Set Sail
Touted as the largest luxury sailing catamaran on the West Coast, the CHANNEL CAT draws all manner of revelers for lavish sails out of Santa Barbara.
Written by Danielle Torres | Photographs by Tegall Studios, Blake Bronstad, Ali Beck Photography
Touted as the largest luxury sailing catamaran on the West Coast, the CHANNEL CAT draws all manner of revelers for lavish sails out of Santa Barbara. The pearly white 85-foot vessel, which accommodates as many as 140 guests, boasts equally stunning interiors, thanks to Daryl Stegall of Stegall Studios. Owners Jen and Skip Abed recently tapped the Santa Barbara–based designer to create a “coastal, yet sophisticated vibe,” says Stegall, inspired by the surroundings. Neutral-toned custom furnishings, seagrass tables by Jamie Young, wingback chairs from Palecek, Bernhardt rattan swivel chairs, and rope furniture from Azzurro Living outfit the spacious seating areas. Brass detailing adds a touch of sophistication to textured and natural elements. “From the bow to the salon to the stern, all the design elements are seamless, giving us the flexibility to arrange the areas as is best suited for our guests,” says Jen Abed. channelcatcharters.com
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Basque in It
Tara Penke and her husband, Jaime Riesco, spent more than 20 years living in Barcelona—and still own a restaurant, Picnic, there—so it’s no surprise that their unassuming new Santa Barbara spot, GALA, is heavily influenced by coastal Spain.
Coastal Spain influences a hot new eatery
Arched shelving, banquettes, and vintage photos of 1950s Santa Barbara from the owner’s grandfather round out the decor at Gala, a charming new spot on Anacapa Street.
Written by Caitlin White | Photographs by Sara Prince
Tara Penke and her husband, Jaime Riesco, spent more than 20 years living in Barcelona—and still own a restaurant, Picnic, there—so it’s no surprise that their unassuming new Santa Barbara spot, GALA, is heavily influenced by coastal Spain. Jaime helms the kitchen and Tara handles the front of house at this mom-and-pop restaurant. For Penke, born and raised in Santa Barbara, it’s a return home, whereas Riesco was born in Santiago, Chile, and bears traces of that country’s heritage in his one-man kitchen.
A recent menu offers Spanish pintxos, like mixed olives, gildas (green peppers and olives wrapped in an anchovy and threaded on a toothpick), raw oysters, and shrimp croquettes, along with flatbread and grilled vegetables. Fried zucchini blossoms and burrata round out the plentiful starters, and larger dishes venture into more luxe offerings like duck confit, steak with bone marrow, mushroom risotto, and a smash burger. Additional sides such as watermelon and heirloom-tomato salad, leafy greens with herbs, or french fries are available, too, as is a $6 chance to buy your neighboring table a glass of sparkling cava, or the $8 option to buy the kitchen a beer.
“For co-owner Tara Penke, born and raised in Santa Barbara, it’s a return home from Barcelona.”
These tongue-in-cheek menu items are proof of the casual, community-focused environment Penke and Riesco are looking to create. Eager to bring their own style to the former Low Pigeon café space, the couple tapped Kevin Moore Architect, Casey Geeb Interior Design, and Southwest Construction for the renovations. They’ve added inlaid shelves and light wood accents, creating a sunny dining room that flows between the indoor and outdoor spaces.
With a wine list that encompasses Spanish picks and local favorites and a robust cocktail menu, plenty of guests gather for a glass of something cold and a nibble. It’s even better for a full-on dinner with multiple courses—brunch is coming soon—but be sure to round any visit out with a slice of Basque cheesecake. 705 Anacapa St., Santa Barbara, galasb.com. c.w.
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Easy Living
Set on three terraced levels with manicured gardens and ocean views, HOME CRUSH’s new Summerland showroom is a statement in coastal luxury.
