Dining Scene News From A to Z

Recently opened restaurants, chefs’ new gigs, innovative concepts, and delicious menu updates—805 Living covers the gamut of local happenings.

BY VICTORIA WOODARD HARVEY

Sage Mindful Meals & Elixirs

Bettina

Frank Ostini of Hitching Post Wines

King’s Fish House

Crystal “Pink” DeLongpré of Root 246

2686 Kitchen

A Is for All-Day Breakfast

Owners Bree and Jaron Gugliuzza at the newly opened The Royal Egg Café (theroyaleggcafe.com) at the North Ranch Gateway Plaza in Westlake Village, are wild about breakfast, and it’s all the husband-and-wife culinary team serves from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Everything on the extensive menu of items like Spicy Jalapeño Chicken Hash and House-Made Ricotta Artisan Toast with Seasonal House-Made Jam is made from scratch. Look for Breakfast Tacos with soft scrambled eggs, feta, and avocado with a choice of grassfed Wagyu steak and crispy potatoes, or roasted yams, red quinoa, kale, and wild mushrooms.

In Ventura, 2686 Kitchen (the2686.com), a hidden gem for its Loaded Lasagna and Mediterranean Chicken, now has an all-day (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) brunch on Saturdays and Sundays that is just as alluring. For the Shroom Toast, house-made peppered beer bread is crisped and topped with mushroom puree and goat cheese. What keeps people-in-the-know from sleeping in on a Saturday morning, however, is That Fried Chicken & Donuts— Middle Eastern–spiced chicken thighs with orange and cardamom brioche doughnut holes and beerinfused marmalade.

B Is for Bossie’s Kitchen

It was big news when former A.O.C. chef Lauren Herman moseyed up the coast to Santa Barbara with her pastry chef wife, Christina Olufson, to helm the kitchen at Somerset (now closed). Last month the talented duo realized their own vision of a neighborhood spot for take-out or dining in at Bossie’s Kitchen (bossieskitchen.com), named for the life-size plaster cow atop the former 1930s dairy plant that houses the new eatery.

The menu is all about comfort food: grilled cheese sandos with white cheddar, Manchego, and caramelized onions; fresh salad selections such as kale and arugula with roasted vegetables and quinoa; garlic-herb rotisserie chicken served with gravy; and mac ’n’ cheese topped with garlic breadcrumbs that screams Sunday night at Grandma’s. Daily weeknight specials include meatballs with polenta and pesto, salmon with pork belly–fried barley and market vegetables, and chicken potpie. All breads and pastries are baked in-house, but it’s Olufson’s market-fruit galettes, carrot-beet layer cake with walnuts and candied orange, and chocolate cake with caramel and malted chocolate buttercream that, well, take the cake.

C Is for Cult Beer

Sure, every beer drinker’s got a favorite brew, but few craft beers achieve the kind of cult status of Russian River Brewing Company’s Pliny the Elder, which debuted eight years ago and is served in limited allotments. It’s on tap at Ojai Pub (ojaipub.com), a new hangout spot opened in late December that also serves comfort food, wine, and cocktails from happy hour to late night. Owned by Tony Yanow of the Artisanal Brewers Collective, it’s the only Ojai bar–restaurant to pour the recently released Pliny the Younger, another cult favorite that has followers queuing up.

D Is for Decker Kitchen

Conejo Valley native Graham Harris transitioned from skateboarder to baker, earning a reputation for his fantastic, naturally leavened sourdough loaves. But the story doesn’t end there. Late last year he opened his first restaurant at Westlake Village’s County Line Shopping Center, Decker Kitchen (deckerkitchen.com). Named after his young son and the Decker Canyon route to the beach, the venture features choices like his fabled bread topped with feta mousse and heirloom tomatoes or house-smoked salmon, hand-cut rib eyes for nightly specials, and at lunchtime, a white pizza (with olive oil, garlic, mozzarella, ricotta, and oregano) so popular it should have its own Instagram handle. “We’re just continuing to learn from our customers giving feedback since we started,” says Harris, who recently brought in two more chefs to keep up with demand.

