Welcome to the "805 Eats" dining blog where we'll keep you up-to-date on restaurant and food happenings in the 805. To send tips and comments, email edit@805Living.com.

No tricks, all treats

 

Pier Under the Stars will feature food and wine tasting when it takes place Oct. 1 on Ventura's beachfront Promenade

 

OCT. 1
The first day of October will be a red letter one for foodies. Just check out this lineup:

The SOL Food Festival will focus on its “sustainable, organic, local” roots when it presents tastings and discussions focused on Santa Barbara County foods, wines and beers from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 1 in Plaza de Vera Cruz — just steps away from the weekly Santa Barbara Farmers Market. Among the highlights: “MasterChef” season 2 finalist (and Ventura resident) Adrien Nieto will be on hand to show off some of his farmers market-inspired recipes, while the folks from Santa Barbara Canning promise to take the mystery out of the hot water bath method with some demos of their own. Admission is free. Call 805-450-2357.

The 25th annual Oktoberfest Beer & Wine Tasting Celebration presented by Thousand Oaks Rotary Sunrise will include giant Piller pretzels flown in from Germany for the occasion when it takes place from 1-5 p.m. Oct. 1 at the Commemorative Air Force Museum at the Camarillo Airport. Also on the menu: 20 German wines, 25 German beers,  a selection of microbrews from Ventura and Los Angeles counties  — and beer floats made with ice cream. Tickets are $40, but bring some extra spending money in case you decide to book a ride in one of the museum’s historic planes. Call 805-701-7248.

The Pier Under the Stars event taking place from 5-8 p.m. Oct. 1 on Ventura’s beachfront Promenade will feature 60 food-and-beverage purveyors — the largest in the event’s 18-year history as a fundraiser for the Ventura Pier. Participating on the food front will be Brio Bake Shop, Petite Reve Cafe and The Jolly Oyster (don’t worry; they’ll do the shucking). Surf Brewery, the newly opened Four Brix Winery and the not-quite-open-yet Panaro Bros. Winery will be on hand to pour. General tickets are $60; VIP tickets, $100, get you in at 4:30 and include a reserved seat at a table on the Promenade. Call 805-797-7544.

Oct. 1 also marks the start of epicure.sb., a monthlong celebration of  all things culinary in and around Santa Barbara. Now in its third year, the event is packed with food gatherings (hello, California Avocado Festival, Oct. 7-9), beer tastings (Santa Barbara Beer Festival, Oct. 15) and farm-to-table dinners at restaurants throughout the city. There’s so much happening, in fact, that we’ll be giving epicure: sb its own blog post in the very near future. Until then, call the Santa Barbara Conference & Visitors Bureau for information: 800-676-1266.

Time to go to Hugo’s

 

SEPT. 22-24

Friendly to vegetarians and carnivores alike, the menu at Hugo’s Restaurants in Studio City and West Hollywood just become even more accessible, thanks to the opening  of a third location.

It debuts this week in the Whizin Market Square in Agoura Hills, where the days leading up to the Sept. 26 grand opening are being used  both as final training sessions for the staff and as a fundraiser for docent programs at Malibu Creek State Park.

During by-reservation seatings from 8-10 a.m., noon to 2 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. on Sept. 22-24, Hugo’s Restaurant will donate 75 cents from every dollar patrons spend on meals to aid programs at the park, which offers hiking, fishing, bird watching and horseback riding opportunities.  (Tax and tip are excluded.) For required reservations, call 818-483-0167.

Stomp on it!

Grape stomp at Cantara Cellars in Camarillo

SEPT. 19, OCT. 21-22
Two area wineries are celebrating harvest season with some good old-fashioned grape stomps.

At Cantara Cellars in Camarillo, the party will start at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 19 with a blessing of the harvest by Father Leon Hutton of St. John’s Seminary. Volunteers are asked to wear old shorts and to wash their feet before jumping into bins packed with 4 tons of Lodi zinfandel destined for such blends as The Bride and Franknvein. Or, just stand by the sidelines while sipping wines by the glass, $5 each (126 Wood Road, Suite 104; 805-484-9600).

