Starting June 1st and going through June 10th, dozens of restaurants in the desert, from Palm Springs to Indio and everywhere in between, will be participating in the fifth installment of Palm Springs Restaurant Week. During the event, participating restaurants will offer a fixed-price three-course menu for either $24 or $36 a person (not including beverages and tips). Besides restaurants, local shops and business will also have special deals for the week.
For a full list of participating restaurants and other events around the area, visit the Palm Springs Restaurant Week website.
During last weekend’s Echo Park Art Walk, I bought some goods from an illegal business.
They were being sold by two girls, roughly between the ages of ten and twelve, and went by the names “Lord and Lady Mustache,” obvious aliases. (The pseudonyms were, perhaps, references to the large, curly mustaches they had on both their faces, which, looking back on it now, were most likely hand-drawn attempts to disguise their facial features.) They were accompanied by a five-year-old “Jedi Warrior” who wore a cape and threateningly held a lightsaber. He was, apparently, the muscle.
These felons were selling lemonade, lots of it, out of a crudely-built stand, 50 cents a pop. And I tell you, I’d buy it all over again if I had the chance.
Such is the current state of food sales in California.
If you make muffins for a bake sale, pop some popcorn to hawk outside of a movie theater, or brew up some tea for a few shiny nickels, you put yourself at risk of getting fined and shut down by the cops. (If you think that lemonade stand intro is a bit of a stretch, think again: In 2009, a code enforcement officer in Tulare shut down an 8-year-old girl’s lemonade business becauseit lacked a “city-issued business license.”) But that’s all perhaps about to change.
Read more here.
Hangar 24 Brewery Like to Keep it Local
Just last year, Hangar 24 Brewery in Redlands took a leap — from “microbrewery” to “regional craft brewery,” that is. While the distinction may seem small to most, in the beer world, it’s a pretty big deal. The subtle change in nomenclature has to do with the popular Inland Empire brewery’s production increase, which rolled them over the all-important threshold of 15,000 barrels per year. That’s some serious brewing. But with a small crew dedicated to the craft, a commitment to local farmers and an award or two hanging on the walls, this is the type of seriousness that comes with a smile.
Head Brewer Kevin Wright is a young man, by nearly anyone’s measure. Sturdy, with thick arms and the full facial scruff of a lumberjack in training, the Milwaukee native leads brewing operations for Hangar 24. He comes to this unassuming strip of Redlands across from the airport by way of UC Davis, where he enrolled in and completed their master brewers program. One of only a few dedicated programs to focus entirely on preparing students for certification with the UK’s Institute of Brewing and Distilling, the 18-week schedule covers everything from beer theory to brew practice. The final test is a brutal, nine-hour slog, with written portions covering brewing science and pure engineering. It’s sort of the equivalent of disassembling your rifle in under a minute while blindfolded, but for guys who like beer.
Read more here.
We know you’re still a little groggy from last week, and that’s OK. Frankly, we don’t blame you; the American Craft Beer Week can be a lot to take in over the course of seven days. But Memorial Day weekend is just a few days away, so it’s time to let loose again — and there are plenty of alcohol-friendly events to get you prepped for what should be a fantastic weekend.
Tonight, and every Tuesday moving forward, the bar at Hollywood comedy theater iO West is doing its best rich man / poor man. They’ll pair any top shelf shot with a beer that could use a little class, or they’ll let you pull from the cream of the beer list and let a bottom shelf shot ride along. Either way you decide to flip it, the price is $7.
Elsewhere, The Spice Table (which we love) and Orange County’s The Bruery are teaming upfor an eight-course BBQ dinner and beer pairing. As the local brewer continues to celebrate their fourth anniversary, expect a few rare beers to be poured here. Speaking of which, the Samuel Adams Utopia is coming to The Surly Goat on Thursday. The once-in-a-lifetime beer comes in swinging at around 27% alcohol, and was aged in various barrels for over a decade.
Come the weekend, things really start to wash down smoothly. The 9th Annual Newport Beach Wine Festival kicks off, for anyone looking to spend time at the Balboa Club. You can buy passes or pay a la carte; with master sommeliers, cheese pairings and giant tastings, there’s certainly something for everyone. Closer to home, Sunset Beer Company is letting the small batch Figueroa Mountain Brewing take over their taps for a night. And if anyone is considering getting out of town for the long weekend, consider making your way to theCalifornia Festival of Beers in San Luis Obispo. Most of your favorite breweries are making the trip anyway. Maybe you can hitch a ride.
If you haven’t already made Memorial Day plans, it sounds like you just started. This week, there’s something for everyone on your adult beverage list, so you’re officially out of excuses to have yourself a great extended weekend. But whatever you decide to do this weekend, please stay safe. We’ll have a cold one waiting for you when you get home safely.
For more food and drink events visit kcet.org/events/food.
California’s Small Farms: Spring Street Farm Project
Jesse Frutos is a third-generation farmer in California, tilling the same land in the town of Cypress that his grandfather did. He was raised spending summer “vacations” working on the properties owned by members of his family, where he learned all the basics of seasonal farming.
Frutos worked in retail management for some years before returning to the fields, an experience that reminded him how rewarding working outside can be. His business, Lincoln Spring Farms, delivers CSA boxes throughout Orange County, vends at a few farmers’ markets, and sells strawberries wholesale.
In a fairly urban area of Long Beach, the Salvation Army and Long Beach Community Action Partnership were separated by an empty, 1.5 acre patch of dirt. After much discussion, it was decided that the plot should be a small farm, one for growing produce to sell, certainly, but also one that operated as a community center and a place of learning.
Read more here.
