Fall always seems to me like a temporary guest of a season. Perhaps it is because her stay seems interrupted by faux-winter – the holiday marketing season – and my own attempts to stretch Summer to the maximum length her elasticity will allow. It isn’t because I dislike Fall. I think it is because I dislike change, and I cling to Summer to avoid it. Then, once in Fall, and beginning to enjoy her company, the marketing version of Winter – a fifth season of gift peddling comes crashing in before …

One resource everyone needs in their back pocket is a Place for Important Conversations.    In the movies, it seems that dark restaurants with a well stocked bar, quiet corners, staff who know how to provide great service while leaving you alone, and menu items you can take time over sit on every corner.  In real life, finding this location is a little trickier.  And yet, it is something that every one needs in their little electronic black book of resources.  You need one of those places where the setting adds …

Tucked in plain sight in the East Village of downtown San Diego is Café Chloe – a fusion of Parisian chic and urban Southern California.  The interior décor definitely speaks French, but has more use of white and bright natural light than most traditional Parisian cafes.  The blend is a great match for this wine bar and cafe.
With distressed dark washed wood floors, dark open cabinets, and a dark bar contrasted by the white round table tops, a curved white bar top, and white (and lavender in the nook in …

Do you ever wish you could order one of everything – or at least one of most things on the menu?  Sometimes I just want to taste lots of different dishes on the menu rather than order one entrée.  That’s right – I am not interested in committing and being faithful to just one meal.  To my rescue is Bite in Hillcrest.  They are a brilliant combination of great food available in small quantities.  So you can order lots of dishes and just have a bite of each.  Add to …

Get cozy on the rooftop

Sometimes, the VIP section is fun…until you are in it.  There are places where the VIP can take on the feel of a zoo exhibit, with the non-VIPers watching you, and all of the fun happening outside the cage.  It is like being the pacing tiger being watched by children with ice cream cones, cotton candy, and soda, while you are have day after day of high-end (yet boring) gazelle casserole.  It can feel like all of the action is on the outside.  And the ice …

Not all math is fun.  But cocktails + outdoors + beautiful décor + a rooftop pool = slick, sexy, cool any day of the week.  Add a cabana and it is advanced math I think anyone can follow.  The Siren Pool and Uber Lounge at Hotel Se in San Diego provides all that with polished customer service that includes such a smooth, understated handoff of the visitor from staff member to staff member, that it is hard not to walk away feeling like the staff was waiting for your arrival and that …

I dig atmosphere. Really. Sometimes more than the food and drinks at a restaurant. But, one thing that can bring me down from that high is substandard service. That can really sober me up fast.
 
I love the atmosphere at The Pearl Hotel in Point Loma. Love it. The restaurant has an indoor/outdoor setting around the pool. During the summer, they show movies on a screen across from the pool on Wednesday nights. The décor is beautiful – modern, light, sleek – and with a mixture of manufactured and natural materials. …

Being a responsible citizen takes energy. Often more than I naturally generate. So, I turn to my friend coffee to close the gap between my natural self and the cat-like reflexes required to spot great accessories or hot spots. Bottom line: even the glam need coffee. And, drinking coffee and espresso should not be like taking medicine! No. It should be an oasis – a warm blanket of goodness – elevating us to our best selves. Unfortunately, that goal is often missed. And, when one is in that vulnerable state …