Attention beach-loving organic fanatics! When a quick-service eatery merged with the slow food movement, Shake & Wake — the brainchild of Jesus Enrique Ruvalcaba — was born.
The new Pacific Beach location, an earshot to the beach at Grand Avenue and Bayard Street, is not his first foray in the smoothie business. The self-proclaimed “smoothieologist” started about eight years ago selling his fresh, scratch-made liquid delights at local farmer’s markets in Calexico, and these became an instant hit.
Ruvalcaba transitioned from market vendor to brick-and-mortar three years later in a drive-thru pick-up shop in El Centro.
He recently expanded along the coast with a cozy dine-in venue dressed with neon lights, walls popping with a vibrant mural of assorted fruits and a side order of ample parking.
The outdoor patio offers ocean breezes, along with bowls, salads, sandwiches, pressed juices and his staple smoothies, of course. While still in the soft-opening stage, Ruvalcaba said he is planning a grand opening hoopla in mid-April with tasty promotions.
The young entrepreneur said he has adopted the ethos of Hippocrates, “making food thy medicine,” whipping up such healthy, organic elixirs as “The Detox.” It is a blend of antioxidant-rich strawberries, blueberries and raspberries with a boost of vitamin C (lime and orange juices), a pinch of potassium (bananas) and splash of vanilla.
Want to visit?
Shake & Wake
• Address: 910 Grand Ave., Suite 108, Pacific Beach
• Phone: 858-230-6072
• Website: ShakeAndWake.us
• Hours: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
• Good to know: Shake & Wake’s online menu indicates which items are vegetarian, vegan, gluten free or organic.
“The Green Maquina” (Spanish translation for machine) packs Popeye’s spinach with kale, chard, celery, cucumber, parsley and anti-inflammatory pineapple and ginger with an orange juice base. As for the most popular “Mayan,” it ratchets up energy without the caffeine by being a combination of raw cacao, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, chocolate chips, bananas and almond milk.
These smoothies can be customized to suit palates of all manners and dietary restrictions with different bases like organic coconut water, oat milk, moo milk and pomegranate juice. There is also a choice of sweeteners, such as organic cane sugar, agave and raw local honey. The assortment of organic add-ins vary from almond butter, hemp and chia seeds to bee pollen, dragon fruit and a plant-based protein.
Customers can quench their thirsts with a small (12-ounce), regular (16-ounce) or large (24-ounce) servings.
But there’s more. Cold brew coffee is made in-house, like the “PB Wired” — a blend of peanut butter, fresh strawberries, almond milk and bananas with the joe. There are also organic, cold-pressed juices bottled in recyclable glass containers, including “Jugo Verde” with a zing of pineapple, ginger and lemon amping up a handful of dark leafy greens, cool cucumber and mineral-rich celery.
For those looking for something to eat, there are customized acai and chocolate bowls with scratch-made sorbets, and a load of organic toppings to suit both whimsical and sophisticated taste buds. There is also a selection of salads with a bounty of fresh, organic greens and other goodies tossed with scratch-made dressings, nuts and cheeses. Want a sandwich? Try Shake & Wake specialty sandwiches like the “Bagel Italiano” that piles salami, prosciutto, fresh mozzarella and in-house-made pesto on an artisanal Parmesan bagel.
For the last several weeks, Ruvalcaba said he has been easing into his new location, getting acclimatized to the San Diego coastal market, which he said is much different from his El Centro customers. The bulk of his smoothie lovers in Pacific Beach is comprised of locals and tourists of all ages, with word-of-mouth kudos spurring customers throughout the county.
“What sets us apart is our versatility,” Ruvalcaba said. “Our food is the best quality, using fresh, never processed ingredients which is good for your body, easy to digest and makes you feel energized.”
A die-hard locovore (one who eats food grown locally), Ruvalcaba said he supports the community by sourcing locally and organically (where possible), with such purveyors as the PB Farmers Market, and Surfwater, a La Jolla-based company that produces electrolyte and pH-balanced sparkling water.
Eight years ago, “this young kid trying to find a purpose in life,” discovered his passion and is now shaking up the smoothie world in PB paradise with a “Best Smoothies and Shakes Award” under his belt from the Imperial Valley Press.
Power Berry Smoothie
Ingredients:
• 1/2 C. mixed strawberries, blueberries and raspberries
• Squeeze of lime (juice from half a lime)
• Handful each of spinach, kale and chard
• 1 tsp. of organic freeze-dried acai powder
• 1/3 C. pomegranate juice (unsweetened)
Instructions:
Put ingredients in a blender, along with a cup of crushed ice, and blend until smooth.
Recipe courtesy of Jesus Enrique Ruvalcaba
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