Look no further than our hot list of hot spots

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SEXY CITY
Looking for some action? Look no further than our hot list of hot spots and cool things.
BY CHRIS CONNOLLY
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ETHAN PINES, JOE SCARNICI AND CLAIRE SCHNEIDER
WAVE MAKER: Pro surfer Kassia Meador
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Zenbu’s hot sushi chef Tim Johnson keeping it cool
The new Neighbourhood
RUMORS HAS IT
Red Pearl’s cocktail scene
Entrepreneurs Rusty Villa and Victor Perez have the arduous task of
traveling the world to stock their decidedly upscale La Jolla shopping
mecca, Rumors (7835 Girard Ave., La Jolla, 858.454.5845), with the boldest
and brightest brands. And since they’re biting the bullet in places like
Milan and Paris, we figured the least we could do was show our support
by popping in and picking up a gorgeous crocheted Ashley Paige bikini.
Oh, a pair of those long-legged, low-slung Alvin Valley pants. Keep your
heads up, gentlemen! Our hearts are with you.
THE BIG SOAK
NAUGHTY NEIGHBOUR
It may be sexier to conceal than to reveal, but covering up with some
baggy sweats or shapeless overalls just doesn't cut it. That’s why our fave
new spot to find that perfect piece is Neighbourhood, (4496 Park Blvd.,
619.296.2100), a sassy boutique in the increasingly sexy University
Heights area. With discriminatingly selected and ultra-wearable pieces
from designers like Chulo Pony and Julie Simpson’s layered baubles, your
naughty bits will never look better.
RAW AND ORDER
Crudo means raw in Italian, and the sushi at this new, buzzing Little Italy
dine/dance establishment is our favorite spot to nosh and boogie on the
massive dance floor. (1953 India St., San Diego, 619.398.2974.)
We judge hotel rooms by the tubs. And at The Hotel Solamar (435 6th
Ave., San Diego, 619.531.8740), we love splashing in the top floor, corner
room tub. It offers a deep, grand soak with va-va-views of the city—
blinds optional. At Loews Coronado Resort (4000 Coronado Bay Rd.,
Coronado, 619.424.4000), our favorite menu item has nothing to do with
food. The resort’s "Got Bubbles" bath menu offers lots of soapy choices;
we opted for “The Romance,” complete with Mumm's, chocolate-dipped
strawberries and bubbles galore. The best part? It was hot and ready for
us when we returned to the room for dessert. Want more? The resort is
undergoing a major renovation, including a remodel of its prized villas,
which hover on stilts over the water. Talk about making waves. And
rumor has it that the historic US Grant (www.usgrant.net), slated to open
Nov.1, will feature spa suites with color-changing tubs!
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WE'RE THE FIRST TO ADMIT IT: SAN DIEGANS ARE OBSESSED WITH BODY, YOUTH, AND, YES, SEXINESS. WHAT ELSE CAN
ACCOUNT FOR THE LEGIONS OF BRONZED BABES AND TO-DIE-FOR DUDES WHO ROAM S.D. AS IF NOTHING COULD BE MORE
NATURAL THAN HAVING A FLAWLESS FACE AND A TOTALLY FIT BOD? AND NOW THAT SUMMER'S OFFICIALLY HERE, THERE'S
NO POSSIBLE REASON TO GET IN THE WAY OF FLAUNTING SO MUCH SEXINESS. SO WHY FIGHT IT? AS THE SUN SHINES
BRIGHTER AND WE SETTLE INTO SUMMER’S LONG HAUL, RIVIERA HELPS YOU PLUNGE HEAD-FIRST INTO THE CITY’S NEW
HOT SPOTS. HECK, WHY NOT RENT A ROOM BY THE HOUR AT THE NEW KEATING HOTEL? NOW THAT’S HOT!
THE BOARD TEMPTRESS
Okay, we admit it. We like surfers. We mean we like, like
them, like them. And the object of our latest crush is 23year-old Oceanside resident Kassia Meador. Reared on
the famed surf of Malibu, Meador won her first surfing
contest—the 1997 Roxy Wahine Classic at San Onofre—
at the tender age of 14. Today, this perfect 10 is still
hanging 10 for the mighty Roxy Surf Team, specializing
in the more mellow longboard events. Not content to
merely play in the surf, Meador also started a film
company called Stardust Productions. The company’s first
release, Fashion, is a quirky flick about surfing and clothing
from a female perspective. Sounds like a great date movie.
What do you say, Kassia?