At Opolo Vineyards in Paso Robles, grape-stomping is part of a two-day harvest event that has become so well known the winery’s website refers to it as the “famous” harvest party. It includes a full spread — pork tenderloin, barbecue chicken, whole roasted lamb — for pairing with assorted Opolo wines on Oct. 21 and 22. For required reservations, $85-$95, call 805-238-9593).

Western Wine Awards Gala

Friday, September 30th, 6 - 10 p.m.

The city of Pismo Beach is throwing a gala dinner on the Pismo Beach Pier as part of the Savor the Central Coast festival.  Sunset magazine’s Wine Editor Sara Schneider and Editor-in-Chief Katie Tamony will be handing out awards to winemakers who produce wine in the west.   Sip the nominated wines at dinner and raise a glass to the winners as they are announced.  Read more about the dinner here.  Tickets are $85 each and can be purchased here.

A heady subject

Sampling cups at the ready at the California Beer Festival in Ventura

 

SEPT. 14, 16 and 17-18
Planning for the California Beer Festival in Ventura comes to a head this weekend, when tastings, live music and a barbecue cook-off take place in Mission Park. Get your tickets before you go, though: The event typically sells out. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Dyslexia Awareness and Resource Center.

Saturday, Sept. 17 has been deemed “Craft Beer Heaven,” thanks to the 200 brews that will be on tap (including those from Ladyface Ale Companie of Agoura Hills and the non-commercial “nanobrewery” Two Trees Brewing Co. of Ventura) and available for tasting from noon to 5 p.m. (Open to ages 21 and older. Tickets are $45, or $25 for designated drivers.)

Sunday, Sept. 18 will feature the “Blues, Brews and BBQ” portion of the festival from noon to 6 p.m., when craft brews will be available for purchase.  And the food? Some will come courtesy of samples offered by the dozen or so teams participating in the barbecue cook-off; the rest will be available for purchase from a small grouping of food trucks that includes O Street Truck of Santa Barbara . (All ages. Tickets are $25; children 2 and younger admitted free of charge.)

Can’t wait till the weekend to get into the beer-fest mood? Wet your whistle at one (or both!) of  the pre-event dinners offered by Ventura restaurants.

On Wednesday, Sept. 14, chef Peter Edwards of Watermark on Main in Ventura will pair five beers from Ventura’s Surf Brewery to as many courses.  The fourth-course matchup of chipotle-glazed duck breast with sweet-and-sour cabbage and a frosty glass of Surfers’ Point Vienna lager sounds particularly promising. Just sayin’ … ($48 per person, not including tax and tip. Call 805-643-6800)

Friday, Sept. 16 will feature a four-course, team-effort dinner by Firestone Walker Brewing Co. of Paso Robles and Zoey’s Cafe of Ventura. Sample pairing by chef Andrew Hoganson: spicy pulled-pork quesadillas with Union Jack, a West Coast IPA.  We’ll drink to that! ($28 per person, not including tax and tip. Call 652-1137)

In remembrance

SEPT. 11
On the 10th anniversary of the shocking terrorist attacks on America, some area restaurants are offering discounts to fire, military and law enforcement personnel to show their appreciation for the sacrifices made by those who were among the first to respond to the crisis — and who continue to do so.

From 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at  The Plug Nickel in Westlake Village, all retired and active-duty fire, police and military personnel are invited to dine free when an equal number of meals is purchased. Proof of service is required, and can include an ID card, a photograph in uniform or appearing in uniform at the restaurant (717 Lakefield Road, Suite 1, 805-495-3469).

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Tipsy Goat in Thousand Oaks, “all local firefighters, paramedics and police officers” will receive a $1 discount on draft and well drinks, plus $5 off brunch and 50 percent off any food orders at the Irish pub and restaurant (159 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., 805-494-9996).

Similar discounts are an all-day, every-day occurrence at  Stonefire Grill in Thousand Oaks and six additional locations in the Southland. The fast-casual chain owned by Ventura County-based sisters Mary and Maureen Harrigan has a ”Uniform Policy” that grants a 50 percent discount to any military, fire or law enforcement personnel who dine in uniform (3635 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., 805-413-0300).

