By TR Robertson
Hundreds of people waited in a long line on Friday in front of the Pavilions Supermarket in the La Costa Town Square Shopping Center for a chance to meet celebrity Chef Guy Fieri and purchase bottles of Santo Tequila he would sign. Fieri and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Sammy Hagar have taken a decades-old friendship to a new level with a partnership in 2019, seeking a product with bold flavor and one that meets a vision they share. This has led them to Santos Spirits and to a product that is additive-free and carefully crafted tequila, made in time-honored traditional methods. Santos Tequila is made at the famed El Viejito Distillery, in the Highlands of Jalisco, Mexico, established in 1937 and helmed by a third-generation distiller. The blends include a Blanco, Reposado, Anejo and a 110-proof Blanco Tequila with Mezquila – the world’s first tequila and mezcal blend.
Speaking with the first arrivals to stand in line, Phoenix, wearing a Guy Fieri look-alike outfit complete with spiked hairstyle and penciled goatee, said she and her friend, William, had arrived at 1:00 pm to wait in line for the 3:00 pm chance to enter and meet Guy. Phoenix said she had been watching “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” since she was a kid and was a fan of the show and Fieri. The second person in line was a 6th-grade student at Roosevelt School, Oceanside, Anakin, who was with his mother. Anakin was wearing a t-shirt that said he was the “Assistant to the Mayor of Flavortown”, a Guy Fieri invention. Fieri said, shortly after he arrived, around 3:40 pm, that he was going to be in the area with his wife to visit with his son, who is an SDSU student and a student manager for the men’s basketball team. Fieri was also going to go to the SDSU-UNLV basketball game at Viejas Arena later that day; he is a UNLV alum.
Santos Spirit CEO David Szydlik and team members, along with Pavilion employees, had put together a well-organized entry system to ensure that everyone waiting in line would have a chance to meet Fieri, get a photo with him, and have him sign a pre-purchased bottle of Santos Tequila. Also set up at the entrance was a chance to grab a bite to eat and sample a taste of one of Fieri’s sauces. Four choices were available – Hickory, Chipotle, Top Secret, and Donkey. Two Pavilion employees offered the snacks and explained the sauces. Evidently, Donkey is a favorite and is said to go best with hamburgers.
Fieri has been to San Diego numerous times for “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” visiting eateries like Hodad’s in Ocean Beach, OB Noodle House, Pizzeria Luigi Old Town, Spiritos in Carlsbad, Ramona Café, El Indio in Mission Hills, Grand Ole BBQ in North Park, Hob Nob Hill in Mission Hills to name a few. His visit to the Pavilion in La Costa was a photo opportunity and a chance to meet this popular personality.
