New Tables, New Chairs…. New Table, New Chairs

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Old Cal Coffee

It’s the Spring of 2012 and it’s time to do some spring cleaning and some fixing up at Old Cal Coffee again. Yes, That’s right, We gave Old Cal Coffee House & Eatery a good old fashioned scrubbing… For two weeks straight, we had people cleaning on their hands and knees scrubbing like it’s never been scrubbed before….from top to bottom, floor to celiling, inside and out and much, much more… Old California Coffee House & Eatery may be an old place in an old building, but I can assure you, we are clean! FYI: The health inspector just dropped by and you’ll be glad to know we just received another Grade A, passing with a 97 out of 100! Woohoo!

If you’ve driven by or have come in to Old California Coffee House & Eatery in San Marcos Ca lately, you will notice we have new tables and chairs in our patio. When we bought Old Cal Coffee in Jan of 2011, we knew things were old and would have to be replaced, so little by little, we have been improving it. On the patio, you will notice and enjoy a dozen new chairs and three new tables. This Summer, it is our goal to provide the most comfortable seating arrangements as possible. As an Old California Coffee House & Eatery Customer, you will have your choice of prime locations to sit and eat, including a dozen seats completely in the shade under the covered patio! We will have three more tables under the trees, so you will be mostly shaded, but still allowing a little sunlight to creep through. Lastly, for all you sun bathers out there, we will have another dozen or more chairs completely in the Sunshine!

Come on inside you’ll notice another new table and chair set to the left of the front door when you come inside. This was a project and half for me. For those of you who know me, I’m not known for my handyman skills and I wanted a table made a specific length & width, so I set out on a mission. I went online to find 4 table legs. They are not cheap btw. Found them, ordered them and they sat in my garage for months, until one day, I finally found the perfect tabletop. I was so excited, I brought it home, sanded it down so it was as soft as a baby. I was getting it ready to stain it and I put my first coat on and I hated it, so I started over on the other side of the wood and when it was done, I hated it again. So I stripped it and sanded it again… fun right… and bought a new brush, new stain and went at it again for the third time… Finally, It turned out beautiful, so I installed the legs and tested it out and the table came up to my chin. Yea, on top of all my blunders, I bought the wrong height legs. I though counter height at 36″ was fine… but NOOOO, it had to be the 28″ version. So I called the manufacturer and told them my story, I bought the right size legs and put it together and wala! My wife Giovanna found the perfect set of matching chairs and we now have another great study table or meeting table or just another great place to have breakfast lunch or dinner at Old California Coffee House & Eatery! So, the next time you pop yourself on our new table, appreciate (and laugh) all that went into this table for your enjoyment… lol until another project. Oh Fun!

and don’t forget that last year, we installed the new air conditioning unit. So if it is hot outside, you know it will be cool inside. Thanks for listening everyone, I hope this makes your next visit just a little more enjoyable…

 

 

 

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“Rock Star” Rob Carona puts on an amazing show…

Posted on May 12, 2012 by Old Cal Coffee

On Saturday May 12, 2012, my good friend Rob Carona put on an amazing show at Old California Coffee House & Eatery in San Marcos Ca. Many of you now Rob Carona from his hit single “Waiting on Wonderful” which debut on Sept 7th 2011 at a release party held at The Hard Rock Cafe in downtown San Diego. Yes, I was there with my friend Eric and I was one of the first people to purchase this amazing song. 

If you are like me and appreciate a good music with a quality singer…. If louder doesn’t always mean better, then I would highly recommend you get to know Rob Carona because his voice is so pure, he can belt out the tunes, but what really makes a singer great in my opinion is someone that uses their voice as another instrument in the band. If you follow music, you’ll know what I mean…. It’s more than just signing well and being able to hit the highs in the song… It’s the control, the precision, the changing in tone, note and chords with the voice that makes a song come alive… If you are following American Idol this year, I think Phillip Philips also has this talent… I hope that makes a good analogy for you.. Like Phillip Phillips, Rob Carona can hit the high notes as well as the falsetto which really makes his voice come alive and is a real treat to watch.

 

But Rob is not alone with all this stardome… He is surrounded by talent that can play with any band anywhere, anytime… There’s lead singer & Lead guitarist Pastor Andrew sitting front and center with Rob for every performance that I have ever been to…. Ailina Carona joins in on duets and backup vocals. Gabe in the back on drums is an amazing drummer and thank you Gabe for keeping it acoustic style at Old Cal Coffee… The band wouldn’t be complete without with Mathew on electric guitar, Cory, a female keyboardist and another rhythm guitarrist that was amazing too!


 

Just watch as the fans get out of their seat and have a blast with Rob on stage. Unfortunately, I didn’t catch any of his origianls on video because as you can see from these videos, we were slammed all night…. When I say Rob Carona Packs the house, I mean, he sells out your venue! To listen to Rob and all his original music, visit www.RobCarona.com. Thanks again Rob, We really appreciate you, the band and all the fans that come out and support you at Old Cal Coffee. We look forward to your next performance!

Here’s a sneak Peak at a brand new song by Rob Carona!

