Campfire’s octopus, chorizo, and celery-root entrée.
Gage Forster
San Diego, CA
Healing Hearts: San Diego Imam Guides the Muslim Community Through Grief
Imam Abdeljalil Mezgouri, a spiritual leader of the Islamic Center of San Diego in Clairemont, keeps no tissues in his office because he sees tears as an expression of mercy, encouraging people to cry openly and fully embrace their emotions without feeling the need to wipe them away or hide them.
The Moroccan-born cleric at the largest mosque in San Diego County has spent nearly 40 years counseling people through the complexities of grief, offering both theological guidance and emotional support.
In Islam, death is not seen as an end but rather as a transition to another stage of existence. The Quran, which Muslims believe is the final revelation from God, consistently reminds adherents of Islam that life on Earth is temporary. According to Mezgouri, this understanding can be a source of great comfort.
“When you were born, you came with an expiration date,” he said. “Nobody can add one minute to their life or take one away. But death is not the end of the journey; this life is our shortest chapter, and when we die, the soul splits from the body.”
Mezgouri explained how this belief removes the randomness often associated with loss and provides a framework in which grief can be understood not as a punishment but as part of divine decree. Islam teaches that the soul does not die but enters a different realm known as Al-Barzakh, a waiting period before resurrection and eternal life.
The imam emphasized that while death is inevitable, how one processes grief is crucial, distinguishing between sadness and anger.
“Sadness is natural and even the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, cried when his son died. But anger is discouraged as it questions God’s wisdom,” Mezgouri said.
Mourning from three days to months on end is encouraged, according to the imam, with family and community support playing a vital role.
Mezgouri said comforting the grieving involves being present and communicating with their heart, as healing takes time and the heart moves slower than the mind.
“If the mind moves at 100 miles an hour, the heart moves at 5 miles an hour,” he said.
The cleric frequently encounters people struggling with the weight of grief, often leading to anxiety or depression. He believes the root of much suffering lies in a misplaced focus on the past or future.
“Many people are stuck in the past, unable to move on or they live in fear of what the future holds. But life is in the moment,” Mezgouri said.
To help people cope, he emphasizes the Islamic concept of Qadr (predestination).
“God already knows what will happen and everything is according to his wisdom. Trusting in God’s plan brings peace,” Mezgouri said.
He critiques secular approaches to grief that rely solely on medication or behavioral therapy, arguing that without faith, healing remains incomplete.
“A pill can numb pain, but it doesn’t address the root cause,” he said. “True healing comes when the heart accepts God’s decree.”
A great strength of the Muslim approach to grief is the support provided by the community, according to Mezgouri. The Islamic tradition encourages family and friends to rally around those who have lost a loved one. Condolence visits, prayer gatherings and acts of charity in the name of the deceased are ways in which the community offers comfort.
The imam stressed that staying connected to faith through prayer, reading the Quran and engaging in acts of kindness can help alleviate grief.
“By remembering God and serving others, we find healing,” he said.
Despite the pain of loss, Mezgouri assures the grieving that God’s mercy is vast and that the trials of this world are temporary.
“This life is not the resting place; it is the testing place,” he said. “The resting place is eternal life.”
Mezgouri explained both good and bad events serve as tests from God to gauge our responses. He emphasized that gratitude in times of blessing and patience in times of hardship are key to passing the test, as life’s challenges are inevitable.
His message is one of optimism for those struggling with grief.
“Acceptance is the key to a happy life,” Mezgouri said. “When we surrender to God’s wisdom, we find peace.”
San Diego, CA
Solans, Luna, Guilavogui help RSL beat slumping San Diego, extend unbeaten streak to 6 games :: WRALSportsFan.com
SANDY, Utah — SANDY, Utah (AP) — Sergi Solans had two goals and an assist, Diego Luna added a goal and two assists, and Real Salt Lake beat San Diego FC 4-2 on Saturday night to extend its unbeaten streak to six games.
Morgan Guilavogui scored his first goal in MLS and had an assist for Real Salt Lake (5-1-1). The 28-year-old designated player has five goal contributions in his first six career games.
RSL hasn’t lost since a 1-0 defeat at Vancouver in the season opener.
San Diego (3-3-2) has lost three in a row and is winless in five straight.
Luna opened the scoring in the fifth minute when he re-directed a misplayed pass by Duran Ferree, San Diego’s 19-year-old goalkeeper, into the net.
Moments later, Solans headed home a perfectly-placed cross played by Luna from outside the right corner of the 18-yard box to the back post to make it 2-0. Solans, a 23-year-old forward, flicked a header from the center of the area inside the right post and past the outstretched arm of Ferree to make it 3-1 in the 37th minute.
Guilavogui slammed home a first-touch shot to give RSL a three-goal lead in the 45th.
Marcus Ingvartsen scored a goal in the 14th minute and Anders Dreyer converted from the penalty spot in the 66th for San Diego.
Ingvartsen has five goals and an assist this season and has 10 goal contributions (seven goals, three assists) in 16 career MLS appearances.
Rafael Cabral had three saves for RSL.
Ferree finished with five saves.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer
When John Resnick opened Campfire on a quaint little street in Carlsbad, Calif., in 2016, some locals weren’t sure what to think. The coastal enclave wasn’t exactly awash in innovative, chef-driven establishments, so it was a shock to see the dining room consistently full. Early on, one woman wondered aloud to Resnick, “Where did all these people come from?”
