The Santa Clarita BBQ and Beer festival saw continued expansion in its third year, building on its namesake food and drink with an elevated entertainment focus. Country music star Billy Currington headlined the two-day festival, bringing with him a sea of cowboy hats, plaid shirts and leather boots that gave the festival a true identity for the first time, and one that will inevitably take it further down the country route for years to come. Another part of the festival’s remodel was the addition of an ‘a la carte’ program to Friday’s bottomless beer offering. Two tents hosted dozens of breweries featuring endless pours, as well as additional stands throughout the venue that worked on a drink ticket system. In both cases, the crowd had no shortage of options. Several local favorites highlighted the lineup—Brewery Draconum, Wolf Creek Brewery, Pocock Brewing Co. and The Dudes’ Brewing Company—showing some exciting development in Santa Clarita’s beer scene. Lagunitas, Shock Top, Firestone Walker and Angel City Brewery were just a few major players on the festival’s growing list of purveyors. Barbecue was, of course, ever-present. Carter’s Smoked BBQ dished out their heavenly pulled pork and jaw-dropping grande nachos, while Ambience Catering served up some mean hot links and tri tip. Panchos Nachos and Tacos prepared some excellent bbq beef made especially for the event, accompanied by street tamales and other south-of-the-border favorites. Burt’s garlic fries were certainly a crowd favorite, their aroma bringing in a steady stream of patrons The festival drew its biggest crowd to date, with a venue nearly four times the size compared to years past. The concert stage, previously tucked away in a corner, took its place front and center this time around, majestically flanked by the hilly landscape. Two enormous fields in Santa Clarita’s Central Park were more than enough to accommodate all the cowboy-clad shenanigans that took place, and you’re always pleasantly reminded that you’re in a family-oriented town when you leave a beer festival and there’s a youth soccer game taking place on the other side of the fence. For more information, visit bbqandbeerfestival.com
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Master’s of Taste saw it’s third successful year on May 6, when it brought together some of the city’s top restaurants, wineries, breweries, distilleries and all-things-sweet-eries on the field of Pasadena’s famous Rose Bowl Stadium. More than 75 booths circled the turf, allowing guests the rare opportunity to not only walk along the infield, but to do so in gourmet style. Eateries of all types took the opportunity to shine, churning out limitless tastings of house favorites. Prime rib and wasabi mashed potatoes from Alexander’s Steakhouse, melt-in-your mouth brisket and cornbread from Gus’s Barbecue, and handmade pasta with imported Italian sausage from Nerano were just a few of the eclectic flavors to be found. Pez Cantina’s seafood tostadas and Maestro’s carnitas tacos duked it out for South of the Border deliciousness while Poppy + Rose and Maple battled over who served the best fried chicken. Live cooking demonstrations held a stronger presence this year, with The Bellwether’s Ted Hopson and Ardour Hospitality’s Michael Hung putting on excellent shows for intimate crowds. On the drinks side, wineries gave up their usual lion’s share of the spotlight to breweries, distilleries and alternative beverages…not that there was any shortage of wine, though. Angel City Brewery, Indie Brewing Company and MacLeod Ale Brewing Co. were just a few purveyors of refreshing sips for the warm day, accompanied by wineries such as Navarro Vineyards, Rutherford Wine Company and Larimar Wainery. Dulce Vida Organic Tequila and American Born Moonshine crafted some killer cocktails, and rounding out the lineup were excellent nonalcoholic selections such as Humm Kombucha and Groundwork Coffee. And what would a spectacular food festival be without dessert? ‘Sweet Masters’ are their own category at Master’s of Taste, and rightfully so with characters like Zooie’s Goodies and Sidecar offering up birthday cake and panda cookies and huckleberry donut holes. Pink chocolate fountains and unicorn poop meringue cookies were just a few more of the day’s decadent staples. All proceeds from Master’s of Taste went to Union Station Homeless Services, a non-profit organization committed to helping homeless individuals and families rebuild their lives. The event continues to grow as one of LA’s premiere food festivals, and the foodie community is already anticipating what’s in store for year number four. For more information, visit MastersOfTasteLA.com The Dudes’ Brewing Company has become a SoCal staple, taking its outlandishly creative and meticulously crafted beers from as far south as Orange County to as far north as—well, now—Santa Clarita. The Dudes’ newest location has already added a touch of the beach life to Valencia’s Westfield Town Center, not to mention dozens of the craziest beers you’ll come across. The Dudes’ Santa Clarita serves up all the beers made famous by the original Torrance location, changing out seasonal selections in stride with tasting rooms across Southern California. The sour patch series is certainly trending, with a watermelon sour that will turn your tongue…in a good way. The sandbox series features the ‘genie in a bottle,’ a nearly 25-proof red ale with a dangerous smoothness. The much-loved juicebox series boasts impeccable flavors such as blood orange amber ale, peach Berliner weisse, and coconut amber ale. Add in the long-time favorite grandma’s pecan English brown, the cleverly-named ‘Dudes-Quik’ chocolate milk stout, and the shamrock shake—a mint-flavored bright green cream ale. The list goes on, and The Dudes’ pick-4 beer flights help ease the pressure in selecting your favorites. And who knew The Dudes’ could cook? The Dudes’ Santa Clarita is the first location to serve food, with a specialty pizza lineup that emphasizes bold, flavorful toppings and quality ingredients. The sausage mushroom white has quickly soared to the top, made with rich Italian sausage, seasonal mushrooms and ricotta. The veggie pizza, finished with gorgonzola and balsamic, is enough to break a gluten-free diet…but let’s be serious, The Dudes’ itself is the perfect place to get back on the gluten train. Don’t miss out on those garlic knots either. The tasting room itself is laid out remarkably well, with Jenga and other tabletop bar games scattered across large communal tables and a massive projector broadcasting sports for everyone to see. Groups gather to play Wii in the back while the taps take center stage, flowing at a constant rate to serve a constantly revolving crowd. The Dudes’ spices things up with Trivia Thursdays, upcoming acoustic Sundays and highly anticipated beer and yoga sessions…now those should be interesting! Beer lovers, get excited. The Dudes is continuing to expand, with a Santa Monica location expected soon. The Dudes’ Brewing Company Santa Clarita is located at 24250 Town Center Dr #190, Santa Clarita, CA 91355. Open Mon – Thurs 11 a.m. – 10 p.m., Fri/Sat 11 a.m. – midnight, Sun 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. Beers and flights are ~$8 each and pizzas are ~$10 – 13 each. For more information, call (661) 263-5133 or visit The Dudes’ Brewing Company Santa Clarita online. |
AuthorBenjamin Brown is a seasoned restaurant writer and hospitality consultant, serving up SoCal's hottest food news and reviews. Categories
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