Welcome back!

By Emmilly Nguyen

Repurposed from Mashable

After a long winter break, Scoop of San Diego is back and ready for the new year. Hope you didn’t miss us too much! To kick us off, Mashable put together reasons why San Diego is the perfect destination when you need to get away from somewhere chilly.

With abundant sunshine and temperate weather in the 70s, San Diego seems like pretty enticing vacation when you live in an snowy wonderland.

Come enjoy out natural wonders, local beer, museums, water sports, diverse foods, and so much more.

Let us know how you enjoy San Diego and any cool places you would like featured.

Thank you for you support and we look forward to hearing form you.

Feel free to contact me on Twitter @emmillymeows or our Twitter @scoopofsd

Dog friendly places for you and your pup

By Dani Skeen @daniskeen

Photo by Curtis Pennell via Flickr

People adore their dogs. When dog people aren’t admiring/taking pictures of/giving attention to their own dogs, it’s likely they’re looking at yours. I’m guilty of it myself.

San Diego is a great place to own a dog. There is a mix of outdoor weather, pet friendly restaurants and stores, plus a large selection of dog beaches and parks. No matter which area you live in, or if you’re just visiting, there’s a place for you and your canine to go without fear of scorn (except maybe from cat people).

For all the dog lovers out there, gopetfriendly.com made a list of the top 10 dog friendly activities in San Diego. Now there’s no reason to keep the pups at home this weekend.

San Diego breweries: try to choose just one

By Dani Skeen @daniskeen

Photo by Quinn Dombrowski via Flickr

Craft beer breweries are a historic part of San Diego and continue to be a prominent and growing part of San Diego culture. The hard part isn’t finding one, it’s finding one with the rights drinks, food, and atmosphere.

And with so many, it can be hard figuring out which breweries are best. San Diego Reader compiled a list of the top breweries in San Diego to help locals and visitors decide which one fits their mood (and taste).

Seventy operating brewing companies in San Diego were considered, and only ten made the list. They combine variety and quality that would make any craft explorer proud.

Check out the list here.

Craft beer and quality food at Blind Lady Ale House

By Dani Skeen @daniskeen

                   photo by Jaryl Cabuco via Flickr       photo by Jason Klepper via Flickr

Craft beer and pizza? Say no more. San Diego is known for being a craft beer hub, there is no shortage of that. But it takes a little more ingenuity to provide quality food and an atmosphere to tie it all together. In my opinion, Blind Lady Ale House achieves that.

The beer selection alone is enough to impress. Though they change the selection up nightly (you can keep up by following them on Instagram), they generally keep about a couple dozen beers on tap, with seasonal and specialty drinks like cider and pumpkin ale mixed in.

They commonly mention the brewing companies they’re serving, many of which are located in California or even closer to home, like Golden Road Brewery in Los Angeles and Lost Abbey in San Marcos.

Besides a large selection of beer, Blind Lady serves quality thin crust pizza as well as frites (served with three dipping sauces and the option to add truffle parm), appetizers, and salads. Vegans and vegetarians will easily find a delicious meal here, something that is becoming increasingly important, and a lot of the ingredients are locally grown, so it’s easy to feel good about the money spent.

Luckily, the food is fairly priced and pizzas (usually $7-$15) can be split between through or three people. The thin crust and fresh ingredients help to avoid feeling overstuffed so you can fill the rest of your belly with delicious beer.

Tied altogether with a comfortable and roomy space (know that the tables are organized to encourage sharing and meeting new people), surrounded by a wall of skateboards, an impressive wall of vintage beer cans, and genuinely friendly staff, it’s absolutely worth stopping by. Plus you don’t have to be 21 to get in, so you’re welcome to bring the family.

Located in Normal Heights, Blind Lady is close to a lot of small and proud San Diego businesses like Dark Horse Coffee (seriously, check out that adorable horse), which are also featured in posts and events. Because of these connections, Blind Lady Ale House is more than just pizza and beer. It’s pizza, beer, and a really accurate picture of San Diego that locals can be proud of.

Pigment in North Park stands out as a crafty haven

photo by Josh Leo via Flickr

San Diego is a city that values the handcrafted. There’s something special about buying a product that you know was made specially, not for the masses. The love for locals and handmade items has resulted in a flood of farmers markets, breweries, and craft fairs around the city. Pigment, an adorable little shop in North Park, has embodied the love by providing San Diego with local, organic, and homegrown items.

The attention of people passing by is caught by the large windows and obvious entrances. They have a lot of product on display, and it’s perfect for creating interest.

Inside the roomy and high ceilinged space is an almost overwhelming display of colors, patterns, and quality. Though the prices tend to run a little on the high side, customers know they’re going to get what they pay for. The items they sell are an array of practicality and appeal and they sell to men, women, and children.

The store seems to be primarily aimed toward and women and will be particularly attractive to the creative woman. There are sections with craft items like ribbon, paper tape, and notebooks as well as a station to create your own hanging glass succulent garden. There’s beautiful handcrafted jewelry, all natural facial products, and soy wax candles.

For men, there are quality leather items including wallets, belts, and bags, as well as products for a healthy beard.