Portia dining chairs, $789 each, Bowman table, $1,999, and Heatsail outdoor lamp, $5,497
Written by Danielle DiMeglio | Photography by Sara Prince
Set on three terraced levels with manicured gardens and ocean views, HOME CRUSH’s new Summerland showroom is a statement in coastal luxury. Oyster-shell-encrusted birdbaths, neutral-toned woven chairs, and sleek Belgian outdoor heat lamps round out the alfresco vignettes curated by Montecito-based Aimee Miller (a California residential designer for more than 20 years). “Walking up through the trumpet trees, visitors can see different designs and furnishings as they ascend to the top terraces,” she says of the quarter-acre venue. The interactive lifestyle and outdoor center—or “deconstructed store” as she describes it—is an extension of Home Crush’s downtown Santa Barbara shop and design studio. Find everything from padded picnic blankets from Germany and linen beach towels from Rome to herb-scented citronella candles and textured outdoor pillows. “Everything a visitor sees or touches is available with interior and exterior design services, as well as Smart Home Integration by California Smart Homes,” says Miller. (Think single-touch systems for lighting, music, and more.) 2500 Lillie Ave., Summerland, 805-837-8836, home-crush.com.
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Gimme Shelter
What started about 10 years ago as a quest to create the ideal camp blanket has resulted in four rental cabins in Joshua Tree, an online home-goods shop, and, more recently, the opening of the first CAMPOVER store in Los Alamos.
Campover's modern essentials
Written by Anna Ferguson-Sparks | Photography by Jessica Sample
What started about 10 years ago as a quest to create the ideal camp blanket has resulted in four rental cabins in Joshua Tree, an online home-goods shop, and, more recently, the opening of the first CAMPOVER store in Los Alamos. Consciously sourced, handcrafted housewares and “modern shelter supplies” line the shelves in the retail space that reflects the company’s utilitarian-design ethos and approach to hospitality. Coming soon: An expanded array of online offerings—including proprietary Campover products—and a handful of Campover-renovated Central Coast accommodations. 235B Centennial St., Los Alamos, campover.com.
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Farm to Your Table
Elder Flat Farm, the 102-acre property organically farmed by Carla Malloy, has famously supplied many of the region’s best restaurants.
Written by Anna Ferguson-Sparks | Photography by Jessica Sample
Elder Flat Farm, the 102-acre property organically farmed by Carla Malloy, has famously supplied many of the region’s best restaurants. It now offers its goods to home cooks at the ELDER FLAT FARM SHOP in Los Alamos. Open Thursday through Sunday, the farm store displays Elder Flat’s bounty of organic produce and flowers and farm-fresh eggs along with curated collections of artisanal products and provisions. The venue also hosts live music and other events, including classes on cheese-and-charcuterie-board styling, “how-tos” on raising chickens, and canning workshops. 325 Bell St., Los Alamos, elderflatfarm.com.
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I Walk the Wine
An active wine-tasting experience awaits those who embark on the new hiking tours at renowned ALMA ROSA WINERY.
Written by Anna Ferguson-Sparks | Photography by Jessica Sample
An active wine-tasting experience awaits those who embark on the new hiking tours at renowned ALMA ROSA WINERY. The appointment-only hikes traverse the historic El Jabali estate, a 628-acre property in the Sta. Rita Hills appellation. The two tours—Caracol Hike ($75 per person) and Attente Hike ($95 per person)—vary in duration and intensity and showcase different sides of the estate, rewarding adventurers with spectacular mountain and valley views plus glasses of wine, followed by a private wine tasting and cheese plate at Alma Rosa’s ranch house. Alma Rosa will offer a similar hiking excursion on July 23, during its third annual Peace of Mind: 10,000 Steps in the Right Direction fund-raising walk to benefit both One Mind and the Mental Wellness Center in Santa Barbara. almarosawinery.com.
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Immortal Femmes
Angela Perko is fascinated by precious objects, and her recent series of paintings focuses on ancient female fertility figures.
Written by Lorie Dewhirst Porter
Angela Perko is fascinated by precious objects, and her recent series of paintings focuses on ancient female fertility figures. Perko’s paintings are always packed with quiet symbolism and deep layers of meaning; and while her new works acknowledge that women have been constantly reproduced as objects over time—from Paleolithic venus figurines to plastic Barbie dolls—the females showcased here were revered as powerful fertility symbols. At the same time, Perko has juxtaposed these symbols with carefully chosen background visuals that resonate with present day concerns, a dialogue-sparking device inspired by artist Kehinde Wiley’s dramatic Equestrian Portrait of Prince Tommaso of Savoy-Carignan (2015) displayed at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.
