805 Living October 2021 by 805 Living

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O P E N DA I LY F O R D I N E - I N & TA K E O U T

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Morgan Stanley is proud to congratulate

Seth Haye

Named one of Forbes’ Best-in-State Wealth Advisors Ranked #10 – State of California, Los Angeles Area Being named to Forbes’ 2021 Best-in-State Wealth Advisors list is a testament to your experience, professionalism and dedication to your clients. Thank you for the work you do each day and for carrying forward the culture of excellence at our firm. The Oaks Group at Morgan Stanley Seth Haye Managing Director Senior Portfolio Management Director Financial Advisor 100 N. Westlake Blvd., Suite 200 Westlake Village, CA 91362 805- 494-0215 seth.haye@morganstanley.com http://www.morganstanleyfa.com/ theoaksgroup

Source: Forbes.com (February, 2021). Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors ranking was developed by SHOOK Research and is based on in-person, virtual and telephone due diligence meetings to evaluate each advisor qualitatively, a major component of a ranking algorithm that includes: client retention, industry experience, review of compliance records, firm nominations; and quantitative criteria, including: assets under management and revenue generated for their firms. Investment performance is not a criterion because client objectives and risk tolerances vary, and advisors rarely have audited performance reports. Rankings are based on the opinions of SHOOK Research, LLC and are not indicative of future performance or representative of any one client’s experience. Neither Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC nor its Financial Advisors or Private Wealth Advisors pay a fee to Forbes or SHOOK Research in exchange for the ranking. For more information, see www.SHOOKresearch.com. © 2021 Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC.

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Contents O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1 • A R T S + C U LT U R E

Features 66 ARTBREAK

The creative spirit is alive and well throughout the 805 area. By Joan Tapper

20 QUESTIONS FOR ARTS EXECUTIVES A conversation among four leaders of prominent local arts and culture organizations about how their institutions are faring.

GARY MOSS

Produced by Lynne Andujar and Anthony Head Photographs by Gary Moss

OCTOBER 2021 / 805LIVING.COM

Santa Barbara artist Rafael Gaete uses bright colors to represent vibrant sensations and emotions in (from left) 44 Colors From Dark Violet to Orange and 44 Colors From Green to Yellow. For more on local artists and their works, see page 66.

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Contents

O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1 • A R T S + C U LT U R E

41 Departments of the 805

By Nancy Ransohoff and Erin Rottman

Finds 41 Ghoul Cool

When it comes to Halloween decor, let the spirit move you. By Jennie Nunn

44 STYLE: Tobacco

Fall’s new fashion neutral is smokin’ hot. By Frances Ryan

46 TRAVEL

By Erin Rottman

Insider 56 Events In & Around

the 805

By Heidi Dvorak

Mind Body Soul 58 Wellness News By Nancy Ransohoff

Arts & Culture 60 Sewing to Extremes

With one-of-a-kind artworks, bold colors, and varied fabrics, the contemporary quilt world is an exciting place. By Joan Tapper

Upgrades 64 Lounge Act

Chaise away the day-to-day rush with an invitation to put your feet up.

OCTOBER 2021 / 805LIVING.COM

Taking Up Sides Bar Le Côte brings Spanishinfluenced seafood to Los Olivos and pays homage to the historic roots of its location. By Victoria Woodard Harvey Photographs by Gary Moss

87 Where to Eat Now

P.S. Sketchpad 96 Jack-o’-lanterns Carved

by Famous Artists By Greg Clarke

In Every Issue

18 Editor’s Note 22 Masthead 28 Behind the Scenes

By Frances Ryan

Visit Us Online!

Taste 78 FOOD: Make the Best

805living.com Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Spotify, Apple, Google, and YouTube keyword: 805Living

of the Wurst Three local chefs herald autumn’s arrival with comforting sausage recipes. By Jaime Lewis

82 BEER: Loving Lagers in the Fall While the rest of the world shifts to dark ales, the Central Coast’s warm autumns are a perfect time for crisp beers. By Matt Kettmann

84 DINING OUT:

Check out our website for the free digital version of 805 Living (smartphone- and tablet-compatible, it’s also on issuu.com). Tune in to our free Spotify playlists (keyword: 805 Living) and 805 Living Eats podcasts available on Apple, Google, and Spotify (keyword: 805 Living Eats). Become an 805 Living Insider! Sign up to receive “The Insider,” our free mid-month newsletter that provides additional suggestions for local events and activities, lastminute getaway ideas, and little extras—like food and wine tips—to help you get through the month. Insiders will also receive special offers, contest news, event invitations, and more. Subscribe at 805living.com.

On the Cover In Cosmos Convention - 1, artist Carol Paquet layers images of ink and paint markings over a floral photograph. Her work is on view this month at REH GraySpace Art gallery in Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone. For more about Paquet and other 805-area artists, turn to page 66.

46: COURTESY OF CELEBRITY CRUISES

Pulse 33 Tracking the Beat

Fall Sale

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Helping you focus on what matters most

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Editor’s Note

Never a Blank Canvas

WALK TO END ALZHEIMER’S

Lynne Andujar Editor in Chief & Publisher edit@805living.com

GARY MOSS

Although COVID-19 grabs the headlines, Alzheimer’s Disease continues to inflict terrible suffering on patients and their families around the world. Walkers and donors are needed to raise money for research, patient care, and family support at this year’s remaining 805area walks: East Ventura County, October 23; San Luis Obispo, October 30; Santa Barbara, November 6. I’ll be at the East Ventura County event, walking in honor of my dad, Stephen F. Ryan, M.D., my uncle Thomas Ryan, and the millions of people around the world who are impacted by this terrible disease. I hope you will join Team 805 Living! For more information, visit act.alz.org/goto/805living.

THE ROLLER-COASTER RIDE OF PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERNS—virus variants, masks, vaccines, endless “discussions” between those who do and those who don’t________________ (insert your family’s disagreements here)—continues to toss around California communities with relentless energy. Yet, our indispensable frontline workers, including teachers, firefighters, police, delivery drivers, cashiers, waitstaff, and especially medical professionals, are doing their part to bring this lousy ride to an end as soon as possible. In the meantime, autumn has ushered in the beginning of the Central Coast cultural season, and despite the lingering challenges of navigating public spaces, there is no shortage of activities to engage your artistic predilections. One of the great joys of editing this magazine is providing you, dear readers, with a carefully curated presentation of the region’s arts and culture scene, and as you’ll see in the following pages, 805 Living is indispensable for helping you make the most of living here. For instance, Joan Tapper’s interviews with local artists (“Artbreak,” page 66) reveal myriad inspirations behind meaningful creativity; our regularly occurring “20 Questions” (page 72) connects four executives from popular arts and cultural institutions to explain how innovation and imagination are revolutionizing the business side of personal expression; and if you flip to page 96, our resident illustrator, Greg Clarke, reminds us that pumpkins are capable of so much more artistic flair than just spicing up your latte. I hope by the time you finish this issue you’ll agree with me that the people who enliven our days and nights with artistic experiences—lifting our spirits above the day’s challenges—are themselves indispensable.

OCTOBER 2021 / 805LIVING.COM

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1510 HEATHER OAKS LANE, WESTLAKE VILLAGE

ESTATE HOME IN PRESTIGIOUS BRIDGEHAVEN ESTATES A PRIVATELY GATED COMMUNITY IN WESTLAKE VILLAGE Nestled in a small gated enclave of 38 homes known as Bridgehaven Estates and situated at the end of the street is this lovely home. A premiere location that backs to the Conejo Open Space Conservancy. A light, bright and open ﬂoor plan with soaring ceilings and large decorative windows greets you as soon as you enter this home. Pretty, private and peaceful grounds with lush landscaping, patio areas for entertaining, outdoor ﬁreplace, water features, vegetable beds and outdoor kitchen. The outdoor pizza oven will make you feel like you’re in Italy! Room for a pool. In the heart of Westlake Village and minutes to Lake Sherwood. Southern California living at its best!

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EDITOR IN CHIEF, PUBLISHER, & CEO

Lynne Andujar edit@805living.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

DESIGNER

PHOTO EDITOR

Bernard Scharf

Kathy Tomlinson

Sophie Patenaude

Gary Moss

photo@805living.com

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Heidi Dvorak, Jennie Nunn (Shopping), Erin Rottman (Travel), Frances Ryan (Fashion, Interior Design)

Victoria Woodard Harvey, Matt Kettmann, Jaime Lewis, Nancy Ransohoff, Joan Tapper

CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATOR

RESEARCH EDITOR

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

CONSULTING EDITOR

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Greg Clarke Gary Moss

Tajinder Rehal Anthony Head

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Jennifer S. Vogelbach

Fashion, fine jewelry, home furnishings and design, insurance, mortgage, real estate jennifer@805living.com, 818-427-3496 ADVERTISING SALES REPRESENTATIVES

Diane Dreyer

Santa Barbara County wineries diane@805living.com, 818-879-3951

Amra Neal

Architects, attorneys, automotive, beauty, dining, education, entertainment, financial/banking, fitness, food and beverage, health, home builders, landscape, nonprofit organizations, senior living, travel amra@805living.com, 310-924-2631 ALL OTHER ADVERTISING QUERIES

jennifer@805living.com, 818-427-3496 ADVERTISING DESIGN & PRODUCTION

Sophie Patenaude, sophie@805living.com OPERATIONS MANAGER

Carmen Juarez-Leiva ACCOUNTING

Lori Kantor, lori@805living.com 805 Living is published 10 times a year and is a property of 3Digit Media, LLC. 3717 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Westlake Village, CA 91362 © 2021 3Digit Media, LLC. All rights reserved.

805 Living is a registered trademark. All rights reserved. 805 Living content may not be used or reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopy, without the express written permission of the publisher. 805 Living is not responsible for loss of or damage to unsolicited manuscripts, unsolicited artwork, or any other unsolicited material. Unsolicited material will not be returned. 3Digit Media, LLC, and its affiliates, contributors, writers, editors, and publisher accept no responsibility for errors or omissions with information and/or advertisements contained herein. 3Digit Media’s liability in the event of an error is limited to a printed correction. 3Digit Media does not assume liability for products or services advertised herein and assumes no responsibility for claims made by the advertisers.

SUBSCRIPTIONS To subscribe to 805 Living, please visit 805living.com. Your domestic subscription includes 10 issues of 805 Living for $25.95. If you have a question about your subscription write to Circulation Department, 805 Living , 3717 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Westlake Village, CA 91362; or reach us via email at circulation@805living.com.

805 LIVING, OCTOBER 2021

Home is our favorite destination Village Properties proudly celebrates 25 years supporting our clients and community. We are a locally owned and operated real estate company with a finely tuned focus on the Santa Barbara region. We represent a special connection between the people and places within the Santa Barbara region through highly trained and cultivated agents, and a focused mission on serving the community now and into the future. SANTA BARBARA | MONTECITO | SANTA YNEZ | VILLAGESITE.COM | DRE 01206734

NQP INTERIOR DESIGNS

Natasha Quinn Page

Photos by: John Collazos Locomotion Inc.

www.nqpinteriordesigns.com npqdesigns@aol.com 310-435-4516 @natashaquinnpage

Behind the Scenes

Our featured contributors share what most piqued their interest about local artists and cultural establishments this year. Jaime Lewis “I’ve been enjoying the public art installations in downtown San Luis Obispo,” says contributing writer Jaime Lewis (Taste/Food, page 78). “Mission Plaza has played host to some amazing interactive displays that change seasonally. You can also regularly find me at the Palm Theatre.”

Erin Rottman

“This month, I talked to David Powdrell, the former board chair of the Lynda Fairly Carpinteria Arts Center, who created a book of Carpinteria artists to show their talent to the world,” says contributing editor Erin Rottman (Pulse, page 33, and Finds/Travel, page 46). “After hearing how much time and love he poured into this book, I am absolutely inspired to buy local art.”

Jennie Nunn “I greatly admire the work of artist Colette Miller, whose local installation of her Global Angel Wings Project can be found at The Ritz-Carlton, Bacara, Santa Barbara,” says contributing editor Jennie Nunn (Finds/Style, page 44). “Her works are so inspiring and evoke an instant sense of peacefulness.”

LEWIS: ALEXANDRA WALLACE; ROTTMAN: NATHAN BILOW; NUNN: JEN SISKA

Jennie Nunn

Something’s Brewing Over Here...

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Behind the Scenes

Our featured experts share what local cultural establishments and artists have interested them most in 2021. “The Granada Theatre’s Roar & Pour live music on State Street. So good for the soul.” —Robin Gose

(“20 Questions for Arts Executives,” page 72) president and CEO Moxi, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation Santa Barbara moxi.org

Xavier Foley’s hulking double bass musical voice during the recording of our America, the Melting Pot online festival. —Natalia Staneva

(“20 Questions for Arts Executives,” page 72) chief executive officer New West Symphony, Thousand Oaks newwestsymphony.org

“Jon Flaming has been super inspiring to me. We have three of his pieces in the dining room at Bar Le Côte. The feel of his art captures the tone of our restaurant.” —Brad Mathews

“Studio Channel Islands art center, which educates the public about the arts.” —Julia Pinkham

(“Artbreak,” page 66) artist Oxnard Beach juliapinkham.com

MATHEWS: BONJWING LEE; STANEVA: EUGENE YANKEVICH

(Taste/Dining Out, page 84) chef, co-owner Bar Le Côte Los Olivos barlecote.com

Samantha Keeping A FULL-SERVICE INTERIOR DESIGN STUDIO

RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL DESIGN AND RENOVATION

www.keepinginteriors.com

805.563.6307

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Pulse

T R AC K I N G T H E B E AT O F T H E 8 0 5 The Bavarian Pretzel at Finney’s Crafthouse & Kitchen comes with a trio of dipping sauces.

FLAVORS OF THE MONTH:

PRETZELS AND BEER

The classic combo gets even closer in these Oktoberfest-approved dishes, available locally in the following menu items year-round. What: Daily Pretzel Bread, soft, dark-crusted loaves, made from

pale ale–infused dough and presented with grain-mustard butter and Maldon salt Where: Coin & Candor (coinandcandor.com) at Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village

GARY MOSS

What: Bavarian Pretzel, a large, tender, twisted treat, salted and served

with caramel sauce, sweet-mustard, and Finney’s Light ale cheese Where: Finney’s Crafthouse & Kitchen (finneyscrafthouse.com) locations in Westlake Village, Santa Barbara, Ventura, San Luis Obispo, and Porter Ranch

What: Cheesy Bacon Beer Dip, a mixture of Parmesan, mozzarella,

cheddar, and cream cheese spiked with crispy bacon, chives, and Rincon Brewery Mac Brown ale and served with chewy, salted pretzel bites Where: Rincon Brewery (rinconbrewery.com) locations in Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, and Ventura What: Bavarian Pretzel & Beer Cheese, the traditional oven-baked

bow in a shareable size accompanied by grain-mustard and a Firestone Pivo Pils–imbued blend of fontina, Gouda, mozzarella, and Parmesan, for dipping Where: 1865 Craft House & Kitchen (1865slo.com) in San Luis Obispo

—Nancy Ransohoff

OCTOBER 2021 / 805LIVING.COM

Pulse

ITALIAN FASHIONS IN MONTECITO

A NEW HOME FOR HAPPY HORSES A new 20-acre horse farm and equestrian facility, Fairfield Farm (fairfield.farm), has opened in Santa Ynez. The luxurious establishment includes a two-story horse barn with 30 stalls, nine all-weather turnouts including irrigated grass paddocks, a jumper ring, an Olympic regulation–size dressage ring, and a 300x250-foot grass riding field. Owner ClaudeLee “Elee” Johnson, a former East Coast show jumper with 30 years of horse-training experience, also offers boarding, training, and advanced private riding lessons. “I take the responsibility as an owner, breeder, rider, and caregiver very seriously,” says Johnson. “I do what I do for the love of the horse.” —N.R.

OCTOBER 2021 / 805LIVING.COM

FROM TOP: COURTESY OF ROSEWOOD MIRAMAR BEACH; J. COLE

Italian luxury lifestyle brand Brunello Cucinelli has opened its first permanent U.S. resort store at Rosewood Miramar Beach (rosewoodhotels.com/en/miramar-beach-montecito/experiences/shopping) in Montecito, featuring a curated assortment of the Umbria-based brand’s apparel for women and men along with timeless accessories. Premiering the fall-winter collection, the shop showcases classics like soft cashmere knits in signature neutral hues, versatile scarves in an array of shades, and elegant outerwear against a serene backdrop of light oak walls, textured travertine floors, and custom furniture pieces from Perugia, Italy. “We believe this is a natural partnership,” says resort manager Rick Fidel of Rosewood Miramar Beach, “as their brand is the pinnacle of luxury Italian fashion and their clothing perfectly captures the elegant and seaside spirit of Rosewood Miramar Beach.” —N.R.

Patty Murphy country estates

Wine Country Living Santa Ynez Style

Patty Murphy Country Estates & Vineyards Over $100,000,000 in Closed Sales in 2020

www.pattymurphy.com patty@pattymurphy.com Renovated Equestrian Estate $4,250,000 (805) 680-8571 This is a must see renovation in Woodstock Ranch with an 4500± sq.ft. main residence and pattymurphyestates eye catching finishes throughout. For the equestrian, the 18± acre parcel has more usable land than most Woodstock ranches and is situated just a few feet from miles of oak studded riding trails. The improvements include a charming caretakers cottage, 6 stall barn with tack, wash racks and turnouts, 2 stall stallion barn and 5 large fenced pastures with arena. © 2021 Sotheby’s International Realty. All Rights Reserved. The Sotheby’s International Realty trademark is licensed and used with permission. Each Sotheby’s International Realty office is independently owned and operated, except those operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. The Sotheby’s International Realty network fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. All offerings are subject to errors, omissions, changes including price or withdrawal without notice. Patty Murphy DRE: 766586

Pulse

DRAWING ATTENTION IN OJAI In 2015, Daren Thomas Magee was piecing together odd jobs in San Francisco to make ends meet when he resolved to draw something every day. “I decided in my off time that I would carve out a passion for myself or a bit of a purpose in the artistic field,” says Magee, who moved to Ojai in search of small-town life. Magee’s daily drawings led to selling prints for $40 each, licensing designs to Anthropologie and REI Co-op, and now founding a brick-and-mortar shop. The Wow House (realfunwow. com), opens early this month in Ojai’s Meiners Oaks community, offers apparel, tote bags, wall hangings, and more, embellished with Magee’s timeless, natureinspired graphics. Check @house.of.wow on Instagram for current store hours.

In Ojai this month, artist Daren Thomas Magee (right) opens The Wow House, a shop filled with manifestations of his graphic designs (below).

—Erin Rottman

When Carpinteria artists were recently asked what they loved about their town, almost all of them said they appreciated that it was small. “I realized that keeping a small town a small town takes work,” says David Powdrell, former chairman of the board of the Lynda Fairly Carpinteria Arts Center (carpinteriaartscenter.org). To thank the many artists who stepped up to donate their talents while he led the center, Powdrell has produced Small Town Big Art (Small Town Art Publications, 2021). The hardcover coffee table book highlights 100 painters, photographers, musicians, dancers, chefs, poets, and others; and 100 percent of the sales proceeds will be donated to the arts center for art supplies and scholarships. Powdrell hopes the book will encourage people to buy local art as well as showcase the wide variety of artists in Carpinteria. “You name it,” he says, “they’re here.” —E.R.

