north park news, january 2016

WHAT’S INSIDE?

MidCityNewspaperGroup.com

Serving San Diego’s Premier Urban Communities for 25 Years

Vol. 25 No. 1 January 2016

The Savory Su-Mei YuSu-Mei Yu cooks up delicious mealsat her Mission Hills restaurants —Saffron Thai Grilled Chicken andSaffron Noodles & Sate — whichhave become favorites of San Diegodiners. Su-Mei learned the art ofcooking from her mother, Lee KweiChi. PAGE 7

Bone Up on Health andBeautyNorth Park food expert Quinn Far-rar Wilson recently released her bookon bone broth — that’s right, bonebroth — a delicious stock that hasbeen used in cultures around theworld for centuries. PAGE 23

CONTACT US

EDITORIAL/LETTERSManny Cruz

[email protected]

ADVERTISINGBrad Weber

[email protected]

Take A Virtual TourThe San Diego Air & Space Museumin Balboa Park is now offering aninteractive, personally-guided tour ofits facility for people who are unableto visit in person or who just want tostay home and watch. PAGE 6

NORTH PARK PROBLEM SOLVERS

Despite its hip image, North Park does have its problems — homelessness, graffiti, threatened habitat, to name a few. But a group of dedicated citizens and officials areworking to solve the thorny issues. Read Susan Taylor’s story on PAGE 12

Eric Bowlby, executive director of San DiegoCanyonlands, cites the human impact on SanDiego’s canyonlands, particularly since FloridaCanyon sits so close to Downtown, absorbingmany of the homeless people seeking a placeaway from the urban center.

Tomas Herrera-Mishler, director and chief exec-utive officer of the Balboa Park Conservancy,can take visitors on tour of the park to see muchof its beauty and some of its drawbacks.Trash left by the homeless.

2| JANUARY 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

North Park Entrepreneur Encourages Everyone to Live a Great Story

With his possessions stuffed intoa 30-liter backpack, Zach Horvath’splane touched down at LindberghField.

It was August 2013, and as hestood at the curb he unpacked a dis-assembled bicycle he had carried onthe plane, assembled it, then rode towhat would become his first apart-ment in Normal Heights.

Though alone in an unfamiliarcity, in less one year, 25-year-old Hor-vath would launch the inspirationalNorth Park-based company, Live aGreat Story.

Live a Great Story is a social move-ment-meets-apparel companyencouraging people to “live a greatstory” through the pursuit of theirinterests and goals. To complementits line of tees and tanks, Live a Great

Story shares influential individual’sremarkable stories through person-alized videos, podcasts and blog postson its website.

Ten percent of product sales go tothe company’s “Story Fund” for rein-vesting in inspiring stories —whether it’s an individual working tobetter the community, a nonprofitor a small business with innovativeideas.

“The phrase ‘Live a Great Story’comes from Donald Miller’s book, ‘AMillion Miles and a ThousandYears,’” says Horvath. “I read thebook and it really affected me, so Iwent traveling and met all these peo-ple on the road, and I realized thateveryone has their own story.”

Born in North Carolina, Horvathspent his childhood on the EastCoast before moving to Budapest,Hungary and later Austin, Texas. He

attended one year of college, but felthe could learn more in the real world.Within his first year of abandoningthe traditional system he opted intoa six-month entrepreneurial bootcamp program, read 50 books andbegan a coaching program to helppeers discover their life’s passion.

As he helped others find their pur-pose, he also found his; when the ideafor Live a Great Story came along, itwas as if lightning had struck.

Horvath launched Live a GreatStory in May 2014, and the companyhas become much more than its lineof apparel. Its message has inspiredpeople around the world, and as aresult of its popularity more than 400street reminders, essentially publicmurals reading “Live a Great Story,”exist in cities around the nation,including one on the west side of TheObservatory North Park.

Even celebrities have organicallybacked the brand; the Padres’ MattKemp Instagrammed a Live a GreatStory street reminder in DowntownSan Diego in summer 2014. InFebruary 2015, actress Reese With-erspoon took her photo in front of astreet reminder in New Orleans, andGrammy-nominated singer JheneAiko shared an Instagram photo ofthe brand in May 2015.

With a strong interest in its com-munities, Live a Great Story has alsohad a presence at public events like

the nationally-acclaimed Lightningin a Bottle Festival in MontereyCounty, the Progression Music Seriesin New Orleans and the Art AroundAdams street festival in San Diego. Italso had a presence at the recentlyopened Tabletop Commons boardgame bar on University Avenue on

July 2.“I want to look back and know

that I inspired people to do whateverit is they want to do,” says Horvath.“I just want to share great stories.”

Shop Live a Great Story online atwww.liveagreatstory.me and connecton Instagram at @LiveaGreatStory.

BY COLETTE MAUZERALLE

Zach Horvath, Live a Great Story founder. Zach Horvath (right) and crew preparing a t-shirt.

COMMUNITY MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | JANUARY 2016 | 3

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January is cervical heatlh aware-ness month and Birth Defectsawareness month.

I’m going to touch on these twotopics for a moment as we head into2016. Birth defects are still happen-ing, and some are preventable. Ialways recommend a pre-concep-tion physical to identify problemslike low thyroid, kidney disease, andanemia to help give your future childa leg up in the world. When preg-nant, the most important things towork on is getting the things youand the baby need, and avoiding thethings that are harmful. That meanseating lots of vegetables, taking afolate supplement (to prevent spinabifida), taking a prenatal vitaminwith iron, and sleeping a lot.

Exercise should be continued butat a lower intensity and duration.Keep the heart rate under 140, whichis the baby’s heart rate generally. Usea heart rate monitor if you can. Inthe second trimester, take fish oilsto help brain development. Try toavoid stress, sick people, and dan-gerous situations. Do not eat rawfoods unless washed, and nouncooked meats/fish includingsushi, raw milk (including goat)ordairy products, soft cheeses (listeria).

Don’t change the cat litter (toxo-plasmosis). Avoid smoking, evenvaping, nicotine in any form, alco-hol, drugs including marijuana, andpretty much all medication, evenover the counter stuff, unless specif-ically approved by your midwife.These can cause miscarriage, still-birth, facial defects, limb problemsand brain damage in the baby.

Make sure you have had theMMR shot and are immune toRubella prior to getting pregnant.Rubella causes horrible facial andcardiac defects, and is still reported

in the U.S. Men, you need a preconception

physical as well, as influences in thethree months prior to conceptioncan affect your son or daughter;everything from birth defects to can-cer risks. These include chemicalexposures, smoking, drug useincluding marijuana, and illnesseslike thyroid disease.

For cervical health, I want toremind women that a pap smear isthe only real way to ensure that youare cervical cancer free. The HPVvaccine can prevent the type of cer-vical cancer caused by HPV, but notthe type that occurs randomly, soyou still need a pap smear.

New recommendations give us abreak, though. Starting at 21 yearsold, sexually active or virgin, you geta yearly pap smear. After three nor-mal pap smears, you can go in everythree years. If you are changing part-ners, or have many partners, we rec-ommend continuing with yearlytests. Once you are 65, ditch the pap.However, you still need yearly breastand ovary exams, so it doesn’tchange the mechanics of what thedoctor does much, just the labs wedo.

Make 2016 your year for health— make a resolution to go for yourpap test, get a physical, check yourthyroid or whatever your concerns.Add a resolution to get healthier —try organic (even if it is only everyother shopping trip) start yoga twicea week, go to the gym or take up anew sport. Start slow, be consistent,and have fun!

Dr. Tara Zandvliet welcomes yourquestions. Send them to [email protected]. She practices at2991 Kalmia St. Phone: (619) 929-0032.

Ask Dr. Z

The ‘Live a Great Story’ sign on the side of the North Park Theatre. (Photo: ColetteMauzeralle)

Twisted Taps Coming to El CajonBoulevard

Santee-based Twisted Manzanita,which opened its first satellite tastingroom in Pacific Beach last fall, isexpanding and evolving with a newconcept, called Twisted Taps, that willland on El Cajon Boulevard this Octo-ber.

Taking over a former barbecue jointacross the boulevard from TheLafayette Hotel, Twisted Taps will be ashowcase for their beers as well as afull-fledged restaurant. Breweryinvestor Sher Cox, business partner ofTwisted Manzanita president and CEOJeff Trevaskis, is leading the new pro-ject; Cox tells Eater that they chose toland this first Twisted Taps in a rela-tively beer-unsaturated neighborhoodand hope expand the concept intoother craft beer-needy areas in SanDiego and beyond.

Location Matters’ Mike Spilky, whofacilitated the lease, said, “Twisted Tapsis an extraordinarily exciting additionat a transitional time in this corridorof El Cajon Boulevard. The area is see-ing a huge influx of great multi-familyresidential development that will onlyhelp their customer base and withGilly’s Bar, a great long-standing cock-tail lounge next door, the nightlife inthis area will be awesome.”

The 1,525-square-foot space is beingcompletely remodeled to include anextended patio and a roll-up door thatopens into an airy dining room thatCox says will be decorated in a warmcolor scheme with a rustic and indus-

trial design that includes iron-edgedtables, Edison bulbs, and weatheredwood. There will be six TVs and a 24-tap bar pouring Manzanita's beers aswell as house-brewed beer from FatCat Beer Company. Twisted Taps willalso serve wine and sake-based cock-tails.

A kitchen revamp includes a newsmoker that'll house-smoke meats forsandwiches or as toppings for flat-breads baked in their new pizza oven.The lunch and dinner menu, whichwill incorporate beer into some recipes,also includes elevated takes on pubfare, from nachos and wings to messyfries, plus salads, deviled eggs andhousemade jerky.

Cox says that the brewery, which isdistributing its beer across the U.S. andinternationally, is hoping to double itsproduction capacity; they're also plan-ning on a refresh of the Pacific Beachtasting room which will change the lay-out of the space.

Twisted Taps, 2302 El Cajon Blvd.

Madison Officially Opened inUniversity Heights

Madison quietly opened its doors toguests on New Year’s Eve and now will

be open Tuesday through Sunday from4 to 10 p.m.

