Owners of Nutmeg Bakery and Café have chosen this family-friendly community to open its second family restaurant, even as they prepare to expand their family as well.

Following a year of planning and preparation, Drew Hoffos; his wife, Michka; and her mother, Shirin Soroushian; are finally serving customers at their new Nutmeg Bakery and Café location in the Scripps Ranch Marketplace where Pick Up Stix was once located. 

The ideal corner space in the heavily trafficked retail center is their second location. It is east of the Vons grocery store and west of Public House 131. The entrepreneurial trio has owned and operated another café by the same name – just three miles away in Sabre Springs – for close to seven years now.

“We love the Scripps Ranch neighborhood,” Drew said. “It’s a super family-oriented, tight knit community.”

Drew, Michka and Shirin had been looking to expand their business for a while and had scouted dozens of locations before they were approached by their new landlord. 

“It took some negotiations, and there were a few delays, but then everything just fell into place,” Drew said. “It’s a bold step forward. Since we do wholesale baking, this gives us more space to expand.”

According to Michka, she, her husband and mother had outgrown their 2,000-square-foot Sabre Springs location. They doubled the size of that café four years ago to accommodate increased business, but soon decided that they would require even more space. 

Michka and Drew will soon be doubling their number of children as well. Michka is about seven months pregnant and is due with their second child in November. 

“I’m ready for the challenge,” she said. “I work well under pressure and Since Drew and I got married, we’ve always been busy.”

Having a business partner who is also a grandmother helps a lot. Soroushian said she, Drew and Michka have “always operated as a team.” Originally an accountant who wasn’t happy with her job, she has been the visionary for Nutmeg Café and Bakery. 

A former resident of Italy, Soroushian possesses a passion for baking and a taste for fine food developed over 20 years amid the panetterias, cucinas and bistros of Bologna. That has resulted in an emphasis on quality, she said, and an effort to seek locally grown, environmentally friendly ingredients wherever possible.

“We believe in our product,” she said. 

The Nutmeg Bakery and Café serves cuisine that appeals to a broad variety of diners, including vegans, vegetarians, pescatarians and those who require gluten-free or dairy-free items on the menu. Soroushian said that because of the restaurant’s family atmosphere, the staff often feel like family too.

“I think that’s why many of our employees have been around for four or five years,” she explained.

Michka, a former interior designer, runs the front of the restaurant and is responsible for the ambience and décor. Drew, a former high-end chef, runs the kitchen. Their new restaurant will serve breakfast, brunch and lunch. It is open from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays, and from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on weekends. 

Young student musicians taking lessons at School of Rock Scripps Ranch gave a spirited performance at the school’s second show group concert, titled So Cal Summer, on Sept. 22 at the Spark@Encore venue, 8255 Ronson Road.

This small location hosted an intimate event attended by friends and family members of the various student performers. The audience was enthusiastic and supportive of the kids in the show. The youths who performed were focused and provided excellent renditions of numerous summertime rock favorites. As in the school’s first show in June, these youngsters created fascinating versions of the highly popular songs selected for this showcase. Seeing these child rockers perform, and witnessing the audience reaction, is an uplifting experience that is highly recommended. 

It’ll be boot stomping time in Scripps Ranch when the Symphony in the Park summer concert series presents country music favorites performed by Young Guns, 6-7:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 8 at Hoyt Park.  

The band performs a high-energy musical tribute to the superstars of country music from the 1960s through today. The group’s playlist includes familiar tunes from bands like Florida Georgia Line, Charlie Daniels Band, Rascal Flatts, Garth Brooks, Jason Aldean, Tim McGraw, Big & Rich, Dierks Bentley, George Strait, Blake Shelton, Johnny Cash and other country music legends.

In addition to a full band including dueling guitars, a fiddler/violinist and backing singers, Young Guns often presents a total concert production that includes video screens showing a mix of graphics and nostalgic footage. The band has been known to bring it’s rocking country show out into the crowd, not to mention teaching and leading line dances.

The group of experienced musicians and singers comprising Young Guns are led by singer Eric Sage, known as a dynamic performer with a three-octave vocal range. According to the band’s website, Sage has recorded and performed with major stars of the music industry, including Shania Twain, Slash of Guns ’n’ Roses, Vince Neil of Motley Crue, and the Beach Boys.

