACE FITNESS CENTER 

UPGRADED KITCHENS THE TROLLEY AT YOUR DOORSTOP RUS?!? 

CAN YOU BELIEVE I JUST BOUGHT 

A 2-BEDROOM CONDO 

DOWNTOWN 

FOR UNDER 

$400K :) 

Yes, it’s true. Smart Corner has some of 

the lowest priced condos in Downtown 

San Diego. Now is the time to own 

your view of the San Diego skyline. 

Incentives are also available, see your 

Sales Representative for details. Call for 

an appointment and parking validation. 

Visit Smart Corner today, it could be the 

smartest move you’ll ever make! 

Prices and availability are subject to change, please see 

your sales representative for details. 

866-546-5835 

smartcorner.net 

lic. #01430784 

1080 Park Blvd / Suite 1004 / San Diego, CA 92101 

11th Avenue 

C Street 

Broadway 

PRICED FROM $150,000 – $550,000 

Trolley 

Park Blvd. 

contributors 

Kelly Cisek 

Like most San Diego transplants, 

Kelly Cisek moved here “for 

the sunshine.” Hailing from 

the snowy slopes of the Pacific 

Northwest, she traded UGG boots 

for Reef flip flops seven years ago 

and hasn’t looked back. 

Cisek is nightlife editor for 

NBC’s TheFeast.com. When she’s 

not attending club soirées and 

restaurant grand openings, she 

can be found soaking up the sun 

in Pacific Beach or practicing her 

Italian in Little Italy. Follow her 

on Twitter @CiaoBionda. 

Read Kelly Cisek’s interview 

with Guest House DJs Scooter and 

Lavelle, “Out for a Spin,” page 69. 

David 

Nelson 

David Nelson reads cookbooks 

the way other people read novels. 

This has been true since he developed 

a fascination with cooking 

and culinary history in college 

(spurred by hunger and disillusion 

with cafeteria food). 

An adept chef, Nelson has expert 

knowledge of French and other 

European cooking styles. For years, 

he had a role in directing the San 

Diego edition of The Zagat Survey. 

He also served as a columnist for 

Westways magazine and was a frequent 

contributor to the Copley-era 

San Diego Union-Tribune. 

Learn what’s ripe for the summer 

grilling season in David Nelson’s 

“Up in Your Grill,” page 58. 

Andrea 

Siedsma 

San Diego native Andrea 

Siedsma writes about business, 

life sciences, technology and 

various other subjects. Her awardwinning 

journalism has 

been featured in local 

publications and on 

KPBS Radio. 

Siedsma’s dream is 

to buy a 1970s RV and 

use it as a mobile office 

by the beach. For now, 

she settles for her home 

office in Encinitas, where 

she pens her musings 

about surf culture, art, fashion and 

sustainability. Check out her blog, 

hippydirt.blogspot.com. 

Read “Charlie’s Angel,” page 

34, Andrea Siedsma’s story about 

two young entrepreneurs and their 

Solana Beach boutique.

M A G A Z I N 

San 

San D 

PACIFICSD PROM O T I O N 

San Dieg 

M A G A Z I N E 

San Diego 





Soak up summer at Kona Brewing Co.’s Liquid Aloha Music 

Festival, featuring (in addition to great craft beers on tap) 

live performances by: 

The Dirty Heads, 

One Drop, 

Sand Section, 

Simpkin Project 

and Kalama Brothers. 

WHEN: Saturday, July 9 

WHERE: NTC Promenade, Liberty Station 

INFO: liquidalohafest.com, facebook.com/KonaBrewingCo 

WIN: Score FREE tickets at pacificsandiego.com 

YES, 

YOU 

SCAN 

Scan here to sign up for PacificSD’s e-mail list and 

win tickets to hot events, $100 bar and restaurant gift 

certificates and whole lot more of San Diego’s 

WHERE, WHEN AND WOW! 

Proud to be Your Neighbor 

Come help spread the love and shake your groove thang 

at PacificSD’s official Pride after-parties, going off at the 

epicenter of Hillcrest: 

Eden nightlub and restaurant. 

WHEN: Friday and Saturday, July 15 and 16 

WHERE: 1202 University Ave., Hillcrest 

INFO: edensandiego.com, sdpride.org 

WIN: Score FREE VIP admission at pacificsandiego.com

07.11 

pacificsd 

features 

44 Complex Figures 

PacificSD readers pick a six-pack of winning physiques 

52 Body Shop 

UCSD researchers are working toward the dream of 

growing replacement organs and body parts 

54 CHASING TRAIL 

San Diego’s trailblazers—see how they run 

On the cover: Hotbody Contest winner Scott Kemp. Photo 

by Brevin Blach. 

This page: Fitness instructor and trail-running enthusiast John 

Parker strikes a pose atop Iron Mountain. Photo by John Mireles. 

18 pacificsandiego.com {July 2011}

KNOW YOUR LIMIT, MATE! 

FOSTERSBEER.COM 

© 2011 Oil Can Breweries, Fort Worth, TX

contents 

07.11 

pacificsd 

departments 

CURRENTS 

23 Walk This Way 

Walking the walk and celebrating Pride in San Diego 

page 

26 Guilty Leisure 

Costumed conventioneers let their dweeb flags fly 

during Comic-Con 

30 Hard Bodies 

The history of statues and other firm memorials 

36 Home, Sweat Home 

Fitness products made right here in San Diego 

40 Horsing Around 

Thundering thoroughbreds and rocking bands have 

race fans galloping to Del Mar 

TASTE 

58 Up in Your Grill 

San Diego chefs offer a fresh take on an old flame 

page 

6 2 Wa t e r Y o u Wa i t i n g F o r ? 

Taste-testing the waters at local eateries 

GROOVE 

67 Head Check 

Huntington Beach reggae rockers, The Dirty Heads, 

headline Kona Brewing Co.’s music fest 

68 X Marks the Rock 

Incubus and Bush to headline 91X’s annual 

X-Fest concert 

69 Out for a Spin 

Scooter and Lavelle deliver their “2x4” set at 

Guest House 

70 Airr Quality 

For one Gaslamp bartender, less air means more flavor 

page 

72 FAIR GAME 

Love is a wild ride—here’s proof 

CALENDAR 

78 Seven.Eleven 

July event listings 

THINK 

82 Sweating to the Oldies 

Getting fit with workouts based on classic movies 


currents 

coolture chainsaw HOME BODY action 

first things 

walk this WAY 

Walking the 

walk and 

celebrating 

Pride in 


By Pat Sherman 

When the 

shutter 

clicks 

and 

that 6-foot-tall drag queen 

and leather dominatrix 

are captured for posterity, 

it’s often hard to tell the 

difference between San 

Diego’s annual LGBT Pride 

celebration (the city’s largest 

civic event) and the annual 

Comic-Con International 

(San Diego’s largest 

convention), both of which 

take place in July. 

Where the events differ 

is in the people they draw. 

Pride parade participants 

include elected officials, 

school teachers and 

everyday people in polo 

shirts, walking alongside 

gay and straight parents 

and their kids. Comic- 

Con, on the other hand, 

pretty much draws 40-yearold 

virgins in Darth Vader 

costumes. (Luke, I am your 

boyfriend.) 

Hip-hop legends Salt- 

N-Pepa (Whatta Man, 

Push It, Let’s Talk About 

Sex) headline the Pride 

festival Sunday night, July 

17 (sans DJ Spinderella). 

The duo is a fitting 

addition to the weekend, 

(Continued on page 24) 

Salt-N-Pepa: Cheryl “Salt” Wray 

(left) and Sandy “Pepa” Denton 

pacificsandiego.com 23

OPENING DAY AT 

DEL MAR RACETRACK 

Call today for exclusive packages, tickets included! 

858.270.limo (5463) 

limos limo buses temecula wine tours sports/concert packages bachlorettes/weddings 

tcp: 22808B 

epiclimo.com 


(Continued from page 23) 

On my last tour, I sang with first things 

the Gay Men’s Chorus of San 

Diego. They backed me on a very grand, 

very huge song I do called, Your Di#k, which is an 

a n t h e m to p e n i s e s . T h e y w e r e w o n d e r f u l . 

—Comedian and Pride headliner, Margaret Cho 

given Salt-N-Pepa’s unapologetically positive 

depiction of gay sexuality in its 1995 video, None 

of Your Business, and their work to draw attention 

to safe sex in the early days of the AIDS crisis, 

via their song, Let’s Talk About Sex, and its spinoff 

video, Let’s Talk About AIDS (a safe-sex campaign 

produced in collaboration with ABC News 

anchor, Peter Jennings). 

“The record company, of course, was really, really 

scared, and we had to fight to put that song out,” 

says Cheryl Wray, aka Salt. “We had been traveling 

in Europe, where we found that people were 

way more open to communicate about sex, 

especially with their young people. It was 

really enlightening to us.” 

Pride’s Saturday night headliner, 

Margaret Cho, recently had the chance 

to dress up like a dude, appearing as 

testy North Korean despot Kim Jong-Il 

in an episode of 30 Rock. 

Margaret Cho 

LGBT Pride Parade 

WHEN: July 16, 11 a.m. 

WHERE: Starts at University Avenue and 

Normal Street in Hillcrest, then proceeds 

west on University to 6th Avenue, then south to 

Balboa Park. 

DEETS: Openly gay actress, anti-bullying 

activist and Family Ties star, Meredith Baxter 

(whose roles include convicted San Diego 

murderess Betty Broderick), is grand marshal 

of this year’s mile-long parade. 

LGBT Pride Festival 

WHEN: July 16, noon to 10 p.m.; July 17, 11 

a.m. to 8 p.m. 

WHERE: 6th and Laurel Streets, Marston 

Point, Balboa Park 

TICKETS: $20 per day; $30 for two days 

INFO: sdpride.org 

DEETS: The festival includes 

performances by comedians 

Margaret Cho and Ross Mathews, 

singer Kristine W, Latin 

recording artist Toby Love 

and hip-hop acts Salt-N- 

Pepa and God-Des & She 

(Lick It). 

The comedian and Drop Dead Diva star says 

she hopes her parents, who live in San Diego, 

will come to her performance—along with other 

hetero San Diegans—in 

celebration of diversity. 

But Cho offers 

one minor caveat: 

“I think people 

should probably 

put sun block on 

their ass if they’re 

going to wear 

ass-less chaps. 

That’s very 

important,” 

she says, 

“because your 

ass is not very 

reflective.” 

PixieVision Productions

WICKED 

SEXY 

FUN 

JULY 15, 16 & 17 

san diego 

gravity defied 

join eden for pride 

“san diego’s 

gay ground zero” 

gay.com 

1202 university ave | hillcrest | 619.269.3336 | edensandiego.com 

15 | [FU]BAR FRIDAY 16 | WICKED SATURDAY 17 | OFFICIAL SUNDAY 

DJ DREW G SAMANTHA RONSON DJ FRANKIE M


first things 

GUILTY 

LEISURE 

Costumed conventioneers 

let their dweeb flags fly 

during Comic-Con 

coolture 

chainsaw HOME BODY action 

An army of misfit toys 

and the perpetually 

adolescent revel in 

past Comic-Cons’ 

geeky pleasures and 

treasures. 

Photos Courtesy parkablogs.com 

B y D a v i d M o y e 

For 361 days a year, San Diego’s 

Gaslamp district is Scenester 

Central, where the slightest 

deviation from the mandates of 

style could result in a major fashion citation. 

But for four gloriously geeky days in July, 

the ‘Lamp is transformed into a veritable 

comic strip, in which a coup is waged on 

common sartorial sense, and 30-year-olds 

subsisting on pizza and Mystery Science 

Theatre in their parents’ basements reign 

over nightclubs, restos and city streets. 

The caped and makeup-ed mayhem 

known as the 42nd annual San Diego 

Comic-Con International takes place July 21 

to 24 at the San Diego Convention Center. 

This year (as in prior years) all 126,000 

available passes sold out in a matter of days. 

City officials and business leaders fought 

tooth and nail to keep the Con from 

moving to Anaheim or Los Angeles—and 

for good reason. Each year the event has an 

estimated economic impact of about $160 

million in San Diego County. 

“As big as the Con is—and, sometimes, 

I think it’s too big—I get a rush the 

minute I walk into the exhibit hall and 

see the exhibits for Marvel Comics or 

Star Wars,” says animation historian Jerry 

Beck, a consultant to Warner Bros. and 

previous executive with Nickelodeon and 

Disney. “I think, ‘These are my peeps.’” 

Comic-Con is unique among 

conventions, not only for the crowds it 

attracts, but also for its sneak peeks at the 

coming year’s pop culture offerings, such 

as the buzz it lent to the Twilight series, 

Avatar and Tron: Legacy. 

“It really is the pop culture center 

of the universe,” says Beck, who hosts 

a Friday night Con festival called The 

Worst Cartoons Ever Made. “In the past, 

you’d have to pick your days, but there is 

something going on at anytime now.” 


STAR SEARCH: The cast of the cable TV series Torchwood: Miracle Day (including John Barrowman, Eve Myles, Bill Pullman, Mekhi 

Phifer, Alexa Havins and Lauren Ambrose) will appear in a panel at 10 a.m., July 22. The cast of Spartacus: Vengeance (including Liam 

McIntyre, Dustin Clare, Lucy Lawless, Manu Bennett and Katrina Law) will be introduced to fans at 5:45 p.m., July 22. 


RESIST THE URGE TO GULP. 

RA’s new Summer Sips. Three cocktails you’ll want to try over and over again. 

Just $8 each. Available July 1 – August 15. 

Orange 

Dreamsicle 

Coconut 

Mojito 

Key Lime 

Martini 

Pinnacle Whipped Vodka, 

Ciroc Coconut Vodka muddled 

Pinnacle Whipped Vodka, 

fresh orange juice, a hint of 

with mint, fresh lime, coconut 

Ciroc Coconut Vodka, fresh 

coconut milk and soda water. 