Madison brings upscale dining,modern design, curated music, andcreative cocktails to the dynamic diningscene of Park Boulevard. Previouslyoccupied by the Lei Lounge, the 3,000-square-foot space has been trans-formed to take guests to a place ofinstant relaxation, pulling inspirationfrom mid-century modern and Italiandesign traditions. Guests can enter theprogressive space through the maindoor that leads into the sophisticatedbar lounge, or through a private tunnelon the side of the building that entersinto the main dining room. The cedar-dominated space features dramaticallyhigh-vaulted ceilings with sky views,intricate wood joinery, colorful geo-metric inlaid panels, and rope instal-lations. The menu, designed by Exec-utive Consulting Chef Mario Cassineri,is inspired by Mediterranean andSouthern California cuisine and fea-tures a strong emphasis on fresh flavorsand local ingredients. In addition,Madison’s beverage program willinclude eight signature cocktails, fivereimagined classics, a selection of localcraft beers, and a tailored wine pro-gram. Keeping true to its local roots,curated sounds by M-Theory Musicwill be projected through a top-of-the-line sound system. The new restaurantand bar is a collaboration of familiarrestaurant industry faces, such as

Mario Cassineri of BiCE San Diego, tothose better known for their designand cultural endeavors, including Jef-frey Fink, owner of M-Theory Musicand managing partner of FLUXX, andARCHISECTS, the industrial firmbehind FLUXX’s rotating themes.

Madison Restaurant and Bar, 4622Park Blvd., between Madison andAdams avenues.

Kindred: Worth the Wait

Kindred, South Park’s newest restau-rant and cocktail bar, is now open aftera year in the making. It’s in the formerAlchemy space.

The restaurant is the brainchild ofKory Stetina, who founded the veganpop-up LOVELIKEBEER. For his firstrestaurant project, Stetinachose Arsalun Tafazoli (CH Projects)and Paul Basile (BASILE Studio) as hispartners. A 35-foot marble bar domi-nates the room, where seating rangesfrom communal tables to bar-heightbooths and a cozy connecting set oftete-a-tete tables.

The Basile-designed space contrastsdark and light, soft and hard; steelcathedral-esque flip doors are balancedby an LED-lighted mirroredceiling while the looming ink-blacksculpture of the restaurant's totem, afour-eyed wolf with snake horns, isflanked by walls bedecked in delicatepink toile. And there is humor at play;look closer at the pattern of the wallcovering and find satanic versions ofRainbow Brite, while the restrooms arehung with cat portraits.

Stetina brought over executive chefJeremy Scullin, from Philly vegan stal-wart Vedge, to helm a menu that aimsto be hearty and satisfying while bring-ing fine dining technique to the table;there’s grain-free beet risotto, searedcauliflower steaks, pistachio-crustedtofu and housemade farinata flatbreadtopped with aji amarillo aioli, crispytrumpet mushrooms and house salsaverde. A weekend brunch includesalmond granola with cashew creamand fried potato bread with smokeddate jam, mango and mint.

David Kinsey (Sycamore Den, Craft& Commerce) leads a bar programwhose drinks are crafted like any finecocktail parlor, just without the use ofeggs, dairy or honey; the menu willchange three times a year, but remainfocused on the wonderful world ofamari herbal liqueurs. Starting in Jan-uary, Kindred will launch “PermanentVacation,” weekly tiki Thursdays thatwill feature dedicated cocktails andtheme-appropriate food; it will also bethe only night of the week when thebar deviates from its all-metal sound-track.

Kindred, 1503 30th St.

Sad DrumbeatGoodbye to Brabant Bar & CareTwo years after first debuting its Bel-gian and Belgian-inspired beer andcuisine in South Park, Brabant Bar &Cafe has closed. The neighborhoodhangout was launched in fall 2013.Owner Adam Parker took to Facebookto make the following announcement:“It is with a heavy heart but heads heldhigh that we announced Brabant Bar& Cafe will close its doors on Wednes-day, Dec. 30. We are blessed to havebeen welcomed by the great neighbor-hood of South Park, and are constantlyhumbled by our repeat customers, newfriends, and the accolades we havestumbled into along the way. It is withthe greatest pride that we have servedfine Belgian ales in the proper wayalongside our traditional and inspiredBelgian cuisine ... Belgian-style beerand Belgian cuisine are together oneof the most magical and rewardingexperiences you could ever hope toenjoy, and it has been our great privi-lege to serve them since 2013. We havesavored each sip, are grateful for everytoast, and hope nothing but the bestfor our beloved neighborhood ofSouth Park. Warmest Regards —TheBrabant Family.

Hawthorn Coffee Arrives onAdams Avenue

Hawthorn Coffee, a fresh “thirdwave” coffee concept, has arrivedat 3019 Adams Ave. Founded by coffeeconnoisseurs Kevin Redmond and hisson, Dylan, the shop’s coffee programis being led by Joshua and HannahBonner, who operated the local Ladiesand Gentleman Coffee Roasters. Thecouple’s roastery is now call Foxy Cof-fee Co., which Hawthorn is featuringalong with Flying Goat Coffee fromSonoma County.

A full line of espresso drinks isoffered, plus pour overs and Chemexbrews; Hawthorn says it has also takencare to dial in its batch brews for qual-ity and consistency, plus convenience.Organic tea is sourced from MadMonk Tea Shop in OB and there’s anarray of craft beverages on tap, fromcold brew to bubbly shrubs fromNorth County’s Nostrum and asparkling tisane made with the fruit ofthe coffee cherry.

Open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.,Hawthorn Coffee is currently offeringa selection of snacks and pastries fromlocal baked goods experts Bread & Cieand Black Magic Bakery.

Hawthorn Coffee, 3019 Adams Ave.

COMMUNITY4| JANUARY 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

Future site of Twisted Taps.

COMING&GOINGBY CANDICE WOO | FOUNDING EDITOR, EATER SAN DIEGO

Madison. (Photo by Keri Bridgwater)

Kindred. (Photo by Lyudmila Zotova)

Kindred. (Photo by Lyudmila Zotova)

Amazon is rapidly expanding its online empire, but behind the conveniences that the company offers are a lot ofhidden costs.The Advocates for Independent Business put together an infographic that shows how shopping atAmazon compares with shopping at local businesses in its impact on jobs, taxes, the local economy, and community.

BUSINESS MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | JANUARY 2016 | 5

Amazon’s Hidden Costs BY DONNA DAVIS | U.S. SBA REGION 9 ADMINISTRATOR

Small Business is on the RiseReversing a downward trend, small

businesses in our communities are onthe rise. This is great economic newssince small businesses create nearlytwo out of three net, new jobs andaccount for almost half of America’sprivate nonfarm GDP. Besides beingthe engines of our economy, they arethe unique fabric of our local com-munities.

The economy added 211,000 jobsin November, marking the strongestthree years of job creation since 2000with 8.1 million jobs added. Our busi-nesses have now added 13.7 millionjobs over 69 straight months, extend-ing the longest streak on record. Theserecords are possible thanks to Ameri-ca’s small businesses.

Last year SBA achieved recordlending of $23.5 billion under ourflagship 7(a) loan program, withloans up 18 percent for women, 23percent for minorities, and 101 per-cent for veterans. We’ve eliminatedborrower and bank fees on small-dol-lar loans, so more Main Streetentrepreneurs can get the workingcapital they need to hire and grow.

Recently, the Ewing Marion Kauff-man Foundation published a MainStreet Entrepreneurship Index. Itcompares entrepreneurship ratesamong different demographic groupsin all 50 states and America’s 40largest metro hubs. The KauffmanIndex allows us to see which citiesand states have fostered the right con-ditions for growth.

According to the Kauffman Index,small business activity is on the risein 49 of the 50 U.S. states and 38 ofthe top 40 largest metropolitan areasthis year. Efforts like the KauffmanIndex provide a roadmap for stateand local officials seeking to foster aclimate for small business growth.

Other valuable takeaways in thisreport:

•Businesses owned by women,minorities, and immigrants areincreasing;

•The number of small businessowners with college degrees is alsoincreasing, from 34 percent in 1997to 39 percent today;

•Despite the dynamic leadershippotential of our millennials and vet-erans, young entrepreneurs (ages 20-34) and veteran-owned firms areactually declining.

Several specific SBA initiatives targetareas of concern identified by theKauffman Index. SBA launched theMy Brother’s Keeper Millennials Ini-tiative to promote youth entrepreneur-ship in the nation’s underserved com-munities. We are partnering withcommunity colleges to expose young

people to innovative pathways to starta business, and we’re promoting aBusiness Smart toolkit to train non-profits and faith-based organizationsto teach financial literacy.

SBA’s Boots to Business initiativegives post-9/11 transitioning servicemembers a tutorial on the basics ofbusiness ownership. The program isnow active at more than 180 militaryinstallations worldwide and has intro-duced 32,000 service members andspouses to potential careers inentrepreneurship as they rejoin thecivilian workforce.

We also launched Boots to Business:Reboot to open up this innovative cur-riculum to veterans of every era.

SBA is partnering with cities onStartup in a Day to create an easy-to-use online tool that allowsentrepreneurs to apply for all licensesand permits needed to start a businessin less than a day.

Helping more Americans start andgrow Main Street businesses is a coremission of the U.S. Small BusinessAdministration. We hope you reachout to your local SBA office to jump-start and scale up your small business.Check out sba.gov/local for yournearest SBA local office.

Veteran-Owned Small Busi-nesses to Get CompetitiveEdge in County Contracts

If you own a small business oryou’re a veteran who owns a businessand you want a contract with thecounty of San Diego, you’ll have anedge thanks to a change in Board ofSupervisors policy.

The board voted Tuesday to allowcompetitive procurements of up to$100,000 to be set aside exclusivelyfor certified small and veteran-ownedbusinesses.

The county currently has two pro-grams for disabled veteran-ownedbusinesses. This new policy changecreates a program for the two addi-tional types of businesses.

The idea is to promote broader vet-eran participation in county contractsin recognition of their sacrifices inserving our country, as well as boostsmall business.