Perko’s striking portrait of a prehistoric Japanese Dogū figurine, which floats on a background of bright red polka dots, is a direct reference to feminist artist Yayoi Kusama of Japan—known internationally for her commandingly beautiful and obsessive installations—who frequently employs a similar polka dot pattern in her art. Using a 10-by-10-inch square format, Perko’s exquisite figurine paintings are small but mighty. They are on view, along with other works by the artist, July 29 through September 26 at Sullivan Goss - An American Gallery. Don’t miss the opening August 4 (5 to 8 pm). 11 E. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara, 805-730-1460; sullivangoss.com.
O’side Opens Up
The Mission Pacific Hotel makes a splash in San Diego
The rooftop pool at Mission Pacific Hotel offers unmatched views of the Pacific and the 1,942-foot-long Oceanside Pier.
The Mission Pacific Hotel makes a splash in San Diego
Written by Caitlin White
Oceanside has long been a skate and surf paradise. Now it’s becoming a haven for visitors of all stripes. This sleepy little San Diego suburb, nicknamed O’side by locals, was recently outfitted with two new ocean-facing hotels (both under Hyatt’s umbrella). The Seabird Resort is a kitschy, family-oriented getaway with Cape Cod flair, but its sleek bohemian neighbor, MISSION PACIFIC HOTEL, is the one to watch.
Of the two hotels, located across the street from each other a short block from the beach, Mission Pacific feels like the older sister of the pair. Its modern architecture gets a beachy boost with warm, natural materials that create a tranquil space and emphasize coastal living. The bulk of the hotel’s 161 rooms offer unobstructed ocean views, and the rooftop pool and bar double down on panoramic views of the coast.
With a fine-dining restaurant on the ground floor—Valle, from chef Roberto Alcocer of Baja Mexico's Guadalupe Valley—the hotel also hosts the more casual High/Low oceanfront café from F10 Creative hospitality group, the masterminds behind Palm Springs dining staples Cheeky’s and Mr. Lyons. Mission Pacific also recently debuted its very own dessert haven in a classic 1887 bungalow dubbed the Top Gun House because it was featured in that 1986 Tom Cruise film. Relocated from elsewhere in Oceanside, the carefully restored venue now sits safely in Mission Pacific’s courtyard, serving up its signature HIGH-pies and other sweets. From $319/night. 201 N. Myers St., Oceanside, 760-655-1332, missionpacifichotel.com.
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Desert,Three Ways
The best way to beat the heat this summer? Embrace it!
The best way to beat the heat this summer? Embrace it!
Written by Caitlin White | Photographs: The Sands Hotel & Spa, Tim Street-Porter; Hermann Bungalows, Jim Bartsch. Photographs: The Pink Cabana, Jamie Kowal; Azure Sky, Sheva Kefai.
Hermann Bungalows
The zero-edge pool at Hermann Bungalows boasts serene mountain views; the 24 smartly appointed bungalows feature floor-to-ceiling windows. Midcentury interiors at Hermann Bungalows.
A visit to the desert is all about escape—relief from the mundane. Tucked away in a hidden corner of L’Horizon Resort and Spa’s manicured grounds, HERMANN BUNGALOWS offer the kind of decadence that eclipses ordinary life. Proprietor and Montecito resident Steve Hermann has continued his vision for indoor/outdoor living in this new venture. A pathway leads to his hotel’s incredibly private, completely enclosed mini resort. Inside the property, an 85-foot, zero-edge wading pool lined with deep blue tiles lends a tropical aura to the whole area. Situated in the shadow of the San Jacinto Mountains, the enclave has been landscaped with romantic olive trees and equipped with crisp white lounge chairs, along with a private bar available only to guests. The 24 bungalows arranged around the glistening water feature comprise studio suites, junior suites, and a presidential suite that includes a living area, bedroom, and private hot tub on a large enclosed patio. Custom dark wood and magnificent tile round out each bungalow’s luxe desert feel, while Venetian terrazzo floors, gold fixtures, and even TOTO smart toilets add to the sense of opulence in every room. Each bungalow is slightly different from the others, but they all include private outdoor spaces and plush furniture. A select few boast soaking tubs and outdoor showers. An ideal desert oasis, Hermann Bungalows ups the ante for L’Horizon’s guests, doubling down on its already celebrated hospitality. From $1,000/night. 1050 E. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs, 760-323-1858, hermannbungalows.com.