Remember those days as a 

kid? They’re back, but in 

big kid form. 

milk and topped with soda 

water. Say hello to summer 

with a tropical and refreshing 

mojito variation. 

fruit juices, a dash of cream 

and a crushed graham cracker 

rim. Tastes like a slice of pie 

in a glass. 

SAN DIEGO 

BROADWAY AT FIFTH AVE 

474 BROADWAY 

619.321.0021 RASUSHI.COM



Rock ‘n Roll 

Dueling Pianos 

coolture 

Photos Courtesy parkablogs.com 

MONDAY 

DOORS AT 7PM, PIANOS AT 8PM 

$7 Beer & a Shot 

$3 Fish Tacos 

TUESDAY 


$2.50 Karl Strauss Bottles 

$5 Cosmopolitans 

$3 Fish Tacos 

WEDNEDSAY 


$2 Domestic Bottled Beer 

$3 Fish Tacos 

THURSDAY 


$2.50 Miller Lite Drafts 

$2 Lunch Box Shots 

$10 Miller High Life Buckets 

(5 bottles per bucket) 

DUELING PIANOS 

NIGHTS 

A WEEK 

FRIDAY 

DOORS AT 6PM, PIANOS AT 6:30PM 

$1 Any Draft Beer 6 - 7pm 

SATURDAY 

DOORS AT 6PM, PIANOS AT 6:30PM 

Specials TBA 

SUNDAY 


$3 Well Drinks 

$2.50 Budweiser Drafts 

$2 Shot Special TBA 

NO COVER 

SUNDAY- WEDNESDAY 

655 4th Ave, Gaslamp Quarter 

WWW.THESHOUTHOUSE.COM 

do THE Con LIKE THE PROS 

Wednesday, July 20: Preview Night—the best night to shop for those 

lightsaber chopsticks and other sci-fi souvenirs. Companies like Hot 

Wheels sell specially-themed Comic-Con-only cars. After Con, sell your 

hot tchotchkes on eBay while having a drink across the street at Hard 

Rock Hotel San Diego. 

Friday, July 22: The day for cult classic horror and sci-fi film panels. 

And don’t miss Klingon Lifestyles, an annual Friday night play produced by 

members of “San Diego’s Imperial Klingon,” which emulate the Star Trekinspired 

lifestyle. 

Saturday, July 23: The most crowded day, packing in more Cons than 

a state penitentiary, but it’s also the time for big panels and A-list celeb 

sightings. Create a tag-team system so you’re not continuously stuck 

waiting in line for that must-see Family Guy panel. 

Tip: Bring a camera, especially on Saturday, the day of the annual 

Masquerade Ball, attended by everyone from hot guys ‘n’ gals who fill out 

their costumes nicely, to the delusional frump with exceptional sewing skills. 

No tickets? Get in the spirit by walking around the Gaslamp, keeping your 

eyes peeled for your favorite film and TV stars. Lots of bars and restaurants 

offer drink specials, and many companies hire scantily-clad beauties to 

promote their projects (and unlike in real life, they have to be nice to you). 

For more info about Comic-Con events, screenings and panels, visit 

comic-con.org or whennerdsattack.com.


first things 

coolture 

HOME BODY action 

chainsaw 

HARD BODIES 

statues and other firm memorials 

B y C o o k i e “ C h a i n s a w ” R a n d o l p h 

Photo by Brevin Blach 

America loves paying tribute to icons—alive, dead or nameless— 

and that passion burns in San Diego. 

The very-much-alive Tony Gwynn never won baseball’s triple 

crown, but he’s won the triple crown of monuments: the Aztecs’ 

Tony Gwynn Stadium, Tony Gwynn Way which skirts Petco Park and the 

Tony Gwynn statue inside Petco’s Park at the Park. 

Gwynn’s our version of Oprah—everywhere he goes, there’s something 

named after him. Maybe that’s why, whenever I go to an Aztecs game, I 

check under my seat for keys to a new VW Beetle. 

San Diego native Ted Williams was born (and died) too late to receive those 

kinds of memorials. Plus he left San Diego as a young man; plus he was kind of 

crabby. What he did get was a stretch of state Route 56 in North County called 

Ted Williams Parkway—which, unless he got lost one day looking for a creek to 

fish, he never personally tread until the 1992 dedication. 

The San Diego Ice Arena in Miramar might be a more fitting tribute 

for the Splendid Splinter, what with his body currently being cryogenically 

preserved until science learns how to regenerate dead tissue (the erectile 

dysfunction industry has made huge strides for at least one organ so far). 

Let us consider the genesis of our obsession with naming things after 

people. The trend traces back to Biblical times. 

Young Moses never forgot the summer 

vacation between second and third 

grades when his parents drove 

him and his brother Aaron 

(“you kids stop the horseplay, or I’ll 

turn this asscart right back around”) 

through the intersection of Sodom and 

Gomorrah in downtown Leviticus Township for 

the first time, craning their necks to see the gigantic 

statues of Adam and Eve. 


Chainsaw 

prepares for his 

golden moment 

with Nurse 

Amazon. 


KINDLY REMOVE 

YOUR CAPS



OPEN DAILY 6am - 3pm 

PACIFIC BEACH 

1851 Garnet Ave. 

858.270.YOLK 

GASLAMP 

355 6th Ave. 

619.338.YOLK 

thebrokenyolkcafe.com 

EASTLAKE 

884 Eastlake Pkwy. 

619.216.1144 

LA COSTA 

7670 El Camino Real 

760.943.8182 

SAN MARCOS 

101 S. Las Posas Rd. 

760.471.YOLK 

In America, memorializing really 

took off once we started having 

presidents. 

The story goes that every town 

in the United States named First 

Avenue after George Washington, 

Second Avenue after John Adams, 

Third Avenue after Thomas 

Jefferson and so on up the line. 

Most people don’t know that. 

Obviously, only the bigger 

cities can honor all the presidents. 

For example, 44th Street in New 

York City—until recently, it was 

known chiefly as the starting point 

for the annual St. Patrick’s Day 

Parade. Today, it honors our current 

commander in chief, the selfproclaimed 

Irishman himself: Barack 

O’Bama, our 44th president. 

Statues abound for just about all 

the presidents (Martin Van Buren 

and Chester A. Arthur have been 

notoriously short-shrifted, but, I 

mean, come on, we’re talking about 

Martin Van Buren and Chester A. 

Arthur here—nobody else ever does). 

The most magnificent presidential 

tribute is Mt. Rushmore, in South 

Dakota, which honors only the 

Fab Four (George, Abe, Paul and 

Ringo). There was talk about adding 

(insert your least favorite president 

here), but the mountain doesn’t have 

room for two more faces. 

Show business honors its legends 

with memorial stars to walk, sleep 

or do other stuff upon. I’m referring 

to Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, 

where each night the homeless play 

rock/paper/scissors for the rights to 

lay upon Rita Hayworth. 

Then there’s the case of the 

self-addicted Donald Trump, who 

doesn’t need anybody else to help 

memorialize him. 

Trump’s name is on more signs 

than “STOP.” If Nepal ever runs out 

of money, The Donald could swoop 

in and buy the naming rights to 

Mt. Everest, which still wouldn’t be 

massive enough to accommodate his 

ego. TRUMP Moon could be next. 

Or better yet: TRUMP Uranus. Now 

we’re getting somewhere. 

CHAINSAW 

This all makes San Diego’s 

largest and perhaps most infamous 

memorial somewhat ironic, since it 

honors not an individual we know, 

but a photograph of two individuals 

we don’t.* 

I’m referring, of course, to 

Unconditional Surrender, more 

commonly known as the sailorkissing-the-nurse 

statue, that 25- 

foot tall curiosity that stands in 

the southern shadow of the USS 

Midway, along our bay front. 

Photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt 

didn’t get the names of the subjects 

in his iconic photograph, taken on 

V-J Day in Times Square, back on 

August 14, 1945—the day Japan 

surrendered, effectively ending 

World War II. The couple kissed, the 

camera clicked, and they were gone. 

It’s a wonderful snapshot that 

captures the mood and spirit of a 

nation like no other. 

Judging by the nurse’s body 

language, however, the Axis powers 

(Germany, Italy and Japan) weren’t 

the only bodies surrendering 

unconditionally that day. She 

looked like she was about to sprint, 

Nurse Jackie-style, to the nearest 

penicillin cabinet. Awkward PDA 

aside, no image is more fitting than 

that of an American fighting hero 

lip-locking a nurse that kept the 

fires burning. Good for him, good 

for her and good for us. 

Image notwithstanding, the statue 

itself is a bit curious, to say the least. 

Did it really have to be 25 feet tall? 

“Oh, the anatomy!” 

Stand anywhere close and you’re 

looking right up that girl’s skirt. It’s 

like being a munchkin under the 

subway grating, peering up at Marilyn 

Monroe’s nether regions—otherwise 

known as DiMaggio’s locker—an 

alternate view of America’s secondmost 

iconic photograph (Nick Nolte’s 

mug shot is third). 

The artist had to know what he 

was doing. Provocateur! 

*In 1980, the editors of Life magazine asked that the subjects of the original photograph 

come forward. Eleven men and three women responded, with none of the men claiming 

to be the nurse. Edith “Hot Lips” Shain (1918-2010), who attended the sculpture’s 2007 

unveiling, was widely accepted as the nurse.


first things coolture chainsaw HOME 

action 

BODY 

HOME, SWEAT HOME 

Fitness products made in San Diego 

BY Catharine L. Kaufman 

If your body could be cited for false 

impersonation of food—muffin top, jelly 

belly, couch potato, cottage cheese thighs 

or chicken legs—then it’s time to get off 

your apple bottom butt and take action. 

Thanks to these fitness products from San 

Diego-based companies, you can return to 

your core values with rip-roaring workouts, 

helping to whip the local economy (and your 

body) into shape while you sweat. 

Hoist Fitness’ sleek, home version is the 

V6 Personal Pulley Gym, which provides an 

assortment of training exercises, “to build 

multiple muscle groups through smooth, 

rhythmic and continuous movements that 

support the body as it moves through life.” 

Get a whole-body workout with an 

adjustable-column, dual-weight stack (fully 

enclosed for library quietness) and two 

pulleys adjustable to 35 positions. With a 

smaller footprint, the machine fits nicely into 

a corner. The V6 is available at Busy Body 

Home Fitness in Encinitas. Approximate cost: 

$2,899. hoistfitness.com 

San Diego-based Full Swing Golf sells 

state-of-the-art simulators that replicate the 

experience of shooting an eagle or negotiating 

a sand trap at any one of 70 virtual courses, 

including the legendary St. Andrews, Pebble 

Beach and Torrey Pines. 

All you need is a garage or spare room (20 feet 

deep by 10 feet wide) and plenty of green—a 

minimum of $20,000 for the portable version, 

and $50,000 for the standard simulator. The setups 

double as home theatres and gaming systems. 

Visit Full Swing Golf’s simulator demo 

room in Rancho Bernardo and find out if 

you’re up to par. fullswinggolf.com 

ABOVE: Hoist Fitness’ V6 Personal Pulley Gym 

RIGHT: The Full Swing Golf simulator 

BELOW: Total Gym’s professional model, the GTS 

To look like Christie Brinkley or Chuck Norris 

(or like they did in the ‘80s), give efi Sports 

Medicine’s Total Gym incline trainer for home 

use a shot. 

Total Gym is a simple concept that uses 

your own bodyweight as resistance to target 

and strengthen a specific muscle group or just 

get a quick, total-body workout. 

Perform more than 250 exercise variations 

by balancing on the free-rolling glide-board 

while performing cable-pulley exercises on 

the Total Gym XLS home model (as seen on 

TV with Christie and Chuck) or professional 

models including the Total Gym Sport. 

GRAVITY training classes on Total Gyms 

are performed weekly in fitness facilities 

around town, including The Sporting Club in 

La Jolla and Frog’s Fitness in Solana Beach. 

The Total Gym XLS (infomercial model) costs 

around $1,200; professional models range from 

$2,495 to $4,895. 

Take Total Gym for a test drive at the factory 

showroom near Miramar. totalgym.com 




first things coolture chainsaw HOME 

action 

BODY 


If balls ring your bell, then the BOSU 

Balance Training system is the way 

to go. BOSU (acronym for BOth 

Sides Up or BOth Sides Utilized) 

makes half- and full-size balls for your 

balance-training preferences. 

The BOSU PRO Balance Trainer 

is a revolutionary fitness-training 

product that resembles a ball, cut in 

half and attached to a heavy-duty 

plastic disc. This iridescent blue dome 

bolsters balance and agility while 

giving kick-butt cardio conditioning. 

Whether running in place (or 

jumping, kneeling or lunging) on 

the dome side, or doing pushups on 

the flat side, BOSU Balance Trainer 

coaxes your body to use both core 

and stabilizing muscles to build 

power and balance. 

The multitasking Balance Trainer 

also hones skills for sports while 

amping up strength 

Weighted on one end, the Ballast 

Ball, unlike its stability ball cousins, 

lies stationary on the gym floor—no 

dangerous rolling thanks to its 

unconventional design, so you can 

perform “exercise progressions and 

dynamic drills” with stability and safety. 

Many gyms around San Diego 

and across the nation stock BOSU 

balls and offer BOSU classes for their 

members. 

Prices range from about $50 for 

the Ballast Ball to $150 for the BOSU 

PRO Balance Trainer. bosufitness.com 

TOP: BOSU Pro Balance Trainer 

MIDDLE: BOSU Ballast Ball 

BELOW: BeachBody’s home fitness DVD sets, 

P90X, Brazilian Butt Lift and Insanity. 

Adding videos to your workoutweapon 

arsenal? BeachBody 

(headquartered just north, in Long 

Beach) offers a smorgasbord of 

fitness flavors. 

For the certifiably crazed athlete, 

there’s Insanity. All you need for this 

brand of perspiration pyrotechnics “is 

a DVD player and enough space for a 

puddle of sweat.” Fitness expert Shaun 

T guides the insane through a series 

of explosive plyometric movements, 

intense cardio, core and ripped upperbody 

workouts meant to transform a 

body in 60 days—ludicrous! 