OCTOBER 2021 / 805LIVING.COM

TOP AND CENTER: JESS PURPLE

ART LIVES IN CARPINTERIA

Food, Family and Flying...and now Dinner!

DISCOVERING NEW SIPS

FROM TOP: QUINTON JONES PHOTOGRAPHY (QUINTONJONESPHOTOGRAPHY.COM); DAVID SANTAMARIA

The new West Tasting Room (westtastingroom. com) in Thousand Oaks showcases wines from the West Coast viticulture regions of California, Oregon, and Washington. In addition to tastings, the owners of the wine shop and bar, Amy and Evan Bates and Michael Sisois, offer a monthly winemaker series and memberships in their West Wine Club.

“My husband and I love traveling to California’s wine regions to taste at wineries, but it’s not always easy to plan a trip,” says Amy Bates. “So our goal was to create a local, curated tasting room where our guests can taste wines from Santa Barbara, Paso Robles, Monterey, Napa Valley, and even the Pacific Northwest regions of Willamette and Walla Walla in their own neighborhood, any night of the week.” Sippers may opt for tasting by the glass, flight, or bottle while nibbling from a seasonal light-fare menu. A chic private room is available for special occasions and private tastings.  —N.R. West Tasting Room in Thousand Oaks offers (from top) glasses and flights of wine to enjoy with light fare, such as The West “Smorgas” Board, and a private room for special events.

Now serving dinner Friday and Saturday nights from 5 pm to 8:30 pm. Tues.–Sun. 8 am–3 pm | Fri. & Sat. 5 pm–8:30 pm 805.388.2535 | thewaypointcafe.com 325 Durley Ave., Camarillo, CA 93010

Finds S H O P P I N G / S T Y L E / T R AV EL

Ghoul Cool WHEN IT COMES TO HALLOWEEN DECOR, LET THE SPIRIT MOVE YOU. By Jennie Nunn

Patch NYC “Scary Skull” candle ($20) and black taper ($9 for a set of 6); Crate and Barrel, Woodland Hills, crateandbarrel.com. OCTOBER 2021 / 805LIVING.COM

Finds

OCTOBER 2021 / 805LIVING.COM

1. My Mind’s Eye “Vintage Halloween” cocktail napkin ($6 for 24); mymindseye.com. 2. Ontwerpduo “Tallow” all-inone wax candle and candlestick in black velvet ($28); Glo West, Ojai, glowestbeauty.com; and Farmhouse Corner Market, San Luis Obispo, farmhouseslo.com. 3. Skeleton apron ($30) Sur La Table, Westlake Village and Woodland Hills; surlatable.com. 4. “Cozy Pumpkin” pillows (ivory, $36; loden, $30; tobacco, $50); Pottery Barn: Thousand Oaks, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo; potterybarn.com. 5. Glass skull decanter ($59) and glass skull double shot glasses ($40 for set of two); Pottery Barn: Thousand Oaks, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo; potterybarn.com. 6. John Derian “Spider #6” glass paperweight ($46); Upstairs at Pierre Lafond, Montecito, shopupstairs.com. 7. La Rochère “Lyonnais” wine glass in grey ($18); Diani Living, Santa Barbara, dianiboutique.com. 

For more, visit our Pinterest page, keyword: 805living.

SANTA BARBARA TASTING ROOM

SMALL PRODUCTION. ORGANICALLY FARMED. SAVORY EATS. FUNK ZONE. 19 East Mason Street. Santa Barbara. California. 805.845.8435

Finds Style By Frances Ryan

2 3 1

Mother Denim “The Stunner Ankle Fray” corduroy high-rise skinny jean in monk’s robe ($208); Ambiance, San Luis Obipso, shopambiance.com.

Spalding “Jacquard” polo ($30); Zara, Thousand Oaks and Canoga Park; zara.com.

Tobacco

Vhernier “Coucher du Soleil” bracelet in 18-karat rose gold and bronze (price upon request); Silverhorn, Montecito, silverhorn.com.

FALL’S NEW FASHION NEUTRAL IS SMOKIN’ HOT.

6 4

Birkenstock x Proenza Schouler “Arizona” dual-strap sandals in luggage ($420); Neiman Marcus, Canoga Park, neimanmarcus.com.

Manu Atelier fringed suede hobo bag ($590); Neiman Marcus, Canoga Park, neimanmarcus.com. Cartier “Tank Américaine” watch in 18-karat rose-gold with leather strap (price upon request); Polacheck’s Jewelers, Calabasas, polachecks.com.

Nina Segal “Gem Candy” cocktail ring in smoky quartz and 14-karat gold ($995); Sharon Segal Nina Segal, Westlake Village, facebook.com/ sharonsegalninasegal.

OCTOBER 2021 / 805LIVING.COM

9 “Norah” embossed leather boots in tan ($550); stuartweitzman.com.

For more, visit our Pinterest page, keyword: 805living.

Marissa Webb “Maxwell” cropped linen wrap shirt ($298); Intermix at Malibu Lumber Yard, intermixonline.com. 

A DV E R T I S E M E N T

BE CONFIDENT, BE WELL,

BE THE BEST VERSION OF YOU

©MOSUNO/STOCKSY UNITED

Dr. Bita Farrell is the founder of Natural Aesthetics Center, a Medical Spa and Wellness Center. She is a board-certified physician who trained at UCLA, stayed on as faculty for 16 years, and practiced as Associate Clinical professor at UCLA.

Dr. Farrell’s work focuses on an artistic, natural, and clinically safe approach to enhance her patients in a powerful, yet undetectable way. She is passionate about continued learning and stays up to date with the latest advancements

and technology in aesthetic medicine and loves to spend time educating her patients about which treatment is best suited and which ones to avoid for their particular concerns. Dr. Farrell takes building trust with her patients very seriously. She harvests a professional, welcoming, positive energy that lets people know they are getting the highest quality of care the moment they walk through the door. Dr. Farrell has advanced her practice of medicine to include a more holistic, “less is more” approach to patient care. She believes that every cell in the body is responding to our thoughts and emotions, which have a biological impact on how we feel and look. Certified in Traditional Eastern Medicine/ Acupuncture, Dr. Farrell offers Auriculotherapy, an acupuncture treatment that helps restore mental and physical harmony. Dr. Farrell combines injections such as Botox and fillers, plus, nonsurgical, minimally invasive skintightening devices for facial rejuvenation. Her goal is to deliver lasting results and have you looking and feeling more balanced and refreshed.

WHAT’S NEW Natural Aesthetics Center is proud to introduce an exclusive and groundbreaking program to its medical aesthetics practice: The Medical Gym. The EmSculpt Neo is the first and only non-invasive body shaping procedure that combines two energies for simultaneous fat elimination and muscle building. The EmTone delivers both thermal and mechanical energy to address all primary causes of cellulite and loose skin effectively and non-surgically. The EmSella is FDA approved and clinically proven to strengthen the pelvic floor in both men and women to treat incontinence and to improve overall intimate health. For more information, visit www.nacmd.com.

3625 E. THOUSAND OAKS BLVD., SUITE 249, WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA 91362 | 805.279.4862 | @ NATURALAESTHETICSCENTER | NACMD.COM

Finds Travel By Erin Rottman In his image Blue Hour, photographer Adam Jacobs captures an illuminated Coit Tower and the San Francisco skyline at twilight.

BEST OF BOTH WORLDS IN SONOMA

Situated on six acres of redwood groves and orchards dating to the 1920s, the Stavrand is prioritizing service with a roving host, who serves poolside cocktails, sets up lawn games or a massage on the outdoor terrace, and organizes grab-and-go picnics. Other staff are trained to get to know individual guests and empowered to fulfill their needs. “We want employees to feel like they can pop into town and buy that pint of ice cream for a guest,” Glick says. Accommodations are spread between three buildings, including the Belden House, a registered historic landmark built in 1922 for then Guerneville banker Ralph Belden. Recently redone by international design firm EDG, all rooms are decorated in saturated jewel-tone colors with homestyle furnishings and area rugs. Some accommodations feature cedar soaking tubs on outdoor decks. Complimentary bicycles are available, and the Stavrand has partnered with local wineries for preferred treatment for guests, just in time for harvest season. A firepit anchors an outdoor lounge in the courtyard between buildings at the remodeled Stavrand Russian River Valley in Sonoma.

OCTOBER 2021 / 805LIVING.COM

PICTURING SAN FRANCISCO

The biggest mistake people make when taking a picture of an urban landmark is not being patient enough, says San Francisco– based fine-art photographer Adam Jacobs (adamjacobsphotography.com). Taking time and changing perspective are just a couple of the tips Jacobs covers in his photography workshops at Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco at Embarcadero (fourseasons.com/ embarcadero/experiences, from $375). During each three-hour session, Jacobs starts with the fundamentals of taking good pictures, then leads guests on a walk to capture images of local icons, like the Transamerica Pyramid and the Ferry Building or neighborhoods like Chinatown and Union Square, before returning to the hotel for a critique over drinks and snacks. He customizes classes to suit participants’ interests. A second workshop (from $250) is a one-hour self-guided walk with photography tips and facts about the landmarks. “It’s amazing how much progress people can make in just a few short hours,” Jacobs says, adding that the sessions work for everyone from advanced shutterbugs to those with no experience. “Everyone leaves infused with energy and wanting to take more pictures.” The newly reopened Four Seasons (from $780), which affords panoramic views of the San Francisco Bay from the top floors of its 48-story California Center, recently reopened with redesigned guest rooms, and a new openair Sky Deck on the 40th floor is in the works.

FROM LEFT: COURTESY OF THE STAVRAND RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY ; ADAM JACOBS PHOTOGRAPHY

Sonoma County welcomes The Stavrand Russian River Valley (thestavrand.com, from $446), a 21-room hotel in Guerneville striving to offer the personalized service of a boutique property while also providing the amenities of a large resort. “We are looking to fill a hole in the market,” says co-owner and general manager Emily Glick, formerly with Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants. “We found that typically people coming to Sonoma are having to choose between a more downtown square kind of experience like you would see in Healdsburg or a tiny B and B that’s a real mom-and-pop [operation].”

Let Rosemary use her proven expertise to help you get the highest sales price! Rosemary can give you advice on improvements that will highlight your home’s strengths, downplay its weaknesses and appeal to the greatest possible pool of prospective buyers. Although the structure itself is often the deciding factor, many steps must be taken to enhance your home’s features and increase the likelihood of it selling faster. Innately understanding the finer points of caring for clients with high net worth, and even higher expectations, Rosemary utilizes multimedia print and digital internet advertising to masterfully unite sellers of the finest homes in Ventura County with quality buyers from across the globe.

It’s not who sold the most homes, it’s who sold YOUR home for the most!

805.479.7653

rosemaryallison@aol.com callrosemary.com CalRE #00545184

Affiliated real estate agents are independent contractor sales associates, not employees. ©2021 Coldwell Banker. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker logos are trademarks of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. The Coldwell Banker® System is comprised of company owned offices which are owned by a subsidiary of Realogy Brokerage Group LLC and franchised offices which are independently owned and operated. The Coldwell Banker System fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act.

by the California Legislative Woman's Caucus, awarded by the California Senate and Assembly

With over $100,000,000 in sales in the last 12 months, call on Rosemary to use her proven expertise to help you get the highest sales price

Voted “Best” Ventura County Agent for 2020 Daily News Readers Choice

Recognized. Respected. Recommended

Finds Travel

AN ARTFUL STAY AT THE RIVER WALK

The former DoubleTree Suites is now Hilton Santa Monica Hotel & Suites (hilton.com/en/hotels/ smosmhh-hilton-santa-monica, from $319). Of the new hotel’s 286 rooms, 211 are suites, so it’s an especially fitting option for families. “That’s unique here in Santa Monica,” says general manager Shahid Kayani.

Red Balloon Dog by New York–based Jeff Koons may be one of the most easily recognized pieces of art at the new Thompson San Antonio–Riverwalk (hyatt. com/en-US/hotel/texas/thompson-san-antonio/satth, from $379), but a self-guided tour map identifies some three dozen paintings, photographs, sculptures, and mixed media works throughout the hotel. Maqueta Cabeza Chico Grande by Mexican sculptor Javier Marin attracts its share of attention as well, according to hotel concierge Ashlei Trevino. “We get questions on the art all the time,” she says. “It adds an unspoken luxury feel to the hotel.” Featuring 162 rooms, 33 suites, a full-service spa, and a rooftop restaurant and bar, the 20-story hotel rises above the banks of the San Antonio River in the arts district, near the San Antonio Museum of Art, Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, and Historic Market Square.

BACK TO CRUISING

F Well positioned on Fourth Street, the hotel is walking distance from the beach, the Santa Monica Pier, Third Street Promenade, and the Los Angeles Metro’s Expo line station to downtown Los Angeles. Stay on the property to enjoy the cabana-flanked pool and Monica’s restaurant, known for its Outlaw Burger with caramelized onions, grilled jalapeños, and crispy bacon. Advantages like a preponderance of spacious suites and rows of divided cabanas around the pool give Hilton Santa Monica Hotel & Suites an edge on comfort.

OCTOBER 2021 / 805LIVING.COM

ollowing its 2018 launch of the Celebrity Edge, which earned a spot on Time magazine’s 2019 greatest places to stay list, Celebrity Cruises has redone its midsize Celebrity Millennium (celebritycruises.com/millennium; from $749 per person) ship, aboard which the company is offering seven-night itineraries to Alaska as well as trips down the Pacific Coast and the Mexican Riviera. Staterooms and suites have been refreshed with luxurious bedding and improved storage space, and the spa now includes a fitness center with Peloton bikes. Acoustic music performances and an upgraded casino top the entertainment selections. Suite guests have access to The Retreat, an exclusive section of the ship where they will find a private sundeck, a lounge, and a restaurant serving dishes created by French chef Daniel Boulud. “Our crews’ attention to service is second-tonone because they love what they do, and they really care about our guests,” says Brian Abel, senior vice president of hotel operations for the cruise line. “In my mind, they are the difference-makers for Celebrity Cruises.” ·

Please check CDC and local guidelines before traveling.

Passengers who book a suite on Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Millennium enjoy exclusive access to The Retreat, an area of the ship with a pool deck, a lounge, and a restaurant helmed by a French chef.

FROM TOP: COURTESY OF THOMPSON SAN ANTONIO–RIVERWALK; COURTESY OF HILTON SANTA MONICA HOTEL & SUITES; COURTESY OF CELEBRITY CRUISES

SUITE ROOMS FOR KIDS IN SANTA MONICA

Cozy armchairs, sofas, and a u-shaped couch facing a modern fireplace welcome guests to the lobby at the new Thompson San Antonio–Riverwalk.

A DV E R T I S E M E N T

NICOLE VAN PARYS & GARY NESEN Engel & Völkers Westlake Village nicolevanparys.evrealestate.com | nicole.vanparys@evrealestate.com 805-795-1880 | 960 S. Westlake Blvd., Suite 10, Westlake Village

Nicole Van Parys and Gary Nesen, Engel & Völkers Private Office Advisors and Owners have consistently been nominated top 10 nationwide producers. They are powerful experts specializing in luxury properties throughout Southern California focusing on the exclusive communities: Sherwood Country Club, North Ranch Country Club Estates, Hidden Valley, Westlake Village, Hidden Hills, Santa Barbara, and Malibu. Nicole and Gary’s clientele includes but is not limited to celebrities, professional athletes, CEOs, and international clients all seeking luxurious lifestyles.

JAMIE KRUPNICK Engel & Völkers Westlake Village jaimekrupnick.evrealestate.com | jaime.krupnick@evrealestate.com 310-749-0703 | 960 S. Westlake Blvd., Suite 10, Westlake Village

RYAN SHIMP Private Office Advisor, Engel & Völkers Westlake Village ryanshimp.evrealestate.com | ryan.shimp@evrealestate.com 818-314-8606 | 960 S. Westlake Blvd., Suite 10, Westlake Village

Jaime has built her success on integrity, innovative ideas, hard work, and great communication with her clients. Born and raised in Westlake Village, she has extensive knowledge in the Conejo Valley and local housing market. As a mother of a school-aged son, Jaime is very involved in community activities, charitable ventures, and locally supports small businesses and schools. In her free time, she enjoys hiking with her family, enjoying nearby beaches, and pursuing her lifelong high-level competitive equestrian dreams.

Ryan is a perfectionist. His communication, work ethic, knowledge, and world-class concierge-level service are just a few of his sought-after qualities. Personal attention, guidance, extensive experience in both mortgage and real estate, 24/7 availability, and always looking out for the best interest of his past, present, and future clients set him apart. If you are interested in a break from the norm, a shift from traditional; Ryan Shimp is Exceptional Properties, Extraordinary Service!

A DV E R T I S E M E N T

REALTORS of DISTINCTION

KAREN SANDVIG Coldwell Banker Realty karensandvigproperties.cbintouch.com | karen.sandvig@camoves.com 818-941-7437 | 883 S. Westlake Blvd., Westlake Village

SIGI ULBRICH & PAM MORAN Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices CA Realty sigiandpam.com | sigiandpam@sigiandpam.com 818-879-2999 | 1155 Lindero Canyon Road, Westlake Village

One of Coldwell Banker’s top Realtors locally and nationwide, Karen has been providing real estate services in the LA and Ventura County areas since 2005. Her marketing experience and strategies bring clientele top dollar and many recordbreaking sales. She brings an unparalleled level of service, professionalism, and discretion to each sale. An International President’s Elite award recipient, she will surpass all of your expectations. Call for a confidential appointment today.

This powerful, highly dedicated, #1 North Ranch real estate sales team is perennially honored for their presence in the industry’s top 1% nationwide in earnings. Sigi & Pam dedicate as much time, energy, experience, and investment in marketing to provide the best possible client service in this ever-challenging and changing market. There is no substitute for the experience of Sigi Ulbrich & Pam Moran.

ROBIN HAGEY & LISA SCOTT Beverly & Co. Luxury Properties robinandlisa.com | homeinfo@robinandlisa.com 805-341-7644 | 2535 Townsgate Road, Westlake Village

ROBB & NIKKI FRIEDMAN Keller Williams Luxury robbnikki.com | team@robbnikki.com 818-430-3663 | 23975 Park Sorrento, Suite 110, Calabasas

Experience, personal attention, market knowledge, tough (but kind) negotiators. And proven results. From the minute you decide to buy or sell a home to the close of escrow, we’re with you every step of the way. We pay meticulous attention to detail, we walk you through the contracts and we’re in constant communication as we go through the process. There’s a reason we’re ranked in the Top 5% of Beverly & Co. agents. Let’s talk real estate. It’s our favorite language!

Who says nice people finish last? That is their slogan and they pride themselves in being very easy going with a ton of patience for both buyers and sellers. So much so that they represent both sellers and buyers more than 70% of their listings, which saves money in commission to the sellers and often gets buyers a better deal. Both LA natives know this area like the back of their hands and both have decades in negotiating.

