When former Stone brewmaster Lee Chase opened the doors to Blind Lady Ale House back in 2009, neither it nor its Normal Heights environs looked all that different than they do now, but the beer-and-food landscape was worlds different back then. Craft beer was on the rise and, slowly but surely, eateries celebrating that liquid medium were popping up around San Diego, but finding a restaurant that put equal focus on beer and food was a bit challenging. The arrival of Blind Lady (or BLAH as it’s affectionately known), a seemingly simple spot offering artisanal Napoletana pizza and an epic assemblage of ales and lagers, gave foodies and beer nerds alike a dependable, approachable and very welcome haven.
“Pretty much everything we do now, we were doing day one, but we are doing it better and more efficiently now,” says Morstad, who says the best part of returning is the like-minded and skilled individuals he gets to work with. BLAH has been a fully-from-scratch, authentic-as-possible operation since day one. From in-house curing of charcuterie meats to the use of DOP Italian products and devotion to supporting local farmers—they have never sourced from Sysco or US Foods—BLAH’s culinary staff has maintained the noble, heartfelt course it charted nine years ago.
“We started out using as many local farms as we could, many of them as they were just opening, and we have continued that tradition ever since, developing meaningful relationships with many local farmers,” says Morstad. Among those purveyors were Suzie’s Farms, Sage Mountain Farm, Wild Willow Farm, Stehly Farms, Be Wise Ranch, Life’s a Choke Farm, New Roots Community Farm and Crow’s Pass Farm. “We’ve always strived to be true to the community and our neighborhood by serving fresh, sustainable local food in a casual setting at accessible prices.”
Though, for many, BLAH’s initial draw was a worldly beer list masterfully curated by Chase and company, and eventually beers brewed via the former’s in-house and often outlandish fermentation component, Automatic Brewing Company, patrons quickly fell for the dishes coming from its kitchen. In addition to authentic Napoletana-style pizza, that included an array of vegetarian and vegan dishes that made it easy for people of any dietary ilk to enjoy good food and good beer. In addition to menu compatibility, the communal nature of BLAH’s dining room keeps things light and fun.
“Eating should instigate conversation and drive people together. It’s important to all of us—the staff and the owners—to involve our customers in how we run things here. They guide us and we guide them. It’s a real give and take,” says Morstad, who has decided to go all-in with the give part of that equation by offering three recipes from BLAH’s playbook.
The first is for “vesto,” a vegan pesto that serves as the condiment for a pizza Morstad and Chase say pairs well with The Apprentice IPA from Societe Brewing. The other two are a Green Goddess dressing and pickled carrots, both of which make it into a farro salad the duo likes to serve alongside La Vie En Rose Saison from Pure Project Brewing. Make them yourself or drop into BLAH for a taste of the genuine article, perhaps during their ninth-anniversary festivities, taking place from February 19 to 25.
(Click for recipes below)
Vesto (Vegan Pesto)
Yield: About 2½ cups
1¾ ounces toasted almonds
1½ cups canola oil
⅔ pound fresh basil leaves
2⅓ ounces garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
2 ounce white miso
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Place the almonds into the bowl of a blender or food processor and pulse until finely chopped, being careful not to grind into a paste or powder. Remove and set aside. Pour the oil into the blender and turn the machine on. Add the basil, a handful at a time, and blend until fine. Repeat until all of the basil has been used. Add the garlic, yeast, miso, salt and pepper, and blend until all of the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. Fold in the almonds and serve.
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Pickled Carrots Yield: 1¼ pounds
16 ounces rice wine vinegar
16 ounces water
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp black peppercorns
1 Tbsp juniper berries
1 Tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 cinnamon stick
3 star anise
2 whole cloves
1¼ pounds baby carrots
Add the vinegar, water, sugar and salt to a saucepan over medium heat and whisk until the sugar and salt completely dissolve. Add the peppercorns, juniper berries, pepper flakes, cinnamon, star anise and cloves, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Place the carrots in a large, non-reactive bowl. Strain the hot pickling liquid over the carrots. Cover the bowl with a towel and let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Refrigerate overnight.
To serve, use a slotted spoon to remove the carrots from the liquid. Store remaining carrots refrigerated in their liquid inside sealed mason jars.
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Green Goddess Dressing
Yield: About 2 cups
¼ cup fresh basil leaves
¼ cup chives
¼ cup Italian parsley
2 Tbsp orange juice
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp cup miso
1 clove garlic
1½ Tbsp Dijon mustard
1½ Tbsp tahini
juice of ½ lemon
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Place all of the ingredients except for the oil in the bowl of a blender or food processor. Pulse until the ingredients are well blended, then turn the machine on. With the machine running, slowly and steadily add the oil and blend until the mixture is fully emulsified. Serve immediately.
—Recipes courtesy Tommy Morstad, Executive Chef, Blind Lady Ale House