The Lafayette at Christmas, 2025 edition

NO place in San Diego decorates for Christmas like the Lafayette Hotel and Club on El Cajon Boulevard. Just take a look at this festively lit grand entrance!



El Cajon Boulevard used to be known as the red light district; thanks to the Lafayette, it can be labeled as the red AND green district.



Two nutcrackers greet you as you enter the premises, wearing the signature purple garb of the hotel:



Inside, an explosion of lights, trees, garland, and ornaments signal the holidays:



This little alcove, which is slated to eventually be a gift shop, is where Santa Claus makes his appearance and lets you sit on his lap. I guess my 6am visit was too early for him.



Atlas at the bar now has to bear the weight of a Christmas tree in addition to his usual globe.



A blowup Frosty the Snowman watches over the proceedings at the pool:



Even the pool floaties are themed for the holiday:



The pool bar looks magical with the lights on:



If you’re into Instagram opportunities, the Lafayette (like any Consortium Holdings property) abounds with them. A sleigh at the pool is ready for your next pose:



…and this sleigh outside the Gutter:



Beginner’s Diner was mild in its decor; just some garland strewn around the booths:



The buckwheat pancakes were devoured quickly:



If you are thinking about checking out the decor at the Lafayette, don’t expect it to be empty like my photos; that would require a 6am arrival time. By 9am, you will be swatting off others with the same goal like flies.
 
See more Lafayette Hotel and Club in San Diego photos at my main website.

Born and Raised

Born & Raised is a restaurant in Little Italy that has been on my “to-do” list for many years. It is one of the many Instagram-able locations that Consortium Holdings, LLC has created throughout the San Diego area (including my fave, The Lafayette Hotel). Typically, I love the design and aesthetic of that group’s restaurants; the food usually falls far behind. While not awful, it rarely gives a “wow, I can’t wait to eat there again” experience. Created in 2017, it replaced Nelson Photo Supply, where I used to buy my camera equipment and order prints of my work.



The Basile Studio did the design work on B&R, creating what is reminiscent of a 1920s/30s luxury ocean liner. From their website:

We transformed the 1930s-era building into an entirely custom 10,000 square-foot upscale steakhouse. Upon entry, the first floor dining room reveals a network of curved camel-colored leather booths, parquet and terrazzo flooring, tambour paneling, and brass throughout. Utilizing wood from a single walnut tree sourced from Northern California, book-matched veneer covers the ceiling joining 8 LED-top-lit cladded-column “blooms.”



The interior is rich looking, with a warmth that creates the perfect atmosphere for this Michelin rated upscale steakhouse. From the Michelin Guide website:

If Frank Sinatra broke bread with Tupac, they’d probably meet at Born & Raised. No expense was spared making this wildly polished, upscale steakhouse that resembles a mid-century, art deco dream lined with black-and-white photos of old-school rap legends, like Eazy-E. There is a glassed-in meat cutting room in the back; and a lovely, open-air rooftop bar overlooking Little Italy. Waiters dressed in tuxedos and Converse shoes drift between tables, pushing nostalgic tableside carts where they whip up starters on the spot or pour a drink to order. Certainly, you’re here for the impeccably cooked steaks, but don’t miss the tartare, prepared tableside with quail egg, capers and cornichons (to name just a few embellishments) and served with herbed aïoli.



The staff was friendly and you can tell that they attempt to give off an old-world vibe as if they were Musso and Frank in Hollywood. Despite the valiant attempt, it feels more like Musso and Frank in training. Our waiter was nice enough, but lacked the experience and know-how one would expect from an establishment that has a $$$$ ranking.



That was the only real negative. The food scored high marks and other than the price, I would definitely be a frequent diner here. The steak was out of this world…



and the carrot cake received high marks as well.



This is definitely a special occasion place, other than maybe a good spot for an after-work cocktail at the well-stocked bar. The occasion that brought me here was my friend Kevin’s birthday.



The staff was attentive to Kevin’s birthday, and definitely made him feel special.



See more Little Italy in San Diego photos at my main website.