The policy change means thesebusinesses will have a greater likeli-hood of success when it comes tocompeting for a set-aside contract. Itmay also prompt more businesses toget their certifications from the Stateof California and/or the U.S. Depart-ment of Veterans Affairs.

The county’s Department of Pur-chasing and Contracting will put thenew program into effect later next year.


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Serving San Diego’s Premier Mid City Communities

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EditorManny Cruz

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Art DirectorChris Baker

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Marketing/AdvertisingBrad Weber

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------------------------------Writers/Columnists

Bart MendozaDelle Willett

Anna Lee FlemingSara Wacker

Media ConsultantTom Shess

Social MediaAli Hunt

PhotographyManny CruzSande LollisJim Childers

Letters/Opinion PiecesNorth Park News encourage letters to the edi-tor and guest editorials. Please address corre-spondence to [email protected] ormail to Manny Cruz. Please include a phonenumber, address and name for verification

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ADAMS AVENUE NEWS

Take A Virtual Tour of the Air & Space Museum

Visitors from around the worldcan now take interactive personal-ly-guided tours of the San Diego Air& Space Museum from the comfortof their own homes through theBEAM Virtual Tour Program, whichenables both school groups andpeople who are physically unable tovisit the museum to take toursthrough the use of a computer andInternet connection.

The museum launched theBEAM program to broaden accessfor previously underserved seg-ments of the population. A largenumber of people who, for a varietyof reasons — geographic, econom-ic, inability to leave their host insti-tution, learners with special needs,hospitalized, bedridden — will ben-efit greatly from having interactiveaccess to the Museum and its col-lections.

Virtual visitors engage withmuseum exhibits in real-time witha fully interactive tool that moves,sees, and speaks on commandthrough a motorized stand. A 17-

inch flat screen monitor displays theuser’s face. The robot is controlledby the user (or the user’s assistant)from a remote location on any PCor laptop using directional keys orvia mouse point-and-click. A mainvideo feed shows the BEAM’s sur-roundings and allows the user tointeract with others and travelthrough a wide-angle camera withzoom capability, a microphone thatcancels echo and reduces back-ground noise, and a powerful built-in speaker.

What differentiates this programfrom audio tours and virtual toursis the BEAM technology allows foran independent and interactiveexperience through a self-deter-mined path. Virtual visitors are ableto interact with an in-house guideor docent as they explore the gal-leries, seeing artifacts as clearly as ifthey were at the museum. Com-ments and questions from offsitevisitors can be relayed and respond-ed to immediately. Expert explana-tions assist in the virtual visitor’s

understanding and personal inter-pretation.

The museum received a 21st Cen-tury Solutions grant from the NBCUniversal Foundation to supportthe program. The funding from thegrant enabled the museum tolaunch the free program for peoplewith disabilities which prevent themfrom physically visiting the muse-um.

BEAM virtual tours of the SanDiego Air & Space Museum beganthis month. Tours are one hour andare offered one day a week on a first-come, first-serve basis, throughreservations only. Visithttp://sandiegoairandspace.org/visit/beam-tour-program to register.

The BEAM virtual presencedevice is manufactured by SuitableTechnologies.

The San Diego Air & Space Museum has started offering virtual tours of the facility.

From your home or anywhere in the world

A portion of a video describing how the virtual tour program works.

FOOD & DRINK MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | JANUARY 2016 | 7

The Savory Su-Mei Yu

Popular restaurateur and chef cooks from the heartIn Chinese culture it’s tradition

that daughters of well-to-do familiesdon’t cook. Cooking is done by ser-vants.

However, in the Yu family, whichfled from China to Thailand, mis-fortune trumped tradition and Su-Mei Yu’s mother, Lee Kwei Chi,cooked for her family and to sup-port her family.

“She was a fantastic cook, giftedwith the ‘tongue,’ which enabled herto identify ingredients and flavor-ings and duplicate the dishes shetasted,” said Su-Mei Yu, who waswelcomed with her sister and broth-er into the kitchen to observe andlearn about traditional cooking.

They watched their mother everystep of the way, making noodlesfrom scratch, killing chickens, crabsand fish, and they listened as she

explained each process. But theynever touched.

Lee Kwei Chi knew it was impor-tant for her children to be educatedin food, because it’s tied to its cul-ture, people and traditions.

“In addition to being an amazingcook, my mother was a fantastic sto-ryteller. We learned so much aboutfood and culture from her. She toldus legends, stories, gossip —whether or not they were true — itwas all great fun. None of ourfriends ever got to be in the kitchen,”said Su-Mei.

She did get some occasionalhands-on experience when hermother cooked for a big feast orbanquet like on the Chinese NewYear.

In October 1985, when Su-Meiopened her tiny 700-square-foot

restaurant on India Street in Mis-sion Hills, Saffron Thai GrilledChicken, she knew enough aboutThai food to know that she neededto learn more.

So she rallied her friends andfamily in Thailand to find familieswho would accept her into theirhumble homes to learn how to cookdishes that have been passed downthrough the generations and thatshe couldn’t have learned fromrecipes.

In Thailand, to have a strangercome into your home to learn istaboo, especially if you own arestaurant.

“It was a humbling process.Learning how to cook Pad Thai tookme two weeks. I was scared to deaththat I might ruin it,” she said.

Su-Mei later expanded the Saf-

fron brand with Saffron Noodles &Sate, a comfortable eatery withindoor and outdoor seating. Locat-ed next to each other, both restau-rants have become San Diegofavorites.

Over time, Saffron has introducedhundreds of dishes, some traditionaland others based on the Thai phi-losophy of healthful eating.

Said Su-Mei, “I follow the beliefthat we should eat foods to maintainbalance within ourselves and withMother Nature’s seasonal changes.I am proud to have contributed tothe wellness of generations of cus-tomers.”

If a dish seems like a lot toremember, Su-Mei explained, that’sbecause it is: like all traditional Thaicuisine, each dish is designed to cre-ate a balance within the body

between all four essential elements— earth, water, wind, and fire.

Su-Mei believes that, in this coun-try, we take better care of our carsand our computer systems then wedo of our bodies, which she thinkswe take for granted, and for whichwe are ultimately entirely responsi-ble.

To cook and eat healthy, Su-Mei’srecommendations are simple: getspecialty spices at 99 Ranch; eat aslocally and seasonally as possible;and shop religiously at a farmersmarket. Above all else, Su-Mei said,“respect Mother Nature and yourown body, the ultimate goals of Thaicooking.”

Since opening Saffron 30 yearsago, the now nationally recognizedrestaurateur, cookbook author andtelevision host is one of the SanDiego food scene’s most accom-plished and colorful characters.

Her cookbooks include “AsianGrilling,” “Cracking the Coconut”and “The Elements of Life: A Con-temporary Guide to Thai Recipesand Traditions for Healthier Living.”

She has been featured on numer-ous television programs includingMartha Stewart,” “Good MorningAmerica” and the “Today Show” aswell as in notable publications suchas Food & Wine Magazine, the LosAngeles Times, Chicago Tribuneand the New York Times.

Of all the chefs she’s cooked with,her favorite is Martha Stewart. “Icooked with her more than any

KPBS ‘Savor San Diego’ show, filmed at Olivewood Gardens. The 30th anniversary of Saffron was celebrated the week of Oct. 19.

BY DELLE WILLETT

SEE SAFFRON, Page 8


other chef. She’s fabulous, alwaysextremely courteous and friendly,always prepared,” she said.

Su-Mei’s popular KPBS televisionprogram, “Savor San Diego,” was cre-ated in 2012 and is now in its thirdseason. The program highlights SanDiego’s unique culinary treasures andthe fascinating people and places Su-Mei encounters in our local foodcommunity.

While Su-Mei doesn’t go to cook-ing schools herself, three years agoshe founded a cooking school in thenorthern part of Thailand to teachchildren and their families the realtraditional culture of Thai cooking.She goes back every year.

The Chinese character for Su-Meiincludes bamboo, a symbol ofresilience and strength, and a plumflower, a symbol of spring beauty.

Her story of coming to the UnitedStates and achieving a graduate-leveleducation, all on scholarships, raisinga daughter solo, and her 30-year-suc-cess as a restauranteur shows that hername suits her well. She is resilient,she is strong and she is beautiful,

inside and out.When Su-Mei was 12 she

announced to her parents that shewanted to move to the United States.Her parents approved of the move aslong as there would be no costinvolved and she went to an all-girlsschool.

Getting to the U.S. without spend-ing any money is very hard to do.

After working every angle withfriends, acquaintances and family, Su-Mei found a church-affiliated girl’sboarding school in Kentucky andwent on a full scholarship at age 15,along with her “Cousin Susie,” whowas appointed by Su-Mei’s motherto be her companion.

On arrival, she saw that Kentuckywasn’t the place for her and sheimmediately started planning her wayout to California.

In Thailand, Su-Mei was a ninthgrader; when she arrived at the Ken-tucky school she convinced the teach-er that she should be an 11th grader,proving that she knew enough mathand science to be at that level — eventhough she couldn’t speak English,did not know anything about Amer-ican history or literature.

Ultimately, she got a BA fromChapman College in Orange County

and a master’s degree in social workfrom San Diego State University in1969, all on scholarships andwork/study programs. Honoring hermother’s caveat —no cost involved.

Having experienced numerouscareer changes leading up to being arestauranteur, Su-Mei, 70, says at thispoint in her life she would like to domore writing and more meditativework “for the betterment of theworld.”

Su-Mei was blessed personally bythe Dalai Lama several years ago bychance “and it changed my life. I havesince devoted my life to study, prac-tice, contemplating, and meditatingthe Dharma, hoping that I shall learnto be loving and compassionate as isHis Holiness, not only for myself, butfor all sentient beings.”

A La Jolla resident, Su-Mei isrecording her earlier years, her moth-er’s stories, some of the recipes, veryold folklore, and the philosophy andconcept of Thai food, “just in casesomeone in the future wants andneeds this information.”

An immigrant herself, and anAmerican citizen since the early 70s,Su-Mei is saddened when she watchesthe immigration crisis in the news.

“I understand that in the modernworld we have territories, that there’sa legal way to come to this country.At the same time there are all theseunforeseeable situations in the worldthat involve human beings who aredesperate. They just want to do whatis best for themselves and their fam-ilies,” she said.

