Core District San Diego

Are you ready to Crush It with Gary Vaynerchuk (@GaryVee)?!

Join @DowntownRob at the phenomenal Vin De Syrah Spirit & Wine Parlor (@SyrahWineParlor) for the tWineUp Wine Tasting/Crush It! book signing -and- Big One Year Anniversary Party on Wednesday November 4th! This is the wine event not to be missed, and I'd love your support of the efforts in bringing more events like this to San Diego!

** Everyone attending receives a copy of Gary's just released book, Crush It! -> http://crushitbook.com/ **

The wine tasting at Syrah will include a flight of wines chosen by Adam Stemmler, Syrah's in-house wine enthusiast, and presented/discussed by Gary. After the wine tasting, Gary will be visiting with everyone and signing your book!

The afterparty will kick off around 9:30 or 10pm with DJ Smoove, on par with Syrah's usual amazing Wednesday night lineup of mixed music, and the full bar ready to serve you more wine or whatever elixir you desire.

I am also arranging a bunch of giveaways the night of... including dinner and wine packages, winery tour packages, and more.

I was able to arrange a much lower price than normally charged -- tickets are just $39 per person to cover the flight of wine and a personalized/signed copy of Gary's Crush It! book.

Details and RSVP: http://www.meetup.com/tWineUp/calendar/11442598/

SEPTEMBER 21, 2009 -- The 8^th annual San Diego Film Festival runs from September 23-27. Looking back, SDFF executive director Robin Laatz credits actor James Woods with helping her survive the emotional rollercoaster that was the first festival.

 “It was 2002,” says Laatz. “Scott Baio had given me a hard time during check-in about his hotel room. I was near tears. [Recall that Baio played Chachi on TV’s Happy Days.] The wonderful James Woods, who’d arrived at the hotel when this happened, goes up on stage at the closing party. And he’s addressing the audience and says, ‘I see Chachi is here tonight. Isn’t Chachi Italian for small penis?’”

Laatz, who started the festival with her filmmaker husband, Karl Kozak, says Woods’ onstage redress probably encouraged her to put up with all the organizational headaches the following year.

Thanks goodness. Last year, the SDFF attracted more than 14,000 people to its movie screenings, industry panels and nightly parties. This year, box office sales are reportedly up 20 percent over last year. (For more information, go to sdff.org.)

More than 85 movies will be shown at downtown’s Gaslamp Theater. A few films have some buzz, including Like Dandelion Dust, a tear-jerker starring Barry Pepper and Mira Sorvino, which opens the festival on Wednesday.

There will be two high-profile world premieres: a comedy called Repo, and The Job, which stars Joe Pantoliano (Risky Business, The Sopranos). Both movies will be screened on Saturday and Sunday.

Keep an eye out for: Official Rejection. It’s a documentary by Paul Osborne about the film festival circuit, and includes footage from the 2007 SDFF. Look for a cameo by Laatz.

San Diego’s film festival was recently ranked among the top 10 in the United States. Laatz hopes the national recognition helps ignite local interest.

“The thing I want people to catch on to with the festival is that for 95 percent of the films, the actors and directors are in the house,” she says. “This isn’t about going into a multiplex, sitting for 90 minutes and leaving. You can ask questions afterward. It’s very interactive.”  

Celebrities scheduled to be on hand include James Van Deer Beek, Richard Dreyfuss and William Shatner, whose latest cinematic effort is called William Shatner’s Gonzo Ballet. If you’ve got questions, it airs Friday.

SEPTEMBER 2, 2009 -- Balboa Park is home to the world’s largest outdoor organ. Symphony Hall has a fancy Robert Morton Organ (currently being refurbished). Everyone knows two of anything doesn’t mean squat. But three constitutes a trend. The trifecta hits San Diego on September 13, when a restored 1929 Wonder Morton Organ debuts at the downtown Balboa Theatre.

“To have three organs of this caliber so close together will definitely get the attention of organ groups,” says Kay Porter, director of development and immediate past president of The Balboa Theatre Foundation. “We’ve had a lot of inquiries, especially because of the age of this organ, and its hand-crafted restoration.”

There were only five Wonder Morton Organs built and only four exist today. The Balboa Theatre’s organ was built in Van Nuys and installed in the Loews Theater in Queens, New York. It belonged to collectors on Long Island and in Chicago before a Balboa Theatre donor bought it in 2002.

