By Ian Cheesman
And now, a dramatic reenactment of a conversation I like to imagine took place in mid-2019:
“I have to tell you, I’m incredibly excited about this new patio concept,” gushed Mo.
“Indeed,” affirmed Billy with a cool nod. “Soon, many will gather here. They will feast upon my decadent wares and your nuanced quaffs, isolated from the madness of the world beyond its confines.”
“Erm…yeah, absolutely,” Mo stammered. “People always appreciate time away from things. The food will help people drink more responsibly, too.”
Billy’s lips curled into a curious yet somehow sinister smile as he caressed the alabaster Persian cat nested in his lap. “Oh, yes, my friend. It will be quite safe. Especially in a time when safety will be in woefully short supply.”
A heavy silence fell over them. Mo’s breath caught in his throat, as if swallowing a torrent of words fighting to escape it. “Billy, I can’t help but notice that you’ve adopted a weirdly villainous tone. You haven’t been the same since you got that shark tank installed next to your fermenters.”
“Fear not, Mr. Nuspl,” Billy soothed. “All is well. Our success is assured, no matter what legalities or restrictions result from the pandemic.”
“Pandemic? What pandemic? What do you mean, ‘pandemic’?”
Billy said nothing. Just sat stoic, the only movement his fingers strumming across his appreciative feline. It was at that moment Mo noticed the increasingly sly expressions mirrored between his associate and his snow-white companion, as if they were in on something he wasn’t. Something…terrible.
“My God, Billy…what have you done?”
FIN
I remember a time when a brewery putting together a food concept was newsworthy. Consumers typically appreciate the convenience of being able to enjoy quick bites and brewery-specific pairings. I’d mirror that enthusiasm, now having one less place I’d have to haul my flat top griddle to. However, in the age of the novel coronavirus, it’s just a matter of course that anyone wishing to keep their tasting room open must also become a restaurateur for the indeterminate future.
In this current paradigm, a visit to Deft Brewing or its new neighbor, Lost Cause Meadery, appears unremarkable. Like so many of their ilk, they have assembled an improvised outdoor-seating area appointed with as much shade as a hodgepodge of umbrellas and canopies can provide. A beer order is inextricably linked to a food purchase, which involves some kludge of a billing process. These are familiar beats to anyone who has visited a tasting room in the last few months. And yet, were it not for COVID-19 looming over it all, this symbiotic arrangement on Banks Street would probably be an instant attraction.
To appreciate why this spot deserves notice, we have to momentarily take a step back to 2019. At that point, Deft had been open for a couple of years along one of Bay Park’s industrial side-streets. Their beer menu was finding critical favor and gaining notoriety after a triumphant turn at the Los Angeles International Beer Festival where the company took three gold medals among six overall awards. Locals in search of a haunt were discovering the beers, along with an increasingly popular trivia night and a resident Euchre group (a pastime that you should feel entirely comfortable needing to Google unless you’re from the Midwest). Things were trucking along for owner and Head Brewer Mo Nuspl apart from, ironically, food trucks. The challenges and inconsistent schedules that came with hosting an itinerant food vendor were all too often a sticking point.
At that same time, Miramar’s Lost Cause, helmed by national and international award-winning mead maker Billy Beltz, was experiencing challenges of its own. Business was solid enough (a financial assessment based solely on my wife’s expansive mead receipts from that year) and customers were keen on the meadery’s shared-space concept with Serpentine Cider and The Good Seed Food Co., but the latter harbored many logistical issues, as well. Finding a second location was quickly becoming an imperative.
Shortly thereafter, Dionysus, the Greek god of drinking basically whatever isn’t bolted down, belched favorably upon these two interests from atop Mount Olympus and the fates drew them together. Lost Cause pitched the notion of sharing Deft’s outdoor patio, both aligned on introducing a permanent food vendor to the mix, a bevy of approvals were secured, and a distinct partnership was primed to enter Bay Park. The master plan would come to fruition in early 2020 with the grand opening of Lost Cause’s new adjoining space. Fans of both businesses were ecstatic, engaged and ready to offer their support. There was absolutely nothing that could stand in Nuspl’s or Beltz’s way. Well, maybe one thing.
When we smash-cut to present day, suddenly all the rules have changed. One-stop shopping for food and drink is the norm. Where once special dispensation was needed for open-air consumption, dining al fresco is the law of the land. Still, even though this configuration is echoed by breweries across creation, the formula feels more borne of intent here. Beer and mead fans mingle freely without fear of Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control agents storming the gates. Despite the seating sprawl, the intended hop-draped patio occupies the center of it all. On-site culinary outfit Cucina Caprese’s pizza oven is tucked neatly in the corner, ready to bestow beautifully blistered pies into many an eager hand (and gullet). In a less pandemic-y parallel universe, it would be as remarkable as it actually is.
It’s worth noting that Cucina Caprese’s fare extends beyond wood-fired pizzas. It’s a full-fledged dining experience with a variety of paninis, calzones, salads and, basically, anything you can throw burrata at. Normally this is where I’d throw my extensive culinary acumen around and provide an expert pairing, but it will probably astonish no one to learn it’s really hard to blow it mixing with pizza and beer. This is especially true given the restraint that accompanies Deft’s European-inspired brews, assuring your meal won’t get clobbered by a boozy hop-bomb. Their British best bitter, Bitter Business Bureau, is great at cutting through the richness of a porcini mushroom and prosciutto pizza. As for mead (which, by the way, is no less capable of elevating this fare), the vibrant pineapple, kiwi and bright fruitiness of Cool Buzz invigorates bruschetta or a Margarita pizza.
Coronavirus may persist, retaining its well-earned reputation as the wettest of wet blankets for some time, but it seems inevitable that things will eventually calm down. Brewers and mazers will be able to resume focus on their craft of choice and Yelpers will find something other than the tyranny of mandatory sandwich purchases to vindictively fling one-star reviews at. In that almost-but-not-quite-normal state of affairs, the tripartite partnership amongst Deft, Lost Cause and Cucina Caprese will again be an unique institution to experience. Sooner or later, I strongly suggest you do so.