Tasty

Beer and chocolate

It’s not often that I find myself wishing I lived in Escondido. It’s a nice enough town, just a little too warm and far from the ocean for my taste. But the folks at Stone Brewing almost make me forget that (particularly after I’ve had a glass or two of one of their intensely flavored beers.)

More than even the beer, what I appreciate is how the crew at Stone has transformed a not terribly interesting part of Escondido into a lively social and cultural center.  The beautifully designed bistro and gardens are part of the draw, but there’s also so much imagination and creativity evident in the line-up of events. Steve and I (and almost 50 other people) took part in a Beer and Chocolate class last weekend at which we tasted 7 chocolates made by Chuao, the daring San Diego-based Venezuelan “fusion-chocolatiers.” These were paired with 6 Stone brews selected to bring out the best qualities in each. We found it a remarkably congenial and delicious experience, with Chuao’s salt-butter caramel Melao bonbon and Stone’s Pale Ale  capturing my heart.  (Or was it the caramel-fudge, chipotle chile, salt, and popping candy Firecracker and the Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout? Or that lemon tequila dark chocolate ganache Cinco de Mayo, downed with the Stone IPA?)

The “beer and sushi” class taking place tonight is sold out, but there are plenty more intriguing food events coming up: a sour beer festival next Sunday (July 19), beer and cheeses on the 25th, a dinner celebrating fresh local cuisine August 3.  Non-gustatory events sound equally intriguing.  Every Wednesday night, Stone screens a movie in the gardens, and on July 23rd, Will Wheaton (the former Ensign Wesley Crusher on Star Trek: The Next Generation and current author, blogger, and Twitterer) will do a reading. And if the Call of the Chocolate sounds more loudly than anything else, there’ll be a repeat Sunday, August 16, this time featuring the offerings of Eclipse Chocolat.