Linkery New Year's Day Brunch

On Saturday, New Year's Day, at The Linkery we're having a special brunch to kick the year off right. We open at 10am, we've got Intelligentsia coffee and fresh squeezed orange juice from Schaner Farms oranges. And lots of good food.

We'll transition seamlessly into Saturday nite, of course, when we'll be open late. And Sunday we'll be open from 10am (brunch again) to 10pm.

30th on 30th + New Year's Eve Ritual Celebration

Let's count down to the end of 2010: 3 AleSmith Drafts, Two 30th Street Tacos, 1 Magnum of Duvel. Tonight, 30th on 30th means Cask Conditioned AleSmith YuleSmith will flow from the Ritual Tavern beer engine and Niman Ranch Steak Ranchero Tacos are two for $5. On New Years Eve come on in for 3 AleSmith drafts as we finish off the YuleSmith Cask and get into AleSmith X and AleSmith IPA on tap! Surf and Turf Beef Tenderloin Tip and Local Harvest Shrimp will be available without a reservation. We're saving 1 Magnum of Duvel for our New Years toast. Ring out the old, ring in the new.

"The chorus of the San Diego area's dynamic food and beer scene sings most sweetly along the city's 30th Street Corridor..."

A nice write up in the Oregonian this week. Nods to the Linkery, Alchemy, Ritual Tavern and Toronado.

Linkery: Christmas Eve & New Years Eve + 3 Special Brunches

The all-new Linkery will be open every day over the holidays except for Christmas Day. New Year's Eve we'll be open past midnite (as we often are on the weekends anyway). We'll have our new brunch on Dec. 26 (Boxing Day), New Years Day and Jan. 2, starting at 10am all those days.

Brunch is pretty off-the-hook: pastured chicken eggs, house made links, Intelligentsia coffee, fresh squeezed juice from Schaner Farms oranges, house made cafe de olla. There's nothing like this anywhere.

El Take It Easy on the holidays: New Years Eve with DJ Astronauta Jackon

We at El Take It Easy are open every day over the holidays except Christmas Day, and New Year's Eve we'll be kickin' it through midnite to the sweet tunes of DJ Astronauta Jackson (San Diego/Tijuana). $4 bubbly, big cazuelas, and good times for all.

And don't forget 30th on 30th the nite before!

Ritual Holiday Gifting

It's raining, it's pouring; a bowl of Shepherd's Pie or Gumbo sure would taste great about now.

The Ritual Tavern is the perfect place to get out of the rain. Have a warm tasty meal in a cozy, candle lit tavern, drink craft beer & complete your holiday shopping at the same time! In addition to Ritual Tavern gift certificates, all of our house made condiments are available for purchase. Ketchup, mustard, hot sauce, pickles, pickled farmer's market vegetable medleys: all made in house, free from artificial flavors, colors or chemicals. Ritual holiday shopping, as easy as ordering dinner ;-)

New Year's Eve at Urban Solace

An Urban Solace New Year's Eve Celebration! What an amazing night we have planned for you! We will feature three seatings, the first two seatings will be $50.00 per guest with the final seating at $55.00 per guest. The final seating will of course feature live music and a Midnight countdown with a complimentary champagne toast! To view the menu and any other info, click here!

December: Ritual Events at the Tavern

Drink About Wednesday December 15th!
(and the 3rd Wednesday of each month :-)

As we gear up for the end of the Holiday season, 'Yule' be drinking Holiday Ales at Happy Hour prices all night and riding a free shuttle bus up and down 30th Street and Adams Ave. The super nice people of Brewery Tours of San Diego drive the bus, so after you eat dinner at Ritual Tavern, you can try out Blind Lady Ale House, Small Bar, Live Wire, Toronado, Sea Rocket and Station Tavern & Hamilton's without moving your car.

Ritual Tavern makes your Holiday Shopping as easy as ordering a beer. We've got gift certificates, house made condiments (ketchup, mustard & 3 kinds of hot sauce), as well as pickled cucumbers, beets and other farmers market vegetables too!

Friday December 24th we'll be open for a Warm & Fuzzy Christmas Eve. Happy Hour prices all night to people wearing sweaters. (If you happen to have been gifted an ugly holiday sweater, this is your night to wear it proudly :-)

30th on 30th falls on Thursday this month. AleSmith Winter YuleSmith on cask at Ritual Tavern!

Hassle Free New Year's Eve. No cover charges, no reservations, no preset menu, no problem. Here at the Ritual Tavern, we think New Year's Eve is a time to be with people you like, doing something you love, in a place you enjoy. That's why we're happy to be spending the night at the Tavern with you! We will have a "Surf and Turf" special in addition to our regular delicious food and drink menu.

Cheers!

Marine Toys for Tots drop off@Gorgeous Salon

Please bring any new toys (unwrapped) to Gorgeous Salon at 3605 30th St. San Diego, CA 92104 Tues-Sat 10am-5pm through end of December.

For info on how Toys for Tots works or to donate online, please visit: www.toysfortots.org.

Thank you!

Craft Beer WalkAbout at Urban Solace

On Tuesday November 9th we are hosting some of our favorite brewers and their wares (including Anchor Brewing, Green Flash, Airdale, New Belgian along with our friends from Palm). Each brewery is paired with a dish from Chef Matt. This will be a fantastic event, don't miss it! For more info and how to reserve follow this link. Cheers!

Beer Week at the Linkery and El Take It Easy: This Ain't Your Grandpa's Beer Week

Mostly because this is only the second Beer Week, so how could it be, but still.