Theater organs contain a lot of “toys” says Porter. There are 23 “ranks,” of keys, with a grand total of more than 1,400 keys. The organ is connected to a series of 2,000 pipes that produce the sounds of drums, trumpet, xylophones and other orchestral instruments.

A five-year restoration process began in 2005, led by the Ramona-based father/daughter team of Wendell and Linnea Shoberg. The price tag for the restoration and installation: $1.1 million. To date, $750,000 has been raised. Hence, organ donors (with deep pockets) are welcome.

AUGUST 14, 2009 -- They were too stuffy. Russ Mitchell admits that when the Grant Grill lounge first re-opened, it missed the mark. The lounge is on the ground floor of the 99-year-old, historic U.S. Grant Hotel.  

“It was geared to be a high-end, elegant dining experience,” says Mitchell, sales and marketing manager of the hotel. “But in this market, it wasn’t a fit. This market is laid-back, and not as sophisticated as a San Francisco or New York, or even Los Angeles.”

The restaurant/lounge still needed a higher-end concept—but had to be less intimidating. So $250,000 was sunk into a design effort led by Esteban Lopez of La Jolla’s Esteban Interiors.

Lopez opened up the lounge, which had been partitioned, making it difficult for groups to sit and comingle. Lighting effects were added, with new wall fixtures and dangling chandeliers that are historical and classy—but also trendy.

Now, jazz music from the Kevin James Trio plays Wednesday and Thursday nights. And a DJ spins music Friday and Saturday nights.

“We’ve got more energy, and more soul now,” says Mitchell. “We’re pulling guests into the room that in the past seemed to think was too stuffy. We’re getting people in off the streets, too.”   

Mitchell says the restaurant—which was left intact during the recent renovation—is roughly flat in revenue, but the lounge has seen a 20-30 percent bump in business in the past two months.

Apparently, even in a historic hotel, soul sells.

AUGUST 12, 2009 -- Hope Juber—she played Greg Brady’s girlfriend on “The Brady Bunch”—describes her new comedic play as “Dream Girls” meets “Spinal Tap.” The musical is called “It’s The Housewives,” and it opens for a month on September 4 at downtown’s Tenth Avenue Theatre.

“Housewives” is about three homemakers who form a band for their PTA talent show. The group becomes a hit. Their brand of domestic rock and roll produces pun-alicious songs like “Ironing Bored,” “Reynolds Rap” and “Be My Baby-sitter.”

Juber, who is married to former Wings lead guitarist Laurence Juber (he’s musical director for the show), really played in a band called The Housewives, from 1982-95. Watching a performance of “Jersey Boys,” she realized her band’s songs could be cobbled together around a narrative effort.

But “Housewives” is a fictitious account. “It’s not the story of my real band—it’s the fake story of a real band.” In the play, the band breaks up over a guacamole recipe. Juber says a tiff did break out once in her neighborhood over an avocado-related incident—but that’s not why the real Housewives broke up.

Juber’s father is 92-year-old Sherwood Schwartz, creator of “The Brady Bunch” and “Gilligan’s Island.” As an insider to the latter, I had to ask Juber to weigh in on the oft-debated Ginger/Mary Ann comparison.

“For fictional character, I’d have to pick Ginger—because I’m a redhead,” says Juber. “But in real life, Dawn [Wells, who played Mary Ann] was the warmest and sweetest person—she used to take me shopping.”

Close your eyes and try to remember the “Brady Bunch” episode when Greg takes his date, Rachel, to the drive-in movie…with a car full of frogs. “Yes, the frogs were really jumping on my head,” says Juber.

“It’s The Housewives” first opened in Los Angeles in September 2008. This is its first road trip. Throughout September, it will play Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m.

AUGUST 8, 2009 -- Steph Johnson's voice packs a punch. She's bluesy and soulful--but at any moment she's ready to rock. Her band's Thursday night set in the back room theater of The Onyx Room capped the latest groovy gathering co-sponsored by sandiegoDTOWN.com.

This was the third downtown mixer our up-and-coming Web site has been pleased to be associated with. Jason Gregory, long-affiliated with Downtown News, puts in the work to attract crowds with great entertainment, excellent food (catering was by Morton's The Steakhouse and Royal India) and a long list of companies that contribute raffle prizes (including co-sponsor FIT Athletic Club).