E Is for Edgy Cocktails at Slate Bistro + Craft Bar

Happy hour in Camarillo? Excellent idea. Head straight to the stylish Slate Bistro + Craft Bar (theslatebistro.com), which opened in December in the Mission Oaks Plaza. Head mixologist Jeff Hamilton concocts cocktails like the Smoking Pig, complete with a domed smoky presentation, to honor the Chinese New Year, and the No Southern Gentleman, a blend of bourbons, Hamilton’s apricot agave, and ancho chili liqueur served over a block of ice and garnished with herbs. Chef Abdu Romero’s happy hour noshes include cornmeal calamari and a Hasselback potato with bacon bits and smoked Gouda sauce. With elevated snacks like these, you might be inclined to see what he’s got cooking for dinner.

F Is for Fan Base

It seems no matter what chef Justin West does, he has a loyal fan following. At Julienne, his upscale dishes caught the attention of Bon Appétit and the late, great Anthony Bourdain, and his subsequent venture, Wildwood Kitchen, showed his keen skills with southern-style barbecue. Now, West has just opened SoulCal Smokehouse (soulcalsmokehouse.com), a walk-up counterservice venue in the Santa Barbara Public Market. Executive chef Jason Carter dishes out West’s signature oak-smoked brisket and tri tip, pork, poultry, and house-made sausages, all served on platters or in sandwiches with sides of braised collard greens or a vegan caviar of black beans, corn, and smoked tomatoes.

The on-site 65,000 BTU smoker cranks out enough goodness daily to keep West’s fans coming back, and his renowned charcuterie— pork rillettes, country-style pâté, and peppered king salmon—is just as smokin’.

G Is for Good Food Movement–Driven Menus

Foods that nourish our bodies and are produced in ways that safeguard the planet are what the Good Food Movement is all about. This healthy dining trend is the driving philosophy behind Sage Mindful Meals & Elixirs (sagemindfulmeals.com), a new café that just opened in downtown Ojai. The breakfast, brunch, and lunch menus by chef Michael Chavez Martinez offer a huge variety of nutritious scrambles and Benedicts, tapas, and broths. A beverage menu showcases specially formulated blends of ingredients purported to have health benefits, and beer, wine, and kombucha are on tap.

Bossie’s Kitchen

King’s Fish House

Draughtsmen Aleworks

Buena Onda

“Because we have the health food store,” says Mary Trudeau, co-owner of both the new café and Rainbow Bridge Natural Foods next door, “we can buy things that aren’t available in most restaurants. We really are trying to bring that into our daily diet, to make sure we are eating well and having a good time.” All menu items at the café can be customized to meet dietary needs.

H Is for the Hiatus Is Over

Dining on the patio at Montecito’s Stonehouse at San Ysidro Ranch (sanysidroranch.com), with its panoramic ocean and mountain views, stone hearths aglow, and a galaxy of twinkling white lights overhead, is a soul-satisfying experience relinquished to memory, until now. After a yearlong hiatus due to the disastrous debris flow of 2018, the Stonehouse reopened in late January with executive chef Matthew Johnson back in the kitchen. “The downtime gave us an opportunity to reimagine the menu and really work on our dishes,” says Johnson.

Appetizer highlights include the Kona Kampachi and Local Uni Crudo with Pixie tangerines, black radish, micro cucumber, and seagrass in shiro dashi vinaigrette as well as seared Santa Barbara abalone with a trio of young clams, tender artichoke, and pancetta with celeriac cream. The entrée of Pan-Roasted Maine Diver Scallops is prepared with king oyster mushrooms and braised oxtail, pea shoots, sweet corn puree, and black garlic vinaigrette. Another option: lavender-scented crisped-skin duck breast topped with a plumped–golden raisin mostarda, served with wild rice, whole Tokyo turnips, and heirloom carrots. The Classic Steak Diane with cognac is flambéed tableside, as is the organic Bing Cherries Jubilee with kirsch to end the meal. Among other desserts from pastry chef Michelle Straub are a gluten-free coconut panna cotta with passion fruit and warm soufflés flavored with raspberries or Valhrona chocolate.