At The Linkery and El Take It Easy, we've got a lineup of Beer Week events that will make you feel jealous and terrible for missing any single event...unless you don't miss one. Then you'll be mostly satisfied, and full of amazing beer and food.

Click here to go directly to any of our events:
Thursday, Nov 4: Cask v. Draft
Friday, Nov 5: Cask v. Draft
Saturday, Nov 6: Cucapá Nite
Sunday, Nov 7: Green Flash Smokeout (10am to 11:30pm)
Monday, Nov 8: Cellar Nite
Wednesday, Nov 10: Craftsman Brewing Nite
Thursday, Nov 11: Green Flash Progressive Dinner
Friday, Nov 12: LagerFest with Ballast Point and friends
Saturday, Nov 13: Serious Madness 3.0 with Mad River Brewing
Sunday, Nov 14: Courtyard Cookout at Counterpoint

Thursday 4 Nov and
Friday 5 Nov at the Linkery
Cask v. Draft Night(s). Ever wonder how different a certain beer is when it cask-conditioned, as opposed to served on draft? You can find out Thursday and Friday, as we present the following beers in both formats:

-Black Market Brewing Co. Temecula CA. Rye IPA gold medal Winner at GABF '10
-Ballast point Sculpin IPA Gold Medal at WBC '10
-Airdale Afterburner Amber ale cask conditioned with chamomile
-Sudwerks pilsner, Sudwerks Brewery, Davis CA. The cask is unfiltered. This is the first lager we have done on cask, we think it is the second lager on cask in San Diego.

We'll offer special pricing when you buy a half pour of the same beer, cask & draft. This event officially starts on Friday, but most of the beers will also be available Thursday, for those who want to get a head start.

Saturday 6 Nov at El Take It Easy
Cucapá Night at El Take It Easy, featuring a full lineup of Cucapá beers and paired dishes from the El Take It Easy kitchen. DJ Astronauta Jackson (Tijuana/San Diego) spins.

Sunday 7 Nov at the Linkery
2nd annual Green Flash Smoke-Out from 10am to 11:30pm. A complete array of Green Flash beers on cask and draft, a plethora of pastured meats smoked over local Red Oak, and football (including the Chargers) on TV in the bar. GF head brewer Chuck Silva will be on hand celebrating with us again. This event was a huge success last year, and this year we're going to build on it.

Beers include:
On Cask
-8th anniversary IPA
-Le Freak
-Citra Session ale
-Green Flash ESB
-GF Porter

On Draft
-Super Freak
-Summer Saison
-Citra Session ale
-Fire Roasted Pumpkin Ale
-Fizzy Yellow Beer


Casks are being filled right now!

Monday 8 Nov at the Linkery
Cellar Day where we're going to bust out a few interesting things from our beer closet, including:
-Stone's Vertical Epic '06 '07 '09 '10 by bottle and small glass
-Green Flash, Grand Cru '09 by bottle and small glass
-Green Flash, Vintage Barleywine '08 on draft
-Select bottles from our cellar

Wednesday 10 Nov at the Linkery
Craftsman Brewing night with beers and pairings. Each pairing is $9 for the food and a half pour of beer, or get food and beer a la carte. Beers include:

- Craftsman 1903 Lager. Pre prohibition pale lager, 5.7 abv.
- Fireworks Saison. Red Spicy Dry American hops.
- Craftsman Smoked Black Lager. Brewed with Alderwood smoked malt; a delicate smooth dark beer.
- Triple White Sage. Aromatic Belgian style Strong ale
- Edgar's Ale (on cask). A tribute to Edgar Allen Poe. Black Strong Ale; a beer of mystery and imagination.

Thursday 11 Nov at the Linkery and El Take It Easy
Green Flash progressive dinner on 30th Street, with free shuttle. DJ Mr. Cotton Candy (aka Ethan) at EZ.

Friday 12 Nov at El Take It Easy
Lagerfest! Featuring craft lagers from Ballast Point and friends. DJ Claire pairs the smooth lagers with smooth yacht rock and vintage soul.

We'll be pouring the following Ballast Point lagers:

* Longfin helles-style lager
* Pescadero pils
* Abandon ship smoked lager
* Fathom IPL (2 gold medals this year WBC and GABF)
* Navigator Doppelbock

And we'll also have lagers from the local Gordon Biersch and from Green Flash (Fizzy Yellow Beer).

Saturday 13 Nov at the Linkery
Mad River Serious Madness 3.0. Last year we had 6 casks and 6 drafts from Mad River, and several food pairings, look for something similar this year. Mad River, by the way, just won Best Small Brewery at the Great American Beer Festival. So this is the best chance all year for San Diegans to check them out.

On Cask:
-Steelhead Scotch Porter (with oak)
-Extra Stout (with cocoa nibs)
-Extra Pale Ale
-Jamaica Red Ale

On Draft
-Bourbon barrel aged John Barleycorn
-Brandy barrel aged John Barleycorn
-Chili pepper ale
-Imperial Brown (Rorschach anniversary beer)
-Mad River Extra Pale Ale
-Mad River Sunset IPA
-Scotch Porter

Sunday 14 Nov at Counterpoint in Golden Hill
Wind Down Sunday: Courtyard Cookout at Counterpoint. We're going to set up an auxiliary kitchen in Counterpoint's beautiful courtyard at 25th near E St., hang out with Cam and the boys, drink a bunch of beer from their 15 craft taps, and reminisce about all the ridiculous things that happened during the week. We'd love for you to join us.

