Getting Stoned in Escondido
Okay...obvious pun for the title, I know....
I had a bit of time off and made plans for Southern California. One of the highlights of the trip was the Stone Brewing tour and late lunch in the bistro. Unfortunately, it wasn't a weekend for one of their special events, but I figured a tour and meal would be just fine.
We pulled up on that rainy Tuesday afternoon, to the unmarked building exactly on the minute the first tour was supposed to start. We got tickets and waited a bit for the tour to start. I browsed the slick merchandise (glassware, clothing, and books). I peaked into the bistro and the waiting area. They had really neat decor, The building material was a mix of concrete/stone, wood and glass. It had a very modern feel to it. There was a large stone in the middle of the waiting area. They had a case of their bombers and sold assorted kegs and crazy cool growlers. The prices were reasonable. I could not take any of this tasty goodness back on the plane with me, so I just looked at it all longingly until the tour started. I shed a tear for the Anise RIS I'd never try.
This Tuesday tour group had 10 or so people. The guide was super-informative. He encouraged people to ask questions. He really knew his facts too. 1/3 of their production is kegs. They used 12 thousand pounds of hops last year. Much of their hops come from Yakima, Washington. All good stuff. He took us through the bottling area while it was running.
After the tour we all settled in front of the stone slab/bar by the taps and were offered an assortment of tastes of their standard brews free of charge. The tastes were of the Pale Ale, Smoked Porter, IPA, and Arrogant Bastard. Apparently, the IPA is their top selling brew. I would have thought it was Bastard.
We finished our tastes and walked into the bistro. The high ceilings and open space give you a modern, up-scale feel that is 100% different from a standard pub. And, their beer and food are 100% different from standard pub fare. I had tried the Stone brews that they had on tap, so I went for another local brew. I ordered the Chesebro IPA by Ladyface out of Agoura Hills, CA. It went well with my Spud Buds (fried garlic mashed potatoes in an Arrogant Bastard batter) and my bbq duck tacos.
The Spud Buds were thick and garlicky. They definitely tasted fresh and handmade. The bbq sauce on the duck was a great balance of tangy and sweet. The duck was slow cooked and very tender. The rice and beans on the side left something to be desired. My fellow traveler ordered the Tempeh "Fuego Burger" and it was as spicy as the name indicated. I felt the fuego in one bite! The ciabatta bread was very tasty, and the veg was fresh.
Overall the food was good. My expectations were also super high from following their Facebook posts. It wasn't earth-shattering, but just knowing what was in it, knowing it was fresh, and knowing that it was handmade was good enough for me. They had wonderful vegetarian and vegan options that looked tasty enough for me. If I had room, I would have had the Arrogant Bastard brownies...and that would have rocked my world, I'm sure of it.
I had a bit of time off and made plans for Southern California. One of the highlights of the trip was the Stone Brewing tour and late lunch in the bistro. Unfortunately, it wasn't a weekend for one of their special events, but I figured a tour and meal would be just fine.
We pulled up on that rainy Tuesday afternoon, to the unmarked building exactly on the minute the first tour was supposed to start. We got tickets and waited a bit for the tour to start. I browsed the slick merchandise (glassware, clothing, and books). I peaked into the bistro and the waiting area. They had really neat decor, The building material was a mix of concrete/stone, wood and glass. It had a very modern feel to it. There was a large stone in the middle of the waiting area. They had a case of their bombers and sold assorted kegs and crazy cool growlers. The prices were reasonable. I could not take any of this tasty goodness back on the plane with me, so I just looked at it all longingly until the tour started. I shed a tear for the Anise RIS I'd never try.
This Tuesday tour group had 10 or so people. The guide was super-informative. He encouraged people to ask questions. He really knew his facts too. 1/3 of their production is kegs. They used 12 thousand pounds of hops last year. Much of their hops come from Yakima, Washington. All good stuff. He took us through the bottling area while it was running.
After the tour we all settled in front of the stone slab/bar by the taps and were offered an assortment of tastes of their standard brews free of charge. The tastes were of the Pale Ale, Smoked Porter, IPA, and Arrogant Bastard. Apparently, the IPA is their top selling brew. I would have thought it was Bastard.
The Spud Buds were thick and garlicky. They definitely tasted fresh and handmade. The bbq sauce on the duck was a great balance of tangy and sweet. The duck was slow cooked and very tender. The rice and beans on the side left something to be desired. My fellow traveler ordered the Tempeh "Fuego Burger" and it was as spicy as the name indicated. I felt the fuego in one bite! The ciabatta bread was very tasty, and the veg was fresh.
Overall the food was good. My expectations were also super high from following their Facebook posts. It wasn't earth-shattering, but just knowing what was in it, knowing it was fresh, and knowing that it was handmade was good enough for me. They had wonderful vegetarian and vegan options that looked tasty enough for me. If I had room, I would have had the Arrogant Bastard brownies...and that would have rocked my world, I'm sure of it.
Great article. The details and photos are a plus!
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