Thursday, April 30, 2015

Coin de Rue 13ème Pop-Up (Los Angeles, CA)

Coin de Rue 13ème Pop-Up at Michael J's Pizzeria & Bar
643 N Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
213.687.8888
Thu 04/30/2015, 08:15p-11:45p




Coin de Rue 13ème Exterior

Back in February, we saw the return of David Féau to the LA dining scene. The Chef staged a three-week pop-up called Coin de Rue inside the old Red Medicine space in concert with Adam Fleischman. The series was largely well-received, and so he followed up with a second iteration (sans Fleischman as far as I could tell), which debuted on April 16th and ran until May 1st. Michael J's in Chinatown was the setting for this incarnation, entitled 13ème after Paris' 13th arrondissement, home to the City's Chinese population.

Coin de Rue 13ème Interior
Inside, things were pretty cozy. They didn't really have any large tables (save for the communal hi-tops), so our party of six had to squeeze into a booth meant for four. It was workable, though certainly not preferable.

Coin de Rue 13ème Menu Coin de Rue 13ème Prix Fixe Menu
The Chinese-influenced menu for Coin de Rue 13ème centered around a three-course prix fix at $49 a head, which was joined by supplemental courses and some bar bites. To imbibe, Garrett McKechnie (formerly of 1886 at The Raymond) had a few cocktails going, while wines were available by the glass or by the bottle. BYOB was definitely an option as well (which we clearly took advantage of). Click for larger versions.

El Galgo
El Galgo [$15.00] | El Silencio Mezcal - cognac - orange liqueur - agave - grapefruit - lime - smoked sea salt
Given my penchant for mezcal, I had to get started with this. Think pleasantly smoky on the nose, and tasting of sweet-n-sour along with an overarching wisp of cognac heft.

Peppercorn Croquembouche - Chicken liver and foie gras mousse
Peppercorn Croquembouche - Chicken liver and foie gras mousse [$10.00]
The croquembouches were a repeat from the last go around, though we weren't complaining. They were delightful little bites, sugary at first, with the heft of the liver coming in later, the whole thing accented by the crunch of that caramelized top.

Artichoke gratin, gorgonzola dulce latte, madeira expression
Artichoke gratin, gorgonzola dulce latte, madeira expression [$12.00]
Next was quite possibly the most unconventional preparation of artichoke that I'd ever encountered. The star ingredient's light, vegetal flavors were forcefully conveyed, yet complemented by the pungent, piquant nature of the blue cheese while apples added some juicy crispness to the fold. I really appreciated the sprouts here as well, which offered a zesty accent to the dish.

French 75
French 75 [$12.00] | Gin - lemon - lemon peel - sparkling wine
A pretty traditional French 75 was light and refreshing, with the lemon-y notes in the drink working well alongside the gin. What was interesting here was that there was a marked savoriness on the finish that I couldn't quite put my finger on.

Rabbit rillette, peach mustard, country toast
Rabbit rillette, peach mustard, country toast [$10.00]
Rillettes were classic, really showing off the supple, savory rabbit while the mustard provided a sugary underpinning to the course. Superb texture on that crusty bread, too.

Fried four cheese ravioli / pesto herb salad
Fried four cheese ravioli / pesto herb salad [$11.00]
The most whimsical of the bar bites (and probably my favorite), ravioli were encased in egg roll wrappers as an ode to the pop-up's Chinatown locale. I loved the herb-y brightness here, which did a wonderful job counteracting the cheesy flavors at play, all while the egg roll casings imparted a fantastic Asian-y fried savor to the fray.

1996 Henriot Champagne Brut Millésimé
We BYOB'd it tonight for the most part, starting with the 1996 Henriot Champagne Brut Millésimé. It was great to taste some aged Champagne for a change. This one still had plenty of effervescence to it, and boatloads of breadiness paired with a nice oxidative quality and some citric notes.