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Ed Sheeran, Paul Cannon, The Yes Team & The County Fair

Posted on May 12, 2012 by Old Cal Coffee

On May 12th, 2012, we had the pleasure of enjoying some of the best music San Diego has to offer… The day started out right… Free tickets to the Ed Sheeran Acoustic performance at La Costa Resort & Spa for a 12 noon show; courtesy of my favorite radio station in the world, KPRI FM Encinitas Ca. Yes, I am KPRI “FEEQ” and as a registered FREEQ, you have the opportunity to join in on some pretty cool stuff around town and this event was one that I registered for online and won tickets to it… Thanks Ed Sheeran & KPRI FM.

Next, we were off to the Belly Up to see my friend Paul Cannon headline at The Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach with The Yes team and The County Fair Opening for PCB (Paul Cannon Band)…

Here is a picture of Craig Garcia in front of the Paul Cannon Poster…. many of you on Facebook have seen these around town and you posted the pictures… I didn’t want to be left out, so here’s my pic Paul… lol

The Paul Cannon Band is one of my favorite bands as they have a unique sound with Paul’s voice being so pure and harmonious, I can listen to him all day. But he is not alone, Michael on Bass, Harmonica and vocals ads quite a bit of variety to the group. Christine on Cello & vocals sometimes steals the show because you don’t expect a band to have a Cello player, making Christine Cyr the secret weapon to rounding out the tone of The Paul Cannon Band! The recent addition of Mathew on drums makes the already incredible band just come to life and gives the depth that you want when listening to live music. 

Here’s a clip of The Paul Cannon Band at Anthrology from a few weeks earlier… I am so sorry that I didn’t get a chance to film PCB at The Belly Up… Next time, I promise… but a little birdie told me that PCB will be opening up for Matt Nathanson at the Birch Aquarium on July 18th and I just bought my tickets, so I’ll be sure to get lots of pics and video from that show!

 

The Yes Team joined Paul Cannon as the main opening act… You might remember The Yes Team from earlier blog posts titled scouting the hottest local talent with KPRI’s Cathryn Beeks… One of San Diego’s newest bands, but hottest bands consist of three amazing vocalists. I’ve seen this band several times now at different venues and every time I see them, I think a different member of the band is the best… Let me elaborate on what I mean… there is Kinny, She’s the girl in the band who can sign the you know what out of any song, not to mention, she can play at least 3 or 4 instruments that I know of… There’s Jonathan, he’s the taller guy with curly hair, when he takes the lead on vocals, I think he’s the best singer and then There is TJ, who can sign, play guitar and piano… I simply can’t tell who the lead singer is of this band… YES! They are ALL that good! no pun on YES for The Yes Team…lol

Here’s a killer clip one the Yes Team singing at the belly up…

 

and the surprise of day was a band called The County Fair. I had been following The County Fair for about six months now and this was my first chance to see them live… I also heard on Facebook that they would be there, but I forgot all about that part… so, I was excited to listen to them and watch them perform. I mean, how can you go wrong with a fun band that has a stand up bass, a violin player, a banjo & a mandolin along with several guitars including acoustic, electric, slide guitar and electric bass guitar. They killed it on stage! You can tell these guys are good when the dance floor filled up as  soon as they took the stage. I can’t wait to hear more from this band! Here is a clip from them playing at The Belly Up!

 

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Old Cal Coffee donates to Paloma Elementary PTO (San Marcos)

Posted on May 11, 2012 by Old Cal Coffee

On April 28th 2012, we received a letter Cathy Kohn from the PTO of Paloma Elementary School in San Marcos Ca asking to help out with a donation for their Spring Carnival fund raiser to be held on May 11, 2012. The PTO of Paloma Elementary, with help from donations, fund the entire music program, all sports programs and the school counselor. Paloma Elementary has 900 students with 40% in the lower income, which make these programs priceless to many family in tough economic times.

While Paloma Elementary and the PTO will have many fund raisers over the year to support their programs, this particular fund raiser is to help fund the Star Reading Program. It aids students that are not up to the appropriate reading level. This is done through a pairing of of mentor 4th and 5th graders students who help them with their reading skills. The Star reading program has an 89% success rate in taking below grade level students and bringing them to grade level or above by the end of the school year.

The PTO of Paloma Elementary is doing everything they can to guarantee that no program is lost, especially the Star Reading program. As a father of a 4 year old, I have the privilege of reading to him 5 nights a week. I know how lucky he is as not all families have the ability to do that or even understand the importance of it. I am a firm believer that the pillars of today lead the path to the future and if you have ever had to study as an adult to try to pass a test or get a certification, you must read and retain the information. I can’t stress it enough, the children that read when they are young are the adults who read and are usually better educated adults.

As a business owner of San Marcos Ca, It is my pleasure to help out in any way that we can. Especially when it is such an incredible cause… While we do have our limits on how many times we can say yes, we are happy to help you this year. I know your event will be a huge success.

For all the Moms and Dads who have little ones at home and need something to do over the Summer months, I invite you to come visit Old California Coffee House & Eatery on San Marcos Blvd in Restaurant Row on the 2nd & 4th Thursday of the month for Clint Perry and Pack Rat Pat Childrens Story & Music Time…

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Old California Coffee House & Eatery Nominated for Best Coffeehouse by Union Tribune

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Old Cal Coffee

On Tuesday May 7th 2012, I received an email from June LaSota from the Union Tribune stating that the readers of the Union Tribune just nominated Old California Coffee House & Eatery for the Best Coffeehouse in San Diego award. This is a HUGE honor as the Union Tribune readers poll is one of the most trusted resources in San Diego!

