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2 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE
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4 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE
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collin
contents summer2011
58 28
Life As a Highway
Long before today’s extreme athletes and television shows such as “The Greatest Race,” in 1961 Carpinterians Marty Panizzon and Steve Rose bicycled back home from New York City. And that was after a few months touring and wheeling around Europe. “A couple of nuts” is how they described themselves back then.
38 avos go greener
groves
78
58
Q&A
66
young at art
72
A Perfect Pairing
features 12
The Band PLAYS ON
The UpBeat is Carpinteria’s band. Whether headlining at the California Avocado Festival or playing the small stage at a local haunt, The UpBeat fills the house and they never disappoint. The homegrown band takes credit for bringing Ska to the South Coast in the late 1980s — and keeping it here.
18 What’s sup on the wateR?
What’s Up? Whassup? This is what’s up: Stand Up Paddleboarding. A fun and easy way to play on the ocean without worrying about the waves. Plus, it gives a full body workout and is a great cross-training activity.
6 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE
With a new twist on getting back to the land, a crop of avocado growers have taken the organic and sustainable plunge. Not only are they leaving behind chemical and synthetic fertilizers, these farmers are going the extra mile with their commitment to local distribution.
Christie Boyd and Diana Dolan are the brains – and brawn! – behind Porch, the home and garden store. Combining their similar yet distinct backgrounds, the business partners have created a retail spot where shelter and nature converge.
Artists Melinda Trembly and Amber O’Neill are different in approach and medium, though they are unequivocally Carpinterian by design. The local landscape serves as inspiration for the two Carpinteria High School graduates.
Jessica Pintard and Kevin Clark opened Corktree Cellars in 2007. In an easy recipe for success, the Linden Avenue establishment offers the perfect spot to try new wines and some good food.
collin
66 collin
38
72
89
John and Jane Howard have spent thousands of hours creating a private Garden of Eden. Behind the hedged walls of their tract home blooms a lush, verdant growth carpeting the ground, curled tendrils overhead, and bursts of brilliant petals. Welcome to paradise.
Big Bikes, Bigger Hearts
Don’t judge a book by its cover or the motorcycle gang by its black leather. This wild bunch is one of the most active service clubs in town. The purr of their engines gives away the pussycat hearts underneath all their riding gear. They ride for a good cause.
96 Fiction: Thursday
Maybe you don’t know Olive and her mother, Lucy Juice, but you’ve seen them around town. Often. They seem so sad. State of shock and grief stricken are more like it. Olive’s husband isn’t coming back. He’s dead.
departments 36
Picture Perfect
46
Health
52
moment in time
94
REAR WINDOW
104
Final frame
the basics 8 98 102
From the Director Local Eats
eltinge
78 howard’s hawaiian garden
12
89
Contributors
SUMMER2011 7
CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE SUMMER2011 Director
Betty Lloyd
SummertoRemember Summer is Carpinteria’s time to shine. Our sleepy seaside town stretches and yawns from its winter rest to find its shops, sidewalks, and beach bustling and busy. No one is wasting any time in creating a Summer to Remember. Yes, we agree every summer is a season to remember, but how about making this one the brightest in a field of stars? Music, miles traveled, and the deep blue sea. What better way to kick off a Summer to Remember? Carpinteria’s homegrown band, The Upbeat, is still making music magic after all these years. Back before any of the band members were born, Marty Panizzon and Steve Rose spent a summer pedaling from New York to Carpinteria, and that was after bicycling around Western Europe. Opting for an aquatic sport, visitors and locals alike are taking to Stand Up Paddle Boarding like, well, like ducks to water. Not everyone is at the beach, though. Others are on land tending their avocado orchards with the renaissance of organic farming in growing Carpinteria’s cash crop. Artists, too, have planted themselves outside and draw their inspiration from the countryside. In these pages we’ve also managed to pack in a new health feature, a marvelous slice of fiction (though it is too short! Can’t wait for the novel to be finished), and a conversation with the creators and owners of Porch, Carpinteria’s beacon of retail. As a surprising economic twist, Carpinteria Magazine cooked up a new Dining Guide because so many new restaurants have recently opened. A half dozen new eateries are ready to be sampled and the fare is as varied and upscale as it gets – wood-fired pizza, boutique cupcakes, and a healthy crop of fresh, organic field-to-table chef’s specialty dishes welcome you to a taste of Carpinteria just about anywhere your fancy takes you to feast. No matter what is on your menu of summer fun, be sure to jot down a note to “eat in Carpinteria!” And, you’ll never forget this Summer to Remember.
Editor
Amy Marie Orozco ART DIRECTOR
Juli Land-Marx production DESIGN
Image Net Writers
Lea Boyd Mark Brickley Glenn Dubock Peter Dugré Maureen Foley Ali Javanbakht Photographers
Fran Collin Matt Dayka Glenn Dubock Lindsey Eltinge Jesse Groves Ted Rhodes Lindsey Ross ContributORS
Carpinteria Valley Museum of History Amber O’Neill Marty Panizzon Brandon Seider Melinda Trembly Kristyn Whittenton Production support
Rockwell Printing
Enjoy,
on the web
CarpinteriaMagazine.com
Betty Lloyd, Director Publisher
RMG Ventures, LLC Michael VanStry, President Gary L. Dobbins, Vice President 4856 Carpinteria Avenue, Carpinteria, California 93013 Tel: (805) 684-4428 Email: info@carpinteriamagazine.com
8 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE
All articles, photographs and artwork appearing in this publication are the copyrighted intellectual property of RMG Ventures, LLC. RMG Ventures, LLC aggressively protects its intellectual property rights. No part of this publication may be reproduced or copied in any form without the express written permission of the publisher. ©2011 RMG Ventures, LLC
COVER Cheers! A clink of the glasses to Carpinteria and to all its wonderful restaurants. Sparkling wine and pizza photographed by Fran Collin at Corktree Cellars.
porch where shelter and nature converge
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The Upbeat band members are, from left, Brian LeBlanc, Eric Vallen, Brandon Seider, Grant Cox, Zak Pike, Mike Organista, and Dan Boer. Not pictured are Mike Honeyman and Jon Wilcox.
the Band Plays On Story by Mark
Brickley Photos by Jesse Groves
When The Upbeat band plays your feet want to move. Fingers snap and toes tap. Then arms sway and the music carries you away. The Upbeat plays up-tempo, Jamaican flavored “ska.” Their sound blends sharp beats, scratching guitar rhythms and thick, driving bass lines. Like a tropical cocktail they add harmonic vocals, a bubbling organ, flaring horns and intoxicating guitar riffs to the musical mix. 12 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE
TOP RIGHT, circa 1991. The band behind Toe’s Tavern in downtown Santa Barbara. From left are Grant Cox, David Lombera, Mike Honeyman, Brandon Seider, Chaska Slawson, Brett Keller, Eric Vallen, and Mike Organista. The band also played at The Graduate, the Anaconda, Red Dog Saloon, The Livingroom, and Savoy Theater in Santa Barbara. There were gigs at the Ventura Theater and in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, and Mammoth Mountain.
F
ARCHIVES
BOTTOM RIGHT, after 20 years, The Upbeat continues to pack the house. On stage at Soho in Santa Barbara are, from left, Mike Organista, Zak Pike, Grant Cox, Jon Wilcox, Brian LeBlanc, Brandon Seider, and Eric Vallen.
ormed by four Carpinteria teens in 1985, the group has played together for over twenty-five years. Lead singer Mike “Oreo” “We kind of introduced Ska to Santa Organista remembers their early days, “When my friends were Barbara. It’s real popular now but back 13years old we’d listen to ska music after surfing at spots like Tar Pits and then there weren’t any bands playing it.” Jelly Bowl. We just figured why not form a band? We kind of introduced ska to Santa Barbara. It’s real popular now but back then there weren’t any bands playing it.” Bassist Brandon Seider agrees, “Our music has a raw feel. Magic can happen because it isn’t a perfect, highly polished sound.” The band’s founding members, all in their early 40s, live or work near Carpinteria. Seider has an insurance business. Rhythm guitarist Eric Vallen, saxophonist Grant Cox and vocalist Organista are landscape contractors. Valve trombonist Mike Honeyman is a buyer and planner for a local company. Seider thinks the band stayed together because they didn’t become rock stars. “We always just aspired to play music.” Vallen believes the band’s cast of characters just Local Soho Nightclub Owner, Gail Hansen agrees enjoys shaping Ska adding, “It’s no-pressure music.” that The Upbeat stays true to the ska genre. “Their The Upbeat are regulars at Carpinteria’s annual vibe makes people dance. The music is infectious!” California Avocado Festival. “It gives families and kids Over the years the band has played in concert with who can’t stay up late a chance to hear us play,” says Ziggy Marley, The Wailers and No Doubt. Their music Organista. The band’s local fans span the generations. has been featured in surf, skate and snowboarding The dance floor fills with twirling toddlers and videos. Last fall the band toured Hawaii for the second whirling teens. Friends and neighbors exchange “high time. “Playing music in the Islands is a working fives.” Hip couples and spry grandparents boogie vacation for us,” Organista smiles. back-to-back. Everyone grooves to The Upbeat’s The Upbeat’s music reflects Carpinteria’s natural positive pulse. setting. Their songs radiate the sun’s warmth and SUMMER2011 13
What are their day jobs?
ocean’s vibrations. The band named its 2010 album “Shuku” in honor of Carpinteria’s Chumash Indians. “Shuku” is the name of the band that lived on Rincon Point. Each week The Upbeat practices on Rincon Mesa overlooking the former Indian village, now a famous surfing spot. Bassist Seider says the band still has strong links to the city. “Driving around you actually wave at people you know. Carp is our hometown.” Organista remembers bussing tables at The Palms in his teens.
“We’ve been here our whole lives. It’s unique. The mountains and waves are in your reach,” he said. “There aren’t a lot of places like that. You feel connected. Every day you see ten people you know ... that guy was in my third grade class ... that one worked for my mom. It’s small and friendly.” Whether The Upbeat is playing in Santa Barbara or Honolulu, guitarist Vallen says the band always remembers to tell the crowd, “We’re from Carpinteria!” ¢
The Upbeat’s latest release is Shuku. Shuku is the name of the Indians who lived in the Rincon Point area. The cover art is by David Cota, local artist and cohort of the band members.
Brandon Seider, 40, bass guitar, commercial insurance salesman by day.
Eric Vallen, 41, rhythm guitar, landscape/maintenance by day.
Grant Cox, 42, saxophone and
Mike Organista, 40, lead
Zak Pike, 37, lead guitarist,
Dan Boer, 36, organ/electric
back-up vocals, landscaper by day.
vocalist, landscaper by day.
Brian LeBlanc, 32, drums, carpenter by day.
Not pictured: Mike Honeyman, 40, valve trombone/back-up vocals, buyer by day and Jon Wilcox, 24, trumpet, student by day.
musician by day (and night).
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16 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE
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Standing Tall Before the Wall With a SUP board under under ones feet, the waves can be seen before they crash. A relatively new aquatic activity, SUP can be more peaceful and calming than its surfing cousin.