Steamed cauliflower, melted cheese / tomato relish
Steamed cauliflower, melted cheese / tomato relish [$10.00]
Cauliflower was crisp and crunchy, and very subtly seasoned, so the cheese was key in providing the requisite amount of heft to the dish. Nice tartness from the tomato here as well.

Warm goat cheese Tartine / sourdough toast, bacon vinaigrette
Warm goat cheese Tartine / sourdough toast, bacon vinaigrette [$10.00]
A goat cheese tart was on point, with the creamy, tangy chèvre providing the necessary lactic lushness to the dish while bacon imparted saltiness and savor. And again, wonderful texture on the bread.

2001 Domaine Y. Clerget Beaune 1er Cru Les Reversées
My favorite wine of the evening was the 2001 Domaine Y. Clerget Beaune 1er Cru Les Reversées. I found this earthy, acidic on the nose, while on the palate, I tasted tart, light fruit, spice, and a green, herbaceous edge.

Foie Gras Poëlé _ riz noir et rouleu de laitue, echalotte brulé sauce de canard lacqué
Foie Gras Poëlé _ riz noir et rouleu de laitue, echalotte brulé sauce de canard lacqué [$18.00] | Seared duck foie gras_ forbidden rice lettuce roll, toasted shallots, lacquered duck sauce
At this point we got into the evening's three supplemental courses. This first was impressive, and reminded us of Feau's foie gras barbeque lettuce wraps that we had at that epic 30-course foie dinner back in 2012. The richness, the potency of the silky, supple, seared liver was beautifully displayed here, moderated by the sticky sushi-like rice while cucumber provided a crunch and levity to things. Toasted shallots supplied a hit of savory astringency, and the close was all about that Peking duck sauce and its bittersweet finish. Definitely one of the highlights of the meal.

Cuisse de grenouilles et racine de Persil a la moëlle de boeuf, ail des Ours
Cuisse de grenouilles et racine de Persil a la moëlle de boeuf, ail des Ours [$18.00] | Pan roasted frog legs, parsley root bone marrow, spring garlic
Frog legs were perhaps a bit chewier than I'd like, but were spot on flavor-wise, with their briny edge nicely played against the slight sweetness and spring garlic present. The marrow, meanwhile, wasn't really necessary.

Beef Cheeks
Beef Cheeks [$20.00]
An off-menu special, the beef cheek was another standout, coming out super tender and showing off all the deep, dark, bovine flavors that you'd want, amplified by the dish's clear broth. At the same time, the green chard was a welcomed touch, adding a great hit of counteracting bitterness, and I was a fan of the purple carrot and potato emulsion as well.

2001 Château La Croix du Casse
Bordeaux time. The 2001 Château La Croix du Casse was a potent wine, earthy and almost meaty in terms of bouquet, while on the tongue, I got notes of deep, dark fruit, tinged by a trace of mint.

Cruditée de carrotte salad Est-Ouest
1a: Cruditée de carrotte salad Est-Ouest | Raw shaved carrot Salad, East_West
Getting into the prix fixe now, we commenced with certainly one of the most intriguing presentations of crudités I've had. I loved the crisp texture on the carrots, and how their inherent sweetness was paired with all the bright, herby, citrusy nuances present.

Asperge Blanche 'Tempura' miel de truffle sea salt
1b: Asperge Blanche "Tempura" miel de truffle sea salt | Asparagus tempura, truffle honey / sea salt
Another favorite of mine was the asparagus, made into some of the best tempura I'd ever tasted. I got an initial kick of truffle and sugary sweetness here, which then led to the crisp, bitter flavor profile of the meaty stalks of asparagus. Wonderfully light batter, too.

Oeuf brouillés chou et langues d'Oursins / bisque de crabe
1c: Oeuf brouillés chou et langues d'Oursins / bisque de crabe | Soft scrambled eggs, cabbage, sea urchin / crab bisque
In another redux from the last pop-up, eggs and uni were paired together again in buttery, briny fashion, the crab bisque further amplifying the saline notes in the dish. Also key: the cabbage, which did all it could to provide a modicum of levity to things. Good, but not quite as revelatory as last time's.