I Is for Instruction in Bread-Making

Chef Brendan Smith, formerly head of the bread program at acclaimed Roberta’s in Brooklyn, brings his own Neapolitan-style pizzas to Bettina (bettinapizzeria.com), a charming, family-friendly Cal-Italian hangout with a full bar that opened late last year in the Montecito Country Mart. In an added twist, Brendan occasionally invites interested DIYers to learn the secrets of making his naturally leavened sourdough bread. Reserve early, as classes sell out quickly.

J Is for Joint Domain

The popular new concept of shared space came into play for four artisanal food and beverage purveyors when they banded together last fall to open Mosaic Locale (mosaiclocale.com) in Santa Barbara. In the morning, come for the Hook & Press (hookandpressdonuts.com) doughnuts, made entirely from scratch by baker John Burnett. Try the habit-forming Browned Butter variety and other rotating flavors like Blood Orange Creamsicle or Mango Matcha, which is the special this month.

By noon, handcrafted Argentinian empanadas from family-owned Buena Onda (buenaondasb. com) are baked to order, with favorites like the classic Carne Picada or the Suiza with organic Swiss chard, leeks, sage, and Brie. “Sharing one space is something fun and different, plus it helps with the high costs of rent,” says owner and manager Matias Requena.

Come evening, Goleta-based microbrewery Draughtsmen Aleworks (draughtsmenaleworks. com) pours lagers, ales, porters, stouts, and a host of IPAs, from five-ounce flights to 64-ounce growlers. Try the Best Friends special: six tasters and three Buena Onda empanadas of your choice.

Available day or night, fresh-pressed juices from Juice Ranch (juiceranch.com) are sold from a grab-and-go fridge, including the popular Little Miss Sunshine, Greens ’N’ Ginger, Jalapiña, and Johnny 5 Alive flavors.

K Is for King’s Fish House Recast

An open dining area, more patio seating, plus a new lounge are all part of the recently completed major renovation of King’s Fish House (kingsfishhouse.com) at The Commons in Calabasas. The seafood behemoth’s attractive, nautically themed design was carried over into the redo along with favorites from its vast menu, including the raw bar plates, sashimi and sushi rolls, pastas, seafood platters, and seasonal highlights like wild spiny lobster or Dungeness crab from California.

L Is for Luxe-by-the-Sea

Beachfront restaurants, especially the deluxe variety, are few and far between along our coast, making Caruso’s (rosewoodmiramarbeach.com) at the Rosewood Miramar Beach on the Montecito shoreline a very special draw. Expect to find elevated southern Italian fare from executive chef Massimo Falsini, formerly of Ferrari World Abu Dhabi and the legendary Harry’s Bar in Rome. The opening of this property has been a long time coming, but at last, owner Rick Caruso’s vision of la dolce vita can be experienced at his namesake restaurant, where the waitstaff’s spiffy white tuxedo jackets declare the standard.

M Is for Mediterraneo Makeover

When the radical, top-to-bottom remodel of Mediterraneo (med-rest. com) at the Westlake Village Inn is completed, the only things that won’t be new are the gorgeous views of the property’s 17 acres and the great service. The interior’s fresh decor will include a long, custom-built bar for delivering libations from a new craft cocktail program and an expanded wine list. The enlarged, stateof-the-art culinary kitchen will still dish out popular favorites but will also feature updates from executive chef Lisa Biondi, including a new selection of bar bites, additional Mediterraneaninspired dishes for lunch and dinner, and an emphasis on classic steak-house fare, fresh off the spanking-new grill.

N Is for Nightcap

In San Luis Obispo, a newly remodeled space at the urban-chic Granada Hotel is now Nightcap (granadahotelandbistro.com), where grownups come for “small-town service and the nicest experience possible—away from the college crowds,” says front-of-the-house and bar manager Ulisses Avina. Try the Crystal Collins, made with Singani 63 brandy, verjuice, vouvray (chenin blanc from France’s Loire Valley), and tonic. And don’t resist the French-onion dip in a jar with Dirty Cracked Pepper & Sea Salt Kettle Chips, straight from the bag.