The Golden Glide With the sun at their backs and miles of smooth water ahead, Genelle Ives and Chris Gutzeit paddle along in the golden morn ing light of a Carpinteria summer. SUP is growing in popularity at the World’s Safest Beach.
18 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE
What's SUP on the Water? Story and photos by
Glenn Dubock
S
tand Up Paddling, better known as SUP, has been around since the 1940s, when the bronzed beach boys of Waikiki would paddle their giant koa wood boards alongside the tourists and take photos of them surfing in paradise.
Like almost all great aquatic pursuits, it ended up in California where it has been refined and turned into a lifestyle. Turns out, with its gentle slope bot足 tom contour, Carpinteria has become a hotbed of activity for this new sport. The quiet surf in the summer is the perfect time to launch a board and go for a serene coastal cruise and view the spectacular shores, often in the company of pelicans, seals, and the occasional friendly dolphin. Unlike a surfboard that requires the balance skills of a circus acrobat, the larger and more stable SUP board is eas足 ily mastered in minutes. The rhythmic stokes with the paddle provide a core workout that is unmatched by any other water sport. The glide across the calm足 ing waters is a Zen flow experience that defines life in Carpinteria.
SUMMER2011 19
Catching the Late Show The last SUP. Chuck Patterson knows any time is a good time to paddle. The long days of summer give plenty of daylight hours to grab a board and hit the water.
Paddlers to The Point SUP enthusiasts give a whole new meaning to “getting to the point” as they paddle from Ash Avenue and past the rocks at Sandyland Point. The sport’s relaxing effect comes from rhythmic paddling.
20 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE
Speed Streak in The Surf Slip-streaming through the shore break at high speed, Steve Marsh rides a cool wave of color on his SUP board. SUPing doesn’t have to be a slow way to while away a summer afternoon.
Time To Paddle the Cool Waters Suiting up for SUPing. Genelle Ives and Chris Gutzeit get ready for another summer session with their paddle boards. In addition to Hawaii, other famous SUP sites include Doheny Beach, San Onofre Beach, and San Diego.
SUMMER2011 21
The SUP Sunset Cruise She knows exactly how to let the day slip away. Helga Goebel SUPs her way to a sunset cruise of solitude.
Two for the Nice Of One The peaceful Pacific makes it easy for Steve and Barri Boehne to team up and take their tandem SUP for a quick sprint down the coastline. 22 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE
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Life As a
28 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE
highway
Story by Lea
Boyd
“Marty Panizzon, 23, and Steve Rose, 22, both of Carpinteria, Calif., are a couple of nuts—by their own admission—who are bicycling their way across the country.” So reads the first sentence of a story published in The Daily Sentinel of Grand Junction, Colorado on August 6, 1961. This summer marks the 50th anniversary of this adventure, an experience of a lifetime that can be whittled down to numbers: two young men, two 10-speeds, 16 states, 32 days of pedaling, 33 flat tires, $330 total, 3,200 miles, and countless acts of kindness, some given and most received. Adventures piled up for Panizzon and Rose in 1961, and the first push of the pedal, rotation of the chain, and spin of the wheel begins the summer chapter of a tale rooted in winter. In February, Panizzon and Rose had set out from provincial Carpinteria with big dreams of travel and only a rough idea of what the next several months might actually hold. Their late winter and spring would hold a cross-country drive in
OPPOSITE PAGE, Marty Panizzon maintains his ever-present grin despite the steep challenges of the 430-mile Tour of Colorado bike ride, a 2008 quest that included numerous 11,000-foot summits. ABOVE LEFT, Kansas was among the states the riders passes through as they rode between New York City and Carpinteria. ABOVE RIGHT, Grand Junction, Colo. got a shock when Marty Panizzon, at right, and Steve Rose pedaled into town in the summer of 1961. Bronzed and nearly broke, the two young Carpinterians were treated like kings and named Tourists of the Week during their stay in the town. This picture and others appeared in The Daily Sentinel the morning after their arrival.
SUMMER2011 29
a $100 rattletrap, a couple months washing dishes in New York restaurants, a trans-Atlantic ship crossing, and country hopping in Europe behind the wheel of a $400 Mercedes. In Crespano del Grappa, Italy, Panizzon’s parents’ hometown, the travelers bought Torpado bicycles on a whim. “Steve and I have very skinny legs,” Panizzon said. “We saw these Italian guys riding bikes everywhere with these huge, monster calf muscles, and we decided, hey, we gotta get some bicycles so we can look like those guys.” Neither man had ridden a bike since grammar school, but the cliché held true; Rose and Panizzon achieved comfort and confidence on their new wheels in no time. They boarded a ship out of Naples and crossed back to the United States with a new and outrageous idea brewing in their minds. Today, a bicycle trip from New York to California is a feat reserved for a small percentage of people—it’s impressive but certainly not unprecedented. Fifty years ago, however, bicycles were a child’s hobby or a European mode of transportation. The automobile reigned the American roadway, and as the Grand Junction newspaper pointed out, a bicycle ride across the country could only be the endeavor of a nut. Rose and Panizzon didn’t fit the description of nuts. They were smart and grounded, yet they shared a standard for fun
two young men, two 10-speeds, 16 states, 32 days of pedaling, 33 flat tires, $330 total, 3,200 miles, and countless acts of kindness. that could not be met with mainstream activities. A couple years before their bicycle journey, they successfully challenged themselves to a 30-day survival trip in the Carpinteria backcountry—another ahead-of-its-time experience. The “nuts” of 1961 would be called “extreme athletes” today. Back in New York City after their months in Europe, Panizzon and Rose locked their sights on another challenge. They mailed their luggage home, retaining only their Torpados, the shirts and shorts they were wearing, one change of underwear, about $100 each and Rose’s camera. They strapped blankets “borrowed” from the ship to their bikes, drew a straight line between New York and Carpinteria on a map, and then rolled west. Panizzon’s description dramatically understates the journey’s difficulty. Sure, he says, some days were hot, some roads were bad and some nights were cold, but “it stayed fun all the time.” The pair headed toward California, their thin tires gobbling up about 100 miles of road each day. They slept under the stars most nights. “We’d just ride until we were tired and pull over and go to sleep,” Panizzon remembers. Panizzon bought a postcard every day, filling it with news
30 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE
OPPOSITE PAGE, with no room on his bike for a diary, Panizzon wrote postcards home to his parents as a daily journal of his cross-country adventures. THIS PAGE TOP, in Europe, the Carpinteria adventurers bought a Mercedes in Munich, Germany and used it to tour through several countries over several weeks. Here, Panizzon, right, takes a photo alongside car salesman Norbert Westphal. THIS PAGE MIDDLE, after disembarking the ship from Italy in New York City, Panizzon, right, and Rose prepare to connect coasts with two parallel trails of 10-speed tires. THIS PAGE BOTTOM, Ed McCormick, mayor of Grand Junction, Colo., gives Panizzon, right, and Rose an official welcome to town. Photo from The Daily Sentinel. SUMMER2011 31
of the journey before mailing it to his family in Carpinteria. Lorenzo Martinez, the Panizzons’ mailman, read the notes and kept the town abreast of Marty’s adventures. “Everybody wanted to know where he was,” Martinez recalls. “I thought he was doing a great thing.” The far-from-home cyclists created a spectacle everywhere they rode. Newspapers wrote their stories, strangers offered them meals and the occasional bed, and Grand Junction, Colorado named them Tourists of the Week and treated them to an all-paid, two-day vacation from their trek. Pittsburgh offered one of the more memorable afternoons. After a climb over an unrideable tunnel followed by a nervewracking trip along the narrow edge of the Liberty Tubes, the riders were confronted by a State Trooper, “What the hell are you doing?” He ordered them to put the Torpados into the trunk and drove them to the station. Instead of handcuffs or a ticket, Panizzon and Rose were treated to hot showers and steaks with officers congratulating them on their unbelievable trip. By Denver, the two had about 15 cents between them. Outside the city, they found an open ski lodge for tourists to use the lifts for hiking and the Rocky Mountain scenery. Panizzon and Rose convinced the owners to let them join the skeleton
Panizzon bought a postcard every day, filling it with news of the journey before mailing it to his family in Carpinteria. crew for some quick cash. After a week, they each stuffed $65 into their pockets and climbed back aboard their Torpados. The $65 lasted them the rest of the way home. Well accustomed to gawking, flash bulbs, and newspaper interviews, Panizzon remembers the return to Carpinteria as an anticlimax to the 3,200-mile journey. Riding into quiet Carpinteria, someone he knew asked off-handedly, “Hey, Marty, where you been?” It was another couple weeks before The Carpinteria Herald mentioned their successful return. In the following years, Panizzon’s spare time for hobbies became scarce while he raised a family and worked as an electrician. Retirement has cleared his schedule and rekindled his love of cycling. Rose, with whom Panizzon remains close, lives in Nevada. Panizzon’s contemporary cycling partner, Ric Castile, a man he calls a “tremendous athlete,” pushes him to regularly complete 200 to 300 miles a week at 73 years young. Since 2005, a carbon fiber frame Trek bicycle has become Panizzon’s mount of choice, but the Torpado—still in immaculate condition and with all its original components—hangs from a revered place in his garage, a welcome reminder of a nutty adventure across the United States. ¢
32 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE
OPPOSITE PAGE TOP, some say a picture is worth a thousand words. Panizzon crammed as close to a thousand words as possible on the back of the daily postcards he mailed to his family during his journey. THIS PAGE ABOVE, Panizzon changes another tire on the road. His Torpado bicycle had sew-up tires, which required stitching, glue and about 40 minutes off the road to replace.
GROVES
THIS PAGE BOTTOM, Panizzon’s love affair with wheels did not end with the Torpado. He is pictured here with three of his other favorites: a 1960 Corvette, a 1960 Mustang motorcycle, and a 2005 Trek bicycle.
SUMMER2011 33
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Picture Perfect Eye-Popping Color The Golden State’s official flower weaves an earthly carpet in Carpinteria. Hooked on sunshine, the poppy thrives in Carpinteria’s Mediterranean climate — as do millions of other flowers grown on farms planted around the valley’s landscape. Summer’s average temperature doesn’t veer from the mid- to highseventies, and the season’s total average rainfall fails to reach the half-inch mark. July 1937 holds the distinction for having Carpinteria’s record high temperature: 108 degrees. The deepest the mercury ever fell in Carpinteria’s recorded history is 20 degrees in January 1949. Photo by Lindsey Ross
36 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE
The Palms TRAdiTiON SiNCE 1905
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ertile soil and a mild, seaside climate make Carpinteria Valley one of the best places in the world to grow avocados.