Soy l'y Laisse de Poulet scallops et oeuf poché en demi deuil, salade de fève et poireau
2a: Soy l'y Laisse de Poulet scallops et oeuf poché en demi deuil, salade de fève et poireau | Chicken oyster scallops and poached egg, warm leeks and fava beans salad
Scallops arrived well-textured and tasty, though they were outshone by the chicken oysters, which had a wonderful savoriness to them that paired swimmingly with the crunchy favas. A cozy, hearty sort of dish.

Fletan d'Alaska et girolle cuit au four dans une marmite en terre cuite
2b: Fletan d'Alaska et girolle cuit au four dans une marmite en terre cuite | Clay pot baked Alaskan halibut, chanterelle mushroom, jus natural
Halibut was soft and super flaky, with its delicate flavors augmented by the earthy chanterelles while the greenery up top provided just the right amount of brightness. Lovely.

Navarin d'agneau aux olive, gnocchi de pomme de terre aux olive
2c: Navarin d'agneau aux olive, gnocchi de pomme de terre aux olive | Spring lamb stew, medjool date, rainbow chard, green olives and potato gnocchi
This was a homey course, with the lamb's rich, hefty flavors joined by the sweetness of date while the chard gave up a nice touch of bitterness. I liked the fluffy bits of gnocchi here as well, though my concern was that the lamb was a touch tougher than I'd prefer.

2013 The Bruery Brandy Barrel Bois
For dessert, we moved on to a beer, the 2013 The Bruery Brandy Barrel Bois. This was a doozy, unsurprisingly, with its nose of dark fruit, brown sugar, oak, and booze leading to more of the same on the palate, along with a tangy, vinous note from the brandy barrel-aging.

chaud foie de Myrtille, Sorbet de Lait infusé au riz brun torrefié
3a: chaud foie de Myrtille, Sorbet de Lait infusé au riz brun torrefié | Fresh blueberry Jubilée / toasted brown rice frozen milk
A frozen milk of rice was sweet and creamy, but also conveyed a huge amount of sesame oil-like character that was rather unexpected. Those nutty notes actually paired pretty well with the sweet-tart berries, but I would've liked a bit more brightness here, maybe from some mint or some lime.

Tarte aux Citron de mon jardin sablé / lait d'amande, french meringue
3b: Tarte aux Citron de mon jardin sablé / lait d'amande, french meringue | Garden meyer lemon tart, almond latte, french meringue
A lemon tart was appropriately tangy, with its puckering qualities tempered just a smidge by the savoriness of that crust. Nice textures on the meringues.

glace aux caramel aux beurre noisette, granola de Pretzel
3c: glace aux caramel aux beurre noisette, granola de Pretzel | Brown butter caramel ice cream, pretzel crumbled
In my favorite of the desserts, ice cream showed off all the caramel-y, nutty flavors that you'd expect from brown butter, a sweet, but not overly saccharine presentation that melded well with the crunchy, salty pretzels.

We all left 13ème very content with the food. Féau did a commendable job here, surpassing the plates that he put out at the first incarnation of Coin de Rue. The incorporation of Asian influences was fairly subtle for the most part, but definitely seemed to jive with his French roots. In fact, it's a direction that I'd like to see him pursue further. When asked about his future plans, the Chef stated that he already has another location in the works, so I'll be sure to be on the lookout for that coming up.

Saturday, April 25, 2015

Kaito Sushi (Encinitas, CA)

Sushi Kaito
130 N El Camino Real, Encinitas, CA 92024
760.634.2746
Sat 04/25/2015, 07:45p-09:25p




Kaito Sushi Exterior

When talking about San Diego sushi, Ota seems to be the one that gets the most mention. However, over the past several years, I've heard more and more about Kaito, and decided to give the place a shot. The restaurant is owned by the husband-and-wife team of Ryan Bertsch and Hiromi Kimura (they also run the nearby Sugar Coffee & Tea), and debuted at the start of 2005. Back then, the place was situated at another location about a block away, but moved to its current digs in April 2008. Along with the move came a revamped menu focused on edomae-style sushi, with the former Italian-ish items dropped altogether.

