Nightlife in Ramona

Twisted Vine Bistro's staff comprises a fifth-generation Italian vintner and two veteran California-born chefs who cultivate unpretentious epicurean experiences praised by Gayot and Thrillist. During tasting events, local winemakers mingle with guests and tie-dye tongues with fine red and white varietals, which tasters pair with locally sourced snacks from the eatery's menu. The topic of each cooking class rotates frequently, but all sessions allow amateur foodies to rub spatulas with classically trained chefs so they can finally ask an expert why their oven never seems to get their undershirts their whitest. Artwork forged by local artists decks the space, and elegant drapery pulls back to reveal ample windows, which stream sunlight onto green and orange walls.

The idea for California Fruit Wine was hatched in 2009, when a friend of Alan and Brian Haghighi introduced the twin brothers to small batches of homemade fruit wine. Since those first sips, Alan, Brian, and their older brother, David, have continued to help wine drinkers break free from grape-based conventions, utilizing such fruit as peaches, strawberries, plums, and pumpkins as the foundation for an ever-growing arsenal of flavors. From dry to sweet, the winery fills glasses with unique bouquets, and—like the microbreweries throughout Vista Business Park—buys its ingredients from local sources rather than growing them or stealing them from the refrigerators of napping bears. California Fruit Wine's spacious facility, which is stocked with a stage, bar, and pool table, can also be rented out for parties and private events.

What’s now known as The Comedy Store was once called Ciro's, a nightlife hotspot in the 1940s and '50s. Playing host to glitzy stars and shadowy mobsters, the club's history is shrouded in rumors of mafia assassinations and untimely deaths. However, the joint buried its seedy past by converting to a comedy club and helping launch the careers of such legends as Richard Pryor, Jim Carrey, George Carlin, David Letterman, and Dave Chappelle. The younger La Jolla location lets laugh-starved patrons bask in the same high-powered comedic atmosphere as its progenitor.

Bite into at Medjoul dates stuffed with gorgonzola or potato herb gnocchi with bay scallops at Bite. Chef Chris Walsh of Confidential Restaurant and Loft serves French and Italian-influenced finger-food in small, tapas-style dishes. Deviled eggs with salmon caviar and banana pepper sauce for $3.50 and swordfish skewers for $5 mean you can sample and share plenty of plates for $55.

Gaslamp Tavern sates fans’ appetites for bar fare and fun with 13 draft beers, a menu of pub-grub favorites, and 12 flat-screen plasma TVs broadcasting sporting events. Whet palates with a brew or specialty drink before stepping up to an appetizer of zesty nachos, a colossal conglomeration of tricolored chips, cheese, beans, and sour cream bonded together by guacamole and double-dog dares ($8.75). Burgervores delve into the tantalizing tastes of the South of the Border burger, with guacamole, jalapenos, and jack cheese ($9.50), while pizzaterians dine on barbecue chicken slices ($9.50). A weekend breakfast (Saturday and Sunday until 2 p.m.) features bacon-laden breakfast burritos ($7.75 each) and morning-ready cocktails such as a homemade-style bloody mary ($5–$7), served in a glass crafted from a deep-dish pizza.

Relaxed yet sophisticated lounge service in an iconic and luxurious setting.