It feels like summer is taking it’s sweet time to arrive to the west coast this year and we’re anxious to get it started. Aperol Spritz’ are all the rage in the Instagram set but I’ve never really enjoyed the bitter Italian apéritif so I went out to our local food scene to ask for their spins on the spritz. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

You’ll wanna bookmark this page to get you through the summer heat.

La Jolla’s La Valencia Hotel has been a landmark and jet setter destination since the the Golden Era in 1926. The seaside hotel has been flaunting its beautiful, signature architecture and coveted views on Prospect Street through a lot of changes over the years. After 7 decades, the Collins family  sold the “Pink Lady” to Pacifica Hotels in 2011, who immediately announced they had plans for a major renovation that would cost them $12 million. 

The Med, La Valencia’s ocean view restaurant, has been the site of many traditions; Mother’s Day Brunches, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, charity events and more, but in its kitchen… La V has been fraught with constant change over the last decade. As of tomorrow, Friday, June 14th, La Valencia will once again say goodbye to its Executive Chef. 

Chef DJ Tangalin has been looking for the right home for quite some time and he may have finally arrived. DJ spent the last year bringing Bivouac Cider into the light with his Filipino slant on the North Park restaurant’s menu. He designed menu items that introduced Filipino flavors into a food-centric neighborhood, bringing the essence of the cuisine out of the shadows.

Make no mistake though. Chef DJ did this carefully and with finesse. He didn’t ambush an unsuspecting guest with a flavor profile they may not have been familiar with. He methodically indulged the mainstream palate while infusing hints of exotic, vinegary, sweet, umami tastes (and colors) that Filipino foods are famous for. NOW he is on to writing his own story.