DINING OUT New Digs for Decker Kitchen

By Victoria Woodard Harvey Photographs by Gary Moss

NewDigsforDeckerKitchen

THE WESTLAKE VILLAGE FOODIE HAVEN MAKES AN EXPANSIVE MOVE.

Graham Harris spent years admiring bread and bakers’ crafting of it while living in the Bay Area, so it felt like the thing to do—in his home kitchen—when he relocated to his native Conejo

Valley back in 2018. “I don’t know if I’d be in restaurants if I hadn’t spent six months making bread,” says Harris, owner of Decker Kitchen (deckerkitchen.com), the cozy restaurant he opened in Westlake Village in late 2018 that has garnered wide acclaim for its breads.

Fast-forward to last month and the eagerly awaited move of Decker Kitchen to its new location (a mile or so from the original), where Harris intends to continue showcasing his fresh, rustic loaves. With six times the space, this restaurant not only represents an expansion of the concept he began a few years ago, but also allows for more diners, more dishes, and under the auspices of savvy and fun-loving Harris, more growth of his epicurean philosophies. “Good product is at the core of all

I do,” says Harris. “I focus on the environment, and [the new location] allows us to play and do what I like to do.”

The restaurant’s latest home features nice touches like numerous skylights and solid travertine flooring throughout. In the kitchen, the walk-in cooler is about the size of the previous location’s indoor dining area.

Equipment (sourced despite supply chain issues) includes a vintage smoker for creating charcuterie

A Decker Kitchen cheese and charcuterie platter (above, left) showcases house-smoked sausage. Lush greenery borders a row of tables on the patio (above) at the restaurant’s new site.

sausage, smoked salmon, and the house ribs; a rotisserie for cooking game birds, leg of lamb, and Harris’s signature porchetta pork roast; and, naturally, a designated bread oven to ramp up production of the loaves central to the Decker food menu.

Diners can choose to sit at the long, butcher block bar with brass pineapple lamps and built-in wine and beer taps or at one of the generously spaced indoor tables or cozy nooks by large picture windows. A fireside lounge is set with slingback chairs and portable poufs. At the center of all this is a raised stage on which musician friends and family will play. “No cover bands,” says Harris, whose father was a member of The Flying Burrito Brothers country rock band in

Head chef Kristen Marsh (above) prepares to slice heirloom tomatoes from nearby Somis Farm for a toastbased appetizer. Fresh sourdough loaves (right) are made in-house daily using a 24-hour fermentation process.

Entrées feature generous portions of seafood, such as grilled mahi mahi (left), and meats, like bone-in Kurobuta pork chop (top, right). Owner Graham Harris (right) unveils a smoky cocktail.

the 1980s, “but gypsy jazz and flat-picking guitar.”

A hidden, private dining room with a secret entrance is designed for special wine- or bourbon-maker dinners. Its stone walls are lined in velvet and decorated with paintings from Harris’ private collection. In contrast, native botanicals and twinkling lights enhance the patio, along with a water feature painted by Harris’ mother, who is an artist. It’s a great place to take in sunset views over the Conejo hills.

Head chef Kristen Marsh turns out starters, like warm Castelvetrano olives roasted with fresh rosemary, crumbled feta, and olive oil; and sliced Somis Farm heirloom tomato atop whipped feta mousse smeared on charred toast. Spicy Shakshuka with lamb meatballs >

makes a great share plate and can be prepared vegan or vegetarian.

New menu items are often inspired by Sundaynight dinners from Harris’s childhood, such as roasted chicken or a mix of grilled sausages and steak, served family style on earth-toned platters made by Mayware Ceramics of Ojai. Among the tried-and-true favorites of Decker Kitchen regulars are the tender barbecued pork ribs, which are seasoned with a dry rub, then smoked, slow roasted, hot roasted, and finally grilled for a lacquered finish of house sauce. They’re served with creamy herbed slaw and house pickles.

Another mainstay dish is the thick, bone-in pork chop special. Herb-brined and grilled, it comes with a gratin of sliced potatoes mixed with garlic-and-tomato confit and topped with a layer of Gruyère. To round out the plate, a salad of frisée and crisp, sliced apples is dressed in a mellow mustard vinaigrette. The grilled mahi mahi comes with muhammara, a Middle Eastern sauce made of mildly spicy red bell pepper, walnuts, and bread crumbs, and a pilaf-like side of farro and roasted vegetables. The Angus rib eye steak is reverse seared (cooked first in a low oven then high-fire seared for a crisp outer layer), topped with compound butter, and served in thick slices with a mound of crusty but tender roasted potatoes. Decker’s signature pizzas, perfected at the original location, are also available.

The wine list is international, with French burgundies and Italian brunellos, but also includes Ledge Adams Ranch 2018 Red Blend and Carol Shelton 2019 “Coquille Blanc” Rhône-style blend, both from Paso Robles. Among numerous Napa Valley wines, are M. Etain 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon (Rutherford), and Kongsgaard 2018 Chardonnay. Craft beer choices include MadeWest Hazy IPA on tap and a rotation of other options from local brewers, like 14 Cannons, as well as a pilsner by Coloradobased Oskar Blues Brewery and Fremont Brewing Company’s Lush IPA from Seattle.

Paul Jones, the mixologist from the original location, remains a consultant for the new cocktail menu, which includes the Ultimate Hemingway Daiquiri, made with Royal Standard dry rum and fresh lime juice clarified through an elaborate process involving agar. The house margarita is made with reposado tequila and a citrus concentrate that is prepared sous vide for maximum flavor and unusual clarity. A selection of tropical drinks listed on the menu under “Tiki Time” reflects an affinity of Harris and Jones, two self-described “tiki dorks.”

Takeaway goods from the Decker Kitchen pantry include house-made charcuterie, cheeses, select wines, premium caviar, local honey, and of course, the fresh loaves of rustic bread that began this whole adventure.

“I want it all to be a little unexpected,” says Harris about the elements of his new expanded concept. “That’s what keeps it interesting.”