Robin DRE# 01740573 | Lisa DRE# 01896861

A DV E R T I S E M E N T

REALTORS of DISTINCTION

NICKI & KAREN TEAM Compass nickiandkaren.com | teamnickiandkaren@compass.com 805-625-0304 | 2945 Townsgate Road, Suite 300, Westlake Village

MICHELLE OUELLETTE Sotheby's International Realty aboutmichelleouellette.com | michelle.ouellette@sothebyshomes.com 805-427-1333 | 3075 Townsgate Road, Suite 100, Westlake Village

Nicki & Karen, a leading realtor team with Compass Real Estate, serve clients in the Los Angeles and Ventura areas of Southern California. Nicki & Karen work locally in Westlake Village, Thousand Oaks, Lake Sherwood Country Club, North Ranch Country Club Estates, Hidden Valley, Calabasas, Hidden Hills, North Ranch, Agoura, and Malibu—offering local expertise in a global market. Nicki LaPorta DRE #01233940 | Karen Crystal DRE #01346860

The Estates Director for the Michelle Ouellette Estates Group at Sotheby's International Realty is highly respected in the community, and she has built a stellar reputation over 32 years as a real estate professional providing extraordinary service with expert guidance for both sellers and buyers with many different real estate needs. A multiple award winner for her consistent success as a Top Producer year after year. There is no substitute for experience.

DEBORAH FAGAN Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices CA Realty deborahfagan.com | dfagan@bhhscalhomes.com 818-424-5990 | 1155 Lindero Canyon Road, Westlake Village

KATHY BERNAL Compass thebernalgroup.com | kathy.bernal@compass.com 818-519-3510 | 2945 Townsgate Road, Suite 300, Westlake Village

With more than 25 years as a licensed real estate professional in the Conejo and San Fernando Valleys, Deborah consistently ranks in the top two percent nationwide and frequently ranks in the top five company wide. Deborah knows firsthand how to read and navigate a volatile market having succeeded through the highs and lows over the years. She works closely with clients to develop a sound business strategy for their sale or purchase.

Kathy is a consummate professional. Her team—guided by her strong work ethic, honesty, and values—supports, represents, and achieves her clients’ best interests in buying or selling their homes. It’s never just simply about closing the deal! Kathy, a top-producing agent in the Conejo Valley for more than 25 years, holds both foreclosure and short-sale certifications. When you work with Kathy you find a professional whose clients always come first.

A DV E R T I S E M E N T

REALTORS of DISTINCTION

TAMARA CAMPBELL Coldwell Banker Realty calltamara4homes.com | tamara@calltamara4homes.com 805-750-6577 | 883 S. Westlake Blvd., Westlake Village

CHRISTY BASSIRI Pinnacle Estate Properties Westlake Village christybassiri.com | christy4realestate@gmail.com 818-620-4901 | 971 Westlake Blvd., Westlake Village

Tamara Campbell has been recognized in the Top 100 of all Coldwell Banker agents in the Greater Los Angeles area. Tamara’s clients value her hands-on approach, experience, market knowledge and integrity above all else. Her commitment to excellence has earned her a stellar reputation and consistent referrals. Results speak volumes. Contact Tamara for a confidential consultation to discuss your real estate goals.

Christy Bassiri is a third generation residential real estate professional working and residing in the Conejo Valley for nearly two decades. Her motto "Excellence through Experience" is nothing short of describing her knowledge and expertise. She prides herself on her strong, practiced negotiation skills, integrity and discretion for her exceptional clientele. Christy values her relationships, and represents each individual with the utmost attention and consideration.

KAY FIELDS Compass kayfieldsrealtor.com | kay.fields@compass.com 818-419-1172 | 2945 Townsgate Road, Suite 300, Westlake Village

DEBORAH KERNAHAN Compass deborahkernahan.com | deborah@deborahkernahan.com 818-519-8357 | 2945 Townsgate Road, Westlake Village

Kay Fields is a luxury property and accredited home-staging specialist at Compass. With over 20 years of experience, Kay provides her clients the peace of mind of having a practiced professional as their real estate advocate. Known for her strong work ethic, honesty, and confidentiality to her clientele, she takes pride in offering the highest level of personalized service, always going the extra mile to ensure she exceeds the expectations of her clients.

Deborah is an accomplished and dedicated real estate professional with a highly regarded track record of success. Knowledge of the marketplace and trends is a priority for the clients she serves. She has earned the notable CERTIFIED LUXURY HOME MARKETING SPECIALIST® designation and MILLION DOLLAR GUILD® recognizing Deborah as part of a cadre of agents who work in the top 1.2% of our marketplace. Strategic marketing, resilient negotiating, combined with a personal hands-on approach, assures her clientele she is always looking out for their best interest.

A DV E R T I S E M E N T

REALTORS of DISTINCTION

CHRISTINE SCHOLLE Rodeo Realty, Inc. christinescholle.rodeore.com | christinescholle@rodeore.com 310-904-3581 | 101 N. Westlake Blvd., Suite 100A, Westlake Village

TIFFANY DORÉ & CATHY O’NEILL Village Properties ownsantabarbara.com | doteam@villagesite.com 805-947-0608 | 1436 State St., Santa Barbara

Known for values and knowledge, Christine is committed to providing the highest level of service. She is thoughtful while being direct, clear, and solution oriented. She is resolute in achieving the best outcome for her clients’ needs. Christine and Rodeo Realty have the resources to provide the best tools in the industry, knowledge to back it up, and tenacity to perform. Christine Scholle is very proud to have been born and raised in Ventura County.

Tiffany and Cathy know every nook and cranny of Santa Barbara. Multigenerational Santa Barbarans, they have a deep connection to the people and encyclopedic knowledge of all things Santa Barbara. Working together for over a decade, they take great care in helping buyers identify a home, and pride themselves in assisting sellers to professionally showcase their home, all while managing the entire transaction through close of escrow. With this real estate team on your side, you have a unique advantage.

TERI PACITTO Sotheby's International Realty thepacittogroup.com | teri.pacitto@sir.com 805-494-4663 | 3075 Townsgate Road, 1st Floor, Westlake Village

MELISSA GOBLE Sotheby’s International Realty propertieswithmelissa.com | melissa@propertieswithmelissa.com 805-680-5851 | 3075 Townsgate Road, Suite 100, Westlake Village

Teri is known for an unparalleled level of customer-first service combined with a unique and informed perspective of the real estate market. A local leader for 32 years, Teri offers a wealth of information, accurate market data, industry perspectives, and current market conditions. Recognizing the importance of adding value, Teri has consulted on numerous levels to clients who value her insights and opinions. Recognized by the 2021 REAL Trends & The Thousands Ranking.

Melissa Goble is a licensed professional realtor with insightful knowledge and extensive expertise in Ventura County and the San Fernando Valley. Strong negotiating skills and an intelligent marketing approach set her apart, including her extensive team of lenders, inspectors, stagers, and other trades associated with the real estate transaction. Melissa's dedication to high-quality service, one-of-a-kind resources, reputation, and access to discerning clients are powerful advantages that help her clients successfully navigate the real estate market. DRE # 02082550

A DV E R T I S E M E N T

REALTORS of DISTINCTION

GWEN HARRISON-GOLD Aviara Real Estate aviararealestate.net/gwen-harrison-gold | estatesbygwen@gmail.com 805-300-1845 | 2555 Townsgate Road, Suite 200, Westlake Village

MITCH MOREHART Compass themorehartgroup.com | themorehartgroup@compass.com 805-452-7985 | 1101 Coast Village Road, Montecito

Principled, a savvy businessperson, kind, a tough negotiator…these words are how clients characterize Gwen with respect to their real estate experience. Her top priority is helping her clients achieve their real estate goals and dreams while providing extraordinary service throughout the process. She recognizes the emotional and financial importance of finding and selling a home, and is dedicated to smooth and successful transactions. Gwen specializes in estates and residences throughout the Conejo and San Fernando Valleys.

Combining the talents of four top-producing Compass real estate professionals, The Morehart Group’s unique blend of local insight, unmatched experience, and strong local relationships ensures the highest standard of professional representation and individualized attention. Serving the Santa Barbara and Montecito luxury real estate market, Paige Marshall, Mitch Morehart, Beverly Palmer, and Susan Pate are recognized for their tailored selling experience, including artful and persuasive presentation of properties with local, national, and global reach.

MICHELLE COOK Compass michellecook.com | michelle@michellecook.com 805-570-3183 | 1101 Coast Village Road, Montecito

MARIA BROMS BYER Coldwell Banker Realty bromsbyerhomes.com | mariabyer123@gmail.com 310-991-4629 | 883 S. Westlake Blvd., Westlake Village

Michelle’s clients are always her top priority as she strives to exceed their expectations and make their experience of buying or selling a home feel seamless. As a consistent topproducing agent with 20 years of knowledge and proven results, she is the consummate professional. Driven by her integrity and enthusiasm, she repeatedly delivers a concierge level of service and has built an impressive referral based portfolio of loyal clients. Your vision is her purpose.

Maria Broms Byer epitomizes honesty, integrity, loyalty, energy, hard work, and creative service in every detail of her clients’ real estate transactions. Born and raised in the Conejo Valley, she has a deep-rooted passion for and extensive knowledge of the Conejo Valley and its surrounding areas. Maria’s corporate and real estate experience, hand in hand with her listing concierge service, provides buyers and sellers with all the tools, technology, and satisfaction they deserve and expect.

Insider EVENTS IN & AROUND THE 805 By Heidi Dvorak

Through November 1

October 2–31

October 17

VISIONARY HUMAN

PUMPKIN PATCH

Art Center Morro Bay. See how artists challenge viewers to reimagine their own existence. The works on display reflect centuriesold practices with new perspectives that examine difficult present-day issues; artcentermorrobay.org.

Limoneira Ranch, Santa Paula. Visit one of Ventura County’s largest pumpkin patches, open every Saturday and Sunday throughout the month. Enjoy face painting, a five-and-a-half-acre corn maize, a petting zoo, pony rides, hay pyramids and rides, live music, crafts, games, food booths, and a pumpkin chucker; pumkinpatchat limoneiraranch.com.

CALABASAS PUMPKIN FESTIVAL

Through 11/1 Willie Nelson

10/21

Here’s an Idea: Those in pursuit of higher learning can expand their horizons at THE GREAT BOOKS SERIES presented by The Agora Foundation, based in Ojai. Classes explore classic works by authors such as Plato, Aristotle, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Marcus Aurelius. Check the website for the upcoming schedule; agorafoundation.org.

OCTOBER 2021 / 805LIVING.COM

GIFTED: COLLECTING THE ART OF CALIFORNIA AT GARDENA HIGH SCHOOL, 1919–1956

California Museum of Art Thousand Oaks. Follow the history of a lesson in art appreciation, taught at a Southern California high school, through its maturity into what is now acknowledged as one of the most outstanding collections of early California Impressionism in the nation; cmato.org.

October 16–31 NATURETRACK FILM FESTIVAL

October 9 TOPA MOUNTAIN MUSIC BENEFIT CONCERT

Through March 20

Libbey Bowl, Ojai. Music plays throughout the afternoon and evening in support of the Young and Brave Cancer Foundation and Stand Up to Cancer. Featured musical artists include The White Buffalo, the Jems, and the Will Breman Band; topamountainmusic.org.

SHARING THE LIGHT: ANSEL ADAMS & ALAN ROSS

October 15

St. Mark’s in-the-Valley, Los Olivos, and virtual. During this fourth annual festival, nature-focused films from all over the world are shown live on the 16th, followed by two weeks of virtual viewing, which includes award-winning films from the first three years as well as new documentaries; naturetrackfilmfestival.org. October 21 WILLIE NELSON & FAMILY

The Wildling Museum of Art & Nature, Solvang. Explore the photography of two colleagues, both internationally acclaimed, at a unique exhibit that provides insight into their respective connections to nature and mastery of the discipline; wildlingmuseum.org.

SPYRO GYRA

October 1–31

October 15–16

CAMBRIA SCARECROW FESTIVAL

HARVEST FESTIVAL DINNER & GRAPE STOMP

Cambria and San Simeon. Two towns have been invaded by a spooktacular display of imaginatively fashioned creations—some funny, some spooky—all of which are conjured up by the local artistic community; cambriascarecrows.com.

Opolo Vineyards, Paso Robles. Roll up those pant legs and let the fancy footwork begin. This celebration of the season’s bounty includes folk dancing as well as an exclusive dinner complemented by Opolo wines; opolo.com.

Bank of America Performing Arts Center, Thousand Oaks. Give a listen to a live concert of American jazz fusion performed by top-notch instrumentalists. Their music combines jazz with musical elements of R & B, funk, and pop; bapacthousandoaks.com.

Santa Barbara Bowl. At age 88, the legendary country musician is on the road again. Don’t miss this stop on the activist, actor, author, and showman’s tour as he performs an evening of his outlaw music, featuring old hits and new. Special guest Lucinda Williams joins him; sbbowl.com. October 28–31 OJAI STORYTELLING FESTIVAL

Ojai Valley locations. Cultivate an appreciation for the spoken word as storytellers and musicians from all over the country gather to perform, lead workshops, and talk about their craft. A wide range of tellers is featured, each with their own way of navigating listeners through a confusing world; ojaistoryfest.org. 

For more on local events, click on Calendar at 805living.com.

FROM TOP: RACHEL WAHL, GIRL WITH JADE EARRING, OIL PAINTING; PAMELA SPRINGSTEEN

Through January 9

Juan Bautista de Anza Park. In Spanish, calabaza means pumpkin, so the city’s origins bring special meaning to this event with themed activities, food, and drink. In the offing are rides and inflatables, vendor booths, and reptile and bug programs; calabasaspumpkinfestival.com.

New events added all year long!

SEASON CALENDAR

2021 – 2022

bapacthousandoaks.com OCT 1 Hot Club of Cowtown / 1 Get the Led Out / 7 Ranky Tanky / 7 Frankie Valli / 15 Spyro Gyra / 17 Karla Bonoff / 23 Honey Island Swamp Band / 24 Vir Das • NOV 5 Paula Poundstone / 7 David Fehe y Off Tour / 10 George Thorogood and the Destroyers / 13 Five for Fighting with String Qua et / 19 Postmodern Jukebox • DEC 8 Mary Chapin Carpenter, Marc Cohn and Shawn Colvin Together in Conce / 28 A Magical Cirque Christmas / 30 Straight No Chaser • JAN 19 An Intimate Evening with David Foster / 21 & 22 FRIENDS! The Musical Parody / 28 Nat Geo LIVE!: Keith Ladzinski • FEB 11 Rockapella / 18 Rosanne Cash / 19 Disney Princess—The Conce / 19 Tom Papa / 25 Nat Geo LIVE!: Rae Wynn-Grant • MAR 11 Nat Geo LIVE!: Damien Mander / 12 Live from Laurel Canyon / 27 Piff the Magic Dragon • APR 10 Big Band of Brothers: A Jazz Celebration of the Allman Brothers Band / 15 Nat Geo LIVE!: Annie Griffiths / 22 #IMOMSOHARD • MAY 1 KANSAS / 6 Kathleen Madigan ONLINE

IN PERSON

TICKETS ticketmaster.com Thu – Sat, 10 – 2

INFO 805-449-ARTS

A NEW BEAUTY AND SKINCARE HUB IN MONTECITO Beautyhabit (beautyhabit.com) opens a brick-and-mortar outpost this month in the Montecito Country Mart. Beautyhabit Montecito offers skin- and hair-care, bath and body products, makeup, candles, and fragrance, along with many hard-tofind natural products. Business partners and sisters Teresa Mitchell and Paula Vazquez have shared finds from their global beauty excursions at their Westlake Village–based online company for 25 years. “We’re looking

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OCTOBER 2021 / 805LIVING.COM

A Mexican Wellness Escape

Participants in a Beautiful Nomad wellness retreat on the Spanish island of Majorca do some floor work during a fitness class.

forward to interacting in a beautiful, relaxed setting where clients may sample our products,” says Vazquez. In addition to featuring the latest launches from fragrance creators, such as Eau d’Italie Le Sirenuse Positano, the boutique will host monthly pop-ups, beginning in October with a limited-edition candle collection by British-American designer Harris Reed. “We’re totally smitten with the ’70s rock-and-roll vibe from this hot London fashion designer,” says Vazquez.

The concepts of selfcare and rejuvenation are more appealing than ever these days, and Beautiful Nomad (beautifulnomad.com) global holistic-wellness retreats add to the allure by nurturing the mind-body-spirit connection while also incorporating a sense of fun. The Santa Barbara–based company is holding one such retreat in Oaxaca, Mexico, February 10 to 15, 2022 (from $2,250 per person). “We are very much looking forward to exploring this culturally rich corner of Mexico, getting to know some of the local artisans, and feasting on traditional Oaxacan fare,” says co-owner Linnea Villegas Gilbar. Activities will include Pilates classes, yoga and resistance stretching, optional integrative massage, a traditional Oaxacan cooking class, an artisan craft workshop, and meals prepared by a private chef. Accommodations are in two neighboring beachside homes, and taking dips in the ocean is encouraged. 

TOP: COURTESY OF BEAUTY HABIT; LEFT GROUPING: COURTESY OF FIT CONCIERGE; BOTTOM RIGHT: LINNEA VILLEGAS GILBAR

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Arts & Culture By Joan Tapper

Christina Rocha created this art quilt in response to an Extreme Quilters challenge. It commemorates the masters swimming she has participated in for many years.

Sewing to Extremes WITH ONE-OF-A-KIND ARTWORKS, BOLD COLORS, AND VARIED FABRICS, THE CONTEMPORARY QUILT WORLD IS AN EXCITING PLACE.

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COURTESY OF CHRISTINA ROCHA

raditional women’s crafts have enjoyed a resurgence in recent years, so if the word “quilt” makes you think of days long gone by, it’s time to refresh your perspective. One way to start is with Art from Cloth, an annual showcase of work by a group of women called the Extreme Quilters that takes place at the Thousand Oaks Community Gallery October 16 to 26 this year. You won’t find traditional geometric-pieced bedcoverings here. Members of this group—founded by Newbury Park resident Eileen Alber—create oneof-a-kind art quilts that are meant to be hung on the wall. Extreme Quilters goes back to 1997, says Alber, when a quilt guild in the Conejo Valley challenged members to make quilts about breast cancer. An engineer by profession, Alber had been a lifelong sewer and longtime quilter who made art quilts as a hobby, but when she looked at the results of that challenge, she was particularly taken by the out-of-the-box creations. She invited those quiltmakers to meet at her house, discuss their craft, and share their work. Two years later, she opened the Quilters Studio, a store stocked with fabric and other supplies, and the group shifted >

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Arts & Culture

its meetings there. Though the shop closed in 2019, the meetings have continued—on Zoom during the pandemic—bringing members together to talk about concepts, materials, techniques, and quilt shows. Loris Bogue has been an Extreme Quilter since the early 2000s, and she likens her work to painting, only using fabric. “I’m experimenting with different materials,” she says. Bogue incorporates cloth photos, pieced fabric, and hand-dyed textiles into her quilts, and once even used trash picked up at Pierce College, where she frequently attends art classes, to create a quilt of flowers in a vase. At this point, she adds, her quilts—like those of her fellow Extreme Quilters—are often meant to be given to others. “Many are commemorating life events like weddings, births, heritage, and ancestry.” That’s certainly true of the work of Christina Rocha, a Newbury Park resident, who had quilted traditionally until she went to an Extreme Quilters meeting and “was blown away,” she says. “A lot of my pieces involve events in my life and my family. Most have a personal connection.” For example, Rocha points to an evocative quilt inspired by the master’s swim team she’s on and a realistic portrait of her grandmother. Not all of Rocha’s quilts are representational, however. “I also like pieces that are abstract,” she says. Those may begin with a solid background to which she adds embroidery floss, decorative yarn, and beadwork. Art quilts are, by nature, improvisational. They derive from the individual vision of the quilter, rather than a pattern. But art quilts make up just one part of this colorful and vibrant fiber craft, which also includes traditional and modern quilting. 62

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Traditional quilt design relies on a grid of repeating often-complex, pieced blocks. Quilting actually refers to the stitching—by hand or machine—that holds together layers of cloth on both sides of the quilt filling. Modern-style quilts, which have grown in popularity in the last two decades, are more experimental, going off the grid. “What makes the quilt modern is a focus on fabrics and color choices and the use of solids and negative space that shows off the quilting,” says Kay Porczak, co-owner of Picking Daisies, a San Luis Obispo sewing supplies store she opened with her sister, Dede Bruington, 13 years ago. Quilters quickly embraced the shop for its inventory of varied fabrics and contemporary patterns. “We’re attracted to modern quilt-pattern makers,” says Porczak, “who are reaching younger generations. Young gals find bold, simple patterns they like. You need to be able to sew straight lines, but modern quilts are more accessible than traditional ones.” Certainly, there’s plenty of room for all kinds of quilt creativity. “I don’t understand people who can have just one style,” says Eileen Alber, adding that quilts can be painted, dyed, or otherwise embellished. “I still piece rather than paint, and I tend to do improvisational abstracts. I don’t know what I’m doing until I do it.” Christina Rocha has a more step-by-step creative process: “I think of an idea and how to transpose it into art,” she explains. “How to depict it. What colors [it is], or is it monochromatic? What about fabric? Layering technique? How do I quilt it? I use a lot of embroidery thread and machine quilting and add embellishment to give it a 3D effect. I tell people I’m a fiber artist. I use fabric and thread as my medium.” 

