Tag Archive for Sam Baxter

Great food, coffee, beer and a bike shop — what more could L.A. cyclists want?

I love great food.

Not to mention exceptional coffee. And I’ve seldom been known to turn down a good beer, especially on a pleasant outdoor patio after a good ride.

So when I heard a group a cyclists was planning to open a new restaurant in Calabasas specializing in just that — and marrying it all with a small bike shop — they had me at hello.

I’ll let one of the restaurant’s creators, Gideon Kleinman, explain what will await you next year with the opening of Pedalers Fork.

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Front view of restaurant

Pedalers Fork was conceived by a group of riders who wanted to make a home for cyclists. A place that really has everything one needs to enjoy some of the greatest aspects of riding in our wonderful Santa Monica mountains.

Three of the four founding members just rode and completed the Leadville 100 and we are already training for next year, both on road and mountain. With that said, you can see that the passion is there for our pursuit of the sport and lifestyle. We wanted to create something where we could ride everyday, and enjoy the finest coffee, food and beer. Having partnered with a restaurant owner in the San Fernando Valley, we began to look for just the right space and community to establish Pedalers Fork. When we saw the space directly across from the Sagebrush Cantina in Old Town Calabasas we knew that was it. The community is there and a better location for roadies and mountain bikers hardly exists in Southern California.

We plan on having a variety of aspects that should appeal to the entire cycling community. The coffee will be furnished by our very own 10 Speed Coffee, which we partnered with and are bringing down from Hood River, Oregon. We will be roasting daily on site, and doing all of the most sought after coffee preparations and service. From single cup drips to the beautifully poured lattes, we will be bringing the a level of coffee sophistication that hardly exists in Southern California, and is so sought after by cyclists.

Rear view with cafe and bike shop

After, before or really anytime, Pedalers Fork will be an amazing place for cyclists and non-cyclists alike to dine. Our chef comes from one of the finest restaurants in Los Angeles, he is a cyclist as well and is crafting a menu specifically for the community. Pedalers Fork will be completely Farm to Table and will go to rigorous lengths to ensure that we are working with local farmers to get the absolute best and freshest ingredients. Meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, poultry and everything else on the menu will be sourced locally and will always be in season. We feel that many of the places available to cyclists don’t have the level of food in terms of quality and good healthy options that most cyclists really want.

Another of the post ride remedies that we knew we had to excel in was beer. We will have around 40 rotating beers on tap at all time and an extensive bottle list. From the micro brews of the Pacific Northwest to the oldest Trappist Ales, our selection will appeal to even the most discerning beer drinkers. We have likened our patio and bar area to a beer garden and want nothing more than to see everyone gathering at the tables and enjoying a few pints in the afternoon sun. We will be creating beer/riding clubs where people will get the chance to sample a variety of beers at a discounted price and enjoy them with friends, riders and anyone else who wants to join.

The last and perhaps the most crucial aspect of Pedalers Fork will be the bike shop. We wanted to make a meeting place for riders that can really serve them. We will have all the ride essentials; with tubes, tires, tape, food, etc, the shop will be a cyclist’s dream convenience. We plan on doing minor repairs if needed, but we are huge proponents of our local bike shops and we do not want to compete with them. It will be a fun place to watch races, pick up a few essentials, or just relax after a hard ride. Our self-locking bike rack will always ensure that your ride is safe so you needn’t keep looking over your shoulder to make sure your bike is still there. The shop will be the focal point of the restaurant and when not open, it will be lit and on display as a window into the cyclist lifestyle.

With all of these elements together, we feel that we are not only creating something perfect for cyclists and the community but will have an establishment that is totally unique. We are aiming to open around March and encourage people to friend/like us on Facebook (Pedalers Fork) and follow us on twitter @PedalersFork.

Thanks again and we look forward to riding with you all!

From left: Gideon Klienman, Head of Marketing and Creative Development, Owner/Partner Robbie Schaeffer and Chef Sam Baxter

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I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait for March.

And at about 23 miles from my home, it’s easily within riding distance. Although after a few good beers, the ride back could be challenging.