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New Country Cocktail Bar Neon Moon Opening in Lakeside | San Diego Magazine

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1 year ago

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New Country Cocktail Bar Neon Moon Opening in Lakeside | San Diego Magazine


Shane Gerde says he’s noticed a shift recently. “Five of my friends in the last three years have moved out to La Mesa,” he says. “There’s a lot of people that have gotten priced out of North Park and South Park in these areas, that have moved out to East County that want a cool place that they go to.”

When his business partner Adam Cook, who also owns Bluefoot Bar & Lounge in North Park, saw the old Coo Coo Club property for sale, Gerde said he immediately knew what he wanted to build. “I was like, if you did a country bar in East County, it would go over pretty well.” Fast forward two years, and Neon Moon will open on Wednesday, October 30 in Lakeside.

Courtesy of Neon Moon

Gerde originally hails from Washington State and says that roadside bars he’d stop at when driving through rural areas of Montana and Idaho inspired him. But he wanted to create something thoughtful, “a bar that feels transportive,” he explains, driven by quality cocktails and ambiance.

Cook is no stranger to early entry into burgeoning neighborhoods, either—when he opened Bluefoot in 2006, North Park had hardly begun to emerge as a destination for locals, much less tourists. Now, it’s known as one of the hippest neighborhoods in the country, recognized by outlets like Forbes and Travel Mag.

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They formally acquired the space around 18 months ago, with Cook and Sarah McAlear as principal owners, Gerde as an operating partner, and Sina Kennedy as another partner. They had to completely gut it to create a 21+ concept partially inspired by ’70s and ’80s country bars in Texas.

Inside features a lounge area with a working fireplace, along with a stained oak bar and crushed velvet orange chairs for a lived-in living room feel, explains Gerde. He handled much of the design, inspired by elements like his dad’s old Chevy pickup. 

Interior of new San Diego bar, Neon Moon, opening in Lakeside specializing in cocktails and featuring a country-inspired design
Courtesy of Neon Moon

“The seating area has green vinyl booths, and I mirrored the stitch pattern off of one of my dad’s old trucks,” Gerde says. “Then you work your way down to the dance floor, three steps from the bar and lounge area with a checkered floor.” A disco ball and velvet paintings lead past two pool tables before getting to the outside patio.

“It looks like a really well-done backyard patio,” he promises, with another fireplace, string lights, corn hole, darts, and passionfruit vines growing along a hog wire fence. “The outside also has a full working bar… everything that’s available inside is available outside,” he explains.

Cook and Gerde brought on Nickey Bakke to manage the bar program, which will incorporate her experience at places like the tiki sensation Tonga Hut in Los Angeles, Market in Del Mar, and South Congress venue The Continental Club in Austin, Texas. Neon Moon will offer four draft cocktails, a typical menu, 10 draft beers, and at least 25 cans and bottles. 

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Expect tiki-inspired offerings, riffs on classics like an Old Fashioned and espresso martini, and novelties like a Rattlesnake margarita inspired by Bali Hai’s famous Mai Tai and served in a chilled mug. It’s made with anejo tequila, mezcal, agave nectar, lime, and Everclear because “what’s more country than Everclear?” he laughs. “High-proof neutral spirit? Absolutely.” 

Gerde says he hopes Neon Moon will be different in a neighborhood lacking specific product-driven places to hang out but seems familiar to everyone who walks in. “I think that when they get there, they’ll feel like they’re in another place in time,” he says. He hopes to be a part of the area’s evolution as well. “I think East County is going to change,” he muses. “There’s plenty of room out there.”

People clinking beer glasses together at the 2024 San Diego Beer week happening Nov. 1 - 10
Courtesy of San Diego Brewers Guild

San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events

San Diego Beer Week Begins This Friday

Friday, November 1, kicks off the 16th annual San Diego Beer Week, hosted by the San Diego Brewers Guild. The 10-day event takes place at breweries, bars, restaurants, and brewpubs across the county to celebrate local, independent, craft beer, starting with a virtual kick-off toast at 7:30 p.m. Be sure to check the Guild’s website for a calendar of activities and social media for pop-up events and more opportunities to partake.

Don’t miss the annual Capital of Craft IPA collaboration beer, a West Coast IPA available on draft and in cans at all Guild member breweries during Beer Week. Festivities wind down at the Capital of Craft Beerfest on Saturday, November 9, behind Kilowatt Brewingon Clairemont Mesa Boulevard. Get your tickets to the 21+ event here. 

A salmon sushi roll from new San Diego asian restaurant AKA in the Gaslamp Quarter downtown
Photo Credit: Gabe Halvor
AKA

Beth’s Bites

  • “Cancer bad, cocktails good” seems universally agreed upon by those who imbibe for a cause. On Friday, November 1, head to Understory Bar for the Susan G. Komen Sip for a Cause with F&K Spirits to raise money and awareness of breast cancer. 
  • It’s hard to know what news is real right now, but it appears that Pancho Villa in North Park is, in fact, actually closing. Get your tortillas while you still can.
  • Nightlife venue and Asian-inspired restaurant AKA is now open at 611 Fifth Avenue, with plenty of plates, cocktails, and sexily-lit moodiness. 
  • Free pizza, anyone? Mr. Moto is teaming up with the YMCA to offer a free pizza every Monday in November to raise money for the YMCA’s Solidarity Journey, a program aiming to end youth homelessness across San Diego. More information is available here, and yes, some exclusions apply.

Have breaking news, exciting scoops, or great stories about new San Diego restaurants or the city’s food scene? Send your pitches to [email protected].