Congratulations to Old California Coffee House & Eatery for beingt Nominated as Best Coffeehouse for the Union Tribune Readers Poll San Diego’s Best of 2012…..

To Support Old California Coffee House & eatery in it’s quest to be named the BEST Coffee House in San Diego; from May 6 to May 23, 2012, you may Nominate Old California Coffee House & Eatery Once a Day!

 
type in ~ Old California Coffee House in the box provided…  (Nominate)
 
or TEXT sdbest to 56654
Food & Restaurants
Coffeehouse
Old California Coffee House & Eatery
 
The Top 10 Nominations go to the Finals to be held June 17 to July 3rd and One Coffee house in San Diego will crowned San Diego’s BEST Coffee House by the Union Tribune 2012.
Again,
 
We are honored and humbled….
 
Thank You for your Support….
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
All the honors and awards really makes us try even harder….
 
Sincerely,
 
 
 
Craig & Giovanna Garcia
Owners ~ Old Cal Coffee
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Car Show & Art Walk at Restaurant Row…

Posted on May 6, 2012 by Old Cal Coffee

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Sunday, May 6th 2012, Old California Restaurant Row hosted a Car Show and Art Walk in the parking lot and along the Village Shops! It was a Sunday Classic with a perfect blend of flavors that included Great Food, Great Cars, Live Music and an Art Walk. From Ferraris to street rods to old classics, the car show had something for everyone. The Art consisted of paintings, jewelry, Pictures, Framed Art, hand made cards, wreaths,  hats, flowers and much more. The Music was great and performed by Bill Bradburry and Gunner Biggs. This was the first of many Summer Events scheduled at Restaurant Row in 2012. Click Here to stay informed about upcoming events at Restaurant Row.

Here’s me and the family out enjoying a well deserved day off. It was a great day for us as we don’t gt many days to enjoy as a family, so having a great event like a car show and art walk just made me & my son smile from ear to ear. The day started off right lunch at Old California Coffee House & Eatery where we enjoyed a delicious sandwich and a cup of soup. I grabbed a blended dessert drink for the raod and hit the parking lot with Giovanna & Dylan. Below is a picture of my friends Bill & Gunnar, who I recommended them for this event.

The Artwalk & Musical Performance in the Village Shops area featuring local artists and a performance by MandoBasso, a duo featuring Gunnar Biggs on bass and Bill Bradbury on mandolin.

Here we are in the parking lot behind Old California Coffee House & Eatery directly in front of Rhythm City Gill and Canape’s and the Village Shops… Just so you can get an idea of where the event was held. As you can see, there were several artists that lined the walkway from Old Cal Coffee to the Village Shops in the Back.

Several hundred people, maybe even a thousand or more during the three hour event visited the car show and Art Walk in Restaurant Row. We were there for just over an hour and we already saw several hundred people ourselves and it was getting busier and busier as the event went on. Restaurant Row did a stupendous job in creating a wonderful event for the community of San Marcos and surrounding cities to come and enjoy such a unique and cool attraction.

The Art Walk and the Car Show was FREE to attend & FREE to park. They had it all roped off, so you could walk around the parking lot and not have to worry about getting hit by a car. They brought in extra rest rooms to accommodate the extra crowds. The weather was amazing as it always is in San Marcos Ca. All in all, this was an excellent event and I would highly recommend attending the next one! You might want to stay tuned for future events at Restaurant Row, because if they are anything like this one, it will sure be a great time for all. To Stay Informed, visit our website and sign up for our newsletter and I’ll buy you lunch or dinner on your birthday!

I love the old rides…Check these out… My Dad had Chevy Pickup like the one you see in this picture… I remember him restoring it when I was a kid…

The Corvette Car Club was there along with some other Muscle Cars both New and Old… If you look at the picture below, you will see the Ford Shelby and in the background, past the Live DJ Station are the old Muscle Cars and way down there under the blue tent is 55Yard Line’s Funny Car… It’s super Cool, You need to check it out…

There was even live music in the parking lot provided by a local Disc Jockey to play music, provide information and entertainment for all…

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American Idol Contestants perform in San Diego

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Old Cal Coffee

On Friday, April 27th 2012, at Old California Coffee House in San Marcos Ca, two American Idol contestants performed live music to a cheering packed crowd. It was an incredible night as Morgan Leigh put on the best musical singing performance I have ever seen. I’ve been watching this young lady turn into a professional singer right in front my eyes. From an American Idol contest a few seasons ago, to writing, signing and performing her music throughout Southern California to adoring screaming fans of all ages, Morgan Leigh is a true delight.

Through a lot of hard work, support form her family and a desire to sign anywhere, anytime and for anyone, Morgan Leigh is now an excellent singer & songwriter. Here is Morgan Leigh singing Adel’s “Someone Like You”, one of the toughest songs to sign as Adel’s music is iconic with pop culture tright now, all Morgan can do is try to give the song justice and if you ask me, she sleighed it… That’s righ dawg, talking like Randy Jackson from American Idol, she nailed it, she sleighed it because Morgan can sing anything… She took on this big song and hit every note!