Sonny's Pizza in University Heights

When I moved back to San Diego, I lived in the University Heights neighborhood for about a year. It’s still one of my favorite hoods around. I don’t spend as much time there now as I used to, and a lot has changed there since 1999. A number of high-rise mixed used buildings have sprung up, changing the quaint skyline, and some of my favorite haunts have been replaced by soul-less brewpubs. So…I was happily surprised on a recent visit when I saw this neon sign just off Park Boulevard (the main drag) on Madison. When did Sonny's Pizza go in?!? It wasn’t long before I checked it out for myself.



According to my sources, it is part of the Consortium Holdings collection (the group that renovated/runs the Lafayette Hotel). From the attention to detail and interesting art featured there, it doesn’t surprise me. Notice the TVs in the window, all playing vintage movies. The TVs are marked “Sonnys” instead of “Sony.” Brilliant.



While less than a year old, when you walk inside, the place feels as if it’s been in the neighborhood for decades. The design and decor are spot-on for an east coast pizza joint. Not a restaurant…a joint.



LOVE the high ceilings.



A bright orange pizza oven dominates the interior, along with the cool Swiss-chalet styled staircase up to the second level.



Unlike most of the Consortium Holdings ventures, this place has food that is worth going back for. Typically, their restaurants are high on the Instagram factor, but “meh” on the food offerings. The Pepp (as in Pepperoni) Rolls are a fave of mine.



The pizzas are good, but they also have other fare that I really enjoy, like the Tagliatelle Bolognese:



…and the Chicken Francese, a pan-fried cutlet in lemon-butter sauce.



Besides indoor dining, there is a vibrant outdoor patio:



 Reservations are suggested, even for a joint - especially on the weekends. My one caveat to this place would be the service - the staff is fairly friendly, but don’t go expecting the staff to go overboard for you. When you are seated, using the QR code on the table to order for yourself is suggested vs. ordering from the wait staff. Food is not brought out at the right time either; typically entrées arrive much earlier than the appetizer. The wait staff is hip, young, and don’t seem to really be concerned by what they SHOULD be doing. And yet…at this place it doesn’t bother me. It goes along with the east coast vibe. I highly recommend it!

See more University Heights neighborhood photos at my main website.

From Imig Manor to The Lafayette

San Diego’s Imig Manor Hotel opened in 1946, boasting Hollywood celebrity Bob Hope as its first guest. The San Diego press reported this on June 28:

The west coast’s first large postwar built hotel, Imig Manor, officially opened today. Costing $2,000,000, the hotel has 180 units under its block-square colonial-style roof. In the center is a large patio with a swimming pool and two outdoor dining and dancing halls. Twenty-two shops line the block and one-half of corridor on the main floor.

Despite its lavish $2 million cost, not all the press was positive:

Add “Who Said the War’s Over” department: At a preview dinner for the “working press” at swanky Imig Manor last night, reporters were required to buy their own drinks at prevailing prices from the hotel’s bar.

Below is a contemporary shot of how the hotel, now named The Lafayette, looks today:



The Long Beach Press-telegram gave a bit more background on Larry Imig himself, on June 29, 1946:

Larry Imig, 31-year-old former sailor, last night formally opened his new $2,000,000 hotel, Imig Manor, built with a fortune he made in a construction business that began after he traded a car for a vacant lot 10 years ago. The 180-room hotel located on the edge of the business district, has a large swimming pool, nighclub, 700-seat dining room, bars, coffee shops and a shopping center. Imig will live in a half-block long penthouse atop the three-story structure. Imig received a medical discharge in 1935 after three years as a naval enlisted man on the U.S.S. Langley and got a job as an auto salesman in San Diego. After he had been at his job a year, a woman offered to trade a vacant lot for one of his cars and convinced him he could make a profit by building a house on it and selling it. In the following 10 years, he built 2000 homes and obtained enough money to finance half the construction of his new hotel.

Below are panels from a vintage brochure, showing interior views of the property and a map of the area:







How the diner looks today:



…and the pool:





The Mississippi Room and Circle Bar (above) are now Lou Lous’s Supper Club:





Consortium Holdings, who now owns the hotel and has been pumping money into the property at a feverish pace, has done a beautiful job of honoring the history of the hotel while bringing it into the 21st century for a whole new array of patrons. The photos in the brochure makes the hotel look a bit staid and stuffy; today, the property is vibrant and creative. Good job, CH!

See more Lafayette Hotel photos at my main website.