Guest Favorites
Ever wonder where the movers and shakers of America’s Finest City go when they have time to spare? Maybe they frequent the same coffee shop as you. Maybe they’re privy to a boutique you’ve never heard about. One thing’s for sure, they didn’t get where they are by sitting at home. The following list of favorites was compiled by the people who make San Diego their business. Enjoy. — Alicia Garcia

Ken Kramer — Host, Ken Kramer’s About San Diego, NBC
Though he serves as a reporter for NBC 7/39, San Diegans know the Emmy Award-winning Kramer best as the host of Ken Kramer’s About San Diego, where he explores the county’s most fascinating places and people. (www.nbcsandiego.com)

Best Thai Food: Celadon. New location in 3600-block of Fifth Ave. If the Duck Red Curry follows, it’ll be a "block" buster.

Best Dessert: The scones, warm and fresh-made, at Rebecca’s in South Park. You may have to put your name on a waiting list, but they’re worth it.

Best Outdoor Patio: Piatti, La Jolla. Wonderful ficus tree and gentle lighting make for a great outdoor dining atmosphere.

Best Dive Bar: Surf And Saddle, Encinitas. Surfers, cowboys, businesspeople, bikers, video games, TV, abundant beer. A well-seasoned regular may sketch your portrait or drown you in UFO stories.

Best Used Record Store: Folk Arts in Normal Heights. Owner Lou Curtiss is a walking encyclopedia. Only place where you can find both Jack Webb and Gid Tanner and His Skillet Lickers singing on vinyl.

Best Veterinary Clinic: Avian And Exotic Animal Hospital, Mission Valley. Twenty years ago, everybody told Dr. Jeffrey Jenkins he couldn’t make a living treating parrots and iguanas. Now he’s thriving and so are they.

Best Place To Go After Losing A Bundle At The Track: Fidel’s in Solana Beach. A little shop-worn, maybe, but the food and atmosphere more than make up for it. You might see an owner, trainer, or jockey there.

Best Video Store: Kensington Video. The place to go when you remember a great movie you saw one time, but you can’t recall the title or who starred in it.

Best News Anchor: Oh, don’t tempt me!

Sally B. Thornton — Owner, Thornton Winery
When Sally and husband John are not running their award-winning Temecula winery, she is busy leaving her mark elsewhere in the county. A regular at fundraising galas, Thornton established the The John M. and Sally B. Thornton Foundation to help fund San Diego’s many charitable organizations. A recipient of the 11th Woman Living Legacy Award, her list of accomplishments and contributions is so extensive there is no way to print it all here. (www.thorntonwine.com)

Best Maitre D’: Utterly charming, debonair, and handsome, Bertrand Hug has long been the maitre d’ extraordinaire.

Best Chef: In Rancho Santa Fe, highly creative and unusually talented, Mille Fleurs’ executive chef Martin Woesle has superb culinary skills.

Best Hair/Makeup Salon: Extremely accommodating, Joelle’s Salon and Day Spa provides excellent hair stylists and nail specialists.

Best Spa For Massage: La Jolla Spa MD is a destination for relaxing and restorative deep tissue massage.

Best Interior Designer: Extremely helpful with a multitude of resources, interior designer Kathleen Buoymaster delivers!

Best Museum: Eighty years of excellence establishes the San Diego Museum of Art as the crown jewel of beautiful Balboa Park.

Best Annual Gala: A strong, personal bias makes the Epilepsy Foundation of San Diego County’s Gingerbread City the best annual gala.

Best Pet Adoption Organization: My handsome Dude was adopted through FOCAS, while watching Fox 6 early one morning.

Best Vegetarian Menu: La Jolla’s Spice and Rice concocts delectable cuisine.

Tobi Blatt — Owner, Tobi Blatt Boutique
At Tobi Blatt, women don’t just find clothes, they find a lifestyle. With an enormous catalogue of designer fashions, featuring names such as One Life, Paper Denim & Cloth, Project E, Joystick, and Ell For All to name a few, Tobi Blatt caters to the hippest and most high-end fashionistas around. Blatt’s taste in clothing is so influential, she’s been able to expand from one boutique to three bigger locations, with a fourth on the way. (www.tobiblatt.com)

Best Pet Groomer: Your Fairy Dogmother in Cardiff. Best animal lover of all time and does it in our own home.

Best Bartender: Tom at Rancho Valencia. Great personality — love his knowledge
of wine.

Best Sushi: Nobu, our favorite. It’s freshest and there’s never a wait.

Best French Food: Mille Fleurs. The schnitzel — need I say more?

Best Steak House: Ruth’s Chris. Great fresh lobster and that steak butter — yum!

Best Pizza: Mario’s New York Style on Camino Del Sur — the newest find.

Best Live Music Bar: Calypso. Music is always fresh and alive!

Best Furniture: Kern and Company. The eclectic mix makes all of it work!