Even with favorable natural conditions, conventional agricultural practice over the last 50-plus years has been to apply synthetic fertilizer, pesticide, and herbicide to protect the crop and the grower’s livelihood. Whether it is for the health of the planet or the health of the consumer, the 21st Century farmer can’t ignore industry and culinary trends that demand conscious, sustainable farming. “People are realizing a lot of agricultural practices were unhealthy,” organic grower and packer Will
ABOVE, avocado grower Robert Abbott gives some soil a sniff test. Aerobic activity in the soil produces a fresh earthy smell. RIGHT, avocado trees are “litter feeders” and thrive in an environment with a mulch layer.
38 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE
Story by Peter
Dugré Photos by FRAN COLLIN
SUMMER2011 39
Carleton says. “Conventional farmers are becoming conscious. They’ve always wanted to do the right thing, they just didn’t know what the right thing was.” According to Carleton, who manages Las Palmalitas Ranch with his son Billy, the number of local organic growers has more than doubled in the last decade to about 25. Industry-wide, if growers are not fullfledged organic, they are reducing the use of chemicals. Carleton says going organic is tantamount to a religious awakening. You have to make a leap of faith. It’s all about the earth and cultivating fruit in the way nature intended. “Who knows what the long-term effect of some of these chemicals is,” Carleton says. “It’s never been studied.” He walks his orchard and reaches through thick, green ground cover and pulls up handfuls of mulch, crouching to get his hands dirty and point out that the decomposing material occurs naturally, and likely does not exist under trees that are conventionally grown. The synthetics kill both the good and bad pests and the good and bad weeds, disrupting the natural processes that replenish soils. Some growers choose to go organic because the fruit fetches a higher price at market. Carleton says if money is the only motivation
going organic is tantamount to a religious awakening. You have to make a leap of faith.
40 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE
OPPOSITE PAGE TOP, mulch gives the farmer a hand by conserving water, suppressing weeds, and adding nutrients to the soil. OPPOSITE PAGE BELOW, on the Abbott ranch there are two to three mulch passes a year. The mulch is a combination and rotation of horse manure, green waste, and chipped prunings. Ranch foreman Ernesto Solis spreads the mulch. THIS PAGE, from left, Robert and Duncan Abbott survey their avocado operation. Faithful farm dog, Leo, looks on.
in going organic, then the grower will probably convert back to conventional farming. The premium does not offset the cost of organic fertilizer, herbicide, and pesticide. Labor costs are also higher with more hands-on organic production. “A few have gone back to conventional,” Carleton says. “They didn’t have the religious fervor.” Carelton became an organic grower 15 years ago in his retirement from a tech career in Silicon Valley. More growers were converting to organic, and to meet the demand, Carleton built a packinghouse at his Las Palmalitas Ranch that deals strictly in organic avocados, lemons, and oranges. “Why did I do it?” Carelton ponders and laughs, “because I was stupid.” It’s not a huge moneymaker, he says, but it’s a place that can pack avocados to supply a local niche market. The warehouse-looking Las Palmalitas packing house on Upson Road sits in the middle of a 70-acre orchard. Carleton and his son Billy, who has worked the ranch SUMMER2011 41
THIS PAGE TOP, a pallet of avocados leaves Las Palmalitas packing house and heads to market. Bonnie, the truck driver, is based out of San Francisco and makes regular runs to Oxnard. THIS PAGE LOWER LEFT AND RIGHT, at the Las Palmalitas packing house, Raul Rodriguez sorts and packs avocados. OPPOSITE PAGE, part of the journey from tree to dinner plate includes a ride on a conveyor belt. 42 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE
since the 1980s, built the packinghouse in 2000 and installed a conveyor belt packing line that was previously used for tomatoes. Avocados are automatically sorted by size and packed before being trucked to market. Las Palmalitas is a nexus for growers who are passionate about the organic movement. They can find the cheapest organic fertilizer there, which is made from chicken feathers and has a high enough nitrogen content to feed the trees. The Carletons pack fruit from 2-acre backyard orchards up to larger orchards of near 70 acres. “We’re small potatoes,” jokes Will. The fruit ends up as far away as New York via train, but Las Palmalitas keeps local consumers in mind and delivers directly to stores like Lazy Acres and Whole Foods in Santa Barbara, in addition to restaurants. Avocados, organic or conventionally grown, can otherwise travel a meandering route to customers. CalAvo packs about 40 percent of all California-grown avocados at its massive packinghouses in Santa Paula and Temecula. The Santa Paula plant handles organic
fruit a few days a week after cleaning the shared equipment. If a Carpinteria grower uses CalAvo, which is the most convenient option, the fruit could travel to Santa Paula to get packed, sit in a refrigerator for a couple of weeks, and then make its way back to a grocery store in Carpinteria. The Abbott ranch, run by father-son team Duncan and Robert Abbott, is a prime example of how difficult a choice it is to convert to organic. Growers have to put their livelihoods on the line. Instead of converting the whole orchard seven years ago, the Abbotts hedged the risk by keeping some of the orchard in conventional production, while converting 25 acres to organic. “We didn’t want to put all of our eggs into one basket,” Robert says. He joined his dad in managing the ranch about a decade ago. Duncan was not sure it would be a wise business decision to go organic, but Robert was passionate. “His philosophy was, ‘why mess with a good thing?’” Robert says. They knew that converting was going to put stress on the trees that had become
SUMMER2011 43
RIGHT, Billy, left, and Will Carleton in their front yard. The home has been in the family for generations. BELOW, Carpinteria gold. This avocado could make a short trip to a Santa Barbara grocery store or hop a train for a cross country trip to the east coast.
accustomed to potent synthetic fertilizers. “As a farmer I believe in nutrient cycling and the general idea that when a branch falls off a tree and sits on the ground and rots, all the compounds that made up that branch get broken down by fungi and microorganisms and go back into soil. Using synthetics disrupts that cycle,” Robert says. Will equates the use of synthetic fertilizers to a person taking steroids. In the short term, the results are great, but in the long term, the soil suffers. “Conventional farmers are taking more out of the soil than they’re putting into it. With organics we’re trying to be neutral,” he explains. Growers not making the leap of faith to organic production are becoming more eco-friendly, too. Consumer consciousness has driven the change. Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) is generating a buzz throughout the farming world. Big grocery outlets like Walmart are starting to only deal with produce grown using GAP. CalAvo advises growers on what it takes to become GAP compliant, such as limiting run-off from farms into the outside environment. The California Avocado Commission took the lead in 2010 and is pressing growers statewide to become GAP compliant. Local commissioner Bradley Miles said by the end of 2012 the commission hopes that all growers will be on board. Miles, a Carpinteria Valley grower, is not organic, but has
44 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE
taken numerous precautions to ensure that his orchard has zero runoff to neighboring properties and to streams that flow to the ocean. To control runoff, Miles uses injection fertilizing, does not overwater, and is specific when applying pesticides and herbicides. Miles also points out that by the time fruit hits the market, it is perfectly safe for consumption. Avocado growing in general requires fewer chemicals than other crops, and the thick-skinned fruit does not absorb chemicals. “No responsible grower is going to sell a product with chemical in it,” Miles says. ¢
Follow us on www.avofest.com •
•
HEALTH
Story by Ali
Javanbakht, MD
Walking is believed to be a hardwired trait in humans. In other words, if a child receives no instructions, she will start to walk on her own. That is why Tarzan and Mowgli both walked upright despite being raised in predominantly quadruped families. The human body seems to thrive on this simple act even in minuscule amounts. Simply walking from the couch to the television set to turn it off adds a few minutes to one’s life. Walking is a “weight bearing” exercise because the body’s weight is supported by the legs. This means that it helps to make bones stronger, reducing the risk of osteoporosis. Walking also reduces blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol. It reduces one’s risk of heart disease and stroke and even certain types of cancer. Mood is improved and the risk of Alzheimer’s disease is reduced when people walk. In a town like Carpinteria, that benefit is doubled since one is likely to run into an acquaintance, and socializing also improves mood and reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. With all that in mind, check out the following mile-long walks.
46 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE
1
Urban Safari
Lace up your city sidewalkers and place yourself at the intersection of Carpinteria and Linden avenues. Walk down Linden all the way to the beach, stick a finger in the sand, and walk all the way back to Carpinteria Avenue. Switching up sides of the street intensifies the urban experience of this one-mile trek.
2
Tree-Huggers Only
Birkenstock sandals won’t cut it on this nature walk. Orient yourself in the parking lot at the ocean end of Bailard Avenue and find the Bluffs Acknowledgment Marker. Look at the ocean and follow the trails to the right. Beyond the eucalyptus grove, cross to the trails on the other side of the tracks and head to the rim of the continent. The Seal Watch sign is roughly a half-mile in distance.
3
Businessman’s Special
Professional dress is acceptable for this lunchtime outing. Pumps, no matter how sensible, are best avoided. Begin at Bega Way and Via Real. Walk south and enter South Coast Business Center through the southern entrance. Do a lap around the complex, exit, and head back to Bega Way. This equals about one mile.
4
for low tide lovers
Shoes and shirt not required. Meet at the Linden Avenue beach parking lot. Holding hands, hit the beach and walk toward Santa Barbara. Stroll past the expansive beachfront homes to rivermouth. The return to Linden makes it a one-miler.
5
meet the campers
Barefoot, flip-flops, or sneakers – walker’s choice. Situate yourself squarely in front of the Linden Avenue lifeguard tower and make your way to the water’s edge. Face left and begin ambling east although it feels like south. Past the State Beach is the Tarpits staircase. Do an about face, make tracks back to Linden, and you’ve clocked in 1.5 miles.
SUMMER2011 47
HEALTH Let’s face it, living and playing in a seaside town isn’t the best route to beautiful skin. Sun and salt exact a large toll on the epidermis. Given that, it isn’t too surprising that Earth Science Naturals, an all-natural body care company, makes its home in the warehouses between the beach and Sixth Street.
Story by Amy Harnessing the power of Mother Nature, Earth Science has a line of over 40 products dedicated to nourishing and protecting the skin and hair. The company raises the industry’s all-natural bar by going far beyond the everyday organic, no animal testing, and cruelty-free standards of its competitors. Most of the line has earned the honor of the difficult-to-achieve vegan stamp. And, it is also about what’s left out – petroleum, parabens, toxins, artificial colors, and lots of other polysyllabic ingredients. Ken Grand, a trailblazer in the natural products industry, is the mastermind behind Earth Science. After founding Alba Botanica in 1982 in Santa Monica, moving it to Santa Barbara, and then selling it, the entrepreneur was itchy for another endeavor. In the vein of reuse and recycle, he bought an existing company in 2002 and retooled it. “It had a good foundation, good bones,” says the president and founder. “I came in for the remodel.” To take that analogy one step further, it is as if he remodeled a kitchen. Almond, aloe, and apricot are used to take care of the face. Papaya enzymes, potato starch, and kelp are part of the skin peel’s appeal. Olive and avocado make up the deep conditioning masque for hair. Adjectives such as buttery, whipped, and luscious can be used to describe the other products as well. The pretty packaging is held to the same exacting good-for-the-planet standards as
48 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE
Orozco
what’s inside. Recycled bottles are sourced from the United States and from local manufacturers whenever possible. Paper goods are FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) approved, meaning the trees are from a well-managed forest. Earth Science’s simple and honest approach enables the family business to create affordable products for the entire family. There is a men’s line. Prices are in the low- to mid-range, well below the luxury items typically found at department store counters. Around town, Earth Science products can be purchased at Porch and Pacific Health Foods. Additionally, they are distributed nationwide to specialty retailers, such as Whole Foods markets and health food stores, and are available online at earthsciencenaturals.com.