Check out the party pictures and see what you missed. And keep an eye out here for the next DTOWN shindig--details will show up soon. HINT: If Ferris Bueller can take a day off--why can't you?...

AUGUST 4, 2009 -- Jaime Fox-Rice was about 15 minutes late for a lunch meeting (with me). The chief of staff for District 3 city councilmember Todd Gloria blamed her tardiness on elevator delays in city hall.

Smelled like a story.

Two of the four main elevators that ferry hundreds of city employees, as well as serve as main access point for the public to their elected representatives, were closed this week. An “elevator modernization” program has been in effect for several months.

Phone calls made to several council offices turned up a great deal of grumbles and groans—but nobody wanted to complain on the record.

“Nobody knows why two of the four are out right now,” says one senior council staff member. “People are corked about it. There are some people—like those in wheelchairs—that really need an elevator.”

Another senior council staffer said 10-15-minute waits for the elevator are now routine. And that staff arriving late for meetings due to intra-building travel has become commonplace.

One veteran council staff member joked that the delays may cause city staff to lose weight, since many get frustrated and take to the stairs; but not her, unfortunately, because she almost always wears high-heeled shoes.

Footwear notwithstanding, a great deal of public employee time is currently being squandered waiting for elevators in San Diego’s antiquated city hall.

A sign posted in the lobby near the elevators says the target completion date for modernizing the elevators is October 9. Building manager Glen Simpsonn says engineers and the project manager picked August to work on two cars at one time because “It’d have the least impact, since no legislative action is taken this month, so fewer people are here.”

Simpsonn predicts two cars will be out of service at the same time for “another week to 10 days.” Meanwhile, if you have business at city hall, leave a little early. Or—unless you are Spiderman—wear comfortable climbing shoes.

Pick your favorite studio or gym from from the following list and highlight the fastest route to the new downtown LuLuLemon showroom. Print the map with your very personal path highlighted and deliver to the showroom on Friday, August 7 before 5 p.m.

Find Your Path!

sandiegoDTOWN.com

Yoga Studios:
Bikram Old Town
Chula Vista Yoga Center
Core Power Point Loma 
Core Power Hillcrest
Ginseng Yoga
Infinite Yoga 
The Little Yoga Studio
Red Lotus Society
SD Yoga Loft
Yoga One
Yoganic Hillcrest

Pilates, Dance Studios and Gyms:
The Bar Method
Culture Shock
Hot Body Pilates
Marshall Eklund Pilates Studio
Pilates on J
The Pilates Room Little Italy
Pure Fitness

JULY 31, 2009 -- Brian Malarkey says that following an upcoming six-week leave of absence as chef of popular downtown restaurant Oceanaire, he will return to the job. It was reported on sandiegoDTOWN.com today that after the paid leave, Malarkey would not return.

The “Top Chef” reality TV star says he is taking a paid paternity leave, per California law, following the birth of his now 10-month-old son.

SandiegoDTOWN.com made several attempts to speak to Malarkey by phone to clarify several comments he made during an interview at a fundraising event held at Stingaree.

He responded by email: “I will still be employed by the Oceanaire after my daddy leave,” he wrote. “Sean Langlais will be the acting chef in my absence. And again like last night, that's all I can say.”

Malarkey’s original quote regarding Langlais was: “I’m proud to leave the kitchen to executive sous chef Sean Langlais. He deserves to run the kitchen—he’s been doing it for so long.”

The Oceanaire chain of restaurants recently declared bankruptcy, and closed several eateries around the country. General manager/operating partner of the San Diego restaurant, Mike Mitchell—godfather to Malarkey’s son—recently left the company. Opened in 2004, the San Diego restaurant will reportedly stay in business.

JULY 31, 2009 -- Brian Malarkey was dressed in his Oceanaire chef’s coat for what was likely the last time last night. During a Chocolat & Vino Affair fundraiser event at Stingaree, Malarkey disclosed he is leaving the seafood eatery where he became an iconic image.

“I’m taking an extended family leave of absence,” Malarkey said. He wouldn’t say what his next place of employment might be, or if he is planning on opening his own restaurant.

[NOTE: This stoy has been updated at: More Malarkey.]

Malarkey helped open San Diego’s downtown Oceanaire chain restaurant in 2004. He’s won numerous local awards for seafood and has been named best local chef. He competed on the “Top Chef” reality TV show on the Bravo Network, and finished in the top four during the program’s third season.

