Our Guide, "The Mayor"
Ruggy Joesten is paid to play...and write about it. He is the community manager for Yelp.com in the San Diego region. He has become so well known on the site he is referred to as "the mayor." Yelp is a free forum for average people to review just about everything. "You can see reviews written by people all over town, so in the event you want to get a real world look at something, you can go on Yelp and see reviews. You can actually write your own reviews too," Joesten said. You can share your opinion on any business that has an address. "Yelp is a great way to connect with local businesses. Whether you are looking for a dentist, you're looking for a dog park, maybe you are looking for a dog park around town, its a really great outlet to discover new places around town." Joesten said obscure spots can become big hits on Yelp. For example, a churro cart in City Heights that's only open from 6-9PM now has lines down the street without any promotion besides outstanding Yelp reviews. Although anyone can write reviews, all reviews are rated to see if they are "useful", "funny", or "cool". Those who consistently write popular reviews can become "elite" members, whose commentaries are often given more weight by users. The top "elite" member is Joesten, who became so popular on the site he was hired by the company to help promote them. Joesten also served as producer of the morning show on 91X for seven and a half years. He now is on the show every Friday to talk about new events or locations to check out in San Diego. He hosts his own radio show on 91X Saturday mornings from 6-10 AM. His personality is so dynamic, he's appeared on "American Idol", "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno", and "The Price is Right". So, who better than Ruggy to be our guide for San Diego 6 Hot Spots? We asked him to put together a list of fun places to go out for a variety of ages and demographics. The list is intended to be places you may not have ever heard of before. "Its not necessarily what you would think of, not run of the mill surf shops. Its hot, affordable nightlife here in San Diego."
Syrah--"The Rabbit Hole"
Syrah 901 Fifth AvenueSan Diego, CA 92101Yelp Syrah Our first location is hard to find...on purpose. It is located underground the Dakota Steak House in the middle of the Gaslamp, but doesn't seem like anything you'll find anywhere else in the area. As you walk downstairs, you are met by a door covered in grass. The handle is hard to spot--the idea is you are entering a sort of "fairy tale." "Its almost like you fell into a rabbit hole" said Joesten. "This utopia of Alice in Wonderland meets some nursery rhyme as a kid." Managing partner Matt Spencer described it this way. "I want to take a little Alice in Wonderland a little Pirates of the Caribbean and a French brasserie and French countryside and push that all together....Everyone has had that first ride on Pirates of the Caribbean as a kid, whatever that is, that's what you get here the first time." 
It aims to be not a club or a wine lounge, but somewhere in between. A DJ plays after 10pm, and before that, it is a place meant for good conversation. "We don't want to be a nightclub, but we want to be a New York meat packing district kind of place." Specialty drinks are all under $10 and special emphasis is placed on the wine bar. Looking very much like a sushi bar, there is a meat and cheese bar which Ruggy highly recommends. "People try to find that cool underground spot. This place is literally underground" said Joesten.
Splash--"Wine Vending Machine"
Splash 3043 University Ave. San Diego, CA 92104 Yelp Splash How about buying your wine from a vending machine? That's kind of the concept behind Splash in North Park. Owner Traci Smith has purchased several special machines for about $10,000 each. They each hold several bottles of wine, keep them perfectly sealed and fresh for weeks, and each pour perfect one ounce splashes. Splash is the only wine lounge in San Diego County that features the machines. 
"I saw these machines for the first time in St. Petersburg, FL. My passion for food and wine led me immediately to think San Diego needed something like this," Smith said. You put money on a card like a debit card, put the card in the machine, and then press for your splashes. More expensive wines are more expensive splashes. Still, Joesten said is much cheaper to try a splash of a bottle and realize you don't like it (or the reverse) before completing the larger purchase. "If you want to whet your palate with a bunch of different stuff, its your chance to sample a bunch of different kinds of wine for a pretty minimal price" added Joesten. "They can spend anywhere from .90 cents to $9 dollars and try something completely different...try wines they wouldn't normally be able to try or take the chance to try" Smith said. "Its a great place to relax. You don't have someone over your shoulder...Its a self guided tour. You can decide what you like and then enjoy with your friends in a relaxed manner." They also offer wine by the bottle and the glass, beer, and specialty pizzas. Tuesdays is known as "two splash Tuesday" because splashes are half off. 1/2 off Tuesdays. Two splash Tuesdays Happy hour goes from 4-6 everyday and all day Sunday. During happy hour, you get $1 off wine by the glass and beer and 10% off bottles of wine.