Sansum Clinic’s unified, patientfirst approach to healthcare is built around you. Our multi-specialty team of physicians and clinical staff work together, supported by the latest equipment and technology, to ensure quality care for you and your family throughout all stages of life. We are driven by the principles of compassion, teamwork and innovation to keep you in good health. Learn more at at our new website at www.SansumClinic.org
Caring + Curing In December 2007, I was a healthy non-smoker but had been experiencing pain in my chest. Thankfully for me and my family, my doctor detected my lung cancer at an early stage — I’ve now been in remission for 3 years.
If you would like to support the good health of your community by making a gift to Sansum Clinic, please contact Dru A. Hartley, Director of Philanthropy, at (805) 681-7726 or dhartley@sansumclinic.org.
— Lisa Raphael, cancer survivor, with her daughter, Hannah
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Story by Amy
Orozco
One of the best things you can say about yoga is nothing at all. That is why Carpinterian Amrit Joy, long time yoga teacher, leads silent retreats. “It’s a taste of silence,” explains Joy. This taste of silence lasts a day. The retreat structure includes an orientation when talking is allowed. The following yoga session, vegetarian lunch, beach walk, inspirational activity such as an art project or journaling, pranayama (breathing technique) lesson, and meditation are done in silence. Before beginning, a common reaction from Joy’s students is “Oh, I could never do that.” Well, do “that,” they do, and many look forward to “that” for a mental cleanse once or twice a year. The first layer of silence uncovered is not talking, or an outer silence. The second layer is inner silence; one hears how noisy the mind is and works on quieting it. When aware of what the mind is thinking, negative thoughts can be weeded out and positive ones planted. This leads to designing one’s own life with more contentment, ease, and serenity. “Easier said than done,” says anyone who has tried to cease sabotaging self-talk. That’s where tools sharpened in yoga class, such as
50 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE
breathing and postures (asanas), come in handy. “The purpose of True and Traditional Hatha Yoga is to create tranquility. Through the practice of the breath and the asanas, the mind quiets, the body becomes balanced, and a feeling of peace and serenity is obtained,” explains Joy. “Your breath is the foundation of True and Traditional Hatha Yoga. The breath is free, always there, and right under your nose. Learning the breathing techniques of True and Traditional Hatha Yoga can improve your health, quiet your mind, and connect you with spirit. Simply put, yoga can change your life.” Yoga goes beyond the classroom, though. It is a lifestyle with a history of over 5,000 years. Silence is part of the yogic way of life, and its purpose is to connect with and receive guidance from spirit however one may relate – Jesus, Buddha, Mother Nature, and so on. Silence brings a connection to that place, and knowing it is there is very comforting. Go ahead and ask anyone who’s been there, but don’t expect to hear the answer. ¢
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SUMMER2011 51
Moment in Time
PLAZA
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CARPINTERIA’S HISTORIC PERFORMING ARTS VENUE Experience a day or evening of music, dance, comedy, movies, lectures and theater showcases! Visit us for events & rentals: plazatheatercaprinteria.com 805.684.6380 • 4916 Carpinteria Ave. 52 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE
Clouding the Issue
The morning Milky Way and a shot of orange sunrise soften the Carpinteria commuter cruise. Flashing taillights, bumper to bumper, cars swim upstream to the workday. Photo by Glenn Dubock
Two Bedroom Condos with Patio or Balcony Elevator BBQ Deck Laundry Free WiFi Privacy Views Gated Secure Parking
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Moment in Time
Sky’s the Limit
Sandwiched between the blues of the sea and sky, a paraglider contemplates a right turn at Rincon. Flying full circle captures the marvels of the day. Photo by Ted Rhodes 54 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE
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Moment in Time
Dog Interrupted
A pause between the paws. Puppy dog eyes don’t miss a thing ... even when a chew toy is involved. It’s a matter of black and white, Linden Field must be kept safe for picnickers. Photo by Matt Dayka 56 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE
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SUMMER2011 57
Q&A Christie Boyd &
Diana Dolan
Interview by Amy
Orozco Photos by Fran Collin
Opened in March 2008, the home and garden store Porch celebrates the transitional space between inside and outside. Nature is the inspiration fueling the vision of business partners, visionaries, and Porch owners Christie Boyd and Diana Dolan. The two recently relocated their very popular shop from its former downtown location to a bigger and better site on Santa Claus Lane. With the freeway and life flying by its front windows and the back windows framing a Moroccan skyline, Porch is poised to create retail magic on “The Lane.” 58 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE
Q: Is Porch a brand? Or, is it more “where the spirit moves you”? Diana: How many times have we heard “oh, that’s so Porch,” “I went to my friend’s house – it’s so Porch”? Christie: A “brand” just smacks of corporate ... both of us have a vision of what we want the store to look like and be. We try to create that and it’s always in our minds. Diana: The tipping point is we always ask ourselves “do we love it?” If we love it, it’s a go. Christie: And would we buy it for ourselves?
OPPOSITE PAGE: Christie Boyd and Diana Dolan surround themselves with nature. The theme “where shelter and nature converge� guides the merchandise and environment of their store. THIS PAGE, at Porch, touch is as important as color, size, and form. Textures such as wood grain can be rough and uneven or smooth and cool. Pounded silver is juxtaposed against a smooth bracelet.
SUMMER2011 59
Q: What are the plans for Porch at its new address? Christie: We have such a great space and we want to share it. Santa Claus Lane has a stigma of being outside the retail corridor, and Porch has been know for creating interesting, creative, fun events. We have bold ideas — classes, book signings, parties ...
Q: It’s magical when kindred creative spirits connect. When did you realize that “she sees what I see”? Christie: We both did the buying for Island View. After finishing for Island View, we’d both gravitate toward the same thing. We’d say “if we ever have our own store, this is what we’d get ...”
Q: The new location will bring different customers. Are you adapting Porch in any way? Christie: The garden! We used to tease that we had a “home and parking lot” store. Now we have a home and garden store. It’s meant to replicate a place you’d have at your home, rather than a nursery with rows and rows of plants. Diana: It’s a place to wander and enjoy. You can get a 6-foot box tree 20 feet tall, but it’s not a nursery.
Q: You’ve worked with each other for more than 10 years. Was there a moment when you decided to team up? Diana: I had a personal aha! moment when I realized that having my own retail store was something I wanted to do, but I wouldn’t want to do it on my own. When I asked myself, who would I want to be with, and the answer was “Christie,” I was so afraid. I knew I would have to ask her to dinner and ask her. Christie: I’ve been in retail a long, long time. In my managerial positions, I’ve thought “maybe it would be smart to own my own business.” When Diana asked me I thought it was time. It was an immediate “yes.”
Q: Who is the typical Porch customer? Diana: Runs the entire gamut. That’s what makes it so fun. It’s not Montecito, it’s not flip-flops, it’s everybody. Christie: We have backyard gardeners to celebrities who have just driven up. We can’t merchandise to just one kind of customer. It’s a variety pack.
60 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE
Q: How do you complement each other? Is one more administrative? More creative? Diana: There are certain things. Christie does the checkbook. We’re so lucky. I don’t know two other people who are so simpatico. We’re so lucky and we know it.
OPPOSITE PAGE, the elements of Porch come together in a living space vignette. Pieces from nature punctuate the furniture. The feel is open and wide. LEFT, tablescape in lights. A gallery painting, by Hugh Margerum, serves as backdrop for the accessories’ starring role. BELOW RIGHT, Christie Boyd, left, and Diana Dolan, right, are captured in an uncharacteristic pose of sitting down in their home and garden store, Porch. Photographer Fran Collin took the photo while the two entrepreneurs were putting the final touches on the store’s new location on Santa Claus Lane. BELOW LEFT, look, hold, love, buy. Artfully arranged merchandise includes the display cabinet – a perfect example of form and function.
Christie: Diana does the vast majority of the buying. We both do everything. Q: Two career women and two life experiences created Porch. Tell us the “before” your partnership. Christie: My dad was a musician and my mom was an artist. There was lots of music and art in our lives, growing up in the 1960s, it was a hootenanny a week, lots of fun. I went to SBCC, UCSB. I always kept getting back to retail as my career. I’m a people person, I really like being around people. I get a lot of energy from other people. But by the same token, I love having a day to recharge. Diana: I’m similar, but different. My dad was a poet, a philosopher. My mom’s an artist. In my thirties there was a day of reckoning. I had a fabulous job at the time, and thought “I must make a living from this day forward being creative.” I had no idea what I was going to do. I started over at the most Podunk flower shop you could ever imagine, moved up to a job at a chi-chi
place, and then entered the world of special events. That was a really expansive time for me creatively. Q: How do you fuel your inspiration? Diana: We go to other stores, we take inspiration tours. On my days off, I have to step away and be by myself and with nature, and then my creativity explodes the next day. Christie: I just love in digging in the dirt, getting back to the essence. Nature is always inspirational to me ... taking a couple of hours pulling weeds, planting plants, standing back, and taking a look. Q: What happens behind the scenes at Porch that would surprise your customers? Diana: People would be surprised at how hard we work. We deliver the couches! They’d be surprised at the physical-ness of what we do. They’d be super-surprised at how much we laugh, how much fun we have during the day. Christie: We do it all. It’s a “mom & mom” business.
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BELOW, working is a ball. Christie Boyd pushes a garden display together in Porch’s new outdoor space. RIGHT, backyard fun. The important role of the Komodo Kamado barbecue’s function is equal to its beautiful design. BOTTOM, perhaps symboling freedom of flight, avian merchandise appears around the store.
Q: Name some challenges of having a business in a small town. Diana: One might be that you can’t be everything to everybody; that’s hard when you want to be. We want to please everyone. Christie: In a small town you don’t have that pool to generate energy and activity. You have to augment that lack of activity with your own classes, demonstrations, that sort of thing. Q: What advice would you give someone wanting to open a retail store in such a rotten economy? Christie: Better love it because you’re not going to make any money. Diana: Yeah, money shouldn’t be the motivating factor. Better love what you do.
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Q: Describe your favorite “Carpinteria day in the life.” Diana: I’m 100 percent an introvert. I love people, but after work, I’m drained. I take off, hit the trail, and run. That’s something we strongly share, our uberconnection to nature. It’s like air for us. Christie: Taking my dog to the beach for an early walk in the morning. Getting out on the ocean by myself and paddling around, hanging out with my kids, being around family. Doing something athletic and peaceful. Q: What’s the view from the Porch going to look like in five to 10 years? Christie: We’re hoping to have a real porch! Diana: We are going to build an actual back porch with an overhang. Q: So you’ve found your future at Porch? Christie: Absolutely. We’re here for the long haul. Diana: It feels extremely expansive. It’s permanent in a yummy way. ¢
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A mber
O ’ N eill
“Lifeguard Tower,” 9’ x 12’, oil.
