What we’re loving – Wildwood Flour
Flour Power
Before DIY sourdough took off, two local bakers were making loaves that led to a small but mighty business. After three years of baking from a home kitchen, Wildwood Flour is getting a space of its own, where operations will be decidedly bigger.
Noah Orloff and Lauren Silver have been selling their baked goods to local restaurants as a Cottage Food Operation, a county health permit distinction that allows retailers to use products made in home kitchens. Orloff and Silver began with bagels, pretzels, and pastries, while also mastering a variety of confections and sourdoughs. Looking to challenge gluten’s bad rap, they make their bread with organically grown, freshly milled, wildly fermented wheat, guaranteeing both nutrition and flavor.
After gaining a passionate community following, the bakers planned to increase production. A Kickstarter campaign raised $23,000 in just a few months, helping secure them a retail spot in Pacific Beach. With more room to bake, Wildwood Flour will be grinding flour every day on their custom mill, which is operated by a stationary bike.
The front half of the store will sell the company’s beloved bread, as well as locally-sourced grocery items such as sandwiches, coffee, cheese, eggs, jams, granola, produce, and more. They will even sell flour for customers who want to bake at home. (The pedaling is already covered.)
1976 Garnet Avenue, Pacific Beach
What We’re Loving – Cane Concoctions
New Squeeze
Could sugarcane juice be the drink of the summer? Popular in Southeast Asia and parts of Latin America, this beverage is made by pressing and blending sugarcanes, draining the liquid, then mixing it with freshly squeezed fruit juice. The resulting drink is an ideal refresher for hot weather, and it’s enjoyed in a variety of flavors including kumquat, dragon fruit, durian, and watermelon. While many of these juice spots can be spotted next to boba tea shops, most flavors of sugarcane juice are not as sweet as the tapioca drinks. What’s more, the toppings for sugarcane juice are also quite different (think strawberries, young coconut, or even nuts).
There are several places around town for the fruit fix. Cane Concoctions (3904 Convoy Street, Convoy District) adds coconut juice to balance the flavor. There’s also Juicie Cane (Otay Ranch, Lane Field, Hillcrest, and Ocean Beach farmers’ markets) and the newly opened Local Canes (4170 Oceanside Boulevard, Oceanside).
No need to sweat the sweet stuff, either—sugarcane juice has more beneficial iron, magnesium, and vitamin B2 than refined sugar.
Hands-On Hand Rolls
It’s no secret that sushi just tastes better when it’s straight from the sea. Temaki Bar is a new sushi restaurant (not to be confused with the permanently closed J/Wata Temaki Bar) opening on Encinitas’ coast, serving up hand rolls and fresh catch. Be ready to dine omakase-style, where the chefs tailor the menu to what’s in season. Temaki is the passion project of chef JoJo Ruiz (Lionfish, Serea). Ruiz started his career making sushi and is focused on making this dining experience interactive and ethically sourced. There will also be a carefully curated list of sake, which is a tasting menu all its own.
575 South Coast Highway 101, Encinitas