Want to morph your backside into 

a gluteus minimus? Leandro Carvalho’s 

Brazil Butt Lift is the video for you. 

Get tips from the “tush technician” 

himself, who’s triangle training 

technique promises to reduce hips and 

saddlebags, and sculpt your bootie into 

a divine derriere—no ifs, ands or butts. 

Or, if your lofty goal is to “get 

ripped in 90 days,” then try P90X. 

The shopping list for this video 

workout includes a set of dumbbells 

or resistance bands, a pull up bar 

and an hour a day. This home fitness 

program truly raises the bar. 

The videos range from $60 to 

$120. beachbody.com 



first things coolture chainsaw HOME BODY 

action 

HORSING AROUND 

Thundering thoroughbreds and rocking bands have RACE FANS galloping to Del Mar 


See more photos at 

pacificsandiego.com 

Del Mar Thoroughbred Club Horse Racing 

WHERE: Del Mar Racetrack, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd. 

DATES: Wednesday to Sunday, july 20 to Sept. 7. 

FIRST RACE: 2 p.m. most days; 4 P.M. Fridays 

INFO: 858.755.1141, delmarscene.com, 

facebook.com/delmarraces 

By Amanda Daniels 

You’re wearing a brand-new outfit and getting ready to 

hang with the big boys—Daddys Dollars, Ima Hustler 

Baby and Alloverdaplace. With a roster like that (and 

the roar of 45,000 cheering fans), you could be at a 

hip-hop concert. But despite their rap-star names, 

today’s performers are actually racehorses. Place your bets and tip 

your hat—you’re at Opening Day at the Del Mar Thoroughbred 

Club, where the turf is still meeting the surf…cool as ever. 

Back in the Saddle 

Jockeys must be light and lithe (typically 

weighing 110-115 pounds), yet strong enough 

to command a charging stallion. 

Here’s how two of this season’s top jockeys 

stay in racing shape. 

Joe Talamo, 21 

Height: 5’1” 

Weight: 111-112 pounds 

Home Town: Monrovia, Calif. 

Notable Achievement: 2007 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice 

Jockey Joe Talamo recently took up boxing to build muscle mass in his shoulders 

and arms, areas needed to “push the horses down the lane,” as he describes it. The 

hard work has paid off—Talamo says he’s gained two to three pounds of muscle 

from his work in the ring. 

Adding boxing to a regimen that previously included only gym workouts and 

riding practice helps Talamo feel less fatigued after racing. Plus, throwing punches 

helps him throw off water weight as required for certain races. 

Chantal Sutherland, 35 

Height: 5’2” 

Weight: 111-113 pounds 

Home Town: Sierra Madre, CA 

Notable Achievement: First female jockey 

to win the Grade 1, $750,000 Santa Anita 

Handicap (March 2011). 

Sutherland maintains lower-body conditioning by 

riding horses and hiking, strengthening her core 

and shoulders through rigorous circuit training 

with an instructor. 

To drop water weight before a race, 

Sutherland jogs in a track suit, then sweats even more in a sauna. She says 

watching her diet around race time is a balancing act—eating fruit can prove 

problematic, because its high water content leads to temporary weight gain. On 

the other hand, dehydration can cause cramping, so vitamins are essential. 

No stranger to the spotlight, Sutherland acts and models, and was named one 

of People magazine’s most beautiful people in 2006. In 2009, she appeared with 

then-boyfriend Mike Smith on Animal Planet’s reality TV show, Jockeys. The two 

are tentatively scheduled to face each other at Del Mar this season, in a race billed 

as the “Battle of the Exes.” 




first things coolture chainsaw HOME BODY 


Smooth as Silks 

Racing silks—the vibrant 

jackets and caps worn by 

jockeys—are equivalent to 

team colors or family crests 

for thoroughbred owners. 

With hues and colors 

as varied (and sometimes 

outlandish) as the horses’ names, silks, at least those permitted by the 

California Horse Racing Board, can exhibit logos or almost any symbol. 

Del Mar Seamstress Carol Henderson was once asked to design a mudflap 

trucker girl design, but the naked silhouette didn’t pass the review 

Silks hang in the Color Room during Del Mar race season. 

They can last five to 10 years before they must be replaced. 

board’s muster. She talked another client out of a Grim Reaper silk, because 

she thought the image would be considered in bad taste, not to mention bad 

luck. She also quashed an order for a Michael Jackson-inspired gold braid 

trim, because the braids weighed five pounds. 

Although her clients request bright colors so they can see their riders, 

Henderson says plaid and camouflage fabrics have been trending lately. 

Nice Purse 

Del Mar’s signature race event turns 21 this year. On Sunday, August 28, 

some of the nation’s top horses and jockeys will compete for their share of 

a $1 million purse in the TVG Pacific Classic, symbolizing the success of 

the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club during a recession that has forced other 

million-dollar races to fall by the wayside. 

Put a Lid on It 

Though hats and sexy, chic attire are encouraged every day at Del Mar, 

Opening Day, Wednesday, July 20, is when bigger is absolutely better. This 

applies not only to hats, but also to wagers, attendance and cleavage. Men and 

women flock to the track in suits and dresses, their heads adorned by fedoras, 

panamas, porkpies and cloches. These mad hatters line up early to compete in 

the traditional One & Only Truly Fabulous Hat Contest. 

San Diego Wildcats 

Cougar II (1966-1989), a Chilean racehorse who also competed in the U.S., was 

inducted into the sports National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2006. 

To honor the prize-winning horse (and certain denizens of North County 

San Diego), the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club will host the annual Cougar II 

Handicap on Friday, July 29. When the race is finished, the hottest female 

“cougars” in attendance will present the winning trophy. No kidding. 

Submit your favorite cougar for consideration by e-mailing a photo and 

explanation of the cougar’s hotness to: misscougar@dmtc.com. Finalists will be 

invited to the track for a day, and Ms. Cougar 2011 will be crowned on-site, 

based on the crowd’s texts and tweets. 

Live Tracks 

Ben Harper, Weezer, Devo and other bands will perform this race 

season on the track’s new Seaside Stage (located at the west end of the 

grandstand), which allows for easier access and better viewing. Concert 

admission is free with track admission 

purchased prior to the final race. 

Admission after the last race is $20. 

Concert Line-up 

7/22: G. Love & Special Sauce 

7/29: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club 

7/30: Ziggy Marley Salutes the Legends 

of Reggae 

8/5: The Bravery 

8/6: Weezer 

8/12: Jimmy Eat World 

8/19: Devo 

8/26: The Airborne Toxic Event 

9/2: Fitz & The Tantrums 

9/4: Ben Harper 

action 

Pony Up 

Common horse wagering terms 

According to wagering etiquette From Del Mar to the Kentucky Derby, it’s 

considered rude to approach the betting window uninformed, making others 

wait while you ask questions. Avoid equine faux pas by consulting your race form 

ahead of time to determine which horses and jockeys you wish to bet on, what 

kind of bet you want to place—and how much your willing to gamble. 

Straight Bet: Betting on a horse to 

“win” (finish in first place), “place” 

(finish either in first or second) or 

“show” (finish first, second or third). 

Across The Board: Betting that a 

horse will finish in any of the first 

three positions. 

Exacta: Bettor must pick the first 

two finishing horses in the order of 

their finish. 

Ben Harper 

Exacta Box (aka Quinella): 

Bettor must pick the horses that 

finish first and second, in either 

order. 

Trifecta: Bettor must pick the first 

three finishing horses in the order 

they finish. 

Superfecta: Bettor must pick the 

first four finishing horses in the 

order they finish. 

Seeing Stars 

Racing season makes Del Mar a playground for celebrities, as it has been for at least 

three-quarters of a century. In the beginning, there were stars including Lucille Ball 

and Desi Arnaz, Ava Gardner and Jimmy Durante. In recent years, the track has 

entertained A-listers Uma Thurman and Toby Maguire, and funnymen Johnny 

Knoxville and Luke Wilson. 

Photo: Bing Crosby takes tickets on opening day, 1937. 

By the Numbers 

Last year’s opening 

day attendance: 

45,309 

Last year’s average 

daily attendance: 

17,906 


Featuring: 

With: 

ONE DROP • SAND SECTION 

SIMPKIN PROJECT 

KALAMA BROTHERS 

NTC PROMENADE 

LIBERTY STATION 

Portion of the 

proceeds benefit: 

LIQUIDALOHAFEST.COM

om le x 

F 

i 

g 

u 

res 

Thank you to 

our generous 

Hotbody 

Contest 

sponsors: 

La Jolla Sports 

Club, The 

Sporting Club 

at the Aventine 

and Vivid Tan. 

PHOTOGRAPHY 

BY BREVIN BLACH 

Shot on location at The Sporting Club at the Aventine, La Jolla 


PacificSD readers pick a six-pack of winning physiques 

After months of 

anticipation, the 

protein powder has 

finally settled. Nearly 

20,000 votes were 

cast, and the results 

are in: 

PacificSD’s 2011 Hotbody Contest 

winner is (drum roll)…Scott Kemp 

(dude on the cover), a professional 

paintball player from Pacific Beach. 

Congratulations, Mr. Kemp. Your 

Hotbody photo garnered the highest 

average score: 9.33. 

Initially, the plan had been to 

conduct the contest via Facebook, 

and then tally the “likes” to pick a 

winner. Problem was, some of our 

Hotbody neighbors (you know who 

you are) posted pics so racy, Mr. 

Zuckerberg nearly yanked our page for 

good. (“Nudity” turns out to be more 

subjective than we had thought.) 

So, we moved the Hotbody pics to 

our website and let the ranking begin. 

In the end, more than 1,500 people 

ranked the photos—10 for way hot; 

1 for, um, not—for a grand total of 

19,073 votes. The competition was as 

tight as our winners’ abs. 

Coming in second place was Shirley 

Moran, a 39-year-old mother of three, 

with an average score of 9.28. 

That’s one hot Momma! 

Rounding out the top six were Meli 

Charman and Lizzie Hopkins for the 

women, and Xavisus Gayden and James 

Clippinger for the men. 

Congratulations to the winners, a big 

Muah! to all of you who had the exercise 

balls to submit your photos, and thank 

you to everyone who voted online. 

The moral of this story: It’s what’s 

on the inside that counts, but the 

outside looks better in pictures. (Well, 

that and, when it comes to posting pics 

on Facebook, racing stripe does not 

equal bikini.) 

Hotbody winners 

(left to right): 

Scott Kemp, Meli 

Charman, Xavisus 

Gayden, Shirley 

Moran, James 

Clippinger and 

Lizzie Hopkins 


Scott Kemp 

Age: 25 

1st place 

Occupation: Professional paintball player 

and student 

Hometown: Woodland Hills, Calif. 

Current Neighborhood: Pacific Beach 

ARM cANDY 

How do you energize yourself prior to 

workouts? 

I’m always pumped mentally for the gym. Oh, 

and I drink pre-workout drinks: 10 grams 

of branched-chain amino acids, 10 grams of 

glutamine and a nitric oxide supplement. 

How often do you work out, and for how 

long? 

Every day, sometimes twice a day, for about 

one-and-a-half to two hours each session. Most 

people would say, “Well, I don’t have time to 

work out that long.” Guess what? It’s called, 

“get up earlier.” 

What jam fuels your workouts most? 

Monster by Professor Green. 

What’s the biggest mistake you see people 

making at the gym? 

Guys trying to push more weight than they 

can handle, because they let their egos get 

in the way. They end up never getting a full 

range of motion and cheat themselves. 

What do you do to make your arms look 

so great? 

I train every major muscle of my body 

individually. In order to have bigger or greatlooking 

arms, you have to have well-developed 

biceps, triceps and shoulders. You also have to 

have a fairly low body-fat percentage or you 

won’t have high definition. 

When you were a kid, did you have a hardbodied 

idol that inspired you? 

I always looked up to Arnold. He dreamed big 

and turned his dreams into reality. 

Which wild animal do you most closely 

resemble? 

A Tyrannosaurus Rex, because I’m a fierce 

carnivore. 


Shirley Moran 

Age: 39 

Occupation: Personal trainer 

Hometown: San Diego 

Current Neighborhood: Escondido 

2nd place 


workouts? 

By eating a clean breakfast, eggs and 

Ezekiel toast, one hour prior to my 

workout. 

How often do you work out, and for 

how long? 

Five to six times a week, about one hour 

to an hour and a half each session. 

What jam fuels your workouts the most? 

I listen to music during cardio only— 

Black Eyed Peas, Rihanna, P.O.D. I have 

to be able to communicate with my 

trainer during my training sessions. 

What’s the biggest mistake you see 

people making at the gym? 

Improper form—it defeats what they’re 

trying to accomplish. 

What do you do to make your back 

look so great? 

I work on my back once a week. My 

trainer constantly changes the workout 

to confuse the muscle group. 

What’s the most out-of-shape you’ve 

ever been? 

I was most out of shape after my 

pregnancies. I have three kids and gained 

50 pounds during each one. 

What high-calorie or fatty food is 

your greatest weakness? 

Sweets—especially by Michelle Coulon 

Dessertier, in La Jolla. 

LOOK WHOSE BACK 


CHEST TO IMPRESS 

Xavisus 

Gayden was 

nominated 

(and is 

still in the 

running) for 

Marine Corps 

2011 Athlete 

of the Year 

Xavisus Gayden 

Age: 31 

Occupation: U.S. Marine Corps career 

planner, music producer 

Hometown: Houston, Texas 

Current Neighborhood: Vista, Calif. 


workouts? 

Yok3d, which is a brand new nitric oxide pill that 

brings ferocious pumps to a whole new level. 


long? 

At lunchtime and after work for an hour to 

two hours. I usually get in at least two-and-ahalf 

to three hours a day for at least five or six 

days a week. Sometimes I could go seven days. 


I’m a huge fan of R&B, but I love rap music 

as well. Some of my favorite artists are 

Juvenile, B.G. and Ludacris. I also tend to 

mix my own music in there, songs that I have 

written and performed. 



