California is known for its wine country, but we also have a lot of international award-winning brewing companies scattered throughout the state.  In San Diego, I am familiar with several of the county’s breweries.  I live up the street from Ballast Point Brewery, which won the Best Small Brewery in the 2010 World Beer Cup.  During the Holiday break I visited my family in Ventura and decided that I would visit a few local breweries.

I had a cold the whole week I visited these breweries, so my taste buds were a bit out of whack.  I also only had a chance to visit four breweries because of time constraints and a few of them being closed during the holidays.  Despite those conditions I hit the road with a few friends and made the most of it.  I will be visiting more breweries throughout the year, so stay tuned.

Anacapa Brewing Co. – Ventura, CA

Anacapa Brewery is located on Main St in Ventura, where my parents live.  It was my very first stop on my tour.  I had never been there before and was looking forward to visit.  I was not disappointed.  All their beers were great, but I especially enjoyed their brown ale, the “Brown Chicken, Brown Cow”.

Island Brewing Co. – Carpinteria, CA

It was a cold afternoon when we visited Island Brewing in my hometown of Carpinteria, CA.  I had been there a few times before, but I had never tried all their beers.  I love this place.  It’s definitely a locals spot, but their beers are world-class and I enjoyed all of them.  The “Paradise Pale Ale” might be my favorite.  Their blonde is also very tasty.  The only thing better than the beer was the great company and conversation I enjoyed that afternoon.  I made a few new friends and ran into some old ones.

Santa Barbara Brewing Company – Santa Barbara, CA

After our visit to Island, my buddy Julio and I headed up the road to Santa Barbara Brewing Co.  The location is great and I have enjoyed dinner here several times before, but never tried all of their beers.  We ordered the sampler and were surprised with 9 different beers.  It was a bit difficult to take them all down after having dinner (the sliders were delicious, by the way).  I enjoyed all their beers and haven’t picked a favorite yet.

Social Kitchen & Brewery – San Francisco, CA

I had the intention of visiting at least three breweries while I was in San Francisco last week.  It didn’t work out that way.  My friend Alma and I got caught up sight-seeing (both first-time visitors) and we were only able to visit one, which we picked because it was close to our location at the time.  We walked into Social and were impressed visually.  It was very spacious, comfortable, and welcoming.  The sampler was on the house and the bartender was very friendly.  We tried 6 beers and were not impressed by any of them.  I was very disappointed.  We bought a pint of their “L’Enfant Terrible” because it was the only beer we could somewhat tolerate.  We learned the brewery was new and I cut them some slack.  I just hope they get their act together soon because I would love to visit again and actually enjoy a beer.

To find out more about the Hive Gallery here’s a link to their website.  Check out the pics below, the rest are posted here on the Cali Green Fan Page.

Stay Hungry.  Stay Foolish.  Stay Inspired.
~cg

jimmy bell

There’s a certain vibe in the air when everyone under the same roof has the intentions of helping others. It seems attending this event sparked the global citizen in me and I figured the least I could do would be to share the involved organizations with our readers. Perhaps this story will inspire one of you to get involved and/or follow through with a selfless act of good.

So, you can find out more about the Living Peace Series here, which is organized by the Center For Living Peace. The next scheduled speakers will be Sir Richard Branson and His Holiness, the XIV Dalai Lama (don’t miss these).

Unfortunately most of my photos from the event came out blurry and I can’t find anything better online but below are the best, along with a quick video about the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Program.

Oh! And my favorite quote from the evening..
“My country is the world, and my religion is to do good.” Thomas Paine

This gets you in!

Cali Green photo wall, Giveaways and Drink Specials. Enter the Turkey Gobbling contest to WIN a Thanksgiving Dinner for six with all the trimmings from Lazy Acres, $25 gift certificate for The Burger Bus or Cali Green Giveaways…

Hope you all can make it and celebrate with us as Cali Green takes over Sandbar  Sat Nov 20th 514 State Street Santa Barbara , Ca

Caligreen.com LAs vegas dj cass

The history of Logan Heights and Barrio Logan dates back to the late 1800’s.  It was primarily a residential area during the turn of the century, making it one of San Diego’s oldest communities.  Until 1905 it was just known as the East End before it was renamed after Congressman John A. Logan, who wrote legislation to provide federal land grants and subsidies for a transcontinental railroad ending in San Diego.

Mexican settlers began arriving in the East End during the 1890’s and the number increased significantly after refugees left Mexico during the Mexican Revolution in 1910.  During this time the community began to transform as Mexicans became the majority ethnicity and expanded from the southern part of Logan Heights, eventually creating the neighborhood of Barrio Logan where Chicano Park is located.

