Wellness On The Rocks

#30 - Patrick Ballow

On this episode of Wellness On The Rocks, Taylor McQuade sits down with Patrick Ballow, Managing Partner of Vino Carta in Little Italy, San Diego, as the neighborhood wine shop and bar celebrates its 10-year anniversary. What started as a small, community-driven wine shop has grown into one of San Diego’s most respected hospitality spaces, built around approachable wine, genuine connection, and a passion for small family-run producers who farm organically, sustainably, and often naturally. Patrick and Taylor reflect on the evolution of Little Italy over the last decade, the culture surrounding wine and hospitality in San Diego, building a business through changing times, and how places like Vino Carta slowly become part of the communities around them. The conversation also dives into developing your palate, hospitality culture, leadership, business growth, and what it means to create a space where people can slow down, connect, and feel at home. Vino Carta 2161 India St, San Diego, CA 92101 Purchase tickets to the upcoming 10-year anniversary block party on May 30th at: https://www.vinocartasd.com [https://www.vinocartasd.com] Follow Vino Carta: @vinocarta [https://www.instagram.com/vinocarta] @patrick_ballow [https://www.instagram.com/patrick_ballow] Follow Wellness On The Rocks: @wellness_ontherocks [https://www.instagram.com/wellness_ontherocks] @taylorredmondmcquade [https://www.instagram.com/taylorredmondmcquade] All episodes of Wellness On The Rocks are hosted, produced, and edited by bartender Taylor McQuade. Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

#29 - Chef Roberto Alcocer

Roberto Alcocer is the chef behind Valle, the MICHELIN-starred restaurant in Oceanside, California. He is a James Beard Award semifinalist and a defining voice in modern Mexican cuisine. With more than 25 years of experience cooking in Mexico, France, and Spain, Chef Roberto has built a career rooted in culture, discipline, and pushing standards forward. From building his acclaimed restaurant Malva in Valle de Guadalupe to earning a Michelin star at Valle, he has helped redefine what Mexican fine dining can look like at the highest level. In this episode, we sit down inside the kitchen at Valle to talk about excellence, leadership, sacrifice, family, culture, and what it takes to operate at the highest level. Valle is located at 222 N Pacific St, Oceanside, CA 92054. https://www.valleoceanside.com [https://www.valleoceanside.com] Wellness On The Rocks is hosted, produced and edited by bartender Taylor McQuade. You can find all episodes on Spotify, YouTube and Apple Podcasts. Follow on Instagram: @alcocerroberto [https://instagram.com/alcocerroberto] @valleoceanside [https://instagram.com/valleoceanside] @wellness_ontherocks [https://instagram.com/wellness_ontherocks] @taylorredmondmcquade [https://instagram.com/taylorredmondmcquade]

#28 - Chef Rie and Dave Sims

Rie and Dave Sims, the husband and wife team behind Warung RieRie, have created one of the most unique dining concepts in San Diego. An intimate, Indonesian fine dining setting built right in their backyard in Serra Mesa. Rie grew up in Jakarta, Indonesia, where she studied art and built a career in film and television production, eventually breaking into directing in the male dominated industry. After losing her father, she made the decision to move to Bali to reset and rebuild. Dave, on the other hand, comes from a creative background in the U.S. and was first introduced to Indonesia through a surf trip. An experience that left a lasting impression and would later shape both his personal life and their shared vision. The two met in Bali, built a life and business partnership, and years later brought that vision to San Diego. Starting with a spontaneous idea to ship a traditional Indonesian structure to their backyard. What followed was something they largely “winged” into existence. Warung RieRie is now San Diego’s first fully legal MEHKO (Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation) An invitation only dining concept rooted in culture, storytelling, and genuine human connection. Their work has since been recognized at the federal level with a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for their impact on the community, marking a historic milestone for both their business and the home kitchen movement. To connect with them, reach out on Instagram: @warungrierie You can find all episodes of Wellness On The Rocks on Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts. Hosted and independently produced by bartender Taylor McQuade.

#27 - Nina Singer

On today’s episode of Wellness On The Rocks, I’m joined by Nina Singer, the National Brand Experience and Marketing Manager for Humano Tequila. Every year, Troy Johnson, Claire Johnson, and the team at San Diego Magazine do an incredible job highlighting the hospitality industry with their Best of San Diego issue, which the city gets to vote on. Since Nina and I both work in the industry, we thought it would be a cool idea to sit down and cast our votes. San Diego runs off the hospitality industry. The restaurants, the bars, the hotels, and the people behind them are the heartbeat of this city. So we sat down at Stout Public House, one of the great local industry bars, and went category by category, giving our picks while shouting out the people grinding every day here in San Diego. A lot of the names we talk about in this episode aren’t just places, they’re regulars, they’re friends, they’re part of the community. Huge shoutout to Stout Public House for letting us record in the bar. It’s home for me, and for a lot of people in this industry. If you’re listening, go check these places out. Go support these bars, these restaurants, these people. And if you’re ever downtown, come by Stout. Shoutout to Humano Tequila for supporting the episode. Let us know what you think. Who we got right, who we got wrong. And don’t forget to vote before March 22.

#26 - Chef Drew Deckman

Chef Drew Deckman is the owner of Deckman’s North in San Diego and Michelin-starred Conchas de Piedra in Baja California. Drew grew up in Georgia before spending more than a decade in Europe honing his craft and training under some of the most respected chefs in the industry, including Paul Bocuse, Jacques Maximin, and Madeleine Kamman. During his time in Germany, he worked at Restaurant Vitus in Reinstorf, where he was part of the team that earned a Michelin star in 2000. He would later go on to build award-winning restaurants of his own across Baja California and San Diego. His restaurant Conchas de Piedra earned a Michelin star in May of 2024 along with a Michelin Green Star for sustainability, while Deckman’s en el Mogor also received a Green Star. In August of 2024, he opened a new project in San Diego’s North Park neighborhood, Deckman’s North, bringing with it the expectations and attention that come with operating at the Michelin level. In addition to his restaurants, Drew also operates a restaurant inside Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres, called Deckman’s at The Draft by Ballast Point. In this episode, Chef Drew sits down for a vulnerable conversation about the real challenges chefs face in today’s kitchens. Chef Drew Deckman had the courage to talk openly about something that rarely gets discussed in this industry: the mental health of chefs and the people who dedicate their lives to hospitality. Acceptance, self-love, and positive self-talk take courage, and those decisions have helped reshape the way he approaches both leadership and life in hospitality. We also discuss sobriety, and Drew offers advice to the next generation of cooks coming up in the industry. If you’re in San Diego, go visit @deckmansnorth and follow Drew at @bajafishingchef. Full episodes of Wellness On The Rocks are available on Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts. Hosted and produced by bartender @taylorredmondmcquade. the3131.com [http://the3131.com] deckmans.com [http://deckmans.com] conchasdepiedra.com [http://conchasdepiedra.com] ensomakase.com [http://ensomakase.com]