BEER AND NOW Habit-Forming


Local Habit Shines in Hillcrest By Jeff Hammett


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Jeff Hammett first noticed craft beer early in college when a friend introduced him to Stone Brewing Co.’s Pale Ale. After gradu- ating from UCSD with a degree in Philoso- phy, he moved to Santa Cruz where he frequented Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing and Seabright Brewery. Jeff would journey up to San Francisco to visit Magnolia and Toronado every chance he got. He started blogging about beer in early 2009 while living in Durango, Colorado. For a town of only 20,000 people, Durango boasts an impressive four breweries. Jeff quickly became a part of the brewing scene, and in January 2010 was invited to work with Ska Brewing Co.’s Head Brewer Thomas Larsen to formulate a recipe and brew on Ska’s pilot system. In addition to his love of craft beer, Mr. Hammett is an avid cyclist and can be seen riding on the road or trails most weekends.


hen Pizza Fusion closed its doors last Febru- ary, craft beer options


in Hillcrest became even more sparse; thankfully, it only took a few short months before a compa- rable replacement debuted. Pizza Fusion franchise co-owner Barry Braden and his new partners Adam Hiner and Nick Brune of Eco Caters opened Local Habit, a res- taurant that at first glance appears quite similar to its predecessor. While the menu still boasts pizzas, salads and sandwiches, a closer look reveals that Local Habit is in fact distinctively different. The redesign of the space, which includes sky lights and an expanded bar made from recycled wood, came from the least likely of interior designers: Chef Nick Brune. Braden describes the space as having a more “rustic, comfort- able, and inviting” atmosphere. With the help of Bottlehood, a local company that repurposes beer, wine and other types of bottles, light fixtures were made out of three-liter Arrogant Bastard bottles, and more varieties from Allagash Brewing Company. Seated at the new bar, it’s easy to see the craft beer offer- ings on the chalkboard have close to doubled at the new restaurant. Featuring ten direct-draw taps and a slightly longer bottle list, all craft beers are either local, or from Cali- fornia. On Fridays, Local Habit plans to put their beer engine to use for cask conditioned ales. As for the menu, Local Habit takes the cue from its name, too. Some items note the local farm where the food came from, all part of Local Habit’s plan to offer items that are seasonally available in San Diego. In addition to locally sourced produce, several menu


Local Habit Co-owner Barry Braden, right, cleaning glassware for the next beer order


items are made in house. Brune cures his own meats, bread is baked from scratch; Hiner makes the kombucha, root beer, and ginger ale. Braden is big on providing dietary information, and alternatives for those with restrictions. As with Pizza Fusion, Local Habit of- fers many vegan, vegetarian and gluten- free options.


All three founders are environmen- talists, looking to reduce waste at their restaurant whenever possible. Unused bread made for sandwiches finds its way into the bread salad, and on grand opening weekend Brune was spotted re- purposing Iron Fist Hired Hand Saison with Chocolate Mint and Peppercorns left in the cask from the day before, no longer fit to drink by the pint, but perfect for cooking.


So how did Braden, who is a vet-


eran of the tech industry, the previous co-owner of an Australian winery and currently the board chair of the Endan- gered Species Coalition, a Washington DC based group working to protect dis- appearing wild life and wild places, get involved in the restaurant industry? In 2008 he became a partner in Hillcrest’s Pizza Fusion franchise, and realized the restaurant industry is in need of change. “Factory farming, pesticides, unhealthy additives and preservatives, Styrofoam- just about everything in the supply chain is bad for our health and the en- vironment,” Braden says. Don’t expect anything of the like at Local Habit. With time, Braden didn’t feel Pizza Fusion was the ideal model change, and Local Habit was born. “The reality is a restaurant like Local Habit and the other great ‘farm to table’ places in San Diego have more of an impact and leave a smaller footprint than a large chain ever could.”


As for the already solid craft beer selection at Local Habit, expect more in the near future. “I had never given much thought to beer choices until I came down to San Diego,” Braden says. “I am still a relative beginner when it comes to beer, but there’s no better place to learn than the present time in San Diego.”


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Aside from West Coaster, Jeff also writes for San Diego Beer Blog at sandiegobeerblog.com, and you can follow him on twitter @SDBeer


The decadent bread pudding dessert at Local Habit


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