Tasty Tidbits: Pedalers Fork To Open; Blu Jam Cafe Expands to Ventura Boulevard -- My Daily Find

Tasty Tidbits: Pedalers Fork To Open; Blu Jam Cafe To Expand to Ventura Boulevard

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BY KAREN YOUNG

Pedalers Fork celebrates lifestyle indoors and outdoors. Photos: Karen Young

For those who’ve been writing and asking about the Pedalers Fork opening date in Calabasas, the wait is almost over. It’s set to officially start serving on April 22. This farm to table restaurant is the brainchild of Robbie Schaeffer and Tim Rettele who have combined their love of cycling and dining, which has resulted in a stunning work of design and architecture that celebrates lifestyle, great food and drinks, and indoor/outdoor space.

Pedalers Fork is a restaurant hybrid incorporating a dining room, bar area, outdoor creekside dining (with a choir of frogs heard in the evening), a cycling boutique/repair shop, private dining area complete with a balcony, and an artisan coffee shop (with 10 Speed Coffee from Oregon roasted on the premises). With soaring, beamed ceilings and refurbished wood, the structure is a modern gem with an earthly edge that fits perfectly in this area backed up against the Santa Monica Mountains.

The partially open kitchen is helmed by Chef Dan Murray who says he will secure all the food from local sources —and some that will even be specifically grown for the restaurant. The menu will include a wide range of options, including vegan, vegetarian and gluten free dishes. In-house sommelier Karen Moneymaker oversees the wine cellar, while two of L.A.’s top mixologists, Marcos Tello and Aiden Demarest (Seven Grand, Black Market, First & Hope, The Edison), have created an imaginative cocktail list. Pedalers Fork will be open seven days a week, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. They don’t take reservations, but there is seating for 200 total inside and out. For more info, check out the website or the Facebook page.

Blu Jam Cafe is a breakfast and lunch “specialist.” Photos: Courtesy Blu Jam Cafe

The very popular Blu Jam Cafe which has been a mainstay on Melrose Avenue for nearly seven years, is opening a second eatery in Sherman Oaks, replacing Cafe 50s at 15045 Ventura Blvd. The ETA for opening is mid-May. Blu Jam will be open for breakfast and lunch with breakfast served all day. The cafe is known for its eclectic menu of homestyle cooking with an emphasis on a healthy menu using top ingredients and local resources. Owner/Chef Kamil Majer says, “When I make recipes I always think outside the ‘box’ — if a guest is looking for Denver omelet or diner/greasy food they will not find it at Blu Jam.” According to Majer, everything is made from scratch — dressings, batters, granola, with everything cooked to order — even chicken for sandwiches and salads.

Majer co-owns Blu Jam with designer David Fris. With the Sherman Oaks opening, they have brought aboard Jeffrey Shulem who specializes in PR and accounting. Majer says it is their intention to bring Blu Jam to many “hoods” in greater LA and that Shulem is an essential part of the growth. (Blu Jam photos courtesy Blu Jam Cafe).