This concert will be sponsored by Newtopia Cyder, 10045 Carroll Canyon Road, Suite A.

Scripps Ranch Symphony in the Park summer concerts are organized by the all-volunteer Scripps Ranch Symphony in the Park organization. In addition to producing community concerts, the organization helps keep music alive through its donations to local schools. The donations began in 2011 when Scripps Ranch Symphony in the Park became a public, charitable 501(c)(3) organization. Since then, Scripps Ranch Symphony in the Park has given $24,600 to local school’s music programs thanks to donations from friends and families in the community as well as concert sponsorship from local businesses. The organization hopes to make check presentations to the schools at its September concert.

The next Scripps Ranch Symphony in the Park concert, the final one of the 2019 season, will be the annual holiday concert with Santa and friends, Dec. 8 at Jerabek Park.

The 2019 fall season of the “Pleasure of Your Company” music series will open with a performance by celebrated pianist Dmitry Kirichenko on Sunday, Sept. 8, at 2:30 p.m. at the Scripps Miramar Ranch Library Center.

His playing, described by Paris music critic Claude Taelman as “warm sensitivity heightened by his delicate touch and great technical mastery,” is a perfect match for the Library’s fine Schimmel piano which traditionally is showcased in the first concert of the season.

His program will include works by Chopin, Schubert and Beethoven.

A graduate of the Moscow and Odessa Conservatories, Dr. Kirichenko performs regularly in the United States and Europe.

Meet the artist and mingle with fellow music lovers at a complimentary post-concert reception.

There is no charge for the concert, which is sponsored by the Scripps Ranch Friends of the Library, although donations are appreciated.

Scripps Miramar Ranch Library Center is located at 10301 Scripps Lake Drive across from Miramar Lake.

Scripps Ranch Theatre’s (SRT) upcoming production of “Foxfire” will offer playgoers a heartwarming, sometimes serious, sometimes funny story of life, love and values that celebrates people of the eastern mountain country and even a little of its music.

The play will run Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, Sept. 6-Oct. 6 at the Legler Benbough Theatre on the campus of Alliant International University. This is the first production of Scripps Ranch Theatre’s 41st season.

Set in Southern Appalachia, “Foxfire” tells the story of Annie Nations, a 79-year-old widow, living alone on her mountain farm accompanied only by memories of her late husband, Hector. Challenging her peaceful existence are an aggressive real-estate developer who wants to build a vacation resort on her land, and a son who returns home with two children because his wife has left him.

The story revolves around Annie’s struggle to decide her future and is enhanced with flashbacks to her life with Hector. The jilted son is a professional musician and the play includes a live, full-band performance of what director Ted Leib described as a mountain/bluegrass-influenced country music.

It’s not a musical, but it’s a play with music,” Leib said.

Written by Hume Cronyn (yes, the actor) and Susan Cooper, the play was first produced at Canada’s Stratford Festival in 1980. The 1982 Broadway production starred Jessica Tandy, the late Cronyn’s wife and fellow actor.

SRT’s production will feature Dagmar Krause Fields as Annie Nations; Jim Chovick as Hector; Adam Daniel as Dillard; Maria Hotovy as Holly Burrell; Bob Himlin as real estate developer Prince Carpenter; and Pete Zanko as Doctor.

Leib and SRT artistic director Jill Drexler met years ago while acting in a production of “Foxfire” at a theater in Vista. Familiar with the story, when Leib joined a group choosing the theater’s season lineup, he suggested the play as a good fit for local audiences.

“Music makes ‘Foxfire’ good for Scripps Ranch Theatre. You don’t see a lot of plays that have full music performances in them that aren’t true musicals,” Leib said. “Another factor is the story. It’s a story about getting older; the old ways being replaced by the new. Gentrification if you will. That’s something that a lot of people can relate to, especially here in San Diego.”

Leib noted that the play is a co-production with Oceanside Theatre Company. Following it’s run at SRT, the same actors, crew and sets will move to Oceanside’s Brooks theater for a five-week run there.

