San Diego

This summer has turned out far more interesting than I had anticipated it to be. It has been a string of trips punctuated by blocks of work. This weekend was my first trip down to San Diego this summer, and it was quite a weekend.

I had already planned to see Joe and his family at some point this summer. I hadn't got around to it because things just kept coming up. I made an extra effort to keep this weekend open for San Diego because there was a lot going on that I couldn't miss.

First, a friend of mine from one of my internet coffee groups (more or less same way I know Joe) came into So. Cal to visit his grandmother. He's a native of Chicago, used to have his own beer brewery in Tuscon, and now teaches physics at University of Louisville. He's friends with everyone from Stone Brewery, of which Joe, Chris (also from online coffee stuff), and I are huge fans, so he arranged a private tour for us.

It was also Allie's birthday on Saturday, and I really wanted to visit her. The timing was just right.

I took a train to San Diego on Friday morning. I usually take a train from Fullerton to San Diego, but this time (since I don't drive) I took the Metrolink to Union Station and went from Union Station to San Diego. Joe and Chris picked me up and we got straight to coffee business. A big point of excitement for us was the arrival of a very special lot of coffee. We've been waiting on Ethiopian Lekempti for a good while now. Joe and Chris have been trying to get it for about two years, but it's a region that doesn't have a reputation in the US so the broker has been really hesitant to import it. The current lot, organic/fair trade Ethiopia Lekempti Oromia Co-op is a really exquisite dry processed coffee that has a distinct orange peel taste. It's very Ethiopian, but at the same time, it's very different from the other regional varietals in Ethiopia. The coffee is just stellar and at this point, very special and rare.

Joe, Chris, and I met up with Nimbus at Stone. Right away we hit the tasting bar and tried some great beers for next to nothing. Then we took a private tour of the place. The new facility is really impressive: 60,000 square feet of concrete, stainless steel, and microbiotics. Joe brought a good amount of roasted coffee to trade for some beer. Not only did he get a 5 gallon keg of IPA, but Stone hooked us up on some bottled beers. I told Chris, the guy that hooked us up on the beer, that I'd like to purchase a case of Russian Imperial Stout for myself. Unfortunately, they were all out. Go figure - it's an annual limited release beer. However, he poked around their archive and pulled out a complimentary bottle for me - this one is going to be saved for a very special occasion.

After the Stone outing we all went back to Joe's place for more coffee stuff. I brewed more coffee in my Chemex and pulled shots of my espresso blend-in-progress (I'm set on the base but I am still trying to source aromatic components). We hung out, Joe's kids played with Nimbus's son, and we had a really great time. Joe's kids are really special and I get a huge kick out of them. They each have enormous personality and are very bright. They get jealous of their dad when he hogs me to "play with coffee." After Nimbus and Chris left Joe, his family, and I went out to a spectactular Indian/Pakistani restaurant. In the morning we build a chain link dog kennel in the back yard, then I was on my way to Allie's place.

Allie turned 21 on Saturday. Her cousin and his girlfriend, who we have hung out with before, drove down from Santa Monica. We went to the beach during the day along with some of Allie's friends and I actually made some progress in evening out this Slavic farmer's tan. We went to dinner in the evening and afterwards picked up Allie's brother and his girlfriend, who flew in from Phoenix for the occasion. We hung out in the Gaslamp quarter of San Diego, bar-hopped, and had a perfect night. It really was perfect - even though I was the designated driver and I ripped my favorite jeans on a bar (I will be reimbursed for the replacement, woohoo). Today we went out to a great lunch, then I hitched a ride back to LA with Allie's cousins, then took a bus/metrolink train home. Strange thing... I feel more cofortable and welcomed with Allie's kooky Jewish family than with my own. I went to Long's today with Allie and was really surprised to find one bottle of Stone Vertical Epic beer there. Another limited release beer you really don't expect to find anywhere... another one to cellar for a special occasion.

Photos from both segments of the trip are on facebook.

The only major thing left I have to accomplish this summer is going to Philly.