Young at Art Story by Peter
66 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE
DugrÉ
M elinda
T rembly
Though they are different in approach and medium, the two artists are unequivocally Carpinterian by design.
Block print “Lifeguard Stand” from the California Coast Collection. The notecard and envelope are made from hemp paper and hand-cut to size. They are available at Porch.
Relative to its size, Carpinteria is home to many artists and plays hosts to a number of galleries. Its natural beauty serves as an obvious inspiration. Perhaps its “world’s safest beach” attitude enables experimentation and the new. As evidenced by young local artists, Carpinteria must be a great place to grow up. Carpinteria High School graduates Amber O’Neill and Melinda Trembly are two 30-something hometown examples. Though they are different in approach and medium, the two artists are unequivocally Carpinterian by design. SUMMER2011 67
LEFT, “Coral Casino Tower,” 22” x 28”, oil. ABOVE, “Seaweed,” 22” x 28”, oil. LOWER, “Coral Casino,” 9” x 12”, oil. Notecards of O’Neill’s paintings are available at Porch.
A mber
O ’ N eill
Carpinteria artist Amber O’Neill of my favorites.” merges opposites in the realistic O’Neill’s training started at a young landscapes of her oil paintings. Light age under the tutelage of her father, and shadow meet when a slant of Richard Wilke, and her mother’s sisafternoon sunshine bends through ter. “They were artists, so that’s what I the fleshy leaves of an agave plant. did when I was with them,” she says. The manmade and natural coincide in Now she’s instilling knowledge and her coastal scenes—a chair interacts love of art to another generation as an with the coastline, a stairway or a wall art instructor at Laguna Blanca Lower throws an abrupt straight line in front and Middle Schools. Being around of a rolling coast and colorful horizon. kids and art teaches O’Neill, too, and She calls the subjects of her paintkeeps her perspective fresh, she says. ings “local spots with a bit of a story.” “Art done by students is just as inspirMost of them have a story for O’Neill ing as going to a gallery,” says O’Neill. who has spent a majority of her life “Young kids are not intimidated, not Art teacher and artist Amber O’Neill in Carpinteria. Rincon County Park self conscious.” sharing her passion with a student. and the beach below are ideal spots O’Neill’s most recent solo exhibit for O’Neill to work. “I’ve painted Rincon from every was at Porch home and garden store. As a mother and angle,” O’Neill says. “Looking up towards the bluffs at teacher, she had not painted specifically for putting the eucalyptus, you can’t even tell I’m on the beach. together an exhibit for a while. The project motivated I’ve even done the bathrooms, and that painting’s one her to produce dozens of paintings and to begin to continued on page 68
68 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE
LEFT, cotton and hemp blend organic tea towel. “Pelican” block print is from the California Coast Collection. ABOVE, the California Coast’s Collection’s “Sand Dollar,” “Palm Trees,” and “Lifeguard Stand” block prints on T-shirts. RIGHT, the block print “Applegate Tractor,” from the My Way Home Collection, is used in a 2011 wall calendar.
M elinda
T rembly
GROVES
Melinda Trembly is a praghome accessories, things that can matist and an artist. From be used every day,” says Trembly. Trembly’s point of view, beauty Her favorite part of interior deshould be part of everyday life. sign was lying out fabric samples, Aesthetically pleasing, handfeeling each piece, and working made images serve the world with the tactile material. better on upholstery, on a Block printing allows an artist thoughtful card, or on clothing to repeatedly stamp the same than they do confined inside the print on different materials, so walls of a museum. By produconce Trembly has carved an ing block prints on functional image that interests her into a items like tea towels, Trembly’s rubber block, she can use it again stylish, rustic touch can transand again. One would think each Artist Melinda Trembly. form an ordinary table setting stamp is identical, and generally into a thoughtfully appointed and attractive place to sit they are, but according to Trembly the aspect of printfor dinner. ing that makes it fascinating is that each time the rubTrembly’s education is in interior design, and she ber stamp presses down on a material a new variation had begun a successful career in the field until her first of the same stamp appears. child. While on maternity leave, she decided to take “You never know what you’re gonna get when you some time to find her passion, and began block printprint a stamp,” Trembly says. Heat, humidity, slight ing. “I always wanted to do something with fabric and variations in the pressure applied by the person making SUMMER2011 69
FAR LEFT, Amber O’Neill’s “Butterfly Beach,” 2.5’ x 3’. NEAR LEFT, “Barn” from the Parsons’ Ranch Collection. The block print was used to create note cards. BELOW, “Palm Trees,” “Footbridge,” “Sand Dollar,” and “Pelican” of the California Coast Collection.
Amber O’Neill etc etc Left, caption goes here. Caption goes here. Right, caption goes here. Caption goes here. Bekow, caption goes here. Caption goes here.
A mber O ’ N eill explore close-ups of agaves. The dimly lit, green-gray leaves of the plants gave rise to a barrage of paintings on the same subject. In the future, after she’s done with a short family hiatus to care for her second child born in the spring, O’Neill said she will continue to find a way to keep
Though they are different in approach and medium, the two artists are unequivocally Carpinterian by design. local landscapes new and relatable. “I think I’ll do more of the same,” she says. “I like exploring landscape in new ways. Landscape, is something that’s been done for so long, and is so popular in Santa Barbara. I want to keep finding new ways to approach landscape.”
70 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE
M elinda T rembly the stamp all alter the final image. “I like the handmade quality; everything is imperfect. No one print is the same as the last.” She started with printing on cards, and has since moved on to fabrics. Subject matter for her work has been mostly gleaned from elements of Carpinteria, from farming equipment to palm trees. She did a series called “My Way Home” which contained a handful of images that line the road to Trembly’s house on agricultural property off Casitas Pass Road. She says the figures are landmarks she uses to give directions to her house. Left at the tractor, right at the olive trees. Lucky for Trembly, the do-it-yourself movement is popular now not only for craftspeople but as a style. The handmade look is sought after. Charming little defects cannot be mass produced, a good thing for an artisan like Trembly. “It would be a dream to have a print shop and be able to produce on fabric and yardage a line of my own home accessories,” says Trembly. ¢
Nurturing
the Creative Spirit
Visit. Donate. Volunteer.
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Thursday-Monday, 10-4
Carpinteria Valley Arts Council
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SUMMER2011 71
a perfect pairing
Story by
Amy Orozco Photos by
Fran Collin
It’s been said that “necessity is the mother of invention.” That may explain why in 2007 Jessica Pintard and Kevin Clark opened Corktree Cellars, a comfy-cozy spot to sip wine, nosh on tapas, and enjoy a long visit with friends.
The Linden Avenue eatery also boasts a selection of over 100 wines to take home. “We’ve worked hard at offering a safe place to land. To have a friendly staff, for customers to feel enveloped when they walk in,” says Pintard. She looks for well-liked, drinkable, appealing-to-themasses wine. Complicated and intense wines are more likely to sit on the shelf longer and not move in the same amounts. Wines may be serious business, but at Corktree the atmosphere is decidedly fun. Conversational in tone, the menu is punctuated with puns, double entendre, and other clever wordplay. Wine flights, there are seven different ones, OPPOSITE PAGE, the toast of the town. Corktree Cellars has become favorite gathering spot for trying new wines and being with friends. ABOVE, Corktree owners Jessica Pintard and Kevin Clark take time out from running the restaurant to enjoying menu items such as Margherita flatbread pizza. SUMMER2011 73
Conversational in tone, the menu is punctuated with puns, double entendre, and other clever wordplay. are served on a wood plank and a penny marker is used to rate them, as in a “penny for your thoughts.” “We’re dealing with two demographics, those who know wine and those who don’t,” explains Pintard, whose previous experience as a wine representative is invaluable. She wants people to try wines and passes on to her customers the values she negotiated from vendors. “I’m OK with getting less money.” Corktree’s menu and wine list are geared toward the mainstream customer, however, those in the know really understand what bargains can be found browsing the wall of wine located on the right when entering the eatery. Oenophiles are easily spotted by their delight at not only the availability of some wines but their better than reasonable prices. For example, it isn’t uncommon to pay $35 for a bottle of wine to drink at Corktree, 74 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE
OPPOSITE PAGE TOP, a variety of tapas plates pair nicely with the large selection of wines. Cheese plates are a favorite. OPPOSITE PAGE LOWER LEFT, chimichurri sauce gives an Argentinean flair to the steak frites menu item. OPPOSITE PAGE LOWER RIGHT, Jessica Pintard eyes a tapas creation. THIS PAGE RIGHT, wine flights are the perfect way to try a variety of wines. The Corktree flights also encourage flights of fancy by encouraging customers to rate the wines.
SUMMER2011 75
while at wine shops it would be $45 to take the bottle home. The ever-changing and evolving menu has branched out from the original idea of tapas but remains true to the original vision of playing a supporting role to friends and family having a place to connect. The growing menu, complete with entreés and decadent desserts, is the result of a financial decision: sell more food from the same kitchen. The new flatbread pizza, Margherita or Bianca, is already a popular choice. (Recipe follows.) Favored plates for sharing with friends are the charcuterie, which is a variety of meats accompanied by crostini, crackers, olives, pecans, and pickles as well as cheese plates from around the globe and covering the smooth, creamy, hard, and full-of-bite taste buds. Lobster melt panini, rosemary Parmesan French fries, and char-grilled hearts of Romaine salad with a warm bacon apple cider vinaigrette are other local loves. ¢ RIGHT, save room for dessert. House-made chocolate covered macaroons provide a sweet treat after a savory dinner.
Margherita flatbread pizza he new Margherita Flatbread Pizza selection from Corktree Cellars has been flying out of the kitchen. Restaurant owner Jessica Pintard suggests pairing it with either Layer Cake Chardonnay, which is an unoaked Chardonnay, or Hob Nob Pinot Noir. Layer Cake’s crisp palate will complement the pizza’s clean flavors. Hob Nob Pinot is Corktree’s most popular red wine. “It is very drinkable and pairs well with most dishes. I also love to drink Cava with our flatbread pizzas,” says Pintard. Cava is the Spanish version of Champagne and makes even an evening eating pizza seem like a special occasion! Like many favored recipes, this one doesn’t have exact measurements. Eyeball quantities and adjust to taste.
Start with your favorite pizza dough recipe or buy a premade one. Nothing fancy, simple is best. Roll it out really thin (it is a flatbread pizza) and toast it on the grill. Place a thin layer of pesto (homemade is best) over the entire crust. Distribute sliced fresh mozzarella and tomatoes over the pesto. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over the mozzarella and tomatoes. Top with fresh shredded basil. Bake for about 8 minutes in a 400-degree oven. Finish off under a high heat broiler. 76 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE
!
Enjoy
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SUMMER2011 77
Howard’s
Hawaiian Garden Lea Boyd Photos by Jesse Groves Story by
ABOVE, family trips to Bali and Costa Rica are the inspiration for Jane and John Howard’s backyard garden design.
