The Ojai Valley Innthis week unveiled a 30,000-square-foot events venue anda schedule of culinary gatherings planned by James Beard Award-winning chef Nancy Silverton to go with it.
The Farmhouse, a $20 million, "multi-use epicurean and event center"with an exhibition kitchen in one building and a ballroom that can seat up to 800 people in another,officially opened Monday with a gathering that includeda ribbon cutting andself-guided tours of thegardens. Before leading a champagne toast for the nearly 150 people in attendance, ownerSteve Crowndescribed the project as one of a kind.
As The Farmhouse'sfirst Culinary Ambassador, Silverton has pulled together a calendar of talks, workshops, master classes andbook signings designed to showcase well-known and up-and-coming culinary figures. Manyhail from Los Angeles, as does she.
"The inn, less than 90 minutes from my home ...,has always been an oasis. I'm excited about helping to bring the newly constructed Farmhouse into the elite league of American culinary destinations," Silverton said in a media release.
MORE:At CBD dinner in Ojai, attendees learn a drop or two will do
What the same release referred to as a "bucket list-worthy" lineupwillkickoff onApril 17, when Silverton and Phil Rosenthal,star of the Netflix series "Somebody Feed Phil,"team up for amulti-course lunch with paired wines. Rosenthal, the creator, writer and producer of "Everybody Loves Raymond," will talk about his travels and favorite dishes from around the world($250).
On April 18, Silverton will join fellow chefsSuzanne Tracht, Mary-Sue Millikenand the husband-and-wife team of Hiro Sone and Lissa Doumani of the lateNapa ValleyrestaurantTerrato present amulti-course dinner that promises to touch on a variety of cuisines. Ori Menashe and Genevieve Gergis of Bestiaare in charge of the dessert course($275).
The events will take place in The Kitchen, where high-definition display monitors and a 14-seat chef's counter flank a gleaming assortment of grills and stove tops. Additional seating offers a front-row view of the action for up to 80 people.
Silverton will also be present for an Aug. 30 grilled cheese pop-up inspired by her late Los Angeles restaurant Campanile($275), an Aug. 31 burratacheesemaking demo and dinner with Mimmo Bruno of Di Stefano Cheesein Pomona ($200) and, on Nov. 30, a gala white truffle dinner prepared by the culinary team from Osteria Mozzaand paired with wines selected by Mozza Group beverage director Sarah Clarke ($500).
Classes will include a Nov. 22 "Butcher for a Day" session with Dario Cecchini, the Italian butcher known for his whole-animal approach ($250), and a Nov. 23open-flame cooking demonstration and dinner with Debbie Michail, chef and co-owner of Logmeh, a roving supper club that specializes in Middle Eastern flavorsand large-format roasts cooked over fire ($250).
Other sessions will include a June 15 pasta-making demonstration and lunch with Evan Funke of Felix Trattoria in Venice ($225) and a Dec. 7 pastry class with Dahlia Narvaez, the James Beard Award-winning pastry chef at Pizzeria Mozza ($75).
Ruth Reichl, winner of six James Beard Awardsfrom a career that thus far has included serving as restaurant critic for the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times, editing the late Gourmet magazine and writing such books as "Tender at the Bone" and "My Kitchen Year,"will visit Ojai for a book-signing and family-style lunch on Sept. 21 ($175).
Additional events at The Farmhouse will showcase area vintners, farmers, beekeepers and members of the resort's culinary team.
They include a Winemaker Tasting Series appearanceby Doug Margerum of Margerum Wine Co. (March 9, $65), an Art of Macarons pastry class with the resort's executive pastry chef, Joel Gonzalez, and pastry sous chef, Amy Hong (March 23, $55), cooking classes for kids (April 4 and 12, $65), honey harvesting with master beekeeper Glenn Perry (April 14, $75), a wine tasting and book-signing session with Rajat Parr (April 27, $125) and a tomato tasting, chef demonstration and Bloody Mary-making tutorial with Scott Daigre, founder of the tomato seedling sale Tomatomania and the official culinary gardenerfor The Farmhouse (Aug. 6, $125).
The Ojai Vineyard will be featured during back-to-back events: a library dinner in The Farmhouse garden (May17, $240) and a rosé release party with live music and light hors d’oeuvreson The Lawn, equipped with its ownLynx Outdoor Kitchen (May18, $55.)
Built on 220acres between the ninth and 18th fairwaysof the resort's golf course, The Farmhouse was designed byarchitectsHoward Backenand Silvia Nobili, of Napa Valley-based Backen Gillam& Kroeger. Standing in contrast to the Spanish Colonial-stylebuildings seen elsewhere on the property, the project'sstraight lines and dark gray exteriors were inspired in part by the loss of a rustic barn on a nearby property that had previously been used by the resort as a venue for weddings and other private events.
The Farmhouse project broke ground in October2017. Its progress was halted less than two months later by the Thomas Fire, which threatened the town of Ojai and temporarily closedthe resort for evacuations.
The fire's impact on the community is commemorated by aredwood table placed just outside a pair of The Kitchen's 40-foot sliding glass doors.Built by students from Ojai Valley School under the guidance of fine arts and woodshop instructorRyan Lang, the table's ends have been left unfinished to show where flames scorched the felled trees before they were milled.One side of the table is inset with the metal silhouette of a tree, while the top is carved with words that tell the story behind its creation.