Meanwhile, helming the kitchen here is Kazuo Morita, a Tokyo-trained sushi chef since age 18 that's worked in the San Diego area since 1986. He's spent time at Tomiko in Encinitas, Nobu in Solana Beach (unrelated to Mr. Matsuhisa's places), and the old school Yae in Rancho Bernardo back in the day. Assisting Kaz-san is Ryoichi Iwata, more commonly referred to as "Joe," who also worked at Tomiko as well as Ichiban in San Diego.

Kaito Sushi Interior
Located in a strip mall, Kaito is about what you'd expect inside. There are a smattering of tables, but most of the space is taken up by the large-ish sushi bar, which seats around 14 diners.

Kaito's à la carte menu comprises your usual selection of apps, noodles, bowls, nigiri, and rolls. We were here, naturally, for the omakase though, which tonight ran $69 a head. To drink, there's your typical Japanese beers, as well as sake, though corkage is offered at $10 a bottle (we weren't charged, however, possibly because we shared with the Chefs).

2014 Fantôme Saison D'Erezée Printemps
I had two beers with me tonight, the first being the 2014 Fantôme Saison D'Erezée Printemps, a Belgian saison brewed with seasonal herbs. I found it rather interesting, with a distinct tinge of sweet spice on the nose, while on the palate, I got a light farmhouse funk leading to a very robust finish teeming with notes of fennel and oregano.

Kyuri to Tamanegi no Sunomono
Quickly set before us was a vinegar-y salad of cucumber and onion, a bright, bracing combination that worked as quite the palate cleanser.

Aoyagi Sashimi
1: Aoyagi Sashimi
Kaz-san got us going with a delightful sashimi of orange clam. It was a fantastic mix of textures, both spongy and crisp, and a showcase of sweet, subtle salinity. Tasty alone, and even better with a dab of wasabi.

Nama Tako Sashimi & Age Tako
2: Nama Tako Sashimi & Age Tako
Raw octopus was satisfyingly chewy, with a nice snap and light brine to it--excellent with a bit of 'sabi. The raw preparation was joined by deep-fried suckers, which were wonderfully savory, with a consistency that blended both crunch and spongy.

Moriawase sashimi
3: Moriawase sashimi
The assorted sashimi platter brought out a variety of treats: a light, sticky snapper that really opened up with some soy; some well-textured, very sweet hotate; sticky, gelatinous squid rolls; creamy chutoro that really called for some soy and wasabi; some dense, clean amberjack; and finally, the firm, fishy sashimi that is kohada.

Age Mehikari
4: Age Mehikari
Next up was the so-called round greeneyes, which I'd had once before at Mori Sushi. Served fried and eaten whole, they were really quite delicious, conveying a deeply pleasurable savoriness and crunch.

Mikkeller Nelson Sauvignon
My other beer was the Mikkeller Nelson Sauvignon, a Belgian golden ale brewed with Brettanomyces and aged three months in Austrian white wine barrels. I really liked this one, finding it expectedly funky and tart, but with a dry, vinous quality to it that really hit the mark.

Anago Tempura
5: Anago Tempura
Kaz-san then sent out a spot on rendition of tempura, this one featuring sea eel. Beautifully textured, with the saline essence of the anago well-matched to the tangy tentsuyu-like dipping sauce.

Maguro-Yamaimo Sushi
6: Maguro-Yamaimo Sushi
Tuna was paired with mucilaginous yamaimo mountain yam and zesty kaiware daikon sprouts in this somewhat seldom seen presentation of sushi.

Tako Sushi
7: Tako Sushi
Octopus nigiri was a perfect example of such, with the tako's excellent snap and mild savor pairing wonderfully with a hit of yuzukosho.