 

Here is a quick video of Morgan that I shot at Old Cal Coffee, singing one of my favorite songs called “Sugar”.

Morgan was cast the lead role in an upcoming play. Yes, this young, beautiful talented lady can do anything she puts her mind to. She can sign, she can act, I’m sure she can dance too, although I haven’t seen it personally, I wouldn’t put it past her… I highly recommend you get to know this young superstar before she is traveling world singing to sold out crowds… This one is going places!

The night started out really fun as Morgan brought other musicians as her opening acts. She is so sweet, because gives them an opportunity to play at her shows in front her crowd, giving them experience, new fans and perhaps they’ll sell a few cd’s and make few bucks in the tip jar too… Morgan knows first hand how hard it is to get your music out to the world, that’s why it is so important to her that she shares in her success with others.

 

Here’s a clip of opening act Kristi Krause singing an original song called “All Alone”. Kristi has an incredible voice and is unique in own way. She is another rising star who will make it big one day with a lot of hard work, support from her adoring San Diego fans and perhaps with a little luck, we’ll be seeing this one the big stage soon too!

 

The highlight of the night had to be when the two American Idol contestants sang a duet together… Take a look at this clip with Morgan Leigh and Kristi Krause singing Foster the People’s Pumped up Kicks and Adel’s “Rolling in the Deep”

It was a fun night with great music, great people and great food and drinks at Old California Coffee House & Eatery in San Marcos California, where we invite San Diego’s BEST Talent to come perform Live here at Restaurant Row in San Marcos California.

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Old Cal Coffee is honored by local Youth Group

Posted on April 28, 2012 by Old Cal Coffee

On April 4th, 2012, I received an email from Alicia who was looking for a venue where the section 1 youth SoCal church group could perform in North County San Diego. Alicia came across our website online, read all the reviews about Old California Coffee House & Eatery and determined that Old California Coffee House & Eatery was the perfect venue to perform their recital.

There aren’t many available dates to play at Old California Coffee House and when I said she could share in a night where I already had a band booked, she was thrilled. We agreed that April 28th, 2012 would be the date. To our surprise, Alicia and her youth group were so appreciative, they presented Old Cal Coffee with an award for service to their organization. It was one of the nicest gestures we’ve received.. Thank You Alicia. That was not necessary, but we really do appreciate you and we are happy to give young people an opportunity to perform in front of a live audience.

 

Here is a picture of Alicia getting set up for the performance… I’m sorry that I didn’t get a chance to capture any video of this day, but we were so busy that night, I had to help manage the kitchen with our staff…

Some of the singers included Alicia, Sarai Rivera, Tobymac and Singer Keith Smith

Thank You to all the performers and a big thank you to everyone for coming and supporting our local youth group. We look forward to doing something together in the near future…

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Children’s Educational Music performed by Clint Perry

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Old Cal Coffee

It has been one year since Clint Perry first approached me with idea of bringing a live childrens performance to Old California Coffee House and Eatery on the 2nd & 4th Thursday of the month. I am so glad I took him up on his offer because here we are one year later and it is going great. I want to give speacial thanks to Clint Perry and his family for his commitment to the children, the parents and to all of us at Old California Coffee House & Eatery in San Marcos Ca.

If you remember, we started out in the green room…. The idea was to have clint sit on the couch and have 5-10 children sit and watch, while Clint played his music, read books, pulled out pupets, letters, numbers, etc. I found an old picture from June 2011… We had already out grew the green room and took over both the green room and the propellar room… The cool thing is, just about every one in this picture still come on the 2nd & 4th Thrusday of the month because it is that much fun! Shortly after this picture was taken, we had move outside to accomadate all the people…

I think this next picture is taken on June 23rd, so that would have been just the next perfromance…

Shortly after we moved outside, the crowds continued to come and watch and listen to Clint… I even brought my son and neices to this particular performance…

So fast forward almost a year later and….. I think this next picture is taken on April 12, 2012, should just about sum it up for you! They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so, I’ll just let it speak for itself…. I can’t wait for the next perfromance…

As you can see, the entire patio is packed…

Once again, I want to thank Clint Perry and his family for the commitment and dedication. I know it takes a tremendous amount of work and it’s a HUGE commitment to be here every 2nd & 4th Thursday, but the truth is… I am really proud of you… I’m proud of us… we built this together and it’s awesome!

To learn more about clint and find out where he will be next, visit his website here:

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Summer Concerts at Old Cal Coffee will Feature New Artists…

Posted on April 22, 2012 by Old Cal Coffee

The Sun is shining, the rain has gone away and Summer will be upon us very soon. At Old California Coffee House and Eatery in San Marcos, Ca, we’ve been scouting some of the best talent in San Diego to come play this Summer Concert Series. We are pleased to announce that we will have a full line up of amazing bands playing here at Old Cal Coffee. The first new band that you will be introduced to is a band out of New York, who recently moved to San Diego and is taking the music scene by storm playing several times per week and sometimes even twice a day!