It’s a moment he remembers vividly. “I was struck by her statement, because I think she was surprised that so many other people in Carlsbad were there,” Resnick says.
The rest of the culinary world would take some time to catch up to what was happening. In 2019, when Michelin expanded to rate restaurants throughout all of California—not just the San Francisco area—Addison was the only one in San Diego to earn a star. But since emerging from the pandemic, the region’s food scene has grown dramatically. Driven by outstanding farms, ingredients, a bumper crop of talented chefs, and a G.D.P. approximately the size of New Zealand or Greece, San Diego County has become one of America’s most underrated dining destinations.
Perhaps no single restaurant is a better emblem for this shift than chef William Bradley’s Addison, which opened in 2006. After landing his first star, Bradley knew he wanted more. To get them, he transformed his French-leaning fare to serve what he calls California Gastronomy, which combines the cultures of SoCal with impeccable ingredients and wildly impressive techniques, prizing flavor over flair. Michelin responded, awarding Addison a second star in 2022, and making it the first Southern California three-star restaurant just a year later. The accolade has created a halo effect, attracting culinary tourists from around the world.
Berry beet tartlets at San Diego’s three-star stalwart Addison.
Eric Wolfinger
“Earning three stars forces the global dining community to pay attention to a place that may not have been on their radar before,” says chef Eric Bost, a partner in Resnick’s four Carlsbad establishments.
Resnick recruited Bost, who spent time at award-winning outposts of Restaurant Guy Savoy, to run Jeune et Jolie, which he led to a star in 2021. They’ve since taken over an old boogie-board factory down the street and converted it to an all-day restaurant and bakery, Wildland. The space also hosts an exquisite tasting-counter experience called Lilo, which was given a Michelin star mere months after opening in April 2025. And as Resnick and Bost grew their successful Carlsbad operation, chef Roberto Alcocer earned a Michelin star for his Mexican fine-dining spot Valle in nearby Oceanside.
The stylish tasting counter at Michelin one-star Lilo in Carlsbad.
Kimberly Motos
About 25 miles to the south, another affluent coastal community is going through its own culinary glow up. In La Jolla, chef Tara Monsod and the hospitality group Puffer Malarkey Collective opened the stylish French steakhouse Le Coq. Chef Erik Anderson, formerly of Michelin two-star Coi, is preparing to launch Roseacre. And last year, Per Se alums Elijah Arizmendi and Brian Hung left New York to open the elegant tasting-menu restaurant Lucien, lured by the ingredients they’d get to serve. “A major reason we chose San Diego is the quality and diversity of the produce,” Arizmendi explains. “San Diego County has more small farms than anywhere else in the U.S., and its many microclimates allow farmers to grow an incredible range of ingredients year-round.”
Wildland’s spicy Italian sandwich.
Gage Forster
Chef Travis Swikard has also been a tireless advocate for the region’s ingredients since he returned to San Diego, his hometown, and opened Mediterranean-influenced Callie in 2021. There’s no sophomore slump with his latest effort, the French Riviera–inspired Fleurette in La Jolla, where he’s serving his take on classics like leeks vinaigrette and his San Diego “Bouillabaisse” with local red sheepshead fish and spiny lobster. Its food is bright, produce-driven, and attentive in execution, while the dining room maintains a relaxed and unpretentious style of service. And Swikard sees that approach cohering into a regional style with a strong network of professionals behind it.
“It’s really nice that we are developing our own identity, not trying to be like L.A. or any other market, just highlighting what’s great about the San Diego lifestyle and ingredients,” he says. “Similar to New York, a chef community is starting to develop where chefs are supporting each other. There is a true sense of pride to be cooking here.”
Top: In La Jolla, Lucien serves ocean whitefish with tomatoes turned into concasse, sabayon, and other expressions.
Authors
Little Debbie is officially expanding its doughnut range.
On April 14, the brand announced a new sweet snack: Chocolate Old Fashioned Donuts. The company says there was “massive consumer demand” for the original Big Pack Old Fashioned Donuts, which quickly became a top seller. Now, they’re just giving the people what they want.
The new snack is a chocolate old-fashioned cake doughnut finished with a sweet glaze and is launching in two formats:
- The Big Pack Carton: This box contains six doughnuts in a retro-inspired package that reflects the brand’s heritage.
- Single-serve doughnuts: There are also 3-ounce, individually wrapped Chocolate Old Fashioned Donuts, which the brand suggests pairing with a morning coffee or eating on a midday break.
The original, which includes six individually wrapped cake-style doughnuts with a vanilla glaze, first hit stores in June 2025 and, according to the brand, has been “consistently selling out.”
“We saw an incredible response to the Old Fashioned Donut we introduced last year,” said Scott Brownlow, Little Debbie’s brand manager, in a press release. We’re doubling down on what works and giving both loyalists and new fans an irresistible reason to head back to the store.”
Little Debbie’s Chocolate Old Fashioned Donuts are rolling out now to major retailers, grocery stores and convenience stores nationwide. As with the original Old Fashioned Donut, they become a permanent addition to the brand’s snack lineup.
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