And she asked, “What do you do?I mean, is it really that hard to helpthem? To open the door? What if ithappens to you? Then what?”

Her suggestion is: Thanksgiving iscoming up: open your homes. Openyour hearts. And if you can’t do any-thing because you feel squirmy abouthaving a stranger in your home, sendmoney. DO something as a way togive thanks that you can sit down andhave turkey because a lot of peoplecan’t.

Su-Mei Yu celebrated the 30thanniversary of her restaurant theweek of Oct. 19.

SAFFRONCONTINUED FROM Page 7

Green Curry

Su-Mei Yu with her daugher, Angela, and sister Marian Yu in Thailand.

In front of Saffron.

Su-Mei Yu with Martha Stewart.

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | JANUARY 2016 | 9

By Bart Mendoza

February 6The Magic of Jazz Flute Legend Tim WeisbergJazz flute legend Tim Weisberg returns to Dizzy’s on Feb. 6. Weisberghas been a long-time area favorite, but making this show extraspecial, he will be debuting his brand new album, “Another Byte,”his first in nearly two decades. The CD was recorded completelylive in front of an audience with no overdubs or retakes, showcasingnine terrific cover versions of songs ranging from Herbie Hancock’s“Watermelon Man” to Dan Fogelberg’s “Twins Theme.” If you’renew to Weisberg’s sound, the album is a terrific taster, giving the lis-tener an insight into his music. But seeing him and his crack bandplay these tunes live is where the magic is. www.crocesparkwest.com

February 14P.O.D. As Explosive As EverOne of San Diego’s biggest hard rock bands, P.O.D. returns witha special show at the House of Blues on Feb. 14. Touring behindtheir latest recording, “The Awakening,” the band’s first conceptalbum, fans will find their music as explosive as ever, with plentyof anthemic hard rock, such as lead single, “This Goes Out ToYou.” With a string of classics such as “Youth of A Nation” and“Boom” to their credit, anyone who needs a dose of loud, hook-filled rock ‘n’ roll won’t want to miss this show from our home-town heroes. www.houseofblues.com/sandiego

January 28Wanda Jackson, at 78, Still Packs a Sonic PunchRockabilly fans won’t want to miss an appearance by country musicicon Wanda Jackson at the Casbah Jan. 28. At 78, Jackson still putson a terrific show, with an incredible backlog of songs she’s recordedsince 1954. Most recently she’s worked with such noted producers asJack White and Justin Townes Earle, but as good as those new discsare, it’s Jackson’s early rock ‘n’ roll discs that keep her concerts packed,with songs such as “Fujiyama Mama” and especially her signaturetune, “Let’s Have A Party,” still retaining a sonic punch after morethan five decades. www.casbahmusic.com

February 6Blues and Rock Master Jorma KaukonenWhile his name may not be quite a household word, there is no doubtthat Jorma Kaukonen is one of the most important guitarists to emergefrom the 1960s. Appearing at the Music Box on Feb. 6, Kaukonen is alynchpin of the 1960’s Bay Area music community. He has workedwith everyone from Janis Joplin to the Chesterfield Kings and stillperforms on occasion with his band Hot Tuna. However, it’s his pio-neering fretwork with The Jefferson Airplane 1965-1996 that wouldbe familiar to most, his stellar playing across such classic albums as“Surrealistic Pillow,” ensuring his legend. For this show, Kaukonen isin solo acoustic mode, giving audiences a wonderful opportunity tohear this blues and rock master in stripped down and intimate mode.www.musicboxsd.com

February 14Rebecca Jade’s Music Harkens Back to ’70s SoulAnyone looking for a Valentine’s Day offering with a bit of grooveand danceability will want to check out Rebecca Jade, performingat the Kona Kai Resort on Feb. 14. Jade has a wonderful voice thatharkens back to the heyday of the ’70s-era soul, as heard on herrecent self-titled, album with her band, The Cold Fact. Making aJade performance special is the fact that although she plays terrificcovers, her original material, such as funky single, “Cuts Like A Win-ter,” is of such a high standard, they are virtually cut from the samecloth as the music of her heroes. www.resortkonakai.com

February 19

Tiffany Jane & The Kicks Headline Special ShowcaseOn Feb. 19, Little Italy’s 98 Bottles will be the site of a special show-case spotlighting a variety of local arts and culture including music,painting, photography, dance and more. Music will be providedby chanteuse Tiffany Jane & her band The Kicks, a terrific combothat can play modern tunes by everyone from Bruno Mars to SamSmith, while interjecting their own excellent material such as theself-descriptive, “I’ve Got Soul.” Tiffany Jane’s music will providethe perfect soundtrack for what is hoped to be the first of manysuch events celebrating local artists across different media.www.98bottlessd.com

TOURISM10| JANUARY 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

2015 BIG YEAR FOR SAN DIEGO TOURISM ECONOMY

The San Diego Tourism Authorityis projecting a record year fortourism in in San Diego in 2015 —$9.9 billion in visitor spending, 34million visitors and $266 million intransient occupancy tax contribu-tions to San Diego County city gov-ernments.

The region is on pace to surpasslast year’s totals in all of those cate-gories, officials said.

“While San Diego has long beena popular travel destination, theregion’s appeal to travelers fromaround the world continues to growand strengthen,” said Joe Terzi, pres-ident and CEO of the San DiegoTourism Authority. “In ever-increas-ing numbers, visitors are takingnotice of all that San Diego has tooffer, from our iconic attractionsand world-class museums to ourdiverse neighborhood experiencesand our innovative spirit that createsa dynamic business climate."

The record numbers close out asuccessful year for San Diego’stourism sector, according to officials.In July, the SDTA announced thatconvention bookings during fiscal

year 2015 reached a 10-year highwith 1 million room nights booked.

In February, the SDTA released anew $8.9 million multi-platformadvertising campaign, which includ-ed television, print, online and bill-board advertising. 2015 also saw theexpansion of San Diego’s interna-tional presence.

Earlier this year, the SDTAretained marketing representationin Australia, complementing inter-national marketing efforts alreadyunderway in the U.K., Germany,China, Japan, Mexico and Canada.

Also this year, San Diego was oneof only four cities worldwide to benamed a “World’s Smart City” bythe National Geographic Channel.

“We’re very encouraged by thegrowth of San Diego’s tourismeconomy over the past couple ofyears,” said Terzi. “And every SanDiegan has a stake in the success ofthis important industry. Our abilityto attract more travelers benefits theentire region through increasedspending at our business establish-ments and more hotel tax revenuethat the city can use for police, fire

and other important services.”The San Diego Tourism Authori-

ty, formerly the San Diego Conven-tion and Visitors Bureau, was estab-lished in 1954 to foster the growthof the tourism economy in SanDiego through aggressive sales andmarketing efforts. It is a private,nonprofit entity that is funded pri-marily through the San DiegoTourism Marketing District.

Projected 2015 San DiegoTourism Numbers:

Annual Visitors: 34.2 million

Annual Visitor Spending: $9.9 billion

Hotel Room Nights Sold: 16.9 million

Annual Hotel Tax Revenue:$266 million

San Diegans Working inTourism: 173,000

Balboa Park is a favorite destination for tourists visiting San Diego.

Officials predict another record year

Locals take their tourist friends to South Park’s quarterly Walkabouts sponsored bythe South Park Business Group. This year’s Walkabouts: March 19, July 9, Oct. 8and Dec. 3.

Old Town’s shops and restaurants beckon tourists from all over the country andaround the world.

The Mission Hills Historic District is a favorite tourist attraction.

Tourist visitors to Adams Avenue are likely to see ‘Bartleby,’ the mascot of the AdamsAvenue Bookstore.

Tourists flock to the Lafayette Hotel in North Park to see the swimming pool designedby Johnny Weissmuller aka ‘Tarzan.’

COVER STORY12| JANUARY 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

North Park: Precious and Problematic.Realtors see it as hip and desirable, residents

find it friendly and open-minded, retailersview it as trendy and popular.

But does North Park have its share of prob-lems, too?

Areas of specific concern are Morley Field,Florida Canyon and Balboa Park proper.Homelessness, graffiti, illegal parking, restora-tion of habitat, and problems resulting fromdeferred maintenance are just some of the rec-ognized issues.

Working to improve the area are groups likeCitizens’ Patrol North Park, San DiegoCanyonlands, the Balboa Park Conservancy,City Councilman Todd Gloria, and the NorthPark Community Association. Each has pri-orities, each is civic-minded, wanting to makeNorth Park and its adjacent parkland safe,healthy, green and attractive.

Alan Bennett is the coordinator of Citizens’Patrol North Park. He says that CPNP is the“eyes and ears” of law enforcement in NorthPark. It patrols streets, alleys and by-ways andreports suspicious behavior, illegal parking,graffiti, and burned out street lights. He invitespeople in North Park to go on a ride-alongdrive “for an hour or a day.”

The volunteer group spends most Fridaysdriving to and walking through the Old TrolleyBarn Park in Normal Heights, North ParkCommunity Park, and especially FloridaCanyon, looking under bushes and scouringravines, bagging up trash and belongings leftbehind by transients. In Bennett’s view, thepark staff is doing the best it can with limitedresources, but he speaks of the City Councilpolicy toward our open space as “benignneglect,” resulting in the “warehousing” of thehomeless to parkland.

Bennett worries about the people beddeddown in creek beds where heavy rains couldbe life-threatening. He turns over confiscatedsleeping bags and leftover clothing to the cityParks Administration Office where they canbe claimed.

A self-avowed “plant steward,” Bennett isable to indentify numerous native and invasiveplant species, and he is distraught over thenegative impact of “encampments” on rootsand soil. Campfires and human waste in thepark and graffiti on the restrooms in the areaof the tennis courts are other issues.

(To learn more about the official plan topreserve hundreds of acres set aside for publicparkland, contact Bennett at:[email protected].)

Eric Bowlby, executive director of San DiegoCanyonlands (SDCanyonlands.org), cites thehuman impact on San Diego’s canyonlands,particularly since Florida Canyon, just west ofMorley Field and east of the zoo, sits so closeto Downtown, absorbing many of the home-less people seeking a place away from theurban center.