TNT
When we are craving a sweaty, sexy dance floor, we go to Bar
The dance floor at Bar Dynamite
Dynamite (1808 West Washington St., San Diego, 619.295.8743).
On Wednesday nights, the DJs spin hot house music and the
own steaks at a communal fire pit is hot! But we choose to steer away
(slightly) smaller crowds shake what their mamas gave them on a candlelit
from the hipster-seeking crowds who think they discovered the place,
dance floor. Hey, they don’t call Wednesday “hump day” for nothing!
and only hit the Turf on weeknights. Let the plebeians and suburbanites
THE COOL SIP
duke it out for BTUs on Fridays and Saturdays.
A Martini is a pretty simple proposition: It’s basically booze on booze,
BRING ON THE NIGHT
chilled and served in that classic conical glass. Yet when it comes to sexy
Some things—walks on the beach, holding hands, moonlight—are so
drinks, the Martini has a suavity other tipples can’t touch. One of the
classically romantic they lose a little of their luster. Lose it, that is, until
world’s most exquisite can be had right here in our own backyard—at the
you actually hold someone’s hand while strolling down the beach in the
Sheerwater in the Hotel Del Coronado (1500 Orange Ave., Coronado,
moonlight. Then you go, “Hey, this is all right!” Forget for a minute that
619.435.6611), where it is served in a little bathtub of ice.
it’s cliché to pack a picnic and a blanket and head down to the Sunset
BASICALLY PERFECT
Cliffs off Ocean Beach. Because if you can forget how corny it is, you’ll
There’s something sexy about places that don’t try too hard. And Jon
remember that it’s not corny at all.
Mangini’s new Basic Urban Kitchen & Bar (410 10th Ave., San Diego,
PORN AGAIN
619.236.8980) downtown gets it exactly right. With an exposed and raw
For years porn emporia existed on the outskirts of society. They were
interior and a take-it-or-leave-it, pizza-only menu, Basic will provide a
sprawling, sleazy places with tinted windows and an air of looming
cool anti-scene for those who’ve overdosed on the over-the-top and
lechery. The Hustler store (929 6th Ave., San Diego , 619.696.9007), brashly
overdone. Hit it before a Padres game to nuzzle with fellow S.D. fans.
located in downtown San Diego, chews up any ideas of lurking in the
HOME TURF
shadows and spits them out. This is a porn superstore with the lights
With its slightly seedy atmosphere and horse-racing theme, The Turf
turned on and the doors open. It’s got three levels where DVDs and blowSupper Club (1116 25th St., San Diego, 619.234.6363) in Golden Hill is so
up dolls bump uglies with hip clothing and even a coffee bar! We’ll take
uncool, it turns the corner and becomes cool all over again. Grilling your
some body pudding please!
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HOT PROPERTY: Brett and Christie Combs
SEXY SEAFOOD
TASTY BUNS
There is something about being perched above La Jolla and sucking down
oysters that has us counting the days until Jack’s (7863 Girard Ave., La Jolla,
858.456.8111) oyster bar opens this month. The fashionable three-story
gourmet mecca is courtesy of N.Y. Chef Tony Di Salvo, who dazzles with
dishes like his tubby cubes of ahi tuna (we are officially addicted!). The
Ocean View Room will be open from 11:30AM until 2AM, and by the
looks of Jack’s on a recent Thursday night, the place will be packed with,
yes, pretty people. In addition to oysters and the Peekyoe crab cocktail,
the third floor menu will also feature straight-ahead grilled fish and
steaks, with choices of sides and sauces. The creamed spinach? Divine.
Burgers may not initially strike you as “sexy.” But when you’ve seen them
wolfed down at the new corner spot D Street Bar and Grill (485 S. Coast
Hwy., Encinitas, 760.943.9101) by ravenous North County surf hotties after
a long night at Saloon and other bastions of Encinitas nightlife, you’ll
change your tune. We’ll take two to go. (Surf hotties, that is.)
THE OTHER CHEEK
A perfect pair of jeans is like a good friend. Oh, who are we kidding? A
perfect pair of jeans is way more valuable than a good friend. Can a good
friend go hiking all day, then walk the look upstairs with a blazer for
dinner? Can a good friend make your ass look like a pair of dewdrops
mating in the morning sun? Hell no. And The Jeanery‘s (7007 Friars Rd.,
Suite 220, San Diego, 619.295.7330) second location in Mission Valley is an
obsessive denim lover’s paradise.
