Western Flyer
Ethan Fletcher
Western Flyer Coming This Month to Lafayette
For Logan Jager, Western Flyer is an idea more than 15 years in the making. The longtime home brewer first considered launching a brewery in 2010 before finally taking the leap 10 years later when he quit his finance day job to get his master’s in brewing at UC Davis and eventually identify a location to build his own facility. You can see the end result of those years of planning at his gleaming new brewery and taproom set to open later this month in the ground floor of a brand-new apartment complex at 3660 Mt. Diablo Boulevard in his hometown of Lafayette.
Designed by Costa Mesa architect Erin Morris and built by Walnut Creek’s Terra Nova Industries, the 4,100-square-foot space with a 1,800-square-foot patio flashes an upscale, contemporary southern California vibe with a light-filled open layout contrasting touches of warm wood, glass, tile, and stainless steel. The 23-tap system behind the bar will eventually pour a broad selection of 16-20 beers made on-site and includes three imported Czech side pour taps designed specifically for denser, foamier traditional Czech-style lagers. The open kitchen has its own tortilla press set to implement Jager’s vision of coastal tacos on homemade tortillas griddled to order. Then there is the brewing facility itself, a sparkling love letter to beer-making complete with a near-indestructible ¾-inch imported German tile floor, easy-access water, CO2, air hoses that drop down and roll up from above, and a fully custom 10-barrel system built by Escondido’s Premier Stainless Systems that allows Jager and head brewer Zac Haufler maximum flexibility to maintain a wide range of styles for every taste, plus a weekly-rotating selection of special brews to keep things interesting. The cool thing for beer geeks is that entire process will be on full display, with brewing operations separated by just a waist-high glass barrier that allows customers in the back dining area a wide-open view of the action.
Western Flyer
Ethan Fletcher
“We really wanted it to feel like you were in the process plant when you were dining,” says Jager. “This [back] area is more for people who are super into the beer process, who love seeing it—love the theater of it. Maybe they’re a home brewer or maybe they just really love craft beer, but it’s a cool spot to hang out, hear the sounds, see the sights, get the smells.”
When Western Flyer opens—currently anticipated around the third week of March—Jager is aiming for a lineup of 16 beers that will, yes, include several popular West Coast and hazy-style IPAs. But there will also be a particular emphasis on lighter, crisper styles that includes American and Mexican pilsners and Czech, Italian, and German lagers. The food menu will be rolled out a few weeks later, emphasizing lighter, seafood-centric items such as grilled rock fish and shrimp tacos, hamachi tostadas, and a variety of apps and shared plates, including tortilla chips made fresh throughout the day. Jager envisions the food as more of a complement to the beer and Western Flyer’s focus as a community gathering space. On that front, the brewery will partner with six local nonprofits per year, donating a portion of proceeds from select taps to those organizations while also partnering with them to host events and fundraisers. Likely to be among the first in line for Jager and his wife—parents of fourth- and sixth-grade boys—will be Lafayette Partners in Education, which raises money for local schools, and Lafayette Little League, where Jager is a coach.
Western Flyer
Ethan Fletcher
“We could have opened in another market, like Walnut Creek or Concord, where there are more spaces available, but we live in Lafayette and we wanted to have a bigger impact on our community,” he says. “We were deliberately super patient to find the perfect location to accomplish those goals.”
Western Flyer
Ethan Fletcher
Alysa Liu Lights Up the East Bay
Alysa Liu sighting! Oakland’s own gold-medal-winning figure skater was back in town and spotted dining out at Alameda Italian restaurant Trabocco Kitchen and Cocktails last week, where she was given a cake with congratulations spelled out in chocolate, according to a restaurant post (no word on main course). Meanwhile, the new Olympic it girl received a shout-out on Saturday Night Live, and was depicted on a new 18-by-30-foot mural along Telegraph Avenue by graffiti artist collective Illuminaries.
Café Bolita Replaces Standard Fare in Berkeley
Café Bolita, an experimental Mexican concept from a lauded pop-up operator, is up and running in west Berkeley. Taking over the high-profile space on Eighth Street previously home to beloved California cuisine lunch and brunch destination Standard Fare Kitchen and Pantry, Bolita features a menu highlighting scratch-made masa formed from nixtamalized heirloom Mexican corn. The limited opening menu at the café, which is initially open for takeout only, includes quesadillas as well as yogurt bowls, granola, and espresso and drip coffee, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Owner Emmanuel Galvan, who gained prominence starting in 2018 at local farmers markets and then pop-ups, plans to ramp up offerings in the coming weeks.
Fremont Restaurant Week Kicks Off Friday
Building on last year’s record success, the city of Fremont is holding its fourth annual restaurant week starting this Friday. From March 6–15, diners can take advantage of meal deals at 70 of the city’s remarkably diverse restaurants, which includes everything from birria tacos, biryani, and hot pot to smashburgers, fried chicken, and Detroit-style pizza. A kick-off celebration will take place on March 5 at Fremont Bank (39150 Fremont Boulevard) from 5:00-7:30 p.m., when mayor Raj Salwan will receive the first ceremonial delivery from locally manufactured DoorDash Dot, DoorDash’s autonomous delivery robot. Check out Fremont Restaurant Week’s website and Instagram for the latest.
Small Bites From Around the East Bay
Kacha Thai Bistro, a longtime favorite in downtown Walnut Creek, announced that it was closing temporarily “due to circumstances beyond our control.” In the same post, the restaurant said it was working to resolve the situation and hoped to reopen soon. Fingers crossed.
It looks like popular downtown Berkeley Chinese destination Noodle Dynasty has opened a spin-off concept, Rice Dynasty, right next door on Telegraph Avenue.
Lulu’s in Berkeley reopened with a new name and concept after closing last month due to a sewage leak. Lulu’s Little Kitchen offers a “more approachable, fast-casual” menu highlighted by hot and cold bowls and wraps.
Oakland’s Snail Bar has a new chef with the departure of founder Andres Giraldo Florez for the south of France. New chef de cuisine Zachary Breaux will reinvent the menu while continuing “to highlight the most beautiful California ingredients, layered with the depth and love of his Creole roots.”