During World War II, the community’s access to San Diego Bay was cut off by the expansion of San Diego Naval base as well as other military facilities which occupied the waterfront.  The area was re-zoned to include industrial uses beginning in the 1950’s.  This brought a lot of pollution, junkyards, and loud noises to the residency.  In 1963, Interstate 5 was built directly through the heart of the community, separating it with elevated on-ramps and painting the former residency in concrete gray.  1969 brought the construction of the Coronado bridge directly over Barrio Logan, creating a high concrete ceiling over houses, installing giant concrete support beams, and further deteriorating the community.  All this was done without the consent or input from the Logan Heights community, a practice that the residents were growing tired of.

The City Council’s 1969 promise to build a park was to compensate for the loss of over 5,000 homes and businesses removed during the construction of the I-5 freeway and Coronado Bridge.  This came after several demands by the community to build a park  to off-set the aesthetic degradation created by the overhead freeways supported by several large concrete piers.  The bulldozing of the park site in 1970 was more than the neighborhood could tolerate.  After being alerted to the construction, the local residents, several San Diego students, and other San Diego residents staged a non-violent protest in the form of a land takeover.  On April 22, protesters formed human chains around bulldozers while others planted trees, flowers, and cactus.  One protester commandeered a bulldozer to flatten the land for planting.  Groups from Los Angeles and Santa Barbara also joined the protesters in the occupation to show support and solidarity amongst Mexican-Americans.   The occupation lasted twelve days while negotiations between community residents and city officials took place.  The construction was eventually called off and the land was designated for the creation of a park, which was to be designed by the community.

The idea for painting murals on the support pillars of the Coronado Bridge was first mentioned during a meeting the day after the occupation by a local artist named Salvador Torres.  The work began in 1973 after the money was raised to cover materials cost.  Chicano and non-Chicano artists from all over California were invited to contribute.  Many of the images represent the struggle in the community of Logan Heights as well as nationally with the repression of Hispanic communities.  The phrase “Hasta La Bahia!”, meaning “All the way to the Bay!”, represents the original goal of expanding the park to San Diego Bay and reclaim the land that was taken away from the neighborhood by Naval expansion.  Other images depict community pride, activism, Mexico’s indigenous roots, field workers, support for education, Mexican culture, and religion.

Chicano Park was designated an official historic site by the San Diego Historical Site Board in 1980 and in 1987 the San Diego Public Advisory Board officially recognized the murals as public art.  Chicano Park Day is celebrated every year on the weekend nearest to April 22.  The park itself is easily accessible, but even easier to miss since it is located directly under the on-ramp that connects the Coronado bridge to Interstate 5.  It is one of San Diego’s hidden gems and a historical site for the Chicano Movement.  The murals themselves have received recognition internationally and their care and restoration by the local community continues to this day.

Cali Green!!!!

There was no doubt in my mind that the first establishment I would blog about would be my favorite pizza place in the world: Rusty’s Pizza.  I have loved this pizza parlor since I was a child growing up in Carpinteria, CA.  Visits after our Sunday Fun-Day Volleyball games will stay with me forever.  In my youth and naiveté, I thought every town had great pizza, but quickly learned that I was very wrong.  As I began traveling away from home for longer periods of time I grew to appreciate Rusty’s even more.  The locals will agree:  Rusty’s Pizza is delicious.

The company has grown a lot since I was a kid in the 80’s, but its history dates back to the first location in Isla Vista, which was opened in 1969.  Today, you can get Rusty’s Pizza in one of 20 locations throughout Santa Barbara, Ventura, Oxnard, Port Hueneme and Bakersfield.

Rusty’s has built a reputation of consistent quality with their ingredients and service.  They make their dough from scratch, mix their sauces, and grind their California cheeses all on a daily baisis.  They also guarantee that you will receive the best pizza you’ve ever tasted.  If you are dissatisfied in any way they will refund your money.  Who does that these days?  A restaurant that takes great pride in their product, that’s who!

Check them out on-line, pay them a visit, or order a pizza from home.  It’s all good…guaranteed.

As you can tell in the picture above, foot races don’t have to be long and flat (or necessarily sober).  There is always an enthusiastic crowd and a festival atmosphere.  Most races have live bands, vendors, and a beer garden.  The best part is that a lot of the races raise money for good causes so, don’t be shy, grab a friend, and sign up for a race this year!

Here is a list of a few beginner races coming up:

October 2nd: Dog ‘N’ Jog – Davis, CA

October 9th: Wet & Wild 5k – Irvine, CA

October 31st: Merrell Down & Dirty Mud Run – Folsom, CA

October 31st: San Diego Mud Run Fall Edition – San Diego, CA

November 27th: Santa Monica Gobble Wobble – Santa Monica, CA