People executing exercises with entirely too 

much weight, which prevents them from 

isolating the muscle or muscle group they are 

working on. Bad form can lead to imbalance. 

What do you do to make your chest look 

so great? 

Normal bench presses are executed with 

barbells. I use dumbbells. I also try to 

maintain high reps with heavy weight. Forced 

reps are also a great help if you have a spotter. 

Which wild animal do you most closely 

resemble? 

I love white tigers, so I would definitely go 

with a tiger. Tigers can be vicious and at times 

very content or humble. I’ve been called a 

gentle giant because I have that southern 

hospitality…and I believe I’m a gentleman. 


A LEG UP 

Meli Charman 

Age: 30 

Occupation: Owner (and dancer) 

of Lipstik Inc. Productions 

Hometown: Millbrae, Calif. 

Current Neighborhood: Hillcrest 


workouts? 

By eating a good meal and hydrating, taking 

a pre-workout drink, stretching and drinking 

weight gainer during my work out. 


long? 

I work out four to five times a week for one to 

one-and-a-half hours. 


High-energy music, especially the La Bomba 

mix by Von Kiss. 



Lifting weights or using equipment 

inappropriately. This can really be dangerous 

and ineffective. The best thing to do is to get a 

session with a trainer or ask a staff member if 

you’re unsure. 

What do you do to make your legs look so 

great? 

Lunges, squats, sumo squats, leg presses, 

bridges, step-ups, Stairmaster and dance classes. 

When you were a kid, did you have a hotbodied 

idol that inspired you? 

I loved Madonna in the ’90s, because she had 

a muscular, dancer body. Her arms and abs 

have always been on point. 

What’s your favorite cheesy fitness film? 

DodgeBall. I love Ben Stiller’s character, a 

wealthy meat-head gym owner that turns 

normal “nobodies” into lean, mean, superfine 

“somebodies.” It is completely ridiculous. 


HARD CORE 

James Clippinger 

Age: 27 

Occupation: Fulltime student and owner of a window-washing business 

Hometown: Sacramento, Calif. 

Current Neighborhood: Mission Valley 

How do you energize yourself prior to workouts? 

Hanging from the pull-up bar to stretch my body. 

How many times a week do you work out, and for how long? 

Four days a week, for about 45 minutes per workout. 


House music, country or ‘90s R&B. 

What’s the biggest mistake you see people making at the gym? 

Being inconsistent in actually going. You have to show up. 

What do you do to make your abs look so great? 

8 Minute Abs, the DVD, and eating right—small portions. 

What’s your favorite cheesy fitness film? 

8 Minute Abs. They’re in spandex, and it’s from the ’80s. 


Lizzie Hopkins 

Age: 25 

Occupation: Model 

Hometown: Santa Cruz, Calif. 

Current Neighborhood: Pacific Beach 


workouts? 

Eat! Usually some form of protein and good 

carbs—fruit, whole grains, et cetera. 


long? 

On a good week, five days—usually for an 

hour or so at a time. 

What jam fuels your workouts the most? 

House/electronica/dance. 

What’s the biggest mistake you see 

people making at the gym? 

When I go to 24 Hour Fitness in P.B., 

most people aren’t working out at all. 

It’s more of a social scene. 

What do you do to make your butt 

look so great? 

Eat well and often, work out five to six 

times a week and dance my butt off every 

chance I get. 

Have you ever dated anyone you met 

at a gym? 

Yes, a trainer…shhhh. 

What’s your favorite cheesy fitness 

film? 

Tae Bo by Billy Blanks is so ’90s, 

but I love it. And it really is a great 

workout. I don’t care what anyone 

says. 

What high-calorie or fatty food is 

your greatest weakness? 

Chicken fingers, chocolate 

and In-N-Out. I often give 

in to my cravings, but eating 

“unhealthy” food is much 

better than not eating at all. I 

just try to work out twice as 

hard the next day. 

BUTT, of course 


BODY SHOP 

UCSD researchers are working toward the dream 

of growing replacement body parts 

By Pat Sherman • Photos by Brevin Blach 

Imagine a soldier who has lost replacement hand or ear using stem 

a foot in combat being able cells and regenerative medicine, 

to order a living replacement. though he is uncertain when that 

Growing organs and day will arrive. 

limbs in the lab has long “Sometimes science moves faster 

been fodder for sci-fi and horror than we think,” Chien says, noting 

films, and the elusive dream of that the first draft of the human 

scientists and doctors. 

genome sequence (the genetic 

But with increasing public blueprint of the human species) was 

interest and government support announced in 2001, nearly 10 years 

for stem cell research—particularly ahead of schedule. 

in the Golden State—that fantasy “With other things, like to conquer 

is gradually becoming reality, with brain cancer or brain disorders, that’s 

groundbreaking work taking place been quite a long time and we still 

at the UCSD Jacobs School of haven’t accomplished that.” 

Engineering in La Jolla. 

Chien says, to grow a complete 

Professor Shu Chien, a founding organ, scientists must first figure out 

chair of UCSD’s bioengineering how to spur stem cells to develop 

department, says he believes that it into specific types of tissue cells in 

will one day be possible to grow a sufficient quantity, a process known 

as stem cell differentiation. 

Some body parts, such as internal 

organs including the liver or bladder, 

would be easier to grow than a brain 

or a hand, which are more complex 

and would be “extremely difficult” to 

replicate, Chien says. 

Difficult indeed—skin, bone, 

blood vessel, muscle and nerve tissues 

all must come together and function 

synergistically to form a hand. 

“The more we work on these 

kinds of things, the more we realize 

how intricate our body composition 

and function is,” Chien says. “There 

are so many different kinds of cells 

involved. The question is, how do 

we package them together to make 

the organ—the shape, the function 

and everything. For us, to recreate 

this (through) regenerative medicine 

is not an easy task, but it’s our 

challenge, and an opportunity.” 

UCSD Bioengineering professor 

Shyni Varghese and her team 

of researchers recently created 

materials that mimic the chemical, 

mechanical and electrical cues that 

exist in nature, allowing stem cells 

to grow into specific types of tissue 

cells—from cardiac to bone. 

During a recent visit to Varghese’s 

lab, assistant lab manager and UCSD 

graduate Susan Lin attempted to 

use these “bio-inspired” materials to 

transform human embryonic stem 

cells into myocytes (muscle cells), a 

process crucial to the treatment of 

muscular dystrophy. 

“We’re trying to mimic (the cells’ 

“Stem cells are certainly an 

exciting topic, not only because 

of their promise to help medicine 

and improve the quality of life, 

but (also because they) create a 

lot of thinking about ethics and 

the future of the human race.” 

—UCSD bioengineering professor, Dr. Shu Chien 

52 pacificsandiego.com {July 2011} 

MAIN: Fitness trainer John Parker hits the trail at Iron Mountain. 

BELOW LEFT: Parker cools down with a mid-run plunge into the 

Devil’s Punch Bowl at Cedar Creek Falls, east of Ramona.

“If you’ve worked with the 

cells for a long time, you can 

definitely see when they’re 

—UCSD bioengineering professor, 

unhappy. It’s a gift.” Dr. Shyni Verghese 

(natural) environment,” Lin says. 

Like children, stem cells are 

temperamental and must be 

monitored around the clock for any 

changes. Varghese says Lin is good 

at “feeling the cells,” or examining 

them under a microscope to 

determine when they are not doing 

well in a particular culture (matrix) 

or environment. 

“If you’ve worked with the cells 

for a long time, you can definitely 

see when they’re unhappy,” 

Varghese says. “It’s a gift.” 

The type of research taking 

place at UCSD will help further 

knowledge of how to grow cardiac 

cells to mend damaged hearts; 

produce cartilage for joint repair; 

and create skeletal myoblasts, which 

are transplanted into young children 

with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, 

a disease characterized by progressive 

skeletal muscle degeneration. 

In 2008, Varghese was awarded a 

$2.3 million grant from the California 

Institute for Regenerative Medicine 

to study embryonic stem cell-based 

transplantation therapy to treat this 

form of muscle disintegration. 

The Matrix Reloaded 

One of the factors that contribute 

to the growth of stem cells is the 

stiffness or rigidity of the culture, or 

matrix, on which the stem cells grow. 

“The work by Dr. Adam Engler in 

our department has shown that, if you 

put stem cells on a soft environment or 

a soft matrix, that would develop into 

nerve cells, which are soft,” Chien says. 

“If you put them in a hard matrix, it 

would develop into bones, which are 

hard tissue. The environment really has 

a very important influence on what the 

cells do.” 

In Varghese’s lab, UCSD student 

Ameya Phadke is trying to grow bone 

on the surface of organic polymers. 

“Right now, if you want to fix a 

bone, you have to cut a piece from 

somewhere else, like the thigh,” 

Phadke says. “It’s really painful, and 

the site that you take it from suffers. 

If you can make a completely 

synthetic, off-the-shelf material, it 

sort of side-steps that.” 

Another promise of stem cell 

research is the ability to inject stem 

cells directly into a damaged organ, 

thus hastening its repair. 

Dr. Karen Christman, an 

associate bioengineering professor at 

UCSD, is injecting stem cells into 

damaged mouse hearts to regenerate 

myocardial cells, which die due to 

oxygen deprivation during a heart 

attack or cardiac disease. 

“The animal (trials) have been 

very successful,” Chien says. “I 

think there will soon be some 

beginning trials on humans.” 

Researchers, such as Dr. Mark 

Mercola at the La Jolla branch of 

the Sanford-Burnham Medical 

Research Institute, have already 

grown cardiac cells. 

“You can see them beating in 

the Petri dish, just like the heart,” 

Chien says. “It’s very exciting.” 

Though the embryonic stem 

cells used in research at UCSD 

and other U.S. facilities are derived 

from discarded embryos, UCSD 

researchers are working to develop 

a way to use what are known as 

induced pluripotent stem cells, 

which are derived from adult 

somatic cells (such as skin). 

“They have the potential to 

develop into almost every kind of cell 

in the body, and you have no religious 

or other kind of ethical concerns 

about using the embryo,” Chien says. 

Eternal Life? 

From the burial customs of ancient 

Egyptians to the proliferation of 

plastic surgery centers and the 

futuristic dream of merging man 

and machine, humans have long 

been obsessed with immortality. 

While replacement body parts 

would contribute significantly to 

the longevity and quality of human 

life, Chien says he hopes man will 

never be able to realize this ultimate, 

narcissistic pipedream. 

“Everything needs to be turned 

over, even our bodies,” he says. “Our 

cells die, and new cells come in to 

replace them. Society is the same way. 

If we have everybody living forever, 

what would happen to the world? 

“If we have babies being born, 

the population would just keep 

on growing—and we have limited 

resources,” he says. 

The ability to grow replacement 

body parts from stem cells would 

also put a dent in the black market 

for human organs, which has 

enticed people in poor nations to 

sell kidneys for as little as $3,000— 

and opportunistic funeral directors 

to remove and sell body parts 

without a family’s consent. 

As to those who say 

bioengineering equates to playing 

god or interferes with some divine 

master plan, for Chien, the potential 

benefits of this research to mankind 

outweigh such considerations. 

“By not treating people with a 

potential therapy, you’re denying the 

possibility of these people to be alive,” 

he says. “By not prolonging life, you’re 

cutting it short. Isn’t that something 

equally important to consider?” 

Varghese says she believes that, 

within the next five to 10 years, 

there will be a substantial amount of 

progress in stem cell research. 

That progress can’t occur fast 

enough for some. Reports of the 

nearly $20 million in grants UCSD 

has received from the California 

Institute for Regenerative Medicine 

have resulted in frequent phone 

calls to the department from people 

seeking progress reports. Varghese 

receives regular calls from a mother 

on the East Coast who has two 

children with muscular dystrophy. 

“Every time you have to tell them, 

‘Oh, I don’t know,’ it puts additional 

pressure on you,” she says. “I’m 

taking taxpayers’ money and I really 

want to make sure that they get some 

benefit out of my research.” 


Chasing Trail 

San Diego trailblazers— 

see how they run 

MAIN: Fitness trainer John Parker hits the trail at Iron Mountain. 

BELOW LEFT: Parker cools down with a mid-run plunge into the 

Devil’s Punch Bowl at Cedar Creek Falls, east of Ramona. 

By John Parker 

photos by john mireles & brevin blach 

20,000 years ago, humans were the main course for bigger and 

faster animals. 

Tapping into our primal instincts to run for our lives, sprinting 

reminds us that our bodies are capable of great athletic feats 

in times of need. Flight responses give us a rush of adrenaline 

and endorphins that spurs us on, toning and tightening our 

thighs, calves, quads, glutes and cores as we run, simultaneously 

reestablishing our mind-body connection with nature. 

A more modern self-preservation technique is trail running, an 

excellent way to melt off all those 2 a.m. tacos hiding atop the abs. 

Exercising in unfamiliar terrain tests the body’s ability to adapt, 

sparking favorable gains in muscle tone, fat loss and athleticism. 

San Diego’s abundant hiking trails offer a breathtaking 

backdrop against which to create a toned and health body, while 

relieving stress and making adventure a weekly pursuit. It’s 

something that runners and hikers of any ability level can enjoy. 

Getting started is easy. Pick one of the many hiking 

trails San Diego has to offer. Wear comfy clothes, sturdy running 

shoes and sunscreen, and take plenty of water. 

brevin blach photography 


“I think that I cannot preserve my health and spirits, unless I 

s p e n d f o u r h o u r s a d a y a t l e a s t — a n d i t i s c o m m o n l y m o r e t h a n 

that—sauntering through the woods and over the hills and 

fields, absolutely free from all worldly engagements.” 

—Henry David Thoreau 

john mireles photography 


To prevent injury, first walk the entire trail to get a feel for the topography. When you’re feeling 

capable, pick up your feet and gather speed, paying close attention to changes in foot positioning. 