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NO VIRGINS HERE
You know what’s sexy? Sex! And perhaps nothing in town screams sex like
the names of the cocktails at the new hotspot Red Pearl Kitchen (440 J
St., San Diego., 619.231.1100) in the Gaslamp. The Tipsy Geisha? The Eager
Ninja? The Lucky Monkey? Come on guys! We don’t know whether to
drink them or take them back to our place.
GOING PRIMAL
The Joan B. Kroc Monkey Trails and Forest Tales habitat is the latest and
greatest at our beloved San Diego Zoo (10946 Willow Ct., San Diego,
619.231.0251), where colorful monkeys leap through the treetops and
leopards lounge in their wild new digs. They do it like they do on the
Discovery Channel.
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SMOKIN’: Chef William Bradley
GOLD BAND
Guys in bands are hot. Guys in hot bands are even hotter. And hot guys
who are also in hot bands, well, it hardly seems fair—especially to all
those average looking rockers who only got into music to attract the
ladies. Stylish local songsters Augustana (www.augustanamusic.com) draw
both male and female fans—although, decidedly more of the latter—with
their homegrown infectious sound and legendary live performances.
California kitchens at the tender age of 16. His early start has paid off,
and the 30-year-old has already worked under culinary luminaries James
Boyce and Michael Stebner and earned a top ten spot in the prestigious
James Beard Rising Star Chef Awards. By next month, Bradley will be
heading up Addison, the much-anticipated fine dining venue at The
Grand Del Mar, a luxury resort with plans to blow doors off S.D.’s on-themove dining scene. He plans to bring his philosophy of simplicity and
purity to an outstanding menu of California cuisine. Sounds tasty.
‘GINE THEORY
The swanky downtown spot Aubergine (500 4th Ave., San Diego,
619.232.8100) throbs all weekend long. And with its sleek, revamped look
(courtesy of S.D. hipster designers Bells & Whistles), three bars, an
inventive sushi fusion menu and some of the hottest DJs in S.D., it’s no
wonder. Our tip for finding the scene sizzling: Come late. Stay late.
THE SIZZLER
Not only the latest but the hottest chef/media darling lured to the sunsoaked shores of San Diego, William Bradley began his cooking career in
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MINUTE MAN
The first thing you do when you check into a hotel? Exactly. There’s
something about hotels that really gets the action going. Maybe it’s the
combination of confidentiality and anonymity. Maybe it’s the thrill of
traveling. Or maybe it’s the simple fact that, hey, they’re not your sheets.
Whatever the reason for the skeezin’, The Keating Hotel (432 F St., San
Diego, 619.243.4006), slated to open downtown this summer, is making all
its rooms available for rental by the hour. Of course, if you only need an
hour, you may not be doing it right.
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There’s something sexy about
places that don’t try too hard. And
the new Basic Urban Kitchen &
Bar gets it exactly right
The scene at Basic
HEY BARTENDER
It’s one of the great mysteries of the universe: Why is
it guys can look at a woman’s knee and retain their
composure, but if you take a thin stocking, perhaps
one with a plaid pattern, and pull it up just over that
knee à la a Catholic schoolgirl, they devolve into
drooling, testosterone-riddled frat knuckleheads?
While the exact chemical processes underlying this
phenomenon are likely to remain unexplored, one
can see the bizarre transformation occur nightly
down in OB—exclusive domain of the white baseball
cap frat set. The place is Lucy's (4906 Voltaire St, San
Diego, 619.224.0834). The knees are Jill Zuzola’s.
Actually, looking at them now, we're starting to get it.
Bottle service at 30-Two Bar & Lounge
HEART RACING
LIFE IS A CABERNET
Opening day is always a big deal at the track … and this is why we stay
away. Not that the annual skin fest doesn’t have a lot going for it—it
does—it’s just that we’ve got an inside tip: the real handicappers prefer
the Pacific Classic. Held the second weekend in August, the Classic
features the world’s best jockeys and horses thundering down the stretch
out for a million dollar purse. Wow! That’s more than a Birkin Bag! (Del
Mar Race Track, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar, 858.755.1161.)
Nothing loosens lips and inhibitions like a glass of wine … except for maybe
two glasses. And our favorite place to sniff and sip a glass of grape has to be
The Wine Vault (3731-A India St., San Diego, 619.295.3939) in Little Italy. With
an educated, entertaining and energetic staff and wine tasting events for
singles every other Thursday, this is the perfect place to get your swirl on!
