San Diego Best Attractions

Little Italy knows how to throw a party. With 4 main stages and other smaller performance areas there was a lot to see at the 2011 Little Italy Festa. In addition to entertainment, there was a pizza flipping contest, chalk art, an Italian car show, an antique train car, plus many street vendors selling everything from art to kitchen utensils to delicious authentic food.

I had some pizza from Filippi’s and some homemade tiramisu which was the best I’ve ever had. I enjoyed music from three different acts and browsed all of the vending tents. The chalk art is always amazing. One of the highlights was a recreation of the Sistine Chapel in chalk. I didn’t noticed the Italian’s playing street ball as I had in previous years, though, which I missed. Overall, I enjoyed celebrating my Italian heritage at the Festa.

McFadden’s San Diego celebrated their opening weekend and it was ridiculous. They had all their staff there ready to make sure the guests had a great time. They were dancing on the bar, pouring shots into people’s mouths, they had a Shake Weight competition, they got down and dirty on the dance floor with everyone, and were just all-out fun to be around. They even had a leprechaun on hand to celebrate with everyone!

The opening started on Thursday 10/6/11 with a Yelp Elite event where everyone was encouraged to dress up in green and everyone was given green beads. They opened to the public at 8pm with free drinks until 10pm. Everyone was welcomed with glow stick necklaces as they walked in and they had tray passed appetizers. The appetizers included soft pretzels, fried macaroni and cheese, hamburgers, and chicken wings for everyone. Everything was tasty except the fried macaroni and cheese. The noodles were dry and you couldn’t taste the cheese.

I went again on Saturday because Vanilla Ice was there and it was just as fun as it was Thursday night, with everyone dancing on the bar and great music from the 80′s, 90′s, and even some current hits. Vanilla Ice didn’t really sing as much as karaoke his songs, but he sang Ice, Ice baby and Go Ninja Go…. both of which I love. He seemed to be enjoying himself as he sang behind the bar.

McFadden’s is an Irish sports bar lined with televisions that was formerly Deco’s. There is a dj and dance area in the front, which was packed with dancers during the party. The back patio has a lot of tables set up and during the opening they were playing a baseball game. This would be an awesome place to watch the Charger’s or Padres play… or any other sporting event. This place is worth going to simply to have fun with the bartenders.

See photos from the event on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/sandiegosbestattractions

Fashion Valley hosted a Betsey Johnson and Custo Bareclona fashion show at Vin De Syrah wine parlor in downtown San Diego on 9/30/11. Some of the clothes were 3D so 3D glasses were provided. From 8-9pm they had complimentary champagne.

The staff and some of the guests were dressed in vintage clothing which made the event more fun and they played big band music in the background, which I love. The crowd was mostly lovely women so it was any guys dream to be there.

The clothes were interesting. My favorite was a pink Betsey Johnson tulle dress. I didn’t really care for the tiger jacket they paired it with. The clothes were colorful with bold prints, which is a signature of both designers.

You can see photos from the event on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/sandiegosbestattractions

Tonight was the Smartest Man Alive event by SmartWater at the La Jolla Strip Club. It was a wonderful event. Executive chef James Stephenson hosted the event. He taught us how to make grilled veggies, a specialty Caesar salad, and surf & turf. We learned how to cook a steak, how to grill lettuce for the salad, how to marinade, how to chop basil, and how to pair wine. Valley of the Moon winery was there to teach us about the wine and how to test it. Rock 105.3 radio station was there giving away prizes and SmartWater sponsored the event.

La Jolla Strip Club is an interesting restaurant concept. It is a chophouse with grills where you grill your own steaks. They also have a huge selection of vodkas at the martini bar and every martini is only $7.

Visit their website: www.lajollasteak.com

This week has some fun stuff lined up…

It is San Diego restaurant week this week from 9/18-9/23. You can check out more than 180 of San Diego’s best restaurants offering fixed price, three-course meals for $20, $30 or $40. It is a great way to check out the menu without emptying out your wallet.

Adams Ave Street Fair is this weekend (9/24-9/25) on Adams Avenue in Normal Heights starting at 10am and ending at 9pm. FREE two day event is San Diego’s largest FREE music festival featuring 60 musical acts on six stages.