Once you’re a trailblazer, pretend you’re trying to escape a hungry grizzly to add a touch of fun… 

if not ancient history. 

Three local trails 

At 1,592 feet, Cowles Mountain (pronounced “coals”) is the highest point in San Diego, offering 

a stunning view from its summit. Located in Mission Trails Regional Park in Mission Gorge, this 

three-mile (roundtrip) trek has an easily accessible trailhead and well-maintained landscape, suitable 

for beginning trailblazers. mtrp.org 

Iron Mountain provides athletes of moderate skill a variety of terrain to explore, including soft dirt 

and more challenging, rock-covered stretches. The trail is perfect for those seeking a jog/sprint workout, 

offering both long straightaways and technical switchbacks. The trailhead is located off Poway Road and 

state Route 67, and offers 6.3 miles of trail (roundtrip), with an elevation change of 1,000 feet. 

localhikes.com/Hikes/IronMtn_7320.asp 

It’s hard to believe Cedar Creek Falls is located in San Diego County. This serene, hidden waterfall 

and pool (aka Devil’s Punchbowl) resembles a foreign oasis where sun-beaten trail runners refresh and 

reward themselves with a plunge into cool, churning waters. Newly renovated trails offer wider paths, 

gentle inclines and declines and plenty of stunning vistas. This 4.5-mile (roundtrip) jaunt caters to 

beginning and intermediate runners. Wear sturdy shoes—the return trip is mostly uphill. 

John Parker’s running 

buddy, Minh Nguyen, 

bounds over a brook on the 

Cedar Creek Falls trail. 

John Parker tackles 

Iron Mountain 

in his “barefoot” 

running shoes. 

Toeing the Line 

Runners are baring their soles 

to prevent chronic injury 

T 

he Tarahumara people of Northern Mexico 

run distances of up to 120 miles at a time, 

without shoes. 

Until recently, most humans ran barefoot or with 

thin-soled footwear, such as moccasins. 

Reflecting a return to this simplified running 

style (and bolstered by the success of marathonwinning 

Kenyan runners who race barefoot) several 

footwear companies are creating thin-soled shoes 

that conform to the natural contours of the foot, 

effectively mimicking barefoot running without the 

unnatural cushioning and support most running 

and cross-training shoes offer. 

Experts say barefoot running allows the arch of the 

foot and lower leg to absorb the impact of landing, 

whereas running in standard shoes sends a shock 

straight up the heel to the ankles, knees, hips and 

lower back, which can lead to chronic injury and 

encourage the progressive weakening of foot muscles. 

In barefoot-style running shoes, athletes can 

better center their movements, allowing more 

efficient strides and less overall impact. 

IF THE SHOE FITS 

The Vibram company’s FiveFingers’ “glove” shoe 

design comprises individual toe pockets, while 

Merrell has opted for a traditional closed-toe 

design (great for those who feel too nerdy sporting 

toe pockets). Both shoes offer virtually zero foot 

support, serving instead to protect feet from sharp 

rocks and rough terrain. The shoes are available in 

most sporting good stores and online. 

john mireles photography 

brevin blach photography 


TAKE IT SLOW 

First, acclimate your feet to the shoes: take up to six 

weeks to walk in the shoes, leading to exercise in 

the gym or light hikes before picking up speed. This 

will help avoid chronic injuries such as shin splints, 

rolled ankles and blisters. 

GRIN AND BARE IT 

Advantages to barefoot running 

• A great, primal feeling and enhanced awareness 

on trails 

• Improved body and stride mechanics 

• Foot strengthening and increased stability 

• Development of more natural muscle 

movement patterns 

—John Parker is a certified Strength and Conditioning 

Specialist who trains clients at FIT Athletic Club 

downtown. facebook.com/johnjeffreyparker

taste 

UP IN 

YOUR 

GRILL 

San Diego chefs 

OFFER a fresh take 

on an old flame 

B y D a v i d N e l s o n 

P h o t o s b y 

Brevin Blach 

An old folk saying laments, 

“God sends meat, but 

the devil sends cooks” (to 

destroy it). 

However, grilling isn’t the hellish, 

charring chore it once was. Some 

contemporary chefs play their 

grills like pianos, orchestrating 

symphonies of flavor with 

ingredients like fruits, lettuces and 

vegetables that earlier generations of 

cooks never would have thought to 

toss on the flames. 

Hawaiian-shirted dudes out 

flipping burgers in the backyard on 

lazy afternoons could learn plenty 

from chefs like Deborah Scott of 

Indigo Grill in Little Italy and 

Island Prime/C Level Lounge (the 

steakhouse/casual restaurant combo 

on Harbor Island). While Scott’s 

celebrated culinary style favors big, 

robust flavors, she also knows that 

complex, subtle savors develop when 

foods sizzle over lively flames. 

Like most major dining 

establishments, Island Prime/C Level 

Lounge backs up its executive chef 

with a chef de cuisine —Mike Suttles. 

Suttles keeps an eye out for 

produce grown close to home, 

and orders ripe, juicy, farmers 

market peaches in summertime to 

accompany Island Prime’s succulent, 

double-cut Kurobuta pork chops. 

“We split the peach and dust it with 

a little vanilla salt,” Suttles says. “Then 

we put (the fleshy side) on the grill 

until it softens, then flip it and cook the 

skin-side, basting it with melted butter. 

This takes about two minutes, but it’s 

always a case of ‘the riper, the quicker.’” 


ABOVEL Island Prime’s 

double-cut Kurobuta pork 

chops with a grilled peach. 

LEFT: Island Prime’s chef 

de cuisine, Mike Suttles, 

grills up summer goodness 

at the Harbor Island eatery. 

WHAT’S COOKING 

D R I N K 

Complex, subtle savors 

develop when foods sizzle 

over lively flames. 




SUNSETS SERVED DAILY

taste 


Fresh peppers, chilies, sweet corn and Portobello 

mushrooms on the grill at Island Prime. 

Hot Times 

Two light grill recipes 

that are heavy on taste 

T 


D R I N K 

he discovery of fire didn’t bring only warmth and light to the world, but also better tasting wild 

horse, wooly mammoth and other meats hunter-gatherers had previously devoured raw. 

These days, more evolved palates have gourmet grilling options such as a smoky Caesar 

salad (a specialty at many trendy restaurants) with a flavorful finale of grilled pineapple paired with 

its best buddy, rum. 

Et Tu, Brute? 

Grilled Caesar Salad (serves 4) 

THE PIECES 

2 large hearts of Romaine, halved (discard bruised leaves) 

¾ cup olive oil 

1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed 

1 egg, raw or soft-boiled (optional) 

Juice of 1 lemon 

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese 

Salt and pepper to taste 

THE MOVES 

Preheat grill to medium heat. Rub a large bowl with garlic, add egg and whisk lightly, then whisk in 

lemon, Worcestershire and mustard. Beat until creamy, then slowly beat in ½ cup olive oil. Stir in 

Parmesan and season. 

Brush Romaine halves with remaining olive oil, place on grill and turn several times (for about 2 

minutes), until lightly marked, fragrant and warm. Remove to cutting board, cut in 1½ -inch ribbons 

and tumble in dressing. Serve immediately. 

Caesar salad usually includes croutons. For a tasty alternative, rub baguette slices with crushed 

garlic, brush with olive oil, grill and serve alongside the salad. 

Get a Little Captain in You 

Grilled Pineapple with Rum (serves 6) 


Diners prize the peaches for 

the sweet accent they give the 

top-grade pork. 

C Level Lounge also 

sells several hundred grilled 

Portobello mushroom 

sandwiches every week. There 

are a few tricks to getting 

these vegetarian specialties just 

right, but anyone can learn 

them, Suttles says. 

“Before we marinate the 

Portobellos in equal parts 

olive oil and balsamic vinegar 

flavored with charred onions 

and fresh rosemary, we scrape 

the black gills off the undersides 

of the mushrooms,” he says, 

explaining that the gills “aren’t a 

desirable flavor in your mouth.” 

After an overnight marinade 

in the refrigerator, the 

mushrooms are first grilled capside 

down to brand them with 

attractive grill marks. Midsummer 

Portobellos usually are 

so large that one cap suffices 

to fill one of Island Prime’s 

grill-crisped rosemary focaccia 

rolls, spread with house-made 

parsley pesto and tapenade. 

To give Scott’s pulled 

chicken quesadillas a kick, 

Suttles rolls Poblano and 

jalapeño chilies on the grill 

until they’re charred black. 

When cool, these are skinned, 

seeded and sliced into slender 

strips called rajas. Tossed with 

grilled corn kernels and red 

onion slices, the rajas lend a 

subtle, south-of-the-border fire 

to the spiced chicken enclosed 

in folded tortillas. 

So it sounds like all it 

takes to grill up some savory 

summertime eating is a hot 

grill, fresh produce and a lazy 

afternoon. Hawaiian shirts are 

optional. 

THE PIECES 

1 pineapple, cored and cut into rings 

(or fresh pineapple spears from the market) 

½ cup rum, preferably dark 

THE MOVES 

Soak pineapple pieces in rum for an hour. Place on hot grill. Turn and sprinkle 

cooked side with sugar and drizzles of butter. Grill until sugar melts and glazes. 

Enjoy alone, over pound cake or with vanilla bean or caramel ice cream. 

In season, healthy and ripe for grilling 

Flame-friendly produce and their beneficial nutrients 

Beets: C, potassium, manganese 

Eggplant: B1, B6, potassium, manganese 

Figs: A, B1, B6, 

Grapefruit: A, C*, B1 

Guavas: A, C*, B6* 

Mango: A*, C* 

Melon (water, cantaloupe): A, C 

Onion: C, iron, magnesium, zinc, copper 

*Denotes high level of a nutrient 

—Source: San Diego County Farm Bureau, USDA 

Longtime food critic David Nelson is the 

author of San Diego Cooks. His recipes 

have been published online and in local 

and national publications. 

Island Prime’s Mike Suttles gets 

fresh with his customers. 

½ cup brown sugar 

½ stick butter, melted 

Papaya: A, C, calcium, magnesium, iron copper, zinc 

Pineapple: A, C, B1, B6, calcium, iron, magnesium, 

beta carotene 

Peaches: A, C 

Bell peppers: A, C*, B1, B6, potassium 

Sweet corn: C, B6, copper, selenium, potassium, iron 

Sweet potato: C, A*, beta carotene 

Summer squash: A, C, magnesium, potassium

BREAKFAST, 

& 

LUNCH 

DINNER 

(ALL ON ONE PLATE) 

www.barebackgrill.com 

G ASLAM P : 624 E STREET (BETW EEN 6th & 7th ON E ), 619.237.9990 PACIFIC BEACH: 4640 MISSION BL V D. (2 BLKS N OF GARNET) 858.274.7117

taste 


Water You 

Waiting For? 

Taste-testing the waters at local eateries 

By Brandon Hernández • Photos by Stacy Keck 

At most restaurants, the only alternative to quaffing potentially metal- and 

bacteria-laden tap water is posed as the up-selling query, “still or gas?” 

Yet, a handful of local restaurateurs are approaching water with 

the same artistry as they do their menus, infusing the life-sustaining 

liquid with fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs. 

Jeff Rossman, owner and executive chef at Terra American Bistro in La Mesa, 

infuses highly filtered drinking water with the local, organic produce he buys 

for his seasonally-driven delicacies. 

Rossman began with tamer pairings such as mint and cucumber, later 

moving on to more ambitious combinations like orange and star anise, or 

lemongrass and citrus waters. His most intriguing blend so far pairs basil’s sweet 

earthiness with the dual fruitiness of melon and pineapple. 

Taking a cue from native plant experts, Jay Porter, owner of North Park 

restaurant The Linkery, infuses his water with locally grown white sage. 

“The local Kumeyaay Indians used to infuse their water with white sage to 

give it nourishing properties,” Porter says. 

Andrew Schiff, co-owner of Spread in North Park, uses fresh-cut flowers and 

herbs from the hydroponic garden behind his restaurant to punch up his water’s 

flavor profile. He has added fresh rose pedals, African blue basil, flowering rosemary 

and chamomile to his aguas. 


—Pat Sherman contributed to this story 

D R I N K 

ABOVE, BELOW: Infused waters at Terra American Bistro in La Mesa. 

The Infused 

water at Spread 

in North Park 

includes freshly 

cut heirloom 

rose petals, 

pineapple 

sage, African 

blue basil, 

blueberries 

and giant red 

raspberries 

PAT SHERMAN 


SMILE! 

(Consider it practice for what you’ll be 

doing when you meet your new dentist, 

Christoper J. Walinski, DDS) 

TAKE A SEAT: At Dr. Walinski’s dental spa, a massage 

chair, serene atmosphere, skyline views and peaceful 

music make seeing the dentist fun (well, almost). 

HOLLYWOOD MAKEOVERS: 

For a beautiful smile with a lifetime 

guarantee, Dr. Walinski uses daVinci Veneers, 

the brand favored in Hollywood and 

showcased on the hit TV shows, Extreme 

Makeover and The Swan. 

SERVICES: 

Implants: usually a better option than a 

fixed bridge or removable partial. 

Laser Gum Surgery: minimally-invasive 

option to traditional cut, scrape and sew 

periodontal treatment. 

Invisible Braces: benefit fromthe same 

beautiful results as traditional methods 

with our new (almost invisible) braces. 

® 

WELCOME, RELAX: Dr. Christopher J. Walinski is 

nationally renowned for his conservative approach 

to patient care. 

SEE THE LIGHT: Dr. 

Walinski is an expert and 

pioneer in Laser Dentistry, 

a practice which is more precise and causes less 

collateral damage than traditional drilling. His book 

on the subject has been published around the world 

in ten languages. 

“I hated going to the dentist 

when I was a kid. Hated the 

pain. Hated the smell. Hated 

the sound of the drill. In 

hindsight, I think that’s why 

I’ve become so compassionate 

with my own patients.”— Dr. Christopher Walinski (Former 

President of the World Congress of Minimally Invasive Dentistry) 

and your new dentist 

CHEW ON THIS: Xylitol 

is a naturally-occurring 

sugar that stops 

cavities, period. Dr. 

