Welcome to The Digest

Every year, The New York Times publishes its list of 50 favorite restaurants in the U.S. For the 2026 edition, 16 of the paper's editors and writers ate their way through 538 restaurants across 38 states to narrow it down, according to FOX 5 San Diego. It isn't a numbered ranking. The writers visit anonymously, pay for their own meals, and pick places they think are especially worth experiencing right now, as SanDiegoVille points out. This year, San Diego County got exactly o

Once you’ve decided UGC or influencer marketing is worth testing, the next challenge is finding the right creators and getting real value from the partnership. Part II breaks down how to evaluate creators beyond follower count, when to consider UGC vs. influencer marketing, how to structure collaborations and usage rights, and how to turn one creator post into multiple marketing assets. Plus, we highlight San Diego food and beverage creators to consider for your next campaign

Should your food or beverage business invest in UGC or influencer marketing? Not necessarily. While creator content can build awareness, generate social proof, and give you valuable content to reuse, it can also be an expensive distraction if your marketing fundamentals aren’t in place. In Part 1 of our guide, we break down when UGC and influencer marketing are worth considering, and give you a practical checklist to decide whether it makes sense for your business.