You may recall, a few months ago, when I went to 102.1 KPRI’s Acoustic Alliance show at the Brick by Brick with my friend Eric, I was scouting for new talent back then and I found some amazing bands and I am starting to book some of those bands for our Summer Concert Series. For Example, When we arrived, there was a band playing called The Yes Team and what a pleasant surprise this band turned out to be. Not only was I impressed with this group, but so was Paul Cannon from the Paul Cannon Band, who met them at another gig and invited The Yes Team to come play at Old Cal Coffee as an Opening Act back on April 7th… I was so stoked when Paul mentioned this because I wanted to book this band as soon as I heard them, and sure enough, not only did they open for Paul Cannon on April 7th at Old Cal Coffee, but they will be the Featured band headlining at Old Cal Coffee in San Marcos Ca on June 9th… Come on out and see this amazing new band called The Yes Team.

Another new band booked at Old California Coffee House & Eatery is a band called Enchanted Realms which includes a friend of mine named Scot Ryder, a finger style guitarist, who performed for us at the Sunday Art & Music show last Summer. He is joined by two other amazing artists named Theresa Rochelle-Ross, vocalist and a multitude of instruments and Rachel Amov on Violin/viola. Their performances of original and traditional music based in Medieval Folklore, and Eastern European Gypsy traditions are centered around exquisite vocals,  masterful guitar styling, lyric folk harp and Irish flutes, and breathtaking violin and viola. At times hauntingly
melodic, at other times energetic and stirring, the trio always offers an inspiring treat for the ears and an evening of soul enchantment.

John Hoffman, from The Fabulous Decades has been talking to me about playing at Old Cal Coffee this Summer too! They are a great local band that plays hits from the 60′s, 70′s, 80′s and 90′s. I am very excited about this band because they play such a wide variety of music, they will have something for everyone. Plus they are one of those bands that plays all the songs that you know and love. They’ll leave you with a feeling of wanting more… Look to our Calendar of Events, scroll to the bottom and change the month to see the when the new bands will be playing live music at Old Cal Coffee in North County San Diego!

I just booked a band called Coda. They are a Rock n Blues band with a guitarist named Rick Ross, who is a friend of mine and a customer at Old Cal Coffee, who also played for me at the San Marcos Arts Council Sunday Art & Music Matinee that was held at Old Cal Coffee last Summer! Rick Ross is actually on the main website page of OldCalCoffee.com. He is the one sitting down playing guitar with his friend on the stand up bass… Yes, That’s Rick and he is back with some new friends and formed a band called Coda and you will hear them here at Old Cal Coffee on June 16th… So if you are ready to get your Rock N Blues on, come on out and see Coda this Summer!

Another band that I am trying to book is a duo called Oldest Boy & Girl, who contacted me a few months ago, but I haven’t been able to connect with yet, however I am trying to get them to play here. I had a chance to hear them play at the Acoustic Alliance put on Cathryn Beeks of KPRI FM local radio station and they were amazing! Wish me luck as I want to get them to play at Old Cal Coffee because I think they are amazing and I know that you will like them too!

Of course all the regular bands will be performing all Summer long too. With bands like Blue Mountain Mule, Free Martin, The Lacemakers, Jon Ji, The Rocksliders, Randy & Cici, Two of us Plus One, Janet Rucci, Anati Tuesday & Jessica Hull, along with a few others that play on a regular basis such as Morgan Leigh, The Paul Cannon Band, Rob Carona, The Woebots, David Vidal with Greg Snaer, and Steven Ybarra just to name a few….

It is sure to be an amazing Summer Concert Series. Make your plans to be at Old California Coffee House & Eatery in San Marcos Ca, where you will always find the best local homegrown music in San Diego!

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Old Cal Coffee helps out Meals on Wheels

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Old Cal Coffee

On April 19th, 2012 Meals on Wheels Greater San Dieog Inc, North County Service Center in San Marcos Ca held their 35th Annual Volunteer Appreciation Celebration. There are nearly 600 volunteers delivering meals to the seniors in the North County Area. These caring volunteers provide daily visits and bring nutritious meals as well as their friendship to the Meal on Wheels clients. Frequently the volunteer may be the only person the senior sees all day, providing human contact and a safety net, particularly for those seniors living alone. It is the mission of Meals on Wheels to support the independence and well-being of seniors. To learn more obaut Meals on Wheels, visit them at www.meals-on-wheels.org

As a local business, Old California Coffee House is more than happy to to show our appreciation by donating gift cards to be raffled off to our hard working volunteers. It’s a little thing we can do to show our appreciation for their hard work and dedication. Regardless of cold, wind or rain, the meals get delivered and conversation is engaged…. Thank You for all you do…

I just got off the phone with Charlotte Fan, manager at the San Marcos location, who is the sweetest lady you’ll ever meet, just informed me that the Volunteer Celebration Gala was a huge success. She said there were over 250 volunteers in attendance and Charlotte said in her own words… how these volunteers go tirelessly throughout the year delivering meals to North County Seniors and this is the one day we get to deliver something back to them. They make this a BIG event to really show their appreciation and it was a HUGE success! Great job Charlotte, we are glad to be a small part of your day!

