Today’s Forecast

🌇 Keepin’ it local

Made in San Diego: 22 things created in America’s Finest City

Taylor Guitars is totally in tune with San Diego. | Photo via Taylor Guitars

Made in San Diego. Yep, that sure has a nice ring to it. From clothing and accessories, to snacks and other fun finds, we’ve rounded up 22 things homegrown in America’s Finest City.

While some of these brands have branched out beyond our city, one thing’s for sure — there’s some major inspo happening around these parts.

SD El Nopalito — When it comes to chips and salsa, El Nopalito is a local expert.
|
Photo via SDtoday

Snacktime

El Nopalito
Family-owned and operated in Encinitas, this brand is known for its handmade salsas, fresh corn tortillas, and beef jerky. Local grocery stores like Vons and Jimbo’s in North County are known to stock the salsa, but we recommend buying the snacks straight from the source — the El Nopalito Market at 560 Santa Fe Dr.

Clothing

Reef
The Carlsbad-based brand was founded by a pair of South American brothers who moved from Argentina to La Jolla in 1984. The company started out making sandals for surfers and beachgoers (you know you’ve got a pair). Today, it makes all kinds of apparel, footwear, and accessories for kids and adults.

Accessories

Nixon
Specializing in watches, Nixon was founded in Encinitas in 1998 as a boutique brand. Over time, the company has grown to also offer accessories, apparel, bags, and headwear, and its products are now sold in 90+ countries.

Fun finds

Taylor Guitars
Headquartered in El Cajon, this company was founded in 1974 by Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug, who shared a passion for making guitars. Today, the brand’s guitars are sold in 60+ countries, though Taylor’s two factories remain in San Diego’s East County and Tecate, Mexico.

18 more locally-made goodies

Asked

When shopping, you look for products made locally…

A. All the time — local only, please
B. Some of the time
C. Almost never

Share your thoughts

Events

Friday, March 24

HO-Scale Model Train Special Sale | Friday, Mar. 24 | 5:30-7:30 p.m. | San Diego Model Railroad Museum, 1649 El Prado, San Diego | Free | Railfans, this tracks: Check out the museum’s special sale featuring various cars, engines, and some brass; cash preferred.
Meet Me @ The Altar | Friday, Mar. 24 | 6:30 p.m. | House of Blues, 1055 Fifth Ave., San Diego | $32 | The pop punk band brings the fun.
Rock of Ages | Through Sunday, Apr. 23 | Times vary | Ocean Beach Playhouse and Arts Center, 4944 Newport Ave., San Diego | $22-$25 | The jukebox musical pays tribute to the big, unforgettable ballads and glam rock of the 1980s.

Saturday, March 25

Calienté: Music, Food, and Spirits Festival | Saturday, Mar. 25 | 1-6 p.m. | Ruocco Park, Seaport Village, 849 W. Harbor Dr., San Diego | $35-$45 | A celebration of Latin music, beer, spirits, and food.
Larisa Martínez | Saturday, Mar. 25 | 3:30 p.m. | California Center for the Arts, Escondido, 340 N. Escondido Blvd. | $35-$55 | The acclaimed opera singer performs.
San Diego Wave FC vs. Chicago Red Stars | Saturday, Mar. 25 | 7 p.m. | Snapdragon Stadium, 2101 Stadium Way, San Diego | $10-$131 | San Diego’s NWSL team kicks off their second season at home — plus, it’s Girl Scouts Night.
San Diego Seals vs. Buffalo Bandits | Saturday, Mar. 25 | 7 p.m. | Pechanga Arena, 3500 Sports Arena Blvd., San Diego | $15-$90 | It’s lacrosse time.

Sunday, March 26

San Diego Strike Force vs. Quad City Steamwheelers | Sunday, Mar. 26 | 3:05 p.m. | Pechanga Arena, 3500 Sports Arena Blvd., San Diego | $13-$50 | The indoor football team takes on their rivals from Illinois.
Woman to Woman: Celebrating Self Love and Sisterhood | Sunday, Mar. 26 | 4-6 p.m. | WorldBeat Center, 2100 Park Blvd., San Diego | $25 | Starla Lewis and Ishé share their stories of healing and empowerment.
Soul Sunday | Sunday, Mar. 26 | 5-9:30 p.m. | Quartyard, 1301 Market St., San Diego | $30-$275 | A night of local neo-soul, funk, and jazz artists.

We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

Click here to have your event featured.

Also made in SD: Fun

News Notes

Weather

61º | Sunny | 3% chance of rain

Sunrise + Sunset

Rise: 6:47 a.m.
Set: 7:03 p.m.