Macallan Scotch Tasting Event is this week. Free private party to taste Macallan after dark. Must RSVP at: http://www.themacallanafterdark.com/lookup_event

Oceanside Harbor Days is this weekend 9/24 -25 located at the Oceanside Harbor. Saturday 9:00 am to 6:00 pm; Sunday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Over 200 vendors, food court, a Pirate Village, kid’s zone, and live entertainment. Free

Water for Children Music Fest and Eco Fair is this Sat 9/24 from 10am-7pm with over 70 Eco and community related vendors, Recycling Workshop, Eco Art Gallery, Aqua, Battle of the Bands, Weiner Hot Dog Eating Contest, Pizza Eating Contest, BBQ Rib Eating Contest, and other fun family activities. $7.50 suggested donation

Pacific Islander Festival is this weekend 9/24-25 at 10am. It is held at Ski Beach in Mission Bay and offers two filled days of continuous entertainment from various professional dance groups and bands, over 100 booths offering delicous food, displays and many islander items to sell and featuring a children’s & cultural village.

BonitaFest is this Sat 9/24 at the Bonnie Brae Shopping Center from 9am -5pm. BonitaFest celebrates history, family, community, to celebrate the heritage and spirit of Bonita and the Sweetwater Valley. Food, entertainment, kid zone, and parade at 10am.

5th Annual ¡Vive tu Vida! Get Up! Get Moving! ® Health Fair is this Sat, Sept. 24 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in San Diego’s Chicano Park. FREE family event to promote physical, healthy, and active lifestyles in the Latino community. Free health screenings (diabetes, heart disease, blood pressure, kidney screenings, dental and vision), health education and fun physical activities like Zumba, aerobics and tennis.

Chula Vista Centennial Harbor Days Extravaganza is this weekend from 10am-5pm. FREE two-day festival on Chula Vista’s waterfront. Tour the tall ship Californian and the historic steam yacht Medea and visit the bustling wharf marketplace.  Arts & Craft fair, “juried” art show at the Yacht Club, and Kid’s Zone featuring art, music, culture and pirates.

Farm Education Day at Bates Nut Farm is this Sat 9/24 from 11am-4pm. Experience a variety of free educational opportunities for all ages. Members of the local farming community will be on hand to share with you their love of farming and agriculture. Learn about beekeeping, wool spinning, wildlife conservation, and locally grown produce.

Carlsbad ArtSplash is this weekend from 10am-5pm with hands-on art-making opportunities,food, juried fine art, chalk painting, sand sculpting, juggling, live music, stone stacking, family carnival, and the Fern Street Circus.

Free yoga during yoga month. Check out http://www.yogamonth.org/freeyoga.php to find participating studios offering free yoga.

I went to a Lucky7Match party the other day at the W hotel. The staff is very friendly and welcoming. The crowd was a good mix of older and younger, women and men. The only suggestion I had for them was that there was no ice breaker, game, or anything to get the crowd to interact with one another. I think the reason people go to a singles event is because they have a hard time meeting members of the opposite sex. Part of this is because they may be shy or may not know the best way to approach someone. Some sort of fun game or ice breaker would have made people interact more. The crowd actually seemed pretty dry until they got a few drinks in them. People seemed to relax a bit more as the evening went on, which again I think could have been overcome by an icebreaker. They didn’t even have name tags at this event.

I have been to about 5 singles events. Most of them were speed dating events, which I think are fun because they give you a chance to meet a lot of people without having to talk to them for too long, and then you can talk to them a bit more later if you like them. The few that I have been to that weren’t speed dating didn’t seem to be as much fun. It is good to know that everyone there is single, but unless there is a way to interact, even if it something as simple as a name tag with their favorite word or color or something to get a conversation going, I don’t think they are going to be as fun as they could be.

I think the only thing that saved me at this event was that I went with four friends and ran into three more. If I hadn’t known anyone I really don’t think I would have had that much fun. This was my first Lucky7Match event so I don’t know if they do special things normally, like speed dating or ice breakers. I just wasn’t very impressed with the event itself.

www.lucky7match.com

I went to the Malibu Rum Station Invasion private party with Taio Cruz and DJ Skribble last weekend. It was so much fun! They had free Malibu Rum drinks with both the Malibu Coconut and Malibu Black liquor. The Malibu Black has twice as much alcohol as the coconut but it still has a smooth flavor. I had it with ginger beer and diet coke and both were good. They also had a few tray passed hors d’oeuvres.

The party didn’t have as many people as I was expecting but it was fun. They had a photo booth with props, music, and a dj booth where they recorded you doing your own dj scratching. They had women in bikinis running around to get the party going. In the early part of the night they played volley ball with a beach ball with the guests and as the dancing got going they danced with everyone. The venue was nice and had a balcony overlooking the ocean.

