stoneyxochi
The Final Draft
Cannabox - Throwback
I took The Throwback Cannabox to Portland with me! Rolled up a few Juicy Jay Hemp Wraps in Oakland with Alexis, packed up the rest to enjoy with Nikki up north.
Twisted a few Mashmallow Flavored Juicy Jay joints in the Ghostbusters stoner tee.
Followed by a few bowls in this super cute slime green steam roller.
The throwback theme hi hard with some childhood favorites included: neon slime and Mrs.Pac Man candy.
No better way to get stoned, with friends.
See my first experience with Cannabox here, and for $5 off your first box click here!
CHEBA RUN VIDEO
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Dinner At Momofuku Las Vegas
Ever since eating at David Chang's Fuku on my first trip to New York City, I've been craving more. When I found myself in Las Vegas for a day, I knew I had to make it for dinner. Momofuku Las Vegas opened in early 2017 and is Chang's first West Coast location. As resident of the Cosmopolitan and neighbor to Christina Tosi's Milk Bar, the pair look right at home amongst the neon lights of the strip. The restaurant has four distinct menus; lunch, social hour, dinner and late night. Drawing inspiration from the US, Japan and Korea the menu features a constantly evolving selection of steamed buns, noodles, and large format dinners.
We started with an order of crab deviled eggs and a dozen raw oysters. The eggs, topped with Dungeness crab, smoked trout roe and crispy bonito, were the perfect bite of richness and saltiness. Paired with the freshness of the oysters, accompanied by a sochu melon ice and a combination of lime juice and black pepper, these appetizers were an ideal way to start our dinner.
Our first table side preparation of the night was 4 ounces of 5A Hokkaido Wagyu beef. The meat was sliced and cooked on a blocks of pink Himalayan sea salt. The propane torch used to sear the meat was outfitted with a special filter used to keep the propane from touching the meat.
Aside the salt blocks, the meat was only seasoned with a little sesame oil and served with fresh grated wasabi. The final result were bite sized morsels of soft, deeply flavorful beef served at the ideal temperature. Enjoyed alone, the product speaks for itself.
Our second table side preparation was Chang's signature 5 spice rotisserie duck. The perfectly cooked duck breast was sliced and served over Jasmine rice with duck leg confit. The meal was served ssäm style, with ​bibb lettuce, chive pancakes, kimchi, hoisin, ssäm sauce, ginger scallion sauce and fresh herbs. The lettuce and chive pancakes were used to warp the rice, duck and any of the sauces one desired, the ginger scallion sauce was my favorite.
The bones were taken back to the kitchen and deep fried, creating almost a duck chicharrón. It felt so primal to be chewing on bones, looking for the perfect little bites of crispy skin and meat. Totally worth it.
Our sides were just as delicious as our main dishes. We had crispy potatoes loaded with tofu truffle sauce, parmesan and chives. The fry factor was so appealing. We also snacked on shishito peppers dusted with smoked salt and lime, because why not?
Dessert was complimentary, and consisted of Milk Bar's crack pie and signature cereal milk soft serve with a cereal crumble. The texture of the ice cream was unlike anything I've tried and definitely lived up to it's expectations. The whole meal did honestly, and I can't wait to visit more of David Chang's restaurants. Might have to try the fried chicken and caviar dinner next time. Yeah, you read that right.
An Afternoon at The AmeriCAN Canned Beer Festival
If you follow me on social media, you know that I recently moved from sunny California to even sunnier Arizona! I was scared at first but once I realized they also had beer and weed, I felt better.
I saw a poster for the AmeriCAN Canned Beer festival at the local Cheba Hut, and I knew I had to go. Honestly, a day of drinking in the sun and heat was rather intimidating, but how I could I pass it up?
We knew food was crucial to keep us going all day, and we were overjoyed to see Hopdoddy Burger Bar serving sliders for free! The only option available, cleverly named 'Little Boozie' featured beer as an ingredient. Sleepy Dog IPA to be specific, who was serving beer at the event as well.
I tried to write down everything I tried that day, but I only managed to remember about half the time. With over 250 types of canned beer available, I was overwhelmed with styles and flavors to choose from. I was so happy to see the Smuttynose booth, their blueberry gose was a favorite on my trip to NYC. The new peach version available was easily one of the best beers of the day. Ballast Point (who didn't have very nice servers) and Modern Times (very nice servers) were a few of the many representing San Diego beer. Mango Even Keel session IPA, Fruitlands gose, and a tiny sip of Drop Art tart saison kept me going for a while.
