805 Living Dining Blog: Angie Eats
Welcome to the 805 Living Dining Blog where our Dining Editor, Angela Pettera, keeps you up to date on restaurant happenings in the 805. To send her your tips and comments, email angela@805living.com. Happy eating!
Events listed on the blog are subject to change. Please contact the restaurants to confirm availability and details.
Pierre Lafond Harvest Dinner
Thursday, October 15, 7 p.m.
Get a preview of Lafond Vineyard’s 2009 wines at this family-style dinner at Pierre Lafond Bistro. David Lafond will pour two glasses of wine while chef Nathan Heil serves up a meal incorporating produce from the Vineyard. The price is $24 for food only; $35 for food and two glasses of wine.
Pierre Lafond Bistro, 516 State St., Santa Barbara, 805-962-1455
Harvest-Related Events
October is harvest time for vintners in the 805. A number of wine-and-food-related events are on the calendar to celebrate it.
Friday, October 9th, 6:30 p.m.. The Ballard Inn & Restaurant is hosting Foxen Vineyard for a five-course meal created by chef Budi Kazali. Dishes include halibut sashimi paired with Chenin Blanc, squab breast with foie gras sauce paired with Pinot Noir, and coconut parfait paired with late harvest Chenin Blanc. The price is $125 plus tax and tip. The Ballard Inn & Restaurant, 800-638-2466, http://www.ballardinn.com/.
Friday, October 9th, 6 p.m. The Los Olivos Cafe has teamed up with Coquelicot Estate Vineyard to create a five-course meal paired with wines. Some courses include a duck confit with huckleberries paired with Syrah, braised short ribs paired with a Bordeaux blend, and lemon-buttermilk cake with the late-harvest “Slow Hand.” The price is $125 (including tax and tip). Los Olivos Cafe, 2879 Grand Ave., Los Olivos, 805-688-7265, ask for GM Anthony Endy ext. 214, http://www.losolivoscafe.com/.
The Santa Barbara County Vintner’s Association Celebration of Harvest takes place on Saturday, October 10th from 1-4 p.m. Go to their website at http://www.sbcountywines.com/events/celebration.html for tickets and more information.
Tequila Tasting at La Dolce Vita
Saturday, Oct. 3rd, 5 p.m.
In this 2nd annual tequila tasting, La Dolce Vita in downtown Oxnard’s Heritage Square will be pouring fine spirits and serving appetizers like gazpacho, chile relleno tarts, chile peanuts, chips and salsa. The price is $29.
La Dolce Vita, 740 S. B St., Oxnard, 805-486-6878
Murder Mystery Dinner at The Sidecar
Sunday, Sept. 27th, 5 p.m.
The Sidecar Restaurant will host a Murder Mystery Dinner Sunday night from 5-8 p.m. In addition to the entertainment of watching a crime being solved in front of you, you’ll also get a 3-course meal for $55 plus tax and tip. Entertainment provided by Crime Scene Dinner Theater.
The Sidecar, 3029 E. Main St., Ventura, 805-653-7433
http://www.thesidecarrestaurant.com/
Fabio Viviani Splits from Cafe Firenze
Chef Fabio Viviani and his boyhood friend Jacopo Falleni have broken ranks with their partner in Cafe Firenze, Mike Takeda. Takeda put it this way, “We had a difference of opinion.” One of those differences involved whether or not to take over the operation of Barsac Brasserie in North Hollywood. Takeda felt it unwise to expand in this economy. Viviani and Falleni forged ahead with their new venture, partnering with longtime Barsac owner Lisa Long. Barsac closed for business today and will reopen as Firenze Osteria on Saturday, October 24th. Go to www.firenzeosteria.com for more info.
Meanwhile, Takeda is confident that Cafe Firenze in Moorpark will be able to keep customers as happy as they were before the split. After all, chef John Paolone has been running the kitchen since Fabio began filming Top Chef, Season 5, and he has no plans to go anywhere. Paolone, who worked with Viviani at Cafe Fiore in Ventura, will streamline Cafe Firenze’s menu in the coming months.
The split wasn’t a complete break; at least not yet. For now Takeda says, “We’re still trying to work out a way for Fabio to be part of Cafe Firenze on a limited basis. We still have his pictures up here.”
Cafe Firenze, 563 W. Los Angeles Ave., Moorpark, 805-532-0048
Hotel Cheval Wine Tasting Package
September & October 2009
Hotel Cheval, just off of Paso Roble’s charming town square, has put together a wine-tasting package for serious oenophiles. The package includes an overnight stay plus a fully customized wine-tasting tour of 3-4 area wineries of your choice led by a sommelier. A gourmet picnic lunch and transporation in a luxury SUV are included in the price of $675 per couple. The offer is available Sunday through Thursday nights in September and October.
Hotel Cheval, 1021 Pine St., Paso Robles, 866-522-6999.