The situation means that human waste iscontaminating the water and soil, and trash,clothing and bedding are strewn about. SanDiego Canyonlands notifies the city’s Envi-ronmental Services Department, which in turninforms the individuals that a cleanup willoccur and also provides them with importantinformation about shelter resources that areavailable.

A priority for Canyonlands is the restoration

of wildlife habitat; this may include the closingof renegade trails that defragment naturalareas and threaten species. More than anyother county in the United States, San DiegoCounty has the most endangered species,according to Bowlby.

Tomas Herrera-Mishler, director and chiefexecutive officer of the Balboa Park Conser-vancy, speaks with optimism and enthusiasmabout current and future projects in BalboaPark. He recently convened a community con-versation with some 150 individuals repre-senting 84 stakeholder groups concernedabout the park to share their vision and values.The consensus was that park accessibility isof the highest priority.

Ideally, patrons could share in the parkexperience on foot, by bicycle, or by car, how-ever, traffic gridlock and parking problems arethe reality. One positive change is that thePlaza de Panama, the quadrant central to thepark, is now a mostly pedestrian-only zone.During December Nights, families could beseen enjoying the expansive space, illuminatedby the glow of exterior lighting on the Muse-um of Art.

A relatively inexpensive addition of planters,tables, and umbrellas in the plaza, securedthrough a grant from Southwest Airlines, hasfurther improved the venue. Next up isrestoration of the historic Botanical Buildingand grounds. Unreflective of its originaldesign, the building has termites, and theindoor irrigation system is faulty. Deferredmaintenance issues such as this are represen-tative of the challenges facing the Conservancy.Herrera-Mishler added that another building— the Bud Kearns Pool building, was at risk,but a move to preserve it for historical desig-nation would help bolster the former WPAproject.

Balboa Park is America’s busiest urban park.It predates the establishment of the nation’snational parks, and will celebrate its 150thanniversary in 2018.

The Balboa Park Conservancy supports thegoals of the city of San Diego’s master plan,which calls for horticultural sustainability andexpansion, and increased positive recreationalexperiences. North Park residents are, in fact,encouraged to familiarize themselves with themaster plan, and the precise plan, whichaddresses deficiencies in the East Mesa — thearea from Park Boulevard east to 28th Street.

Although this land was set aside more thana century ago, only half is built, and in theparts undeveloped are the visually jarringtruck parking lot and Pershing Street, a “trafficsewer,” dumping cars into Downtown. Theseaspects detract from the character of the park,affect property values, impede the circulationof people and automobiles, and overall presentthe East Mesa as an underperforming asset.

Another problem is the lack of any gatewaysignage and landscape enhancements whichcould scenically invite the public into the park.To address these issues and find solutions, Her-rera-Mishler strives to build personal relation-ships with corporations, private investors, andthe people of North Park to embrace the ideaof a more satisfying, historically authentic,plant-rich, and people-friendly Balboa Park.

By contacting the Conservancy Office

BY SUSAN TAYLOR

NORTH PARK PROBLEM SOLVERS

SEE PROBLEMS, Page 13

Solutions offered for some of the neighborhood’s recurring issues

While Councilman Todd Gloria maintains that being homeless is not in itself a crime, he asks the public toinform the city of any illegal activity such as graffiti and illegal parking.

Alan Bennett of Citizens’ Patrol North Park talks with reporter Susan Taylor during a tour of the neighbor-hood. (Photo by Jim Childers)

Eric Bowlby, executive director of San Diego Canyonlands.

COVER STORY MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | JANUARY 2016 | 13

([email protected]) or by calling (619)331-1930, one-hour tours can be arranged.Enthusiastically, the Conservancy directorlooks to a partnership with the San DiegoFoundation, the city of San Diego and otherfunding sources to generate the financialmeans to alleviate the problems and enhancethe attributes of Balboa Park for the enjoy-ment of neighborhood and distant visitors.

Despite advancements in finding housingfor the homeless, Todd Gloria’s office reportsthat North Park remains “severely impacted.”Since being elected 18 months ago as chair ofthe Regional Continuum of Care Council,Gloria has made a commitment to findingsolutions. After housing is provided, more ser-vices can be accessed, and fewer people willbe on the streets and in the parks, he says.

While Gloria maintains that being homelessis not in itself a crime, he asks the public toinform the city of any illegal activity such asgraffiti and illegal parking.

North Park Community Association Presi-dent Edwin Lohr said citizens are dissuadedfrom giving food or money directly to home-less people. Instead, people can give donations

directly to established shelters and thereforebenefit more needy people. Lohr mentionsthat just as North Park is a destination forrestaurant patrons and entertainment seekers,those who go without are aware of it as a“food-rich environment.” He says that amonghomeless people he has encountered, mostwant to be left alone.

One creative suggestion is to utilize shippingcontainers, divided into cubicles, as temporaryshelters.

Obviously, it will take time, money, andeffort to see the community solve its problems,but the stakeholders mentioned here andother concerned North Park residents andbusinesses can contribute by volunteering, giv-ing donations, and working together.

What North Park benefits from are conser-vationists, caring citizens and committed offi-cials. The animals and plants of our NorthPark environs are depicted in San DiegoCanyonlands’ field guide. Preservation of Bal-boa Park is overseen by the Balboa Park Con-servancy and the North Park CommunityAssociation. These are watchful eyes and help-ful hands. The community can and shouldparticipate to make North Park a better placeto live, work, and play.

PROBLEMSCONTINUED FROM Page 12

Edwin Lohr, president of the North Park Community Association, says North Park is considered a ‘food-rich environment’ by the less fortunate.

View of Balboa Park greenery. (Photo by Jim Childers)

Material left behind by the homeless. (Photo by Jim Childers)

Another view of Balboa Park. (Photo by Jim Childers)


It’s Girl Scout Cookie Time! Proceeds benefit neighborhood troopsAmerica’s youngest entrepreneurs

will launch their seasonal businesson Sunday, Jan. 24.

Every penny of proceeds from the2016 Girl Scout Cookie Programwill stay here in San Diego to fundtroop activities, events, camps, vol-unteer training and financial aid fornearly 40,000 girl and adult mem-bers.

The Girl Scout Cookie Programis the world’s largest girl-led busi-ness, teaching girls importantlessons about goal setting, decision-making, money management, peo-ple skills and business ethics. Manysuccessful women say they devel-oped these aptitudes, along with self-confidence, while selling cookies.

Local cookie entrepreneursinclude the Girl Scouts of NorthPark, Kensington, Mission Hills,South Park, University Heights andsurrounding communities compris-ing Girl Scouts San Diego’s ParkHills Service Unit (volunteer sup-port cluster).

Girl Scouts from the area includeBrownie Troop 4035 and CadetteTroop 4339. Last year, they pooledtheir cookie proceeds to help the SanDiego House Rabbit Society, SanDiego’s first all-bunny animal rescuecenter. During the 2016 season, theBrownies will use cookie dollars foradditional community service work,including a storm drain stencilingproject, as well as for an outing toKnott’s Berry Farm.

The Cadette troop members areespecially excited about the cookieseason, as they plan to invest mostof their earnings in a five-day tripto New York City, where they willsightsee and visit Girl Scouts’ nation-al headquarters. The middle school-ers will also hold a Girl Scout bridg-ing ceremony in Central Park tomark their progression to the Senior

level of Girl Scouts. In addition, thegirls will fund expenses related fortheir Silver Award (the highestCadette honor) projects — whichwill help support the rabbit society,a Mexican orphanage, and a newstop sign for a high-traffic down-town intersection.

This year, fans of America’sfavorite cookies will celebrate thereturn of a favorite variety. By pop-ular demand, Savannah Smiles willreturn to the cookie line-up. Thesezesty lemon confections dusted withpowdered sugar were last sold in SanDiego in 2014.

And, for the second year, GirlScouts may choose to supplementtheir door-to-door and both salesby marketing from personalizedcookie web pages.

When the Digital Cookie 1.0online platform launched last year,cookie orders were shipped directlyto customers. A new 2.0 upgrade willallow customers to opt for the girlto deliver the order. Parents mustapprove the web pages and eachdelivery request. Digital Cookie 2.0will also provide girls with moreways to learn with new businesstools and activities … and more funwith cookie-related games, quizzes,and videos.

Through Operation Thin Mint, alocal service project that started in2002, customers can donate cookiesto deployed U.S. military troops.Since the program began in 2002,San Diegans have sent more than2.5 million boxes of Girl Scout cook-ies, accompanied by countless notes

of support, to deployed militarytroops.

In addition to Savannah Smiles,this year’s cookie offerings includereturning favorites Thin Mints,Samoas, Do-si-dos, Trefoils, Taga-longs and Rah-Rah Raisins. Gluten-free Toffee-tastics are available againon a limited basis through a pilotprogram.

New Girl Scouts and adult volun-teers are welcome to join the cookieaction, as well as participate in GirlScouting adventures year-round. Tosign up, go to sdgirlscouts.org/mem-bership, or contact Christa Brown-ing at [email protected] (619) 610-0706. For general infor-mation, visit the Girl Scouts SanDiego website, sdgirlscouts.org.

Dear Editor,I just found a moment to write to

you about receiving the holiday issuein my mailbox. This is the first timethat this has ever happened. What anice surprise. I read it from the coveruntil there was nothing left to read.

In 2009, I was finally able to buysomething. I bought in North Parkand am thrilled to see all the positivechanges happening in the last few

years. Can’t wait to see the renova-tions that Grasshopper Develop-ment will be making to the O’Con-nor Church Goods store. It is justdown the street from me. Themakeover sounds pretty impres-sive.

I didn’t realize until I read the dif-ferent articles of how much businessI do in North Park. Some of myfavorites are North Park Producewith the owner never too tired tosay hello when you can clearly seeshe is exhausted. It is always a plea-sure to go to Hunt and Gather.Owners Zoe and Lee are alwaysready to help with fabulous one of akind vintage clothes or that longsought over record. The jewelry is

all hand done by local artists too. The Soda Bar and Hideout are

great hangout places. The Redwingis always great on a Saturday nightfor karaoke. Be warned it is a kalei-doscope of characters but, always afriendly, happy place. Cheap drinkstoo!

