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BY Hannah Meyers | PHOTOGRAPHY Silas Fallstich

We all hear about farm-to-table cooking everywhere. I wanted to experience it one step further. A forage-to-table, if you will. So, I met up with Chef Nathan Lingle of Finch and Fork at the Rattlesnake Canyon trailhead in Santa Barbara on a bright Sunday morning to see what we could find.

Lingle grew his knowledge of plants from a lifetime of hiking and exploring. The Maine native was no stranger to the foliage we encountered. Every shrub had a story and I could see a recipe building in his mind with each snip of a stem. The wild fennel’s pollen to the left of us could dress up a plate, while the thistle on the right could be harvested to make a liver detoxing tea.

The storms that blew through Santa Barbara earlier this year created a fertile ground for mushrooms a month ago, but unfortunately the soil quickly dried back out. While we didn’t find mushrooms, there was no shortage of other vegetation. Lingle’s flora expertise overflowed as we continued our hike. He explained how dried California broom grain makes a cereal grain that can be eaten like oatmeal or toasted and turned into flour.

We stumbled across elderflower, which Lingle plans on making into a specialty beer. He’s been mixing up creative brews with what he can find and putting them on the menu for guests to try, the last being a chanterelle mushroom pilsener. “Right now is elderflower season so we’re going to do an elderflower beer. I’ll harvest all the elderflower and take it to the brewery. They have different kinds of beers—a lager, a porter, a pilsener—and we’ll mix it to see how it goes,” he said.

Prior to the pandemic, Lingle was based in San Diego, but wanted to follow his passion and have an urban farm. Santa Barbara allowed him to do exactly that and he’s been in love with the place since. His home in Ventura is a vivid representation of a dream come true—he tells me about his six chickens and the latest addition of bees. When he’s not tending to his farm, he is creating brilliance at Finch and Fork at Kimpton Canary Hotel where he’s been head chef for the last six months.

Of course, I had to taste his foraged ingredient-embellished dishes for myself. On a recent evening, I nestled into a cozy booth across from a dear friend. We were greeted with glasses of sparkling wine, which were soon joined by sweet and tart raspberry daiquiris.

We started with the hamachi crudo where buttery fish perfectly paired with avocado, creating a luscious bite complemented by bright tangerine. We moved onto the Italian burrata sitting atop a crisp spring pea salad and pistachio twirl. It’s so creamy it melted in our mouths. We were still raving about the burrata when two of Finch and Fork’s specialty deviled eggs came out. Don’t be fooled, they aren’t your average picnic appetizer. The pink hued bite was topped with a generous hunk of cajun maple pork belly and pickled shallots. A true one bite wonder.

Soon, our entrees appeared—king salmon and fried chicken. The crackly salmon skin was crisped to perfection while the succulent fish paired perfectly with the smoked potatoes. Juicy chicken coated in a light, flaky batter served as the best vehicle for their house made pomegranate hot sauce. The sauce is good enough to be bottled and sold on its own. Accompanied by fresh pickles, it was comfort food at its finest.

Even after an incredible meal, there’s always room for dessert, and dessert they do well. First up: a beautiful tangerine curd tart adorned with fresh citrus. The tangy tangerine balanced out the sweetness in the creamy confection. It’s one of the best desserts I’ve ever had. We rounded it off with a milkshake reminiscent of a blueberry muffin with a streusel topping and lemon meringue. The frozen treat was as unique as it was delicious.

After undergoing renovations last year, the restaurant has been refreshed with Lingle’s creative direction. He has big plans for the future of Finch and Fork, placing an emphasis on sweet treats. He shares, “One thing I’m passionate about is bringing pastry back into the dining experience. We’re looking at doing a dessert prix-fixe in the lobby and bar on Fridays and Saturdays. I feel like there’s a gap in dining here in Santa Barbara and we’re missing that dessert experience. I want to create a whole dessert experience. Having special experiences like that is our focus.”*