Elite Tasting: Pappas Artisanal

One of my favorite Elite events yet! I love these more intimate events where we get to talk to the owner/​chef of a place. It also makes it more enjoyable when the Chef Travis is so friendly and open to answering any questions you have.
The food was also great! We had tastings of a potato appetizer, chicken jalepeno soup, two sandwiches, and churros for dessert. We also tried several teas and beers from other local businesses.
Thank you Nitar and Katie for this awesome event!

A great event put together by Nitar. Pappas Artisinal is a great find out in La Verne. I love that they collaborate with other local businesses like Socha Tea Company and Claremont Craft Ales and we had the pleasure of tasting a little from each.
The food was really good, full of flavor that bursted in my mouth. Here’s what I tried:
Baked Potato Fries~crispy with delish dipping sauce
Creamy chicken and roasted jalapeño soup~ creamy with the kick of jalapeño made this my fave
Signature Chicken Sandwich~rotisserie chicken with arugula and truffle aioli, yum right?
Al pastor sandwich~ the pork with the pickled red onion on the ciabatta bread made this was my 2^nd fave
Housemade churros~ these bite sized churros were definitely yummy in my tummy
So many drinks to try but I stuck with the Socha tea… all brewed teas infused with things like ginger, hibiscus, mango. Definitely light and refreshing. My favorite for the day was the jasmine green tea with mandarin. They complimented the menu well.
Service was on point! Everyone was very friendly and helpful, continuously checking to see if we needed anything, filling us in on what was in each item, and refilling water. I would definitely come back to try some of the other items on the menu.
Had a great time meeting new Unilocalers and spending time with the ones I already know. Definitely another awesome event.

Awesome Food Tasting Unilocal event hosted by Pappas Artisanal with collaboration with Claremont Craft Ales and Socha Tea Company…
Although this was a foodie event, like the man says: «it’s horrible that some of us have more to say about the food than: OMG THIS FOOD IS SO GOOD… LOL…
You would know this if you’re a local to downtown La Verne, but I know that some of you would be saying ‘WTH is La Verne?’ All I know is that it was worth the investment in time just to find out about this gem in the IE. Some guys at these kind of events don’t even go over the tasting menu, but chef Flood did a great a marvelous job not only of putting out the food, but answer any and all questions about the menu. I’m sure that this is the kind of place that I would come back for brunch/​lunch based on what we sampled, namely soup and sammies. We both loved the soup, and the chicken and al pastor sandwiches that were rated #1 and #2 respectively in popularity struck our pallets the same way. If you’re into carbs then the potatoes will be right up your alley, and if you aren’t on Metformin, you may get to really enjoy the cinnamon and sugar loaded churro…
Funny but we just went to another brewery this weekend so Claremont Craft Ales was a second dose for us of craft LA beers, even though I don’t really know my beers. For my taste I don’t personally care for darks or stouts so I didn’t take more than a sip of the Buddy Black. We got passed up for the Sweet Nothing, but I liked the Jacaranda more than the Brown’s Brown, but that’s just a personal taste…
Of the Socha Teas, we enjoyed the Jasmine Green the most for the combination of Mandarin citrus and ginger taste than the more perfumed Chamomile or Floral Green Teas. We did get to speak with Jim Breese the regional tea specialist more about the Jasmine Green tea and he even offered us one for the road at the end of the event…
I thought the Unilocal shades came in particularly handy when the afternoon sun hit our eyes. Nice swag… Thanks again Katie and Nitar…

My first elite event after a long vacation from Unilocal events, lol. And it’s almost just around the neighborhood, but running late as usual.
When I arrived, some Unilocalers were there already and seated in tables and chairs of varying height. I sat my shy self at the closest table with Unilocal swag: Unilocal shades and mints, a bowl of kettle chips, a copy of the tasting menu and business cards. At first I sat near the entrance door and check in station but was moved closer to the action in the middle and shared a table with Randy B.
I love the comfortable and relaxed ambiance, a restaurant with open ceiling surrounded by shops and offices on the second floor. I can just imagine the aromas wafting upstairs, I probably won’t wait till my lunch hour to come down and check out their day’s offerings.
To start with we had Baked potato fries, Travis (the owner of Pappas Artisanal) said it was a cross between potato chips and French fries. I almost ate the whole box it was served in especially after dunking it into the spicy smokey dip. Then we got to taste their Signature Chicken Salad Sandwich. A marriage of moist fire roasted chicken, grilled onions, goat cheese, truffle aioli and baby arugula on fresh baked ciabatta bread. There was the creamy chicken jalapeño soup. I’m not so much into creamy soups but that cilantro gave it a pop of flavor that cut through the richness of the soup. The most enjoyable offering was the Al Pastor sandwich, marinated pork chunks with surprisingly light but robust flavors of smoky chiles, pineapple and secret spices on a bed of fresh sliced red onions and house made cole slaw on the same crusty but soft and chewy centered ciabatta bread.
In between all these we were given samples of cold pressed fusion teas from Socha and 3 kinds of beers from Claremont Craft Ale. I don’t drink beer but if I could and I would choose the Blondie, light, sweet and with a hint of fruit juice. At least that’s what I think.
Of course I left room for dessert. A heavenly creation called Housemade Churros. Crunchy, sweet, rolled in cinnamon sugar with an ooey gooey center. A perfect ending to a perfect day with other Unilocalers.
Thank you so much Unilocal; to he best CM Katie B.; to Nitar; Pappas Artisanal, Socha Teas and Claremont craft ale for a great tasting event. Thanks to Paul B. for coming despite my last minute invite.

Super cute! Rustic, chalkboards, high and open ceilings, and the centerpiece lighting fixture — awesome. But who would have known there is an old downtown La Verne? Adorable!
1. Kettle Fries — yum, but not good for the waistline. Useless calories done right! (4.0 stars)
2. Baked Potato Fries — like a thick potato chip, but soft on the inside. Great with the spicy sauce. (4.5 stars)
3. Creamy Chicken and Roasted Jalapeño soup — creamy soup with a kick. I could taste the freshness, and the cilantro. (4.0 stars)
4. Signature Chicken Sandwich — super good. Chopped warm chicken in a truffle oil and goat cheese, not mayo. With caramelized onion and arugula, no wonder its the #1 seller. (5.0 stars)
5. Al Pastor Sandwich — sweet and savory chunk pork, with homemade cole slaw. Nice! (4.5 stars)
6. Housemade Churros — Amazing. Crisp, tons of cinnamon, and a flakey and buttery dough. (5.0 stars)
7. Craft Beers — a blonde, an IPA, and a brown. The blonde and the brown were particularly good. Like more. (4.5 stars)
Travis basically hosted each course as it was presented. As owner and chef, he gave critical insight, things he has tried and failed, and things that have worked. Funny, and excellent. Plus, you just want to squeeze him like a teddy bear.
All in all, a great time out… and I would love to return. (Especially since I now know there is a downtown La Verne!) Who knew?
Thank you Unilocal (Nitar and Katie), and the Pappas Artisanal staff. Everyone was so nice!