I had a fantastic time dancing to DJ Skribble and when Taio Cruz came on I got close enough to touch him. If this party comes to your city I highly recommend going!

Name 5 high profile Asian American Actors in Hollywood. Now name 5 Asian American popular musicians. Could you do it? Chances are you had a hard time, unless you happen to be in the industry or go out of your way to find out who the popular Asian Americans are. Sadly, many Americans will name William Hung or Tila Tequila as the only Asian American music stars they have heard of.

So where are the Asian American music stars? There are some but they don’t go out of their way to announce that they are Asian American. Did you know Norah Jones, Far East Movement (who were the first Asian American group to be in the Top 10 in Mainstream POP charts… in 2010!), Enrique Iglesias, Kelis, Bruno Mars, Ne-Yo, Lindo of Black Eyed Peas, and Nicole Scherzinger from Pussy Cat Dolls are all Asian American? Many people don’t.

So why this lack of representation in music star status from the Asian American community? Most people blame this on the fact that Asian Americans don’t sell. They say that there are too many stereotypes about Asian Americans being smart or not really American with thick accents or into playing instruments, but not seen as being pop or rock “stars”. Even music executives will dismiss very talented musicians simply because they are Asian American.

Dennis-Michael Broussard of Silk Road Productions is trying to prove them wrong. His team is producing the first all Asian American music festival in San Diego, CA. He has been uniting the Asian American community with his different festivals and events in San Diego to give them a stronger voice than they would have if they segregated themselves by their individual heritage, as they have in the past. He wants to show San Diego just how talented the Asian American musicians are.

Dennis-Michael says his motivation behind doing all of the toil and labor involved in putting something like this together is his dream of showcasing Asian American talent. “I want to do something that will make a difference in San Diego. I want to prove that Asian Americans do sell.”

AMP Music Festival is an all day festival that will take place September 17, 2011 at the Jacob Center at Market Street Plaza from noon to 9pm. The festival will showcase 30 of San Diego’s up-and-coming Asian American musicians. In addition to showcasing Asian American talent, the festival is also a way to raise money for art and music scholarships and educational programs through the Asian Business Association Community Foundation. Tickets are $20 in advance or $30 at the gate. For more information visit www.AmpMusicFestival.com

************ Oooo…. there’s a groupon for tickets right now here: Groupon

Cafe Sevilla Restaurant and Nightclub has a new home on 5th Avenue. The layout is more open but the space is about the same size as the old location. I was there for one of their grand opening parties. It was supposed to start at 8pm but apparently they were having issues in the kitchen and didn’t let anyone in. I was a bit miffed about this but quickly forgave them when they handed me a drink and a chicken skewer as I walked in the door. I never had to wait for a drink. The Sangria was delicious and I liked the mai tais that were flowing during the party.

I got to sample a lot of the food. The chicken skewers and paella seemed a little dry (but maybe that had to do with the issues in the kitchen?) but the rice had a lot of different meats and seafood in it. I really enjoyed both flavors of empanadas and the brava potatoes. The sauteed mushrooms and gazpacho were yummy, too. I would definitely come back here to eat.

On the main floor there is a lively bar area where they had a live Flamenco band that was fabulous. They took requests and they played Gypsy Kings for us.  Upstairs is a nicer, more private dining area and downstairs they have their signature salsa dancing area. They have salsa dancing lessons Thursday nights at 8:30pm.

My friends and I had a blast at the grand opening party. If you’re looking for a nice place to take a date for live music or salsa, this is definitely the place.

3/24/11-

Jose Cuervo throws one hell of a party. It is kind of expected from a tequila since it is known as a party drink. I went to the Jose Cuervo party at NTC Promenade and I had a fantastic time. They had a cool painted skull theme which I loved, so when you walked in there were a bunch of tables with painted skulls and candles in a sacrificial kind of way. The hostesses all had their faces painted in fancy cool skulls. When you walked in the room, you were greeted by two giant dancing skeletons on the dance floor surrounded by beautiful ladies with painted skull faces. There were two food stations with burritos and street taco buffet. They had face painters so you could get a cool skull painted on your face. On one end of the room there was a giant screen with a video of a painted skull face just looking around the room. There was a stage with couches and people dressed completely in black so they looked like shadows. They also had hostesses passing around shots of tequila.