“I wanted to design a luxurious, modern hotel that felt like a fine curated home”
Sands Hotel & Spa
The Sands Hotel & Spa's poolside lounge chairs and cabanas beckon; the Moroccan-inspired lobby designed by Martyn Lawrence Bullard; an in-room soaking tub at the Sands.The Pink Cabana restaurant at the Sands.
There are nine cities in the constellation of the Coachella Valley, and Palm Springs is merely one of them. Venture a little deeper into the Greater Palm Springs area, and you’ll come upon Indian Wells, a small outlier best known for its tennis tournament. Even if you have no interest in hitting the court, the SANDS HOTEL & SPA is enough reason to draw you here. Since reopening in 2018, this boutique property by designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard has become exceedingly popular. Bullard’s vision for the hotel, which encompasses 46 rooms, embraces a Moroccan take on the desert, with arched entryways, intricate patterned-tile inlays, and art deco flourishes. The on-site restaurant and bar, The Pink Cabana, is a glittering haven that serves Mediterranean cuisine with Moroccan influences. Select rooms include balconies or private patios, and custom-built furniture carries the hotel’s playful decor through the property. From $329/night. 44-985 Province Wy., Indian Wells, 760-321-3771, sandshotelandspa.com.
Azure Sky
Azure Sky's guest rooms feature custom millwork and built-in beds; the retro exterior; the lobby at Azure Sky pays homage to the property's midcentury roots.
With just 14 rooms, AZURE SKY is a newly renovated microhotel embracing a midcentury modern ethos in South Palm Springs. Originally built back in 1959, the hotel, now operated by Santa Barbara’s Acme Hospitality, features serene grounds that have been thoughtfully transformed. A grassy meadow, formally the original pool, features an inviting fire pit. The expansive new pool area is now the focal point of the property with unobstructed views of the San Jacinto Mountains. Restored and redesigned with a neutral palette, muted black finishes, and glossy wood, the accommodations include plenty of natural light. Boasting custom-built beds, the spacious suites—12 of which feature kitchenettes—call to mind an airy apartment more than a hotel room. With a lobby that doubles as a retro living room, complete with a cocktail bar, guests don’t have to leave the property to enjoy all the desert has to offer. From $299/night. 1661 S. Calle Palo Fierro, Palm Springs, 760-469-4498, azureskyhotel.com.
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Sun, Surf, Sand Essentials
Sun, Surf, Sand Essentials
Trend Report
Gigi Hadid for Gigi x Frankie collab collection, from $80, frankiesbikinis.com
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Shopping Spree
Jump-start your summer with elevated seaside staples
A spate of new shops stocking summer staples is cropping up at the Montecito Country Mart
Written by Elizabeth Varnell
Photography by Sara Prince
Stella Peters in Heidi Merrick Mimizan swim bottom, $95, and Duchess sweater, $295, heidimerrick.com.
As the sun reaches its apex, daylight hours stretch, and shadows shrink, a spin through the newest additions to the Montecito Country Mart (1016 Coast Village Rd., Montecito) beckons. Slip into a light-as-air prairie-printed frock from sisters Margaret and Katherine Kleveland of DÔEN, who trace some of their sharpest and most influential memories to their youth in Santa Barbara. It seems particularly fitting that their voluminous blouses, pretty swimwear, printed shorts, gingham dresses, wispy skirts, and a host of organic cotton staples are now housed at their new brick-and-mortar shop at the mart. The collectively owned, women-run, online apparel label collaborated with L.A. design team Nickey Kehoe to create the shop, inspired equally by the area’s Spanish Revival architecture and midcentury design. Ojai artist Rebekah Miles added her hand-painted patterns—reminiscent of those adorning her ceramics—to the earthy shop walls. shopdoen.com.
Doên dresses are beloved for their romantic silhouettes and nostalgic patterns.
Cynthia Benjamin stocks a range of retro and designer glasses for women and men.