O Is for Outpost Overhaul

With a recent makeover of the dining and indoor-outdoor bar areas at Outpost at the Goodland (outpostsb. com), it’s an especially good time to sample the establishment’s creative spring cocktails: Sip Back, Relax, made with London dry-style Beefeater gin infused with dried lavender, Benedictine, and blueberry gomme (a sweet syrup); and the Yuzu Dreamer, a mix of Hangar 1 vodka infused with butterfly pea (a Southeast Asia flower revered by mixologists because it changes liquids to a brilliant blue color in reaction to citrus), yuzu, a cold-brewed jasmine tea blend, and aquafaba, the popular vegan substitute for egg whites.

P Is for Pub Food

Finney’s Crafthouse & Kitchen (finneyscrafthouse.com) has pub food down pat, as fans can attest at locations in Westlake Village and Santa Barbara (and soon, Ventura). Now, the family-friendly gastropub is adding to its already diverse menu of elevated sliders, flatbread pizzas, burgers, tacos, salads, sandwiches, and starter favorites like Bratwurst Minis and Buffalo Cauliflower, by introducing a host of new items. Look for mini-shrimp tostadas with guacamole, roasted corn salsa, and micro cilantro as well as a blackened king salmon sandwich on squaw bread with fontina, prosciutto, arugula, and roasted-tomato jam.

Along with its beer offerings, Rincon Brewery (rinconbrewery.com) serves up food at its new location in Ventura, which opened last December. The brewery suggests pairing Jill’s Breakfast Sandwich—grilled ham, a fried egg, jalapeño, tomato, and melted cheese on sourdough—with its La Reina Lager. A more obvious match: The Mac Brown Cheesy Bacon Beer Dip—hot cheese, spiked with hormone-free bacon and Rincon’s Mac Brown Ale, topped with a panko crust and served with pretzel bites—enjoyed with more Mac Brown Ale on draught.

In Santa Paula, it’s all sports all the time at The Draft at Mupu Grill (805-420-9178), the casual, familyfriendly spot that also opened last fall with no less than 18 big-screen TVs. Convivial owner Greg Grimes says his guests like to order chicken wings half-andhalf style so they don’t have to choose between the chipotle-barbecue and garlic lemon-pepper flavors.

In February Institution Ale Company (institutionales.com) expanded on its popular original site in Camarillo with a new location on State Street in Santa Barbara. Patrons can enjoy fresh-baked pretzels, dips, and a full menu of artisanal pizzas along with the beer.

Q Is for Quick Weeknight Dinners at Home

“We wanted to provide good alternatives for working families who want good food, without the cost of a personal private chef,” says Jamie Poe, formerly of Union Square Cafe and Gramercy Tavern, and now co-owner with her husband, chef Jayson Poe, of Poe to Go (poe-and-co.com), which opened early this year. Locally and sustainably sourced, customized, prepared dinners are delivered weeknights in environmentally friendly reusable glass containers (deposit required). Among the offerings are braised short ribs with panzanella salad, and curried, braised chicken with forbidden rice and creamed spinach. The company currently serves Ojai, Ventura, Carpinteria, Summerland, Montecito, Santa Barbara, and Goleta.

Finney’s Crafthouse & Kitchen

Nightcap

Tierra Sur

R Is for Renaud’s, Now in Montecito

French pastry chef Renaud Gonthier, who wowed the Central Coast with his award-winning croissants at his first location in Santa Barbara back in 2008, recently opened his third, Renaud’s Patisserie & Bistro (renaudsbakery. com) in Coast Village Plaza in Montecito. Look for the row of pert red umbrellas on the outdoor patio fronting a chic, Paris-worthy interior in which espresso drinks and mimosas emerge with morning pastries, omelets, and eggs Florentine. Lunchtime brings elevated sandwich options like a ratatouille tartine and a French Cubano with Gruyère and ham on Renaud’s signature rustic croissant.

Weekend brunch is ongoing, and Gonthier is cooking up more plans for this location. “I want to bring in a long table for special dinners and private events and focus on really great wines as well,” says the former Food Network star. Pastry classes are also in the works.

S Is for Small Plates at Tierra Sur

In January, chef Gabe Garcia of Tierra Sur (tierrasuratherzog.com), the kosher restaurant at Herzog Wine Cellars in Oxnard, unveiled a new bar menu of small plates to go with boozy cocktails and a deep wine list that includes Herzog’s own. Highlights are an elevated take on fish and chips featuring fried mahi-mahi, yucca fries, jalapeño aioli, pickled onion, and lime; a hummus-topped flatbread with pepitas, acorn squash, and cranberries; and the Tierra Sur Burger with arugula, lamb bacon, and a fried egg, all sandwiched in a challah bun.