2nd Annual San Diego Beer Week Starts This Friday Nov. 5

Ritual Tavern is gearing up for 10 days of craft beer in America's Finest City!

We start SDBW2010 with an opening event featuring one of San Diego's newest breweries, Manzanita on Friday November 5th. We'll pair 3 full size beers with 3 food courses for $30. (tax & tip not included) Please RSVP 619.283.1618

Saturday 11/6 We'll be at the San Diego Brewers Guild Festival in the VIP lounge serving up food from noon to 2pm. Ritual Tavern opens regular hours 5:30 for your dining and craft beer pleasure.

Sunday 11/7 Featuring beers of Merchant Du Vin and Samuel Smith Brewery with importer representative Laird Butler. No reservations necessary.

Tuesday 11/9 AleSmith Dinner & Paring with brewer Bill Batten. Four courses paired with 4 beers. Likely to sell out, please RSVP soon.

Wednesday 11/10 Scottish, English and Belgian beers paired with food. Order one or all pairings, no reservations required. Live music from Trio Gadjo and it's DrinkAbout too! FREE Brewery Tours of San Diego bus transports you up and down 30th St.

Thursday 11/11 Green Flash Progressive Dinner/Pairings. 3 potential small plate pairings at each participating location. Join us here at Ritual Tavern, Linkery, El Take it Easy, also Sea Rocket and Blind Lady Alehouse too! No reservations necessary.

Friday 11/12 Avery Night! Colorado comes to North Park: 4 courses with beer pairings. Brewery representative Ted Whitney on hand to dine, drink & answer questions at the same time. RSVP

Saturday 11/13 Ommegang Night! 3 course dinner with beer pairings. Brewery representative Brian Hackler on hand to inform and educate on Brewery Ommegang. RSVP

We look forward to spending Beer Week with you!
Be Safe, have fun & stay classy, San Diego :-)

Cheers!

Haunted desserts for Halloween - 30th on 30th

Heaven Sent Desserts's kitchen witches have benn very busy: "Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble" and now we are filled with haunting, wicked desserts for this Halloween on 30th on 30th ...

Do not leave without at least one slice of the Pumpkin No-bake Cheesecake which normally sells for 5 Toads -sorry $5 and this evening only requires 4 dollars ...

Just 'cuz event - 10/16 8:00pm - 1:00am

We had such a grand time during our September "just 'cuz" event we decided to do it again! Last month we tried out a few tweaks that help make The Park-2-Park Shuttle even more user-friendly. First, we stopped going in one, counterclockwise circle. If what you really want to do is get from Jayne's or AC down to Ritual Tavern or Whistle, we've decided to just take you there directly. We still encourage people to explore new places, but we've made getting from place to place a bit easier. Second, we are using the power of these newfangled cellular devices to help you move when you are ready to move. Now, about 10 minutes before you are ready to move to your next destination you just text the host and voila, you'll get confirmation that the shuttle is on its way (or, quite often, right outside). As always, there's no eating or drinking on board and we are all about responsible fun for everyone!

Sign up for our special Craft Beer with the Expert, where we'll combine the expert guidance of Blind Lady's Lee Chase with drinks and pizza then hop on the shuttle for a brew lesson of your own at Home Brews & Gardens! It's on 10/23 and there are 15 seats left. They aren't technically on 30th Street, but I promise to tell you about the goodness that is 30th Street along the way!

30th on 30th note: we are running early (starting at 6:00pm) for 30th on 30th, but get your friends together and buy your passes ahead of time to ensure you get a seat!

Keep the Glass Night with Weihenstephan at The Ritual

celebrate oktoberfest at the ritual tonight, 10/14

keep the glass night

special

order a half liter of

weihenstephaner original draught

and keep the glass for $8

(while supplies last)

The Ritual Tavern, 4095 30th Street, open at 5:30 pm

North Park Farmers' Market Closer to 30th

The North Park Farmers' Market has moved into Herman Street between University and North Park Way on Thursday afternoons. If you haven't been to the market lately, you're in for a great surprise - produce, meat and eggs from more than a dozen local farms and ranches, locally baked breads and pastries, olives, hummus and much, much more.
This week we're teaming up with Sea Rocket Bistro for a special four course dinner featuring produce from Suzie's Farm and JR Organics; the first course will be served at the market, then stroll on down to Sea Rocket for the rest of dinner (and maybe a refreshing locally brewed beverage if you're in the over-21 set!)

Guide to everything Walkabout for tonight (Sat.)

South Park's Pumpkin-Time Walkabout tonight features creatively-carved pumpkins in storefront windows ... free walking tours and trolley ... anniversary celebrations at Grant's Marketplace and South Bark ... live music all over the neighborhood ... art show and fashion openings ... plus specials, tastings, demos and goodies at shops and cafes from Beech St. to Juniper.

For a complete guide, stop at the Info Table on Juniper St., or click here to download an advance copy. Enjoy!

30th on 30th Goes Yacht Rock

From the Linkery & El Take It Easy:

Steph and I took the morning off from our usual duties and went to appear on the CW6, along with Matt from Urban Solace and Jason and Jonathan from Cafe 21. We were promoting this Thursday's 30th on 30th event.

Max and Ana made samples of our 30th on 30th fare -- grass-fed roast beef sandwhiches for the Linkery, and pork belly tacos for El Take It Easy. Meanwhile Steph and I stood around and watched.









When we got there, we were in their outdoor studio, where one wall was made to look like we were in a marina, and the backdrop was like a tract home from 1983.

Matt looked really great there!



