AXIS Coffee Bar + Eatery in the Town Center at Tesoro Viejo is the place for inspired food, specialty coffees, live music and more. On any given morning, you will find neighbors stopping by for coffee after their morning walk and on any given evening, you will find groups of neighbors enjoying a glass of wine or craft beer.
There are two important people that make AXIS a special gathering place: General Manager Anna Kuczler and Executive Chef Kirk Steitz.
“I love it when a group of residents come by to say, ‘good morning’ as they head out on their morning their walk,” says Anna.
Anna takes great pride in creating a special place for people to gather and “break bread together.” She is passionate about food, but even more passionate about making sure that people are enjoying themselves. She has been in the restaurant business for most of her career, having spent the last 12 years at a popular Central Valley restaurant.
She considers her move to AXIS at Tesoro Viejo as an opportunity to be a part of something special.
“I didn’t want to miss out,” she says about joining AXIS.
There’s always something going on at AXIS to enjoy – from the weekend brunch with bottomless mimosas and Taco Tuesdays to Wine Wednesdays and live Friday night music. You will find Anna and Kirk join in on the fun – they both recently dressed up for 80s Night.
And let’s talk about the food.
Led by executive chef Kirk Steitz, the menu at AXIS is seasonally inspired and features local produce. Kirk explains that he enjoys creating a style of food at AXIS that he calls comfort food with an upscale plate presentation.
This Central Valley native attended culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena. He has worked in luxury hotels in Los Angeles and Vail, Colorado and even helped create food for the Academy Awards while working for Wolfgang Puck Catering.
“This is a beautiful community,” Chef Kirk says of Tesoro Viejo. “The residents are awesome – it feels like family.”
Chef Kirk’s inspired meals include smoked beef short ribs with sweet potato mash and heirloom carrots. His Tri Tip Thursdays are a hit, and there’s something for everyone on Taco Tuesdays as he mixes it up – there’s Asian pork tacos with siracha crema, cauliflower veggie tacos, Cajun shrimp tacos, and smoked shredded beef tacos.
Many residents enjoy the weekend dinner menus that gives them a night off from cooking. From Chef Kirk’s Beef Stew in a bread bowl to honey sesame salmon with wasabi mashed potatoes, the weekend dinners are convenient and delicious.
Anna and Kirk are both passionate about food and creating a place where people can escape. There’s a lot of creativity and planning that goes into making AXIS a place where people want to be, and they would have it no other way.
Anna says she loves getting to know the residents and guests because everyone has a story.
Come live your story at AXIS!