T Is for Tricycle Deliveries

Late last year, Hitching Post Wines (hpwines.com) in Buellton debuted its first tasting room, along with an expanded lunch menu and, more recently, an all-new snacks menu. Offerings like Santa Maria– style barbecue, oak-grilled artichokes, Grilled Texas Quail with Wild Turkey Sweet Potatoes, and other wine-friendly, hot nibbles come from the kitchen of the popular Hitching Post 2, also on the 12-acre property. To keep the food orders piping hot, they’re delivered to the tasting room via tricycle or a three-wheeled electric cart. Some days, guests may even catch a glimpse of ebullient owner Frank Ostini in his signature pith helmet personally pushing the pedals.

U Is for Upstart Sister

Head of wok operations at Santa Barbara’s popular Empty Bowl Gourmet Noodle Bar since its 2014 opening, chef Nui Pannak created several new dishes that are unique to Khao Kaeng (khaokaeng.com), the noodle bar’s sister location, which opened in November in Montecito. Drawing from experiences cooking with her father on their Bangkok farm, Pannak makes fresh curries with premium filet mignon, freerange Jidori chicken, and organic salmon. The Montecito location also serves beer and wine from a 300-bottle cellar.

V Is for Victuals in Tin City

Until last November, serious eats were sparse among the beverage-tasting rooms of Paso Robles’ Tin City, but that’s all changed since the opening of Tin Canteen (tincanteenpaso.com), a real-deal Italian restaurant.

Tin Canteen’s Tuscan-born chef Michele Gargani trained in Italy before arriving in Los Angeles to work at Mélisse and Enoteca Drago in Beverly Hills. Expect a seasonal menu that’s big on made-to-order wood-fired pizzas, yellowfin tuna crudo with Meyer lemon and mint, squid ink pasta with crab and uni, and Wagyu beef ragú served on casarecce, a pasta made in the adjoining Etto Pastificio factory. Shared plates, including options like the Kurobuta pork ribs with roasted fennel and lemon oregano aioli, can be enhanced with a sampling of the 12 beers and four wines rotating on tap.

W Is for Wait for It . . .

A handful of openings were imminent as this issue went to press.

The craft cocktail experience in Thousand Oaks may very well be redefined with the opening (planned this month) of Oak and Iron (2955 Thousand Oaks Blvd.). “Our aim is a local atmosphere with a drink menu drawing from a DTLA playbook, where all rules for cocktails are off,” says co-owner Drew Pletcher. The cozy street-level scene offers a customized short menu from Bad Ass Street Tacos, while a sumptuous, reservations-only speakeasy bustles downstairs in a commercial-use basement.

Antonio Sessa’s Made in Italy Deli and Bistro (madeinitalybistro.com; set to open late last month at presstime) at the North Ranch Mall in Westlake Village is a hip, high-end eatery offering fine Italian specialties from the Sessa family. Equipped with a wood-fired pizza oven, the restaurant features community tables, concrete floors, and cases of fresh and traditional antipasti, handmade pastas, and deli-style meats made from recipes passed down for generations.

Tabu Shabu (tabushabu.com), a restaurant chain that offers Japanese hot pot experiences and has been popularized in the Southland by founder Jeff Chon since 2012, is expected to come to Thousand Oaks this summer. It’s okay to play with your food here, where choices of premium thinly sliced meats, seafood, and fresh vegetables are provided for you to cook by dunking them in a hot seasoned broth of your choosing.

Known for his use of bold flavors from Thai, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Singaporean, Chinese, and Indonesian cuisines, award-winning chef Mohan Ismail was slated to debut his first fast-casual concept, Social Monk Asian Kitchen (socialmonk. com), at The Promenade in Westlake Village in late February. Expect items such as Thai chicken wings with bird’s-eye chili glaze, short-rib rice bowls, hot noodle dishes made to order, and house-made frozen custards with flavors like Vietnamese Coffee and Corn Flake Crunch, for dessert.