FROM LEFT: COURTESY OF LYNN JURSS; COURTESY OF KAY PORCZAK

Kay Porczak sewed this bold, modern quilt (above) for her son, who wanted a colorful wall hanging while he was working from home. The undersea world was the inspiration for Kelp3 (left) by Lynn Jurss, another Extreme Quilter, who has made a series of pieces depicting the land and sea creatures of Channel Islands National Park.

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THE CREATIVE SPIRIT IS ALIVE AND WELL THROUGHOUT THE 805 AREA. BY JOAN TAPPER

The visual arts have incredible power. They can awe, inspire, elate, soothe, and calm. And it seems that these days everyone craves those emotional uplifts. The 805 area has a wealth of talented and thoughtful creatives—young and old, established and up-and-coming. Here, at the beginning of this new cultural season, are a handful of artists whose work captured our fancy and intrigued our minds. We explored their perspective on their oeuvre and recent times.

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Native Californian Sommer Roman (sommerroman.com) received a Bachelor of Arts degree at UC Santa Cruz and a Master of Fine Arts degree at UC Santa Barbara and now lives in San Luis Obispo, where her multidisciplinary practice embraces sculpture, painting, and drawing. Tell us about your work space. My quaint, 120-square-foot studio sits amid our backyard eucalyptus grove and is a sanctuary 100 feet away from the chaos of home life. In addition to the obligatory white walls, flat files, and drawing table, my studio also has lots of bins full of discarded clothing and linens. It’s hard to keep the space tidy, so it rarely is. What challenges you as an artist? The amount of studio time I have relative to my ideas and projects. Is there a local cultural institution that inspires you? I recently participated in a fabulous group exhibition (Bio/Mass) at the Wildling Museum in Solvang. It’s a little gem in the heart of the Central Coast. Its focus on nature, education, and conservation has a shared kinship with a lot of my work. What message do you want your art to deliver? The visual and sensory push-pull of the work aims to evoke a sense of wonder about ourselves and our kinship to “other worlds” and beings around us. Untitled gouache study 27 by Sommer Roman, 2017, gouache on paper, 14x17 inches

Tell us about your work space. My studio is my haven, my thought world in material matter, and is a gorgeous light-filled space. There is a messy painting corner, the clean computer/tech station, a small photographic space, and finally a relaxing contemplative space with a big, comfy, leather sofa. Is there a local artist who inspires you? Christina McPhee, based in Templeton, paints and draws large inspiring abstract psychogeographic landscapes. Her work moves me. Has your art changed over the past year? When everything around us went dark, I reached for color. Is there a message in your art? My work is nature-based and inspired by the natural world around us. I create fantasy landscapes as a respite from the endless new cycle. I don’t deliver messages. Cosmos Convention - 1 by Carol Paquet, archival pigment print, 30x30 inches

BECKY CLAIR; C. PAQUET

Carol Paquet (carolpaquet.com), who was born in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) and studied and worked in South Africa, now has her studio on the Central Coast, where her art spans multiple media. Using a camera, she distills imagery from her natural surroundings and her own ink and paint markings and layers them to produce a fanciful effect. Her work is on view during October at REH GraySpace Art gallery in Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone.

Ocean Tulip by Julia Pinkham, acrylic and graphite on canvas, 20x16 inches

Born and raised in Ventura, Julia Pinkham (juliapinkham.com) has been drawing and painting her entire life. She also has produced a line of clothing with her hand-painted designs and written and illustrated a series of nature encyclopedia coloring books. For the last two decades she has concentrated on fine art. Tell us about your work space. I like to work on more than one piece at a time, and my studio [at Studio Channel Islands Art Center] gives me room for several easels, a nice long wall where I can work on very large pieces, and another where I can display finished pieces. Where has your imagination taken you? I have one of those imaginations that seem to tap into subliminal feelings and impressions about the world around me. Sometimes it’s visual, other

times it’s a physical sense that transports me into a place where I feel that I “know” about the inner lives of places and things. Is there a cultural institution that inspires you? Studio Channel Islands Art Center is a very inspiring environment, with art going on every day and other artists to talk with and be inspired by, plus the huge gallery and ongoing highquality exhibitions. What message do you want your art to deliver? I love it when someone walks into my studio and sees something in a painting that I had never noticed before. Nature is my inspiration, but my process can take me in many different directions. The way it is interpreted by others is a big part of my enjoyment in creating abstract art.

Born in Chile, Rafael Gaete (rafaelgaete.com) at 15 was deeply impressed by the abstract expressionism and surrealism in the work of Chilean artist Roberto Matta, which has inspired Gaete’s own drawings and paintings. Since 2003 he has lived and worked in Santa Barbara, where his art is exhibited at the Elizabeth Gordon Gallery. Tell us about your work space. My studio is like an illuminated white box that I give colors to with my paintings. It is also a very peaceful place.

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Where has your imagination taken you? Interior spaces—internal landscapes of the mind filled with colors. Is there another local artist who inspires you? David Flores, an amazing muralist from Ojai, with his big painted walls, inspires me. I love the idea of painting big. Is there a message in your art? The idea behind my paintings is of a timeline of a life, represented by the black and white background. The colors are all those feelings, sensations, and experiences that fill up a period of time. And in the space between are the depth and layers of emotions that build up over one’s lifetime.

GARY MOSS

44 Colors From Dark Violet to Orange by Rafael Gaete, oil on canvas, 60x48 inches

Before becoming a full-time artist, Ruth Ellen Hoag (ruthellenhoag.com) spent three decades as a professional orchestral musician. In 2017 she created two large public murals that illustrated the history of Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone, where she opened her own gallery two years later. At her gallery and studio, REH GraySpace Art, she paints, teaches, and exhibits the works of other contemporary artists.

MONIQUE BLAIS (MBLAISCREATIONS@GMAIL.COM); RUTH ELLEN HOAG

What is your preferred medium? I’ve always been devoted to watercolor as the underappreciated medium. These days I’m much more likely to inscribe mixed media into my work. I’ve gone back to exploring oil as well. It’s not about the medium. It’s about the art. Is there a local cultural institution or local artist that inspires you? Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara. Pushing boundaries is what the art there is all about. Also a group of local women artists that I’m a member of: Art Salon Santa Barbara. Our gatherings are focused on the challenges we face as well as celebrating victories. We talk art! Has your art changed over the past year? Lately I’ve been working small in short bursts of intensity. I also ordered a bunch of fluorescent paints that really jazzed things up a bit. What message do you want your art to deliver? I hope my work says what I feel about the human experience. Ordinary everyday people [are] central to my work; each painting offers an opportunity to discover a new insight into how we act, react, do, think, worry, enjoy, or ponder. 

Delft and Indigo, III, by Ruth Elen Hoag, acrylic, 26x40 inches

OCTOBER 2021 / 805LIVING.COM

20 Questions for Arts Executives

A CONVERSATION AMONG FOUR LEADERS OF PROMINENT LOCAL ARTS AND CULTURE ORGANIZATIONS ABOUT HOW THEIR INSTITUTIONS ARE FARING.

PRODUCED BY LYNNE ANDUJAR AND ANTHONY HEAD PHOTOGRAPHS BY GARY MOSS

20 Questions is 805 Living’s regular, virtual conversation connecting people who help make our community such a special place. The premise is simple: Four residents of the 805 learn a little bit about another participant, and then each asks that person five questions about their life and work. In turn, each participant answers five questions from someone else in the quartet. This month, we connect top executives from four exciting artistic and cultural organizations. Read on for their 20 questions and answers.

food-insecure, children with autism, adults in the early stage of dementia, and the hearing- and sight-impaired. 3. In an era when technology gives audiences the opportunity to access, share, and personalize art collections in new ways, do museum walls and buildings still matter?

One has to be careful and thoughtful in how one applies technology in an art museum, so that it doesn’t undermine the institution’s raison d’être: the presentation of original works of art. Technologies in the galleries must be employed to encourage and enhance looking at the actual object, not replace it. For example, in the new installation of our grand entry gallery, the curator has placed a variety of paintings in several registers going high up the walls. Visitors place their iPhones up to a QR code and get a great deal of information on the individual works. 4. How did your experience at the United Nations influence your current role at the museum?

Larry J. Feinberg Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Director, CEO Santa Barbara Museum of Art sbma.net

When Larry Feinberg took the reins at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art (SBMA) in 2008, he already had 25 years of curatorial background, not to mention other important life experiences. He helped direct SBMA’s $50 million renovation, which was recently opened to the public. His five questions were asked by Roya Alt. 1. What attracted you to the art world?

After drawing continuously as a child, I entered college as a studio art major. In my freshman year I saw an exhibition at the Saint Louis Art Museum with drawings by Leonardo [da Vinci] and Michelangelo. I realized then that I 74

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couldn’t touch those guys and almost certainly never would. I decided to become an art history major so I could study and admire their art and not try to compete with them! 2. How is SBMA addressing equity and inclusion, both internally and externally?

Our commitment to DEAI (Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion) is reflected not only in our exhibitions, acquisitions, and curatorial-led programs, but also in the vast array of programs produced by our education department. In the past year, our programs have addressed BLM (Black Lives Matter) and LGTBQ issues and have attempted to reach the socio-economically disadvantaged, including children and families who are

Being chief of staff to Under-SecretaryGeneral Olara Otunnu, who was in charge of the office concerning children and armed conflict, reinforced my concerns to always take actions that have real effects. We worked to get a Security Council resolution passed that had some “teeth in it” and took specific punitive actions against those who violated the rights of children. The same attitudes motivate us at the museum and in our determination to implement principles of DEAI. One has to take prolonged, concrete actions with regard to whom you hire and in generating real staff and community involvement and change. 5. If you could bring three artists from history to tour the museum, who would they be?

My three favorite Italian Renaissance artists: Leonardo da Vinci would, I’m sure, be fascinated with our new New Media Gallery’s technologies; Michelangelo would probably disparage all that he saw, except for some of our beautiful Roman antique sculptures; Jacopo Pontormo, a strange, obsessive man with a novel sense of color and anatomy, would enjoy the Matisse and German Expressionist works, with their powerful use of color and distorted figures. It would be fun to speak with all three and learn just how much I and others have written about them that is absolutely wrong!

Robin Gose President, CEO Moxi The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation, Santa Barbara moxi.org

In Moxi’s inaugural year, 2017, Robin Gose came aboard with more than 20 years of experience as a STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) educator. In her role as president and CEO, she directs the museum’s mission to “ignite learning through interactive experiences in science and creativity.” Her five questions were asked by Natalia Staneva. 6. Robin, what is your story?

My life has been shaped by early experiences in informal science learning that were so profound that I knew my career path from a young age. My father was a research scientist who inspired

my sister and I with science phenomena. Then I had several incredible experiences with outdoor education in elementary school that really opened my eyes to how much fun science could be in the real world outside the classroom walls. I have made it my life’s goal to create similar opportunities for kids from all backgrounds. 7. How are the arts reflected in the museum’s programs?

The most obvious integration of STEM and the arts is our Innovation Workshop. Kids work to solve challenges in very creative ways using science, technology, and engineering hand in hand with creative and aesthetic expression. I find that integrating STEM and the arts gets us away from thinking of skills or talent in terms of right brain/left brain. I think it’s important for everyone to

realize that anyone is capable of flexing their creativity and that science or art or engineering are not precious spaces only meant for some. 8. What were the challenges involved in delivering on Moxi’s mission during the pandemic?

In general, what people love most about Moxi is what is contained within our four walls, so of course, it was a challenge to have to keep our doors shut for both school groups and the public. We did our best to help recreate what we often refer to as “Moxi moments” by sharing activity ideas and prompts on our website and social media channels. Teachers needed easy, turnkey activity ideas as they adapted their existing lesson plans and class structure to being virtual/ remote. As time went by, we figured out a good way to help, and created our Virtual Design Lab program, which is a virtual field-trip program, featuring live facilitation by a Moxi staff member. It uses minimal materials, which puts less onus on the teacher to source materials and learn a new curriculum. 9. As an accomplished educator, scientist, and leader in the community, how do you maintain a “kid-at-heart” curiosity?

My kids, ages 5 and 7, play a big part in helping me maintain a sense of wonder and innate curiosity. It’s also no coincidence that I have chosen to work in science museums; I often say if you can’t have fun working in a museum, then you’re doing something wrong! At Moxi we’re responsible for creating experiences that are going to engage our guests, particularly children, in science and creativity. That means thinking about what’s going to delight and excite them, which requires us to think like kids and not take ourselves too seriously. 10. Why is it important to make science fun, especially for fast-learning toddlers like mine?

It’s important to make learning fun, period. I think one of Moxi’s greatest responsibilities is to knock down any barriers to someone wanting to pursue studies or a career in the STEM fields. We do this by encouraging our guests to learn through playing, doing processes, and applying skills that, for instance, engineers apply to their work on a daily basis. But our guests don’t necessarily realize that, because they’re in the midst of having a blast at the museum.

OCTOBER 2021 / 805LIVING.COM

Natalia Staneva

Chief Executive Officer New West Symphony, Thousand Oaks newwestsymphony.org

Since 2011, Natalia Staneva has been CEO of New West Symphony (NWS), which is composed of some of the Los Angeles area’s most talented musicians. In response to COVID-19 restrictions, Staneva has helped take NWS into brand-new creative territory. Her five questions were asked by Larry Feinberg. 11. How did COVID-19 affect you and change NWS’s programming?

Personally, March and April 2020 were very confusing. I had my second child in December 2019 and was still on maternity leave when the news broke that our theaters had closed. I was planning on spending extra time with my newborn, but duty called and I guided the organization through the pandemic along with the board of directors and artistic and music director Michael Christie. After creating a few programs from our living rooms, we quickly pivoted and reimagined our season as digital concerts reflecting the music, cultures, and family traditions found in our own community. Entitled “Global Sounds, Local Cultures,” the 2020–21 season spotlighted the global and cultural influences that helped shape classical music and SoCal itself. It was the most challenging and the most rewarding season in my 13 years with the symphony. 12. What are you doing to attract younger audiences?

We’ve introduced new music, new concert formats, and a more casual atmosphere into the concert halls without compromising the high-quality artistic content. The truth of the matter is that classical music is considered more complex than other genres, so sometimes going to a classical performance can be intimidating. Our upcoming in-person season is designed to reset audiences’ expectations and to help them build confidence in and desire for live orchestral performance. 13. How are you attracting a more diverse audience?

Despite the pandemic, we never lost sight of our mission to inspire passion for symphonic music through performances and education initiatives that engage and enrich our diverse communities. Through generous collaborations, we engaged 17 local community partners, 76

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27 guest artists, and our own orchestra to present many hours of online programming. As we embraced our community neighbors from generally underrepresented sectors in the classical music arena, we learned so much about their life experiences and family traditions. We are actively working on the programming elements to replicate some of our successes online when we return to perform for our audiences in person. 14. There has been a shift in many art museums from displaying older art to contemporary art. Has this been happening in the symphony world as well?

I believe that orchestras are living, breathing organisms, constantly evolving, and I believe there is a shift in the industry to present living composers who are also writing powerful music.

For example, our music director programmed Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony celebrating brotherhood along with a piece by modern composer Reena Esmail, called “My Sister’s Voice,” celebrating sisterhood. It’s a new angle and a fresh look at the programming. 15. With your business background, what drew you to the music world?

When I was in business school, an executive of a leading symphonic organization recruited me and said, “We need more businesspeople like you in our field.” Frankly, I often felt that I was too creative for the corporate world and too business-oriented for the creative world. As I got more experience, I felt more and more at peace in my position, where I’m tasked every day to grow the organization while keeping an eye on the bottom line.

Roya Alt

Director California Museum of Art Thousand Oaks cmato.org

In 2018, California Museum of Art Thousand Oaks (CMATO) relocated from its original site to its present 5,500-square-foot facility at The Oaks shopping center. In her role as director, Roya Alt draws on more than two decades of managerial experience in nonprofit, entertainment, and technology companies. She joined the museum in 2020—just in time for the pandemic to upend everything. Her five questions were asked by Robin Gose. 16. How do you think the pandemic has and will impact participatory art?

I believe participatory art will outlast the pandemic. Participatory art has changed, in that tools such as headphones and virtual reality goggles are not used as casually as before. But museums and galleries will continue to offer experiential encounters with art. Curiously, the restrictions brought on by COVID-19, such as reduced capacity and timed ticket entry, are actually conducive to the visitor experience and

can, in some ways, make people engage with art in a more meaningful way. With less crowds, people can take the time to digest an exhibit or installation in its full complexity. The pandemic has demonstrated that museums are very good at adapting, and artists excel at working with the unexpected. 17. What has been your favorite exhibition hosted at CMATO?

I’m partial to our current exhibition, Gifted: Collecting the Art of California at Gardena High School. I joined CMATO in March of 2020, so this is the first exhibition I was able to experience from initial concept to schematic design to installation. It’s exciting to bring this historic, extraordinary collection of previously forgotten California Impressionist paintings to modern audiences. 18. What’s it like to run a museum out of The Oaks shopping mall?

Relocating to The Oaks in 2018 has been incredibly positive, not just for CMATO but for our community. We are able to connect even more people to the beauty and the experience of the visual arts while our visitors—many of whom don’t

want to drive to Los Angeles to take in an exhibit—have the opportunity to experience diverse and unique exhibitions from world-class artists right here in the Conejo Valley. We are in the unique position of being a destination space but benefiting from the mall traffic, as well. Consumers don’t want to passively wander through a large shopping center. They want to be engaged, entertained— even educated. Arts and culture can really play a role in reimagining and enriching the shopping experience. 19. If you could share a meal with any artist living or dead, who would you choose?