Walinski recommends 

Epic (epicdental.com), which comes with a cavity-free 

guarantee—if you use Epic gum or mints and ever get 

another cavity, they will give you a full refund. 

Standard Pricing for exam, 

X-rays and cleaning: $349. 

Reduced to $99 for 

Pacific Magazine readers— 

this special offer is not 

being published elsewhere. 

 

WAKE UP / MADE UP 

with 

save $105 

on THE WORKS 

Eyebrow shaping 

Eyebrow & Eyelash tinting 

Facial dermaplaning & G lycolic peel 

All for $200 

858.259.7779 alexiskbrows.com 

UNDER THE MAKE-UP

GET FIT, 

FEEL 

SEXY, 

HAVE FUN! 

CLASSES 

WORKSHOPS 

PRIVATE LESSONS 

(SPECIALIZING IN BACHELORETTE, 

BIRTHDAYS, GIRLS' 

NIGHT OUT, 

AND IN HOME 

POLE PARTIES) 

POLE FITNESS & DANCE STUDIO 

858-220-9414 

www.polesinsations.com 

1965 5TH AVE., SAN DIEGO, 92101 (BY BALBOA PARK) 

taste 


“We have 

62 plants in 

our garden,” 

Schiff says. 

“We just 

clip and cut 

whatever we 

have. It changes 

every single day.” 

The result, he says, is a total sensory 

experience, arousing diners’ sense of sight, 

smell and taste. 

Schiff says the nutrients from freshly cut 

flowers and herbs also give his waters an 

energizing boost. 

“When food is in its flowering form, that’s 

where the sex actually takes place,” he says. 

“That’s the most energizing force that puts 

life on the planet.” 

Sexy water? H 2 

Whoah! 

d r i n k 

Terra American Bistro 

7091 El Cajon Boulevard 

College East 

619.293.7088 

terrasd.com 

Spread 

2879 University Avenue 

North Park 

619.543.0406 

spreadtherestaurant.com 

The Linkery 

3794 30th Street 

North Park 

619.255.8778 

thelinkery.com 

Coming Down the Mountain 

Escondido company has business all bottled up 

W 

hen diners drink bottled water at George’s at the Cove in La Jolla or The Prado 

restaurant in Balboa Park, they’re quenching their thirsts with liquid that 

flowed from the earth 4,800 feet up a mountain in northern San Diego County. 

Escondido-based Palomar Mountain Premium Spring Water bottles still and 

carbonated water for 65 of San Diego’s finest eateries, including those in the Cohn and 

Vigilucci’s restaurant groups and the La Valencia Hotel in La Jolla. 

The water comes from four natural springs atop the stargazing (and UFO-sighting) 

Mecca of Palomar Mountain, north of Escondido. 

“The springs are all on the upper side of the mountain on private land,” says the 

company’s chief financial officer, Conrad Pawelski. “You have to generally know where 

they’re at to get near them.” 

Palomar pumps its product into tankers, then drives it to the company’s treatment 

and bottling facility in Escondido. There, the water is run through a series 10- and onemicron 

filters, and subjected to UV lights and ozonation, which kills bacteria and other 

microorganisms (as opposed to being treated with chlorine or ammonia, as is the case 

with San Diego’s tap water). 

The water has a pH level of 7.2, which is slightly saline, like the human body, 

Pawelski says.

UNIQUE LIKE YOU 

SPIN C ARDIO YOGA DANC E KIC KBOXING P I L ATES 

 

Full-service luxury spa: massages, facials, 

 

LA JOLLA SPORTS CLUB, 7825 FAY AVENUE, LA JOLLA, 92037, 858.456.2595, LAJOLLASPORTSCLUB.COM 

THE SPORTING CLUB, 8930 UNIVERSITY CENTER LANE, UTC, 92122, 858.552.8000, THESPORTINGCLUB.COM 

FREE 7 DAY 

MEMBERSHIP

groove 

The Dirty Heads (left to right): David Foral, Dustin 

Bushnell, Jared Watson, Jon Olazabal and Matt Ochoa. 

b a r t e n d e r 

s h o w t i m e 

c y c l e 

t u n e 

s p i n 

- i n 

Liquid Aloha Music Festival 

WHEN: July 9, 3 to 8 p.m. 

WHERE: Liberty Station North 

Promenade, 2826 Dewey Road, 

Point Loma 

BANDS: The Dirty Heads with 

One Drop, Sand Section, Simpkin 

Project and Kalama Brothers 

TICKETS: $15 (ages 21+ only) 

INFO: liquidalohafest.com 

head check 

Huntington Beach reggae rockers, The Dirty 

Heads, headline Kona Brewing Co.’S music fest 

By pat sherman 

According to urbandictionary.com, a “dirty 

head” is “a super-chill person who skate 

boards, surfs or long-boards and drinks 

alcohol and smokes.” 

The definition seems to apply to 

Huntington Beach reggae-rockers, The Dirty Heads, who 

return to San Diego July 9 to headline Kona Brewing 

Company’s Liquid Aloha Music Festival, during which 

frothy heads of handcrafted beer will abound. 

Vocalist and guitarist Dustin Bushnell (aka “Duddy”) 

formed The Dirty Heads with his childhood surf 

buddies—that much is true. However, Bushnell says he 

doesn’t know who started the rumor that a convenience 


courtesy Jason Rodriguez/Joe Foster 


groove 


c y c l e 

s p i n 


- i n 

t u n e 

Sand Section 


store clerk first dubbed the band 

“dirty heads!” while they were in 

the process of pilfering a 12-pack 

of beer. 

“That’s funny,” Bushnell says. “I 

don’t know where that came from, 

really. We grew up together and 

went to school together, and our 

older brothers were friends. We were 

always kind of hanging out, causing 

trouble, and they started saying, 

‘Hey, little dirty heads. Get out of 

here!’ It kind of just stuck.” 

Bushnell says the band was 

dumb-struck when Rolling Stone 

magazine deemed them, “Best 

Reggae Rockers” of 2010. 

“I think it’s definitely an honor— 

especially for a band like us,” he says. 

“In the past, they kind of hated on 

the whole white-boy reggae scene.” 

The Dirty Heads were equally 

surprised a few years ago when they 

got a call to tour with their earliest 

muse, Sublime (with guitarist/ 

vocalist Rome Ramirez and surviving 

Sublime members Bud Gaugh and 

Eric Wilson). The band also has 

shared billing with 311, Pepper 

and Kottonmouth Kings, and just 

returned from its first headlining 

tour, selling out many of the dates. 

“It was fuc#ing great!” Bushnell 

says. “It’s easy when you’re traveling 

around with a band like Sublime or 

Kalama Brothers 

something—you know it’s going to 

be packed every night. To do it on 

our own was a little different.” 

While out on the road, The Dirty 

Heads travel with the essentials: an 

Xbox 360, food and beer. 

“And, for me, definitely, obviously, 

marijuana,” Bushnell says, with a 

laugh. “We don’t need much.” 

The Dirty Heads and Liquid 

Aloha Festival co-performers One 

Drop, Sand Section, Simpkin Project 

and Kalama Brothers, will be helping 

keep San Diego County’s coastal and 

inland waters clean, as proceeds from 

sales of Kona’s Longboard Island 

Lager, Fire Rock Pale Ale and Wailua 

Wheat beer will benefit the San 

Diego Coastkeeper organization. 

dirtyheads.com, 

sdcoastkeeper.org 

Incubus 

x MARKS THE ROCK 

Incubus and Bush to headline 91X’s 

annual X-Fest concert 

T 

By Alex Zaragoza 

hings are about to get X-rated in 

San Diego. 

We’re not talking about an adult 

film convention—just a healthy dose of 

Bush…and Incubus. 

Once again, heritage alt. rock radio 

station 91X has put together an epic 

lineup of big-name and breaking artists 

for its annual X-Fest, July 16 at Cricket 

X-Fest 

WHEN: July 16, 3 p.m. 

WHERE: Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre, 

Chula Vista 

BANDS: Headliners Incubus and Bush, 

with Iration, Middle Class Rut, Viva Brother, 

Graffiti6 and Little Hurricane 

TICKETS: $9.91 to $109.91 

INFO: 91x.com 

Wireless Amphitheatre in Chula Vista. 

Since its inception in 1983, the 

daylong live music party has featured 

acts including Nine Inch Nails, the 

Ramones, Smashing Pumpkins, The 

Offspring and Green Day. 

Headlining this year’s X-Fest are 

aforementioned ’90s rockers Bush 

(Swallowed, Machinehead) and Incubus 

(Drive, Megalomaniac), with support from 

legendary punk outfit, Face to Face; reggae 

crew, Iration; and England’s Graffiti6. 

Perhaps the most epic 

indie addition to this year’s 

lineup are gritty Britpop 

revivalists, Viva 

Brother—formerly 

known as 

GUY WEBER 

Brother and Brother (U.K.)— slated to 

rock the fest’s “Next Big Thing” stage. 

The band, which gained big buzz from 

appearances at SXSW and on The Late 

Show with David Letterman, is preparing 

for the August 9 release of its debut album, 

Famous First Words, produced by Stephen 

Street (Blur, The Smiths, Kaiser Chiefs). 

Frontman Lee Newell says the band, 

from Slough, England (birthplace of the 

Mars chocolate bar), is doing its best to 

conquer the U.S. music market. 

“It seems to be working,” Newell says 

via phone from the U.K. “We’ve done 

five or six tours over there. We want to 

be successful (in the U.S)—the food is a 

hundred times better than it is over here.” 

Viva Brother played a show at North 

Park’s Soda Bar in April. Newell says he’s 

excited to tear their set list a new one on 

a bigger stage. 

“We’ve got a few tricks up our 

sleeves,” he says. “No dancing midgets 

or anything like that, but we’ll play loud 

and maybe I’ll lose a leg.” 

Viva Brother 

Ladies, be warned. On a tour stop 

in Los Angeles, a few of Viva Brother’s 

band members snuck up to the iconic 

Hollywood sign with some female fans to 

give them a dose of brotherly love. 

Newell says he’d “be happy” getting 

some post-show action at North Park’s 

slightly less glamorous water tower. 

Though San Diego’s Little Hurricane 

won’t be sexing it up at the N.P. water tower 

anytime soon, drummer and mandolin 

player Celeste “CC” Spina promises fans 

will need a cool-down after their set. 

“We like to get the crowd going with 

some dirty slide guitar,” she says. “It’s a 

staple in our songs.” 

Vocalist and guitarist Zack Lopez 

of alt. rock duo Middle Class Rut, also 

appearing on the side stage, says he 

wants to make sure their set is too good 

to be forgotten. 

“Some people are gonna want to see 

us play; others are just waiting for Bush 

to play Glycerine,” he says. “We’re just 

gonna go out there—no sales pitch.” 




OUT FOR A SPIN 

Scooter and Lavelle deliver their 

“2x4” set at Guest House 

By Kelly Cisek 

Photo by Jeff “Turbo” Corrigan 

Rocking two turntables 

wasn’t enough of a 

challenge for DJs 

Scooter and Lavelle. 

So, the duo joined forces more 

than a decade ago to create their 

own 2x4 format, in which two DJs 

work four decks (aka turntables, 

in case you haven’t been out in 

awhile), allowing for a slicker, sicker 

sound and unprecedented live 

remixes and mash-ups. 

For example, Lavelle might play 

an obscure electronic or house track, 

to which Scooter adds a popular 

vocal track to make the mix relevant 

to a crowd. 

“I play the instrumentals of songs, 

and Scooter laces the instrumentals 

with loops and vocals—the icing on 

the cake,” says Lavelle. “Everyone 

goes nuts. We have people coming 

up asking for the remix, but we have 

to tell them, ‘Sorry dude, what you 

just heard was live.” 

The 2x4 concept is going strong at 

clubs around town. Stingaree’s new 

Guest House venue will feature the 

double-DJ format Monday nights, 

with Scooter and Lavelle spinning 

the first Monday of each month. 

“It’s great to do your own 

thing,” Scooter says, “but it’s really 

interesting to play off somebody 

else. Lavelle really puts in the main 

music and I kind of accent what he 

does (with vocals and turntablism). 

Together, we create one sound. It’s a 

really cool thing.” 

Lavelle says only DJs who know 

each other incredibly well can 

successfully handle the 2x4 format. 

“It’s a thin line you have to walk 

to always have three to four tables 

going,” he says. “Basically, I am the 

band, Scooter is the vocals. We both 

have a specific job to do, and it takes 

a lot of trust.” 

Other 2x4 duos spinning at 

Guest House Monday nights 

include DJs Schoeny and Kevin 

Brown, and DJs Theron and Devoy. 

