Cafe Society: Michelin-star chefs shine in Ventura County

Remember back in early June, when the first Michelin Guide to restaurants throughout California declined to bestow a single star between Monterey and Los Angeles, despite receiving a $600,000 incentive from the tourism board Visit California to expand its exploration of the Golden State beyond the Bay Area and the Southland?

(The cash came from assessments on tourism-related businesses rather than taxpayer funds, but, still. Ouch.)  

Michelin's inspectors may have dissed the region, but chefs from restaurants they honored are more than happy to spend time in a very specific part of it: Ojai.

In particular, they're on the schedule of dinners, wine tastings and cooking classes at The Farmhouse, the 30,000-square-foot culinary events center that opened six months ago at the Ojai Valley Inn.  

MORE:Chef Nancy Silverton to head culinary events at The Farmhouse in Ojai

Michael Cimarusti, chef and co-owner of the seafood-focused Providence in Hollywood, is a highly lauded addition since the original lineup was announced in February.

Cimarusti earned his first James Beard Award (for Best Chef: West) in May, just weeks before learning that Providence had earned Michelin's two-star distinction for its "California cuisine inspired by the flavors and ideas of Asia and the Mediterranean."

In Ojai, Cimarusti will prepare a Sept. 21 seafood-feast dinner during an evening that includes the debut tasting of FÆTHM wines by Nikolas and Julia Krankl. Reservations are a special-occasion $375 per person. 

As the official culinary ambassador for The Farmhouse's first year of events, Nancy Silverton's name has been all over the schedule from the beginning.

MORE:'Let's do brunch' includes these four new choices in Ventura County

A fellow James Beard Award winner whose Osteria Mozza in Los Angeles earned a single-star designation for what Michelin called its "unsurprisingly phenomenal" pastas, Silverton varies her Ojai appearances between being the star attraction and playing a supporting role.

The former category includes an Aug. 30 grilled cheese pop-up inspired by the grilled cheese nights Silverton offered at her now-shuttered Campanile restaurant ($275) and a Dec. 8 brunch with Krug Champagne ($275). 

The latter includes joining "Save Me the Plums" author Ruth Reichl for a lunch and book signing on Sept. 21 ($175) and hanging with Italian butcher Dario Cecchini for a Nov. 22 dinner that will feature dishes paired with Fontodi wines from the Chianti region ($300).

Did I mention that prices don't include tax or tip? Both are added automatically when purchasing tickets online.

For a less-spendy (but still star-studded) option, check out the event planned for Aug. 11. Chef Claudette Zepeda-Wilkins, whose San Diego restaurant El Jardín earned a Bib Gourmand Michelin ranking, will offer a cooking demonstration during an afternoon of appearances by Los Angeles Times food writer Jenn Harris and Jeff Gordinier, food and drinks editor for Esquire.

Reservations, $100, include lunch and a signed copy of "Hungry," Gordinier's newly published book about Noma chef René Redzepi.

For a full schedule of Farmhouse events, click on https://www.ojaivalleyinn.com/farmhouse (905 Country Club Road).

FROM NEW ZEALAND, WITH LOVE

Eight months after closing Aroha New Zealand Cuisine & Bar in Westlake Village, chef Gwithyen Thomas is back in the kitchen, albeit a borrowed one.

Thomas, a native of Auckland City, will present a seven-course tasting menu of some of his greatest hits and newest combinations during a pop-up appearance July 22 at Decker Kitchen in Westlake Village.

FROM THE ARCHIVES:Owner-chef, 28, shares Aroha spirit at Westlake Village restaurant (2017)

MORE:Home-grown chef on a roll at new Decker Kitchen in Westlake Village

The meal will start with Decker Kitchen's house-baked bread and Lewis Road Creamery Butter from New Zealand, followed by Ora King salmon tartare with ginger, seaweed and avocado and wild sea scallops with smoked corn, bacon dust and asparagus.

Other courses include New Zealand Cervena venison with vanilla-parsnip purée and pistachios, wild boar belly with celery root and Angus filet with blue cheese, cauliflower and mushroom tortellini.

The dessert course by Sarah Buxbaum of Celebrate with Sarah will feature white chocolate cake with passion fruit, salted caramel and Pop Rocks.

With the exception of the first course, all of the dishes are gluten free. Dairy free options are available by prior arrangement.  

Required reservations are $110 per person, or $150 with paired wines. For seatings at 5, 7 or 9 p.m., call Decker Kitchen at 818-735-9577 or send email to info@deckerkitchen.com (4661 Lakeview Canyon Road, https://www.deckerkitchen.com).

For information about Thomas, go to https://www.gwithyenthomas.com.

KEEP ON TRUCKIN'

You win one, you lose one. That's the tally on the region's food-truck scene, which has seen the recent launch of The Roadie and the disappearance of Escabeche Bistro.

Promising "amp'd up cuisine," The Roadie is a new project from chef Alberto Vazquez, who operates the Westlake Village-based Rock Chef Rolls catering company and its larger, trailer-style food truck of the same name.

Private parties and the Los Angeles Rams have kept Vazquez off the street-scene radar for the past couple of years. But a temporary break in the Rams action (the gig resumes in August) inspired him to return to the world of mobile eats. The Roadie is about half the size of the 24-foot Rock Chef Rolls truck, making it easier to haul -- and to park.

The Roadie has been seen serving lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays, alternating between Sterling Center Drive at Agoura Road on Tuesdays and Thursdays and Townsgate Road at Lakefield Road on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Recent menu items have included Medley of Taters (fries, sweet potato fries and tater tots tossed in garlic, Parmesan and chili-lime sea salt, $5), a burger topped with carnitas and Vazquez's trademark mix of jalapenos and pepperjack cheese ($12) and burritos and burritos ($10 each) with diners' choice of beef barbacoa, chipotle-lime chicken or poblano chili organic turkey.