There were only a handful of booths not selling beer. Most of these booths sold clothes, one advertised a DUI lawyer, but Swell Farmacy - a local medical cannabis dispensary - provided beer drinkers with games and coupons for free 8ths for patients. They even raffled off the cornhole boards after the event! It was hard not to have mixed feelings about the presence of medical cannabis at a beer event, but I guess that's one way to spread the good word!
The only thing I really remember drinking after that was Destihl Synchopathic, a dry hopped sour ale part of their 'Wild Sour' series. I tried their Lynnbrook raspberry sour a few years ago while visiting Chicago and was so excited to see them again! Friends enjoyed samples from Sleepy Dog, New Belgium before I refilled with Sun Up Bearded Blonde.
Goose Island had a huge tent with tables and mason jars full of hops for guests to smell while they enjoyed their beers, which I thought was a great interactive way for people to learn about beer, not just drink it! I went with their Four Star Pills, something mellow to end the day.
Keeping the beer and guests at a comfortable temperature was a challenge but from buckets and pool toys to huge mist machines, we all managed to have a good time. Hats off to the organizers, breweries and volunteers for throwing a great event!
The Tasting Menu @ La Marea Alta
I never understood why my dad loved canned fish so much, then I went to Spain and it all made sense. As a Mexican, visiting Spain was a very eye opening experience for me. Northern Mexico, where my family is from, has a significantly smaller indigenous population than Southern Mexico so the Spanish influence can be more prevalent. After spending some time in Spain, I now feel like I can see that part of myself when I look in the mirror.
I was researching for places in Barcelona with great views of the city when I found Marea Alta, a view I unfortunately didn't photograph. The restaurant and bar inhabit the top floors of El Edificio Colon and has a very stylish, almost vintage maritime feel. I felt like I was in a Wes Anderson film. We were overwhelmed by the menu, so we decided to go for their tasting menu. The menu overall pays homage to the wonderful and fresh seafood provided by the Mediterranean Sea, as well as a the traditional canned seafood of the Galicain coast. The tasting menu changes regularly, and we were able to make a few choices as far as dishes went.
​​We started with some appetizers: anchovies, smoked mussels, sardine filets, caixetes or Noah's Ark shells, and shrimp tartare that played on the classic Spanish tapa Gambas Al Ajillo. The appetizers were served with a fish and herb broth that helped cleanse the palate between bites.
Our next dish was one of the richest plates of food I've ever had. A bed of potatoes mashed with parmesan cheese, topped with a layer of whipped egg yolks and covered in sea urchin. The sea urchin really helped cut the richness of the dish, but once it was gone I couldn't finish the rest.
Next came grilled hake jowell and langoustines. I have never had fish jowell before but I found it to be really enjoyable. It was soft and rich like butter, almost melted in my mouth. The langoustines reminded me of really big shrimp, we ate the bodies and sucked the rich goodness out of the head.
Next was stingray stewed with chickpeas and herbs. The stingray was hard to eat, there were lots of bones that were hard to get around but after a little trying we figured it out. The soft flavor of the fish married really well with the heartiness of the chickpeas and the broth helped it go down smooth.
The showstopper was a whole grilled Turbot. The innards were removed, but the skin and roe remained. It was a lot to eat for just two people but we got through it. The fish was delicious, full of smoky, chargrilled flavor. The skin was crispy which was a nice contrast to the soft fish.
Then came our first dessert course, a mango sorbet with a gin foam and sliced pear and fresh berries. It was supposed to be a play on a gin and tonic, I thought it was yummy either way!
The final dessert was a traditional Spanish pastry filled with cream served with a coffee chocolate sauce. The pastry reminded me of croissant, it was light and flaky and paired well with the sweet cream inside. The coffee and chocolate was too strong for me but my boyfriend loved it! It was a great way to end the meal, and our trip to Barcelona.
My First Trip To New York City
I really love being able to say that I was born and raised in Northern California. I love that I get to call the Bay Area home. It feels even better to be able to say that after traveling to some of this country's oldest and largest cities. I recall Anthony Bourdain once calling San Francisco 'a nice town' and when I think about the beast of a city that New York is, I think I understand what he's getting at. Like any other 90's kid, I grew up watching Hey Arnold! The towering brick buildings, the sea of people, the sounds of a city - they were all inspirations to leave my home in wine country for something new and unfamiliar. New York City was that foreign land on domestic soil that I was searching for.
