The San Diego area thread

[arren]

water kefir ≠ milk kefir

well now i'm even more confused

 

[Sage1]

well now i'm even more confused

Same(ish) bacteria/yeast mixtures, but for one you’re fermenting milk and for the other you’re fermenting sugar water.

 

[rcubed1]

What Sage said. A commerical example of water kefir is the KeVita Sparkling Probiotic Drink.

The kefir grains (not actual grains but kind of look like white grains) is different from the SCOBY used in kombucha. The kefir water we have been making is bubbly, fruity, and refreshing with a bit of a lactic acid kick. Kind of like fruited kettle sour mixed with a sparkling white wine.

 

[arren]

What Sage said. A commerical example of water kefir is the KeVita Sparkling Probiotic Drink.

Oh, that Kevita stuff is delicious. I understand now.

 

[quirk6]

pretty different, and they seem cognizant of the dangers of trying to go national...

Modern Times recently started showing up here in Massachusetts and Connecticut. **** is old. If that's how they do distro they should stick to California.

 

[sdreaper]

Modern Times recently started showing up here in Massachusetts and Connecticut. **** is old. If that's how they do distro they should stick to California.

Pretty sure Stone is their distributor. I would personally let them know so the sales rep for that area can get rid of it and replenish the shops with fresh beer.

 

[arren]

Speaking of Modern Times, they just announced that you can purchase shares in the company.

Neat?

 

[sdreaper]

Speaking of Modern Times, they just announced that you can purchase shares in the company.

Neat?

Eh, I guess it all depends on how you look at it. A means of making money quickly? Nope. Nostalgia? Yup.

 

[riko1]

I think a number of League members are just happy that Modern Times came up with a new way to take their money.

 

[arren]

Eh, I guess it all depends on how you look at it. A means of making money quickly? Nope. Nostalgia? Yup.

Wait, nostalgia? What?

 

[sdreaper]

Wait, nostalgia? What?

To have something for MT that lasts longer than the bottle you just bought since once Jacob sells off his shares, the board, in theory, becomes those that control....and when that check from big beer comes rolling in, they will likely vote for sale.

This is all pure speculation and how I see it if I were to buy a share. Basically like an autographed basketball from Dwayne Wade that you won in a raffle while attending a Marquette alumni meetup in san diego. It would be fantastic, except it is also signed by the MU coach at the time...so it is there just for nostalgia when you would watch him play.

 

[reverseapachemaster1]

Wait, nostalgia? What?

Memories of the money you flushed down the drain

 

[rrryanc]

To have something for MT that lasts longer than the bottle you just bought since once Jacob sells off his shares, the board, in theory, becomes those that control....and when that check from big beer comes rolling in, they will likely vote for sale.

This is all pure speculation and how I see it if I were to buy a share. Basically like an autographed basketball from Dwayne Wade that you won in a raffle while attending a Marquette alumni meetup in san diego. It would be fantastic, except it is also signed by the MU coach at the time...so it is there just for nostalgia when you would watch him play.

Why not just get a piece of merch and have him sign it?

 

[sdreaper]

Why not just get a piece of merch and have him sign it?

If you mean MT, then I have plenty of merch but a signature would just wash off while I either toss clothing in the washing machine, or glasses in the dishwasher / handwash.

If you mean Dwayne Wade...well, I would need to see him first.

 

[DannyFullpint]

Pretty sure Stone is their distributor. I would personally let them know so the sales rep for that area can get rid of it and replenish the shops with fresh beer.

Does does not distribute in MA.

 

[arren]

To have something for MT that lasts longer than the bottle you just bought since once Jacob sells off his shares, the board, in theory, becomes those that control....and when that check from big beer comes rolling in, they will likely vote for sale.

This is all pure speculation and how I see it if I were to buy a share. Basically like an autographed basketball from Dwayne Wade that you won in a raffle while attending a Marquette alumni meetup in san diego. It would be fantastic, except it is also signed by the MU coach at the time...so it is there just for nostalgia when you would watch him play.

Seriously, what?

 

[rrryanc]

If you mean MT, then I have plenty of merch but a signature would just wash off while I either toss clothing in the washing machine, or glasses in the dishwasher / handwash.

If you mean Dwayne Wade...well, I would need to see him first.

Why would you wash something you're buying for nostalgic purposes?

 

[JonathanAmes]

I’m happy to hear they’re working on more PNC beer but man that Toro email left me feeling depressed.

 

[Tyrsis]

I’m happy to hear they’re working on more PNC beer but man that Toro email left me feeling depressed.

Yeah that **** was... stark. Hopefully everything will be fine. I've become frustrated with their **** kitchen and expensive beer, but I don't want to see it go.

 

[pugsandsuds]

Yeah that **** was... stark. Hopefully everything will be fine. I've become frustrated with their **** kitchen and expensive beer, but I don't want to see it go.

Over/under for tonight's cellarmaker pints + street tacos consumption is ~6.5, see you there?

 

[seedavid]

I’m happy to hear they’re working on more PNC beer but man that Toro email left me feeling depressed.

Yeah that **** was... stark. Hopefully everything will be fine. I've become frustrated with their **** kitchen and expensive beer, but I don't want to see it go.

Care to share the content of the e-mail? I'm not on the list, but every time I've visited San Diego I've had an awesome time at Toro, and I too would hate to see it go. So, I'm interested.

