Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/133302
FREE-WhEElIng Pedal Power pEDAlERS FORK SHOWS THAT BREAKING THE RuLES CAN BE BEAuTIFuL by Rachel Burkons / photo by Maria Schriber C Karen Moneymaker is the Beverage Director at Pedalers Fork in Calabasas, CA. offee shop-meets bar-meets bikeshop-meets breakfastlunch-and-dinner-spot? On paper, Calabasas, CA's Pedalers Fork sounds a little . . . schizophrenic. But take one step inside this gorgeous, totally renovated space, and everything suddenly becomes crystal clear: Of course there's a bike shop at Pedalers Fork! It's designed to appeal to the huge number of bicyclists that travel the rolling hills in this north Los Angeles suburb every weekend. Of course there's a gourmet coffee shop with beans roasted on-premise! Where else are local celebrities like Justin Bieber and the Kardashians supposed to get their caffeine fix? But most important for our purposes (after all, this isn't Star magazine), of course the restaurant offers great seasonallyfocused food and a comprehensive, well-thought-out beverage program! At the helm, Beverage Director Karen Moneymaker, an industry vet who's worked extensively on-premise and rolled her sleeves up for several harvests all over the world, offers a unique wine list, with little-known offerings from all over the world designed to entice and educate the guest. "I didn't want to get pigeonholed into just focusing on California wines," comments Moneymaker, explaining that when there's so much to choose from locally, wine buyers can become a bit California-inclined. "There are so many producers in France, Italy, Spain and elsewhere that are smallproduction, making really soulful wines," she says, mentioning Slovenian producer Burja as a favorite. To round out the beverage program, Pedalers Fork has tapped into the genius of Aidan Demarest and Marcos Tello's noted cocktail consulting firm, Liquid Assests. "Aidan and Marcos truly are the best in L.A.," comments Moneymaker. "And because we're right in the middle of L.A.'s 'cowboy country,' we have a glamorous Old West feel—so we're definitely a rye-based bar." With craft cocktails flowing, coffee roasting and spokes spinning, Pedalers Fork is definitely on the right track—and the food's not bad either. From Belgian waffles sweetened by chunks of crunchy cane sugar, to a vegan kale Caesar so savory you'd never miss the parmesan ("It feels sacrilegious, but trust me, it's delicious!" quips Moneymaker), Pedalers Fork's organic-focused food feels classic, comforting and chic. "We've worked very hard to establish really close relationships with the farms within 30 miles of here—and once we establish these relationships, we're able to talk to them about what they're planting and when, and then bring that to the restaurant. It's a very real approach to food." Says Moneymaker, as if Slovenian wine, Old West cocktails, bicycle repair and coffee roasting weren't enough: "That's just yet another thing that makes us special." 36 / the tasting panel / june 2013 TP0613_001-41.indd 36 5/23/13 4:25 PM EN