I would dine with Marcel Duchamp. I became enamored with his work after seeing Nude Descending a Staircase while in high school. His irreverence for conventional standards was intriguing to me, as was his desire, as he stated, to put art back in the service of the mind. I’m a big fan of artists who subvert tradition or accepted modes of artistic production. 20. Do you enjoy any artistic pursuits yourself?

I’m the most amateur painter you’ve ever met. · OCTOBER 2021 / 805LIVING.COM

Taste FOOD / WINE / DINING OUT

Make the Best of the Wurst THREE LOCAL CHEFS HERALD AUTUMN’S ARRIVAL WITH COMFORTING SAUSAGE RECIPES. By Jaime Lewis

ielbasa, linguica, chorizo, bratwurst: like so many foods, sausage has its roots in necessity. Dating back to ancient Mesopotamia, it was a means of preserving trimmed meat scraps, which were combined, salted (the word sausage derives from the Latin word for salt), and stuffed into a convenient casing—a cleaned animal intestine. Today, whether it’s smoked, roasted, sautéed, grilled, or boiled, sausage has a way of boosting any dish to a higher dimension. “Sausage is packed with flavor,” says Gina Clarke, the private chef and event planner known as the Malibu Seaside Chef (malibuseasidechef.com). “It can be salty, sweet,

SAUSAGE, WHITE BEAN, AND SWISS CHARD AUTUMN SOUP “Soup is comfort food for me,” says Malibu Seaside Chef’s Gina Clarke. Clarke was inspired to develop this recipe while living in Italy as a young chef with farm-fresh vegetables and butcher shops at her fingertips. “A great tip for making any soup is to start with the proteins,” Clarke says. “In this case, I sauté the sausage first, then drain the fat, and build in layers with the garlic and onions. This creates an intense flavor in the pan that carries over to the veggies once the stock [is added].” She adds that this soup is better the next day, so it’s a great recipe to make ahead of time. Serves 8 to 10 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 pound uncooked sweet Italian pork sausage 1 pound uncooked spicy Italian pork sausage 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 3 medium carrots, diced

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or spicy—and the fat produces incredible depth.” To demonstrate, she points to her recipe for Sausage, White Bean, and Swiss Chard Autumn Soup, which features a combination of spicy and sweet Italian pork sausage. Whatever the variety, sausage’s hearty, warming flavor has a special appeal when outside temperatures begin to cool. So, now is a great time to cook up a sausage-centric dish, like the ones mapped out in the recipes that follow for Clarke’s soup, Chorizo Clams from San Luis Obispo’s La Esquína (laesquinaslo.com) taqueria, and Pasta alla Norcina by chef Cullen Campbell of The Tavern at Zaca Creek in Buellton (zaca-creek.com).

1 medium brown onion, diced 1½ cups diced celery hearts 1 teaspoon coarse salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 bunch rainbow Swiss chard, rinsed and chopped 1 can white beans, drained 8 cups chicken stock Fresh thyme leaves (optional) Warm olive oil in a large soup pot over medium to medium-high heat. Add sweet and spicy pork sausage to pot and sauté until golden brown, breaking up and rendering fat. Transfer sausage to a bowl and return pot to stovetop. Over medium heat, add butter, carrots, onion, celery, salt, and pepper. Sauté until soft, then add garlic and chard. Return browned pork sausage to pot and add white beans, stirring gently to combine. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat. To allow flavors to blend, let

soup sit for at least 30 minutes before serving. Garnish with a few pinches of thyme leaves.

PASTA ALLA NORCINA This Umbrian-style pasta dish from executive chef Cullen Campbell at The Tavern at Zaca Creek features fennel sausage, browned in the pan and combined with wine, aromatics, and cheese to make a creamy, rich sauce. Campbell says it was inspired by Winfield Farm (winfieldfarm.us), which is located just down the street from the tavern and raises mangalitsa pigs, prized for use in sausage, bacon, and charcuterie. For an autumnal note, he recommends using a high-quality pork sausage flecked with fennel in this recipe. “This is a dish for the colder months,” he says. “Maybe even serve it with a nice Umbrian wine, like a sagrantino.” Serves 6 1 pound fennel sausage 1 shallot, chopped 6 cloves garlic, chopped >

Taste Food

½ bottle white wine 16 ounces chicken stock 2 tablespoons chopped thyme 1 teaspoon chili flakes ½ pound angel hair pasta (cappellini) 4 ounces butter ½ cup grated Parmigiano cheese, plus more for garnish Salt to taste

CHORIZO CLAMS Leonard Cohen says this dish is a bestseller at La Esquína, the taqueria he co-owns with his wife, Wendy, in San Luis Obispo. “It’s a dish I had in Mexico and loved,” says Cohen. At the restaurant, it’s served with a hunk of crusty bread to dip in the broth. Cohen recommends watching the clams carefully as they cook. If they open before the broth is fully heated, he says, transfer them to a plate while the broth ingredients continues to integrate and develop flavor in the pan. Return the clams to the pan just before you’re ready to serve the dish. Serves 4 1 tablespoon canola oil ¾ cup Spanish chorizo (La Esquína uses linguica) 1 tablespoon seeded and diced jalapeño ½ cup diced onion 3 cloves garlic, smashed ½ cup diced red bell pepper ¼ cup tequila ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes ¼ cup chicken stock 2 tablespoons tomato paste ¼ cup lemon juice 6 ounces clam juice 2 pounds littleneck clams 3 tablespoons butter Pinch cayenne pepper ¼ cup cilantro, chopped

OCTOBER 2021 / 805LIVING.COM

Cattaneo Bros. sausages are handmade in San Luis Obispo.

Looking for locally made sausage? Several companies make and ship an array of fresh varieties, from bratwurst and linguica to merguez and hot links.

• San Luis Obispo neighbors Ray’s Own Brand (raysownbrand.com) and Cattaneo Bros. (cattaneobros. com) sell Portuguese linguica, Swiss brand, hot Italian, and others. • Italian-style sausages at

Alle-Pia Fine Cured Meats (allepiasalumi.com) in Atascadero often include local ingredients like Paso Robles wine.

La Esquína’s Chorizo Clams

• Shalhoob Meat Co. (shalhoob. com) in Santa Barbara offers a wide variety of hot links, hot dogs, chorizo, and bratwurst. • German sausage is the focus at Youbite Sausages (you-bite. com) in Camarillo, owned and operated by longtime bratmakers Heinz and Carmen Hanssen and their family. • J&R Natural Meats (jrmeats. com) in Paso Robles specializes in Sheboygan-style bratwurst.

Warm canola oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add chorizo and cook until brown throughout, about 4 minutes. Add jalapeño, onion, garlic, and bell pepper and stir. Add tequila and let the alcohol burn off. This can be accomplished one of two ways: flambé by igniting the mixture with a lighter and cooking for 3 minutes (this is the restaurant’s preferred method) or continue cooking for 6 to 8 minutes over medium heat. Add salt and chili flakes and reduce heat to a simmer. Add chicken stock, tomato paste, lemon juice, clam juice, and clams. Sauté over medium heat until clams are open, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in butter to melt and add cayenne pepper. Garnish with a sprinkling of cilantro. Serve with crusty bread. ·

TOP: DEBORAH DENKER PHOTOGRAPHY

In a deep (4-quart) sauté pan, over mediumhigh heat, sauté fennel sausage, breaking it up into very small pieces with a spoon, for about 4 minutes until browned. Add shallot and garlic and continue to sauté until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add white wine and chicken stock to deglaze the pan; use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom. Add thyme and chili flakes. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, uncovered. Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Using a spider or tongs, transfer pasta from the pot directly into the pan with the sauce. Stir in butter, cheese, and salt until combined and pasta is coated with sauce. Serve with more cheese on the side.

Local Links

at the ranch

Celebrating Our 20th Anniversary visit us in solvang & los olivos

800 East Highway 246, Solvang / 2890 Grand Avenue, Los Olivos

www.kaenawine.com

Taste Beer

Loving Lagers in the Fall WHILE THE REST OF THE WORLD SHIFTS TO DARK ALES, THE CENTRAL COAST’S WARM AUTUMNS ARE A PERFECT TIME FOR CRISP BEERS.

OCTOBER 2021 / 805LIVING.COM

By Matt Kettmann

n cooler parts of the world, October hails the coming of darker beers, with maltier flavors and thicker bodies to provide comfort as winter weather descends and the sunlight slips away. But on the Central Coast, where summer seems to extend deeper into the fall each year, this is prime time for crisp lagers and pilsners. Though the region’s craft brew movement began on the popularity of hoppy IPAs and richly flavored ales, many breweries are now experts in lagers and pilsners, giving their own flare to the affable canvas of lighter beer. But lagers, it turns out, are hard to make. “It’s a very delicate beer— there’s nowhere to hide. The flavors are very neutral and every single flaw is easily recognizable,” says Joshua Ellis, brewmaster of Goleta’s M. Special Brewing Company (mspecialbrewco. com), which in fact, started with the goal of perfecting a lager. “We felt like there were so many more mass-produced-beer drinkers who would be willing to come over to the craft side of things if they had a beer they were familiar with.” The beer he refers to is M. Special American Lager, which was first released in 2015. “We wanted to make a craft version of the beer that most non-Gen Z beer drinkers grew up with,” he says, “but with higher quality ingredients and crafted locally.” There’s a similar origin story for Moorpark’s Enegren Brewing Company (enegrenbrewing.com), which was founded in 2010 to focus on German-style beers, particularly lagers and pilsners. Its seasonal Edel-Pils employs extra pale pilsner malt to drive the brightness, which the company suggests pairing with pizza, burgers, and seafood. The Lightest One, a year-round helles-style lager, manages to be fresh yet full of flavor. Suggested pairing? “Everything” says the can. Helles, which means pale in German, is also on tap at Transmission Brewing (transmissionbrewing.com), which opened in the summer of 2019 between the Pierpont Inn and downtown Ventura. “Helles is a style that you don’t see very often, and ours is probably more traditional than most,” says founder and brewer Carey Jonker of his beer called Clutch. “It’s a nice blend of subtlety and depth of flavor. You can savor it, or just mindlessly enjoy a few of them.” He also makes a German-style pilsner called DownShift. “We use a ton of delicate hops in this beer, giving it a nice floral, lemon,

spicy character,” says Jonker. “It’s a great sunny-dayand-fresh-air beer.” In Oxnard, Casa Agria (casaagria.com) explores wild yeasts, funky ferments, and barrel-aged ales. But it does clean and crisp too, so long as it’s a collaboration with the city’s punk rockers. Crafted this summer and released at a concert in August to promote the subgenre known as “Nardcore,” Slammin’ at the Club is an American lager brewed with corn. “It’s a light drinking beer, perfect to drink at concerts,” says co-owner and head brewer Eric Drew. Germany is not the only inspiration for lagers. In Arroyo Grande, Humdinger Brewing (humdingerbrewing.com) takes inspiration from Japanese rice lagers, like those from Sapporo and Asahi, for its Piston Honda. “This style of lager is not very common in the craft beer scene,” says co-owner Lee Samways, “but I think it is one that is going to gain more popularity in the future. The grains we use give it a little more sweetness and body while the 25 percent rice in the grain bill dries it out.” Five percent of that rice is also toasted to add complexity. “It is a beer that pairs excellently with food,” says Samways, who also makes Ships Ahoy, Krispy Boi, which he calls a “balanced, crushable” German pilsner that’s quickly becoming a favorite. Of course, there are dark lagers too, ideal for confronting afternoon sea breezes and cool evening hours. San Luis Obispo’s brewery cryptically known as There Does Not Exist (theredoesnotexist. com) produces Moonset. The roasted malt-based beer is a “riff on a Munich-style dunkel lager,” says owner and brewer Max Montgomery. He’s also recently released a helles and an Oktoberfest beer and always serves the MittPils, in the style of southern Germany. “Ironically, I think what makes these beers so special is that they are relatively simple in design,” Montgomery says. “Many beers being released today are trying to push boundaries and experiment with extreme flavors. I feel strongly that not every beer needs to be a life-changing experience. Sometimes there can be great joy in the simple things, like cleanly fermented pilsner beer.” · Check brewery websites for tasting locations and purchasing information.

OCTOBER 2021 / 805LIVING.COM

Taste Dining Out By Victoria Woodard Harvey Photographs by Gary Moss

Taking Up Sides BAR LE CÔTE BRINGS SPANISH-INFLUENCED SEAFOOD TO LOS OLIVOS AND PAYS HOMAGE TO THE HISTORIC ROOTS OF ITS LOCATION.

seafood tavern in the tiny, landlocked, cattle-ranching community of Los Olivos once seemed far-fetched, but Gregory and Daisy Ryan have a way of busting prevailing myths in the restaurant world and doing things right. After several food and hospitality stints in New York City, Austin, Texas, and Los Angeles, the couple settled in the Santa Ynez Valley to be near family. In 2018, they opened Bell’s, their first restaurant, which would go on to win numerous awards and earn Daisy Ryan a Food & Wine magazine Best New Chef 2020 award. The seafood haven Bar Le Côte (barlecote.com) is their latest venture, a bustling bistro helmed by co-owner and chef Brad Alan Mathews. “Even more than good food and wine, it’s our people who keep us committed to this business,” says Gregory Ryan, head of Companion Hospitality. He is also a founding member of the national Independent Restaurant Coalition, a lobbying group formed in 2020 to further industry initiatives such as health care for employees and a standard, reliable service fee on customers’ tabs. “We learned a lot with Bell’s and believe restaurants are no longer a gig business,” he says. For the design of Bar Le Côte’s interior, Daisy Ryan served as creative director with Talia and Cameron Helvey of Helvey Design Studio. The 120-year-old site was formerly home to Sides Hardware and Shoes, a restaurant that adopted the name of the store originally on the premises. The name of the new eatery includes a simplified reference to côté, French for side, in a nod to that history. While the building retains its inherent charm, with metal ceiling fans, exposed ducts, and open shelves lined with clay crocks and candles, the designers gave it a fresh, fun feel with bold, geometric floor accents and wood panels painted in an unforgettable kelly green. A small zinc bar fronts the stage of the open kitchen where a team led by Mathews knocks out dishes with flourish and timely precision. His menu features hyperlocal fish, Santa Barbara uni and Central Coast Pacific Gold oysters, as well as shrimp, crab, and clams from

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sustainable, regenerative farms in farther-flung locales. “We source very carefully, and let the quality of what we bring in speak for itself,” says Mathews, a native of Ithaca, New York, whose previous experience includes stints at David LeFevre’s Fishing with Dynamite in Manhattan Beach and Morro Bay Oyster Company. Among his favorite Bar Le Côte offerings is Arroz Verde, a shareable plate of vegetarian paella that he calls “bright and huge, our love letter to our partners over at Finley Farms.” Jonah crab claws, similar to snow crab, are steamed until tender, then chilled, for a starter. Another >

BOTTOM, RIGHT: JOHN TROXELL

With a signature green-paneled backdrop (above), Bar Le Côte owners (bottom, right; from left:) Gregory Ryan, Brad Mathews, and Daisy Ryan present fresh, local seafood, such as Central Coast Pacific Gold oysters (opposite), Dry-aged Kampachi Crudo with avocado puree, saffron oil, and radish (far right), and Spanish octopus (below) with fingerling potato, frisée, and saffron aioli.

Taste Dining Out appetizer option: wedges of heirloom tomato and cucumber in aguachile, a serrano chile–seasoned liquid with a contrast of blazing heat and refreshing coolness. Little neck clams, handpicked by eastern suppliers, are steamed in a sofrito (a tomato-based Spanish sauce), with lean, tender chorizo made from a recipe by pitmaster Nick Priedite, another member of the Ryans’ Companion Hospitality group. The whole fish, always a showstopper, comes perfectly roasted with a ramekin of romesco (another Spanish sauce made from roasted sweet red pepper and blanched almond) on the side to keep the focus on the simple, delicate sea bream, stuffed with sliced lemon. Anyone not yet familiar with dry-aged fish is due for an awakening in the form of the Kampachi Crudo, a Bar Le Côte standout. Sourced from fishmonger and skilled craftsman Liwei Liao in Sherman Oaks, dry-aged fish concentrates ocean flavors and creates a unique, silky texture. Here it’s sliced and served with a light avocado puree, saffron oil, and crisp red radish. Gambas al Ajillo showcases sweet Gulf shrimp, hand-sorted for size. Served with heads and tails intact, they’re topped with crispy, toasted garlic. An add-on, Rachelle’s saffron buns are named after the Bell’s line cook, who perfected the recipe. They’re a delicious way to capture every last bit of the sea salt–laced butter. Pastry chef Rusty Quirk’s dark chocolate pot de crème, topped with whipped milk-chocolate mousse and a crumble of chile-spiced chocolate “soil,” makes for a sweet finish. A citrus–olive oil cake with strawberry sangria jam is keeping with the menu’s loosely Spanish theme, and the salted vanilla ice cream comes with a pour-over of aged sherry. In the libations department are saffron lemonade, a Bell’s favorite, perfectly suited for Bar Le Côte’s outdoor porch, and a fine array of beer. Sake, champagne, and nearly a dozen wines are available by the glass. The 40-bottle wine list, says wine director Emily Blackman, “focuses on regions with coastal influence—inherently delightful with seafood.” It includes local selections, such as Tyler Winery chardonnay, Storm Wines sauvignon blanc, and mourvèdre and cabernet franc from Carhartt Family Wines, as well as Blackman’s favorites from European estates. The restaurant life may be compelling but it’s never easy, and these owners keep their doors open five days a week. “I’ll do what I can to keep it that way,” says Gregory, who is also responsible for launching the Feed the Valley (feedthevalley.org) nonprofit initiative in 2020, his solution to both keeping local kitchen staff employed during COVID-19 shutdowns and addressing food insecurity in the Santa Ynez Valley. Meanwhile, Wednesday through Sunday, good times abound at the new seafood tavern over plates of peel-and-eat shrimp and glasses of chilled wine. 

the spotlight on bright, fresh nigiri sushi and shashimi in offerings like the Hayabusa roll, with yellowtail, shrimp, asparagus, avocado, and creamy ponzu. The American Wagyu beef skirt steak is also a highlight on the wellrounded menu. Prosperous Penny is a sophisticated, comfortable social watering hole pouring inventive cocktails, aged bourbons and whiskeys, and rare spirits. Accompaniments are available from a seasonally driven light-bite menu. For a sip of joe, Stir coffee bar, located off the lobby, is open daily from 6 a.m., offering a graband-go menu of baked on-site pastries and savory options along with cold-brewed coffee, juices, gelato, and other treats. Valet parking is $10 with validation; selfparking is free for up to four hours with validation.

LES PETITES CANAILLES 1215 Spring St. Paso Robles, 805-296-3754 lpcrestaurant.com French; Entrées $17–$40

THE DINING GUIDE Our aim is to inform you of restaurants with great food that you might not have experienced yet. This guide is arranged not by cuisine type, but by style of restaurant. “Fine Dining” choices have an elegant atmosphere and very professional service. Restaurants included under the “Foodie” heading are heralded for their wonderful chef-driven cuisine, regardless of atmosphere. “Good Eats” listings are just that—solid, casual, and delicious. The “Fun, Fun, Fun” category brings you spots geared toward a good time. New listings will appear in Where to Eat Now in every issue. Please send any comments and suggestions to edit@805living.com. MORE ON THE WEB: Visit 805living.com for more listings and to make quick and easy reservations at many of the restaurants listed here and on the website through Open Table.

