Table Talk
A new generation of restaurateurs are discovering Ojai’s network of farmers, fishermen, and ranchers
Written by S. Irene Virbila | Photography by Jessica Sample
At DUTCHESS, part of Santa Monica’s Rustic Canyon restaurant group, pastry chef/partner Kelsey Brito takes full advantage of Ojai’s Sunday farmers market. She turns out classic French breakfast pastries, from pain au chocolat to almond croissants filled with fragrant almonds from Fat Uncle Farms. Heading into berry and stone-fruit season, she’ll be baking lemon-blueberry scones and gluten-free and vegan apricot muffins. “I want the pastry case to show off the full bounty of what’s growing locally,” says Brito. Come dinner, chef Saw Naing steps in with an appealing California-Burmese menu. 457 E. Ojai Ave., Ojai; 805-640-7987, thedutchessojai.com.
For lunch, head to PINYON OJAI, the joint project of chef Jeremy Alben, baker Tony Montagnaro, and natural wine buff Sally Slade. Don’t let the casual ambience fool you; the food is seriously good, all made from scratch. Alben breaks down a whole lamb every week, braising the shoulder and neck for barbacoa hoagies, turning the leg into meatballs, and curing the belly pancetta style. Baker Tony Mont is a firm believer in long, slow fermentation focusing on regional whole grains, which gives Pinyon’s buns, rye sourdough bagels, and wood-fired pizza crust their flavor. A bottle shop tucked into a nook is devoted to both domestic and imported natural wines. Says Mont, “We’re using old world techniques in a new way to produce something different and delicious.” 423 E. Ojai Ave., Ojai, pinyonojai.com.
For dinner there’s RORY’S PLACE from sisters Rory and Meave McAuliffe. Chef Meave has a resume that includes Gjelina in Venice, while Rory, a former film producer, manages and runs front of house. The pair’s indoor-outdoor space features custom woodwork (bar facade, banquettes) made of redwood and fallen Ojai oak, ceramic sconces handcrafted by Meave, and a live-fire hearth. The standout raw bar highlights locally harvested shellfish in a sumptuous fruits de mer seafood tower that includes rock crab, uni, and rock shrimp. Meave tops a grilled tartine with lemony sunchokes, raw ahi tuna, aioli, and capers, and pairs a roasted half chicken with wood-fire escarole. For dessert, drill into the seasonal dark-chocolate gelato with candied kumquats or the goat-milk banana cream pie, maybe with a natural wine from the list curated by Roni Ginach. 139 E. Ojai Ave., Ojai, rorysplaceojai.com.