The Oregon native has done a slew of television and promotional appearances since his “Top Chef” stint.

Recently, Oceanaire management declared bankruptcy, and closed several of its eateries around the country. San Diego’s was not among the restaurants that were shuttered. Malarkey says the downtown Oceanaire is not about to close.

“I’m proud to leave the kitchen to executive sous chef Sean Langlais,” said Malarkey. “He deserves to run the kitchen—he’s been doing it for so long.”

Malarkey said he plans to spend the next six weeks on California’s paid daddy maternity leave. His son Huntington O’Neil is 10 months old. “I’m looking forward to spending time with my son,” he said. “You’re going to have to tie a string to my toe so I don’t float away—because I’m looking forward to a time of much less stress.”

JULY 27, 2009 -- There are three openings on the City of San Diego’s Ethics Commission, and some are concerned with the appearance of a conflict of interest in how those positions are being filled.

“City elected officials should not be confirming their own ethics commissioners,” says San Diego city councilmember Carl DeMaio. “That’s like the IRS letting you select your mom to audit your taxes.”

DeMaio’s comment came at a joint press conference with councilmember Donna Frye today at city hall.

San Diego’s Ethics Commission is a watchdog organization that can levy fines on the city’s politicians. Currently, the mayor and city council have final say in commission appointments.

Frye is concerned about, at the very least, the “appearance” of a lack of impartiality in Mayor Jerry Sanders not re-appointing Gil Cabrera, a vocal leader on the commission, which has levied fines over the past few years on sitting councilmembers, as well as campaign supporters of Mayor Sanders.

Sanders picked a candidate nominated by Councilmember Marti Emerald. But she withdrew the nomination when it was revealed the nominee, Evonne Shulze, had been a paid campaign organizer for Emerald, and that Emerald’s campaign was under investigation by the Ethics Commission.

Democrat Frye and Republican DeMaio have created a bipartisan plan to “restore maximum integrity and independence to the appointment process,” according to DeMaio. Their plan involves having a panel of randomly chosen retired judges have the final say on commission nominations made by politicians and the public.

“The mayor wants to fully staff the commission without a delay,” says Sanders spokesperson Rachel Laing. “If anyone wants to explore a new structure later, the mayor won’t block it in any way.”

The council is set to discuss the Ethics Commission vacancies tomorrow afternoon in council session. Based on an informal canvas of councilmembers, it appears quite up in the air whether Frye and DeMaio will get the delay they are seeking on having the positions filled under the current system.

July 24, 2009 -- “The Big Lebowski” was a brilliantly funny 1998 movie by the Coen brothers starring Jeff Bridges as a So Cal slacker named “The Dude.” The character has deep thoughts but little motivation to act on them.

The Dude’s existence is summed up in his movie response to a question about what he does for recreation: “Oh, the usual. I bowl. Drive around. The occasional acid flashback.”

San Diego, get ready for Lebowski Fest. The 14-city summer tour comes to town for the first time July 26-27. There’s a screening of the movie at the House of Blues the first night, followed by a bowling party at Kearny Mesa Bowl the second night.

Will Russell and Scott Shussitt are the “Founding Dudes” of Lebowski Fest. Their traveling celebration of testosterone-fueled existentialism (that’s as close to any label you can put on the flick) drew about 400 in San Francisco recently, and the Founding Dudes expect San Diego attendance to be similar.

“The film screening is fun because everybody screams out the lines,” says Shussitt. “The screening gets us in the mindset for the bowling party, where we basically re-enact the movie.”

Attendees dress up as characters from the movie (which also starred John Goodman and Steve Buscemi). There’s a costume contest, a trivia contest and unlimited bowling. Plenty of The Dude’s trademark White Russian cocktails will be consumed.

Shussitt says he’s seen the movie more than 100 times. But in true Dude fashion, he hasn’t kept track of the exact number. Nor does he know all the lines. “I know most of the lines—but it drives my wife crazy when I say them while we watch it,” he says. “But I have memorized a lot the characters’ hand motions. So I do those, mostly.”

JULY 22, 2009 -- Adam Stemmler is an aficionado of alcohol. He’s the savant beverage director at downtown’s hip underground Syrah Wine Parlor, and a veteran bartender at Firehouse in Pacific Beach. He’s had his share of nights on the town—but says he never gets a hangover.