Picture the Garden of Eden. Imagine lush, verdant growth carpeting the ground and hanging in curled tendrils overhead. Paint it green in unnamed shades, textures and shapes formed from sunlight, soil, and water.
80 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE
OPPOSITE PAGE, portrait of a patio. The Howard’s passion for outdoor living is evident in the all the greenery and dazzling flowers. THIS PAGE LEFT, the homeowners designed and built the new great room where entertaining gets its start. THIS PAGE LOWER, the happy gardeners enjoy a California vintage at the end of the day. THIS PAGE BELOW, Nightblooming Cereus has a romanticized reputation based on the belief that it blooms only when the moon is full.
R
emove that pesky serpent and uproot the troublesome apple tree. Add a Jacuzzi, an outdoor kitchen and soft-pillowed furniture. Swap Adam and Eve for a guy named John and a gal named Jane. Now, readers, you have a picture of the Howards’ backyard, their own private Garden of Eden surrounding a tract house in Carpinteria. Without the help of a gardener — divine or earthly — John and Jane Howard have spent thousands of hours turning their yard into a paradise. As a reward, they have also spent thousands of hours enjoying its beauty. Breakfasts and dinners taste best under the sky and in the company of green, growing things, the Howards will attest. A glass of wine is finest with soil still clinging to cuticles. And Jane wonders, why get on the freeway to escape, when the best escape is right out the back door. On a sunny day in early March, the Howards are making their return to the garden after a cold spell in February. “Spring gets me motivated,” Jane says. Their calendar is divided into the “work season” and the “easy season.” Trimming, pulling and fertilizing begins as early as January. Then there’s planting, trimming,
more planting and more fertilizing as photosynthesis ramps up during summer. The work season lingers into November some years; the easy season is fleeting. Carpinteria’s mild climate allows many tropical species to thrive. Plants from around the world comingle in the Howard’s garden, creating a lush habitat full of blooms and greenery year round. Angel’s trumpets play their fragrant music; over 40 palms add layers to the canopy; ferns unfurl delicately; black taro and papyrus soak their toes in a koi pond; euphorbias lend a bit of the bizarre; azaleas and camellias blush from pathway edges; trumpet vines spill over trellises; bamboo rustles in the wind; and ginger fights for sunlight from shady pockets. It wasn’t always this way, Jane says, recounting the house search in 1984. She and John had lived in Hawaii for a time, then in Carpinteria’s Concha Loma neighborhood for years before they noticed a house for sale on Granada Way. John let himself into the backyard, an unkempt plot of “freeway daisies” spotted with fruit trees. He saw its potential and, without ever stepping foot inside, told Jane they should buy the house. “John said, ‘I don’t even care what the
SUMMER2011 81
RIGHT, part of the garden design includes statuary stones and memorabilia. The plaque dedicates the garden to John’s father. BELOW, the backyard’s magnetic pull brings family and friends together for many al fresco meals.
inside looks like, it’s the best yard we’ve seen,’” Jane remembers. The backyard got an overhaul soon after the Howards settled in. Its first incarnation was marked by expansive redwood decks flanked by bromeliads, cacti and succulents galore. The wooden decks weathered over the years and eventually were replaced with flagstone and stamped concrete for the patio and walkways. Family trips to Bali and Costa Rica inspired a transition to tropical species, and regular visits to Seaside Gardens, Island View Nursery and Central Coast Palms helped to shift the plant palette. “I realized we were turning it into a resort to live in,” John said of the garden’s evolution. Four years ago, the Howards completed the merging of their home and garden lives by building a full outdoor kitchen. They also expanded their indoor living space, remodeling their kitchen and adding a sitting room. Banks of windows and glass doors invite the garden into the home. Inside feels a little like outside, while outside, well, outside truly feels like the Garden of Eden—with a lot more good than evil. ¢
82 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE
SUMMER2011 83
Seascape Realty
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Beautiful Mountain Views from this usable flat 10± acres parcel. Currently a container plant nursery - Ag Zoning, 2’’ water meter. Currently in the Williams Act/ AG preserve. Offered at $1,695,000
Carolyn Wood
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SUMMER2011 85
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86 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE
Roxanne Nomura
Inviting 1980 2-story home has 3 bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths and a total of 3,319 square feet. Perched in the foothills with patio and garden areas, sparkling pool and unobstructed sunset views makes this home great for relaxing and entertaining.
Gary Goldberg, Broker/Attorney/Realtor® Over $400,000,000 sold since 2000 805-455-8910 Mobile • 805-969-1258 Office www.garygoldberg.net • gary@coastalrealty.com
Carpinteria Beach Front Nestled in the heart of Santa Barbara’s premier oceanfront enclave, this stunning two-story Cape Cod blends traditional charm and modern amenities. Each tasteful room offers designer finishes with vaulted ceilings, gleaming wood floors, skylights and panoramic views.
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Santa Barbara Riviera This beautifully decorated home was completely rebuilt in 2002. It is one of the largest properties in the city boasting over five acres of landscaped gardens and walking trails. Every room is done with Italian stone, custom cabinetry, and hand cast plaster walls reminiscent of Old World Santa Barbara Estates. Located in the heart of the Riviera with breathtaking 180 degree views of the coastaline, harbor, and the Montecito mountains. This tranquil home is just minutes to downtown and the beaches.
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The
Brotherhood OF
BELOW, all dressed up and ready to ride. Club members are known for volunteer time when off their bikes. The Brotherhood manpower is an integral part of the smooth running of the annual Rods & Roses Car Show. From left are David Garibay, Maria Garibay, Daryl Chapman, Cindy Ambriz, Ruben Ambriz, Mike Lane, Tommy Nagle, and Jim Halliwell. Kneeling are Dan Campos and Helen Methmann.
BIG BIKES to BIGGER HEARTS CarpInteria
F
Story by Maureen
foley
inally, one man stands up to leave and the roar, kick and hum of his Harley-Davidson motorcycle fills the parking lot. Soon, everyone has straddled a mechanical steed, and like a posse, the group heads out of town. This is not just a group of motorcycle dudes throwing back a weekly brew; this is a tribe. Specifically, this is the Brotherhood of Carpinteria, a club for Harley-riders who live in the area. But
Photos by lindsey
eltinge
don’t underestimate these gearheads or dismiss them as “Easy Rider” wannabes. Not content to just raise hell on two wheels, these men and women also work to raise money for area nonprofits. Brotherhood president Ruben Ambriz states the group’s purpose in a professional tone, “To benefit the community and have fun. That’s basically our mission statement.” SUMMER2011 89
LEFT, Thomas Nangle, left, serves as a club officer. He is the secretary along with Helen Methmann. Other officers include Jimmy Halliwell as sergeant-at-arms, Mike Lane as treasurer, Dan Burro as road captain, and Wes Hansen as assistant road captain. Ruben Ambriz is club president and Dan Campos is the vice president. BELOW, night riders meet for the weekly meeting at a Carpinteria watering hole. From left are Ruben Ambriz, Cindy Ambriz, Dan Campos, and Helen Methmann.
90 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE
ABOVE, and they’re off! The Brotherhood takes off on the annual Jerry Clements Memorial Ride, a tribute to the club’s founder. The ride takes the group to the Rock Store, a famous biker hangout between Malibu and Calabasas.
F
or the last seven years, the Brotherhood has met formally once a month to organize fundraisers. They now sponsor at least three events throughout the year: the Jerry Clements Memorial Ride, the Hugs for Cubs Poker Run and an overnight barbecue at the Skyview Motel. The Brotherhood also participates in the Rods and Roses Classic Car Show in Carpinteria and the Toys for Tots run at Christmas time. The Jerry Clements Ride’s trail leads to the Rock Store, one of the world’s most famous biker hangouts. To reach this landmark, the Brotherhood heads south on the 101 to Kanan Road, then to Mulholland Highway in Agoura
“Jerry made it to the first [Brotherhood] meeting but not the second,” says Ambriz. While the man behind the lively social club never lived long enough to see the full blossoming for his kernel of an idea, it is likely that he would be proud of what the group has become. The local engineer came up with the idea for starting a Carpinteria-only motorcycle club roughly eight years ago, according to Ambriz, as a way to give back to the community. “[Jerry] was always donating things to the city so [generosity] was just in his nature,” says Brotherhood vice-president Dan Campos.
From a single man with a vision, the two-wheeled service club has grown into a group of around 20 active members who meet for both serious and frivolous gatherings. Hills between Malibu and Calabasas. Most of the shindigs involve a group ride and a raffle and any money raised is given away to local organizations, primarily nonprofits supporting people with cancer such as the Santa Barbara Cancer Center, Forester’s Hugs for Cubs, and Life Chronicles. The Brotherhood also donates to Carpinteria-based TRAP (The Rhythmic Arts Project). While it may seem strange for a motorcycle club to focus on cancer-related nonprofits, Ambriz explains that the group’s aim emerged organically when its founder, Jerry Clements, and another member, Rusty Kay, both died from the disease.
From a single man with a vision, the two-wheeled service club has grown into a group of around 20 active members who meet for both serious and frivolous gatherings. Besides their official meetings, Ambriz says that members get together weekly at restaurants to share a meal, have monthly group rides and also participate in fundraisers sponsored by other regional motorcycle clubs. While fundraising warms the heart, Ambriz says the Skyview Motel event in Los Alamos really thrills his soul. “We let our hair down. We leave Carp at 11 a.m., hit a couple of places along the way. We have a barbecue, a band or DJ ... We rent all 32 rooms ... We keep it afford-
SUMMER2011 91
LEFT, two of The Brotherhood’s shiny Harleys break up the line of four-wheel specimens along Linden Avenue at the Rods & Roses car show and community fundraiser. BELOW, a dismounted Dan Campos takes a break and stretches his legs during a ride.
able and make it all you can eat,” says Ambriz. With a smirk, Campos adds, “Then we do our best to get home the next day.” While the Brotherhood members clearly have a common vision of how to have a good time for a good cause, the people themselves are as varied as the models and colors of the Harleys they ride. Ambriz says that members are 30- to 60-something, and hold diverse occupations including insurance salesman, financial advisor, and auto body repair shop manager. While men outnumber women, there is a small, dedicated crew of female riders. So, how do members join? Ambriz says that, like most motorcycle clubs, there is a process for selecting new members. The Brotherhood asks interested people to attend events and meetings on a trial basis for six months, during an “apprenticeship” period. After that, potential members must receive a unanimous vote of approval from the group. If accepted, the newbies are given an official Brotherhood emblem to wear on their vests. Seeing how people react at the new member ceremony is one of Ambriz’s favorite moments. “[It’s memorable when I see people] receive their patch after getting voted in. I love the look on their face … They’re pretty elated,” he says. And in terms of new members, Campos just hopes the Brotherhood of Carpinteria keeps growing in the future. He says that having more people makes it is easier to pull off events. As for reason why Carpinterians should consider joining the motley band of bikers, he has a convincing sales pitch. “Feeling bored and insignificant? Buy a Harley and come hang out,” says Campos. ¢ 92 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE
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SUMMER2011 93
Courtesy of the Carpinteria Valley Museum of History
Rear Window
Summer Scrapbook There’s no date stamp, but the photograph is timeless — back in the day when The Palms and Delgado’s were the only menus in town. A crowded beach on a hot summer day with a boat bringing excitement ashore. There’s not just one crowd on the sand, but as many crowds as there are bathing suit styles. A special holiday perhaps. Hard to tell when every summer day is a vacation day.
