Last November I had the chance to check out an interesting restaurant in the South Park neighborhood - The South Park Abbey. The occasion was a special Open Mic Night featuring Meliki, a talented and charming Australian singer/songwriter who was doing a quick West Coast tour (you can check out my story on her on Demotix). The Open Mic Night is the brainchild of my friend the multi-talented and eclectic Sindi Somers, a promoter, comedian, and pet psychic (I said she was eclectic) who also hosts occasional comedy shows at Dream Street in Ocean Beach and Wild and Tame Comedy & Music at The Stage Bar in the Gaslamp.
A little about Open Mic Night - just as the name suggests, this is an evening (Wednesdays) when anyone with guts and a bit of musical ability can sign up for a short stint at the microphone. Sindi starts taking names at 8:30 pm and the show begins at 9:00 pm. The night I was there the talent level ranged from definitely amateur to quite professional. The great thing is that everyone is appreciated at their own level. In addition to Open Mic Wednesdays, the restaurant features other live music nights and Karaoke on Sundays.
Now, as to the restaurant, The South Park Abbey is owned and operated by Adam Neitzke and Sarah Jewell, who had both tired of Los Angeles and wanted to open a restaurant and bar in San Diego. They happened on the South Park Bar & Grill, which had a checkered past and was up for sale. They bought the place in June, 2010, and in August changed the name to The South Park Abbey. Why such a religious-sounding name? Simple - the two love Belgian beers, and in Medieval Europe most of the best beers were brewed by monks in the abbeys. Even today many abbeys brew beers and many Belgian beers owe their heritage to the monks. But more than just beer, SPA has some great food as well. What truly sets SPA apart, though, is the fact that 3% of all sales go to one of four charities: the ASPCA, Huntington's Disease Society of America, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and The V Foundation for Cancer Research. Guests get to choose which of the four charities their money goes to. Adam and Sarah see this as their way of giving back to the community. So next time you're looking for something to do, why not check out The South Park Abbey - I think you'll be glad you did. And if you're not, well, that's your problem, not mine.
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