NOTHING BUT A NUMBER
Private is sexy. Private is cozy. Private is exclusive. And the new 30-Two
Bar & Lounge downtown is extremely private. This brand-spanking-new
club is strictly Members Only and … well, if we told you, then it wouldn’t
be private, would it? (343 4th Ave., San Diego, 619.843.8174.)
MAKE US GLISTEN
While we adore all the glittering, glimmering gems and jewels at the
Diamond Boutique, (9450 Mira Mesa Blvd., Suite C, San Diego, 858.578.9696)
our hands-down favorite for sheer sexiness has to be Heidi Klum’s new
line. Stunning and elegant, the clover-shaped pieces are available in gold
with diamonds, sapphires, rubies and other precious stones and will make
any woman feel like a supermodel.
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HEY BARTENDER: Jill of Lucy’s in O.B.
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The elevator at Tower 23
The sleek new Modus on Bankers Hill
really gets us hot and bothered is the hotel’s (in)famous red elevator.
Already becoming known as one of S.D.’s prime makeout spots, this
lift promises all kinds of fun as passengers go up and down, up and
down, up and down…
GET A ROOM!
Upbeat and upscale, the people behind the new, sweepingly large and
subterranean Belo (919 4th Ave., San Diego, 619.231.9200) believe the night
has many moods. And they try to provide something for everyone with
color-coded rooms ranging from the electric green room to the mellower
red room to the private and exclusive white room. We love the white,
with the tufted couch and huge Hollwood glam mirror. (Not that we
want to check ourselves out dancing!)
IN THE MODUS
Bankers Hill just got an injection of cool thanks to Modus Supper Club
(2202 4th St., San Diego, 619.236.8516). The sleek dining room gets mood
from a fireplace, and an outdoor patio has lots of buzz—from more than
the planes overhead. The best part? Modus serves food until 2AM.
Owner Scotty Johnson, formerly of Region in Hillcrest, teamed up with
chef Nathan Coulon, whose family owned the The Belgian Lion. Mom
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The white room at the sizzling Belo
still makes desserts (holy hocolate torte!) and a hot bartender churns out
house-made cocktails like the Bitter Bitch. Tempting, eh?
STAR TREATMENT
The Lodge at Torrey Pines (11480 North Torrey Pines Rd., La Jolla,
858.453.4420, www.lodgetorreypines.com) knows a thing or two about spa
treatments, which makes it one of the places we lust for when it comes
time for pampering. Most recently, the spa teamed up with Comfort
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4 Hands Massage (50 minutes for $185) where
therapists go to town, kneading away the stress
and tension of the day. A note to the ladies:
request Ali, who is a cross between Vince from
Entourage and Vin Diesel. That’s only if you are
into 6’3” baldness and strong hands.
The bed at Stingaree
BEDTIME
Located in the once taboo Red Light District of
downtown San Diego, three-story Stingaree (454
6th Ave., San Diego, 619.544.9500) gets to’ up from the
flo’ up. With a restaurant and nightclub at street
level, a waterfall-adorned lounge area on the second
floor and a sizzling rooftop, Stingaree is top-tobottom hot. But even with all the great nooks,
crannies and hideaways Stingaree has to offer, our
favorite chill spot is definitely the lounge beds on
the rooftop level. With champagne and bottle
service available between the sheets and under the
stars, we think we may turn in early tonight.
SKIN IS IN
Historically, gentlemen’s clubs and San Diego
don't mix (think former city councilmen and
SWEET LOVE
Is chocolate really an aphrodisiac? Can it really foster feelings of lust and
sexual longing? Who cares? It tastes great when your loved one is
popping it into your mouth. Our new top choc in town has to be San
Diego-based Eclipse Chocolat (www.eclipsechocolat.com). Creating unique
treats for restaurants and intimate tastings, chocolatier William
Gustwiller doesn’t exactly stick with the classics as proven by the
Lavender-salted Caramel. To find out how adventurous your sweet tooth
is, visit—or check out the new chocolate tastings going on about town
where there is more on offer than chocolate alone.
The first thing you do when you
check into a hotel? Exactly. The new
Keating is renting rooms by the hour
GLISTEN AND GLOW
The new Spa Velia (401 West A St., Suite 180, San Diego, 619.235.0000)
moved into the perfect spot, right across from the W hotel. Its dark and
tranquil relaxation lounge is the perfect place to relax and max before
starting treatments including a Diamond Bella facial that left us glowing,
and—dare we say?—in the mood. The best part is the offering from
nearby Extraordinary Desserts to nibble pre- or post-treatment (or
perhaps both).