The food that both Cafe 21 and Urban Solace brought looked great too.







But most of all, what rocked were the yachts.





We had fun, and we heard the segment came out pretty well. See you on the 30th!

Walkabout Saturday Oct. 2 - Preview

Walkabout This Saturday Features Pumpkins, Anniversaries, Tours & More

South Park's annual "Harvest Walkabout" this Saturday, October 2nd, features some new festivities for visitors and residents to enjoy, along with celebrations of some "old favorites."

Walkabouts throughout the neighborhood always include free trolley transport, shops open late, restaurants offering specials, and plenty of festivity at the vibrant neighborhood businesses.

Read more here ...

This week at Bar Pink

We've got quite a busy week here at Bar Pink. Tonight and every Monday night, starting at 10pm. The Styletones bring down the house with their funk/soul/r&b originals and Stax-era covers. We are also showing MNF with some free bar snacks, and are extending Happy Hour($1 off drafts and calls) until the end of the game.
On Tuesday, instead of our usual Tiki Tuesday, we are handing the bar over for Michael Mack Presents' Guest Bartenders Rage In North Park, featuring bartenders from The Flame, to raise money for The Center.
This Wednesday we have White Hills from NYC, bringing us some psychedelic RnR, along with Magic Triangles from LA. On Thursday we welcome Montreal noise trio, Aids Wolf. Local indie rockers, Drug Wars opens. Also, for 30th on 30th, we will be offering a $3 Pink Peach - Peach Sweet Tea, soda water and splash of cranberry juice.
Every First Friday is hosted by DJ Artistic, who gets the dance party going with some rare funk and soul grooves, as well as some classic hiphop and R&B.
Taste of North Park is upon us again this Saturday. We will be featuring a taste of our Pinko Kami shot - essentially a pink kamikaze.
On Sunday we help celebrate Red Crow Studio's 1-year anniversary with free food and live music from 2-6pm.

North Park Farmers' Market joins 30th on 30th in September

September 30th is on Thursday, aka North Park Farmers' Market day, so we'll be celebrating 30th near 30th with some great specials from the market vendors, like $3 pulled pork or brisket sliders from Ranchwood Barbecue, 3 samosas for $5 from Masala Cottage Indian Foods, $1 gyros from Arslan's Kebabs, half off fresh fruit juice with the purchase of 3 papusas from Salvadorean Food, and much more to come! Stop by the market from 3 to 7 to enjoy these specials plus an expanded line up of local farms and artisan food producers.

Green Flash Night with Chuck Silva, Keep the Glass Cask Pours

Ritual Tavern welcomes Green Flash Master Brewer Chuck Silva Wednesday, 9/22. We'll feature three Green Flash brews; Green Flash / St. Feuillien Collaboration Belgian Blond Strong Ale 'Biere De L'Amitie', Green Flash 30th Street Pale, and Green Flash Cask Conditioned Double Stout.

The first 24 folks who purchase a Cask Conditioned Double Stout get a complementary Green Flash pint glass to take home.

Ritual's own Nick Martel will shuck and grill oysters to order on the patio. Should all be lots of fun, come on in and celebrate Ritual's Third Anniversary with us.

Ritual Tavern 3rd Anniversary Celebration!

Ritual Tavern is proud to announce our 3rd Anniversary! In the three short years we've been in business, we've shared our love of local artisan beer and food with many of you. Now we'd like to share our love of the number 3 :-)

3 AleSmith Casks
$3 pints of Cask Conditioned AleSmith X tonight, Sept 15th for our Twitter Followers!
3 Local Craft Brewery events with beer pairings.

Tonight is the first of the AleSmith Casks. It's also DrinkAbout!
We'll tap the cask at 5:30. You'll have plenty of time to drink and dine here at Ritual before you hop on the first free DrinkAbout bus at 7:20pm and head to your next stop. (Blind Lady, Small Bar, Live Wire, Toronado, Sea Rocket, Station and Hamilton's)

A bonus afternoon DrinkAbout you can feel GreatAbout happens on Sunday Sept. 19th. Each of the 8 participating craft beer locations on the route will donate to "Pints for Prostates" We open at 1pm on Sunday, so come get your DrinkAbout on early. Free San Diego Brewery Tours buses will run the usual route from 1-5pm. Our normal all Sunday happy hour draft beer pricing will not be available on the 19th so that proceeds can flow to the fundraiser.

Wednesday September 22 Green Flash / St. Feuillien Collaboration limited release Biere De L'Amitie 9.5%abv Ale Brewed with Spices and Cask Conditioned Green Flash Stout Night
(Featuring grilled oysters)

Thursday September 23 Lost Abbey / Da-Le Ranch Autumn Game Dinner including limited release Deliverance; a blend of Bourbon Barrel Aged Serpent Stout and Brandy Barrel Aged Angel's Share!! (By Reservation Only)

Saturday and Sunday 9/25-26 OPEN AT NOON BOTH DAYS!
Cask Conditioned AleSmith Evil Dead Red and all day Jerk Cookouts

We are triple-glad to be celebrating three great years with you!

‎$10 brow wax, this week only. Call 619-250-5641

Also, Manicure & Spa Pedicure Combo is always $30 for 1st timers.

Gorgeous Salon in North Park
3605 30th Street San Diego, Ca. 92104
Cross Street: Dwight St.
(619) 250-5641

South Park Walkabout - Sat. Oct. 2

It's almost PUMPKIN TIME! Save the date for South Park's upcoming Walkabout -- Sat. October 2, 2010, from 6-10pm. Plenty of tasty surprises are on the menu. More info to come!