In recent years, I've tried to make my birthday a reason to go somewhere. Vacations never seem to go as planned. This one definitely took some wild turns, but I won't get into the drama. Let's just say, two couples went on vacation but only one couple come home together. They say there's a first time for everything! I just didn't know my first time in NYC would be first time I traveled with a couple who broke up on our vacation. All that aside, I did have a ton of fun in the Big Apple. We had hardly any obligations on our trip, so naturally we let our bellies lead the way.
Am I crazy for being into red eye flights? I don't know what it is about them. Maybe it's eating dinner at the airport, or being able to fall asleep so easily in spite of the excitement of traveling. It's probably dinner tho. International Airports in big cities can have some hidden gems. The first stop in a journey of culinary adventures was Cat Cora's Kitchen in SFO's Terminal 2. I had Skirt Steak Tacos, and my boyfriend had Lobster Mac & Cheese. My tacos were better, he agreed.
We had to get some candy before the flight, because duh.
I didn't expect it to be so hot when we landed. But even at 5am, it was already in the 80's. They say say Shake Shack is a must when visiting the east coast. So while waiting for our companions, we decided it was probably a pretty good opportunity to grab some. Plus, it was one of the only decent things open. I don't know if I can make a fair assumption about Shake Shack, since I only had breakfast. But who doesn't love eggs and bacon covered in melty cheese pressed between a soft bun? After a 5 hour flight, at 5:30am. It's the perfect thing.
As I said earlier, I've lived in California my whole life. Sometimes I forget that the West Coast was settled much later than the East Coast. I mean just compare the populations. The Atlantic coast is home 112.6 million people, while the Pacific coast has only a population of 47.8 million, 56.9 million if you include Nevada and Arizona. The sheer density of the city and it's surroundings are so foreign to me, I cannot imagine living around that many people. I do have to admit it was quite a sight. I've never seen buildings built for so many people. We took an Uber from JFK over the Williamsburg Bridge and into the city. Our building had no elevator, and we were on the second to last floor. It was quite a walk to the top. But the view was stunning.
I took this photo with my iPhone. If we looked north, we could see Manhattan & Times Square.
We spent the mornings smoking joints on the rooftop of our AriBnB's apartment, located in Little Italy. The use of rooftop space in places like New York is so logical, it's like there's another layer of the city living in the skies.
The subway was our main mode of transportation. We got there on a Saturday, and that monday was 9/11. Between weekend service and the extra safety precautions we were always stuck taking alternative routes and getting lost. I couldn't imagine trying to navigate that subway system daily.
I was hot and muggy on our first day there. We had no plans, so we set out to explore. After this point - our trip becomes more dramatic than anything else. So I'll focus less on our experiences, and more on where we ended up. My first New York slice of pizza came from Rocco's Pizza Joint in the Chelsea neighborhood. We could see the pizzas on display in the glass case as we walked by and as soon as I walked in, I knew I wanted the eggplant parmigiana slice.
The slices were huge, I was definitely a fan. And when people say that pizza in New York is different, I get it now! I mean, I've always understood why, but it's different than actually experiencing it. The texture of the crust was bready and chewy but in a really enjoyable way. I wanted the eggplant to be crispier, but what can I expect when it's been surrounded by cheese and sauce. Either way, I finished my slice. And I loved it. After the pizza, we navigated our way to Grand Central Station where we found a Jacques Torres Sorbet Shop. We ended up with a scoop of passion fruit to combat the heat.
The rest of that day was spent exploring the neighborhoods and photographing. The density of New York was still so much to take in. My favorite thing about exploring was seeing all the graffiti and recognizing artist I had seen up in California. It's an inspiration to travel more, at least for me. As the evening approached we decided to find somewhere to grab dinner. Café Habana was just a few blocks away from us and seemed like a perfect option.
We ate Mexican Grilled Corn, Sopesitos, Enchiladas con Mole Poblano, and Caribbean style Carnitas. Now, I honestly don't know much about Cuban food, but a lot of what we had seemed Mexican to me. Tasty though! We ended the night by picking up boxes of pastries from Ferrara Bakery on the way back to the apartment.
The next day we decided to try and explore Brooklyn. We hit Joe & The Juice for some light breakfast before getting on the train. A 'Stress Down' juice blend of strawberry, apple, and ginger & a Joe's Club sandwich with chicken, avocado, tomato and pesto between two pieces of flatbread. It was nothing special, but exactly what we needed first thing in the morning.