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The Best Chai Tea Latte in San Diego

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Old Cal Coffee

At Old California Coffee House & Eatery in San Marcos Ca, we’ve become quite famous for having the Best Chai Tea Latte in San Diego because we’ve been making our Chai Tea from scratch for years. 

While on one hand, I’m a big fan of chocolate powders and flavored syrups in my espresso drinks, just not in my tea. One of the main reason’s we’ve become so famous for our Chai Tea is because the flavor our our Chai Tea actually tasts like tea & it is not too sweet like all the other companies out there. A Chai Tea Latte should taste like Tea with a hint of cinnimon & spices. Chai Tea is not supposed to be so sweet, that it tastes like a dessert drink.

Another reason we’ve become so famous for our Chai Tea Latte’s is because Ally, our Lead Barista is in charge of making the Chai Tea. It is a labor of love as it takes all day to make in a BIG 10 Quart Kettle. We use two kinds of tea, cloves, ginger, cinnamon and other spices to make our secret recipe for our famous chai tea latte. You’ll find our Chai Tea Latte and other amazing teas served daily at Old california Coffee House & Eatery in San Marcos Ca. I would like to thank Ally for making the Chai Tea and for making it taste perfectly delicous evey time!

Here is a picture of our famous Chai Tea Latte! When you drink it, it should taste like tea with a hint of cinnimon and spices. Of course, you may have a Soy Chai Tea Latte too! It’s just as good, but without the dairy!

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San Marcos Arts Council’s April Meeting Held at Old Cal Coffee

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Old Cal Coffee

On April 11th at 5:30 PM, The San Marcos Arts Council held its monthly meeting at Old California Coffee House & Eatery in Restaurant Row in San Marcos Ca. In attendance: Craig Garcia, Jacob Angelo, John Walker, Mike McDonald, Raziah Roushan, Janice Arcaro, Marilyn Huerta and Lisa Schirmer as our guest speaker.

Above is Michael McDonald and Greg Snaer holding the design work from Lisa Schirmer of Diseg no2 llc, who gave a beautiful design presentation for a public art piece that will be a part of the new Quad structure being built for CSUSM students on Barham Drive. This functional artwork will serve as the entry gates to the Quad Dorms. 

Here is a picture of Lisa and Jacob holding a small piece of the artwork that will be on the gates at the student housing porject for CSUSM on Barham Dr in San Marcos Ca. If you notice Lisa is laughing because I asked Jacob to grab the metal artwork and hold it up so I could take a picture of it… The funny thing is…. The piece weighs about 75 pounds and it was big and bulky. No worries, Jacob is awesome and can do anything, as you can see, he grabbed it like it was no problem! lol  Thanks Jacob! You’re a Rock Star!

It was recommended by Jim Desmond, City of San Marcos Mayor and Michael McDonald of Urban Vilalges that the San Marcos Arts Council review the plans for the city art project in hopes that other organizations will want the support of the arts council when it pertains to public art projects throughout the city of San Marcos.

Once Lisa Presented her plans for the artwork to be displayed at the New Quad Structure being build on Barham Dr for the students of CSUSM, John Walker motioned that SMAC support this project, Craig Garcia seconded the motion, and the group unanimously voted in support of this project. Craig will provide a Letter of Support to Mike McDonald. Mike shared with the group how this project is being financed through builder project/city funds  specifically designed for public art throughout San Marcos. Mike also suggested that SMAC and/or CSUSM host an art talk with Lisa Schirmer once artwork is complete. Lisa can share her process with local art students and educate students about her work and public arts. Marilyn, Craig & Lisa will help to facilitate this when the project is complete.

The Quad, the complex nearly doubles the University’s student housing by adding 597 beds to its existing 614 beds at University Village Apartments. CSUSM President Karen Haynes and City of San Marcos Mayor Jim Desmond drove the first nails into structural support beams at a private ceremony held at The Quad construction site at 200 East Barham Drive, San Marcos Ca and the project is underway. The $50 million project is made possible by an innovative public-private partnership between Cal State San Marcos and Urban Villages San Marcos that allows the campus to expand its available housing for students without utilizing tax dollars, impacting campus debt or financing capacity. The first phase of housing is expected to be completed by fall 2012 with 288 beds. A second phase, which will add 309 more beds, is slated to open by fall 2013.

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New Larger Baked Tofu at Old Cal Coffee in San Marcos Ca

Posted on April 1, 2012 by Old Cal Coffee

New Larger Baked Tofu Wrap & Sandwich at Old Cal Coffee

At Old California Coffee House & Eatery in San Marcos Ca, we are famous for our Vegetarian & Vegan Baked Tofu sandwiches, wraps and salads. We have recently modified the Baked Tofu formula and I am so happy with the changes, I wanted to tell everyone about it…

First of all, the recipe has NOT changed at all…
A. We use the same Brand Name Tofu
B. We still marinade the Tofu overnight in our secret Smoked Hickory Balsamic formula

The good news is… The Tofu is now BIGGER! There are 4 Pieces of Baked Tofu pictured below… The top 3 pieces are cut and baked in the new style.. You should be able to tell that the pices are longer and thicker than the Tofu pictured at the bottom, which is our old way of cutting the Tofu.