Jaws Will Eat You Alive

Facebook Jaws Event Page
Sea Rocket Jaws Blog

$10 that will make you happy

We at the Linkery are really enjoying the new sausage sandwich on our menu, and we want all of you to come enjoy it, too. So we're offering a deal this week -- the sandwich and a half-pour of draft craft beer (whatever we have in the Pils/light ale category that day, we'll let you know) for $10. This will be good from tonite through Thursday nite.



Don't forget, you can also add bacon and cheese.

Thursday Ritual: Fresh Carlsbad Aqua Farm Oysters and Green Flash 30th St Pale on Cask

Wondering what to do tonight? We'll be spending our Thursday night in air-conditioned bliss, eating fresh local seafood and drinking casked ale :-)
Join us, won't you?

We sent Michael over to Catalina Offshore Products earlier to round up some fresh local fish for tonight's dinner. Then we sent him to the North Park Farmer's Market. He's now shopping for fresh organic produce to accompany tonight's entree. (and our new dessert too!) Very excited to have an organic fruit tart tonight :-)

An EZ Dish: Chicken Nuggets With Mole

Chicken nuggets have a bad rap. And what with their being an icon of industrial food an all, I understand.

But at El Take It Easy, we don't need a poultry scientist to make nuggets worth socking someone in the mouth for. We just need pastured local chickens from Curtis Womach, a traditionally prepared mole sauce, and the talent of chef Max Bonacci.



It's white meat, dark meat, and a touch of the precious bits from Curtis' chicken, lovingly nuggetized by our culinary team and presented to you in a rich dark mole. Available every day at the link, except when we run short on chickens.

Margerum Wines at the Linkery on Thursday

I first discovered Margerum Wines maybe a decade ago, when Gaffney's was featuring them on a night I wandered in. An old friend was in the bar, buying the maximum allocation she could of one of Margerum's Syrahs, and she told me about this winery and the quality of the wine. I bought my first bottle then, and have been hooked ever since.


Check out Joshua Lurie's Q&A with Doug Margerum here

As such, we usually have at least one Margerum-made wine on our menu at the Linkery, whether it's his M5 Rhone, or one of the wines he makes for Happy Canyon such as Barrack or Piocho.

It is with great pleasure, then, to celebrate with Mr. Doug Margerum and Margerum wines on Thursday, in a special pairings dinner. We'll have four wines from Margerum Wine Company in house, and Max will have a pairing for each dish. You can get each pairing for $11, including the food and a small pour of the wine, and also buy food and wine a la carte.

Margerum Chenin Blanc 2008 paired with
Pedrozo Black Butte cheese, Three Sisters Serena cheese, local buckwheat honeycomb, apples

Margerum SYBARITE Sauvignon Blanc 2009 paired with
Local squid scampi, pink grapefruit, tarragon

Margerum M5 Rhone Blend 2007 paired with
Roasted sweet pepper empanada

Margerum ÜBER Syrah 2008 paired with
Griled pastured goat from Farinelli Farm

We'll start at 5:30pm and go until 11:30pm. Full menu available in addition to the pairings. Doug Margerum will be in the house to chat about the wines.

It's going to be a great event.

AleSmith nite at the Linkery - 4 casks, 2 drafts, pairings with pastured meat dishes

Tonite (Thursday) promises to be a great nite at the Linkery -- we've got 4 cask-conditioned AleSmith beers, a couple of their drafts, and Max has made four special pairing dishes for the cask ales, each one featuring one of the amazing meats we get from our independent California farmers.


The Linkery at Alesmith, June 2006

Each pairing is $10 for the food with a half-pour of cask ale, or you can buy the food and/or the beer individually.

The menu:

Anvil ESB | Kettle fried raviolis made with local rabbit from Curtis Womach

Summer YuleSmith | Pastured Central Coast lamb sopes, Righetti Ranch pinquito beans

Nautical Nut Brown | Braised pastured California goat in a blanket

Wee Heavy | Grassfed Spanish Oak Ranches beef bresaola hash with local quail eggs from Wingshadows Hacienda

Full menu also available. The dinner is available from 5:30pm till 11:30pm (or until we run out, of course).

Farmer's Market to Table on August 5

Please join San Diego Weekly Markets and the Linkery for a progressive dinner beginning with an amuse bouch from Viva Pops! at the North Park Farmers' Market and then continuing up North Park Way to the Linkery, where you can enjoy any or all of the following courses featuring ingredients found at the market that day:

Stone fruit salad - Smit Orchards
*
Cheese selections - Taste Artisan Cheese
*
Linkery made lamb and pork hot dog on Linkery baked bun with SoNo whole grain mustard - SoNo Trading Company
*
Strawberry gazpacho with strawberry sorbet - Suzie’s Organic Farm

The dinner will be served at the Linkery until 11:30pm or until we run out of courses. Most if not all of the farmers and artisans will be present at the Linkery after the market ends, to talk about their work and their delicious products.