Rudford’s and Ranchos Cocinasare always great for inexpensive deli-cious dishes. I could go on and onbut, just glad to see all the greatchanges in North Park. Welcome toall the new businesses that havemoved into the neighborhoods.Welcome home!

Jorge MaloneNorth Park

Kaia, Reese, Kiley and Maya of Brownie Troop 4035 used cookie earnings to support the San Diego House Rabbit Society.

Girl Scout Cookies on TapCraft beer will be the beverage

of choice for dunking duringCookies on Tap, the second-annu-al collaboration between MikeHess Brewing and Girl Scouts SanDiego. Adults are invited to enjoythis unique beer and cookie festduring National Girl Scout CookieWeekend (Friday-Sunday, Feb. 26-28). Held at Mike Hess Brewingtasting rooms in North Park,Miramar and Oceanside. Cookieson Tap will raise funds and aware-ness for Girl Scout leadershipprograms and the financial assis-tance that keeps the organizationavailable and affordable for everygirl.

Girl Scouts San Diego willreceive a portion of the proceedsfrom every cookie pairing flight(five 5.5 oz. beers and five corre-sponding Girl Scout cookies) sold.Cookies on Tap proceeds will alsosupport Operation Thin Mint, alocal Girl Scout program thatsends “a taste of home and anote to show we care” todeployed military troops. MikeHess Brewing is located at 3812Grim Ave. in North Park, 7955 Sil-verton Ave. in Miramar, and 4893Voltaire St. in Ocean Beach. Fordetails, visit www.mikehessbrew-ing.com or call (619) 255-7136.

For details, go tosdgirlscouts.org/ cookiesontap

LETTER TO THE EDITOR:Hope the Paper Keeps Coming in the Mailbox

Metropolitan Transit System(MTS) riders may now face steepfines if they refuse to vacate prior-ity seating designated for the dis-abled and seniors (65+) based ona new state law and a new MTSordinance amendment approvedby the MTS Board of Directors.The new ordinance will take effecton Feb. 13.

With the board’s action toamend MTS Ordinance No. 13,refusal by a rider to vacate priorityseating and wheelchair areas forpersons with disabilities and theelderly upon request may result ina citation and the following fines:

• $25 for first offense• $50 for second offense• $100 for third and subsequent

offenses

All of these fines are subject tosignificant court administrativefees.

“This new policy gives our oper-ators and security personnelanother tool to help our passengerswith limited mobility,” said MTSChief Executive Officer PaulJablonski. “Previously we were onlyallowed to request that passengersvacate their seat. We could notenforce or compel a person tomove. Now we have that authori-ty.”

All Trolley and bus vehicles havemultiple areas designated for thedisabled and seniors. These seatsand areas are marked clearly withblue signs and are located nearentry/exit points.

MTS Ramps Up Wheelchair and Priority Seating Enforcement


BY JENNIFER COBURN

KEN DAVENPORT: HELPING NONPROFITS PROSPER More than 120 organizations assisted

Ken Davenport is at his best when he’sbuilding something, whether it’s a Lego pro-ject with his son, handcrafted wood furniturefor the office, or nonprofit organizations thatserve San Diego.

“I really like the formation process and see-ing things come to fruition,” says Davenport,CEO of the nonprofit Mission Edge SanDiego.

In the four years since Davenport, and sev-eral other business-minded philanthropists,launched Mission Edge, he’s had the chanceto build not only his organization, but alsosupport more than 120 other San Diego non-profits including Feeding America San Diego,the Timken Museum of Art, San Diego JuniorTheatre, Zero8Hundred, and Miracle Babies,among many others.

“Most nonprofits are great at serving thecommunity, but struggle with the businessside of things. Some organizations just needa little help in accounting,” says Davenport.“Others need a more comprehensive supportpackage. We’ve had clients tell us that we savedthem a ton of time and money, or that we’vereally helped them scale.”

Davenport says that in his work with non-profits through Social Venture Partners hesaw too many organizations whose resourceswere being diverted away from their mission.“I’ve seen an executive director spend literallydozens of hours responding to a claim ofwrongful termination of an employee, some-thing that could have been avoided with somesimple HR advice,” says Davenport. “Butnobody at the organization had the expertise.What we are doing is allowing organizationsto become more efficient by outsourcing cer-tain business operations, while providing theexpertise to help them avoid costly mistakes.We consider it a huge success when nonprofitscan do their work more effectively and spendmore time working on their core mission andpassion.”

The son of a Korean War veteran, Daven-port has always appreciated the importanceof serving, though it wasn’t until relativelyrecently that he found his opportunity to giveback. Mission Edge is his first foray into thesocial sector, after a career as an entrepreneurand technology executive. “I realized that serv-ing can take many forms, and for me, using

my business experience to help nonprofits bemore effective can have a bigger impact thanif I just donated my time,” he says. Thoughhe does volunteer his time as well, particularlyin support of veterans and the military com-munity.

Davenport serves on the board of the TravisManion Foundation, an organization dedi-cated to assisting veterans and families of thefallen by empowering them to move forwardand inspire the next generation of leaders.“Veterans have a sense of dedication and pur-pose, and that sense of mission is very valu-able,” he says. “I really enjoy helping veteransunderstand how their skills are transferableand marketable in today’s civilian job mar-ket.”

This past summer, Davenport joined his84-year-old father on an Honor Flight toWashington, D.C. As he traveled with 120World War II and Korean War veterans, hisdedication to serving veterans grew. “I wassitting on the bus with guys in their 90s tellingme about their missions flying bombers overGermany, and realizing that this great gener-ation is passing,” says Davenport. “But we have

our own ‘greatest generation’ in those whohave served since 9/11, and It’s becomeimportant to me to help where I can. They’vebravely served us – it’s the least we can do tohelp them as they come back to the civilianworld.”

In Davenport’s spare time, he enjoys spend-ing time with his 9-year-old son Gabe, a bud-ding military buff. “He’s been interested inairplanes and military stuff since he couldtalk,” he says. “Gabe is now really into usinghis Lego set to do World War II mock-upsand battles. Last week, we did Omaha Beachon D-Day. It was pretty incredible.”

A Do-It-Yourself carpenter, Davenport isalso teaching his son how to re-purpose mate-rials and create something new and beautiful.He made a wood sign and four redwoodtables from scraps from an old deck, thenwired them for electricity, and they are nowbeing used in the Mission Edge offices. “I’vealways been pretty handy,” he says. “I’m kindof a start-up guy.”


Cabinets get a period look from the use of quarter-sawn oak and traditional joinery.

With the renovation of this undistinguished1950s house, the new kitchen with Arts & Craftsmotifs grew to become the heart of the home.

Remodeling the kitchen was a major projectin this owner’s upgrade of a Long Island housebuilt in the 1950s. The old kitchen was datedand confused: Colonial Revival mouldings onstock golden-oak cabinets, a tiny island withclipped corners, low-end laminate countertopsand white appliances, all with a smattering ofgeneric wallpaper.

Homeowner Robert Jackman hatched theoverall design and suggested many of thedetails.

“I went to college in Southern California,”Jackman says, “and fell in love with the Greene& Greene houses in Pasadena. Over time, Ibecame more and more a student of the Arts& Crafts movement.”

Jackman and his wife, Naomi, knew they’dlook to the Arts & Crafts vocabulary for therenovation. He chose traditional wood species:quarter-sawn white oak, American cherry. Thisis new work, frankly embracing a profession-al-style range and a large, built-in refrigerator.(All appliances are by Sub-Zero and Wolf.)

The design uses motifs of the past; the rangeis built into a hearth-like niche, for example,and a colonnade divides the room. The peri-od-inspired kitchen features framed white-oakcabinetry, a wide-plank wood floor, and ban-quette seating that evokes a breakfast nook.Lighting is transitional, alluding to the gaslightand early-electric eras. “Because of my work incabinetmaking, I was fussy about joinery,” Jack-man says, “insisting on traditional mortise-and-tenon and dovetail joints.” He himself builtsome key pieces, including the kitchen table,several doors, even the basement staircase.

The center island features a 2½-inch-thickend-grain countertop in a checkerboard pattern(alternating walnut and maple) with a

REVIVAL MOTIFS FOR AN OPEN-PLAN KITCHENBY PATRICIA POORE

ARTS & CRAFTS HOMES AND THE REVIVAL

SEE KITCHEN, Page 17Vertical panels around the stove are pullout spice racks.Cabinets get a period look from the use of quarter-sawn oak and traditionaljoinery; each door has a framed, solid wood center panel, another traditionaldetail.


mahogany border. The prep area near the stove is a“pizza station” featuring a low-height marble slab forkneading dough. The use of copper in the room —for the stove backsplash, the farmhouse sink, a bread-box — looks back to its predominance in art metal-work. The golden chartreuse wall paint is right out ofthe bungalow era.

A Zoned Floor PlanDuring the full-out renovation of the undistin-

guished 1950s house, the kitchen grew to become theheart of the home. Its careful layout, though, breaks itinto various work and living spaces, giving the rooma human scale not seen in most open-plankitchens. The working corner of the kitchen movesfrom range to baking (or pizza prep) area to pantryand fridge. The breakfast nook, set near a large window,is cozily tucked into a colonnade. Here, a separate bankof storage cabinets takes the place of a sideboard. Theunusual placement of the center island allows for widecorridors, creating a smooth traffic flow unimpededby right angles and tight corners

In the Language of CraftsmanCabinets get a period look from the use of quarter-

sawn oak and traditional joinery; each door has aframed, solid wood center panel, another traditionaldetail. Colonnades create an open feel while providingseparate rooms, as in period bungalows. The style-neutral range is built into a hearth-like niche with a“mantel” shelf. Banquette seating suggests an old-fash-ioned breakfast nook. Wide-plank flooring was laid invarious widths. (Narrow strip floors came later.) Hard-ware and lighting fixtures are period reproductions.