There are many comparisons made surrounding the relationship between New York City and Brooklyn and the relationship between San Francisco and Oakland. If you think about it as a slightly smaller city across a body of water from a slightly larger city, then yeah I guess it's similar. If you think about it as a cheaper place to live than the slightly larger city across the water, then yeah I see it. But Oakland, the Bay Area, the West Coast, just has such fewer people, you can't compare the two. The parallel I see is gentrification and it stands out more in port cities like San Francisco and New York, where immigrant families once lived in tight knit communities. These communities are harder to find now. And the few things left that are authentic become novelties to the neighborhood's new inhabitants. I think gentrification started with the best intentions. In the 80's - 90's, the Mission District of San Francisco saw a major influx of artists. Artists could easily be considered low income people, so naturally cheap housing was a priority and easy to find in immigrant communities. Fast forward 20 years, there is no more cheap housing. The shops and greasy spoons that once catered to it's Hispanic and Latino community replaced with bougie lounges, overpriced clothes and 5 star restaurants. Some call it natural progression, I call it entitlement and disrespect. I went to a comedy show a few days ago where the comedian talks about being a gay, white, male living in South Dakota. He had recently moved to Echo Park in Los Angeles, another mainly Latino community who's going through it's influx right now. He said he 'would knock the sweet breads out of a Mexican grandmother's arms' if it kept him from moving back to South Dakota. I understand people want to experience new things, to live somewhere far away from where they grew up. But you can't act entitled, and you can't disrespect those who were there before you. In my opinion, that's the problem with gentrification, the lack of respect. It happens everywhere, and I wonder if it will ever change. But honestly, that problem is bigger than me. (I'm looking at you tech bros.) People focus so much on living somewhere else, but they don't think about the impact they make on the places they are going, or the impact they could have made in the place they came from.
Brooklyn was like The Bay in the sense that you could be standing on a street corner, walk two blocks over, and be in what felt like a completely different city. We ended up on the greenest block in Brooklyn! And wandered into a Japanese restaurant named Ganso Yaki, which unfortunately closed shortly after our visit. Which kind of surprises me, considering how good the food was. We had a spicy salmon roll, octopus salad, and a katsu plate I didn't photograph.
I also had a delicious Gose by Lost Nation Brewing. I love seeing coriander popping up more in sours.
Followed by a Flying Dog Bloodline Blood Orange Ale on nitro at Hollow Nickel, an adorable little gastropub with great food, beer and pretty decent sized backyard. The bartender gave us a few destination suggestions, the first of which was Threes Brewing and I absolutely fell in love. The space was elegant and inviting, the patio was open and the sun was warm. We sat under the hops growing up the fence that enclosed the patio. It was lovely. The beer was great too. I had a small pour of their Mexican Lager called Echos of Nothing, followed by their Internal Contradictions with Passion Fruit, an insanely crushable Berliner Weisse. I wish I remembered what my boyfriend had, because it was damn good too. I hope this beer makes it west one day, but I have to admit a huge part of it's appeal is it's lack of availability. You always want what you can't have!
The next stop was the Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club. I always thought shuffleboard was for retired folks, but not in Brooklyn. I've never played shuffleboard before, and I can't say it was super fun or anything, but a it wasn't a bad time. Especially while enjoying a few cans of Smuttynose Brewing Blueberry Short Weisse. Talk about tasty! The club was described to us as 'Florida-style,' which made sense considering all of the Florida pennants hanging on the walls. The space had a very retro, beachside vibe to it. Not sure I would go back, but a fun, new way to kill some time.
We headed back to the city shortly after to have dinner at a place I was too excited about visiting, Beetle House NYC. If you can't tell by the name, it's a Tim Burton themed bar and restaurant! Although there's not actual connection between the restaurant and Tim Burton himself, the walls are covered with movie art. The soundtrack in the bar was rather odd in my opinion, it was like a someone shuffled a top-40 radio station with Tim Burton soundtracks and The Cure. It kind of felt like being inside a Hot Topic. I couldn't complain about the food though! My boyfriend had the Sweeney Beef, an 8oz filet mignon with sauteed mushrooms and onions served with mashed potatoes and red wine reduction. Our companions ordered Mad Shrimp, sauteed shrimp and chorizo on a bed of plantain mofongo. We also enjoyed, not photographed, a burger called Edward Burgerhands as well as a serving of Cheshire Mac. The over-the-topness was topped off with a Bettlejuice impersonator. I could have sworn Michael Keaton was in the room.