Think chocolate - think Heaven Sent Desserts

Spiced German Chocolate Bundt Cake - 30th on 30th special - $3.50

Wednesday Ritual, Cask Summer YuleSmith & 30th on 30th and

The Ritual Tavern hosts Outdoor Outreach tomorrow, Wednesday the 28th for a fundraising drive. All you have to do is come in an enjoy the fare
you have come to love us for, and the Ritual will donate 10% of sales
to Outdoor Outreach. Outdoor Outreach has a fascinating and
inspiring agenda;

"Outdoor Outreach is a San Diego-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit
organization whose mission is to empower at-risk and underprivileged
youth to make positive, lasting changes in their lives through
comprehensive outdoor programming. Outdoor Outreach programs support
under served youth in San Diego County who are at risk for school
dropout, substance abuse, violence and unintended pregnancy. We are
the only agency in San Diego and one of just a few in the country to
utilize outdoor physical experiences to provide youth with the
support, relationships, resources and opportunities they need to
become successful adults. Since its founding in 1999, Outdoor
Outreach has taken more than 5,000 youth on over 1,500 outings,
including rock climbing, snowboarding, surfing, snorkeling, mountain
biking and backpacking."

Learn more at outdooroutreach.org

The 30th on 30th event visits the Street this Friday!
We are aware of the popular demand for our Niman Ranch Pork Carnitas tacos, (30th Street Tacos) and we are prepared to accommodate everyone's hunger for this tasty treat.

Our friends at AleSmith crafted a cask conditioned YuleSmith for us
to feature as well, be sure to experience one of the tastiest Double
IPAs around with us. This tasty cask will be available on Friday, and
more than likely an AleSmith Brewer will be around enjoying a pint.

He'Brew brews a different recipe every year for their Rejewenator
release, and the Ritual is lucky enough to be able to be offering
this on draught. "America's smallest, biggest and most award-winning
Jewish (and now Sideshow Freak) Beer Company, Shmaltz Brewing
kicks-off its 14th year of delicious beer and delicious shtick with
the third incarnation of their annual celebration ale,
REJEWVENATOR®. Brewed with Organic Concord Grape Juice, Shmaltz
proudly introduces a new recipe of their Half Dopplebock, Half
Belgian Style Dubbel hybrid lager/ale - a truly unique brewing
performance. Rising to 8.2% alc, Rejewvenator® is available
nationally in 22 oz. bottles and a very limited amount of draft."
-Shmaltz Brewing

We have plenty more exciting things to try, come on by the Ritual and
see what else is new.

Cheers!

North Park Farmer's Market Growing like a Weed!

Have you been by the North Park Farmers' Market lately? It's under new management and adding new farms and food purveyors like crazy. Maybe you've seen the owl banners on 30th and University streets? Just follow them to the corner of Herman and North Park Way and check out all the new vendors as well as some old favorites. In the past few weeks, they've added organic California olives and olive oil from Good Faith Farm, squash, beans and corn from Kawano Ranch (they're also bringing mushrooms from Mountain Meadow in Escondido), and artichokes, asparagus and dried beans from the Central Coast at Suncoast Farm. Other highlights this week: cherries, peaches, pluots, nectarines, squash blossoms, eggplant, green onions, avocados, grapefruit, green beans, blueberries, and so much more!

Heaven Sent Desserts are simply - heavenly!

Each 30th we serve a different special from our menu at a special price and this 30th on 30th Heaven Sent Desserts offers up an individual Spiced German Chocolate Bundt Cakes. Whether you are a choc-a-holic or a bundt cake aficionado, or simply love desserts, this individual Spiced German Chocolate Bundt Cake will wow you with its rich tasting experience. The Devil's Food chocolate base is rich, moist, yet light; with an interior of Coconut Pecan filling, finished in a smooth and silky chocolate covering - both filling and covering spiced with cinnamon and cayenne pepper.

This delectable dessert is especially priced at $3.50 for the 30th only!

Ritual Open at 2pm Saturday & Sunday July 17 & 18

Thanks to you folks who dropped in earlier this week on your way back from the beach or from your poolside. We'll help you cool off after cooking all day in the sun. Our outside patios have been filling up around sundown, we like to see folks enjoying the balmy summer evenings out there over tasty Ritual food and refreshing glasses of beer.

In recognition of San Diego Pride 2010 the Ritual is opening at 2pm this Saturday and Sunday. Park2Park shuttles will provide transportation service from Ritual to the parade and festival from 10am til 2 pm on Saturday. Here is a great story about Park 2 Park and Pride by Morgan Hurley on SDGLN.com.

Cool off with gazpacho served chilled and featuring organic cucumber from the farmers market. Then go big with an entrÉe of Niman Ranch Prime Rib. The Prime Rib will be roasted, then plated English Cut over Parship Mashed Potatoes with sautÉed organic local carrots and tomatoes, and finished with beef jus.

Another shuttle to catch is the DrinkAbout bus running on Wednesday
the 21st.

Towards the end of the month (July 28th) we are hosting a benefit for Outdoor Outreach. Outdoor Outreach empowers at-risk and underprivileged youth to make positive, lasting changes in their lives through comprehensive outdoor programming.

Have a look at the Outdoor Outreach website

We here at the Ritual Tavern hope the good weather brings you the spirit of
celebration and festivity.

Cheers!

Walkabout Guide for South Park - Sat. 7/17

Click here for a complete stop-by-stop Guide to the South Park Walkabout. All welcome -- Sat. 7/17, 6-10pm, restaurants, taverns, shops and stops throughout South Park. Free walking tours and trolley, too.

Here's a preview from the U-T's "Night & Day".

Ritual Wednesdays at the Tavern in July

Wednesday July 14: Tonight

For all you meat lovers out there, we'll be serving up Niman Ranch Meatloaf tonight! Comfort food in a comfy tavern. We got what you need :-) Vegetarians and Vegans can enjoy vegan shepherd's pie or sauteed organic market veggies every day :-)

Wednesday July 21: Drink About!*

Ritual Tavern and Toronado are at the middle of this free bus route. Busses arrive every 30 minutes starting at Blind Lady (7pm) and Hamilton's (7:10pm) . Last pickup 11:20pm at Ritual Tavern (northbound) and Toronado (southbound) What’s not to love about FREE transportation up and down 30th street, stopping near many of San Diego’s premier craft beer and artisan food establishments? Treat yourself to the ultimate progressive dinner!

