Stone fail (and other beer quests)
Moderators: Post Moderators, Cheers Moderator
- lexuschris
- Posts: 2118
- Joined: Sat Apr 25, 2009 7:08 pm
- Location: Corona del Mar, CA
- Contact:
Stone fail (and other beer quests)
Well, I was down in Escondido today for a soccer tournament. We were all looking forward to some grub & grog over at Stone Brewing afterwards, but much to our chagrin, a 3.5 hour wait for a table (at 3:45pm in the afternoon) changed our plans.
Stone was packed. The restaurant was packed. The bar was packed. The parking lot, lobby & store were packed. OMG, I wish I had a business like Stone Brewing!
I did bring my growlers, and at least got some Enjoy by 4.1.13 DIPA and Oaked Arrogant Bastart for my troubles!
On the way back up, my wife asked me about other breweries in the area, and I remembered that I had always wanted to visit Pizza Port, so we stopped by their San Clemente location for some food.
Great pizza! Wow! Plus they had a very welcoming tap board.. I had their Doheny Double IPA and their Nerf Herder Mild. The Doheny Double was my kind of DIPA! Not too sweet, but plenty of hop & malt goodness! The dark mild was especially nice! It reminded me a lot of Black Tusk Ale, a dark mild I found in Whistler last year, and I hope to make another clone attempt of soon!
So, I was very disappointed that I had to skip a Stone Brushetta BLT w/blue cheese crumbles, but am otherwise glad I tried out Pizza Port and their pizza & beer!
Anyone have a trick to when to go to Stone to actually get a chance to enjoy their beer garden? Rather than admire it from afar? I only get down there maybe once a year, and every year it gets worse. I'm ready to give up on them... will just drink their beer from home I guess... not a bad idea right?
--LexusChris
Stone was packed. The restaurant was packed. The bar was packed. The parking lot, lobby & store were packed. OMG, I wish I had a business like Stone Brewing!
I did bring my growlers, and at least got some Enjoy by 4.1.13 DIPA and Oaked Arrogant Bastart for my troubles!
On the way back up, my wife asked me about other breweries in the area, and I remembered that I had always wanted to visit Pizza Port, so we stopped by their San Clemente location for some food.
Great pizza! Wow! Plus they had a very welcoming tap board.. I had their Doheny Double IPA and their Nerf Herder Mild. The Doheny Double was my kind of DIPA! Not too sweet, but plenty of hop & malt goodness! The dark mild was especially nice! It reminded me a lot of Black Tusk Ale, a dark mild I found in Whistler last year, and I hope to make another clone attempt of soon!
So, I was very disappointed that I had to skip a Stone Brushetta BLT w/blue cheese crumbles, but am otherwise glad I tried out Pizza Port and their pizza & beer!
Anyone have a trick to when to go to Stone to actually get a chance to enjoy their beer garden? Rather than admire it from afar? I only get down there maybe once a year, and every year it gets worse. I'm ready to give up on them... will just drink their beer from home I guess... not a bad idea right?
--LexusChris
"A woman drove me to drink, and I hadn't even the courtesy to thank her." – W.C. Fields
Re: Stone fail (and other beer quests)
Wow... 3.5 hour wait? That's ridiculous...
But +1 for Pizza Port. My only gripe about PP is that they don't have wait staff, so I usually try to sit at the bar (not much of an option when kids are in tow)...
But +1 for Pizza Port. My only gripe about PP is that they don't have wait staff, so I usually try to sit at the bar (not much of an option when kids are in tow)...
Brad
Re: Stone fail (and other beer quests)
I've never had a wait that long, but it has been about a year since I had been down there for the Bistro. I will be down there to drop off my keg for the March Madness homebrew comp, I will have to take my growlers with me.
GreyWolf27
- BrewMasterBrad
- Pro Brewer
- Posts: 3326
- Joined: Thu Feb 09, 2006 12:31 pm
- Location: Skyland Ale Works, Corona, CA
- Contact:
Re: Stone fail (and other beer quests)
3.5 hours? Didn't you tell them who you are?
That's crazy. I was there on Thursday, Feb. 21 and enjoyed some Pliny the Younger on tap. A nice surprise since I only stopped in for a pint of something else. Missed the Enjoy By release by a couple days.
That's crazy. I was there on Thursday, Feb. 21 and enjoyed some Pliny the Younger on tap. A nice surprise since I only stopped in for a pint of something else. Missed the Enjoy By release by a couple days.