Arts & Crafts Homes and the Revival. artsandcraft-shomes.com

KITCHENCONTINUED FROM Page 16

The kitchen table and banquette overlook the backyard. Cool Carrara marble, traditional for baking stations, is used for the pizza-mak-ing countertop.

The center island was placed cater-corner to perimeter cabinets, assuring wide passages. (All photos by Ric Marder)


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Computer Word ScrambleAll of the scrambled words below are words you might encounter when working on the computer.

Justine Epstein and Greg Theil-mann don’t flinch in the face of theinevitable question that friends,family members and just about any-one who knows they’re opening abookstore in North Park ask; someversion of, But why are you openinga brick-and-mortar bookstore nowwhen everything’s gone digital?

“It does seem strange,” saidEpstein. “There are a lot of optionsnow, especially with consumingmedia in general.”

Epstein and Theilmann co-ownVerbatim Books. The new book-store, located on the corner of 30thStreet and North Park Way, isstocked with mostly used books,plus a few new ones by San Diegoauthors. It’s set to officially open inmid-January.

Epstein worked at a used book-store in Hillcrest for a decade beforestriking out on her own. She saidthe old shop where she workedmade it through the economicslump and even saw business boomafter 2013. She’s confident the used-bookstore formula is far from bro-ken. If someone’s looking for a newbook and knows the title, she saidan e-reader is probably the best bet.But for people who only know theywant to read something interesting— a book that’s stood the test oftime — she said there’s no onlinereplacement that can compare towalking up and down the aisles of aused bookstore and talking to theknowledgeable book nerds who staffthe place.

“Kindle and Amazon, they’re real-ly great if you know exactly whatyou want, but I find it difficult tobrowse or find something youmight not have known you wanted,”she said. “And I think people are sickof buying something and not really

having it, not being able to share itwith other people and their friends,at least legally.”

The serendipity of discovery andthe share-ability of physical booksare two arguments Theilmann uses,too, when explaining the “Whynow?” question. Plus, he said, thereare all sorts of other reasons peopleare still buying books.

“Even if they’re doing somethingas pretentious as putting it on theirshelves so people can see it,” he said.“Everyone does that.”

Epstein and Theilmann said theydon’t expect the bookstore to lastforever, but it feels right for rightnow.

“There are a lot of things (abouta bookstore) that are appealing or

even charming maybe,” Epstein said.“It is a bit old-fashioned in a lot ofways. I don’t think we expect to bein business for the next 50 years, butI think there is a niche market here,especially in North Park, and peoplelike us have responded well to theidea of keeping that alive, at least fora little while longer.”

The Culture Report is Voice of

San Diego’s weekly collection of theregion’s cultural news.

This article originally appeared inVoice of San Diego. Kinsee Morlan isthe Engagement Editor at Voice of SanDiego and author of the CultureReport. Contact her directly at [email protected] with permission.


BY KINSEE MORLAN

Culture Report: The (Risky?) Business of Opening a Bookstore

Greg Theilmann and Justine Epstein, owners of Verbatim Books. (Photo by Kinsee Morlan)

Jan Noz, this year’s UC San DiegoVeteran of the Year recipient, servedher country as a member of the Unit-ed States Air Force; now, she servesthe university as a senior disabilityspecialist in the Office for Studentswith Disabilities. In this role, Nozhelps students — including veterans— understand and overcome diffi-cult circumstances, so that they canattain their career and educationalgoals.

While in the military, Noz’s expe-rience focused on managing ware-house inventory, which often includ-ed physical work, such as operatinga forklift. Once she finished her ser-vice in the Air Force, she said shebounced around for a few years tak-ing jobs to earn a paycheck, but hadno direction.

“My experience was in a verymale-dominated field, so I had trou-ble finding a job after my service was

complete,” Noz said. “I struggled tofigure out what I wanted to do withmy life.”

Noz’s experience of having littleguidance during her transition outof the military is why the disabilityspecialist is so passionate about whatshe does now. She feels privileged tohave had the opportunity to helpmany people in transition or seekinga career change, including those withdisabilities and students of diverseacademic, socioeconomic, culturaland ethnic backgrounds.

Today, Noz finds her work incred-ibly satisfying. “It gives me great plea-sure to assist people and help themfigure out what they want to do withtheir lives,” she said.

Noz served in the Air Force from1987 to 1991 and was an active dutyservice member during OperationDesert Storm. She joined the militaryto learn job skills, help pay for collegeand because it is part of her familylegacy. Noz is proud to report thather family’s service covers all threebranches of the military: her grand-father was in the Army duringWWII; her uncle was in the Marinesduring the Vietnam era; and her hus-band served in the Navy.

During Operation Desert Storm,Noz worked in logistics at Travis AirForce Base. Like many in the serviceduring that time, Noz often worked12-hour days. The long days requiredher to be away from her first son,who was an infant at the time. “It wasdifficult and did require sacrifice, butit’s what we signed up for,” she said.

After the war, Noz transitioned outof the military and into civilian life–– a process which was abrupt. “Mytransition was pretty rough; it wasnot easy,” she said. “Things havechanged since then, but for me ittook place in just one afternoonwhen my papers were processed.”

Noz added that transitioning outof the military can be difficult

because it is a huge lifestyle adjust-ment. “Most likely, there will be manythat do not have a job lined up rightaway,” she said. “They are not goingto be told what to do; they have toseek it out. They have to prepare.They have to develop a resume. It’s avery different lifestyle than when youare in the military.”

Although it took years after Noz’sservice was complete, she did finddirection and a career pathway. Afirst-generation college graduate, shesought help from mentors, includingone teacher she met while attendinga California Community College. Shelater transferred to UC Berkeley and,upon graduation, started working atthe campus as an academic adviserto students in the sociology depart-ment.

Noz went on to earn a Master ofArts in Counseling with a specializa-tion in career and adult developmentfrom the University of San Diego.After graduate school, she began hercareer first at private companies thenat the Department of Veterans Affairsas a vocational rehabilitation andemployment counselor. Helping vet-erans transition into civilian lifebecame a key part of her work. Inearly 2013, she joined the staff at theUC San Diego Office for Studentswith Disabilities, where she oftenworks with student veterans and stu-dents who are active duty military.As part of her role, she holds weeklyoffice hours at the Student VeteransResource Center (SVRC).

“It is really helpful for me to be intheir space,” she said. “It helps me bepresent. They can ask questions, andI can build a rapport with them. Thatway, they don’t have to make anappointment at my office to seek ser-vices, as that process can be intimi-dating.”

She says her career is incrediblysatisfying because she gets to serve asa mentor to others, so that they can

find their own path in life. Noz doesthis in a variety of ways. “Sometimesit’s by asking the right questions, andsometimes it’s just listening,” she said.“Often, students are stuck, and I tellthem: ‘I understand. I have beenstuck before, too.’ ”

Noz said that since the SVRCopened two years ago, she has seenthe veteran community thrive at UCSan Diego. Not only are veteransinvolved with the SVRC, but UC SanDiego has a lot of active duty militaryin reserves that frequent the space.In addition, military supporters havegravitated to the center.

Noz is an active member of UCSan Diego’s Veterans Association,which is open to all faculty, staff, stu-dents, alumni and community mem-bers. The organization raises aware-ness and promotes respect andappreciation for the sacrifices andcontributions made by members ofthe U.S. Armed Forces.

“I learned after leaving the militarythat it’s important to have a commu-nity, and being involved with the Vet-erans Association is certainly bene-ficial for that very reason,” Noz said.“We’re involved in the UC San Diegocommunity and the surroundingcommunity. We contribute to thediversity of the campus.”

Noz accepted her Veteran of theYear award at the 16th Annual UCSan Diego Veterans Staff AssociationVeteran Recognition Ceremony onNov. 5 at the UC San Diego Super-computer Center Auditorium.

“I have an overwhelming, awe-some emotion of gratitude,” she saidof accepting the award. “It gives mean opportunity to share what mymentors and others have shared withme along my life journey. It also helpsme gain an understanding of whatis needed and how I can continue toassist others and give back.”

COMMUNITY20| JANUARY 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

Mission to Serve UC San Diego’s Veteran of the Year finds life’s work in helping others

Jan Noz is a senior disability specialist at UC San Diego. (Photo by Erika Johnson/University Communications)


After Deanne Cervantes, parentand librarian at McKinley Elemen-tary School, suffered a broken backand multiple injuries in a Nov. 27fall off a cliff in San Quentin, Mex-ico, her family put out a plea fordonations throughGoFundMe.com.

One of her two daughters,Rachel Cervantes, has provided an

update on the fundraising effort:“After my mom Deanne Cer-

vantes ended up at the ICU for atraumatic fall at her beloved ‘home-away-from-home’ in San Quentin,Mexico, tremendous amounts ofefforts have come forward from thecommunity (and beyond) in orderto help our family get together thefunds to remodel our house in

order to be handicap-accessible formy now paralyzed mother.”

“Having so many generousdonations, as well as many lovingpeople keeping my mom in theirprayers, has relieved a lot of stressfor my family and we can’t thankeveryone enough for all their sup-port.”

“In terms of how my mom isdoing, all things considered, she’sdoing great! She has now moved toa rehab facility where she is beingtaught how to be self-sufficientwith her diagnosis, and theprogress she’s made is incredible!

“She was in a wheelchair andspeeding around the facility withinthe first week there! “

“It’s a lot for her to re-learn, butshe is doing the absolute best andnever complains, and we are allvery proud of her progress. Shecan’t wait to come home, and withthe help of the money being raised,it’ll be to a home fully equippedwith everything she needs.”

Donations may be made onlineat: GoFundMe.com/deannerecov-eryfund.

New California Laws You Should Know About Jan. 1 will bring an abundance of new laws to Califor-

nia. From the way we work to the way we educate -- law-makers thought of plenty of ways to change how Cali-fornians live.

Here are five new laws you should know about.

Get those vaccinationsAfter a long battle, advocates for mandatory vaccina-

tions saw a victory with the passage of Senate Bill 277.The law requires all California students attending publicor private school to get vaccinated. Those seeking to beexempt will need approval from the state Department ofPublic Health.

