Celebrating Five Decades on The Shore
A Year-round Toast to Our 50th Anniversary
The first hotel on this site, the Summerhouse Inn originally opened its doors in 1972. The hotel’s original general manager, Afredo Frettoloso, named the rooftop restaurant after his father, Elario. With its unparalleled views of La Jolla Shores, Elario’s Restaurant Bar quickly became a favorite among jazz buffs. From 1978 to 1992, Elario’s ruled the San Diego jazz scene from a perch high atop what is now Hotel La Jolla. Every Wednesday through Sunday night, music from blues to swing to be-bop filled the room.
Thanks to the ample room size, good sound quality, and the attentive and knowledgeable audience, no other venue in San Diego County was regularly bringing in such major jazz artists at that time. It was even said that Jazz musicians wanted to play the famous Village Vanguard in New York because of its rich history, but they wanted to play Elario’s for the beautiful ocean view and the vacation in La Jolla.
Today, the Hotel La Jolla and Cusp Dining & Drinks pay homage to this rich history by featuring signature programming year-round.