Wednesday July 28th: Outdoor Outreach Fundraiser!

A percentage of every purchase will be donated to Outdoor Outreach! You can eat and drink to your heart’s content, free from guilt, knowing that a portion of your tab is going to a charitable organization. “Outdoor Outreach’s mission is to empower at-risk and underprivileged youth to make positive, lasting changes in their lives through comprehensive outdoor programming.” http://outdooroutreach.org/



* On the 3rd Wednesday of each month 2 "Brewery Tours of SD" Busses loop for 4 hours, stopping at 8 craft-beer bars.
Hop on and off FOR FREE at Blind Lady, Small Bar, Live Wire, Toronado, Ritual Tavern, Sea Rocket, The Station & Hamilton's.

Summer in the City - Walkabout Sat. 7/17

South Park's Summer Walkabout is this Saturday, July 17th, 6-10pm. As always, free trolley, bands on streetcorners, shopping specials, and tasty treats from Beech St. to Juniper St.! NEW this Saturday -- FREE guided walking tours (6:30pm and 8:00pm) with neighborhood history and highlights. Gather at Info Booth at The Grove for free tour.

For a complete shop-by-shop guide, sign up for the South Park Scene email newsletter.

First Friday - "Happy Hour" in South Park

Check this out - tonight 4-7pm. 20% off all purchases -- plus surprises galore!

Add the Z

Last week's feature dish from El Take It Easy somehow didn't get on here then, so we'll add it now, too.



This is the egg and squash cazuela: summer squash and egg in a cazuela with mole verde, and some fresh made flour tortillas.

The slow-cooked goodness of the sauce, combined with the rich but light flavors of the egg and squash, evokes to me the wonderful, innovative tacos at Tacos Gus in La Condesa in Mexico City. (Tacos Gus which recently splintered from Tacos Hola, in case you were wondering).

When we explain to people that El Take It Easy is not Mexican food, this is what we mean. I’m not aware of squash and egg cazuela as a traditional dish in Mexico. But surely the kinds of cooking and flavors we experience from being part of an international region, can inform our cuisine in marvelous ways.

Eggs over El Take It Easy

For those of you just getting to know El Take It Easy, here's a dish for you:



That's pork jowl bacon (house cured, natch), local duck eggs, grilled house-baked bread with pork skin butter (yes, I said pork skin butter). Bacon and eggs like you've never had before, I promise. Goes great with a glass of Triennes Rose.

30th Street Blog: Chocolate - Grand Marnier - Cake - must be 30th of the month at Heaven Sent!

30th Street Blog: Chocolate - Grand Marnier - Cake - must be 30th of the month at Heaven Sent!

Chocolate - Grand Marnier - Cake - must be 30th of the month at Heaven Sent!

This month's luscious dessert offering for the 30th from Heaven Sent Desserts is a slice of our absolutely delectable Chocolate Grand Marnier cake; if you like chocolate you will love this, and if you like a "different" taste you will absolutely love it.

Come by and get your "bit o' heaven" for the 30th special price of $4.00 a slice! For that price get two or three or ...

Ritual Tavern Update

Meatloaf is back! It's a little grey and almost cold outside. Wouldn't a nice warm Niman Ranch Meatloaf with blue cheese mashed potatoes and Green Flash 30th Street Pale Ale sauce hit the spot? Or maybe our Vegan Shepherd's Pie would hit the spot. Come on down, have some warm food and cold beer and rest a spell. You deserve it :-)

Tomorrow, Wednesday for 30th on 30th we'll be serving up our nearly famous Niman Ranch Pork Carnitas '30th Street Tacos' and Niman Ranch Beef Sloppy Joe Sliders on the patio only. (Craft beer in environmentally friendly cans available too) Also try Green Flash Matt's Bitter on cask. Curious about Matt, and is he really bitter? Ask him yourself. He'll be here, personally performing random quality checks on the beer engine. (translation, he may have a pint or two with you)

Plenty bottles of beer to enjoy also. We've recently brought in AleSmith Decadence, Slaapmutske 'Triple Nightcap', La Choulette Ambree, New Belgium 'La Folie' as well as Ballast Point Sculpin Ipa.

Hope to see you soon!
Cheers.

Park-2-Park Shuttle: Special service for 30th on 30th

We love being out for 30th on 30th, so despite it being a Wednesday, we are going to operate anyway! The Park-2-Park Shuttle will run from 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m., with full Friday/Saturday service for the rest of the summer beginning this Friday, July 2nd from 7:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.

Here is the special timetable for 30th on 30th (please save paper and write the times on your hand like it was junior high):

July 4 BBQ & Bike Bash at Alchemy!