Mediterraneo Winemaker Dinner
Friday, Sept. 25th, 5 p.m.
Mediterraneo restaurant welcomes winemaker Rick Longoria from Los Olivos to this four-course dinner with tray-passed hors d’oeuvres. Rick will talk about Longoria Winery’s products while pouring Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir into your glasses. The price is $75.
If you want to stay overnight in a mini suite with a fireplace and jacuzzi tub, ask for the Date Night Package. It costs $289 which includes the wine dinner, the room, and continental breakfast on the 26th. Call 800-535-9978 to book the room.
Mediterraneo at Westlake Village Inn, 32037 Agoura Road, Westlake Village, 818-889-9105.
Tea Seminar at Ojai Valley Inn & Spa
Thursday, September 24th, 3-5 p.m.
Michael Harney, of Harney & Sons Tea, discusses how to develop your tea palate at this seminar followed by tea service. Guests will also receive a free copy of the book The Harney & Sons Guide to Tea. The price is $40 ($20 for anyone under $18).
Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, 905 Country Club Road, Ojai, 888-697-8780.
Have an iPhone? Order a Burrito
Chipotle Mexican Grill now has an iPhone and iPod touch app (available at the Apple App Store for free at www.itunes.com/appstore) which allows you to order their high-end quick-service burritos, tacos, and salads from anywhere. You can even pay for your food from your mobile device.
Don’t have an iPhone? Don’t worry. You can also place your order online through www.chipotle.com. You do still have to drive to a Chipotle location to pick up your lunch or dinner, however. Chipotle has yet to develop a way to send burritos over the internet.
Chipotle has locations in Newbury Park, Westlake Village, Simi Valley, Ventura (two of them), and Woodland Hills.
Downtown Paso Robles Wine Flight at Artisan Restaurant
September 1-30
Artisan Restaurant has launched a flight of wines that shines a light on wineries located in downtown Paso Robles. The Downtown Paso Robles Wine Flight is a collection of five small glasses of wine for $25.
In the flight:
Anglim 2008 Grenache Blanc
Edward Sellers 2007 Roussanne
Bodegas Paso Robles 2004 Tempranillo “Viva Yo!”
Ortman Family Vineyards 2007 Sangiovese
Asuncion Ridge Vineyards 2007 “Lascivious”
Along with the wine, guests will receive a voucher for complimentary tastings at each of the five wineries which are in walking-distance of the restaurant.
Artisan Restaurant, 1401 Park St., Paso Robles, 805-237-8084
Eberle Winery Dinner in the Caves
Saturday, September 19th, 6:30 p.m.
Eberle Winery has underground caves for storing wine. They also like to host special dinners down there in the Wild Boar Room. The next dinner taking place features chef Jay McCarthy from Beaver Creek Chophouse in Avon, Colorado. He’ll be cooking a 5-course meal that showcases Eberle Wines and Hearst Ranch Beef. The 3rd course is a sugar-cured Hearst Ranch sirloin pinwheel on a roasted-garlic flan. It’s paired with Eberle’s 2006 Sangiovese wine. The main course is a porcini-crusted tenderloin with fig-and-onion marmalade. A 2006 Eberle Zinfandel goes with that dish. The price is $150 unless you are a member of Eberle’s Wine Club (then it’s only $120). Shuttle shervice to and from your home or hotel is available for an extra $20. Tickets can be purchased online.
Eberle Winery, 3810 E. Hwy. 46, Paso Robles, 805-238-9607.
Noche Tropical Fundraiser at Brooks
Thursday, September 10th, 6 p.m.
Brooks Restaurant in Ventura is throwing a fundraiser dinner for Paso Pacifico which will benefit the wildlife and forests of Central America, especially along its Pacific coast. Chef Andy Brooks will cook a Latin-inspired four-course meal which includes wine by Fabien Castel. The Noche Tropical will feature exotic wildlife, conservation stories from the tropics, and a silent auction packed with donated items from local artists and merchants. The price is $80 (which includes tax and tip). Contact Paso Pacifico to purchase tickets at 805-643-7044.
Brooks, 545 E. Thompson Blvd., Ventura, 805-652-7070
Panera Bread - New Menu Items
Panera Bread has rolled out some new menu items worth mentioning lately. The BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad (shown above) features all-natural chicken in a Southwest-style salad with crunchy tortilla strips and a BBQ Ranch dressing.
The Napa Almond Chicken Salad Sandwich has a tender filling of chicken, almonds, grapes, and celery. It’s loaded onto the Sesame Semolina bread which, along with a few other of Panera’s breads, has been re-formulated to be a better sandwich vehicle.
The Breakfast Power Sandwich is a grilled panini-type item filled with eggs, ham, and white cheddar cheese.
In Ventura County you’ll find Panera Bread in the Janss Marketplace at 205 N. Moorpark Road, Thousand Oaks, 805-496-BAKE,
and at 2900 Cochran St., Simi Valley, 805-527-2500.