Scooter and Lavelle also spin at 

FLUXX and Ivy Rooftop at Andaz 

San Diego in the Gaslamp. 

stingsandiego.com/guesthouse 

fluxxsd.com 

sandiegoandaz.hyatt.com 

DJ Lavelle Dupree (left) 

Hometown: Seattle, WA 

Current Jam: Til Death by Wynter Gordon 

Drink: The Kobe Bryant (vodka and water on the rocks) 

Favorite Club: Volume, Seoul, South Korea 

DJ Scooter (Gerald Raymond Fulton) 

Hometown: Santa Cruz, CA 

Current Jam: Scooter and Lavelle’s remix of Teenage 

Dream by Katy Perry 

Drink: Skinny Bitch (Diet Coke and Stoli Vanilla) 

Favorite Club: Haze at the Aria Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas 

JULY concert calendar 

7/2: Natasha Bedingfield @ House of Blues, hob.com 

7/2: Pato Banton @ BellyUp Tavern, bellyup.com 

7/2: Strychninnes @ Tower Bar, thetowerbar.com 

7/3: Dirty South @ Voyeur, voyeursd.com 

7/3: White Apple Tree @ The Casbah, casbahmusic.com 

7/5: Eddie Vedder @ Copley Symphony Hall, sandiegosymphony.org 

7/5: The Silent Comedy @ The Casbah, casbahmusic.com 

7/7: Anya Marina @ The Casbah, casbahmusic.com 

7/7: Designer Drugs @ Voyeur, voyeursd.com 

7/9: Jarabe De Palo @ 4th & B, 4thandbevents.com 

7/9: Liquid Aloha Music Festival @ Liberty Station, liquidalohafest.com 

7/11: Maus Haus @ Soda Bar, sodabarmusic.com 

7/13: H.R. (of Bad Brains) @ Soda Bar, sodabarmusic.com 

7/14: Infected Mushroom @ Fluxx, fluxxsd.com 

7/15: Aterciopelados @ 4th & B, 4thandbevents.com 

7/15: Cedric Gervais @ Voyeur, voyeursd.com 

7/16: Bill Maher @ Humphreys , humphreysconcerts.com (comedy) 

7/16: The Mutaytor @ BellyUp Tavern, bellyup.com 

7/16: The Heavy Guilt (release party) @ Glashaus gallery, theheavyguilt.com 

7/16: X-Fest (w/ Incubus, Bush) @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre, 91x.com 

7/17: Salt-N-Pepa @ San Diego Pride Festival, sdpride.org 

7/19: Ky-Mani Marley with Gramps Morgan @ BellyUp Tavern, bellyup.com 

7/20: Alkaline Trio @ House of Blues, hob.com 

7/22: Maroon 5 with Train, @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre, livenation.com 

7/23: Demetri Martin @ Balboa Theatre, sandiegotheatres.org (comedy) 

7/26: A Perfect Circle @ SDSU Open Air Theatre, stubhub.com 

7/29: Yuck @ The Casbah, casbahmusic.com 

7/29: Cults @ Soda Bar, sodabarmusic.com 

7/30: Thurston Moore /kurt vile @ The Casbah, casbahmusic.com 

7/31: Gin Blossoms @ BellyUp Tavern, bellyup.com 


groove 



FROM LEFT: AIRR’s 

most popular drink, 

the Eight; bartender 

Scott Morgans gets 

shaky with it; AIRR’s 

Ten cocktail 

c y c l e 

s p i n 

- i n 

t u n e 

AIRR QUALITY 

For one Gaslamp bartender, 

less air means more flavor 

By Pat Sherman • Photos by Jeff “Turbo” Corrigan 

During his nearly blueberry-flavored cocktail,” Morgans 

10 years as a says. “It’s amazingly creamy and rich.” 

bartender, Scott Meanwhile, when someone is up 

Morgans has in the air about what they want to 

become a good drink, Morgans recommends the 

listener, taking things in stride when 

a patron starts to clear the air, put 

on airs or blow off steam. 

Now, as bar manager of the 

Gaslamp’s newt hotspot, AIRR 

Supper Club and Night Club, 

Morgans is taking the hot air out of 

conventional cocktail ingredients, 

working with executive chef 

Brian Redzikowski to launch an 

innovative drink menu with a 

modern flavor profile. 

Using a trendy culinary 

technique employed in the 

AIRR kitchen known as sous-vide 

(pronounced “soo-veed”), cocktail 

ingredients are vacuum-sealed in 

plastic bags, then left to stew for 

Eight—AIRR’s signature cocktail, 

comprised of Grey Goose L’Orange 

vodka, an orange slice, lemon and 

cranberry juices, with a muddled 

Serrano chili. 

“It’s got that little hint of spice 

on the end of it, with a sugar rim,” 

he says. 

The restaurant, nominated 

for a 2011 Orchid award in 

interior design by the San Diego 

Architectural Foundation, is 

divided into two disparate halves, 

with a cocktail lounge bathed 

entirely in a spicy, red color, and 

the dining room done up in starkly 

contrasting, minimalist white. 

Morgans says the red room best 

months at a time. 

suits his personality. 

One of the resulting beverages, “It’s more of a kick-off-yourshoes, 

jump-on-a-bed-vibe,” he 

Blueberry on the Rocks, starts with a 

REMEMORIES 

macerated blueberry and vodka mix 

that’s given the sous-vide treatment. 

“We Cryovac all of the air out 

of the bag, and then we let that sit 

for four to six months,” Morgans 

says. “The flavor that creates is just 

says. “We’ve got these big TV trays 

where people can sit down on the 

couches or beds and enjoy a cocktail 

and eat their food. 

“You’ve got a cocktail in one hand 

and the chef’s tuna tacos in the 

Scott Morgans 

Age: 29 

Neighborhood: Encinitas 

AIRR is located at 6th and Market Street, 

downtown, in the second-floor space that 

used to house The Witherby, upstairs and a few 

doors down from Side Bar and Ciro’s Pizza. 

amazing.” 

The mixture is then poured into 

a martini shaker with ouzo (an 

anise-flavored aperitif) and shaken 

with an egg white. 

“You just get this intense, 

other. Is there nothing sexier than 

eating dinner in bed at a nightclub?” 

How about the go-go girls 

gyrating in the red room windows 

Friday and Saturday nights? 

“That doesn’t hurt,” Morgans says. 

Music: Hip-hop (work); Metallica or Toby Keith (fishing); classical (studying) 

Sport: Snowboarding 

Plan: Working toward a biology degree at Cal State San Marcos 

Flick: Any of the Airplane movies 

Book: Where the Red Fern Grows 

Addiction: Pulling pranks on people 


3704

love 

DATE 

Fair 

Game 

Finding a good man 

can be a wild ride—here’s proof 

Riding in Epic style, Matt (left) and Rob toast glasses of absinthe liqueur between beers. 

By David Perloff • Photos by Brevin Blach 

As friends and lovers for the past five years and am loving 

stroll along Sixth my new place in Normal Heights. 

Avenue with their 

dogs and doggie What do you do for a living? 

bags after work, an MATT: I usually do marketing 

environmentally unfriendly (though and PR, but for the last six months 

very nightlife friendly) Cadillac I’ve been a game tester at Sony 

Escalade limousine idles at the head Computer Entertainment, aka 

of Balboa Park. 

PlayStation, after winning a reality 

Tonight, Matt and Rob will be show competition for the job. 

chauffeured to a carnivalous blind ROB: That depends on who’s asking 

date at the San Diego County Fair. and who’s paying. Currently, I am 

Before our fearless players meet the creative director at Eden in 

for the first time, let’s review the Hillcrest and oversee public relations 

pre-date interviews. 

for NightlifeSD and a couple other 

movers and shakers in San Diego. 

PacificSD: Where are you from? 

MATT: I’m originally from the San 

Francisco Bay area, but have been 

living in San Diego for about three 

years. After graduating from UC 

Berkeley, I followed family down to 

sunny San Diego. Hillcrest has been 

treating me nicely since. 

ROB: I’m originally from Riverside, 

aka the armpit of Southern 

California, but I’ve lived in San Diego 


What makes you a good catch? 

MATT: I’m a unique balance of bad 

boy and boy next door—and I’m 

incredibly thoughtful and funny. The 

right guy will find out that I’m both 

a romantic prince and a sexy devil. 

ROB: I’m going places. I have a great 

career and I’m good at what I do. I’m 

passionate about everything that I 

pursue and I’m the kind of guy that 

goes above and beyond for the special 

people in my life. I’m cute, too. 

What is your biggest fear? 

MATT: Being ordinary, and that 

probably stems from a fear of being 

alone in the world. Somewhere 

along the line, I realized we are 

all somewhat alone and I became 

determined to make the best of that 

solitary life by standing out. 

ROB: Failure. I have really high 

expectations for myself and am my 

biggest critic. Also, I’m terrified of 

heights. If you put me on a plane 

you better have some Xanax handy, 

because I’ll have a Britney breakdown. 

What are you looking for in a date? 

MATT: I like bigger guys that 

look like they could break me in 

half, but I’m most interested in 

finding someone who has a similar, 

balanced personality. 

ROB: Washboard abs. Am I allowed 

to say that? I’d like to date a guy who 

is confident but not douchie, who 

has a great sense of humor and is a 

little older than I am. Ultimately, I 

have a really short attention span, 

so you’ve gotta bring something 

interesting to the table. As far as 

looks, I have a weakness for all- 

American, boy-next-door types. 

Fill in the blanks: In general, the 

people I date are “blank” and 

“blank.” 

MATT: Introverted and mysterious. 

ROB: Goofy and in the closet. 

As they arrive at their Epic limo, 

Matt and Rob are smiling from ear 

to ear. Is it instant attraction? No… 

at least, that’s not the reason for the 

grins. Turns out the daters have met 

before—we’ve been blind-sided. 

Hoping a sexy Italian (imported 

Peroni beer) and the Green Fairy (the 

street name for absinthe, green drops 

of which are suspended in Tempest 

Liqueur) can help spark romance, we 

ply the pair with alcohol for the ride 

north to Del Mar. 

(Continued on page 74)

love 


DATE 

FRY ME 

TO THE MOON 

Sky-high and deep-fried, with tequila on the side 

As Matt and Rob disembark 

their chariot at the San Diego 

County Fair, we offer them 

$50 cash and tell them to do 

whatever their hearts desire. Without a 

word, Rob snags the loot, and the two 

bound off and out of site. 

When we finally catch up, the boys 

are standing in line at the Mega Drop 

(having already braved two rides), waiting 

for their turn to be rocketed into the 

heavens by a highly trained carnie. 

“We spent all the money on ride 

tickets,” Rob says, seeming to rejoice 

in the rapid depletion of our blind date 

capital. 

After some frenetic up-and-down on 

the Mega Drop, the guys receive another 

(and final!) $50 and get ready to fill up 

on Fair fare. 

They inhale Italian sandwiches on 

their walk over to the health-food 

aisle, where they firm their arteries 

with deep-fried Twinkies and Klondike 

Bars—which they wash down with 

tequila shots. 

Before any food has a chance to make 

a command appearance, let’s split the 

couple for mid-date debriefings. 

PacificSD: How’s it going so far? 

MATT: It’s going fine. The funny 

part is, I applied for a job working 

with Rob. I was going to try to help 

him with his SceneOutSD, but we 

really never got in touch otherwise. 

He’s, like, really ambitious for 

his age. I almost see him more as 

competition than a love interest. 

ROB: It’s fun. I’m having a good 

time. 

Is this the type of person you’d 

normally date? 

MATT: I don’t know. I want to 

start dating people who are really 

ambitious, but in the long run I 

usually end up with a little more 

introverted types, because I like 

being the star of the relationship. 

We’ll see. I still think I’ll end up 

back with my introverted, big, 

loafy, monkey men. 

ROB: Um, probably not. He’s 

funny, though. That was one of 

my requirements. He’s a little 

shorter, too. 

What’s the most attractive thing 

your date has done so far? 

MATT: I feel like he respects me 

as a person, which is nice. I feel 

like it’s a very open dialogue. 

ROB: He’s funny; I think that’s 

attractive. He makes me laugh. 

What’s the least attractive thing 

your date has done so far? 

MATT: He totally just called my 

love for Superman “unoriginal,” 

which I get, but I still love 

Superman, so that kind of left a 

Kryptonite taste in my mouth. 

ROB: He hasn’t really done 

anything that’s been unattractive, 

but he does have a Superman T-shirt 

on. That’s kind of unattractive. 

Rate your date from one to 10 

for looks? 

MATT: Do we have to put a number 

on it? Nasty! I’ll give him a seven. 

He’s not as big as I like my men. 

ROB: I’d give him like a seven. 

How about for personality? 

MATT: He’s definitely at least a 

nine. Rob’s a catch. I almost feel like 

I’m jealous of him in some ways, 

because he takes some of my good 

elements and improves on them. 

ROB: I’d give him like an 8.3. 

If you had to choose between 

leaving now with $100 cash or 

making out with your date, what 

would you do? 

MATT: I think we’re both smart 

enough that, even if we really liked 

each other, we’d both take the $100 

and then go make-out behind 

everyone’s back. I wouldn’t respect 

him if he didn’t say the same thing. 

ROB: I would leave the Fair with 

$100. 

What could make this date more 

fun? 

MATT: A Tarot reading—we really 

want to see our futures, you know, 

because we’re going to end up 

together. 

ROB: Maybe another shot of 

tequila…and if a really hot, random 

gay guy came up to me and said, 

“Hey, what are you doing?” 



CLOTHES 

MAKE THE MAN 

(WE IMPORT THE CLOTHES) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stop in for complimentary espresso, friendly Italian 

lessons and sharp, new gear for the weekend 

IMPORTED 

ITALIAN FASHION, 

142 UNIVERSITY AVE., 

HILLCREST 

619.288.7968, 

WWW.STILEITALIANO.US

love 


DATE 

RIDERS 

NIGHT 

Strangers (well, not 

really) in the night, 

exchanging glances 

(but not with each 

other) 

As any red-blooded, 

American boyfriend 

at a county fair would 

do, Rob bursts a series 

of balloons with darts (he goes 10 

for 10, what a stud) to win Matt 

a stuffed animal—a plush, pink 

unicorn. Awwww! 

The couple takes a swing on a 

terrifying, tequila-churning pirate 

ship, and are then finally left to carry 

out the rest of their date in privacy. 

We call the next morning to see 

what we missed. 

PacificSD: Overall, how was the 

date? 

MATT: It was so much fun. The Fair 

turned out to be the perfect location 

for our date. I loved the food, drinks 

and nauseating rides. Rob even won 

me a stuffed unicorn. 

ROB: The date was a lot of fun. We 

had a blast on the rides, and eating 

like fat kids is always a plus. 

What was the best part of the date? 

MATT: I think our sharing of the 

fried foods was pretty funny, but 

I was also a big fan of the crazier, 

spinning rides. There were points 

where we were both screaming 

uncontrollably. 

ROB: It was all great, but the best 

part had to be going on the rides. I 

felt like a little kid again. 

Describe any romantic connection. 

MATT: I wouldn’t exactly call it 

romantic—I caught him checking 

out other guys along the way and 

I’d be lying if I didn’t admit my eyes 

wandered a bit. 