Umeshiso Yamaimo Hosomaki
8: Umeshiso Yamaimo Hosomaki
Next were cut rolls featuring ume, shiso, and more of that mountain yam, a tart, minty presentation grounded by the rice and umami-rich relish of nori.

Tamago
9: Tamago
A traditional closer, the egg was cool and sweet, with an interesting cut to boot.

Kazuo Morita
Chef Kaz-san shows off one of the first knives he ever bought.

Unfortunately, this was no doubt the shortest omakase that I've ever had, not due to any fault of the restaurant, but because I was super full coming in thanks to the meal I had at Carnitas' Snack Shack earlier in the day (and the beer I had at the four breweries I visited). I had to cut things short sadly as a result, so I didn't really get to experience the full breadth of what the kitchen is capable of. What I did taste was very promising though, so I have no doubt that Kaito can stand as one of the top sushi joints in San Diego.

San Diego Breweries Part 2

Council Brewing Company
7705 Convoy Ct, San Diego, CA 92111
858.256.0038
www.councilbrew.com
Sat 04/25/2015, 03:50p-04:30p




Council Brewing Company

After hitting up four breweries the previous day, we went for another quartet, starting with Council. Founded in 2013 by Liz and Curtis Chism (Liz serves as head brewer) as well as CFO Greg Leiser, the operation opened in 2014 in the Kearny Mesa neighborhood with a particular focus on both West Coast-style IPAs and sours.

Council Brewing Company Tasting Room
Council's tasting room is compact, but inviting.

Council Brewing Company Tap List
Sixteen taps are generally available. Click for a larger version.

Council Farmer's Gold / Dubbel Conspiracy / Beatitude Mosaic / Beatitude Apricot / Beatitude Cherry
A flight of five tasters is the way to go here, and we made sure to get all the Beatitudes to start (left to right):
  • Farmer's Gold / Belgian Saison [$1.50]: Bright green apple to begin, with Belgian-y yeast, grain, and spice to round things out.
  • Dubbel Conspiracy / Belgian Dubbel [$2]: Light smoke on the bouquet, along with a subtle sweetness; on the tongue, it was all about malt, with some dark fruit and tartness.
  • Beatitude Mosaic / Dry Hopped [$3]: My favorite of the Beatitudes, lemony and herby on the nose, with more tart, dry, refreshing lemon on the palate, all underscored by a wonderful hoppy bitterness that was perfectly integrated.
  • Beatitude Apricot / Tart Saison [$3]: Smelled of sour stone fruit, while the taste went earthy, with the apricot coming in strong toward the rear.
  • Beatitude Cherry / Tart Saison [$3]: A good amount of tart cherry on this one, the fruit flavors only intensifying toward the finish.
Council Bully Pulpit IPA / Clodhopper / Quorum IPA / Weizenbock / Pirate's Breakfast
Heartened by the previous round, we went for another fivesome (left to right):
  • Bully Pulpit IPA [$2]: Super hoppy, resinous, bracingly so, with a sweetness creeping in toward the mid palate.
  • Clodhopper / E.S.B. [$1.50]: Extra nutty and almost savory in terms of aroma; again, nutty, malty, and softly bitter on the palate.
  • Quorum IPA / Experimental Hop 05256 [$2]: Quorum represents a series of experimental IPAs, and this particular batch was just about the dankest IPA I've had, almost disconcertingly so in fact. Not a fan.
  • Weizenbock / German Dark Wheat Beer [$2]: Classic weizenbock notes of malt, dark fruit, and subtle spice.
  • Pirate's Breakfast / Imperial Oatmeal Stout [$2]: Smooth, with apparent nuances of coffee, roast, and a bit of dark fruit.
Council Nicene / Athanasian / Vienne
We'd initially come here to pick up bottles of Vienne, a barrel-aged biere de mars that we'd purchased earlier online. However, the brewery had run out somehow, so we were instead provided with bottles of Council's previous barrel-aged releases: Nicene, a Belgian farmhouse style sour saison, and Athanasian, a barrel-aged Belgian tripel. If that wasn't enough, we happened to run into Curtis in the tasting room, and he was kind enough to toss in a free bottle of Bourbon Barrel Aged Pirate's Breakfast as well, which he cautioned was infected (my plan is to just let it age, and see what happens).