 

[Tyrsis]

Over/under for tonight's cellarmaker pints + street tacos consumption is ~6.5, see you there?

100% in. Hitting NPBC first for that Alpine Rye IPA collab...

 

[Tyrsis]

Care to share the content of the e-mail? I'm not on the list, but every time I've visited San Diego I've had an awesome time at Toro, and I too would hate to see it go. So, I'm interested.

Good morning. If you've been in the bar in the last couple of days, you've noticed a big change at the Toronado. We've run a kitchen, with varying degrees of success, for the whole 11 years that we've been open. Over the last few months, the success part has definitely been on the lower end of the spectrum. Like everyone else in San Diego, we've been struggling with higher costs, and we've tried to adapt, but ultimately that resulted in a smaller menu with less choice for our customers And let's face it: you, the drinking & eating public have a ton of options, especially here in North Park. So as we weighed all of the possibilities (and we mean all of them), we hit on the idea of turning the kitchen over to someone else. And just like that, I got a phone call from Patrick Murray.

I met Patrick in 2005 when we worked together at the infamous Liars' Club in Mission Beach. I had just moved down from San Francisco (and the Toronado there) and Patrick trained me when I started, and we became good friends. When I opened the Toronado here a couple of years later, I hired him to bartend here. After a couple of years, P wanted to do his own thing, and it turned out that his own thing happened to be starting a pop-up food stand in the parking lot right across the street from the bar. Every weekend for a couple of years, he served late-night food, street-style. He also started worked the farmers market circuit, basically busting his rear, and garnered a devoted following for his plant-based sandwiches, wraps and tacos. I was impressed with how hard he worked, and when two years ago he opened his own restaurant, Anthem on El Cajon Boulevard, I thought that if anyone could pull off opening a restaurant in these difficult times, it would be him. The restaurant was super popular, but two weeks ago he had to make the decision to close (see "costs" above). In the ensuing days he and his crew, and for that matter, my crew, have busted their asses and as of yesterday, the Anthem menu is officially up and running here at the Toronado. They "quietly' sold more food yesterday than we had in a couple of years.

The decision to go to a plant-based menu was ultimately something I felt was going to work. I realize that some of you will be disappointed to see things like our Tuesday night supper and some of the more constant menu items that we've had over the years go away, and that's something I gave a lot of thought to. I mean, some of you have been reading these emails for a decade, and all of your loyalty to the Toronado has enabled us to stay open for what will be 11 years on the 24th of May. And that's not something I take lightly. But in the end, something had to change, or 11 would have been the end. The bottom line is this: This move enables both Patrick and me to keep what doing what we love doing. And I'll admit that my discouragement over the last couple of years has negatively affected the quality of the experience at the Toronado. I'm sorry for that. This move allows me to focus on the beer, which has always been what I've been interested in. And the only way this move affects the way we order beer is that I'm going to be more aggressive to get the best beer I can get my hands on. Like the pallet of fresh Cellarmaker kegs that arrived last night. At the end of the month, I'm heading up to Paso Robles to join Firestone Walker owner David Walker & brewer Matt Brynildson and the PNC gang, and we'll be making not one but two new PNC beers. First week of May, we're having a night of Humble Sea, The Rare Barrel and Temescal beers on tap. And of course our 11th anniversary later in the month. So, I'm excited, and I was super happy to see that my staff was excited about the change too. And let's face it, it's kind of hysterical that after a solid decade without, you can finally get french fries at the Toronado... So come on out, and check us out. I'll be the guy having a Cellarmaker Cantaloupe Island IPA when we open today at 11:30. Thanks for reading, and thanks for supporting us for all these years. I think you're going to like the change. I'll see you here.

Ian Black

 

[pugsandsuds]

100% in. Hitting NPBC first for that Alpine Rye IPA collab...

Wonderful, get excited to try buffalo chik'n french fries

 

[arren]

I’m happy to hear they’re working on more PNC beer but man that Toro email left me feeling depressed.

Yeah that **** was... stark. Hopefully everything will be fine. I've become frustrated with their **** kitchen and expensive beer, but I don't want to see it go.

I actually got a lot of positive vibes from the email. I mean, it was pretty clear that Toro was going through a steep downturn in the past couple years - so it's good to see that adding Anthem has breathed some new life into that place.

Also gotta give props to Ian for taking some accountability - even if he didn't necessarily need to own up to anything. I don't go to Toronado as frequently as I'd like, but the changes and more proactive talk from Ian makes me want to start going there regularly again.

 

[rcubed1]

Not that I go out to bars very often these days, but Toro priced me out years ago. But really they were just ahead of the price increase and everywhere seems to be on par with them now. Maybe time to go back now and check things out.

 

[DannyFullpint]

I still have left over taster tickets from The Full Pint10th.

 

[Tyrsis]

Wonderful, get excited to try buffalo chik'n french fries

hard ****** pass

rip Breakfast Sandwich

 

[oxcitypauze]

Don't underestimate the ability to order real ******* fries with your beer on a whim now. I also just had their "steak" sammy and it's pretty okay (add more sri racha) and note that I'm a steak-eating fan of vegan food. In any case, I wish them both the best so that they stick around.

 

[quetzalcoatl]

Stoked for the alpine npbc rye ipa collab and tap takeover