Coin & Candor, a brasserie and bar, is replacing Lobby Lounge at Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village (fourseasons.com/westlakevillage). Barcelona-born chef Jose Fernandez’s menu of rustic dishes call on wood-fired cooking techniques and honor local seasonality, relying in part on the new kitchen gardens he helped implement on the property. The new name is inspired by Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village owner David Murdock’s work ethic and humble beginnings. It’s scheduled to open in April.

X Is for Xenophile Adventures

For xenophiles in Santa Ynez Valley seeking south-of-the-border flavors, longtime Santa Barbara favorite Los Arroyos (losarroyossolvang.com) opened a new location in Solvang last autumn serving pozole, crab enchiladas, and house-made sopes. An extensive and imaginative desayuno, or breakfast, features items like chilaquiles and carne Azteca on weekends. Chappell Architecture and McFadden Design Group created the sleek, welcoming space, a clean white backdrop with lively bursts of red and black, wooden details, patterned tile, and geometric fixtures.

Also last fall, in Goleta, the team behind the popular Los Agaves restaurants opened Vicenta’s (vicentasrestaurant.com), offering dishes such as Costilla de Res, or slow-cooked ribs, and Aguachile de Camarón, or spicy shrimp. For guests whose idea of Mexico’s flavors includes a margarita, there’s a full bar.

If you’re yearning for Asian street food with a foamy pint, you’ll find both under one roof at the new location of Sama Sama Kitchen (samasamakitchen.com), which opened in November within Topa Topa Brewing in downtown Ojai. “This menu is similar [to our Santa Barbara location], but more tailored to go with Topa Topa’s brews,” says co-owner Ryan Simorangkir. Crack Wings with tamarind glaze, crispy rice salad, and Naughty Nuri Pork Spare Ribs with chili soy are served from a walk-up window. Get started with a beer while waiting indoors or on the sunny street-side patio.

Native Sri Lankan chef Rajesh Chandru Selvarathnam sources fresh ingredients— including spinach from Watsonville and curry leaves from Oxnard—for the huge choice of paneers, curries, tandoori, and kormas available at Masala Spice (805-770-8989), which opened in Goleta in January. After holding posts in Abu Dhabi and Miami, Selvarathnam opened his own restaurants, first in Beverly Hills and then in Palo Alto, where he met Laxman Perera, owner of Santa Barbara’s Sushi Teri and Craft Ramen. Perera persuaded Selvarathnam to bring his favorite specialties, including dosa flat-cakes and house-made chutneys, to this casual, modest site, where they make a satisfying lunch or dinner.

Y Is for Yo Pops by Alex Montoya

At Fluid State Beer Garden (fluidstatebeer.com) in Ventura, new executive chef Alex Montoya is knocking out dishes like Dr. Pepperoni Party Fries, creative sourdough pizzas, and all manner of wings and dips to go with the company’s fine selection of brews. But he gets really crazy when experimenting with the frozen custard desserts he calls Yo Pops, concoctions like butterscotch frozen custard dipped in a dark chocolate shell and coated with caramelized pecans and crispy speck ham bits and frozen chocolate milk–stout custard sandwiched between peanut butter churros.

Z Is for the Zany Dishes of Chef Pink

At Root 246 (root-246.com) new chef de cuisine Crystal “Pink” DeLongpré is shaking up more than the heirloom benne seeds she sprinkles on her harissa-spiced cauliflower. Her expansion of the menu at the recently reimagined Solvang restaurant, which is owned by the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, reflects her philosophy of using hyperlocal and ethically sourced ingredients. Among her signature dishes are Legit Fried Chicken, bone-in rib eye, Bomb Ass burgers grilled over local oak, and smoked local white sea bass with dill and rye bread, a nod to Solvang’s Danish culture.

“I’m excited to be able to put my personal stamp on the dishes coming out of this kitchen,” says DeLongpré, the Cutthroat Kitchen celeb whose long list of former posts include one at The Spotted Pig in New York and another at her own Bacon & Brine. “I’m keeping it real, but also fun, foodie, and entirely entertaining.” Vegan and vegetarian dishes are also plentiful on the Root 246 menu.

Sama Sama Kitchen

Tabu Shabu

Los Arroyos

Root 246