When Scripps Ranch musician Steve Wolff reflects on his musical career, he credits his start to a man named George Soros. If one were to ask Soros if he knows who Wolff is, chances are he would be very confused. Soros is a big-name investor and philanthropist.

Wolff had just crossed the pond to attend Stanford University from his home country of Britain when Soros devalued the pound by a factor of two. This meant Wolff’s government grant was chopped in half. With no permit to work in the U.S., Wolff decided his background as a musician would have to start turning a profit.

“I've got my guitar, I've got an amplifier. Why don't I try and get a band going?” Wolff said.

Gigs in college dorms and fraternity houses turned around between $400 and $450 a month.

Years later, when Wolff moved to San Diego, somebody told him the city had too many guitarists.

“If you ever want to get a gig, the best thing you can do is be bass player,” they told him.

So, Wolff learned the bass.

It was through this experience that he joined a band that was big on using professional music editing software. The concept inspired him, and in 2006 he created a one-man band, Wolff. The software allowed him to harmonize with himself if he wanted while maintaining an acoustic sound.

“It's kind of a little bit different from your average kind of bar guitarist,” he said.

With deep roots in British culture, Wolff’s musical style hits home for those from across the pond. He cites classic acts such as The Police, The Clash and Pink Floyd as being among his largest influences.

Planning a parade takes months of coordinating judges, locating PA systems, obtaining permits, requesting street closures, marketing and raising thousands of dollars to help underwrite the expenses.

Now in its 55th year, the Poway Rotary Parade will make its way down Poway Road on Sept. 7 beginning at 9 a.m. on Poway Road. The parade starts at the intersection of Pomerado Road and Poway Road and continues east to Bowron Road.

Once again, the Rotary Club of Poway-Scripps will host it and this year, the name has been changed to Palomar Health Presents Poway Rotary Parade. The name change reflects Palomar Health being the major sponsor to the parade and securing the naming rights.

“We are indeed pleased and proud to have the support of Palomar Health as our title sponsor this year. They have been stellar community citizens and we are happy to be aligned and associated with such a solid organization,” said Pauline Getz, Rotary Club Poway-Scripps past president.

In addition to Palomar Health being the major sponsor, at press time gold sponsors include Debra Shultz Gutzmer and Geico.

“Geico has been a consistent sponsor of the parade for many years. Their continued support is a great example of their serious community involvement and we are very grateful,” Getz said.

Lending their voices to the parade will be three announcers: Dave Mason, formerly of Sunny 98.1; Channel 10 News meteorologist Megan Parry; and Laura Gonzalez, the Parent Liaison Bilingual for Valley Elementary School. Parry grew up in Poway and attended Twin Peaks Middle School and Poway High School.

Scripps Ranch resident Erin Hanson joined more than 50 prominent female artists to share her vision of the American West at the Cowgirl Up! Art from the Other Half of the West exhibition – held at the Desert Caballeros Western Museum in Wickenburg, Arizona, this spring. At the end of the show, Hanson’s landscape painting “Desert in Color” was awarded “Best in Show” by the exhibition judges.

Cowgirl Up! is a special exhibition that highlights the works of 50 female artists creating Western art today. Erin Hanson has participated in this annual exhibition, put on by the Desert Caballeros Western Museum, for several years. In 2018 her work was awarded “First Place, Two Dimensional on Canvas” and she was honored to receive another recognition by the judges this year.

From March 29 to May 12, Hanson’s paintings were exhibited alongside the works of many other skilled artists, each piece casting new light on the beauty of the American West.

When asked why the judges chose Hanson’s piece for this prestigious award, Jean Ann Myers, education assistant at the Desert Caballeros Western Museum, stated: “The Cowgirl Up! judges selected ‘Desert in Color’ for the ‘Best in Show’ award for the movement Erin demonstrated in her impressionist interpretation of a desert landscape. They were intrigued by the continuous flow of her brush strokes, her use of texture, and the color in the clouds, which all contributed to the fluidity of the piece.”

“Desert in Color” is now on display at The Erin Hanson Gallery, 9705 Carroll Centre Road. Gallery hours are Wednesdays-Saturdays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

One 27-year-old Scripps Ranch product is modernizing music – and doing it his own way.

