Street talking Brew

Brian Thompson left the hustle and hype of Wall Street to brew beer. And not just any beer, but beer that he feels passionate about perfecting and sharing. He abandoned New York for California six years ago and nestled into Santa Barbara’s eclectic Funk Zone community to introduce Telegraph Brewing Company and tasting room to the local palate. “I left Wall Street just when all the fun started,” he says, tongue in cheek. Thompson chose to name his successful micro-brewery and distribution company after the San Francisco street where he first home-brewed beer as a hobby, sharing his special blends with friends, as he does to this day. A bit of a technology and history buff, Thompson embraced the idea of capturing a piece of California history by naming his brewery after an invention that helped to create modern California and brought people together from the East to the West Coast.

From his small and personalized brewery, Thompson and his team use mostly locally grown ingredients to create a number of unique and satisfying ale varieties, including his top three favorite seasonal blends—Telegraph’s flagship California Ale, the dark and rich Oatmeal Stout, and the elusive Gypsy Ale (made with fresh plums & wild yeast). When not faithful to his own brews, Thompson can be found enjoying the Bay area native beer Anchorsteam, an old friend that inspired his creative journey. Not one to play partial to ales, Thompson concocted a special label Pilsner for Fiesta in honor of Mexico’s rich tradition in Pilsner beers. In celebration of this past holiday season and Telegraph Brewing Company’s fiveyear anniversary, Thompson created a batch of full-bodied Winter Ale, based on the recipe for Mexican hot chocolate.

Telegraph Brewing Company is Santa Barbara’s only microbrewery that sells its beer off site, stocking the shelves of many local

Winter Is here

markets, including Whole Foods Market and Tri County Produce, and gracing the beverage menu of several local restaurants. Telegraph beer is handcrafted and poured into generous 750 ml. corked bottles and shipped to San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego. To imbibe of the latest blends and meet the people behind the beer, you can pull up a chair at the tasting room on Thursdays from 4-6pm, Fridays 4-8pm, or Saturdays 2-6pm. Cheers! —Sunny

Petersen

Telegraph Brewing Company 416 North Salsipuedes Street (next to Carr Winery) Santa Barbara, CA 93103 (805) 963-5018 telegraphbrewing.com. Photo By Shelly Vinson

With the march publication of A Menu for All Seasons: Winter, local chef Pascal Beale completes her celebration of cuisine keyed to the evolving calendar. drawing on her french heritage and her english childhood, Beale has created menus that recall the good stews, hearty soups, and aromatic puddings that warmed her youth. To those she’s added fresh, seasonal ingredients from the mediterranean and temperate California, so that her cuisine reflects a fusion of culinary cultures, incorporating not only european and American influences but also merging the spices of North Africa with herb blends from Asia. highlighting Beale’s eight menus—from appetizers to entrees and desserts—are updated classics like herb-stuffed roast chicken and lamb tagine as well as surprises like halibut za’atar with red quinoa herb salad and tea-infused winter fruit with marmalade shortbread. As Beale notes in her Introduction, “drawing inspiration from the local farmers and eating food so freshly harvested brings new meaning to creating seasonal foods.”

By

Julia McHugh.

Photo by Eliot Cowley.

A Menu for All Seasons: Winter ($29.95, m27 editions, 2011) and Pascale Beale’s other titles are available online at www. mckcuisine.com, and locally at Chaucer’s Books, The Book den, C’est Cheese, Renaud’s Patisserie, Tecolote Book Shop and many local wineries. m27 editions is a Santa Barbara-based publisher (www.media27.com).

A Symphony of Flavors

Shortly after taking my seat at Louie’s California Bistro, I notice the waitress delivering a birthday salad, complete with burning candle, and smile. my own lunch is about to get quite a bit hotter than usual.

Instead of a standby salad, I boldly order the piquant, Latin-influenced entrée that has been a favorite on Louie’s menu for nearly a quarter of a century: Stuffed Anaheim Chiles.

They come graciously served as a steaming kaleidoscope of vivid green chiles topped with fresh cilantro, red tomatoes and a dazzling orange-tinged chevre sauce. Both chiles are filled to bursting with a tangy mixture of rice and vegetables, including tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, cilantro, artichoke hearts and a touch of jalapeño.

With the first bite, I experience a surprisingly harmonious mélange of subtle flavors. The chile itself is mild, the stuffing is zesty but not fiery, leaving only a bearable smolder on the back of my tongue. The gentle cheese sauce finishes it all off with a cool, nearly sweet top note.

Louie’s owners since 2004, Anne Rizzoli and Trey Brooks, suggest pairing the chile with a Qupe Viognier chardonnay from their extensive wine list, “but really, you can drink anything with it,” Anne says.

Savoring the last of my meal, I consider never ordering a lunchtime salad again.—Teri Brier. Photo By Shelly Vinson.

This popular selection is only available during lunchtime, Mon. through Fri. from 11:30am to 2:00pm. Louie’s California Bistro is located on the ground floor of the Upham Hotel at 1404 De La Vina Street. Visit www. louiessb.com or call 805-963-7003.