Again, You should be able to tell that the bottom Tofu is thinner and shorter than the three on top. That’s right…. The new Baked Tofu recipe at Old California Coffee House and Eatery has now doubled in size! The Tofu is actually twice as thick and a little longer… Bottom Line… We used to cut the Tofu into 32 pieces… We now cut the Tofu into 15 pieces, giving you larger, thicker, moister, softer (after Baked) Tofu.

The Benefits and taste difference is amazing! In the old recipe, some of the pices would get hard as the consistencey of the thickness was so thin, that a few minutes of over baking would turn the Baked Tofu into Baked Tofu Jerky and we ended up throwing some of it away anyways…

So, One day, I was thinking to myself, what if the Tofu was thicker, it wouldn’t be so volatile when baking, plus the consistency of the product would improve… So I went for it and the end result is amazing! you MUST come in and try the Baked Tofu at Old California Coffee House & Eatery in San Marcos Ca.

Obviously, this is costing us more money to produce the product this way, but it is my commitment to excellence that has made my decision an easy one! … and the good news is… The price is exactly the same! Just better product!

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Randy Renner & Cici Porter Packed the House at Old Cal Coffee

Posted on March 30, 2012 by Old Cal Coffee

Randy Renner & Cici Porter are two amazing musicians that I brought back to Old California Coffee House and Eatery to play live music on the weekends. They used to play here years ago and after hearing their demo CD, I begged them to come back. Randy finally agreed and I am so happy that I convinced (twisted their arms)  Randy & Cici to come back because they are so much fun! OMG, This duo is amazing, they have a sound like a full band and their talent level is amazing! Randy will tell you himself, he’s fortunate to have played with the amazing Cici Porter for over twenty years and their chemestry together is wonderful. You’d think these two were an old married couple or something… but they’re not, just musicians that have fun playing together.

Here’s a hilarious clip from Randy Renner singing his verion of “Every Little Ting is going to be alright” and yes, I wrote Ting… it’s not a typo… Take listen for yourself to see what I mean…. lol

I had no idea that this song was called ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Do… I just thought it was a funny chorus part of the song…. lol I’m sorry, but I wasn’t even born in 1968 when The Beatles first released the song…

At the end of the night, they really had the crowd going… no body wanted the night to end… and then, Randy & Cici broke into a the Yellow Submarine and the crowd went wild. They had everyone singing along with the. I caught the entire thing on video. Take a look at this clip from Randy Renner and Cici Porter signing “The Yellow Submarine.”

and at the end of the night, these kids from Mission Hills High School came up to the band and asked if they could sing a song… Randy & Cici said sure… I only caught the tail end of this song… but WOW… these kids were good! Take a Listen.. I think they must be in choir or in a school play or something…

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Ally & The Woebots put on a show at Old Cal Coffee

Posted on March 28, 2012 by Old Cal Coffee

On Saturday March 24th, Ally and the Woebots played a gig at Old California Coffee House & eatery in San Marcos Ca and packed the house with fans! The Woebots, an alternative band, consisting of Candice on Lead Guitar and vocals, Susan on Bass Guitar and back up vocals and Old Cal Coffee’s very own “Ally” on the drums. It was a great night as many of Old Cal Coffee’s locals came out to support Ally, Who has worked at Old Cal Coffee longer than we have owned the place, so she is VERY Well liked at the coffee house and has a ton of fans!

These girls are amazing! Take a look at this video clip from their March 24th performance at Old Cal Coffee in San Marcos Ca. I also caught the tail end of this second clip below… Take a listen to Susan and Candice sing off the harmonies and play & sing back and forth together!

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New BBQ Chicken Pizza at OldCalCoffee in San Marcos Ca

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Old Cal Coffee

The BBQ Chicken Pizza is Brand New on the menu at Old California Coffee House & Eatery in San Marcos Ca!

We take garlic pizza bread and put a generous layer of BBQ sauce on our pizza, then we add cheddar and feta cheese, marinated BBQ Chicken and topped with sliced sweet red onions! It is DELICIOUS!

After one year of serving soups, salads and sandwiches, we’ve just added the new BBQ Chicken Pizza to the menu. It quickly became the number one selling item at Old Cal Coffee, beating out the previous best selling sandwich, the Backyard Club! Now, this pizza will take about 10 – 12 minutes to bake, so if you are in a hurry, please call ahead and we’ll get it in the oven for you! Otherwise, it will be ready in about 12 minutes, hot, cheesy and loaded with BBQ Chicken, it’s a delicious Lunch or dinner! Enjoy!

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Gluten Free Breakfast at Old Cal Coffee in San Marcos Ca

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Old Cal Coffee

Old California Coffee House & Eatery in San Marcos Ca has a Gluten Free Menu that is healthy and delicious!

We have a healthy and delicious gluten free food menu and everything is served fresh to order. We make a light and fluffy Egg sandwich or wrap, Gourmet Sandwiches, Specialty Soups, Salads, Smoothies, Bagels, gluten free garden muffins, various pastries and desserts are also served all day and all night.  We’ve become quite famous for our Vegetarian & Vegan dishes such as our Baked Falafel, Baked Tofu and Homemade Vegan Chili. Come on in and taste for yourself…. Old California Coffee House & Eatery in San Marcos Ca is Proud to announce….”We now serve Gluten Free Sandwiches and Muffins” We use the best tasting gluten free wheat bread for all our gluten free sandwiches!