Day three was our first day flying solo as a couple. So naturally, we hit the first dive bar we could find. We walked into the Spring Lounge, on the corner of Spring & Mulberry. Talk about a New York experience! The seats at the bar were almost all taken, while the rest of the sizable bar was empty. You could tell they were regulars. There was man in a suit, standing with his briefcase on the bar and a martini in his hand. Next to him, a tall and slender man with grey hair dressed in all black with pointy leather shoes drinking different combinations of gin and fruit juice. There was a 'dad' type looking very comfortable in his swim trunks, t-shirt and old blue baseball cap drinking cans of PBR. And an upper-middle class Indian man drinking Jameson like it was water. It was a colorful crowd.
After a standard Goose Island IPA, I had the Smuttlabs Blueberry Short Weisse, which I am finding out now is the same beer I had the shuffleboard club! I should have made the connection then, but was happy to have been able to enjoy a second glass of it. The man drinking Jameson was getting increasingly more out of line, and the bartender urged him to go home. As soon as he did, the rest of the regulars questioned the bartender as to why he hadn't been 86'd from the bar yet. Apparently, he had a habit of being a creep. The bartender offered us a shot before we left, but the day ahead of us was long and we had to decline.
If you can't tell by my website, I love food. For most of my childhood, I wanted to be a chef. I was a line cook for years in my early 20's and it was one of my most rewarding jobs. Some of my biggest idols and sources of inspirations are chefs. David Chang is up there on that list and making it to one of his restaurants was one of the biggest priorities I had while in New York. Two of his restaurants were on the same block, two doors down from each other, so I was happy to have the option. Noodles seemed like too much on such a hot day, so we decided to visit Fuku located in the East Village. Fast-food style and a limited menu, it was the perfect lunch option.
We shared a Fried Chicken Sandwich, their staple we ate too quickly for me to photograph, as well as a frozen strawberry lemonade and a serving of sriracha pulled pork cheese fries. I had seen the fries on David Chang's facebook page and had to have them. I can't wait to go back just for his food.
We decided to wander around the East Village a little more, where we came across Academy Records. It was tiny little spot with a great selection of vinyl. Last year, I was spoiled by Portland's record stores where the most I paid for a record was $10, this place was a little more expensive but all the vinyl was in great condition. I ended up picking up two soundtracks, Zoot Suit and Sparkle with Aretha Franklin.
At this point, I wanted more food. On our walk back to the apartment, we walked past a taqueria and when I saw the trompo in the window I knew I needed some. The place was called Empellon Al Pastor, and the second thing I noticed was the tortilla machine in the back. Fresh tortillas and slow roasted pork, count me in! And at just $10 for two tacos and a beer, you couldn't beat it.
We spent the rest of that afternoon walking around, killing time before heading to The Bronx for a Yankee game. I didn't make many plans, but when I saw the Yankees were playing the Dodgers, I had to be there. I'm a huge baseball fan, so going to a historic park like Yankee Stadium is a bucket list item for sure. While slowly making our way to the train, we walked past La Esquina / The Corner Deli. We didn't stop or anything, but I had to take a few photos, it was so cute!
We ended up at Brinkley's Broome Street for some pre-game snacks, because you can always have more snacks. I wasn't too impressed with the place, the fries were too thick for my taste and the calamari was nothing special. But it was a nice bar with great light and scenery, just not somewhere I'd end up again. After a little rest and hydration, we headed to the train.
The train was packed! Which made sense for a Monday night. We were all packed in the train like sardines. Not everyone looked like they were on their way to the game, which seemed funny to be because in The Bay crowded trains on stadium lines are filled with fans. We got to the stadium and headed to a nearby bar to drink some cheaper beers before going inside. The Bronx Alehouse was there for us. Grimm Ales was doing a tap takeover with lots of tasty sour beer.
I bought our tickets on Gametime, and was surprised at how cheap they were! And the view from the bleachers wasn't bad at all. There were more Dodger fans than I was expecting, which always makes things more fun in my opinion. We sat for most of the game before leaving our seats to explore the stadium. Representing The Bay was crucial, Alexis was brave enough to wear an A's jersey, I was a little more discreet with my San Francisco Seals jersey.
We ended the night with pizza at Piacere, because it was right around the corner from the apartment. The pizza was a San Daniele: fresh tomato, mozzarella, arugula, shaved parmesan and proscuitto.