Best Interior Designer: Susan Spath Hegedus. Knows her customers and personalizes each project.

Best Florals: Floral Palette. Creativity grows aplenty.

Leonard Simpson — Creator, Fashion Forward
Two things you need to know about Leonard Simpson. One: he can pull off any wardrobe. Two: he understands that clothes have a profound effect on our personalities. To that end, Simpson brings his fashion expertise to San Diego through his nationally-known fashion production company Fashion Forward. One of the company’s greatest joys is providing makeovers. When he’s not giving advice on KUSI, he’s organizing fashion shows and hobnobbing with Hollywood’s elite. He is the youngest person ever to win the Lifetime Acheivement Award in fashion. (www.leonardsimpson.com)

Best Interior Designer: John Perry of JT Designs. He takes small space and turns them into something grand.

Best Store For Men’s Apparel: Backstage Clothing. Celebrities design the clothes, so you can dress and feel like a rockstar.

Best Store For Women’s Apparel: Le Bel Age. The owner, Valerie, has the most original clothing and accessories in the city.

Best Denim Selection: G-Star. They have the hottest, most outrageous denim to date.

Best Spa For Facials: Face Factory. Sandra has the latest in pumpkin peels and microderabrasion to take years off of your face.

Best Cosmetic Surgeon: Dr. Brian Daly. He’s the most thorough and up-to-date, creating face lifts that look gentle and relaxed. He is brilliant.

Best Hotel: The Westgate. The service is five-star and impeccable and the ambiance is like being in Europe.

Best Salon: Michael Eller Salon. Designer Sean Leonie is brilliant at color, cut, and amazing up-dos.

Wine: Thornton Winery. Sally, John, and Steve have exquisite taste and the best Champagne in the world.

William Bradley — Executive Chef, Addison At The Grand Del Mar
Bradley’s European-insipired menu with Mediterranean touches has made Addison at The Grand Del Mar one of North County’s most frequented eateries. Before arrriving in San Diego, Bradley was the executive chef for the critically acclaimed Vu Restaurant in Phoenix, where he was awarded the coveted James Beard Rising Star Chef award three years in a row. (www.thegranddelmar.com)

Best Museum: San Diego Museum of Art. A great inspiration from some of the oldest European Masters.

Best Store For Men’s Apparel: Saks. It carries one of my favorite designers — J. Lindberg.

Best Men’s Shoes: Gucci is one of the best.

Best Yoga Class: My fiancée swears by the Prana Yoga Center in La Jolla.

Best Coffee Shop: Pete’s is carrying a rare heirloom bean that I’ve been drinking at home.

Best Pro Golfer: Phil Mickelson. Not just an incredible golfer but a true gentleman.

Best Sports Athlete: LaDainian Tomlinson. Incredible to watch such raw talent
on the field.

Best Maitre D’: Christian Ihm from Addison. I know I’m biased, but he is classy beyond
his years.

Best Breakfast: Hash House. Always fun food and people.

Best View: Sitting on the patio at George’s at the Cove — great view!

Steve And Georgia Goldberg — Owners, The Belly Up,
Pacific Coast Grill, And Muttropolis
Music fans all over know The Belly Up, both as a great place to grab a brew and the best place to hear a band. When owner Steve Goldberg is not running the venue, he and wife Georgia are offering up some of North County’s best dining at their other endeavor, Pacific Coast Grill. You’d think they’d have little time to do much else, but Steve finds time to cater to San Diego’s four-legged friends as co-owner of the pet couture shop Muttropolis. (www.bellyup.com, www.pacificcoastgrill.com, www.muttropolis.com)

Best Steakhouse: We enjoy the old-fashioned Midwestern feel of Red Tracton’s with the huge slabs of prime beef and giant lobster tails.

Best Outdoor Patio: Can’t beat George’s at the Cove’s view. We always take out-of-towners there, especially if they are from a cold climate.

Best Dive Bar: A tie — downtown’s oldest bar, The Waterfront, and the Daley Double (The Saloon), the oldest bar in downtown Encinitas. We like authentic and you feel like having a shot and a beer in these joints.

Best Live Music Club: Your readers agree and it’s hard to beat 33 years of success. We’re partial but not without justification. The Belly Up, of course.

Best Pet Store: Muttropolis. Partial here, too, but it is the best and our Airedales Harry and Arthur agree.

Best Dog Park: Dog Beach in Del Mar at sunset with our two dogs romping in the surf and two boys playing in the sand is heaven on earth.

Best Recreation Experience: Surfing in the Pacific as the sun sets for me. Georgia loves long walks around Rancho Santa Fe.

Best Sports Athlete: A tie here too. Trevor Hoffman and L.T. Both at the pinnacle of their sports and very humble individuals. While we’re at it, throw in Brad Gerlach, who rode the biggest wave of the year (65 feet) in ’06.