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Discover Carpinteria’s Rich & Colorful Past at the
Carpinteria Valley MuseuM of History Featured Exhibits: Native American Chumash • Summerland Spanish & Mexican Ranchos • World War I Carpinteria Pioneers • Victorian Homes Agriculture & Tools • 19th Century School House
684.3112
956 Maple Avenue Carpinteria
Exhibits Hours: Tues.-Sat. 1-4 p.m. carpinteriahistoricalmuseum.org SUMMER2011 95
fiction
Thursday An excerpt from the novel Olive Me. By Maureen
C
Foley
herimoyas, eucalyptus honey, avocados, organic strawberries, Meyer lemons. The words and scents have a soothing effect.
The smell of fresh basil from Belvedere Farms picked up half a block away. We watch Olive and her mother, Lucy Juice, walk the closed off Linden Avenue block of the Carpinteria Farmers Market. Arugula, baby greens, lemon-chili pistachios. But it’s the flowers that hold them. Lucy Juice never says much. Left Olive to guess at her past lives, the time she spent with her dad when they lived on a goat farm outside of Davis, in northern California. The 70s. Even though her daughter’s husband, Lee, is missing, potentially dead, Lucy keeps quiet. Shows up with food around dinner time or weeds the garden without being asked. Small things. Truffles on the doorstep. Twenty bucks tucked into the mailbox. The Ghia magically filled with gas. Things Olive would never ask for. Inconsequential, infinitely thoughtful. How love shows up unexpectedly. Lucy Juice has an endless imagination for new kindness. Standing admiring the wire-tied bouquets of sunflowers at the farmer’s table, the two women share the same profile, give or take twenty years. But that’s where the body clone ends. Olive stands a good three inches
96 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE
taller than her mother. Olive’s long black hair, her mother’s frizzy red. Olive lean and boy-like, her mother shapely, breasts and all. Three years ago they could barely talk. In a way, Lee made them break through. From him, Olive learned to receive, to talk to someone without words, to speak without assaulting. And she learned her mother’s silences, how the body speaks volumes. What is implied, intended, said without. Olive is eating a free sample of a honey tangerine, the juice curling off her chin, and spitting seeds onto the asphalt. Watching her mother choose elegant stalks of periwinkle delphiniums from the Dutch flower growers, when she starts crying. Bawling really. Feels the punch in her stomach, rising to a pinch in her throat. And behind her retro sunglasses, the tears leaking out. Something about the last strokes of sunlight hitting her mother’s glasses pushed back on her head, the graying red hair, her mother’s careful attention on each stem, loving. Temporary. Pa-rents. Rents. Because they’re rental units, used for a short time, then gone. Gone without a trace. Finally leaving her alone.
Her mother’s breast sagging underneath the pale salmon t-shirt, the carefully placed jade beads dripping off her neck, closing in on her own death, dangling above the white buckets of delphinium stems. Her mother will die. She will die. The flowers are perfect. As a baby, Lucy didn’t breastfeed her daughter. Stan, her husband, had just died and she thought the best thing to do for Olive was to make her resilient, self-sufficient. Not attached to a particular breast or taste of milk. Too afraid to invite another human to become dependent
creeping white water. Waves roll up and turn it over, roll it back the other way as they recede. A huge stick impaled on one side, its head gnawed off. Out beyond the body, the immense body of water. Infinite. And beyond the water, the familiar lumps of the Channel Islands. Familiar bodies, bodies of water. “I didn’t find him in the desert,” Olive says. “You won’t find him there,” Lucy says. “I keep thinking he drowned. I mean, I know he drowned,”Olive says. “Maybe he’s out there now,” Lucy says. Olive’s mother points to the ocean, the islands clear out there.
Something about the last strokes of sunlight hitting her mother’s glasses pushed back on her head, the graying red hair, her mother’s careful attention on each stem, loving. on her. Afraid of the inevitable consequences. But years and years and Lucy lost her resolve and learned to open herself up, to be vulnerable again. Now Lucy sees Olive crying, takes her arm, leads her to the Grinder up the street. Returns with two iced blended mochas. “I hate to see you sad.” “Can we walk to the beach?” “Of course.” Linden Beach, where the street hits the Pacific, six blocks down. Lucy places the floppy straw hat she’s been holding on Olive’s head for her to hide behind and walks her arm in arm to the shore. Walking along in the low tide, standing watching the ocean, like two sea widows from the 18th century scanning the shore for ships. “He’s not coming back,” Lucy says. “I know,” Olive says. Then silence again. Come upon the decaying carcass of a ten-foot long seal, splayed out in the
Olive pulls her arm out from her mom’s hold. We watch her approach the seal, her image reflected in the wet sand. The wave sucks down, just as Olive walks up, the foamy thin water undoing the seal. Olive pulls the stick, the smoothened driftwood, out from the seal’s body. It’s an oar, remnants of an oar, shellac and varnish worn away to graying wood. She pulls out the splintering wood, and hurls it back into the body, a new flesh hole sunk deep into the decaying wound. Crying again now. The sensation in her missing arm flares up once perfectly, her two arms complete for a split second and then vanished, as she holds the stick thrust into the seal. Then she loses the feeling, knows it is gone forever. Cries for real this time. Cries and cries, seven days and seven nights, all the tears of the world creeping out until her whole body is completely drained of fluid. How tears and sea water share the same chemistry. How this is only the beginning, losing him. ¢
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local eats
C Crushcakes
all Carpinterians spoiled. The community’s collective palate has come to expect great food at a fair price at a nearby restaurant. There’s also a belief in that variety is the spice of life. The town’s impressive cuisine options cover the four corners of the globe – from the far flung exotic tastes of the Far East, switch-backing to the braised elegance of Europe’s Continental charm, winging south of the border for some sizzle, and returning stateside to a down home barbecue or steakhouse. Celebrate life, celebrate Carpinteria! Take a big helping of what the town’s restaurants have to offer. Save room for dessert!
AMERICAN All AmericAn Surf Dog
DAnny’S Deli
Hot dogs! Get your Hot Dogs!
Look for the Patio with the BBQs
BBQ compAny
Domino’S pizzA
Dodger Dogs with ocean view. Bailard and Carpinteria Ave.
Grade A+ Grill Marks
Delivery till 11, later on weekends. 1039 Casitas Pass Road 805-684-8371 dominos.com
Cajun Kitchen Café
Eladio’s Restaurant Santa Barbara Elegance
Creole, spices, and all that jazz. 865 Linden Ave. (805) 684-6010
Seafood, prime steaks, and satisfying pastas. 1 State Street, Santa Barbara 805-963-4466 Harborviewinnsb.com
clementine’S
eSAu’S cAfe
Seafood, Steaks, & Pies, Oh My!
Special occasion dinner house with the Prix Fixe menu. 4631 Carpinteria Ave. 805-684-5119
collin
The Most Famous Pizza of All.
Smoking hot meats, flavors. 3807 Santa Claus Lane 805-684-2209
Bourbon Street on Linden Ave.
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Hot and cold sandwiches come with the works. 4890 Carpinteria Ave. 805‑684‑2711
Catch the Breakfast Wave
Ginormous American style breakfast and lunch. 507 Linden Ave. 805-684-1070 esauscafe.com
foSterS freeze
the pAlmS reStAurAnt
California’s First Burger Chain
The Grill-Your-Own Palace
Flame broiled burgers, chili fries, soft-serve, hand-dipped cones. 5205 Carpinteria Ave. 805-684-3602
Surf and turf. Full bar. Fun, too. 701 Linden Ave. 805-684-3811
hugo’S reStAurAnt
the Spot
Where Breakfast Regulars Meet
Look for Line on Sidewalk
IHOP Restaurant
Sunset Grill
Pancakes Travel the World
Carpinteria’s Hideaway
pAcific coASt cAfe
the worKer Bee cAfe
Breakfast, Lunch & Pick-Me-Ups.
The Buzz Is About the Food
Pacific Health Foods
tyler’S DonutS
The Source for Good Health
A “Hole” Lotta Love
Big griddle churns out traditional favorites. 1049 Casitas Pass Rd. 805‑566-2134
Omelets and morning faves, lunch and dinner family style specials. 1114 Casitas Pass Road 805-566-4926
Easy spot for break time. 6440 Via Real 805-566-9195
Smoothies, juice bar, organic. 944 Linden Ave. (805)684-2115
Burgers & fries closest to beach. 389 Linden Ave. 805-684-6311
Three meals a day + full bar. 4558 Carpinteria Ave. bestwesterncalifornia.com (805) 684-0473
Authentic diner food with no compromising. 973 Linden Ave. 805-745-1828
Deep-fried sugared dough. Mmmmmmmm! 1002 Casitas Pass Road 805-566-3814
peeBee & jAyS
yo yum yum
SANDWICHES GONE GOURMET
The Name Your Size Yogurt Shop
Organic meats and local produce, best breads. 1007 Casitas Pass Road 805-220-6912 Rainbow Ice Cream & Yogurt
Creamy & Dreamy-Cone or Dish?
Lick the dog days of summer. 851 Linden Ave. (805) 684-3118
Many flavors + toppings. Delish! 1005 Casitas Pass Road 805-566-5929
zookers chimichurri marinated flank steak
This marinade can be spiced up or tamed to your taste. Subsitute your favorite red meat choice. ingredients 1/2 cup fresh marjoram leaves 1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley 1/2 cup fresh cilantro 1/2 cup fresh shallots 5 cloves minced garlic 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup olive oil 1/2 cup red wine vinegar Method: Chop fresh herbs and shallots. Add all ingredients to blender, puree till smooth. Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade for plating. Marinade steak in zipped bag for two hours. Fire up the grill. Rinse steak and cook to your liking. Tip on flank steak. Cut it on the bias against the grain. Top grilled meat with the reserved marinade.
Chef Brent Monsour recommends grilled onions rubbed with olive oil, salt and pepper, and a fresh tomato salad. SUMMER2011 99
local eats mexican cABo’S BAjA grill & cAntinA
reynAlDo’S BAKery Cakes, Cookies & Savory Dishes
Fiesta on the Patio
Famous tamales. It’s all good. 895 Linden Ave. 805-684-4931
City Market Tacos to Go
ruDy’S mexicAn reStAurAnt
Fish tacos, chicken + Margaritas. 5096 Carpinteria Ave. 805-684-5507
Mexican MEATS and more
Mixed grill. Great beer selection. 5292 Carpinteria Ave., #A 805-684-5737
South of the Border Sizzle
Full plates of warm goodness. 1001 Casitas Pass Road 805-684-7839
DelgADo’S reStAurAnt
Taco Grande
A Tradition Since 1965
Meals a la Mexico.
wyatt’s favorite field Greens Salad
oAxAcA freSh
tAQueriA el Buen guSto
Family Style Mexican Eatery
Way More Than Just Tacos.
