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J & Tony’s, a quirky, dinosaur-filled cocktail bar in East Village offering all-day food service, has been named to Esquire Magazine’s list of “The Best Bars in America for 2021.”
The new survey by Esquire writer Kevin Sintumuang includes 27 bars in L.A., Chicago, Brooklyn, Baltimore, Denver, Nashville and more. J & Tony’s full name: J & Tony’s Discount Cured Meats and Negroni Warehouse is owned by the San Diego restaurant/bar collective CH Projects.
Sintumuang praised the bar’s “madcap, idiosyncratic space,” which includes giant dinosaur and dragon models and a huge gold disco ball. He also liked the bar’s house negroni cocktail, espresso martinis, cured meats and breakfast sandwiches. “Cocktail-centric zaniness was never this low-key cool and delicious,” he wrote.
CARLSBAD
Two years ago, North County businesswomen Nita Kurmins Gilson and Paola Richard met, became friends and decided to combine their talents in a sweet way to help the community.
Although the pandemic got in the way of their progress over the past year, this month they finally launched their collaboration: ProduceLove.
Kurmins Gilson leads the Oceanside-based food recovery agency ProduceGood, and Richard runs the Carlsbad gelato business GelatoLove. Together, they’re creating a line of ProduceLove frozen sorbets and custards made from the unwanted citrus fruit that ProduceGood gleans from North County groves.
The desserts which went on sale a few weeks ago in honor of Earth Month at GelatoLove’s two Carlsbad shops were created to raise money and awareness for ProduceGood’s efforts to feed the hungry, while diverting food waste from local landfills.