We really wanted to make the most of our last day. So we woke up early for a 'real' breakfast since we hadn't done that yet. We had walked by Jack's Wife Freda on Lafayette a few times, so I thought that would be a good option. And I was right! The food was fresh and super yummy, plus we had a seat outside the weather was beautiful. My friend had a cantaloupe mimosa and the rosewater waffle, while my boyfriend had the Prego Roll: a portuguese skirt steak sandwich with garlic butter, the best thing on the table in my opinion. I kept it simple and had soft boiled eggs with challah breadsticks (not pictured) because I love egg yolks and the house cured duck bacon. I'm pretty sure it was my first time having duck. What a meaty bird!
This day was very beer focused for me. I was determined to find more micro brews I couldn't find at home. While we were on our way to the taproom I had researched, we realized we needed to kill some time before the opened. So we found Tom & Jerry's bar on our walk and popped in for a drink. It was a big bar with lots of natural light a bunch of stuff to look at. Aside the huge (real) taxidermy on the wall, there were all kinds of stickers and drawings all over the place, definitely a place I could have had a few more beers at.
After a few non-noteworthy beers we headed to Top Hops, an amazing taproom with over 700 bottles to choose from as well as an extensive draft menu, I was in heaven. I wish I would have taken more photos of the interior. The bottles were organized by style if they were an East Coast based brewery, but if not they were organized by region. I was proud of the California section. We tasted everything on the menu. I couldn't remember exactly what we had, but there were a lot of breweries I hadn't even heard of! We bought some bottles to take back to the apartment for rooftop beers on our last night.
After dropping our beers off at the apartment, we set out for our last evening out. We went back downtown to see The High Line Park, an old subway line that was turned into a park in the early 2000's. On the way there we passed Chelsea Market, not knowing we should have gone inside.
We also popped into Fort Gansevoort Gallery where Ron English, Hansky and Healy Made were having a show. I should have taken more photos, but my mind was caught up in the dinner we had planned. I think, I would hope, most people know who Bobby Flay is. I've never been the biggest Bobby Flay fan, but I do respect his determination as well as him as a cook. I felt very fortunate to be able to eat at one of his restaurants. Bar Americain is in the heart of Times Square, and we felt very underdressed for the occasion. We had oyster and lobster shooters, roasted mushrooms and onions. I had the Florida style red snapper and my boyfriend had the filet mignon (again). Everything was delicious, just what I would have expected from an Iron Chef.
The next day I got up early and watched the sun come up on the roof. We were leaving in a few hours and I wanted a second to reflect. I did a lot of what I came to New York to do, watch some baseball, drink good beer and experience some real heat for once. But if I could do it over, I would. But at least now I know for next time. New York is a different beast than California, I want to be more prepared next time. We headed to the airport, only to have our flight cancelled and get stuck with a 4 hour delay. We killed time at the Uptown Brasserie by Marcus Samuelsson. The food was mediocre, I expected more from him. But honestly, it made going home that much sweeter.
Chalice California 2016: prt.2
I may be speaking for myself when I say this, but I don't think I think about anything quite as much as I think about food. Especially after a few dabs! But the thing that excites me more than munchies, is medicated munchies! I've never been a huge fan of sweets. Cookies and cakes? I'll pass. That's why it's so exciting to see new edibles hitting the market that are falling more on the savory side. Or better yet, can be left up to interpretation! These medicated tortillas, Medtillas, seem like a perfect option for lunch, dinner and even dessert!
When I turned the corner and saw the Shogun Extracts booth, I became ecstatic. Zacatecas is the state in Mexico where my family hails from! Medicated tamales estillo Zacatecas? yes please! it was hard to say if the potency was there, since I maintained such a steady high, but it tasted like home.
The medicated food was really popping out at me, I wanted to try this herb fired pizza by OG Pizza Company, but I just couldn't keep eating! Kush Tacos was also on the scene, I was sad I didn't get a chance to smash some nachos like I did the first time I tried them at the Nor Cal Cannabis Cup this past year.
Beezle's Creamery took home first place in the edible category for these 25mm medicated mochi bites! This one is Horchata flavored, and I'm sure the rest were just as tasty and I really regret not buying any more.
Budy Crocker and Mrs.Von Dank were set up together and it made me happy to see some friends make the trip out for Chalice. I've known them both via Instagram for year and I was so happy to finally meet! There were medicated bath products and sweet medicated treats on display in such an elegant but casual style. They sent me home with some samples and they were both equally indulgent in their own way. Best enjoyed together, I'd say!
Rodeo Glass Gallery is a booth I see at many events in California. It's always such a treat to see these works of art in person.
Ryno Glass, Matt Roberston, Jared Delong, Reyna Rivera and more pictured here.
