San Diego's hottest arrivals in shopping, nightlife, dining, entertainment, attractions, museums, theater, culture, sports and recreation. MAPS of San Diego

DINING
Odd Coupling
Little Italy’s newly opened Craft + Commerce is, as the name implies, a union of strange bedfellows. It shows in the quirky décor, a mashup of urban industrial and library chic, with exposed-brick walls and books stacked to the ceiling. The partners have an eye for trends and a head for business, borrowing the best from other cities’ dining scenes: The cocktail program was designed by a New York City mixology star (no bottle service here, but you will find “punch bowl service”). On the menu, dishes like bone marrow and ribeye steak are complemented by a rotating selection of two dozen craft beers. 675 W. Beech St., Little Italy, 619.269.2202.

DINING
Fabulous Food Trucks
Today’s gourmet food trucks are a far cry from the roach coaches of yore. In cities like Portland, New York, Austin and L.A., enterprising cooks are taking their show on the road, and San Diego’s keeping pace thanks to a small army of new mobile kitchens that are serving up anything from Korean-Mexican fusion to organic lattes. More often than not, this new generation of food truckers is putting the money they save on restaurant overhead toward buying high-quality ingredients and giving their trucks a cool, modern design. Here are a few to try during your stay—and how to find ‘em.

MIHO Begun by two former employees at farm-to-table mecca The
Linkery, this buzzy new truck serves grass-fed burgers, organic salads, ceviche tostadas and more. twitter.com/mihogastrotruck

JOES ON THE NOSE This big orange truck doles out organic coffee drinks to patrons at the Little Italy Mercato on Saturday mornings, plus other locations around town. twitter.com/joesonthenose

DAVE DEJOUR Chef Dave treks from North Park to North County serving up dishes like pork ribs and truffle fries. twitter.com/davedejour

KIWI COACH This mobile version of popular Bareback Grill mini-chain serves New Zealand-style burgers and “‘wiches.” twitter.com/sdkiwicoach

SHOPPING
Trend: Cutouts
According to local stylist Amy Winn, fall’s must-have look is the cutout, and designers are incorporating the skin-revealing trend in anything from dresses and tops to shoes. “Basic, solid-colored dresses with one shoulder or sassy side cutouts offer a sexy yet classy look,” says Winn, who notes we’ll be seeing more backless frocks like this one from Alice + Olivia, with X-shaped straps and angular holes. And the snipping doesn’t stop with clothing; footwear gets the treatment, too. “Last year’s full-footed booty gets a little more revealing with removed centers, ankle pieces and peep toes,” adds Winn, who owns Grace Styling. “It’s all about revealing a small amount of skin while leaving enough to the imagination to maintain a sleek and professional look.” Here’s where to find this, ahem, cutting-edge trend in S.D.

Bloomingdale’s Look for this black Alice + Olivia “Grody” cutout mesh-back dress (above) and Giuseppe Zanotti’s asymmetric leather wrap sandals with goldtone chain trim (left). Fashion Valley Mall, 7057 Friars Road, Mission Valley, 619.610.6400

5 & A Dime This edgy downtown retailer sells a cowl-neck tunic dress by Hellz Bellz, featuring a back zipper and oversized arm holes, that easily goes from day to night. 701 Eighth Ave., East Village, 619.236.0364

Mimi & Red Cutout shoulder straps define the clingy black “machinery dress,” a collaboration between SoCal clothier RVCA and fashion blogger Rumi Neely, carried at both Mimi & Red locations. 3032 University Ave., North Park, 619.298.7933 and 5630 La Jolla Blvd., La Jolla/Bird Rock, 858.456.7933

Cedros Soles Flaunt foxy feet in cutout shoes by Donald J. Pliner and Martinez Valero, sold here. 143-L S. Cedros Ave., Solana Beach, 858.794.9911

DAYTRIP
julian apple days
“Picking an apple off the tree is one of the healthiest things. It satisfies the hunter and gatherer in all of us,” says Patrick Brady, who lives in a teepee (!) at Raven Hill Orchard in Julian, Calif. These fresh, juicy apples are why thousands of locals and visitors make the trip up the hill every fall during the Julian Apple Days to enjoy pie, cider, apple-picking and more apple fun. Go for the events listed below or just to stroll down historic Main Street; this charming town at the base of Volcan Mountain mesmerizes with its scenery, people, old-world ambiance and the aroma of buttery pie crust fresh from the oven. —Ashley Hermsmeier

APPLE DAYS FESTIVAL This two-day celebration comes complete with face painting, carnival games, food vendors, apple displays, live music and, of course, a pie eating contest. Oct. 2-3 at Menghini Winery, 150 Julian Orchards Drive, 760.765.2072, julianappledays.com

ST. ELIZABETH’S OKTOBERFEST This “greeting of the harvest season” includes bratwurst, beer, oom-pah music and dancers in traditional German and Austrian style. Oct. 9-10 at Rabobank parking lot, downtown Julian, 760.765.1857

RAVIN HILL ORCHARD Patrick Brady has created a unique experience that combines art and nature, displaying his own original sculptures between rows of Golden Delicious, Jonathon, Empire, Fugi and Pippin apples—ripe for you to pick and take with you (cost is $10/bag). Or just go to marvel at the teepee Brady calls home. Picking starts in September and goes until the apples are gone. 1284 Julian Orchards Drive, write ulsterboyeire@aol.com for info.

GETTING THERE Take Highway 8 east to Highway 79 north to Julian; from downtown San Diego the drive takes about 90 minutes.

DINING
Foodie Fête
Held Nov. 17-21, the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival is a can’t miss for foodies and food groupies alike. The seventh annual event draws some 10,000 attendees with cooking classes, wine auctions and dine-arounds with celebrity chefs, but the main event is the Nov. 20 Grand Tasting, featuring a cooking competition and nearly 300 restaurants, gourmet food companies, wineries, breweries and spirit producers offering taste-tempting samples. Bon appétit!