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San Diego, CA

Padres roster review: Luis Campusano

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3 hours ago

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January 8, 2026

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Padres roster review: Luis Campusano





Padres roster review: Luis Campusano – San Diego Union-Tribune


















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LUIS CAMPUSANO

  • Position(s): Catcher
  • Bats / Throws: Right / Right
  • 2026 opening day age: 27
  • Height / Weight: 5-foot-10 / 232 pounds
  • How acquired: Second round of the draft in 2017 (Cross Creek HS, Ga.)
  • Contract status: Will make $900,000 after agreeing to a one-year deal to avoid arbitration; Will not be a free agent until 2029.
  • fWAR in 2025: Minus-0.4
  • Key 2025 stats: .000 AVG, .222 OBP, .000 SLG, 0 HRs, 0 RBIs, 0 runs, 6 walks, 11 strikeouts, 0 steals (10 games, 27 plate appearances)

 

STAT TO NOTE

  • 1 — The number of plate appearances for Campusano while in the majors between June 1 and June 13 and the one at-bat resulted in a weak, pinch-hit groundout against a position player (Kike Hernandez) on the mound in mop-up duty. Campusano was recalled to the majors four times in 2025 but did not get a real opportunity get settled after he went 0-for-6 with four walks and a strikeout in three straight starts as a DH in early May. Of course, hitting .227/.281/.361 with eight homers over 299 plate appearances after getting the first real chance to start in 2024 likely informed how the Padres viewed his opportunity in 2025.

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San Diego, CA

2 San Diego Eateries Named Among ‘Most Beautiful New Restaurants’ In America

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15 hours ago

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January 7, 2026

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2 San Diego Eateries Named Among ‘Most Beautiful New Restaurants’ In America


SAN DIEGO, CA — Two San Diego County eateries were named among the most beautiful restaurants that opened last year in the country.

Carlsbad-based Lilo was ranked No. 4 and La Jolla-based Lucien was ranked No. 9 on Robb Report’s list of the most beautiful new restaurants in the U.S. for 2025.

Lilo, which opened in April, features a multi-course tasting menu served around a 24-seat chef’s counter.

The restaurant, co-owned by Chef Eric Bost and John Resnick, earned a Michelin star just months after opening its doors. The eatery was also the only one in San Diego to land on The New York Times list of the 50 best restaurants in America.

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Lucien, which opened in July, also offers a chef’s tasting menu, with more than a dozen courses. The 30-seat restaurant, is owned and helmed by Northern California native Chef Elijah Arizmendi, along with partners Brian Hung and Melissa Lang.

“I’m very grateful for the recognition from Robb Report,” Arizmendi told Patch. “Lucien is deeply personal to me, and the space was designed as an extension of my philosophy — one centered on intention, hospitality and the joy of sharing something meaningful to others.”

The list spotlights 21 restaurants in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City and other cities across the country. View the full report here.



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San Diego, CA

Proposed fuel pipeline draws interest from investors. Can it give San Diego drivers a break?

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1 day ago

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January 7, 2026

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Proposed fuel pipeline draws interest from investors. Can it give San Diego drivers a break?


Plenty of financial and regulatory hurdles still need to be cleared, but a fuels pipeline project that may lead to lower gas prices in San Diego and Southern California has received a healthy amount of interest from other companies.

Phillips 66 and Kinder Morgan have proposed building what they’ve dubbed the Western Gateway Pipeline that would use a combination of existing infrastructure plus new construction to establish a corridor for refined products that would stretch 1,300 miles from St. Louis to California.

If completed, one leg of the pipeline would be the first to deliver motor fuels into California, a state often described as a fuel island that is disconnected from refining hubs in the U.S.

The two companies recently announced the project “has received significant interest” from shippers and investors from what’s called an “open season” that wrapped up on Dec. 19 — so much so that a second round will be held this month for remaining capacity.

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“That’s a strong indicator that people would be willing to commit to put volume on that pipeline to bring it west long enough for them to be able to pay off their investment and provide a return for their investors,” said David Hackett, president of Stillwater Associates, a transportation energy consulting company in Irvine. “They won’t build this thing on spec. They’ll need commitments from shippers to do this.”

The plans for the Western Gateway Pipeline include constructing a new line from the Texas Panhandle town of Borger to Phoenix. Meanwhile, the flow on an existing pipeline that currently runs from the San Bernardino County community of Colton to Arizona would be reversed, allowing more fuel to remain in California.

The entire pipeline system would link refinery supply from the Midwest to Phoenix and California, while also providing a connection into Las Vegas.

The proposed route for the Western Gateway Pipeline, a project announced by Phillips 66 and Kinder Morgan designed to bring refined products like gasoline to states such as Arizona and keep more supplies within California. (Phillips 66)

A spokesperson for Kinder Morgan told the Union-Tribune in October that there are no plans for the project to construct any new pipelines in California and the proposal “should put downward pressure” on prices at the pump.

“With no new builds in California and using pipelines currently in place, it’s an all-around win-win — good for the state and consumers,” Kinder Morgan’s director of corporate communications, Melissa D. Ruiz, said in an email.

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The second round of “open season” will include offerings of new destinations west of Colton that would allow Western Gateway shippers access to markets in Los Angeles.

Even with sufficient investor support, the project would still have to go through an extensive regulatory and permitting process that would undoubtedly receive pushback from environmental groups.

Should the pipeline get built, Hackett said it’s hard to predict what it would mean at the pump for Southern California drivers. But he said the project could ensure more fuel inventory remains inside California, thus reducing reliance on foreign imports, especially given potential political tensions in the South China Sea.



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