I spied these pieces by Immaculate Glass, Lamar Glass and Troph Glass, their table was getting great light.
GrassHoppa Glass was out with some UV reactive glass. There was lots to Wu-Tang themed glass since they were the headlining musical artist on Saturday night.
There was plenty of glass by artists I didn't know. Here is another Wu-Tang piece by an artist I didn't catch the name of.
This unknown artist definitely had a theme going. and I was a fan. Brains and aliens and amazing sculpting.
The fade one this little banger hanger had me mesmerized.
And there was some amazing work put into these mini tubes as well, look at the crows! This was a truly talented artist, I wish I had caught his name.
This artists work was cute and simple, I've always been a fan of tiny rigs!
I saw so many minis I wanted to add to my army of minis.
I had to bring my Kaliber Glass baby with me, with the Aaron Vigil quartz nail.
There were so many artists and so much work out that multiple people had worked on, I couldn't keep up, but I still want to share the work even if I don't know who made. Feel free to reach out with the answers if you have them!
The main attraction was this glowing Joe Peters x Hoobs Glass collaboration.
My boyfriend ended up taking home this beautiful Chaka Glass x Solo Glass mini.
As cannabis events and parties grow, with bigger musical headliners and more diverse crowds, it can be harder, or easier for some, to remember why we attend these functions to being with. To see our friends and family in the community, enjoy the festivities, and learn about new cultivators, products and dispensaries, or to enjoy those who supply areas we don't live in! Jungle Boyz were out selling clones and pressing some of their "Jungle Juice" for patients who purchased their flower. The Jungle Boyz flavors by Oil Refinery Co we swooped from TLC Collective was so clean and stable, yum!
All in all, Chalice was worth it in my opinion. It's nice to have a reason to leave the bay and experience some real summer heat every so often.
I'm never upset when I see Wu-Tang live, wish Method Man would have been there!
We were all making the best of the music, the heat, and each other. Great vibes, honestly.
Until next time Chalice!
Chalice California is an annual festival held at the San Bernardino Fairgrounds in Victorville, California sponsored by Hitman Glass. It's been happening since 2014 and has been regarded as THE summer festival for hash and glass art. This was my first year attending the festival, and the first piece of summer spent in over 90° heat in at least 7 or 8 years. But we were ready for it! With dabs and water in hand, we set out into the heat.
Live art was everywhere, from live glassblowing to live painting. The musical stage was in the middle of the fairgrounds, so if you were outside odds were you could hear the music playing. There were makeshift misters spraying water at the edge of the stage's lawn creating a haziness that matched the one we were feeling.
The two days we were there were full of tasting dabs, seeing friends, eating medicated (and non medicated) foods and generally enjoying the vibes. Being from Northern California and spending most of my life in the Bay Area, I definitely feel I operate on a different wavelength than Southern Californians. It's hard for me not compare the festivals and vibes in Northern and Southern California, but I will say the experience was definitely worth the trip.
One thing I have always noticed about Southern California's concentrate scene is that I only seem to find popular BHO extractors, and not much solventless.
Guild Extracts is an extract company that I have always heard great things about but never really tried. I was excited to try some of their flavors and hear more about their THC-A Crystalline. They took the prize for highest THC content for their Jack Herer THC-A Crystalline. I don't think I saw it on the menu, but I probably wasn't looking, but I did see this Sour Diesel THC-A Crystalline.
Han's Colonial Medicine did have some fire looking and smelling Blissful Wizard Dry sift but at $100 a gram, it was a little out of my price range.
I've heard many things about the ambiguous origins of Crystalline concentrates. The CBD Crystalline we are seeing on the market these days is derived from HEMP, not CANNABIS. It unsure what affects these hemp derived concentrates could have on the body, so it's important to be careful. Guild's THC-A concentrate however seems to be legit, straight from Mother Mary herself.
Something I've been seeing at cannabis festivals and parties in the recent years have been rosin presses! People with rosin presses, mainly companies doing promotional work of course, who will allow people to walk up to them with their own flower and use their machines to press out fresh rosin! Sashquash Rosin Presses were who we used to help us out. We started with a little over 3 grams of Gorilla Glue cultivated by SPARC that tested out at just over 22% so we knew it would be worth the squeeze.
we got almost a gram and a half back!
Glass art, mostly functional, some not, all beautiful, were a obviously a huge part of the festivities. I saw plenty of artists I recognized and plenty I didn't. This beautiful electroformed, crystal covered piece to the right made it all the way to Southern California from New York state. Some artists traveled from far away homes, some were local, and some even considered the road their home. Chaka Glass, an artist I've meet at previous expos and someone I've connected with on social medial, is one of these artists driving across country and living in an RV.