Tide

Low: 6:01 a.m. + 5:37 p.m.
High: 12:08 p.m. + 11:56 p.m.
Water Temperature: 57°

Civic

The Port of San Diego will host its first People of the Port Career Fair on Friday, April 7, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., at the InterContinental San Diego. Job seekers can meet with ~40 bayfront businesses hiring across industries like tourism, commercial fishing, hospitality, and maritime. The event is free; dress business casual.

Development

A new student center and 2,400-bed housing complex is coming to UC San Diego. The university has been given the greenlight to start building the $1.1 billion Triton Center and Ridgewalk North Living and Learning Neighborhood in La Jolla this summer. The major development will help accommodate ongoing enrollment growth. (San Diego Union-Tribune)

Open

The Forum Carlsbad is now home to a new Japanese-inspired eatery, Kaiseki Sushi. The menu is a real catch: We spy carpaccio sashimi like Yellowtail Serrano and Tuna Truffle Tataki — plus nigiri, temaki, and a long lineup of specialty rolls like the California, Salmon Citrus, and Shrimp Crunchy varieties.

Eat

Beach snacks, but make it fancy. Beach Wolf — the concessions stand at Moonlight State Beach in Encinitas — has expanded its menu to offer dishes like 24-hour braised barbacoa, smoked salmon avocado toast, and TJ-style hot dogs. The stand is open daily, except when it rains, and will add evening hours in the summer. (Eater San Diego)

Transit

Heading to the San Diego Wave FC’s 2023 Home Opener at Snapdragon Stadium tomorrow? Take the trolley. The Metropolitan Transit System has rolled out a full game plan on how to get to the match using all three lines — and tips on using free Park & Ride lots.

Award

The Capital of Craft showed up and showed out at the 2023 Brewers Cup of California. San Diego County breweries won 37 medals across many of the 83 categories, including 11 gold medals earned by sudsy standouts like AleSmith Brewing Company, Rouleur Brewing Company, Kilowatt Brewing, and Gravity Heights.

Travel

Looking to head out of town for Spring Break? The San Diego International Airport offers 70+ nonstop destinations across 16 airlines. Before you get to SAN, check out our airport guide to make your trip plane and simple.

Pets

Luna. Daisy. Cooper. Charlie. Max. Those are the top five dog names in San Diego according to the 2023 dog name trends list compiled by the doggie day care franchise, Camp Bow Wow. Experts say shorter names are “helpful for getting your dog’s attention.” (Fox 5)

Edu

Does your child dream of becoming an orthopedic surgeon? What about an engineer? With the University of Rochester’s Pre-College Online program, they can gain first-hand STEM knowledge (think: orthopedics, medicine, and engineering), all from one of the world’s leading research universities. Explore courses + sign up your child.*

Number

$241. That’s the real price of a roundtrip ticket from Boston to Barcelona sold this year via Going — a travel membership that alerts you when flight prices drop. Sign up for a free membership or try an Elite membership for free if you’re interested in business and first class tickets, too.

Fun Fact

Did you know today is the last day to enter our Six & Main Spring Forward Contest? The winner + two of their friends will receive a prize from one of our coffee/tea brand partners. Spring on over to Instagram to learn more.

Eat

🍜 Soup’s on

Food for thought: San Diego Restaurant Week 2023

George’s at the Cove in La Jolla is part of SDRW 2023. | Photo via George’s at the Cove

Hungry?

The 20th annual San Diego Restaurant Week (SDRW) returns Sunday, March 26-Sunday, April 2, with 100+ local restaurants offering prix fixe menus for brunch, lunch, and dinner.

Participating SDRW eateries span the county — from downtown San Diego to Oceanside — with some lunch deals at $25 (we see you, George’s at the Cove) and some multi-course dinner deals at $50 (hi, Farmer’s Bottega).

It’s a great opportunity to try a new spot without breaking the bank.

As always, tickets are not needed for the event — just pick a restaurant from the lineup and let your server know you’d like to order from the special SDRW menu.

The cherry on top: SDRW has partnered with Feeding San Diego and for every meal ordered during the event, $2 will be donated to the hunger relief organization — up to $10,000 — by Poway-based Chef Works.

The Wrap

Today’s Edition By:
Monica

From the Editor

Happy Friday, San Diego. I am so jazzed to see the return of Adams Avenue Unplugged, set for Saturday, April 29, 12-10 p.m. The free, annual musical walkabout is truly one-of-a-kind, featuring 60+ live performances staged inside the restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and small businesses that line Adams Avenue. I love it for its blend of community and arts. Here’s the schedule so you can start plotting your path. See you there.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Local organizations that help keep San Diego looking beautiful.

Send Us A Scoop, Question, or Feedback

Content marked with an * is paid advertising. Content marked with an ^ is created by our content studio. The company may also generate commission from affiliate links in the newsletter.

Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.

P.O. Box 2505, Greenville, SC 29602

ADVERTISE | CAREERS | ETHICS | PRIVACY | THE BUY