Best recipe for a classic balsamic vinaigrette.
Recipes from Old Country 741 Linden Ave. 805-684-3635 Panaderia Maria’s
Taqueria Rincon Alteno
Family Bakery Serving Meals
Authentic and Tasty Tacos.
Numero Uno + Best tequila. 4401 Carpinteria Ave. 805-684-4822
ingredients 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1/4 teaspoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon black pepper 3/4 cup salad oil 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 6 cups field greens method Whisk together first seven ingredients in a bowl or jar till well blended. Toss with your favorite choice of lettuces, arugula, mushrooms, heritage tomatoes, bacon, and Parmesan cheese.
Burritos are the popular choice. 4912 Carpinteria Ave. (805) 684-5556
Big helpings of homecooking. 1096 Casitas Pass Road 805-684-0135
Seafood dishes are a specialty. 4835 Carpinteria Ave. (805) 684-0384
Casual place with serious food. 4414 Via Real (805) 684-7764
reyeS mArKet Outstanding Mexican Fare
Lovingly cooked + prepped. 4795 Carpinteria Ave. 805-684-2212
Foodies, do you know... The local dining scene isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. New ingredients to Carp’s culinary corner, in spite of an economy on low simmer, include: Peebee & Jay’s – Upscale sandwich shop for the working lunch crowd. Organic ingredients, innovative combinations make up the 20-something sandwich menu. CrushCakes – Cupcakes are the star here plus a fresh Santa Barbara style menu as homemade and organic as it gets. A touch of urban city environ welcomes everyone in the family to breakfast, lunch and ‘eat cake.’ City Market’s Tacos to Go – Zesty-zippy Mexican take-away. Flour or corn tortillas wrapped around a succulent option – chicken, beef, and more. Pour on the salsa and it’s a meal. Beach Grill at Padaro – Habit forming burger redux on a prime beachfront lot. Taking the American classic and raising it to new heights.
100 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE
italian SiAm elephAnt thAi reStAurAnt
Giannfranco’s Trattoria UPTOWN ITALIAN, TASTE OF HOME
Orient Express to Your Stomach
Pasta pillows, succulent sauces. 666 Linden Ave. (805) 684-0720
SuShi teri houSe
Giovanni’s Pizza
Casual Japanese Dining
Pizza Palace & Fun Atmosphere
Exotic spices & delicate touch. 509 Linden Ave. 805-684-2391
Traditional food, U.S.A. sized. 970 Linden Ave. 805-745-1314 sushiteri.com uncle chen reStAurAnt It’s Good Fortune to Eat Here High-end Chinese-great price! 1025 Casitas Pass Road 805-566-3334 805‑684‑2711
Pasta, sammies & games. 5003 Carpinteria Ave. (805) 684-8288 giovanniscarp.com
Tony’s Pizza and Pastaria An Italian Love Story
Marinara, pizza + garlic bread 699 Linden Ave. (805) 684-3413
californian Corktree Cellars
Sly’S reStAurAnt
Downtown Wine Bar and Tapas
They Come From Miles Around
Bistro, late night desserts(!) 910 Linden Ave 805-684-1400 corktreecellars.com
Classic. Plus Comfort menu. 686 Linden Ave. 805-684-6666 slysonline.com
Crushcakes
the gArDen mArKet
Crushcakes & Café
Great Food on Pretty Patio
Jack’s Famous Bistro & Bagels
zooKer’S reSAurAnt
Just Baked in Carpinteria From scratch, organic + local. 4945 Carpinteria Ave. (805) 684-4300
Top Notch Nosh
Healthy cuisine & Peet’s Coffee. 5050 Carpinteria Ave. 805-566-1558 • bagelnet.com
Plus gifts + extensive wine list. 3811 Santa Claus Lane 805-745-5505 thegardenmarkets.com
Mediterranean Style Bistro
Zesty + fresh eclectic menu. 5404 Casitas Pass Road 805-684-8893 zookerscafe.com
sly
asian
Sly’s signature fresh tomato herb sauce
Simply great with grilled salmon or Santa Barbara Channel sea bass! Ingredients tomatoes, farmers market 6 each tarragon 1 bunch mint 1 bunch basil 1 bunch Italian parsley 1 bunch chives, chopped 1 bunch extra virgin olive oil 10 ounces lemon juice 1 ounce salt 2 teaspoons sugar, granulated 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper to taste mustard, Dijon extra strong 2 ounces Method: Cut the ripe tomatoes in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Dice into 3/8-inch squares, and put in a bowl. Finely chop the tarragon, mint, basil, parsley, and chives. Mix the chopped herbs and diced tomatoes. Add the salt, pinch of sugar, freshly ground black pepper, lemon and mix. Add the oil and stir lightly.
Warm slightly for serving and serve warm.
SUMMER2011 101
amy m. orozco
Carpinteria Magazine editor Amy M. Orozco considers herself one of the luckiest people in the world. She gets to live and work in Carpinteria. Orozco uncovers a lot of new territory in this issue — from ancient spirituality to today’s retail nirvana. Her work credits include national magazines and newspapers, television animation, and travel writing. Her first guidebook “Solvang: A Guide to the Danish Capital of America” was released earlier this year.
mark brickley
Local music columnist Mark Brickley profiles Carpinteria’s legendary ska band The Upbeat. Describing their Jamaican sound as a blend of pulsing beats, flaring horns and cool rhythms, Brickley parallels The Upbeat’s tropical groove to Carpinteria’s friendly, laid-back, small town image. Singer-songwriter Brickley performed at the 2011 Rotary Talent show and his short story “Contest of Giants” appeared in last summer’s issue of Carpinteria Magazine.
peter dugré Writer Peter Dugré has learned in his handful of years living in Carpinteria that avocados are well-suited for any meal, any time of the year — particularly the creamy, oily variety that plumps up and hangs from the trees of a Carpinteria avocado grove. Dugré also hones in on two other locally grown specimens — artists MelindaTrembley and Amber O’Neil--who were born and raised in Carpinteria and express their appreciation for the beauty in their backyards through art.
maureen foley Maureen Foley is a writer, artist, and teacher who grew up on an avocado ranch in Carpinteria. She just finished a three-year stint in Louisiana, enjoying Mardi Gras, crawfish boils and drivethrough daiquiris. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, Wired, Santa Barbara Magazine, Carpinteria Magazine, Caesura, Skanky Possum and elsewhere.
juli land-marx
Art director Juli Land-Marx is the wizard who brings ideas and concepts to life on the pages of Carpinteria Magazine. With her mouse as a wand she captures the look and feel of our little coastal town and turns them into page-turning delight. She claims to play no favorites with stories and says each one is a unique inspiration. Perhaps her biggest design challenge is when her toddler Landon runs off with the track ball to her mouse. Mouse intact, Juli is very proud of the current issue.
102 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE
Traveling by plane, train or bicycle is top of the list for Coastal View News editor Lea Boyd. This spring she undertook a vicarious bicycle journey while writing about Marty Panizzon and his great cross-country adventure of 50 years ago. She also got to explore John and Jane Howards’ garden paradise, research that felt like a tropical vacation just a few blocks from the home she shares with her husband and their nutty, black dog.
dr. ali javanbakht
lea boyd
Dr. Ali Javanbakht does not portray a doctor on television, but he does play one in real life. His column, “For the Health of It!” appears bi-weekly in Coastal View News. It won second place for best original writing at the 2010 AFCP awards. His book of the same name is a compilation of the best articles.
p e n
a n d
i n k
lindsey eltinge
Lindsey Eltinge’s most recent photo work includes food shots and portrait work, as evidenced by her capture of Carpinteria’s Brotherhood. Her credits list a number of regional magazines and taking center stage is the book “Chef in the Vineyard.” The San Diego transplant and her Santa Barbara native husband, Evan, make their temporary home in Arizona.
lindsey ross
Seeing that photographer Fran Collin has made his home in the middle of an avocado orchard for the past seven years, shooting this issue’s story on organic avos was near and dear to his heart. He considers his and daughter’s second place ranking in guacamole contest at the California Avocado Festival the real testament of his love for Carpinteria’s favored fruit. “I love working in Carp and meeting my neighbors,” comments Collin.
jesse groves
Jesse Groves’ photography grew up in Carpinteria. As a Brooks Institute of Photography undergraduate student, he focused his lens on Carpinteria and kept clicking. With Carpinteria Magazine a big part of his portfolio, Groves now holds a master’s of fine arts degree. When he’s not capturing the elements of paradise in a Carpinteria backyard or an artist’s canvas he curates
Photographer Lindsey Ross is a busy working on her master’s of fine arts degree but still manages to squeeze in weekends of photographing the best of Carpinteria. A graduate of the Brooks Institute, the Ohio native keeps clicking and living along the South Coast.
fran collin
ted rhodes
matt dayka
Though often globetrotting on assignment, photographer Matt Dayka still finds time to pack his camera and travel the streets of Carpinteria. He was recently honored as one of the American Society of Media Photographer’s “Best of 2010.” His work has appeared in national publications as well as previously on the pages of Carpinteria Magazine.
t h r o u g h
Even though he’s been snapping photos of Carpinteria’s paradise by the sea since 1976, Glenn Dubock still finds himself turning to his wife Kathy to say, “Don’t you just love our little town?” Dubock is a firm believer in the local adage, “If you are wealthy you live in Santa Barbara. If you are famous you live in Montecito, but if you are lucky you live in Carpinteria.”
glenn dubock
c o n t r i b u t o r s
t h e
Ted Rhodes worked in Hollywood as a key grip for 22 years on a wide range of film projects that included National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and Beetlejuice. Rhodes now devotes most of his energies to Carpinteria and South Coast images and critical community issues. He is one of the official photographers for the Santa Barbara Blues Society. His photographs have appeared in a number of local, regional, and national publications.
l e n s
Landmark Mission bells The King’s Road. That’s English for El Camino Real, the historic route taken by the Franciscan order of Catholic missionaries in constructing the California mission system. Today, thanks to the El Camino Bell Project of 1906, about 555 bells dot the coastal California highway signaling respect for the past and dreams for a brighter future. The silhouette of a Carpinteria bell stands sentry as the sun sinks to tomorrow.
Photo by Jesse Groves
Fabulous Phalaenopsis
c y m b i d i u m s • p h a l a e n o p s i s • p o t s • a r ra n g e m e n t s • t h e p e r fe c t g i f t
inspiration grown locally
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC MONDAY-FRIDAY 8-5 SATURDAY 10-3 3 5 0 4 V i a Re a l C a rp i n te ri a C A 8 0 5 . 6 8 4 . 5 411 we ste rl ayo rch i d s . c o m