Autumn Ambling: Julian, Calif.
- bethchartnett
- Oct 16, 2015
- 4 min read
We couldn't beat the heat, so we decided to leave it behind.
My parents, Sir Matthew, and I went in search of Autumn last weekend, and we found it right here in Southern California. I kid not.
Nestled in the Cuyamaca Mountains just outside of Temecula sits the tiny town of Julian, a tree-studded oasis that dates back to the 1800s. It's a gold rush-era gem that continues to thrive today—though their gold now comes in the form of apples. Lots and lots of apples.
The mining community is a mecca for the fall fruit, which is lovingly pressed into ciders, baked hot into pies, chopped thin into chutneys, and even fermented for beer (more on that later).
Making the journey to Julian has been on my bucket list for a while, ever since my mom told me about the apple pumpkin crumble. Needless to say, I was sold.
We started out around 10 a.m. and were pleasantly surprised to find the typical Temecula-bound traffic light. The ride was made even more enjoyable after merging onto the CA-79 highway. We ambled along past open fields, historical barns, farmland, and some unique art installations on our way. The twists and turns of the mountain road are made more interesting with the presence of life-size metal sculptures by artist Ricardo Bredeca, from dueling dinosaurs to a pack of horses seemingly in mid leap across the road.
Bredeca’s spirited sculptures lead the way into the little mountaintop community, which is equally animated, bustling with tourists eager to pick some fruit, or more likely just get their hands on a piece of pie. There’s a quaint charm to the town’s kitschy Wild West semblance; you may be mere miles from the hustle and bustle of modern day life, but you walk as if in the shoes of a miner from long ago. Things do not seem to have changed much. They even have a stage coach for god’s sake.
The first order of business was pie… the first order of business is always pie. We put in our name at the Julian Café and Bakery—a rustic restaurant right in the heart of town—and took a tour of the local shops in the gloriously 80-degree weather (the temps back home were well over 100). The selection of shops is just as charming as the town itself, from the cider mill to the candle store to the candy shop above. Naturally, we spent a fair amount of time carefully browsing the sweet-laden shelves of the candy shop, and helping ourselves to a few samples of homemade fudge.
[Buckets o' goodness]
We got back to the café just in time for the staff to clear the front-window table for our meal. It was perfect—both the location and the food. My parents shared the Julian Apple Burger, a juicy burger topped with a crisp apple chutney, caramelized onions, bleu cheese, and a maple mustard sauce. It was succulent. Matt and I shared a chicken turnover—a chicken pot hand-pie, if you will, stuffed with chicken and vegetables, and smothered in chicken gravy—and a Twisted BLA, bacon lettuce apple sandwich. It was perfectly messy with the maple mustard sauce, but perfectly delicious. Not a bite was left of either.
[Note the puddle of delicious maple mustard sauce]
It took a great deal of restraint to not begin our meal with dessert, but somehow we managed. And despite having eaten a full meal, I was every bit as ready to get my hands on that famous piece of apple pumpkin crumble. Topped with a giant slab of vanilla ice cream, that piece of pie was just about the most glorious thing I have ever seen.
[True love]
The taste was dizzyingly delightful. The warm and gooey pie filling was the perfect combination of both fall fruits, the crumble added a sweet and satisfying crunch, and there is no denying the deliciousness of pie a la mode. Ice cream, I love you.
[Poof!]
We somehow managed to waddle our way out of our corner table and out to do some more sight-seeing. First on the list: Julian Pioneer Cemetery. This graveyard is a site to see. It sits atop a hilly mound that looks over the downtown area. There is an eerie peacefulness to it, old trees loom over cement slabs, some of which date back to the early 1800s. There are family plots enclosed in wrought-iron fencing and stones with hardly a word to memorialize the pioneer below. It was fascinating.
[My foot sunk into the grave right after this shot. I couldn't have gotten out of there faster]
We enjoyed our stroll along the cemetery grounds, peering at grave stones and gazing down at the town below.
By the time we made our way down the hill, the downtown was packed and parking was basically non-existent. We were glad to have gotten an early start on the day. Before heading out of town, we made one very important last stop, at the local craft brewery. Nickel Beer Co. is a small establishment with a great outdoor patio. Because we couldn't make up our mind, we grabbed a sampler platter of the brewery's offerings and found a sunny spot on the patio to sip.
[Hartnetts like hops]
We were pleased with the wide variety of beer available. The Irish Red was subtle and reminded us a lot of the ambers my dad has been brewing, the Star B Fresh Hop Ale showcased hops grown in Julian and had a delicious pine flavor, and the Stonewall Stout was dark and luscious (and named Best Local Stout in 2014 by San Diego Magazine). I was eager to get my hands on the Apple Pie Ale, made with fresh Julian pickings.
I was disappointed that the beer did not live up to its name. I am thinking the batch was at about the end of its lifespan (it tasted like it was starting to turn). I would be eager to try again because I just can't give up hope in a beer named after pie. Overall, Nicke's beer was great and the location, exceptional.
We hit the road with full stomachs and full hearts. If you are looking for a way to get into the spirit of the season, wind your way along CA-79 to enjoy a little piece of paradise... and, of course, pie.
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