Ryan Waczek graduated with a music degree from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo in 2014 and returned to his Scripps Ranch roots with his own record company called Lion Bold.

Waczek is a Scripps Ranch High School alum and the son of Tom Waczek, a music teacher at Ellen Browning Scripps Elementary School.

When asked about the origins of Lion Bold’s name, Waczek said it came from the Bible verse, Proverbs 28:1 (NIV): “The wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.”

“It’s speaks to the way I like to communicate and to the commitment I have with my artists; being bold with them and telling them the hard truths in a way that they can ultimately succeed. It’s also a way to stand out. I wanted something that had a little more attitude in a brand,” Waczek said.

Originally, a record label in 2016, Lion Bold has evolved into an artist development company and a creative agency hybrid of sorts.

While there isn’t a specific category just yet into what it is that Lion Bold actually does since getting out of the so-called “traditional record label model,” as Waczek called it, “we basically do everything related to what an artist needs in 2019,” he said. “We help artists with their careers. We don’t just stick to working with our own artists. It’s open to anyone who wants to come alongside us and partner with us.”

According to Waczek, the music industry has fallen behind a bit compared to other creative industries in the digital streaming era. His main inspiration for Lion Bold was to think of “outside the box solutions” to find “the new path” for artists in the age of declining CD sales.

“What we’re doing is a lead by example approach,” he said. “We’re using the message that we teach to show that growth can happen. It inspires artists and draws their attention. [For example] on YouTube, we’ve answered about 400 questions even though they’re not [from] our artists because it’s that community-building in this industry that is kind of missing right now.”

Waczek added that social growth and marketing is Lion Bold’s focus with business coaching also emphasized as a huge part of their curriculum. Their main strategies are designed to help their talent roster – also dubbed by Waczek as “music entrepreneurs” – best grow their audience and customer base.

“We’re leading by example by giving to the community first; by providing free valuable help first which goes to show we’re a team player and that this is out there,” Waczek explained.

Lion Bold is currently comprised of a small team consisting of Waczek, his wife Alessandra, his brother Kevin, copywriter Jessica Woods, consultant Travis Carver and various contractors.

In reminiscing about Lion Bold’s Scripps Ranch origins, Waczek credits the start of his musical journey back to his parents’ house – specifically their downstairs guest bedroom-turned-home studio – where he first wrote and recorded music.

“Scripps Ranch is the catapult into everything I’m doing now. This is literally where it was born,” Waczek said.

Visit lionbold.com or @lionboldrecords on Instagram.

Approximately 50 people and 25 to 30 canines descended upon Newtopia Cyder, 10045 Carroll Canyon Road, on the afternoon of Aug. 4 to attend a special “Yappy Hour” to learn about and support Greyhound Adoption Center.

Dog lovers mingled as they admired the sleek, gentle greyhounds at the pet-friendly Newtopia. The event served as an introduction to Greyhound Adoption Center, which is based in El Cajon. An assortment of items, such as limited-edition glasses, were on sale as a fundraiser for the private greyhound rescue organization. Attendees came from as far as Temecula for the event, according to Marilyn Golisch, one of the directors for Greyhound Adoption Center.

“It’s more of a meet-and-greet to have people meet the greyhounds, and we dispel some of the myths surrounding the greyhound breed and talk a little bit about our adoption program,” Golisch said.

She explained how the organization, which has been in existence for 30 years, rescues greyhounds from dog racing tracks and helps them get adopted.

“They are rescued from the racetracks throughout the country and as far away as Macau, China,” she said. “Over the years, we’ve rescued and saved 6,000 greyhounds. They’re the best kept secret in the dog world.”

Golisch further explained the characteristics of greyhounds as pets.

“They are absolutely sweet. And people think because they are a race dog, that they were a commodity for the industry – the second fastest land animal – that they are hyperactive, they need a big yard, they need all this exercise. And just the opposite is true,” she said. “They are a sprinter and they’re good for that short burst of energy, and then they’re done for the day, and then they kind of lay around with their legs up in the air.”