The children section has stimulating and appealing books, handmade apparel, and simple, fun crafts like ceramic animals that need painting. Their items combine fun with education – a balance that is hard to strike.

All of this plus the quality kitchen products, hand drawn cards, and seasonal decorations and ornaments (featuring glitter, foxes, and faux fur) make Pigment a perfect place for gift shopping. These aren’t items from a department store, so whether you want to put some work into it, or you’d prefer someone else do it for you, the items in the store will be well made and well cared for.

Pigment holds events and DIY classes in store so be sure to follow them on Instagram for updates. If you aren’t able to stop by, their website is a great option.

 

By Dani Skeen @daniskeen

Step into the world of Dr. Seuss

By Megan Foo @MeganAnneFoo

Repurposed content from NBC7

“INGENIOUS! The World of Dr. Seuss” will be on display until the end of next year.

Do you love Dr. Seuss? The Cat in the Hat? Horton Hears a Who? How the Grinch Stole Christmas? Do whimsical characters and brightly colored illustrations remind you of being a kid again? If the answer is ‘yes’, then you’re going to want to check out the new “INGENIOUS! The World of Dr. Seuss” exhibit at the San Diego History Center in Balboa Park.

 

With pieces ranging from the well known art found in Dr. Seuss’s books to private pieces that Seuss created for himself, this exhibit is perfect for children and adults alike. No matter what your age, you’re never too old to step into Seuss’s world of whimsy and color.

 

Even though Seuss spent many years in San Diego during his lifetime from 1948 to 1991, this exhibit will only be here until the end of 2015, and it’s something you won’t want to miss!

 

Check out the original article and video here!

 

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Questions, comments or concerns? E-mail us at scoopofsandiego@gmail.com

 

It’s a WICKED time of year

By Vitoria Perez

Repurposed from Broadway San Diego

Photo by Yumi Ang via @cc https://www.flickr.com/photos/yumiang/

“The untold story of the witches of Oz” is back in Wicked at the San Diego Civic Center for a short time. This musical has won over 50 awards and has been preformed across the country. The musical play is about the two famous witches from The Wizard of Oz who are known to most of us as Glenda the Good Witch and the Wicked Witch of the West. But how did the get the titles of Good and Wicked? That is exactly what this musically filled performance is all about.

Click here for the rest of the Wicked shows and ticket pricing.

The new shop TOPSHOP

By Vitoria Perez

Repurposed from UT San Diego

Photo by Jacob Sanoni

The end of October brought more than just tricks and treats to San Diego. On the 30th, Topshop and Topman, brought to you by British retailers, opened their Fashion Valley glass doors to customers waiting since early that morning.

These new shops are getting ready to rattle the U.S.’s retail world by providing  more products per week than domestic stores and producers. Consumers are on the fence about this one saying that you can get the same thing cheaper some where else or that it is a store that offers unique and trendy pieces.

For the full article and quick run down of the shops, click here.

Family Roots

By Vitoria Perez

Photos by George Perez

My Own Little Jar
Photo by Vitoria Perez

When my grandpa passed away, my dad tended to his green thumb. Pop was always in his garden growing spicy chilies, sweet flowers and savory avocados. Dad loved Pop’s pink sweet pea flowers the most and started lining the fences with them. Then came the giant vegetable garden at the top of the hill of our Northern California home. Down here, Dad’s love for succulents sprouted and hasn’t stopped.

Our backyard has turned into a mini jungle of terra-cotta pots and hundreds of different families of these little fat plants. If my dad isn’t creating a new display, he is shopping for plants and ideas at two of his favorite nurseries: Gardens by the Sea and Cordova’s. Each place takes you to a different planet—almost like the forest in Avatar. One by one the stoned paths lead you to walls of succulents. Pinks, yellows, light greens, dark greens and purples sprinkle the landscape. You could get lost here.

My dad has his own work bench in the backyard full of projects in progress. When I asked his why succulents he answered, ” it’s because they don’t ask for much. They can with stand their own with little help here and there. They are beautiful. They remind me of Pop and for some reason, I’m good at it.” He then proceeded to hand me my own little jar filled with the tiniest succulents you’ve ever seen.

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Del Mar: Songs and surf

by Vitoria Perez

Photo by Elvin Lucero

Every summer the Del Mar Fair offers a concert series that incorporates all different genres of music. There are 10 concerts on selected Fridays and Saturdays throughout three months. The cost? Well if you go before the last race you only have to pay the $6 entrance fee on top of parking. If you arrive after the last race begins, you’ll have to pay $20. So to save a little, try to get there before 7pm on Fridays or before 6pm on Saturdays. The concerts also tie into different events as well. This past August, Del Mar celebrated Beer Fest and invited Weezer to come out to where the surf meets the turf.

Happy early birthday to me!

That evening I clocked out at 6 right on the dot, changed in the back room and met my boyfriend curb-side. On the semi-long drive from Chula Vista to Del Mar, it started to rain but not on my parade. Even with his turbo engine and us running through puddles to get to the ticket counter we weren’t lucky enough to get in for less than $20.

With the Flying =W= symbol in lights, the crowd singing along to “Island in the Sun” and the boys closing out with “Buddy Holly,” I couldn’t imagine a better start to my twenty-first, rain puddles and all.