Not-so-endless summer

Patio at Saddle Peak Lodge in Calabasas

SEPT. 10 and 17, noon to 5 p.m.
You might be in denial, thanks to the recent heat wave, but summer is coming to an end (noooooooo!)
Helping to usher it out in grand alfresco style are Saturday-afternoon gatherings on the patio at Saddle Peak Lodge in Calabasas. There, you’ll find executive chef Christopher Kufek’s upscale small plates menu (think watermelon gazpacho and rabbit confit quesadillas for about $9 or less) just waiting to be paired with wines from SIP Malibu, the official tasting room for Cielo Wines (think Cielo Estate viognier and Malibu Rouge, a merlot-cabernet sauvignon blend). Also available are cocktails by house mixologist Christopher Barragan, the mad scientist behind such concoctions as Psychedelic Sangria. Live music by a guitarist helps makes summer’s swan song a little more bearable.

Aw, shucks!

 

Planning to visit San Buenaventura State Beach over the long holiday weekend? Don’t forget to bring an oyster knife.
The unusual addition to your beach bag will come in handy should you find yourself at The Jolly Oyster, a newly opened food trailer that sells fresh manila clams and Pacific and Kumamoto oysters that patrons shuck or grill themselves, in the park or at home.  

The shellfish are farmed in two remote bays in Baja California, Mexico and then delivered via refrigerated truck to Ventura, where Jolly Oyster co-owner Mark Reynolds is often on hand to demonstrate proper shucking technique. Knives are available for purchase if you forget to bring your own; otherwise, it’s up to you to supply the charcoal, cooking utensils, beverages and other fixin’s that go into creating a proper beachside picnic. Or a real nice clam bake.  

(Summer hours for The Jolly Oyster are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Call 805-798-4944. If driving, enter the park through the gate at San Pedro Street and Pierpont Boulevard and follow the road as it curves through the park and ends in the paved parking lot near the concrete “silo” style restrooms. All-day parking is $10; three free 20-minute spaces are available for Jolly Oyster patrons who are picking up shellfish to take home. Entry to the park is free for pedestrians and bicyclists.)

The 805 Living Dessert

month of September

For the September issue of 805 Living Magazine, we commissioned Sweet Arleen to create a new sweet and savory bread pudding with studded bacon and drizzled with a salty caramel sauce.  Now you can all taste how awesome it is.  It’s currently the bread pudding flavor of the month at Sweet Arleen’s in Westlake Village.

Gourmet food trucks on a roll in Oxnard

SEPT. 1 and OCT. 6,

6-9 p.m.
Mix gourmet food trucks with restored farmhouses, and what do you get? The inaugural Downtown Gourmet Food Trucks event, which will feature eight L.A.-based food trucks parked in and around Oxnard’s Heritage Square when it takes place from 6-9 p.m. Sept. 1.

 Originally slated to debut this spring, the event organized by the Oxnard Downtown Management District hit the proverbial speed bumps and road blocks but is now expected to go full throttle.

The Sept. 1 gathering will include two trucks with connections to the Food Network: The Chinese-Mexican fusion Don Chow Tacos, which was featured on “Diners, Drive-ins & Dives,” and Ahn-Joo, a Korean snack bar on wheels operated by “The Next Food Network Star” finalist Debbie Lee.

Also expected to make an appearance are Dosa Truck, known for its South Indian street food; Pinoy Jeepney, which serves lumpiang sariwa and other Filipino fare; the Vietnamese-themed Mandoline Grill and FrySmith, which offers up fries smothered in all manner of toppings. (Free-range chicken in tomatillo/tamarind sauce over sweet potato fries, anyone?)

Adding to the festivities will be music by DJ Apple Juice, appearances by the Roller Derby Girls and wine and cocktails served (indoors only, please) at the on-site La Dolce Vita restaurant and Rancho Ventavo Cellars tasting room.

A second Downtown Gourmet Food Trucks event has been slated for 6-9 p.m. Oct. 6. After that, it could become a  first-Thursday-of-the-month fixture on the foodie calendar.