Council's another SD area brewery that I'm pretty excited about, particularly when it comes to their sours and barrel-aged releases. In fact, I've already purchased their fifth and sixth BA beers, the House Red and House White, a duet of wine grape sours brewed for Council's first anniversary. Looking forward to seeing what they come up with next.




Societe Brewing Company
8262 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, San Diego, CA 92111
858.598.5409
www.societebrewing.com
Sat 04/25/2015, 04:35p-05:15p




Societe Brewing Company

From Council, our next stop was the nearby Societe Brewing, which I'd been hearing a lot about in recent times. Opened in May 2012, the brewery is the work of Douglas Constantiner and Travis Smith, two friends who first met while working at The Bruery.

Societe Brewing Company Tasting Room
Spanning roughly 3,000 square-feet, Societe's tasting room is one of the nicer ones I've encountered, with lots of sitting space and a nice view of the entire operation.

Societe Brewing Company Tap List
Here we see the tap list, which is divided into three sections: Old World (Belgian-ish), Out West (West Coast-y hoppier stuff), and Stygian (dark and roasty). Click for a larger version.

Societe Harlot / Debutante / Bachelorette with Northern Brewer / Bachelor with Northern Brewer / Madam / Widow / Haberdasher / Bellowsman
We ended up getting eight tasters (only $1 each), which afford us a good overview of the beers (counter-clockwise from left):
  • The Harlot / Belgian Extra: Light and grainy notes abound; a subtle fruit/floral character to taste, along with a smidge of spice and hops.
  • The Debutante / Belgian Amber: Slight aromas of tartness, grain, and hops, transitioning to a malty flavor profile with a hint of yeast.
  • The Bachelorette with Northern Brewer / Single Hop Lager: Very light on the nose, with hints of lemon peeping up; on the palate: crisp, refreshing, grainy, softly bitter.
  • The Bachelor with Northern Brewer / Single Hop IPA: Again, lemon-y both in terms of smell and taste; tarter than The Bachelorette, with a nice amount of maltiness.
  • The Madam / Belgian Strong Golden: Tart, yet somewhat fruity for the bouquet; yeasty, a bit sweet-n-sour on the tongue.
  • The Widow / Belgian Strong Dark: Smells of light malt, caramel, with slight fruit; taste largely follows, with notes of caramel, roast, and mild astringency.
  • The Haberdasher / English IPA: Very weak on the nose; bitter at its core, but tempered by a restrained malt profile.
  • The Bellowsman / Smoked Stout: Classic stout aromas, leading to an abundance of roast, malt, and cacao, the smoke coming through more on the close.
Star Wars Trivial Pursuit
One of the benefits of Societe's tasting room is the abundance of board games. Someone, I managed to win a game of Stars Wars Trivial Pursuit, despite not knowing much about either Stars Wars or Trivial Pursuit.

I'd heard a lot of great things about Societe coming in, but I left a bit underwhelmed. The beers are well made, but I think the issue was that stylistically, they just weren't up my alley: nothing barrel-aged, nothing funky, nothing sour, nothing really experimental. However, I know they're working on a Feral line of wine-barrel aged sours, so I'll be looking forward to trying those out.




AleSmith Brewing Company
9368 Cabot Dr, San Diego, CA 92126
858.549.9888
www.alesmith.com
Sat 04/25/2015, 05:35p-05:55p




AleSmith Brewing Company

We then proceeded north to one of the biggest names in SD brewing. AleSmith was founded back in 1995 by Skip Virgilio and Ted Newcomb, but really began to take off after brewmaster Peter Zien purchased the company in 2002. The brewery specializes in European-inspired ales, and is especially well-regarded for its barrel-aged brews.

