OF SPEAKEASIES & SECRET DELIGHTS
You don’t always need a password to savour San Diego’s inventive culinary scene
The vibrant blue storefront in the middle of an outdoor shopping mall gives no hint of what lies inside: a literal apothecary of alcohol. Glass shelves and wooden cabinets contain all manner of liquor from rare whiskeys to vintage gins and liqueurs. With brilliant colours ranging from deep ruby to emerald green, Raised by Wolves is akin to being inside an adult version of a kaleidoscope. As magical as that is, the best is yet to come. Take a seat in front of the fireplace where, in a tip of the hat to James Bond films, you are slowly transported into La Belle Epoque Paris instead of La Jolla, an upscale village north of San Diego. The rotating platform twirls you into a wondrous speakeasy with glass-like ceiling panels, fountains and inventive cocktails. Spend an hour or two over drinks like Pelvic Sorcery, Rattlesnake Venom or Boulevardier in what was named the 2019 Cocktail Bar of the Year by Imbibe magazine. Just like the secret entrance into the bar, Raised by Wolves opens the door to a different side of San Diego. The family-friendly seaside city known for its marine life ( both human and animal) is now gaining a reputation for an inventive food and drink scene. First coming to prominence during Prohibition, speakeasies are again popping up in San Diego behind the walls of restaurants and pubs and even deep underground. You need to know the secret password of the day to enter one while others require insider knowledge to find them. A key trait that’s endured since the early days of rum-running is an unusual or hidden entrance. Navigate a passageway behind beer kegs, a rotating wall or enter through a walk-in cooler. At the Polynesian-style False Idol, you pass through a curtain of faux shrunken heads and grinning skulls embedded in the walls. Inside, tiki gods glare at you as a volcano erupts, flames shoot and booming thunder rocks your seat. And that’s just the lead up to a drink which could level some destruction of its own. Akala the Fierce more than lives up to its name with chai-infused bourbon, dark rum, vanilla, pimento dram and orgeat syrup. At US$45, the vast moat of booze is meant to be shared and even then it’s a lot to get through. But it’s an experience not to be missed. Other spirited areas worth a visit include Old Town San Diego where mezcal is king. You’ll find every manner of cocktail here showcasing the agave alcohol. The Gaslamp Quarter is always swinging with more than 50 bars and 10 nightclubs. Beyond the booze, San Diego is also making a name for itself with an abundance of new restaurants with fresh, creative cuisine. Food halls have opened in the Piazza della Famiglia downtown and in the historic Liberty Public Market near the airport. The Mission Hills district is home to Brooklyn Girl’s bright and airy eatery with its farm-to-table philosophy. Here you can nosh on locally sourced and seasonal dishes such as a salmon poke bowl, stone brick chicken or wood oven pizzas.