Barista Magazine

AUG-SEP 2017

Serving People Serving Coffee Since 2005

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C E N T R A L C A L I F O R N I A C O A S T For more than a decade, Los Angeles has offered up one of the most progressive coffee cultures around the world, with an urban geog- raphy that allows for a high number of specialty shops to exist and fl ourish in close proximity to one another. In the same way, Northern California's San Francisco Bay Area is home to some of the most internationally renowned roasters and cafés, many of which happily coexist up and down the street from one another. However, between the beach cities of Santa Cruz at the southern end of the bay, and all the way down to the traffi c entering and exiting Los Angeles, lies a long expanse of wilderness, beautiful coastlines, and beach communi- ties. Though it might be easy to overlook the burgeoning specialty-cof- fee scene in central California's heartland, these cities also boast a number of well-established cafés alongside up-and-coming roasteries, all dedicated to serving their communities and pushing for progress within the realms of service and coffee excellence. Given the small-town feel of even central California's bigger metropolises, each of the following roasters and cafés plays an integral role in the communities they serve. These are homegrown businesses where the employees and the owners are familiar faces around town, and where the jams, or milks, or ceramic cups served and used in the café are local—as in, from a neighbor no more than a few miles away. Although the distance from San Luis Obispo to Calabasas is expo- nentially larger than San Francisco's 7-square-mile size, the coffee community in Central California is drawing closer together as more people dedicate themselves to exceptional coffee and service. CALABASAS AND NORTH TO VENTURA Leaving the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles, the 101 freeway brings you to Pedaler's Fork, a bicycle-themed boutique collection and restaurant that houses 10 Speed Coffee. A 5-kilo Probat roaster is tucked away above the café space, which is adjacent to the bar, and a high-end bicycle shop. Inside the café, a La Marzocco Linea PB and Mazzer grinders sit behind the glass, while a well-loved Fetco batch brewer and water tower, and Mahlkönig grinder, keep at the ready on the back bar. Outside, the rest of Pedaler's Fork is open, with hand-crafted bicy- cles on display—everything from classic steel road bikes to titanium and carbon builds. One such titanium commuter bike built by Moots out of Colorado, as well as a mountain bike built by Stinner from Santa Barbara, catch visitors' attention at the entrance. Out back next to the parking lot, hanging racks for bikes and attached locks serve as bike parking. Opposite page, top: Robert Bertha advances to the next round against some fi erce competition at Ascendo's la e art throwdown. Below: Prospect's staff is always friendly and quick to help and serve any way they can (notice the Wi-Fi password posted). This page: Big glass windows at Ascendo let lots of natural light into the building, creating a happy work environment for the baristas working behind the sea-foam-green espresso machine. Friendly hanging signs nudge customers toward where to order and pick up drinks. 33 www.baristamagazine.com

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