Starlite--"Home of the Mule"
Starlite 3715 India St. San Diego, CA 92103 (619) 358-9766 Yelp Starlite Cocktails are the thing at Starlite. "Starlite is trying to bring back the old world sensibility about cocktails in a setting that can be formal or casual" said co-owner Matt Hoyt. First, good luck finding the restaurant/bar. "We're nestled between a transmission shop and a collision center...if you can actually find us, you are rewarded not only aesthetically but also culinary" said co-owner Matt Hoyt. The "best cocktail in San Diego", according to Ruggy, is located here. It is simply known as "the mule." Hoyt said it is "based on the Moscow mule-- the old 50's recipe. Folklore has it it was invented by the guy who purchased Smirnoff from a Russian company back in the 50's. It was invented as a way to make vodka more accessible." The drink is "seven times distilled organic vodka, specially formulated Ginger beer we have on our guns that is made just for us, fresh squeezed lime juice and a dash of bitters." The "mule" comes in a special copper mug it comes in that always keeps the drink cold. "If you steal the mug we will politely ask you never to return" said Hoyt. He added that plenty of people have been caught in the act. 
Their food is all natural, organic, and sustainable. "Our produce doesn't come much further than Escondido" said Hoyt. Still, they try to keep it affordable. No entrée is over $20. No specialty cocktail is more than $8. On Tuesdays, they offer "Fat Tuesdays"--a three course meal for under $20. On weekends, they bring in specialty DJ's and feature some dancing. They never accept reservations, but are open until 2AM.
Anthology--"Best Sound in San Diego"
Anthology 1337 India St. San Diego, CA 92101 (619) 595-0300 Yelp Anthology Ruggy said there is one place with near acoustic perfection in San Diego, Anthology in Little Italy. "The best sound in San Diego" he said. The room is meant to transform you into another time and place--an "old-school" Chicago jazz hall. Co-owner and Chicago native Marsha Berkson said "my husband has always dreamed of opening a music venue. I thought he was opening a dive bar and this is what I got." "From the minute you walk into this venue, your jaw drops, you are taken into a different place" she continued. The room was designed with sound in mind, and Berkson said 98 percent of views have perfect sight lines. The first few floors are set for dinner and music. The top floor is general admission to listen to the music. Still, the venue feels intimate. "We've had hundreds of Grammy Award winning artists and they say this is one of the few places like this in the world...We're very proud that San Diego has this very unique spot what artists consider in the world." 
Every Tuesday night, the house band plays jazz and R&B. On the third Wednesday of every month, local favorite Charles McPherson plays saxophone. Other than that, the artists rotate. In June, Anthology plans on debuting a lounge menu where everything is under $10
U31--"Dancing to a Different Beat Every Night"
U31 3112 University Ave. North Park, CA 92104 (619) 584-4188 Yelp U31 The thing that separates U31, in Ruggy's view, is the "variety". Every night you can dance to a different beat. Mondays-Lady Dottie and the Diamonds (blues band) Tuesdays- Ride a mechanical bull Wednesdays--Different Live Band every week Thursdays-80s/90s Hip Hop Mash Up Fridays-Feel the Noise (2007 DJ of the Year Gabe Vega plays electro dance, electro rock)
Saturdays--Rotating DJ's every week (mostly dance music) Sundays-Reggae Music
Owner Steve Billings said that "eclecticness" keeps the staff excited about every night--and keeps the energy high. "Its in between a small neighborhood bar and a night club, we kind of offer the best of both worlds" said Billings. He added the location was once a roadblock but is now a key to their success. "North Park has become, its becoming a Mecca of nightlife. There is an amazing energy in the entire neighborhood, people are walking from bar to bar which is making for a really incredible experience for all of us." Feel free to add comments below to let us know what you think of this list or other hot spots you enjoy.
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