This Fourth of July, South Park restaurant Alchemy is serving up a heaving helping of American nostalgia, complete with good neighbors and great food and drinks! San Diego Magazine readers voted Alchemy the Best Neighborhood Eatery, and everyone is invited to the neighborhood to celebrate the holidays with a BBQ and Bicycle Bash. The fun lasts from 11 a.m. To 6 p.m. so family and friends can feast before the fireworks. Attendees are encouraged to cycle to the event in their best bike style for the bike decorating contest – patriotic, chic or just plain crazy, creativity is key.
On the menu are classic BBQ favorites revamped with the unique Alchemy touch. Main dishes include Ancho Chile BBQ Chicken marinated and grilled to mesquite bliss, Texas Style Beef Brisket dry rubbed, apple wood smoked and slow roasted. Brat lovers can sink their teeth into German Brats pilsner bathed and grilled over Julian apple wood, and vegetarians will love the Suzie’s Skewers – fresh, local vegetables grilled to perfection. Each $10 plate comes with a main dish, hot rolls and two side dishes ranging from Corn on the Cob and Cucumber Salad to Cole Slaw and Potato Salad. Drink specials for the event include $3 local drafts and whiskey and cokes, plus a refreshing Watermelon Cooler for just $5.

Grab your friends and family and join us for the party! Hope to see you all there!

Saving Turtles: Tuesday June 22nd at the Ritual Tavern

The Ritual Tavern, located on the corner of 30th/Polk Ave in North Park, has partnered up with Pro Peninsula to fundraise towards sea turtle conservation in the Gulf of Mexico.

On Tuesday, June 22nd
from 5:30pm - closing,
The Ritual Tavern will donate 25%
of their proceeds to The Sea Turtle Fund.

The Sea Turtle Fund is a fund within The Ocean Foundation in which all donations made during June - August 2010 will be directed towards conservation efforts related to recovering sea turtles harmed by the oil spill.

On behalf of Pro Peninsula & The Ritual Tavern, we invite you to come enjoy delicious food and drinks... knowing that at least a 1/4 of your check will support a very important cause!
- Contact gigi@propeninsula.org for questions.
Pro Peninsula is a fund within The Ocean Foundation dedicated to strengthening individual and community efforts to protect the natural environment throughout San Diego and the Baja California peninsula

Late on 30th

I took a quick jaunt from the Link to El Take It Easy late last nite, and even though the basketball game had long been over the streets were still jumpin'. And dancin'.

El Take It Easy

30th Street's newest venue is opening with a big show. A big art show, that is.



The paintings of Enrique Ciapara, at El Take It Easy, 3926 30th St, opening Thursday at 7:30 PM. Enrique works just a few miles away from here, in Tijuana's old roller rink. His work has been featured in group shows at San Diego's Museum of Contemporary Art and elsewhere, and we are proud to present this, his first solo show in the US.

As for El Take It Easy, it is now open every day but Tuesday, starting at 6pm. First-come, first served seating, front and back patios open as well. A little bit about the place, as taken from its its web page:

El Take It Easy is a neighborhood cantina, a place for people to converse and celebrate, eat, drink and enjoy. Our offerings take as inspiration the whole of this city, a city with a wall running through its middle, a city that goes by two names: San Diego and Tijuana.

Chef Max Bonacci, also chef at The Linkery, developed the initial menu in collaboration with Jair Téllez, chef/owner at Laja in Baja California and Merotoro in Mexico City, creating a selection of small plates to convey the essence both of our excellent local ingredients and of our cultural landscape.

Beyond its food and drink, the cantina's ambience, service, music, and aesthetics comprise the intentions and actions of many talented people from both sides of the line. All these folks contribute their skills and passion in order to create space in which it is ideal for anyone to take it easy.

Open every nite but Tuesday, from 6 until late. We hope it becomes a treasured part of your life!

Ritual Drink About, Casked Decadence and Father's Day too!

It's a big big week for 30th Street and Ritual Tavern too.
Copa Mundial de Salchichas 2010 continues today (Tues. 6/15) at the Linkery.

Tomorrow Wednesday 6/16 is Drink About.
What could be better than free transportation up and down the 30th Street corridor? Enjoying some pure Decadence at the halfway point! The Ritual Tavern is crazy happy to have AleSmith's Decadence 2010 on cask. We'll crank up the beer engine it when we open the restaurant at 5:30pm on Wednesday.

AleSmith website explains . . . "In 2005, AleSmith celebrated its 10 year anniversary by introducing a new beer to our line-up: AleSmith Decadence Anniversary Ale. We decided to brew Decadence once a year, each time changing the style. The 2005 version of AleSmith Decadence was an English-style Old Ale, that went on to earn Gold Medals at both The Great American Beer Festival and The World Beer Cup in 2008.

For 2010 we revisit this classic recipe and will soon release AleSmith Decadence 2010, English-style Old Ale. We used an abundance of specialty malts and various sugars to produce a wonderfully rich and malty beer. English varietal hops lend the perfect balance and the four different yeast strains add complexity that is sure to increase as the beer ages."

Sunday is Father's Day! Informal studies have shown that dads love beer :-)
We've got plenty of craft beer at Happy Hour prices all day, every Sunday. Bring the family and have a particularly tasty Sunday dinner at the Ritual Tavern:-)
Cheers!

South Park readies for Old House Fair next Sat. 6/19

Here's the map of what's happening at 30th & Beech St. next Sat., June 19, 2010, 10am-4pm for the (free festival) Old House Fair. Click here to see the schedule of events.

Stone Fruit on 30th

This is my favorite time of the year -- when stone fruit starts to appear in farmers markets and on the Linkery menu.



Today at Smit Orchards' market stand they had delicious Bing and Ranier cherries, and Rosa pluots. Which you'll find here and about the Linkery this weekend, including on a stone fruit salad not unlike the one pictured here.

Sweet stone fruit also copmlements the savory dishes, too.



To read more about stone fruit, read Che's blog post here.

To eat more stone fruit, come in to the Linkery.