For a complete schedule of events at The Farmhouse, go to https://www.ojaivalleyinn.com/farmhouse.
The Ojai Valley Inn is at 905 Country Club Road (805-646-5511, https://www.ojaivalleyinn.com).
WHAT'S NEW ON THE MENU
At Azu Restaurant & Bar in Ojai, the first day of the work week is for burgers –and for sampling a new whiskey.
Available from 5 p.m. Mondays, the Burger + Whiskey special ($20) includes diner's choice of a grass-fed beer Native Burger or a plant-basedBeyond Burger, plusthe featured whiskey, on the rocks or neat.The whiskeyis subject to change, for the sake of exploration.In February, for example, the focus was on selections from High West Distillery of Park City, Utah.
Monday is also Industry Night at Azu, where specials include Prohibition-era co*cktails. The cost is$8 for those who can show a pay stub from a restaurant and/or bar job, and $10 for everyone else.
"The overall idea is that Mondays are great for the local working scene to come in and get a burger, hang out and have a couple drinks without breaking the bank," said Elizabeth Haffner, co-owner and event coordinator at Azu.
The restaurant also serves as the off-site taproom for Ojai Valley Brewery (457 E. Ojai Ave., 805-640-7987,http://www.azuojai.com).
MORE:Social Monk restaurant debuts in Thousand Oaks
In Camarillo,Slate Bistro + Craft Barhas expanded its hours since debuting as a dinner spot in December.
More:Slate Bistro unveils new decor, menu at familiar Camarillo address
Weekday lunch service launched in January and continues from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. The menu includes a variety of 12-inch, brick-oven pizzas ($11-$14), chicken Cobb salad with diner's choice of grilled or crispy chicken breast ($14), anahi avocado roll with spicy miso and crispy wonton ($15) and sandwiches ranging fromham and cheese on toasted baguette ($13, including a choice of Parmesan fries, mixed greens or purple Caesar salad) to steak on ciabatta with garlic aioli and salsa verde($16 with choice of side).
Several lunch options also appear on the dinner menu. They include a roasted butternut squash stuffed with risotto, spinach, pecans and sage brown butter ($14 at lunch) and grilled salmon with olive relish, asparagus risotto and roasted pepper aioli ($16).
New to the mix: Sunday hours from 4-8 p.m., when the happy hour menu is in effect. It includes three street tacos of the day ($7), Yucatan chicken skewers with pickled onions and lime-habanero crema ($8), a variety of pizzas ($8-$13) and specialty co*cktails like Butterfly Collins made with color-changing butterfly pea syrup ($7).
The happy hour menu is also in effect from 4-6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays(4850 Santa Rosa Road, 805-388-9888,https://theslatebistro.com).
FOR A GOOD CAUSE
At more than a dozen Jersey Mike's Subslocations in Ventura County (and at nearly 200 California sites in total), March is also known as the Month of Giving.
Now in its ninth year, the charitable campaign this year will givediners a chance to donate to Cancer for College, which awards scholarships to low-income, high-achieving cancer survivors. The campaign will culminate on March 27 withDay of Giving,when participating Jersey Mike's restaurants will give 100 percent of sales to Cancer for College.
The chain has restaurants in Camarillo, Moorpark, Newbury Park, Ojai, Oxnard, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks and Ventura(https://www.jerseymikes.com).
At the other end of the dining-out spectrum, Mastro's Ocean Club in Malibuwill offer a limited-time March on Malibu menu to benefit the Ventura County Community Foundation and its efforts to help those impacted by the Hill Fire and Woolsey Fire.
Available March 1-31, the three-course menu will offer "some of Mastro's most popular dishes, including the warm butter cake," according to a media release. The cost is $105, of which $5 will go to the cause (18412 Pacific Coast Highway, 310-454-4357,https://www.mastrosrestaurants.com).
YOU SAY IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY
March 3 marks what would have been the 126th birthday of Ojai artist Beatrice Wood, a fact that will be celebrated with the launch of a new chocolate created from one of her ceramic molds by Ojai-basedBeato Chocolates.
MORE:Beato Chocolates made, sold at Ojai art gallery
The event from 2-4 p.m. at the Ojai Valley Museum will include a ceramic demonstration with a hands-on activity, plus wine tasting and a free box of chocolates for the first 25 people through the door (130 W. Ojai Ave.,http://www.ojaivalleymuseum.org).
BEER WALK THIS WAY
More than 20 craft breweries from Ventura County and beyond will team with local businesses when the fourth annual Beer March presented by the Camarillo Old Town Association takes place on March 10.
Check in will open at noon at Studio Channel Islands Art Center, 2222 Ventura Blvd. Self-guided tastings will be available from 1-4 p.m. Tickets are $35 in advance and $45 when purchased on site. For details, click onhttps://www.camarillo-oldtown.com.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
The Open & Shut column published in the Feb. 23 Business section of The Star contained information on the opening of Social Monk Asian Kitchen in Thousand Oaks, the debut of DV's Mexican Grillin Ventura, the closure of VinTura Tasting Room & Wine Rack and plans for a second location by the owners of the Ventura coffeehouse Simones. To read it, click onhttps://bit.ly/2Iw3XvW.
DIG IN:Keep up with Ventura County’s ever-changing culinary scene with a digital subscription to The Star.
Lisa McKinnon is a staff writer for The Star. To contact her, send email to lisa.mckinnon@vcstar.com.
