Arik Lerner, a La Jolla native and son of world-renowned chemist Dr. Richard Lerner, the former president of Scripps Research, operates Rue Michelle Antiques at 1303 Beryl St, 92109. Lerner opened his first gallery on Prospect Street in La Jolla in 1994 and has been active in the San Diego antiques trade since 1992. His education in classical furnishings traces to mentors among leading San Francisco dealers who were themselves connected to the earliest docents of Hearst Castle in the 1960s. From 2009 through 2018, Lerner attended symposiums and coursework at the British Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Royal Academy, and the SOAS School of Asian Studies in London, building an international network of museum directors, scholars, and major dealers. The shop at Aztec Graphics Custom Framing nearby can help preserve any art prints or works on paper that come home from a Rue Michelle visit. Inventory spans 17th- through 19th-century French, Italian, and English antiques alongside Chinese porcelain, bronze Buddhas, scholar's pieces, and modern art. Lerner also provides appraisals, estate brokerage, and interior design services, traveling worldwide for consultations. The store identifies as LGBTQ+-owned and holds a perfect 5.0 rating across 49 Google reviews. Residents furnishing Pacific Beach homes with a mix of antique and contemporary pieces can round out an afternoon with Mediterranean cuisine at Cafe Athena on Garnet Avenue.