Fine Dining

These restaurants have a skilled kitchen team, a lovely dining room, and great service. UPDATE BELMOND EL ENCANTO 800 Alvarado Place Santa Barbara, 805-845-5800 belmond.com/el-encanto-santa-barbara Entrées $26–$54 Great Views, Romantic

The luxe Belmond El Encanto hotel perches atop its seven-acre hilltop property with sweeping city and ocean views. Settle in on the spacious terrace to experience the plant- and seafood-forward cuisine of executive chef Bruno Lopez in dishes such as king salmon, seared diver scallops, risotto with sea urchin or black truffle, glass noodles, and a grains and greens bowl. Taking influences from various California cultures, the menu showcases the flavors of local artisanal ingredients including fresh seafood, caught daily. Wine offerings from Santa Barbara County and around the globe, beers, and cocktails are among a wide selection of beverage choices. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served daily, although Sunday lunch is replaced with a bottomless Bellini brunch. Afternoon tea is served Monday through Saturday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. with 24-hour advance notice. In-the-know locals and hotel guests take in the sunset, cocktail in hand, on the terrace.

CA’ DARIO 37 E. Victoria St., Santa Barbara and 38 W. Victoria St., Santa Barbara and 1187 Coast Village Road, Montecito and 250 Storke Road, Unit B, Goleta 805-884-9419 cadariorestaurants.com Italian; Entrées $11–$30

The flagship of Dario Furlati’s growing restaurant empire sits at the corner of Victoria and Anacapa streets somewhat off the Santa Barbara tourist path but decidedly worth the walk. House-made pastas here come with Bolognese or tomatoes, olives, and capers or smoked salmon, peas, tomatoes, and cream. Terra-cotta-baked chicken, roasted quails with porcini ragout sauce, and fish-of-the-day specials are also available. For faster fare, check out Ca’ Dario Pizzeria Veloce, found inside the Santa Barbara Public Market. People of Goleta, take note: Ca’ Dario Cucina Italiana serves lunch and dinner in a Storke Plaza space decorated with dark woods and white tablecloths. A recently opened Montecito location also serves lunch and dinner.

FOUR SEASONS HOTEL WESTLAKE VILLAGE 2 Dole Drive Westlake Village, 818-575-3000 fourseasons.com/westlakevillage/dining

Three dining concepts at this resort offer a variety of options. At Coin & Candor, a breakfast, lunch, and dinner brasserie, original dishes by chef Jesus Medina are driven by the seasonality of ingredients from local purveyors and influenced by his Latin roots. Onyx shines

Offering a taste of Paris in Paso without the pretense, this buzzing French farm-to-table bistro focuses on sophisticated, modern cuisine in a casual, comfortable setting. Julien Asseo, chef and co-owner with his wife, Courtney, received his culinary education in France and honed his skills at Michelinstarred eateries Restaurant Guy Savoy and Joël Robuchon in Las Vegas and La Fontaine de Mars in France. Following dishes like steak tartare, escargot in puff pastry, steak frites, dayboat scallops, beef cheek Bourguignon, and Le Burger, it’s easy to say oui to crème brûlée or profiteroles for a very French ending.

UPDATE LUCKY’S 1279 Coast Village Road Montecito, 805-565-7540 luckys-steakhouse.com and 3835 Cross Creek Road, Suite 18 Malibu, 310-317-0099 luckysmalibu.com Steak House; Entrées $16–$69 Saturday & Sunday Brunch

At the Montecito location of this upscale steak house, black-and-white portraits of stars like Elizabeth Taylor, Sammy Davis Jr., Andy Warhol, and Julia Child adorn the walls. The plates and napkins are monogrammed, the patio is tented and heated for year-round enjoyment, and the bar opens an hour before dinner service begins. Steaks can be dressed with seven different sauces, there are eight versions of potato side dishes, and the onion rings should have their own Facebook fan page. The Malibu location in the Malibu Country Mart offers the same mouthwatering steaks, chops, seafood, and cocktails, and carries on the black-and-white theme with an eye-catching jazz-themed mural in the dining room. Seating is also available on the covered and heated

A host of food and drink purveyors are set to open at the new San Luis Obispo Public Market at Bonetti Ranch (slopublicmarket.com): Baht, Bing’s Bao Buns, Bottlecraft, Brooks Burgers, California Tacos Cantina and Distillery, Central Coast Creamery, Kitchen & Vine, Kraken Coffee Company, Mama Ganache Artisan Chocolates, The Neighborhood Acai & Juice Bar, Night Shift Cookie Co., Torricella Pizzeria, and Veg on the Edge. Still hungry? Check the website or Instagram @slopublicmarket for updates on these and more vendors coming soon. OCTOBER 2021 / 805LIVING.COM

Where to Eat Now outdoor patio. Dinner is served daily in Montecito and Tuesday through Sunday in Malibu. Lunch is offered Monday through Friday in both locations.

MEDITERRANEO 32037 Agoura Road Westlake Village, 818-889-9105 med-rest.com Mediterranean; Entrées $16–$58 Great View, Weekend Brunch

Recently reopened after a major makeover, this favorite of locals and hotel guests retains an elegant yet comfortable vibe. Located on the 17-acre property of the Westlake Village Inn, the all-new design includes an expansive bar for sipping craft cocktails and international wines. Executive chef Lisa Biondi has reimagined the menus to include bright Mediterranean dishes such as salatim, seasonal Israeli salads and spreads like street corn with lemon, yogurt, feta, and a punch of Aleppo pepper, at lunch and dinner. Dinner entrées include old favorites like classic prime steaks and housemade pastas, along with lamb sirloin souvlaki and grilled whole branzino. Weekend brunch options include Benedicts, shakshuka, pancakes, and waffles. Patios offer views of the lake or vineyard.

The Six Chow House (thesixrestaurant.com), newly opened in Ventura, marks the fourth outpost for the brand, with other locations in Calabasas, Studio City, and West Los Angeles. Go for the updated American food and stay for the friendly neighborhood vibe. The menu offers pizza and flatbreads, tacos, burgers, shareable plates, salads (try the Grilled Salmon Salad with mango and curried cashews), entrees, and desserts. Sit inside or outdoors (where dogs are welcome) and sip a cocktail made with house-infused spirits. Daily happy hour from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. features discounts on select food, beers, and cocktails. Enjoy live music Thursday through Sunday. NONNA 951 S. Westlake Blvd., #102 Westlake Village, 805-497-8482 nonna.restaurant Italian; Entrées $18–$45 Romantic, Great Patio

A casually elegant dining room of distressed wood lit with unique light sculptures by artist Timothy J. Ferrie is a beautiful fit for Florence-born and -trained restaurateur Jacopo Falleni. The menu avoids the faddish, instead cutting a culinary swath through the Italian peninsula and islands with tradition-rich dishes that reflect Falleni’s Tuscan upbringing (gnudi with pomodoro sauce), executive chef Pamela Ganci’s Sicilian heritage (arancini), and pasta chef Pamela Ganci’s influences from Bologna (passatelli with peas). Service is engaging and professional, while Falleni himself fills the role of sommelier and designed signature cocktails for the full bar.

OCTOBER 2021 / 805LIVING.COM

OJAI VALLEY INN 905 Country Club Road Ojai, 805-646-1111 ojaivalleyinn.com Various Cuisines Entrées $11–$60; Saturday Buffet Brunch $32, Sunday Bluegrass Brunch $55

The resort’s beautiful setting can be enjoyed by hotel guests and others who simply want to patronize the restaurants. As the fine-dining flagship, Olivella features California-Italian cuisine (see separate listing). Start the evening with small bites and cocktails in the Wallace Neff Heritage Bar, located in the resort’s original golf clubhouse and named for the architect who set the inn’s Spanish Revival tone. Other dining venues include the tranquil Spa Café in Spa Ojai, where light breakfast, freshpressed juices, and spa lunch are served inside or on the poolside terrace. The Oak is famous for its casual but attentive lunch service on a shaded patio overlooking the 10th hole of the resort’s golf course. It also serves breakfast and dinner and two styles of brunch: buffet on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and bottomless Champagne with live bluegrass music on Sundays from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Indigo Pool & Bar offers salads, sandwiches, and adult libations served poolside and in cabanas. The Pixie Café is located at the family-friendly Pixie Pool. Jimmy’s Pub offers a menu of salads, sandwiches, wood-fired pizzas, and entrées plus craft beers and cocktails. (It’s also one of the few restaurants in Ojai to stay open past 10 p.m. on weekends.) Next door, Libbey’s Market is the place to go for a quick sandwich and a scoop of McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams.

ROSEWOOD MIRAMAR BEACH 1759 South Jameson Lane Montecito, 805-900-8388 rosewoodhotels.com/en/miramar-beachmontecito Californian and Italian; Entrées $19–$55 Great Views, Saturday and Sunday Brunch

Set in a spectacular seaside location, this luxury beachside resort’s seven distinctive restaurants and bars are open to the general public as well as hotel guests. Executive chef Massimo Falsini oversees the dining destinations, which emphasize locally and sustainably sourced ingredients. Caruso’s, the signature oceanfront eatery, is open daily for dinner and features alfresco seating over the sand in addition to a stylish dining room outfitted with deep blue leather booths. Menu highlights include starters such as hand-pulled burrata as well as Baja kampachi crudo, house-made pastas including the chef’s signature carbonara, uni tagliolini, and main courses such as pan-roasted petrale sole and grass-fed Watkins Ranch beef fillet. Local and international wines and traditional handcrafted signature cocktails are also offered.

UPDATE SAN YSIDRO RANCH 900 San Ysidro Lane Santa Barbara, 805-565-1720 sanysidroranch.com American; Entrées $48–$90, Sunday Brunch $95 Great View, Romantic, Sunday Brunch This historic resort’s Stonehouse restaurant is helmed by executive chef Matthew Johnson. Set upstairs inside a 19th-century citrus-packing house, it boasts an inviting dining room with fireplaces, creek-side views, and a sheltered terrace. The lunch menu offers dishes like Crispy Halibut Tacos, while dinner mains include options such as Steak Diane, prepared in the classic style and flambéed tableside. Sip from the renowned wine cellar’s 12,000 bottles of varietals from around the globe. Sunday brunch includes starters, entrées, desserts, and Champagnes from Mumm.

NEW SEAR STEAKHOUSE 478 4th Place Solvang, 805-245-9564 searsteakhouse.com Steakhouse; Entrées $26–$125

Living up to its name, this restaurant and bar from owners Demetrios and Karen Loizides, owners of K’Syrah Catering and Events, serves up expertly prepared steaks and sides. Chef Erik Dandee oversees a seasonal menu that includes ingredients sourced from the Loizides family’s Santa Ynez Valley organic farm. Steaks range from a filet mignon center cut to a shareable tomahawk. Pork chop, lamb, and fresh seafood dishes are also on the menu. Restaurant co-owner and mixologist Alberto Battaglini applies the same high standards to the beverage program, which features a locally focused wine list and inventive cocktails. A separate menu is devoted exclusively to martinis.

UPDATE THE TAVERN AT ZACA CREEK 1297 Jonata Park Road Buellton, 805-688-2412 zaca-creek.com Brasserie; Entrées $20–$48 Sunday Brunch

Located on a carefully resurrected historic Santa Ynez Valley property, this sophisticated yet warm and welcoming tavern offers dinner, happy hour, and Sunday brunch. Acclaimed chef Cullen Campbell combines a dedication to local ingredients with French and Italian influences in menus that showcase elements like house-made pastas and beef from some of California’s premier ranches. Menus change often, but expect dinner entrées like Barbecued Winfield Farm Mangalitsa Pork Collar and Pan-Seared Salmon with grilled herbs. For Sunday brunch, get fancy with a caviar service or go southern with shrimp and grits. A remarkable selection of Santa Barbara County and imported wines, local beers, and signature and classic cocktails add to the experience. Seating is available inside or on the covered patio. Happy hour and dinner are offered Thursday through Saturday, and Sunday brunch is from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

TIERRA SUR RESTAURANT AT HERZOG WINE CELLARS 3201 Camino del Sol Oxnard, 805-983-1560 tierrasuratherzog.com New American; Entrées $16–$144 (for 32-ounce rib eye for two), Buffet Brunch $65 Sunday Brunch

Tucked inside Herzog’s winery and tasting room, Tierra Sur specializes in wine-friendly meals made with careful attention to detail. Executive chef Gabe Garcia maintains a local, seasonal vibe at lunch and dinner. Marinated olives and lamb bacon are made in-house. Tapas feature Wagyu sliders and a Margherita pizza with basil-cashew cheese. Watch carefully, and you may see your bone-in rib eye for two prepared on the patio’s wood-burning grill before it is served with fried kale and roasted potatoes. Desserts include frozen custards, vanilla-spiced doughnuts, and a show-stopping Baked Alaska. Surrounded by the coppery glow of the walls and the burnished-wood wine rack that frames the kitchen pass-through, diners may forget they’re at a kosher restaurant in an Oxnard industrial park. The restaurant is closed on Fridays and Saturdays in observance of the Sabbath. Sunday brunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. is served buffet style, with carving and omelet stations and weekly specials inspired by ingredients from local farms.

TRA DI NOI RISTORANTE 3835 Cross Creek Road, Suite 8A Malibu, 310-456-0169 tradinoimalibu.com Italian; Entrées $18–$36, Market Price for Some Seafood Sunday Brunch

Even though locals know what they want without opening a menu, the kitchen at this restaurant in the Malibu Country Mart can still impress the rest of us with its handmade pastas, shaved truffles, grass-fed beef, local olive oil, and salads made with produce from Malibu’s Thorn Family Farm. The spaghetti carbonara manages to be both low fat and delicious, and the seasonal specials are a treat. The well-curated wine list matches the food and offers prime selections for sipping on the patio.

UPDATE WATER’S EDGE RESTAURANT AND BAR 1510 Anchors Way Ventura, 805-642-1200 watersedgeventura.com American; Entrées $21–$55

This aptly named bar and grill offers well-prepared plates from land and sea in an elegant setting with harbor views. Starters like chorizo crab cakes, garlic shrimp, and the restaurant’s award-winning New England clam chowder set the stage for main dishes such as seared sesame seed–crusted ahi and braised Szechuan short ribs. Brunch, served every Saturday and Sunday, offers appetizers, egg dishes, beignets, and waffles, as well as burgers, sandwiches, and locally sourced fish. Pets are welcome on the patio. Happy hour is every day from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. (except holidays).

Foodie

Cuisine that shines regardless of decor, service, ambience, or even views. 101 NORTH EATERY & BAR 30760 Russell Ranch Road, Suite D Westlake Village, 805-852-1588 101northeateryandbar.com New American; Entrées $22–$46 Sunday Brunch, Late-night Menu

Award-winning chef and owner Anthony Alaimo delivers seasonal dishes that are big on international flavors along with wine, beer, and signature cocktails. The restaurant’s relaxed, modern setting includes a bar with a large flat-screen TV, a rustic communal table, and an outdoor patio. Expect starters like wild albacore kabobs with Calabrian chili tapenade and grilled Spanish octopus with white bean hummus and mains such as a cumin-rubbed lamb rack, Mediterranean sea bass with green romesco, house-made tagliolini pasta with Selva prawns, and wood-fired, thincrust pizzas. Sandwiches and sides are on the happy hour menu on Tuesdays through Saturdays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. A late-night menu is offered on Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.

COVID-19 restrictions affecting dining options are subject to change, but local restaurants need your support whenever possible.

BELL’S 406 Bell St. Los Alamos, 805-344-4609 bellsrestaurant.com French; Entrées $18–$27

Daisy and Gregory Ryan, alums of Per Se, Thomas Keller’s Michelin-starred New York restaurant, helm this Frenchinspired bistro in the historic town of Los Alamos. Located in a building that served as a bank in the early 1900s and as a biker bar later, Bell’s delivers classics like steak tartare, wild Burgundy snails served with bread from Bob’s Well Bread Bakery down the street, and coq au vin. For lunch, try the French dip made with roasted rib eye. Reservations are available through the website or via email to info@bellsrestaurant.com.

BIBI JI 734 State St. Santa Barbara, 805-560-6845 bibijisb.com Indian; $10–$16, Grill $15–$25, Curries $10–$18, Chef’s Tasting $50 per person

A short stroll from Stearns Wharf and the beaches along the Santa Barbara waterfront, Bibi Ji presents an approachable and modern twist on traditional Indian cuisine. The spacious restaurant, designed with a vibrant, eclectic decor, also has a private back patio for dining while taking in the fresh ocean air. Owners Alejandro Medina and James Beard Award–winning sommelier Rajat Parr offer a menu that highlights an abundance of local seafood, traditional coconut curries, a bounty of fresh regional produce cooked in Indian spices, a Chef’s Tasting menu, and an extensive list of natural wines. The critically acclaimed restaurant was included in The New York Times’ “52 Places to Go in 2019.”

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BOB’S WELL BREAD BAKERY 550 Bell St. Los Alamos, 805-344-3000 and Bob’s Well Bread Bakery at the Ballard Store 2449 Baseline Ave., Ste. 101 Ballard, 805-691-9549 bobswellbread.com European; Pastries and Breads $1.50–$20, Entrées $7–$13

Located in a refurbished 1920s-era service station with its original Douglas fir floors intact, this artisanal bakery is well worth a visit. For the best selection, arrive at 7 a.m. on Thursdays through Mondays, when the doors open and aromatic scones, bagels, kouign-amann, pain au chocolat, and other pastries come out of the ovens. Loaves of naturally leavened, burnished-crust breads follow soon after. Special daily breads include gluten-free Centennial Loaf and pain aux lardons (Saturdays and Sundays). The on‑site café serves breakfast and lunch (think avocado toast tartine, croque monsieur sandwiches, and grilled bread with pâté and onionbacon marmalade) until 3 p.m. Graband-go items for DIY picnics include ficelle sandwiches made with French ham, Emmentaler cheese, and housemade butter. Well Bread Wines created by Doug Margerum are available by the glass or bottle. OCTOBER 2021 / 805LIVING.COM

Where to Eat Now BOUCHON 9 W. Victoria St. Santa Barbara, 805-730-1160 bouchonsantabarbara.com Wine Country Cuisine; Entrées $26–$38 Romantic

Bouchon celebrates the local, from its carefully curated wine list to the craftspeople overseeing the successful remodeling of the garden patio at the front entrance. Executive chef Greg Murphy follows suit, using farmers’ market ingredients in dishes like pan-roasted local white fish with wilted dandelion greens or a soup featuring white carrots from Tutti Frutti Farms. (Murphy’s Foodie Stroll menu includes a tour of the Tuesday farmers’ market followed by a three-course meal with wine for $95 per person.) Add the gracious presence of proprietor Mitchell Sjerven and you have the ingredients for the first Santa Barbara-area restaurant in a decade to earn the AAA Four Diamond award for excellence.

CAFÉ BIZOU 30315 Canwood St., #14 Agoura Hills, 818-991-9560 cafebizou.com French; Entrées $17–$28

Cozy and candlelit, Café Bizou offers French comfort food in an unstuffy atmosphere. It’s known for wellcrafted classics such as traditional bouillabaisse, lobster bisque, escargots persillade, steak au poivre, double truffle pommes frites, along with plats du jour. Also look for grilled fresh fish, steaks, chops, chicken, pastas, and risotto. This is high-end food without the prices to match. A salad added to your dinner is $2 or $3, and wine buffs rejoice at the $2 per bottle corkage fee.