AleSmith Brewing Company Tap List
The tap list is fairly compact, with AleSmith's year-round beers joined by some more uncommon selections, including stuff on cask/nitro. Click for a larger version.

AleSmith Robust Porter / Olde Ale MMXV on Cask / Wee Heavy on Nitro / X on Cask
We were getting quite full at this point, so opted for a mere four tasters (left to right):
  • Robust Porter: Coffee, bitterness on the nose; dry, roasty body, but not too hefty.
  • Olde Ale MMXV on Cask: Smells of massive amounts of malt and dark fruit; tastes follows smell, with slight hops.
  • Wee Heavy on Nitro: Super creamy and unabashedly boozy, with notes of dark fruit, sweet malt, roast.
  • X on Cask: Hoppy, juicy aromas; tastes hoppy, yet smooth, with a dark, malty quality to even things out.
The beers were pretty on point across the board, but we didn't really want to spend too much time here given how cramped the whole place was. The tasting room is far too small given the popularity of the brewery. Fortunately, AleSmith is expanding into a much larger facility less than a mile away in the coming months. I'll be looking forward to a revisit.




Ballast Point Brewing Company
9045 Carroll Way, San Diego, CA 92121
858.790.6901
www.ballastpoint.com
Sat 04/25/2015, 06:05p-06:35p




Ballast Point Brewing Company

We ended the day at Ballast Point, the only brewery of the lot that could challenge Stone in size and scale (in fact, production-wise, it's #2 behind Stone). The history of Ballast Point starts with one Jack White, who first started brewing with roommate Pete A'Hearn during their days at UCLA. White eventually opened Home Brew Mart in San Diego in 1992, while A'Hearn went to UC Davis and earned his brewer's credentials. The two then teamed up with home brewer Yuseff Cherney and started Ballast Point in the back of Home Brew Mart in 1996, though A'Hearn left the team soon after to become a science teacher. A larger production facility was opened in Scripps Ranch in 2004, and in 2008, Ballast Point began distilling at that location. 2013 saw the debut of a brewery-restaurant in Little Italy, while last summer, the Miramar location that we see here dropped.

Ballast Point Brewing Company Tasting Room
Ballast Point Brewing Company Restaurant
The space is indeed impressive, spanning over 100,000 square-feet and housing production facilities, a large tasting area, and a full-blown restaurant to boot.

Ballast Point Brewing Company Tap List
Here we see the list of beers on draft (including some of BP's more uncommon selections), with tasters going for two bucks a shot. Click for a larger version.

Ballast Point Sour Wench / Calm Before The Storm / 70 and Sunny / The Commodore American Stout / Thai Chili Wahoo White / Fathom IPL
We went with six tasters to share (left to right):
  • Sour Wench: A dry, tart, crisp Berliner Weisse with a lovely overarching Marion blackberry character.
  • Calm Before The Storm: A cream ale brewed with Café Calabria coffee and vanilla, this one was fetching, a silky explosion of smooth coffee and vanilla flavors.
  • 70 and Sunny: A dry-hopped saison; light bitterness and earthiness in the aroma; hoppy and refreshing on the palate, with subtle citrus.
  • The Commodore American Stout: Sort of a prototypical stout, roasty with coffee notes and a strong hop bite.
  • Thai Chili Wahoo White: Wheat beer with Thai chilies, limes, and ginger; restrained heat on the nose; more spice hits the tongue, joined by lime tartness and an underpinning of ginger-y zest.
  • Fathom IPL: India pale lager with rosemary, lemongrass, basil, and lemon verbena; a nice twist on the base beer, with some delightfully floral, herbaceous aromatics.
I was pleasant surprised with Ballast Point. Certainly, the space hits all the right notes, but the beer itself was much more interesting than I was expecting from the brewery. It'd be nice to see their more adventurous beers in bottled form.