Slow down summer. This is a song that local musician Rob Mehl performs and it’s also our request to the universe as we roll into the second half of the year. With so many new things happening downtown, we want to do it all this summer. Here are two highlights that are sure to be the talk of the town: • After taking almost a year off from the restaurant business, San Diego celebrity chef Brian Malarkey is back. The award-winning chef and nightclub developer and Stingaree owner James Brennan are opening Searsucker, a 7,000-square-foot restaurant on the corner of Fifth and Market. “I’m thrilled. We have a great team and a good location. I’ve always wanted to have my own restaurant, so I’m excited,” Malarkey said. Named after the fabric originally worn by the working class but now a popular fashion trend, Searsucker will offer something for everyone. “I wanted to build a place where people can come, eat good food and hang out with friends as long as they want. This will be a neighborhood restaurant, a friendly place with a nice atmosphere,” Malarkey said. The new American classic menu will include quail, rabbit-and-rattlesnake sausage, pork belly and locally-brewed beers. Live music will also be part of the scene. Another plus — guests will be able to interact with Malarkey thanks to the exhibition kitchen with bar-style seating. Down the road, there will be brunch, a lunch counter and late-night service. Seems like these two have thought of everything. • The Dinner Detective is a brand new interactive murder mystery dinner show. It all happens on the second floor of the Embassy Suites Hotel and unlike other shows, the action starts right away. That’s because the actors aren’t in costumes practicing their lines backstage. They’re mingling with the real guests, posing as happy couples and tourists on vacation. No joke. Imagine our surprise when we discovered that the nice math professor we met in line was really an actor. While you’re waiting, everyone is given a name tag and encouraged to have an alias. We decided to go with Chubby Limes and Abby Normal. The people at our table were extremely nice. Too bad we couldn’t tell if they were actors or real guests. The uncertainty made for an exciting evening. Co-owners Allison and Kasey Learned bought the franchise in San Diego because it was a good business model they couldn’t pass up. “I previously acted in the Long Beach shows and loved it because performers may actually be seated at your table, so part of the fun from the beginning is trying to figure out who’s involved in the crime and who’s not,” Allison said. Marco Garcia, who chose “Fingers” as his alias, said he had fun trying to make people think he was part of the show. He was so good that some people thought he was the murderer. Turns out he was a local firefighter celebrating Father’s Day with his wife. “I love doing stuff where I have to figure things out,” he said. “I had never done a show like this before. I liked how it was interactive and you could go to another table and mess with people in a fun way.” We do have some tips. Embassy Suites will validate your parking ticket, so don’t waste time looking for a spot. Don’t be afraid to visit other tables. As Marco told us — it’s fun to keep people guessing. In the end, our two guesses were actually audience members. And that friendly guy who sat with us? He was an actor. Yup, we were punked. — Marc and Darlynne Menkin are the co-owners of Where You Want To Be Tours. Many of their tours and teambuilding Scavenger Hunts feature secret downtown areas. www.wheretours.com