The good time, danceable sounds of Motown, soul and R&B – both old and new – will fill the air when The Detroit Underground brings its high-energy show to Scripps Ranch’s Symphony in the Park concert series, Aug. 11 at Hoyt Park.

First formed in 1994 by bandleader and trombonist Mike Perreault, the band initially focused on mostly Motown songs – the popular music that came out of bands signed to the Detroit-based Motown Records. The group expanded its repertoire over the years to unlock opportunities for more gigs.

“We decided to bring in some more dance songs,” Perreault said. “We still play the older songs, but we’ll bring in new Top 40 songs if they lean the same way.”

The result is a song list with broad appeal, filled with tunes by acts like Earth Wind and Fire, Stevie Wonder, Chaka Kahn, Donna Summer, a few ’80s songs and modern hitmakers like Bruno Mars and Meghan Trainor.

Comprised of nine experienced musicians and singers, the band regularly plays throughout San Diego, including Humphrey’s by the Bay, Anthology, and Viejas, Harrah’s and Valley View casinos. The upcoming Scripps Ranch performance is a chance to bring the show to audiences of all ages.

“One thing we like about playing summer concerts is the family element,” Perrault noted. “We get people who can’t see us in a bar or casino, so we like to play some stuff they’re going to recognize. When you play at a club, you can advertise for your particular genre of music. But when you play at a casino or a summer concert, you’re playing to a lot of people. You want to make at least somebody happy for 3 1/2 minutes.”

The band’s big sound gets a big boost from active stage performances and a full horn section. Some bands cover horn parts with a keyboard. But as a brass player himself, Perrault is proud to feature the real thing in his band and notes audiences seem to enjoy it as well.

“People really appreciate the live horns being there, shining in the light and being in your face like the old days,” he said.

Concert attendees can expect a lively show from the band, including some up-close time with the horns.

“We pride ourselves on having a more dynamic show,” Perrault said. “We integrate a little choreography and we’ll take the horns down into the audience.”

A nonstop, nostalgia-filled and danceable show is in store when Betamaxx brings its high-energy performance of 1979-1989 music to the Scripps Ranch Symphony in the Park concert series, 6-7:30 p.m., July 14 at Hoyt Park.

While the band plays at many clubs and events throughout Southern California, it also performs a number of private and corporate engagements and has traveled to the eastern United States and Canada.

Betamaxx co-founder and bandleader Eric Valenzuela explained that the band started when he and some old friends and former bandmates got together to celebrate their 40th birthdays. When they picked up their instruments for old times’ sake, most of the songs they all knew were from the ’80s.

“We sort of had a jam, and it was awesome,” Valenzuela remembered. “It was one of those ‘Want to get the band back together?’ things.”

The original goal was just to play dive bars for fun and use the band as an excuse to get together. But they soon realized there was a big demand for ’80s music. Once they settled into that niche, the band started getting bigger and better gigs.

“It just took off really quickly,” Valenzuela said. “Some folks wanted to come along, some folks didn’t want that sort of thing, so It evolved, and there’s only two of us (Valenzuela and lead vocalist Kirk Howe) remaining from the original six.”

Now, with a seven-member lineup of experienced performers, Betamaxx emphasizes not just playing the music, but presenting what its website calls an “authentic ’80s live music experience.”

From early on, the co-founders focused on honing their musical performance as well as presenting a good-looking show in terms of costumes, stage set-up and choreography.

“We’ve designed and created this show to be as if an ’80s band were performing today,” Valenzuela said. “We didn’t want to do the wigs, didn’t want to be too ‘shticky.’ Imagine how artists like Def Leppard, Duran Duran, the Go Go’s and Michael Jackson might look if they were performing today. So, it feels ’80s, but It feels modern as well.”

He noted that the music of the period now enjoys broad appeal.

“It transcends generations now. If you walk through Target now or any hotel, they’re just playing ’80s, pretty much our playlist,” he said. “It’s become ubiquitous with pop nowadays. Now our kids know these tunes!”

At interview time, Valenzuela said the set list for the Scripps Ranch Symphony in the Park show was still coming together, but he expects it to include plenty of familiar tunes.

“We’ll probably go with all the hits everybody loves,” he said. “From rock to pop to new wave – we’ll just do nonstop dance party for them.”