DECKER KITCHEN 4661 Lakeview Canyon Road Westlake Village, 818-735-9577 deckerkitchen.com American; Entrées $16–$42

Known for its upscale food and unpretentious neighborhood-hangout feel, Decker Kitchen is the creation of chef-owner Graham Harris, who keeps the menu fresh and creative. Menu highlights include Harris’ naturally leavened sourdough bread, fresh-from-the-oven pizzas, starters such as Feta Mousse Toast with heirloom tomato, and entrées including barbecued pork ribs and seared rib-eye steak. Sip a craft cocktail or smalllot wine and nosh small bites on the patio Thursdays through Saturdays until midnight. Takeout is available.

Honey Cup Coffeehouse & Creamery (honeycupcoffeehouseca.com) has opened a second location in The Village at Dos Vientos in Newbury Park. Fuel up with brewed Lavazza coffee and espresso drinks (add a house-made flavored syrup), fresh-baked pastries, smoothies, breakfast burritos, and sandwiches. The house-made ice cream comes in flavors like butterscotch coffee, chocolate chai, and strawberry rhubarb. Stop by during regular hours from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily or for After Hours on Friday and Saturday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., when the shop reopens for coffee, espresso drinks, and ice cream. 90

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NEW E + MON 2805 Agoura Road Westlake Village, 805-371-3693 eplusmon.com Sushi; Entrées $12–$27

Chef-owner Hidetoshi “Teddy” Seike, a restaurateur who was raised in Japan, joins forces with head chef Koji Miyamoto, whose cuisine has earned Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition, at this stylish eatery in the Westlake Commons. They offer a creative lunch and dinner menu of sushi, sashimi, bao (steamed buns), and Asian salads that spotlight seasonal ingredients. Look for signature rolls such as the E + Mon Crunch Roll, featuring spicy tuna and shrimp tempura with chive mayo, avocado, sesame, sweet soy, cucumber, and citrus sauce. Premium sake, Japanese craft beer, and California wines are the perfect sips.

EMBER RESTAURANT 1200 E. Grand Ave. Arroyo Grande, 805-474-7700 emberwoodfire.com California-Mediterranean; Small Plates $10–$17, Pizzas $18–$20, Entrées $23–$32 Named for the wood fires used to cook the restaurant’s seasonal and farm-fresh dishes, Ember is the project of executive chef Brian Collins, an Arroyo Grande native who shares skills he honed at Chez Panisse in Berkeley and Full of Life Flatbread in Los Alamos with his hometown. The menu, like the beer and wine list, is locally focused, changes monthly, and includes rustic specialties such as crispy kale and house-made fennel sausage pizza, Jidori chicken alongside a wedge of grilled polenta and farmers’ market veggies, and grilled rib eye served over roasted potatoes and topped with a decadent garlic confit and avocado chimichurri.

FULL OF LIFE FLATBREAD 225 Bell St. Los Alamos, 805-344-4400 fulloflifefoods.com Californian; Flatbreads and Entrées $9–$27

Opened in 2003, this down-to-earth gem has become a foodie destination. Dinner is served on Thursdays through Sundays, with lunch on Saturdays and Sundays. Owner Clark Staub’s vision rings deliciously true in every bite of the fresh salads, flatbreads, and entrées made with seasonal ingredients from local farmers’ markets and artisan food producers. For flatbreads, look for the vegetarian Shaman’s Bread with a crunch of New Cuyama pistachios and the Nitrate-Free Pepperoni and Peppers. Diners who sit at the bar can order food there, too, and seating is available outside.

HELENA AVENUE BAKERY 131 Anacapa St., Suite C Santa Barbara, 805-880-3383 helenaavenuebakery.com Baked Goods, California-Eclectic Entrées $4–$14

The artisanal bakery and café is brought to you by the masterminds behind The Lark, Lucky Penny, and Loquita in Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone. The address says Anacapa Street, but walk in from Helena Avenue for the quickest access to Dart Coffee drinks and croissants, scones, cookies, and other pastries made with seasonal ingredients. Open daily, the bakery serves breakfast and lunch. Morning meal offerings include dishes like Green Eggs & Ham made with spicy green harissa and grits topped with a fried egg. The lunch menu features salads and sandwiches, plus specials like Nashville Hot Chicken served with house-made pickles. The bakery’s rustic patio is shared by its neighbor, the Santa Barbara Wine Collective, which offers curated tasting flights and wines by the glass and bottle.

HOTEL CALIFORNIAN 36 State St. Santa Barbara, 805-882-0100 thehotelcalifornian.com/santa_barbara_ restaurants/ Eclectic; Small Plates $12–$19

Built on the grounds of the original Hotel Californian less than a block from Stearns Wharf, Santa Barbara’s newest resort pays careful attention to all the luxurious details while retaining a casual yet elegant vibe. Its dining options are equally skilled. Blackbird, a cocktail bar located on the ground floor of the hotel, features lounge-style seating, a creative menu of small plates from executive chef Travis Watson, and inventive cocktails by mixologist Devon Espinosa in addition to local wines and craft beer. (Fans of Alfred Hitchcock will get a kick out of his photo in the dining room.) Located in a separate building from Blackbird, Goat Tree is an order-at-the-counter café with its own patio and, in the dining room, windows with a view of the kitchen. It serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with grab-and-go options for impromptu picnics.

UPDATE INDUSTRIAL EATS 181 Industrial Way Buellton, 805-688-8807 industrialeats.com New American; Entrées $10–$18

Part restaurant, part butcher shop, and part takeout, this popular spot is hard to miss—just look for the colorful mural with floating sausages and the retro neon “EATS” sign in front. Inside, you’ll find locally sourced dishes by owner and executive chef Jeff Olsson. The frequently changing menu features an array of wood-fired pizzas, such as rosemary with Parmesan or skirt steak, tomatillo, and queso fresco (a soft, mild, white Mexican cheese). Small plates include chicken liver with guanciale (Italian cured pork), while the sandwich list offers selections like the Crispy Pork Banh Mi. Local wine and beer options are on tap. Check out the deli case for imported cheeses, house-cured meats, and other delicacies.

NEW LA PALOMA CAFÉ 702 Anacapa St. Santa Barbara, 805-966-7029 lapalomasb.com Californian/Mexican/Spanish; Entrées $21–$30 Weekend Brunch

This neighborhood favorite occupies a historic building and a special place in the hearts of locals. The original La Paloma Café was open from 1940 until 1983; for the next 37 years it was Paradise Café. Now owned by Acme Hospitality, the restaurant offers a creative menu focused on oak-grilled meats and fish, along with seasonal produce. Chef Jeremy Tummel melds Spanish and Mexican influences in dishes such as Santa Barbara Mission Chicken with apple-and–pink peppercorn sauce and Santa Maria–Style Snake River Farm Wagyu Tri Tip. Sip a specialty margarita, local wine, or beer. Seating is offered on a two-level outdoor patio or inside the casual dining room. Dinner is served Wednesday through Sunday; Saturday and Sunday brunch is from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

THE LARK 131 Anacapa St. Santa Barbara, 805-284-0370 thelarksb.com New American; Entrées $18–$42

Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone takes flight with The Lark, named for the Pullman train that once made overnight runs between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The past is present in the restaurant’s setting, a former fish market remodeled to include exposed brick walls, subway tile, communal tables, and private booths fashioned from church pews. As culinary conductor, executive chef Jason Paluska oversees a thoroughly modern menu that highlights local ingredients. West Coast oysters with Goleta caviar lime are popular starters to shared

Sporting warm woods and leather banquettes, the new Riviera Bar (rivierabarsb.com) in Santa Barbara blends the sophisticated good looks of a big-city cocktail lounge and the cozy feel of a neighborhood tavern. A menu of snacks, salads, plates, and sides includes the signature double cheeseburger, zucchini fritters, and tempura green beans. Nibble potato chips made in-house with grass-fed beef tallow and sip from a list of classic and house cocktails, draft and bottled beer, and local and international wines. The bar opens daily at 4:30 p.m. plates of roasted chicken with green peppercorn gastrique, depending on the season. Craft brews, wines by the glass, cocktails, and mocktails extend the artisanal spirit into the bar.

LIDO RESTAURANT & LOUNGE 2727 Shell Beach Road Pismo Beach, 805-773-8900 thedolphinbay.com/lido Californian; Entrées $16–$58 Great View, Daily Brunch

Chef Richard Pfaff brings his eye for fresh and local ingredients to a menu that echoes the creativity displayed by the art glass in Lido’s dining room. Appetizers include oysters with pink peppercorn mignonette and beef carpaccio with dijon aioli. Entrées include pasta carbonara, house-made burgers, and a generous rib eye with herbed porcini butter. The Chef’s Tasting Menu offers five courses for $75 ($100 with wine pairings). A daily affair, brunch from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. features a threecourse plated option with bottomless mimosas as well as à la carte dishes.

LITTLE DOM’S SEAFOOD 686 Linden Ave. Carpinteria, 805-749-7400 ldseafood.com Seafood, Italian; Entrées $23–$28, Pizza $14–$19

Open for dinner, Little Dom’s is the latest culinary venture from Los Angeles restaurateur Warner Ebbink and executive chef Brandon Boudet. Leather booths, a restored wooden bar, and a raw bar create a comfortable old-school ambience. The seafood-forward menu focuses on local fish and includes pizzas from the wood-burning oven, handmade pastas, and Italian classics like chicken Parmesan. Guests get things started with appetizers like chilled, Creole-style, boiled shrimp and Santa Barbara live uni, and sip local wines, craft beers, and classic cocktails.

LOQUITA 202 State St. Santa Barbara, 805-880-3380 loquitasb.com Modern Spanish; Entrées $19–$42 Great Patio Loquita is Spanish slang for a wild, fun-loving girl, but this eatery’s menu and food are seriously irreproachable. Executive chef Peter Lee sources the finest meat, fish, cheese, and produce to create festive, communal, à la carte meals, including tapas, pintxos (small bites typically pierced

with a toothpick), and signature paella dishes. Drinks autentico include sangria and Spanish-style gin and tonics. Enjoy the spacious patio with two inviting fireplaces, or try the smallbites bar named, naturally, Poquita.

MADE IN ITALY BISTRO BY ANTONIO SESSA 3825 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Unit F Westlake Village, 805-370-8667 madeinitalybistro.com Italian; Entrées and Pizzas $16–$27

Chef-owner Antonio Sessa serves up warm hospitality and authentic southern Italian cuisine at this bustling bistro. Order at the counter, then dig into Neapolitanstyle pizzas from the Italian wood-fired pizza oven, house-made pastas, fresh insalate, and main dishes from family recipes. Try Sessa’s handmade cavatelli ricotta pasta with his nonna’s Bolognese. At lunch, you can’t go wrong with panini such as the braised brisket, veggie, or turkey and pancetta with housemade tomato jam. Lunch and dinner are served every day except Sunday.

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MOODY ROOSTER 2891 Agoura Road Westlake Village, 805-370-3131 moodyroosterwlv.com New American; Entrées $13–$30

Born in the Year of the Rooster, ownerchef Collin Crannell cooks whatever he feels like putting on the menu each day at this foodie version of a neighborhood café located in a Westlake Village shopping center. That’s what’s in the name. On the plate, Crannell—formerly the executive chef at The Lobster in Santa Monica—focuses on from-scratch fare showcasing local, seasonal produce, seafood, and proteins at lunch and dinner. Trademark dishes include crispy gnocchi with roasted cherry tomatoes, Parmesan fondue, and a swirl of aged balsamic, as well as a half chicken with roasted garlic and butternut squash. Wine and craft beers are available (ask co-owner Vicki Crannell for pairing suggestions).

NELLA KITCHEN & BAR 2860 Grand Ave. Los Olivos, 805-686-1359 nellakitchen.com California-Italian Entrées $36–$44, Pinsas $14–$35, Small Plates $14–$26 The team behind S.Y. Kitchen in Santa Ynez operates this rustic-chic restaurant and bar located inside the Fess Parker Wine Country Inn. Executive chef and partner Luca Crestanelli oversees the

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Where to Eat Now offerings, favoring refined comfort food made with farmfresh ingredients. The evolving menu features selections of cheeses and charcuterie, small plates, and main courses like Wagyu Short Ribs. Crispy Roman-style pinsa (which has a lower gluten index than pizza) is perfect for nibbling with specialty cocktails, local beers, and Italian drafts, or a glass from the wine list that spotlights Santa Barbara County vintages, including selections from Fess Parker Winery. Warm woods and earth tones make the dining room inviting, and the outdoor patio seating is divine.

UPDATE OLIO E LIMONE RISTORANTE, OLIO BOTTEGA AND OLIO PIZZERIA 11 W. Victoria St., Suites 17-18, and Suite 21 Santa Barbara, 805-899-2699 olicucina.com Italian; Restaurant Entrées $20–$42, Bottega $4–$12, Pizzeria $6–$28

Husband-and-wife owners Alberto Morello and Elaine Andersen Morello preside over these three Italian venues. At the ristorante, salads, seafood, chicken, and chops are served alongside house-made pastas and sauces. Olio Bottega, a casual breakfast, lunch, snack, and retail spot next door, serves egg dishes, Italian croissants, and espresso drinks for breakfast and hot Italian street food specialties and panini on house-made focaccia for lunch. Shop from a selection of Italian specialty products, cocktails, beer, and wine to take home. At the pizzeria, enjoy chicken, fish, and beef entrées, pasta, antipasti, salads, and panini. Pizzas are topped with gourmet ingredients, such as sautéed rapini, spicy salami, and black truffles.

A second location of Lokum (Instagram @lokum_slo) dessert and coffee shop has opened in San Luis Obispo, offering the same irresistible treats as the original Santa Barbara spot. Owners and brothers Bulent and Levent Derdiyok share the sweets of their culture, including baklava and 50 colorful varieties of lokum (Turkish delight). Pair flavors like roasted pomegranate seed and brownie chocolate-hazelnut with a cup of traditional Turkish coffee or tea. OLIVELLA 905 Country Club Road Ojai, 805-646-1111 ojaivalleyinn.com California-Italian; Entrées $37–$65 (a threecourse experience is $90 or $150 with wine pairings; four-course experience is $110 or $180 with wine pairings) Romantic, Great Views This fine-dining restaurant at Ojai Valley Inn features California cuisine with an Italian twist. From chef de cuisine Andrew Foskey’s menus come beautifully plated dishes like Kabocha Squash Ravioli, Tails & Trotters Farm Tenderloin of Pork, and Wild Pacific Sea Bass. Save room for the Citrus Olive Oil Cake or Crème Fraîche Panna Cotta, just two of executive pastry chef Joel Gonzalez’s creative dessert options. Dining spaces include a private wine room as well as a veranda overlooking the first and final holes of the property’s world-class golf course. The restaurant also hosts winemaker dinners.

OCTOBER 2021 / 805LIVING.COM

PICO AT THE LOS ALAMOS GENERAL STORE 458 Bell St. Los Alamos, 805-344-1122 picolosalamos.com New American; Shared Plates & Entrées $9–$46 Live Music

The spirit of a one-stop general store lives on in the historic town of Los Alamos, the northern gateway to the Santa Ynez Valley. The outstanding chef-driven, locally sourced dinner menu from executive chef John Wayne Formica changes frequently but offers dishes like local crudo, grilled octopus, house-made pastas, smoked pork chop, and dry-aged rib-eye steak. Charcuterie and cheese platters are a mainstay. Pair the fare with a signature cocktail, beer, or wine from the well-curated list spotlighting small-scale vintners, which earned Pico “Top 100 Wine Restaurant” recognition from Wine Enthusiast Magazine. The spacious, refurbished building is also the tasting room of Lane Tanner and Will Henry’s Lumen Wines of Santa Maria. Upscale but down home, Pico is keeping destination diners as well as the local cowboys coming back for more.

SAMA SAMA KITCHEN 1208 State St. Santa Barbara, 805-965-4566 samasamakitchen.com at Topa Topa Brewing 345 East Ojai Ave. Ojai, 805-335-4175 topatopa.beer Asian; Shared Plates $11–$42

This hip spot buzzes with guests who come for wellprepared southeast Asian food made with ingredients sourced from local farms. Shareable plates include the signature jidori chicken wings with sweet and spicy tamarind glaze. A recently opened second location resides within Topa Topa Brewing in downtown Ojai, where the beer-friendly menu echoes the bold flavors of the original location but is especially tailored to pair with a pint. Order at the walk-up window and sit indoors or on the street-side patio.

SANTO MEZCAL 119 State St. Santa Barbara, 805-883-3593 santomezcalsb.com Contemporary Mexican; Entrées $15–$26

Located a block from the beach on the edge of the buzzy Funk Zone, this stylish venture from restaurateur Carlos Luna offers a fresh take on Mexican dishes made with local ingredients. The menu celebrates seafood with plates such as Halibut Ceviche and Camarones al Mescal (Mexican shrimp sautéed in a creamy mezcal sauce). Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served daily. A full bar pours creative craft cocktails and selections from wine and beer lists with local and international labels. Happy hour hums weekdays from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

THE SPOON TRADE 295 West Grand Ave. Grover Beach, 805-904-6773 thespoontrade.com American; Entrées $15–$32 Great Patio, Sunday Brunch

The Spoon Trade serves what chef Jacob Town calls “elevated comfort food” in a bright and comfortable neighborhood hangout. Classic dishes (think: fried chicken, pasta, and upside-down cakes) are reimagined with of-the-moment flavors and local ingredients alongside a progressive beer and wine list.

S.Y. KITCHEN 1110 Faraday St. Santa Ynez, 805-691-9794 sykitchen.com Italian; Entrées $20–$38

Located on a quiet side street in Santa Ynez, this cozy spot is an oasis of craft cocktails and rustic

Italian fare in wine and tri-tip country. Executive chef Luca Crestanelli lets his native Italian roots show in house-made pastas such as wild mushroom pappardelle, salmon puttanesca, and a don’t-miss grilled globe-artichoke appetizer. With its firepits and padded lounge seating, The Courtyard is a great place to settle in for pre-dinner cocktails and glasses of local wine or to stay for the whole meal. A lunch menu of salads, pastas, and oak-grilled meats and seafood is served daily.

THOMAS HILL ORGANICS 1313 Park St. Paso Robles, 805-226-5888 thomashillorganics.com Wine Country Cuisine; Entrées $15–$41 Sunday Brunch

At this chic but casual restaurant in downtown Paso Robles, executive chef Libry Darusman builds on the vision of owner and founding chef Debbie Thomas by turning ingredients from local purveyors into elegant, satisfying fare at lunch, brunch, and dinner. (Why, yes, those are Loo Loo Farms tomatoes in the pickled stone fruit and house ricotta salad.) Wine, beer, and ciders from the region are also featured, adding to the restaurant’s farm-to-table bona fides. A new dessert bar served in the front bar and lounge area offers a selection of treats crafted both in-house and by local purveyors. Try Darusman’s spin on s’mores.

TRE LUNE 1151 Coast Village Road Montecito, 805-969-2646 trelunesb.com Italian; Entrées $18–$37

Tre Lune, or “three moons,” is part of the Montesano Group, which owns Lucky’s in Montecito and Joe’s in Santa Barbara—and it shows. The walls are dressed in black-and-white photos of celebrities from yesteryear, the floors are Old World wood, and the tables are covered in blush-colored linen. Teeny tiny chairs mounted high on the wall bear brass plates engraved with the names of regular patrons. A ring-shaped, rolled pizza-bread appetizer is stuffed with smoked mozzarella and braised radicchio. It’s crispy outside and delicious inside. Pizzas from the stone oven can be topped with roasted eggplant, spicy sausage, or mushrooms and truffle oil. The wide selection of pastas are available in half or full portions. Veal scaloppine, rack of lamb, chicken Marsala, and even a cheeseburger round out the menu and support the extensive Italian wine list.