We bake our ownGluten Free Garden Muffins consisting of zuccini, pumpkin and carrots. This muffin is so good that many of our customers order it just because it tastes so good, not because they need or want to eat gluten free. YES, it is that good! The good news is that we know every ingredient that is put into the product, so we know it is safe to eat for our gluten free customers.

Gluten Free eating lifestyle has become more and more popular. There are many health benefits of eating a gluten free diet. For instance, research study indicates that some of the many health benefits include a faster recovery time for athletes, improved digestion, reduction of systemic inflammation and improved nutrient absorption from food, just to name a few….

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Scouting the Hottest Local Talent w/ KPRI’s Cathryn Beeks

Posted on March 11, 2012 by Old Cal Coffee

Craig Garcia, from Old California Coffee House and Eatery in San Marcos Ca getting ready to head into the Brick by Brick to watch The Acoustic Alliance put on by Kathryn Beeks of KPRI’s 102.1 FM. I am a huge fan of local radio station 102.1 fm KPRI and all of their DJ’s. KPRI FM 102.1 was the first radio station that I found when I

moved to San Diego 6 years ago. Last year, I signed up as a KPRI Freq and was listening to their shows more and more. I was pleasantly surprised to learn about all the different shows that this radio station puts on, including Cathryn Beeks Acoustic Showcase, which she has been putting on since 2004. Well, I finally attended my first show last Sunday and I was so glad I could make it. Kathryn Beeks, who goes above and beyond to help local artists in San Diego get noticed, showcased a few of Old Cal Coffee’s favorite acoustic signer/songwriters from San Diego, but the cool thing is, I got to hear and meet 9 other incredible musicians. After their sets, I was able to talk with the musicans and hand out my card. Hopefully, we’ll be bringing some more incredible talent to Old Cal Coffee in San Marcos, Ca.

I was able to get their early and I am so glad that I did because I was able to catch the tail end of a set from a band called The Yes Team from New York, now living in San Diego, is one of the hottest local bands around and I can’t wait to see if I can get them to play at Old Cal Coffee soon! At 7 PM, Jessica Hull, who plays at Old Cal Coffee and several other venues across San Diego, was up first with three other great singer songwriters: Carl Durant, Tim Flack and the duo of Seaholm-Mackintosh. Next up was Ian Alexander, Whitton all the way from Los Angeles, was amazing and I even bought her CD to help support her trip down to San Diego. There was Lenny Morris, who you know from Old Cal Coffee, Hennessey’s and House of Blues and Oldest Boy & Girl, a brother and sister duo who just incredible! And in the Last set of the night, they featured Old Cal Coffee’s very own Rock Star Rob Carona, followed by Ryan Hiller, who played the acoustic guitar the way Santana plays the electric guitar. Yea! It was that Good! Just ask Rob Carona, who was up on stage next to this guy! Trust me, Ryan Shreds on the guitar! Then I got to hear the soulful voice of Stevie Harris and the surprise of the night had to be Miss Erika Davies, who had a unique sound and style about her. It was a great show Cathryn! Thank you for all your hard work and for gathering some of the best talent that San Diego has to offer.

Here is Cathryn on stage at the end of the night thanking all the artists and guest who came to watch the showcase. The cool part is, Cathryn is just as big of a fan as all the rest of us. You should have seen her up there taking pictures and having a blast. Thank You Cathryn Beeks from 102.1 KPRI for all you do. To stay in touch with or to catch all of Cathryns shows and updates: Click Here:

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CSUSM Art Gallery Opens at Old California Restaurant Row

Posted on March 9, 2012 by Old Cal Coffee

On March 9, 2012, The Cal State University San Marcos Art Gallery held its Grand Opening party at Old California Restaurant Row. A special THANK YOU needs to go out to the Eubanks family, who donated the space to the CSUSM Art Department. Another Thank You should also go out to all the restaurants who supported the Grand Opening party as well as their commitment to promote the Art Gallery throughout the year with special events; hence, drawing more attention to the art department of CSUSM.

The Gallery looked amazing and it was filled with many great pieces that just amazed onlookers the entire night. It was a great event with local student artists coming out to show their work, give live demonstrations, have great food and listen to some incredible music. It truly was a VIP star treatment event and many officials from CSUSM, the City of San Marcos, The San Marcos Arts Council and some San Marcos Chamber members came to enjoy the festivities.

Here is a picture of one of the local CSUSM students who brought out his work. He was giving live demonstrations on how to paint and he continued working on his painting there the entire night. It was great to see him work on the painting…

You can see in the background of this picture, that many people were enjoying the music, food and art in the courtyard area of the Village Shops at Old California restaurant Row.

Here is Amanda from Rhythm City, who was out supporting the event with delicious food and hanging out with Craig from Old California Coffee house & Eatery, who was serving up coffee & dessert! It was a fun event for us as we got to enjoy the art and music for a couple of hours.

We had local musicians come and play for two hours. They were fantastic! Thanks again to the Eubanks family, Old California Restaurant Row and all the participating restaurants, who donated their time, money, food and manpower to make this event a very special launch party for CSUSM Art Gallery and all in attendance!

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