Discover Intrigue in ‘Secret’ San Diego

Some secrets are just worth spilling—especially when they are tied up in adventure, fun and anything but the expected. If you think you know everything about San Diego and area, consider this an opportunity to add a few more favorites to your favorite region. For those who seek intrigue, pleasant surprises, let’s-not-tell finds and off-the-beaten-path treasures, this is just for you!

The eighth largest city in the United States, San Diego, boasts a population that increased 25 percent between 1970 and 1980, making it one of the fastest-growing major cities in the country. The area teeming with more than one million inhabitants is known for its mild climate and major tourist attractions such as the San Diego Zoo and Sea World, but those who dig deeper will discover a blend of the best of the old and new, the historic and the avant garde, from innovative chefs to unexpected thrills.

Gaslamp Quarter

This 16-block historical neighborhood is an entertainment paradise, filled with bistros, hopping nightspots and even its own baseball field where the Padres knock it out all season, Petco Field, right smack in the middle of all the action. Nightfall brings a new level of “secret” to this slice of San Diego—top secret night spots that even the locals can’t find without some clues. I asked permission from each of these clandestine “speakeasies” to reveal these hush-hush hints to detecting those libation and entertainment nooks hidden within the confines of the Gaslamp Quarter and all walkable from the core of the historic neighborhood that has hosted Presidents since the days of Ulysses S. Grant.

Stalking speakeasies

Although the days of illegal speakeasies are past, the illicit thrill lives on after dark in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter. The area is jam-packed with hopping bistros sharing the sidewalks, some more noticeable than others. One you may not notice is the Neighborhood restaurant at 777 G Street, the entre into the hidden nightspot, Noble Experiments. Pass right on by the diners and wait staff, heading to the restrooms in the rear. Look right for a wall of “kegs.” No beer here, just a cleverly concealed entrance. Push on the kegs and a world of mystery and wonder opens up in an intimate space known for its cocktails and hypnotic décor. For those who are fans of the Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland, you’ll feel like the ride stopped and you entered its macabre interiors—accomplished by a wall of skulls, a massive crystal chandelier and changing framed art on the walls (and ceiling) that morph into bizarre portraits pairing humans with rabbits or dogs. To gain access, call 619-888-4713 for a reservation (necessary).

The name, Prohibition, is perfect for this hidden nightspot—one of the locals’ best known and a popular live jazz nook. You can’t call for a reservation—you just need to know, but the small size means you may have to wait. Head to 548 Fifth Avenue and look carefully for a small plaque that declares “Law Office Eddie O’Hare, Esq.” If Eddie meets his legal clients in this locale, they are in for a surprise. Down the staircase is a world that celebrates the speakeasy period with crafted cocktails, low lights and plentiful music.

There is actually a sign that signals Vin De Syrah on a Gaslamp corner, but don’t be fooled—it is not that easy to find. When you arrive at 901 Fifth Street, walk down a flight of stairs to this subterranean place of wonder, as in “Alice in Wonderland.” Push open the door covered in grass and “fall down the rabbit hole” to a spacious area filled with intimate seating nooks, princess chairs, hanging branches that give a forest-like feel and accent lights. The hidden door entrance is fun to watch from the inside since closed circuit television reveals patrons trying to find the right door to wonderland. The food is tasty bar fare and the wine list impressive. Take time to graze, drink and enjoy a variety of entertainment, highlighted by burlesque on Friday nights.

Unlike the other concealed nightspots, Fairweather is easy to spot—but nearly impossible to find. If you are in the Petco field vicinity on J Street, you might eye a lively rooftop patio where baseball games are clearly visible (on a massive screen) and audible. Fairweather patrons only need to look for Rare Form and head to rear of the restaurant. Turn right and several doors await marked “yes” or “no.” Upstairs, welcome to Fairweather, a comfortable and pleasant patio bar that sports “drinks from sunny places”—from generous piña coladas to mai tais. The refreshing concoctions served under sunny skies (hence, the name) or at night for a lively vibe, are all accompanied by delicatessen delicacies from Rare Form. You won’t care which team wins by the end of the day or night.

Maserati stay

First, you need a “home base” for sleuthing that is in the middle of all the action, especially for your late-night adventures. The perfect choice is a surprise hidden gem snuggled in the heart of the Gaslamp Quarter. Locating the hotel might require an extra turn around the corner to spot since the brick-fronted historic structure fuses quietly with this lively downtown center. However, once inside its multi-storied hallows, unexpected surprises await on every floor.

The Keating House by Pininfarina—created by the same Italian design team responsible for the Maserati and Ferrari—ventured into hospitality for the first time with the 1890-built Keating Building office structure. A salute to its historic side, the five-story Romanesque building still possesses the longest running elevator in the city, powered solely by steam heat.

To create a unique experience worthy of the Pininfarina name, the design team removed features you might expect in standard hotels, such as interior walls, drapery and carpeting. The final result is a design full of surprises including model cars in the hallways, whirlpool tubs in the living room, lots of stainless steel and sleek Italian designed furnishings. State-of-the-art amenities abound from Lavazza espresso machines to Alpha Morphosis Jacuzzi tubs—both Pininfarina Extra designs as well.

The Keating House is perfectly poised in middle of the Gaslamp’s energetic vibe, cuisine-creative restaurants and bars and just a few blocks from the Horton Plaza shopping center and the convention complex. For an easy day trip idea, a ferry travels from Coronado to this section of downtown regularly.

Little Italy’s Secrets

The Gaslamp has its speakeasies, but none quite as “cool” as Little Italy’s recently debuted False Idol and its accompanying restaurant, Craft & Commerce. Cool is more than an adjective for the hidden, exclusive bar—it is actually accessed from the reimagined restaurant’s refrigerator. Not a pretend refrigerator, but the very one that holds the luscious ingredients that go into Craft & Commerce’s imaginative menu of dinners and Sunday brunch offerings.

Created by Consortium Holdings, the group that has been populating the San Diego area with the most talked-about bistros and speakeasies such as Noble Experiment, Craft & Commerce just emerged last fall from a year’s complete redo with a motif that blends an air of library and wild animals in a clever rustic manner that invites conversation and conviviality. Two bars are within the restaurant, and an open patio with individual fire pits is perfect for Sunday brunch people watching. The Sunday brunch menu includes such imaginative dishes as the “Burrata and Goat Cheese Tart” and “Foie Gras Breakfast Burrito,” but don’t miss a side of the “Corn Bread Skillet” with honey-thyme butter with whatever you order.

The reservation-only False Idol in the rear of the bistro is packed almost every night with guests seeking the total Tiki experience as only Disney could conjure, from the three-dozen over-the-top exotic drinks and wood carvings to the inspired, sporadic Polynesian-style volcanic eruptions, complete with pulsating seats, thunderous music, water and flaming torches.

Photos courtesy of sandiego.org