Chaka (Christian) is famed for his icey drips, hollow cubes and adorable penguin and marine wildlife.
Another artist I recognized right away was Sherbert Glass. His signature pencil dabber can be spotted at almost any glass party. Seeing some of his one of a kind collaborations was a real treat.
I picked up a textured pink pencil dabber he was nice enough to sign for me, with his personalized Sherbert TI pencil.
Millies are something that have been practiced in glasswork for years and years, before functional glass art was a thing (I think?). There are so many talented millie artists in the scene, I was happy to see some familiar faces and some new ones! I loved these Oggie Boggie and Stimpy chips by an artist I didn't recognize.
Love these Oogie Boogie and Stimpy chips by and artist who's name I couldn't find.
Dapo Glass and Holly Banks Glass are a couple I've also met at other glass expos and connected with via social media. I love how they support each other in their art and collaborate constantly! He makes the chips and she'll use them to make adorable pendants!
Holly loves to create tasty looking glass reminiscent of the candies we get when we have the munchies. Gummies galore! This chocolate dipped lemon gummy was something I saw online and was so happy to see in person!
Jayson Keys made hilarious and serene scenes in his Millie Bomb pieces, mostly pendants and marbles.
Augy Glass was another artist, who I like to consider a friend, I saw using millies, but his glass was functional. Augy is a California based artist of Mexican decent who is proud of himself and his work, and I like to think it shows. It's always great to run into friends and these kinds of events.
I saw some Northern California based friends too! Goodnight Irene and Lisa's Pieces! Kayla James Glass was sharing a table with Irene and I was so happy to see some of her work in person! These Renee Patula ice cream carrots were as adorable in person as they were online.
Kayla and Irene did a 'Squabbit' pendant, signature Irene squirrel who developed a taste for carrots and disguised himself as rabbit to obtain more carrots. Irene was wearing it when I saw her.
Irene's pieces have great shape and beautiful fuming, and are often accented with horns or her signature squirrels, that are often seen on pendants. The light was hitting these beautifully as the sun began to set.
Her collaborations with Lisa were also on display, and I actually remember these being made at a Pied Pipers event in Oakland at Acala Studios.
Lisa had a strawberry theme going on and these hefty pendants caught my eye. The sun began to set and then evening began to cool off. The dusk kicked up in the desert sun added a glow to all the glass in the livestock showarea where the glass village was set up. We continued to wander puffing on our joints as we pleased.
part 2 coming soon!
Lunch at Morimoto Napa
Growing up in the Napa Valley was something I definitely didn't appreciate until after I left. Change is inevitable in a place like Wine Country. It's hard not to cater to the rich winery owners and tourists who come to pay them, and these tourists expect a level of dining on par with the world renowned wine made in The Valley. We passed through Napa yesterday on the way to see my parents and decided to have lunch at Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto's restaurant in Napa, Morimoto Napa.
To start we had the Waygu Beef Carpaccio. Thin cut Waygu Beef marinated in soy and sesame oil with ginger, garlic and topped with fresh cilantro. We instantly thought of the beef carpaccio we passed up in Barcelona in favor of salmon. But after this dish we are definitely planning to have it next time we go back.
My boyfriend ordered the Sea Urchin Carbonara lunch set, which came with a small salad, some veggie tempura with wasabi yogurt dipping sauce and a few pieces of sushi.
The Sea Urchin Carbonara consisted of Santa Barbara sea urchin, udon noodles, english peas, thick cubes of smoked bacon, crispy shallots, poached quail egg and nori slivers. It was incredibly rich, too rich for me but my boyfriend absolutely loved it and ate every bite, but left me plenty of tempura, yum!
I kept things simple and ordered a Soft Shell Crab roll and a Spicy Tuna Roll. I always forget how hard the soft shell crab is to eat in bites like sushi, so it was a challenge for me to eat. The spicy tuna was delicious, you could taste how good and fresh the fish was. I was satisfied with my classic choices.
Dessert was adorable. A S'More Sundae with graham cracker ice cream, soy soaked chocolate and toasted marshmallow on top of a thick slice of graham cracker with more chocolate.
Lunch was satisfying. We went to my parents after a few car dabs in the parking garage. Grilled some summer veggies brought Marley home with us. It was honestly the perfect Saturday.
stoneyxochi. 28 year old California native. proud pothead, Mexicana and woman.