Good Eats

Not too fancy, not too expensive, and a good experience all around. BRENT’S DELI 2799 Townsgate Road Westlake Village, 805-557-1882 brentsdeli.com Deli; Entrées $6–$20 Kid-Friendly

For amazingly good Reuben sandwiches on rye bread piled high with pastrami or corned beef, sauerkraut, and Thousand Island dressing, you can’t beat this slick deli. The booths are cushy and roomy, leaving space for your tummy to expand as you down a fourlayer slice of chocolate cake or a plate full of stuffed cabbage rolls. A separate bar also offers the full menu. The patio out back allows for even more seating. A counter up front expedites take-out orders. Brent’s Deli is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily.

The Waterside Restaurant & Wine Bar (watersidechannelislands.com) in Oxnard’s Channel Islands Harbor has reopened after a yearlong closure for renovations following a fire. Executive chef Alex Montoya has a gleaming new kitchen in which he turns out specialties, such as mixed seafood on pasta, cioppino, and short ribs with Parmesan risotto. Enjoy the light, refreshed dining room and marble-topped bar during happy hour, dinner, and weekend brunch.

The “craft beer spoken here” neon sign in the dining room doesn’t quite say it all at this casual but polished gastropub owned by Greg Finefrock, an 805 local whose childhood nickname inspired the restaurant’s moniker. In addition to the 30 brews on tap, you’ll find craft cocktails, California wines by the glass and bottle, and a fun atmosphere and menu that has something for everyone. With variations in decor between locations (look for the skee-ball machine and photo booth in San Luis Obispo), the menu remains the same. Shareable appetizers include glutenfree buffalo cauliflower tossed in yuzu sauce and chicken-and waffle bites that come with a tangy surprise: Tabascobraised kale. The house burger is made with a chuck, brisket, and hanger steak patty on a brioche bun (options include gluten-free buns and plant-based Impossible Burger patties). Crispy tacos, salads, and flatbread pizzas are also available. Seating is first-come, first-served at the copper bar.

THE HATCH ROTISSERIE & BAR 835 13th St. Paso Robles, 805-221-5727 hatchpasorobles.com American; Entrées $18–$35

Housed in a historic brick-walled building, this popular comfort food venue is also known for its well-made craft cocktails and friendly service. A lively atmosphere prevails as locals and visitors mingle, sharing the Hot Skillet Cornbread or, when in season, a steamed and grilled Castroville Artichoke while perusing the menu. Though the offerings change seasonally, the wood-fired Rotisserie Chicken is a mainstay, while it lasts. Daily specials include Fried Chicken on Monday and Tuesday, served with house-made hot sauce, black-pepper honey, and smoked-bacon potato salad. Standout entrées on the simple menu are the Hatch Burger, Seared Salmon, and Beef Short Rib. For dessert, don’t miss the individual-sized pies. The Hatch opens nightly at 4:30 p.m.

JANE 1311 State St. Santa Barbara, 805-962-1311 janesb.com and Jane at The Marketplace 6940 Marketplace Drive Goleta, 805-770-5388 janeatthemarketplace.com Eclectic; Entrées $9–$34

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Devoted fans keep coming back for the well-executed main dishes, pastas, salads, sandwiches, burgers, and daily specials at these sister eateries, which are named for owner Margaret Huston’s mother Jane Moody, whose pictures adorn the walls. The Santa Barbara location is open for dinner, offering entrées that range from grilled duck breast and filet mignon to Chicken Picatta and penne with house-made Bolognese sauce. For dessert, don’t miss the coconut chiffon cake. The Goleta venue is open for lunch and happy hour as well as dinner. The menu there is similar but also includes oakfired, brick-oven pizzas.

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LOVI’S DELICATESSEN 24005 Calabasas Road Calabasas, 818-223-8777 lovisdeli.com Deli; Entrées $11–$30 Kid-Friendly

“Delicatessen” seems like a misnomer for this sharp and sleekly designed modern restaurant and bar. A comprehensive menu offers standard deli fare like triple-deckers, housemade soups, and smoked fish platters but also features contemporary dishes such as Alaskan salmon, Mexican, pasta, and vegetarian specialties, and build-your-own salads with 65-plus ingredients. The restaurant consists of four spacious areas. A bright main dining room is designed with clean lines, earth tones, and stylish riveted steel tables. Another dining room has a full bar, and the beautiful shaded outdoor patio is a perfect place for Sunday brunch. Most impressive is a private glassed-in dining room that seats 30 and has an equally impressive wine cellar. Fifteen flatscreens are judiciously placed, so they don’t detract from the upscale vibe. Lovi’s is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily and serves breakfast all day. Daily happy hour is from 3 p.m. until closing. Catering and delivery are available.

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FINNEY’S CRAFTHOUSE 982 S. Westlake Blvd., Suite 2 Westlake Village, 805-230-9950 and 494 E Main St., Ventura, 805-628-3312 and 35 State St., Suite A Santa Barbara, 805-845-3100 and 857 Monterey St. San Luis Obispo, 805-439-2556 finneyscrafthouse.com American; Entrées $10–$16 Kid-Friendly

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Where to Eat Now NEW MOMOTARO RAMEN 1803 Spring St. Paso Robles, 805-538-3876 eatmomotaroramen.com Ramen; Entrées $16–$17

Chefs Mateo Rogers and Brittney Yracheta bring Japanese soul food to Paso Robles with their casual lunch-and-dinner eatery. This counter-service spot joins a variety of family-owned food purveyors and retail establishments inside the Paso Market Walk. Start with appetizers like the chicken and pork gyoza and karaage (Japanese fried chicken). Slurp ramen from bowls of the signature Momotaro Ramen tonkotsu (pork-bone) broth or seasonal vegetarian options. Seating is provided at the counter, as well as inside the Paso Market Walk and in the tree-shaded outdoor courtyard.

Serving cold-pressed juices, smoothies, superfood salads, and organic acai bowls, the new Juice Swell (juiceswell.inc) in Ventura gives local organic ingredients center stage in its vegetarian and vegan offerings. Look for avocado toast on Ojai Rôtie sourdough bread and Watermelon Pizza with Underwood Family Farms melon as the “crust.” A kids’ menu includes the Little Grom Bento, a compartmented box filled with hummus, pita chips, carrots, jicama, and fruit. The kitchen is open Tuesday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and grab-and-go options are available until 5 p.m. OYSTER LOFT 175 Pomeroy Ave. Pismo Beach, 805-295-5104 oysterloft.com Seafood; Fresh oysters $16 per half dozen; Crudo $14–$27; Entrées $21–$47 Great Views

Savvy seafood lovers get their fix at this buzzing oceanview spot with an outdoor patio. Oysters, such as Fanny Bay and Kumamoto, are delivered fresh daily and other fresh crudo starters include scallop carpaccio and salmon poke tacos. Preparations change seasonally, but look for pan-seared Pacific halibut and cioppino, chock-full of sea bass, mussels, prawns, and littleneck clams. Non-seafood options include hangar steak au poivre and wild mushroom and asparagus risotto. Go ahead and splurge on the peanut butter–chocolate tower. Happy hour is Mondays through Thursdays (excluding holidays) from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., offering the chef’s choice of oysters on the half-shell with rice-wine mignonette for $1.50 each, $1 off draft beers, and $7 curated wines by the glass. Dinner is served nightly.

POOKIE’S THAI CUISINE 900 Hampshire Road Westlake Village, 805-381-0094 pookiethai.com Thai; Entrées $7–$13 Kid-Friendly

Downstairs in the Water Court Plaza office complex, owner Pookie creates delicious Thai dishes for lunch and dinner daily. Lunch specials are a steal at $7 to

OCTOBER 2021 / 805LIVING.COM

$8 each. She also has a wide selection of interesting salads like the Outrageous Beef Salad with a spicy lime dressing and the protein-rich Yam Yai salad with shrimp, chicken, egg, and peanuts in a sweet-andsour dressing. Noodle dishes are generously sized and include the classic pad Thai and the interesting Hi Yo Silver with fried noodles, shrimp, and bean sprouts. Curries, vegetarian options, and fish dishes (such as the crispy sole with tamarind and chili sauce) give diners lots of great choices not found elsewhere.

RUMFISH Y VINO 34 N. Palm Street Ventura, 805-667-9288 rumfishyvinoventura.com Caribbean–Central American inspired Entrées $13–$27 Sunday Brunch

Rumfish Y Vino brings the taste and feel of the tropics to Ventura. The airy dining room and bar area and roomy outdoor patio with lush plantings and a fireplace puts diners in vacation mode. Begin by nibbling crispy Conch Fritters, Ahi Tuna Crudo, or Peruvian Ceviche. Move on to Caribbean Fish Stew, braised pork tacos on house-made corn tortillas, or vegetarian rice and beans with roasted vegetables. Sip an inventive cocktail or local beer and wine. The restaurant is open for lunch, dinner, Sunday brunch, and daily happy hour.

THE STONEHAUS 32039 Agoura Road Westlake Village, 818-483-1152 the-stonehaus.com Mediterranean Sandwiches and Platters $10–$17 Dog-Friendly, Great Views, Kid‑Friendly, Romantic

Patterned after an Italian enoteca, the aptly named Stonehaus starts each day as a coffeehouse, serving kale-berry smoothies along with baked goods, wraps, and breakfast sandwiches from Lisa Biondi, executive chef at the adjacent Mediterraneo at the Westlake Village Inn. It switches to wine bar mode in the afternoons and evenings, when the menu includes charcuterie and crostini platters, salads, panini, and desserts. The outdoor pizza oven is fired up nightly (check website for hours). Wine flights are arranged by regions, varietals, and themes. Patios overlook the waterfall and the working vineyard, which is open for picnicking on Stonehaus fare (check website for information about seasonal tastings and festivals). The picnic tables and bocce ball court are family friendly, and visiting canines get a water fountain of their own near the courtyard fireplace.

Fun, Fun, Fun

Look to these eateries for festive food, an upbeat atmosphere, and a good time. ANDRIA’S SEAFOOD RESTAURANT & MARKET 1449 Spinnaker Drive Ventura, 805-654-0546 andriasseafood.com Seafood; Entrées $8–$24 Kid-Friendly

No visit to Ventura Harbor—or to Ventura, period—is complete without a stop at Andria’s, a locals’ favorite since 1982. On weekends, the fast-moving line to order can stretch out onto the restaurant’s front patio. Additional seating includes indoor dining rooms decorated with vintage photos and fishing gear, and a protected patio with a view of the docks. Charbroiled fresh catch of the day dinners come with rice pilaf, bread, and a choice of salads. Some items are available in stir-fry dishes. But deep-fried is the preferred method

of preparation for everything from onion rings (served in a towering stack) to halibut and chips, oysters and chips, popcorn shrimp and chips, and, well, you get the idea. The atmosphere is beach casual: Orders are called out by number when ready, and it’s up to diners to gather utensils, tartar sauce, and other fixin’s from a counter near the kitchen. Beer and wine are available. An on-site fish market is open daily.

UPDATE THE ANNEX 550 Collection Blvd. Oxnard, 805-278-9500 thecollectionrp.com/the_annex Cuisines and prices vary by location Kid-Friendly

Seven restaurants offer as many dining experiences at this public market-style spot in the heart of The Collection at RiverPark. House-roasted coffee, avocado toast, and gluten-free muffins help jump-start the day at Ragamuffin Coffee Roasters, while The Blend Superfood Bar serves smoothies, juices, and acai bowls made with local berries and honey. Other order-at-thecounter options include Love Pho, Taqueria el Tapatio, Don Waffly, Burnin’ Mouth, and Silverlake Ramen. The craft-beer bar Bottle & Pint serves local brews and ciders on tap and by the bottle and can; wines are available by the glass. Fun artwork, inventive communal seating areas, and two retail shops add to the vibe.

BETTINA 1014 Coast Village Road Montecito Country Mart Montecito, 805-770-2383 bettinapizzeria.com Pizza/Italian; Entrées and Pizzas $12–$22

First-timers to Bettina may think they’ve taken a wrong turn and ended up in Italy. At this bustling, cozy neighborhood restaurant patrons sip a Venetian spritz or Negroni and nosh on naturally leavened, Neapolitanstyle pizzas dressed up with inventive toppings. Antipasti, entrées such as chicken cacciatore, and fresh salads are also on the menu, which changes seasonally but always includes vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. Lunch and dinner are served daily; online orders are available for pick up.

CAFÉ HABANA 3939 Cross Creek Road Malibu, 310-317-0300 cafehabana.com Pan-Latin; Entrées $9–$25 Sunday Brunch

Café Habana isn’t limited to Cuban food or cocktails. Dishes represent all of Latin culture, from South American ceviches to Mexican grilled corn and huevos rancheros to Cuban pulled-pork sandwiches. Owner Sean Meenan is an eco-warrior while partner Rande Gerber brings in the celebs and keeps the nightlife hopping. The food is good, the cocktails are great, and the coconut flan is out of this world.

FLOUR HOUSE 690 Higuera St. San Luis Obispo, 805-544-5282 flourhouseslo.com Italian; Starters $5–$21, Pizzas $15–$20, Pastas $19–$28

With a sleek interior, dynamic menu, and portrait of Sophia Loren, Flour House isn’t just a pizzeria: It’s a love song to Italy. Co-owner and Salerno native Alberto Russo works magic with imported flour and a Stefano Ferrara pizza oven, the gold standard for traditional MORE ON THE WEB: Visit 805living.com for more listings and to make quick and easy reservations at many of the restaurants listed here and on the website through Open Table.

pizza napolitana. During Meter Mondays, pizzas are available in different sizes depending on the number in your party: a half-meter for four people includes a choice of three tastings ($28), while a full meter serves eight with a choice of six tastings ($50). Don’t miss Russo’s house-made pastas or the weekday-night aperitivo hour from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., featuring cocktails such as the classic Negroni and Aperol Spritz as well as beer and wine and appetizers from $4 to $6.

HITCHING POST II 406 E. Highway 246 Buellton, 805-688-0676 hitchingpost2.com Steak House; Entrées $26–$56

A fan favorite since its star turn in the 2004 movie Sideways, Hitching Post II radiates a western-style steakhouse feel with down-home service and hearty portions of Santa Maria–style barbecue. In addition to oak-grilled steaks, the menu features ribs, quail, turkey, duck, and seafood. Sip from the Wine Spectator award-winning wine list that includes a selection of Hitching Post labels.

LOS OLIVOS WINE MERCHANT & CAFÉ 2879 Grand Ave. Los Olivos, 805-688-7265 losolivoscafe.com Wine Country; Entrées $12–$29

This retail wine shop adjoins an all-day café with seating indoors by the stone fireplace and outside on the wisteria-covered patio. Cheese plates and olives are small bites perfect for pairing with wines at the bar. Salads, sandwiches, burgers, pasta, and pizza comprise the lunch menu. At night choices get a little fancier with pot roast, lamb shank, pasta, chicken, steak, and fresh fish. The wine selection from the shop (available to diners) has more than 400 labels and specializes in picks from California’s Central Coast. Now that’s fun.

The new owners of Baja Bay Surf N’ Taco (venturaharborvillage.com) in Ventura Harbor Village are serving up a fresh menu at this dockside restaurant. Husbandand-wife team Rick and Christina Magana offer authentic dishes based on the Baja-style home cooking of Rick’s mother in Ensenada, Mexico. Local ingredients shine in house-made salsas, beer-battered halibut tacos, and aguas frescas. Open for lunch and dinner daily, the eatery offers indoor and patio seating. LUCKY PENNY 127 Anacapa St. Santa Barbara, 805-284-0358 luckypennysb.com Californian; Entrées $11–$16

Located in Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone, this orderat-the-counter spot ranks as one of the city’s most Instagrammed restaurants. The exterior covered in thousands of shiny copper pennies is a draw, but so is the creative menu of close-up-worthy salads, sandwiches, small plates, and wood-fired pizzas. The latter includes such local-place-named favorites as the Milpas, topped with fingerling potatoes, chorizo, and a sunny-side-up egg. Salads are big

enough to turn into a meal or to share with a friend who orders pizza. Seating is on a pet-friendly patio adjacent to The Lark restaurant. Coffee is served, along with beer, wine, cider, and a life-giving frosé accented with local strawberries and tarragon.

PEASANTS FEAST 487 Atterdag Road Solvang, 805-686-4555 peasantsfeast.com Seasonal Comfort Food Entrées and Sandwiches $14–$18

Owned by chef Michael Cherney, an alum of Las Vegas’ L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, and his wife Sarah, a hospitality pro, this family-friendly restaurant focuses on scratch-made food from local ingredients. Menu stars like Solvang Hot Chicken sandwich, The Grotto Smash Burger, Local Rock Fish Tacos, and family meals such as Whole Fried Free-Range Chicken are served in the casual earth-toned dining room, on the outdoor patio, and for takeout. Reina’s Ice Cream by the Scoop, made by the Cherneys’ daughter, is a must.

RELM WINE & BEER BISTRO 2390 Las Posas Road, Suite H Camarillo, 805-991-7356 relmcamarillo.com Global; Entrées $14–$25 Great Patio, Live Music

This relaxed bistro in Camarillo Village Square has a wood- and leather-accented interior that opens to a large patio offering seating around a fire table. The patio is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., and well-behaved pups are welcome. A seasonal menu includes salads, sandwiches, flatbreads (try the one topped with prosciutto, lemon ricotta, and arugula), small bites, large plates, and desserts. Enjoy entrées, such as vegan pesto zucchini spirals and chimichurri-topped flatiron steak with a glass of wine from the international list or a local craft beer. The restaurant is open Tuesdays through Saturdays, and Happy hour with a special menu and discounted wines and beers is offered from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Listen to live music on Fridays and Saturdays.

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TAVERNA TONY 23410 Civic Center Way Malibu, 310-317-9667 tavernatony.com Greek; Entrées $13–$37

This huge space at the northeast corner of the Malibu Country Mart is almost never closed and never empty. There’s always fun to be had: If the classical guitarists aren’t playing, the waiters might be singing. Every meal starts with Greek-style country bread and house-made dip. The roast baby lamb is a specialty of the house for good reasons: The meat is garlicky and mostly tender with some crispy bites. The accompanying potatoes are roasted with lemon juice and the carrots are cooked with dill. Greek coffee is a perfect end here.

WAYPOINT CAFÉ 325 Durley Ave. Camarillo, 805-388-2535 thewaypointcafe.com American; Entrées $16–$25 Kid-Friendly

With its unique location at the Camarillo Airport, this café is a locals’ favorite for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and Friday and Saturday dinner with airplane traffic views. Signatures at dinner are Chicken Marsala, Top Sirloin Steak, and Rotelli Cajun Pasta, and tacos, burgers, sandwiches, and salads round out the menu. At lunch, try the Serrano Cheeseburger and an old-fashioned ice cream milkshake. Egg dishes rule at breakfast, along with Belgian waffles, pancakes, breakfast burritos, and house-made Cinnamon Roll French Toast. Tri-tip cooked on an oak-fired grill makes a special appearance on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. Sit inside or on the spacious outdoor heated patio. 

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