I saw a werewolf drinking a pina colada down at Trader Vic's
- lexuschris
- Posts: 2118
- Joined: Sat Apr 25, 2009 7:08 pm
- Location: Corona del Mar, CA
- Contact:
Re: Stone fail (and other beer quests)
Salt in the wound, brother... salt in the wound...BrewMasterBrad wrote:That's crazy. I was there on Thursday, Feb. 21 and enjoyed some Pliny the Younger on tap.
--Lexuschris
"A woman drove me to drink, and I hadn't even the courtesy to thank her." – W.C. Fields
Re: Stone fail (and other beer quests)
I'd take that Enjoy By over Pliny (and that's coming from a guy who isn't the biggest fan of Stone beers), so I think you scored. Although, at 9.4%, I can't have much. I made a 5.7% version of something similar to the quoted malt/hop bill, and I'm quite happy with it. I did a side by side last night, and the hop characteristics are pretty similar.lexuschris wrote:Salt in the wound, brother... salt in the wound...BrewMasterBrad wrote:That's crazy. I was there on Thursday, Feb. 21 and enjoyed some Pliny the Younger on tap.
--Lexuschris
That Pseudo IPA on the board at Pizza Port San Clemente has always been a fantastic beer. I've only been there a couple of times since Noah left, and it wasn't the same. Maybe the new brewer has everything up to speed by now.
Luke
MetaBrewing - A homebrewing blog documenting experiments with equipment, processes, recipes, hops, wild yeast, and whatever else happens to sneak its way in.
MetaBrewing - A homebrewing blog documenting experiments with equipment, processes, recipes, hops, wild yeast, and whatever else happens to sneak its way in.
- StarRaptor
- Posts: 204
- Joined: Sat Jul 17, 2010 8:18 am
- Location: Orange, CA
Re: Stone fail (and other beer quests)
I love that Pizza Port
Re: Stone fail (and other beer quests)
Tustin Brewing just tapped the Enjoy By...
California - Where the ground moves and the traffic doesn't.
- lexuschris
- Posts: 2118
- Joined: Sat Apr 25, 2009 7:08 pm
- Location: Corona del Mar, CA
- Contact:
Re: Stone fail (and other beer quests)
That was tasty! I'll try and stop by at 5pm for a sample!
--LexusChris
--LexusChris
"A woman drove me to drink, and I hadn't even the courtesy to thank her." – W.C. Fields
- maltbarley
- Posts: 2408
- Joined: Thu Dec 08, 2005 9:31 am
- Location: Orange, CA
Re: Stone fail (and other beer quests)
I might try to sneak in there for a quick taste at 5:30.
And Chris, your post had me thinking this week so I planned a trip with the kids down to the Rainbow outlet tomorrow. Of course, we'll need to eat down there...
And Chris, your post had me thinking this week so I planned a trip with the kids down to the Rainbow outlet tomorrow. Of course, we'll need to eat down there...
- lexuschris
- Posts: 2118
- Joined: Sat Apr 25, 2009 7:08 pm
- Location: Corona del Mar, CA
- Contact:
Re: Stone fail (and other beer quests)
Smart thinking!maltbarley wrote:I might try to sneak in there for a quick taste at 5:30.
And Chris, your post had me thinking this week so I planned a trip with the kids down to the Rainbow outlet tomorrow. Of course, we'll need to eat down there...
BTW, at Tustin now. They already ran out..
"A woman drove me to drink, and I hadn't even the courtesy to thank her." – W.C. Fields
- maltbarley
- Posts: 2408
- Joined: Thu Dec 08, 2005 9:31 am
- Location: Orange, CA
Re: Stone fail (and other beer quests)
Good to see you, Mr. President. Glad that worked out.
- lexuschris
- Posts: 2118
- Joined: Sat Apr 25, 2009 7:08 pm
- Location: Corona del Mar, CA
- Contact:
Re: Stone fail (and other beer quests)
Likewise!
That North Coast Old Ale got the pontification glands going! Thankfully, the Old Town IPA mellowed me out afterwards! Gotta start thinking about my soccer sojourn this weekend...
--LexusChris
That North Coast Old Ale got the pontification glands going! Thankfully, the Old Town IPA mellowed me out afterwards! Gotta start thinking about my soccer sojourn this weekend...
--LexusChris
"A woman drove me to drink, and I hadn't even the courtesy to thank her." – W.C. Fields