Cheetahs). But the soon-to-open Diegan Hotel (240 Broadway, San Diego,
619.702.6666 or www.diegan.com) plans to bring skin back in vogue with a 40
Deuce club in the lobby—think Jessica Simpson jumping out of a cake—
featuring a private Foundation Room for upper-crust clients and a good
old-fashioned Burlesque show for the rest of us. The grand opening is
months away, but we think it's sexy even under construction.
ON THE QT
Anyone with a penchant for strong men in short shorts (way better
than any UPS delivery guy) should head straight to the tiny
Southwest corner of Qualcomm Stadium, the “Little Q,” where scores
of rugged guys play our favorite Brit sport, rugby. Those in the know
know rugby is a hooligan’s sport played by gentlemen and soccer is
the gentlemen’s sport played by hooligans, so these are the upper
echelon of San Diego guys. Old Mission Bay Athletic Club—0r
OMBAC—(3990 Old Town Ave., 619.688.0817, www.ombac.org). A small
entry fee gets you free beer. Chargers who?
PARADISE NOW
Everyone knows the Barefoot Bar (1404 Vacation Rd., San Diego,
800.542.6275), where pretty people sip rum concoctions and
margaritas over Mission Bay views, is the place to be on Sunday
afternoons. Our latest find? The renovated spa’s lush backyard
hideaway with a hot tub. It can be reserved, complete with
Champagne service, and decorated with candles and tropical flowers.
Boyfriends better be taking notes!
BEST MAKE-OUT SPOT
THE FOURSOME
Why have a two-handed massage when you can have four? The lavish
Spa MD (7630 Fay Ave., La Jolla, 858.459.6868 or www.spa-md.com) offers the
Recreate your own 9 1/2 Weeks at Tower 23 (723 Felspar St., San Diego,
858.270.2323), the Pacific Beach boutique hotel. Sure the elegantly
appointed suites with oceanfront views are sexy as all get out, but what
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DRESSING ROOM: The babes from JEP boutique
Zone, an exclusive Italian spa skin and body care line, and is offering a
bevy of new luscious treatments. Our favorite? The Monticelli spa mud
wrap. Talk about dirty—and sexy and Italian—with results. The wrap
invigorates and soothes for ready-to-be-touched skin!
rubbed seared ahi. Don’t even get us started on the aphrodisiac
shooters. And even though he isn’t single, we will offer up his Koi
schedule: Thursday-Saturday.
HOT PROPERTY
THE SHOP GIRLS
Watch out! These hotties are on the move … literally. Long on our short
list of shopping musts, JEP Boutique (7501 La Jolla Blvd., La Jolla,
858.551.0600) is uprooting for fairer climes … well, perhaps equally fair
climes would be more accurate. Owner Elise Purcell and
manager/mastermind Laura Becker are only skipping down the block
from Bird Rock to chicer digs in the old Sprint building in downtown La
Jolla. And don’t worry, all you change-o-phobic fashion flunkies: the
ladies promise they’re bringing along all the wonderful wares and
incredible events that made JEP one of your faves in the first place.
TURNING JAPANESE
Sushi-worshipping ladies who have somehow missed Zenbu (7660 Fay
Ave., La Jolla, 858.454.4540), and its hide-away club Koi, are committing
a raw fish sin. The 6’4 half-Japanese sushi chef Tim Johnson is hot—
how he towers over the sushi bar and rolls the house favorite. The Big
Pete is stuffed with spicy scallops and topped with Zenbu’s own Cajun-
Real estate is hot in San Diego, and so are Brett and Christie Combs of
Pacific Shore Platinum (www.psplatinum.com). The Del Mar natives have
been sweethearts since their book-carrying days at Torrey Pines High.
They even stuck together when she moved to L.A. to pursue an acting
career, backed by standout looks and two different colored eyes. And
though she just got a gig on a new Fox network, she’ll still work alongside
her Canadian-born beau, selling pretty homes to pretty people.
VICTORIA’S NEW SECRET
Lusty lingerie giant Victoria’s Secret (7007 Friars Rd., San Diego,
619.291.0323, www.victoriassecret.com) has commissioned a handful of
high-end European designers—Dolce & Gabbana, Dior and Roberto
Cavalli among them—to produce collections to debut in stores by
August. The looks are tightly guarded. So if you simply can’t wait to
get randy, check out Parisian designer Chantal Thomas, who’s been
whipping up naughty goods—bloomers, bustiers, bras and corsets—
for the chain. R
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