He’s willing to share his three-fold plan of attack. It involves prevention, practice and post-game reaction. (Remember: Stemmler is a 29-year-old bartender, not a doctor. Even so, he preaches moderation in drinking. “The worst thing you can do is be good all week and then throw it into fifth gear on the weekend,” he says.)

Prevention: Every day, Stemmler takes a complex B vitamin, a probiotic (which speeds up digestion) and milk thistle (a natural herb that’s good for the liver. All are available at Henry’s. Stemmler also never eats fast food: “If you’re not polluting your body with processed carbs, your body can process alcohol faster.”

Practice: Try to avoid mixers—especially processed sugars that are in Coke and Sprite. Likewise, eschew syrupy drinks like Jagermeister. And stick with one spirit all night. If you’re imbibing at Opening Day at the Del Mar Racetrack, don’t start with a Del Margarita and switch to a Del Martini and follow it with a Del Mary. Also—one glass of water for every two alcoholic drinks helps avoid dehydration.

Post-Game: Okay—something went wrong and you wake up with a base drum solo playing in your frontal cortex. “Go for greasy food,” says Doc Stemmler. “An egg omelet is good—so are breakfast burritos.”

Will the Three P’s work for all ages? Stemmler admits his research is anecdotal. “I’m 29—who knows what’ll happen when I’m 35.”

JULY 6, 2009 -- Two of the Gaslamp Quarter’s consumer-friendliest happy hours happen early in the week. On Monday nights, it’s half off nearly-everything—including food and top-shelf liquor—at La Puerta. Same deal on Tuesdays at Confidential Restaurant + Loft.

Both Fourth Avenue venues are owned by the same management. And on Wednesday, July 15, each will be highlighted during a double-header party that begins at Confidential and ends at La Puerta.

The event is co-hosted by FIT Athletic Club and sandiegoDTOWN.com. Gift certificates to several restaurants will be raffled off. Other raffle prizes include GoCar GPS-guided tours and Skyy Limousine rides. The grand prize—awarded to one lucky winner who attends both parties—is a 40-person Loft party at Confidential that includes a $500 bar tab.

The Confidential party is from 6-9 p.m., and will feature wine pairings and free, small-bite food. The scene switches to La Puerta from 9-11 p.m., where a more Mexican vibe—yes, tequila-infused—exists.

“First and foremost, this night is going to celebrate the happy hour culture, and the social ambiance of downtown,” says Darren Moore, co-owner of both spots, and a downtown resident. “We’ll showcase the menu at Confidential, because we want people to see it has a residential feel, and it isn’t just a lounge. And people who come down to La Puerta afterward will see how diverse a venue it is.”

WHEN:

July 15 (Wednesday)

WHERE:

Confidential 6-9 p.m.

La Puerta 9-11 p.m.

RSVP to JASON@SDNEWS.com

JULY 2, 2009 -- A downtown denizen (myself included) really doesn’t need the hassle of driving to Pacific Beach for nightlife. Nor should the PB knuckleheads (a tough-love term of affection) come downtown and drunk-drive home. I’m not advocating that everybody just stay on their own turf—though that’s what I do, mostly. Recognizably, there are legitimate reasons or events that entail—deep breath—leaving the home base of operations.

To that end, kudos to Link Shuttle Inc. for starting LocalLink. It’s a shuttle service that starts up this weekend, with drop-off and pickup at The Local in downtown and The Open Bar in Pacific Beach. Vans will leave each bar on the hour from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. Cost is $10 roundtrip.

“We’re excited about this ride-share idea,” says spokesperson Aaron Heier. “It’s a safety idea, as well as a green and economical idea. If you’ve got eight friends that all want to go to a specific location, you don’t have to take eight cars.”

A one-way taxi fare from downtown to Pacific Beach is estimated at $25-$30.

The vans fit up to 30 people. Heier says LocalLink is committed to doing the service all summer. If demand is there, the company will extend it beyond the summer, or do back-and-forth service from other locations.

Link Shuttle Inc. got its start in 1996 as a small-scale transportation service for local university students. Owner Cynthia Sanders partnered with Mothers Against Drunk Drivers, and strove to get students home safely from downtown. Today, Link Shuttle has 25 vans and 40 employees.

Is drinking allowed on the shuttle bus to-and-from downtown and PB? “Yes,” says Heier. “But these are not party busses.” And make note, knuckleheads: There are no potties.