ROB: Um, the romantic connection 

was pretty much non-existent. 

What did you do after the Fair? 

MATT: We took the limo and 

picked up a few close friends, then 

headed to Bourbon Street Bar and 

Grill (editor’s note: in University 

Heights). Rob admitted to being 

interested in a guy at the bar, so I 

introduced the two and they seemed 

to hit it off. We’re now all going to 

the Eden opening together. 

ROB: After the fair, we picked up 

some friends in the gayborhood and 

went to a bar that was hosting a wet 

underwear contest. Matt won. 

Was there a kiss? 

MATT: Yes. Oh, wait, do you mean 

Want to go on a PacificSD blind date? E-mail pics and a couple sentences about 

yourself and what you’re looking for in a date to blinddate@pacificsandiego.com. 

with Rob? No, there was not. 

ROB: Nope. 

What’s the most chivalrous thing 

your date did all night? 

MATT: He blushed when admitting 

he liked someone else at the bar, then 

proceeded to get me a drink after I 

introduced the two. 

ROB: Since there was no love 

connection, Matt introduced me to 

a really cute guy at the bar that I was 

crushing on. He’s a great wingman. 

Will there be a second date? 

MATT: Maybe not a date, but we 

are seeing each other again. We’ve 

already made plans to attend his big 

club re-opening coming up. 

ROB: There won’t be a second date, 

but I’d definitely hang out with Matt 

again as a friend. 

See more photos 

of this date at 


Aftermatch 

In the end, both daters played 

Fair, but neither felt a love 

connection. 

For Rob, Matt came up a little 

short. For Matt, Rob just wasn’t 

enough of a monkey man. 

But any date that begins 

with the Green Fairy, has a pink 

unicorn in the middle and ends 

with a solid wingman hooking 

you up with a cute guy at the 

bar has got be a good night—the 

kind that makes us proud to live 

in San Diego. 

See y’all at Pride. Afterparty at 

Eden—Rob’s paying for drinks. 

THANK YOU! 

Epic Limo Bus 

858.270.LIMO (5466), 

epiclimobus.com 

Tempest Liqueur 

drinktempest.com 

Peroni Nastro Azzurro 

peroniitaly.com 


calendar 

07.11 

Submit events to calendar@pacificsandiego.com. 

Reunion of Contemporary 

Artists by San Diego painter 

Marianela de la Hoz 

PADRES HOME GAMES 

The Padres’ Anthony 

Rizzo takes a swing 

in a game against the 

7/14: vs. San Francisco Giants 7:05 p.m. 

Washington Nationals 

7/15: vs. San Francisco Giants 7:05 p.m. (fireworks show, White-Out Night) 

at Petco Park. 

7/16: vs. San Francisco Giants 5:35 p.m. (Padres pom-poms) 

7/17: vs. San Francisco Giants 1:05 p.m. (military appreciation day, military t-shirts for kids) 

7/26: vs. Arizona Diamondbacks 7:05 p.m. 

7/27: vs. Arizona Diamondbacks 7:05 p.m. (Dog Days of Summer) 

7/28: vs. Arizona Diamondbacks 12:35 p.m. 

7/29: vs. Colorado Rockies 7:05 p.m. (Party at the Park, country night, college night) 

7/30: vs. Colorado Rockies 5:35 p.m. (free Padres rally towels) 

7/31: vs. Colorado Rockies 1:05 p.m. (free mini bats for kids, Coast Guard appreciation day) 

Scott Wachter 

07/2-10/9 07/4 

7/2-10/9: Metamorphores 

Venue: Oceanside Museum of Art 

Admission: $8 general admission 

Info: oma-online.org 

Mexican-born painter Marianela de la Hoz’s portraits capture 

myriad human emotions—particularly the “unpleasant” faces of 

real life. Visitors may be surprised to see aspects of themselves 

upon the walls. 

7/4: Demolition Derby 

Venue: Del Mar Fairgrounds (Chevrolet Del Mar Arena) 

Admission: $13 

Info: sdfair.com 

Nothing screams “America” quite like the crashing, bashing 

action of a demolition derby. Git ‘er dumb! 

Sean Fennell 


7/9-10, 7/16-17: Over the Line 

Tournament 

Where: Fiesta Island, Mission Bay 

Admission: Free 

Info: ombac.org 

Cheer on more than 1,200 

three-man softball teams (with 

bawdy, blush-inducing names) as 

tournament play gets underway in 

Old Mission Beach Athletic Club’s 

58th annual event, which draws a 

crowd of more than 50,000 to Fiesta 

Island. The sporting debauchery is 

sponsored by Miller Lite. 

07/9-10, 7/16-17 

07/5-7/10 

Joan Marcus 

7/5-7/10: Shrek The 

Musical 

Venue: San Diego Civic 

Theatre, downtown 

Tickets: $20 and up 

Info: broadwaysd.com 

You can’t go wrong with this 

adaptation of the Academy 

Award-winning animated 

feature about a gallant green 

ogre, jive-talking donkey 

and tortured gingerbread 

man. (Have they no Geneva 

Conventions in fairytale land?).

BUILD SAN DIEGO 

PAC PRESENTS: 

PRO-BUSINESS 

BASH 2011 

COME MINGLE 

WITH YOUNG, 

SAN DIEGO 

PROFESSIONALS. 

Network with peers. 

Chat with colleagues. 

Hand out business cards. 

Land a better job. 

Enjoy a drink(s). 

Try the bacon. 

IT ALL GOES DOWN 

THURSDAY, JULY 28 (6 - 9 P.M.) 

Hosted at: 

789 6th Avenue, Gaslamp 

HTTP://TINY.CC/BUILDSANDIEGO

calendar 

07.11 

Courtesy Brett Alan Photography 

A scene from a film directed 

by Marie Kristiansen. 

07/14-7/17 

07/15 07/22-9/7 07/22-7/24 07/22-7/24 07/23 07/29 07/29-30 

7/14-7/17: Fully Charged 

Venue: Valley View Casino Center 

Tickets: $17.50-$87.50 

Info: valleyviewcasinocenter.com 

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus’ latest production 

includes leaping tigers, death-defying stunts and the requisite 

cast of clowns. 

7/15: Air Guitar Championships 

Venue: The Casbah, Little Italy 

Tickets: $14 

Info: usairguitar.com 

It’s time to practice your jumps, power strokes and headbangs—the 

regional U.S. Air Guitar Championships are coming 

to the Casbah, and the San Diego winner will travel to New York 

to compete in the national finals. 

7/20-9/7: Del Mar Thoroughbred Club Horse Racing 

Venue: Del Mar Racetrack 

Admission: $10-$20 opening day 

Info: delmarscene.com 

Rock a giant hat and join the more than 45,000 visitors expected 

to pack Del Mar for Opening Day. Win or lose on the ponies, 

it’s always a safe bet to gallop to the bar for another Coors 

Light, the track’s official domestic beer sponsor. (See “Horsing 

Around,” page 40.) 

7/22-24: America’s Finest Beer Festival 

Venue: Qualcomm Stadium, Mission Valley 

Tickets: $45 

Info: afbfest.com 

Sample more than 120 draught beers while enjoying live music by 

the Greyboy Allstars (Friday), Pinback (Saturday) and Blues Traveler 

(Sunday). Admission includes a dozen 4-ounce beer tastings. 

7/22-7/24: U.S. Open Sandcastle Competition 

Where: Seacoast Drive, Imperial Beach 


Info: usopensandcastle.com 

The largest sandcastle building competition in the U.S. features 

$21,000 in cash prizes, live music and copious food. Arrive before 

the 4 p.m., when the tide wipes the massive sand sculptures away. 

7/23: Nerdist Podcast Live with Chris Hardwick 

Where: 4th and B, downtown 

Cost: $34 

Info: 4thandbevents.com 

Comedian Chris Hardwick (of Web Soup, I Love the ’90s and 

Chelsea Lately fame) comes to San Diego during Comic-Con to 

record one of his quirky “Nerdist Podcasts,” which celebrate the 

nerdier side of Hollywood, pop culture and world news. 

7/29: Analog’s One-Year Anniversary Party 

Where: 801 5th Ave., Gaslamp 


Info: analogbar.com 

Help celebrate Analog’s first anniversary, as the popular Gaslamp 

hotspot thanks dedicated regulars with music by DJ Cheyenne 

Giles, DJ Who and Paulo Strings. Check out live break-dance 

performances by Uncomfortably Fresh Crew and enjoy the hosted 

bar and appetizers from 7 to 9 p.m. Put yourself on the guest list by 

emailing rsvp@sdcreativemedia.com. 

7/29-30: La Jolla Fashion Film Festival 

Venue: Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, La Jolla 

Tickets: $50-$75 

Info: ljfff.com 

Haute couture scorches the big screen during San Diego’s 

inaugural fashion film festival, featuring cinematic shorts from 

designer Karl Lagerfeld, photographer Bruce Weber and other 

industry professionals. Screenings are 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. both 

nights, with after-parties at Barfly La Jolla. 


think 

MOVIE TRIVIA: SYLVESTER Stallone, CHARLIE CHAPLIN AND ORSON WELLES ARE THE ONLY THREE PEOPLE IN 

HISTORY TO HAVE BEEN NOMINATED FOR ACADEMY AWARDS FOR ACTING AND DIRECTING IN THE SAME YEAR 

YO! Actor/director Sylvester Stallone, star of 

the moldy-but-goodie Rocky film franchise, 

was in San Diego last year for Comic-Con. 

Sly turns 65 this month. 

SWEATING 

TO THE 

OLDIES 

Getting fit with 

workouts based on 

classic movies 

By Zoltan Illes 

Summertime is all about 

hot movies and even hotter 

bodies. So, what better 

way to inspire beach-body 

conditioning than incorporating 

your favorite movies into your 

mundane workouts? 

Here are eight fun fitness 

programs that celebrate both 

Hollywood and life in San Diego, 

while simultaneously helping you 

sculpt a silver-screen physique. 

Pumping Iron Weight Lifting 

Long before Arnold Schwarzenegger 

ravaged the California economy, 

the English language and his female 

staff, he was a very accomplished 

bodybuilder. This famous 

documentary shows just how easy it 

is to get pumped up at the gym. All 

you need is the dedication to hit the 

gym every day, the self-confidence 

of three Donald Trumps and the 

ability to scream like a dying cat 

every time you do a rep. Oh, and a 

butt load of steroids, of course. 

Rocky Cardio Training 

Start by running sprints along 

the water in Mission Beach while 

wearing extra small shorts and 

knee-high striped socks. Then, 

try to catch a chicken from one of 

the residential coops proliferating 

North County. End your workout 

by running up the stairs of the 

Convention Center downtown. Be 

sure to avoid the name-tag wearing, 

tote-bag carrying, pant-suited 

ladies and polo-shirted guys (aka 

conventioneers) as you’re jumping 

around in victory, singing Eye of the 

Tiger. (Actually, they’ll probably 

avoid you.) 

The Notebook Resistance 

Training 

Watch this movie and try to hold 

back your tears as long as you can. 

The more you watch, the harder it 

gets, providing a great workout for 

your tear ducts. Bonus: swallowing 

the lump in your throat helps 

tighten the neck muscles. 

Top Gun Volleyball 

Put on your tightest Wrangler jeans, 

tape up your wrists, throw on your 

dog tags and oil up your buddies. 

Although you’re dressed just right 

for Pride, this serious workout takes 

place in Ocean Beach, helping 

your relive the awesomeness of the 

volleyball scene from this classic 

1980s hit movie, filmed right here 

in San Diego. Just remember: no 

shirts, no women and no serve until 

you strike a macho-ass pose. 

Breakin’ Breakdance Fighting 

This movie was one of the first 

to show the incredible strength, 

agility and hard work it takes to 

breakdance. It also shows that you 

can solve many of today’s problems 

by popping and/or locking. Some 

big company wants to shut down 

your local rec center? Battle. 

Someone cuts ahead of you in line 

at Target? Battle. Get pulled over 

for a DUI? Call a lawyer. Battling 

would just get you jail time, as your 

killer dance moves are considered a 

deadly weapon. Word! 

Brokeback Mountain 

Bareback Riding 

This film shows you how to mount 

and ride him all day long for an 

exhilarating workout. Your horse, 

silly, not your training buddy. 

Anchorman Intensity Training 

Set in 1970s San Diego, this classic 

comedy teaches us how to “stay 

classy.” And although there is no 

fitness portrayed in the film, make 

your workouts more intense by 

basing them on the behavior of Ron 

Burgundy and his crew. Simply 

perform your normal routine wearing 

nothing but polyester—bell-bottoms, 

butterfly collars and leisure suits. Your 

core body temperature will climb to 

110 degrees, helping you burn twice 

the normal calories (and brain cells). 

Not to mention, you’ll be the biggest 

deal on the elliptical. 

Dirty Dancing Couples Cardio 

Never mind the fact the Patrick 

Swayze’s character was 35 and Baby 

was 16, this film shows us that 

couples dancing is a great way to 

get a hot body. Just look at Kirstie 

Alley on Dancing with the Stars. On 

a sexy scale, she went from “eww” 

to “ehh.” Erotically grinding against 

someone at one of many clubs in 

the Gaslamp is proven to burn 

calories, raise metabolism and make 

new friends you’ll regret giving your 

number to. 

Courtesy PR Photos 


SUMMER FASHION 2011 

1019 Garnet Avenue, Pacifi c Beach | tuttocuoreshoes.com

DROPS IN 

HOLLAND 

BECOME PINTS 

IN AMERICA. 

The people of Holland craft a mighty fine 

brew, that’s why every drop of Heineken 

is taken straight from Amsterdam. Every. 

Single. Drop. And if these pints could talk, 

well, we’d need someone who spoke Dutch. 

Enjoy Heineken Responsibly 

©2011 Heineken® Lager Beer. Brewed in Holland. 

Imported by Heineken USA Inc., White Plains, NY.

currents - Pacific San Diego Magazine

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?