More cash needed for your ballot initiativeAre you looking to get your idea on California’s next

election ballot? Be prepared to pay more money. AssemblyBill 1100 changes the filing fee from $200 to $2,000. Sup-porters of the new law hope the increased fee will eliminatefrivolous proposals.

The possible end of the High School Exit ExamThere’s hope for students who fail the High School

Exit Exam. Senate Bill 172 suspends the exam andremoves it as a condition from graduation. The CaliforniaSuperintendent of Public Instruction is also required toconvene an advisory panel “to provide recommendationsto the superintendent on the continuation of the high

school exit examination and on alternative pathways tosatisfy specified high school graduation requirements.”

Drive and voteAnyone looking to get a driver’s license in California

will automatically be registered to vote. Assembly Bill1461 is applied to any qualified residents. Residents willalso be registered to vote if they submit a change ofaddress to the DMV or apply for an ID.

No earbuds in the driver’s seatA new law will prevent drivers in California from wear-

ing earbuds or headsets in both ears while on the road.But Senate Bill 491 does not apply to anyone operatingauthorized emergency vehicles.

Update on Deanne Cervantes

Steve and Deanne Cervantes

BUSINESS22| JANUARY 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

Thorn Street Brewery Expands into Barrio LoganThe popular brewer needs more space to keep up with demand

Dennis O’Connor, co-founder ofThorn Street Brewery (TSB) openedhis North Park neighborhood brew-ery a few years ago as part of livingthe American dream: create a popularand successful craft beer brewingoperation.

Fast forward to what has evolvedin 2016 as a classic case of being care-ful what you wish for. Now, O’Con-nor’s 32nd & Thorn site is too smallto keep up with the big demand forits beer. Recent decisions to solve thishoppy dilemma have TSB expandingto a second location in Barrio Loganin 2016.

“If there is a local brewing com-pany that embodies the neighbor-hood brewery model, it’s ThornStreet. Brewery,” said Brandon Her-nandez, a contributing writer withWest Coaster craft beer magazine.“Even before it opened, denizens ofits namesake community were excitedfor its arrival. And since the doorsswung ajar, North Parkers have fre-quented the cozy, split level spot,making it the social hub its ownershad hoped for when putting togetherits business plan.”

The operative word “cozy” will

soon give way to bigger space. ThornStreet has taken over a 10,500-square-foot warehouse space at 1741 Nation-al Ave. Formerly the site of the formerSan Diego Public Market project, itwill play home to a brewery and tast-ing room keeping its current name.

Once open, TSB’s brew crew willproduce 5,000 barrels per year, butthe space will allow for enough fer-mentation vessels to amount to30,000 barrels annually. Plans are tohave Thorn Street’s Barrio operationup and running sometime this year.

Up until now, O’Connor’s opera-tion has had to contract brew outsideits North Park digs to meet customerdemand, so this next chapter shouldsolve such problems in a more eco-nomical manner.

In coming to Barrio Logan,O’Connor said his team hopes toreplicate the effect Thorn Street hadon its section of North Park by“cleaning and brightening up” astreet that could use a bit of invigo-ration. They would see it as a positiveif another business with additionalblock-building appeal took interestin the identical warehouse spacenext-door to Thorn Brewing as they

would enjoy having a quality tenantto team with. There is also the possi-bility they may take possession ofthat space as well, with far-off plansto perhaps install a bottle shop,restaurant and/or retail components.

In the past two years, Barrio Logan

has welcomed a pair of brewery tast-ing rooms for Border X BrewingCompany and Iron Fist BrewingCompany. Both fit into a buddingartisanal community that wouldappear to be aiding significantly inthe resurrection of a community that

had fallen out of favor with SanDiego’s general population, provid-ing fun reasons to visit and rediscoverthe area.

Source: West Coaster is a mediapartner with Mid City NewspaperGroup publishers of this newspaper.

The San Diego Public Market before it closed. The building at 1741 National Ave. in Barrio Logan will be the new home of Thorn Street Brew-ery’s second location.

FOOD & DRINK MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | JANUARY 2016 | 23

Bone Up on Health and Beauty in the New Year North Park food expert releases bone broth cookbook BY JENNIFER COBURN

What do Gwyneth Paltrow, Kobe Bryant, andSalma Hayek all have in common? For one,they’re A-List celebrities who don’t ever have tosettle for anything less than the best in healthcare, food, and personal care. Not so coinciden-tally, the trio joins also a long lost of high-profileactors and athletes who swear by the health andbeauty benefits of bone broth.

Bone broth?! That’s right, bone broth.While bone broth might sound like something

from a witch’s cauldron, it’s actually a deliciousstock that has been used in cultures around theworld for centuries. Its healing properties havebeen touted in The New York Times, Wall StreetJournal, Washington Post, and Time. The brewhas been featured on “Good Morning America”and the “Today Show.” Now it’s making localheadlines as North Park food expert Quinn FarrarWilson recently released “BONE BROTH:101Essential Recipes & Age-Old Remedies to HealYour Body.” The book features methods for mak-ing bone broth — and recipes that incorporatethe stock, such as Apple Butter and Ale Pork Ribswith Sweet Potatoes, Strawberry-Spiced GlazedCarrots, and Autumnal Pork Stew. It even featuresdesserts like brownies, berry cobbler, and sweetpotato pie made with bone broth.

“Bone broth is nature’s ultimate superfood richin protein, amino acids, magnesium, and calci-um,” says Farrar Wilson as she pulls roastedorganic grass-fed beef bones from her oven andlets them cool before she puts them in her slowcooker to make a new batch of bone broth. “KobeBryant started using bone broth after what couldhave been a career-ending set of injuries,” shesays of the Los Angeles Laker’s star’s ruptured

Achilles tendon and fractured knee. “He creditsbone broth as an important factor in his recov-ery.” Bone broth has also been shown to healleaky gut syndrome, help with insomnia and anx-iety, and alleviate a host of other health issues,says Farrar Quinn.

Actor Salma Hayek says she began drinkingthe nutritious superfood to combat body achesand found that it greatly relieved her back pain.And Gwyneth Paltrow raves about the health andbeauty benefits of bone broth: “Bone broth hasbeen called Nature’s Botox because it helps keepup collagen levels that start to decline once wehit 30. It contains key elements like collagen,gelatin, glycine, and proline which gives our skineverything it needs to stay glowing and healthy.Bone broth has been shown to reduce celluliteand wrinkles, strengthen hair and nails, andreduce acne-causing inflammation.”

As Farrar Wilson’s broth begins to simmer, arich aroma fills her kitchen. “Nutritionists haveknown about bone broth for centuries,” says Far-rar Wilson. It gained popularity last year whentwo key elements came into play. Gwyneth Pal-trow featured bone broth on her health and beau-ty blog, Goop. Next, upon the release of his brothcookbook, Marco Canora, executive chef of NewYork’s natural food restaurant Hearth, opened

small side window serving nothing but bonebroth. The window, called Brodo (meaning brothin Italian), was featured in The New York Times,and soon had lines forming around the corner.

Farrar Wilson has has been a bone broth devo-tee long before it was popular, though. She hasrun Balanced and Bright Bone Broth, a NorthPark-based business that has been creating home-made bone broth for nearly three years. She firstheard about bone broth from a colleague whoattended a health and nutrition conference wherebone broth was served in lieu of coffee. “It sound-ed strange to me at first,” says Farrar Wilson, “butthe more I thought about it, the more I wasintrigued so I began researching bone broth andits long tradition as a healing remedy.”

She became convinced of its restorative effectswhen she started experiencing the benefits herself.“I suffered excruciating bone pain for many yearsfrom a childhood skiing accident and when Istarted taking bone broth, I found great relief,”she says. “My stomach problems were gone in afew months as well. And I also noticed that myhair, skin, and nails looked amazing!”

“BONE BROTH” was released on Jan. 15(Sonoma Press, $16.99) and is available every-where books are sold.

North Park author and businesswoman Quinn Farrar Wilson.Seasonal FrittataRatatouille

Beef Bone Broth RecipeGluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Paleo

Makes 4 to 6 quarts

Prep time: 1 hour / Cook time: Stovetop: 24 to 36 hours, Slow Cooker:

24 to 36 hours, Pressure Cooker: 2 hours (plus 24 hours cooling time)

This classic bone broth uses knuckle and marrowbones; their collagen

and fat help yield a rich-textured and nourishing liquid. The carrot,

onion, and fennel all add a hint of sweetness, while celery and garlic

help balance the flavors and add depth. Adding more vegetables or

bones will create a more complex flavor.

3 pounds mixed beef knuckle and marrowbones

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1/2 white onion, sliced

1/2 medium fennel bulb, cored and sliced

1 garlic clove, cut in half

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Put the frozen or thawed knuckle and marrowbones in a deep baking

dish lined with oiled aluminum foil. Roast the bones until they are a

deep, dark brown color, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and

let cool for 10 minutes.

Transfer the bones to a large stockpot, slow cooker, or pressure cooker.

Fill the vessel with filtered water, enough to completely cover the

bones, and add the apple cider vinegar. Allow the bones to sit in the

water and vinegar for 15 minutes. Add all the remaining ingredients to

the vessel, and follow one of these cooking methods:

Slow Cooker: Turn the slow cooker to the low setting and cook for 24

to 36 hours.

Stovetop: Bring the broth to a low simmer over medium heat, making

sure to never reach the point of boiling. Aim for a slow movement in

the broth, with small to medium bubbles rising from the bottom. Cook

for 24 to 36 hours.

Pressure Cooker: Bring the pressure cooker to high heat, and then

lower the heat once it has reached between 10 and 15 psi. Cook for 2

hours. Always follow the manufacturer’s directions, and never leave a

pressure cooker unattended.

When the broth is done, it will be a rich, dark brown color. Use tongs

to carefully remove the bones from the broth, and discard (or reserve

to use again). Use a spider strainer to remove the vegetables, and

discard. Let the broth cool for 1 hour.

Set a large fine-mesh strainer over a storage container or jar. Carefully

pour the cooled broth into the container. Cover the container and

transfer it to the refrigerator for 24 hours.

Remove the lid, discard the fat layer from the stock or reserve for

rendering and use as desired.

north park news, january 2016

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