Beverage options include watermelon-ginger-hibiscus lemonade ($2). For dessert, look for what Vazquez calls his Ooey Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies ($3 for a package of two).

For updates, check the Rock Chef Rolls Facebook page and Twitter account and/or sign up for email alerts on the business' website (http://www.rockchefrolls.com).

Known for its back-in-the-day appearances at the late Surf Brewery in Ventura, the Escabeche Bistro truck changed hands about two years ago. In May, it followed owner Andrew Carder back to his hometown, Denver, Colorado, where it is relaunching as the Surf to Slopes truck.

REALITY BITES

Herzog Wine Cellars in Oxnard is the setting for the inaugural season of  "SKILL'IT West Coast," a culinary competition shot for the website Kosher.com.

The premise: Four accomplished kosher cooks from Southern California gather at the combination winery, tasting room and restaurant for a series of cook-offs, with one contestant eliminated at the end of each show. In addition to bragging rights, the last cook standing wins a private barrel of wine (value: $20,000) from Herzog's cellar room. 

The series debuted on July 4. New episodes will debut at 2 p.m. PST July 11, 18 and 25.

So, who won the first episode? You won't find any spoilers here. But what I can tell you is that Herzog chef Gabe Garcia – the star of another Kosher.com show called "Under the Hood" – serves as series judge with chef Nir Weinblut of La Gondola Restaurant in Beverly Hills.

They are joined by a rotating panel of judges that includes Ojai farmer John Fonteyn, of Rio Gozo Farm; Herzog's head winemaker, Joe Hurliman, and Drew Rosen, executive chef and partner for Los Angeles County-based Nes Events.

Comedian Elon Gold is the host. Just moments into the first episode, he reveals a secret, must-use ingredient by announcing, "If you guys thought we were just going to ease you into this, well, you're in the wrong place. This is Oxnard, for crying out loud."

The four competitors are Moshe Bloch, co-founder of the fast-casual kosher sushi restaurants Meshuga 4 Sushi; BZ Ingber, a private chef and caterer; Kolev Klein, an attorney with a strong love of cooking, and Moshe Nafisi, a mortgage broker whose culinary specialty is smoking meats. 

To watch the show, go to https://www.kosher.com. 

Tierra Sur, the restaurant at Herzog Wine Cellars, serves small plates from noon to 8 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 3:30-8 p.m. Sundays, dinner from 5-8 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and brunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays. Click on http://tierrasuratherzog.com.

The winery's tasting room is open from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays (3201 Camino del Sol, 805-983-1560, https://herzogwine.com).  

CULINARY CONTESTS HEAT UP

Are you a home cook whose salsa recipe reigns supreme? Then you'll want to register by July 19 for the Great Oxnard Salsa Challenge happening July 28 as part of the Oxnard Salsa Festival.

Entries are sought for six categories. The winner of the overall Judges' Choice will receive a prize of $100. First-place awards in individual categories will include festival goodie bags.

The entry fee is $25 per salsa; each contestant will receive a festival T-shirt. For rules and other information, click on https://oxnardsalsafestival.com/salsa-recipe-contest.

Entry dates are also coming up for the Ventura County Fair, which will run July 31 through Aug. 11. 

In the Home Arts department, preserved food-entries (think pickles, jams and assorted jerkies) will be accepted from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 19-21. Baked foods (breads, pies, cookies) are due between 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 29.

Amateur beer, wine, honey and olive oil producers are welcome to bring their assorted bottles to the Agriculture and Natural Resources department from 4-6 p.m. July 26 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 27.

For specific entry information by department, go to https://www.venturacountyfair.org/fair/entryguides. 

SAVE THE DATES

Meet the new owners of Vom Fass Ventura during grand-opening events July 19-21 at the shop specializing in taste-before-you-buy vinegars, oils and distilled spirits. 

Highlights will include a book-signing appearance by Sara DeLeeuw, author of "The Gluten-Free Instant Pot Cookbook," from 2-4 p.m. July 20; wine tasting with Jeremy Trettevik of Lodi-based Jeremy Wine Co. during a $10-per-reservation session from 5-7 p.m. July 20, and a meet-and-greet appearance from 2-4 p.m. July 21 by Neil Saavedra of "The Fork Report" on KFI 640AM (451 E. Main St., Suite 2, 805-641-1900, https://ventura.vomfassusa.com).

A Taste of Camarillo Wine, Brew & Food Festival will follow a tie-dyed California Dreamin' theme when it offers samples from more than 100 wineries, breweries, restaurants and other purveyors from 1-4 p.m. July 28 at the Camarillo Ranch House. Tickets are $95 general and $165 VIP in advance, or, if available, $110 and $180 at the gate.

The festival will be preceded by a wine-auction gala from 4:30-9 p.m. July 27. Tickets, $100 in advance, include a sit-down dinner by Command Performance Catering.

Both events are presented by the Meadowlark Service League as fundraisers for area charities (201 Camarillo Ranch Road, https://tasteofcamarillo.com).

OPEN, SHUT AND IN BETWEEN

In case you missed it, the Open and Shut column published in the July 6 Business section of The Star highlighted the opening of Finney's Crafthouse & Kitchen in downtown Ventura and the soft opening of Tarantula Hill Brewing Co. in Thousand Oaks.

MORE:Finney's Crafthouse brings beer, burgers to Ventura landmark

To read it, click on https://bit.ly/2LyK6fw.

Lisa McKinnon is a staff writer for The Star. To contact her, send email to lisa.mckinnon@vcstar.com.