Fight the glare at CYNTHIA BENJAMIN eyewear boutique. After more than two decades working with specs, Benjamin and Cynthia Montoya have a sixth sense about frames and fit. Their new shop, co-owned and operated with Jordan Feldman, stocks a curated collection of luxury glasses from an array of independent lines as well as one-of-a-kind vintage, new old-stock frames from the ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s with sun or optical lenses. Richly colored Kirk & Kirk optical glasses are also on offer with embellished hinge pins. As the longest day of the year approaches, Cynthia notes, “Salt Optics is releasing a new collection of titanium Aviator sunglasses made in Japan, just in time for summer drives along the Pacific Coast.” cynthia-benjamin.com.
Handwoven linens at Heather Taylor Home.
Another new addition, HEATHER TAYLOR HOME, is stocked with all manner of cotton tablecloths, napkins, tea towels, coasters, and place mats in stripes, ginghams, and plaids ideal for coastal gatherings. Taylor, who vividly remembers childhood visits to Montecito, is also conceptualizing an exclusive pattern for the pop-up shop, which is filled with all the accoutrements—designed in Los Angeles and handcrafted by artisans in Chiapas, Mexico—for alfresco dinners in town and picnics near the water. heathertaylorhome.com.
Parker Thatch tennis bags and more at Montecito Mercantile.
Carrie Schei’s MONTECITO MERCANTILE general store is filled with the sort of finds she sources for sister shops Salt House Mercantile on Washington’s Bainbridge Island and in Sag Harbor, New York. Photographer Dewey Nicks’s summer snaps are on display, as are a variety of ceramic tablewear, linens, gifts, Parker Thatch bags, Peter Beaton hats, what Schei calls the “ultimate white shirt” from Sarah Alexandra, and key apothecary items from Bamford, plus cards, books, and magazines. montecitomercantile.com.
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Close to Home
When a restaurant space with a sprawling patio and room for a big kitchen came up for rent at Coast Village Plaza, Michael Sheldon jumped.
Head chef Jonny McDermott (center) created the all-day menu.
Written by S. Irene Virbila | Photography by Sara Prince
When a restaurant space with a sprawling patio and room for a big kitchen came up for rent at Coast Village
Plaza, Michael Sheldon jumped. The retired tech CEO had an itch to open a restaurant for the community—and did just that. LOCAL invites the Montecito set to dine, drink, and lounge (with live acoustic music at night) from 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and until midnight on Friday and Saturday. An avid cook who’s eaten all over the world, Sheldon, with chef Jonny McDermott, has designed a menu of his favorite comfort foods and more sophisticated dishes from his travels.
The best seller—no surprise—is the double burger (a short-rib/brisket blend), which comes with French fries and a garlicky aioli. There’s also a lot to like about the Korean maple-glazed chicken wings, crudo from the raw bar, a shrimp po’ boy doused with Crystal hot sauce, shrimp Louie salad, and pan-seared salmon in red-curry coconut broth. The latest menu additions are a Snake River Farms Wagyu rip-cap and Alaskan halibut with caviar beurre blanc. And there’s more to come, promises Sheldon. Pastry chef Peche (who goes by just one name) turns out a mean panna cotta and chocolate peanut butter pie. Almost everything on the menu is gluten free, including batter for the Nashville fish and chips. You can even get a gluten-free burger bun if you ask.
Live music—perhaps a pianist, guitarist, or jazz trio—often starts around 7 p.m. in the bar, next to the grand piano. Cue in a late-night menu that includes that double burger. 1187 Coast Village Rd., Stes. 8 and 9, Montecito, 805-770-2269. localmontecito.com. S.I.V.
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Catch of the Day
When BAR LE CÔTE opened in Los Olivos in September 2021, it marked the second Santa Ynez Valley establishment led by Michelin-starred restaurateurs Greg Ryan and chef Daisy Ryan–
Executive chef Brad Mathews and general manager Gracie Gates
Written by Anna Ferguson-Sparks | Photography by Jessica Sample
When BAR LE CÔTE opened in Los Olivos in September 2021, it marked the second Santa Ynez Valley establishment led by Michelin-starred restaurateurs Greg Ryan and chef Daisy Ryan—the award-winning duo behind Bell’s in Los Alamos—this time with culinary partner and chef Brad Mathews. The impeccably designed seafood tavern, part of the much-lauded Companion Hospitality restaurant group, features a modern menu reminiscent of European coastal cuisine and an on-point international and local wine list. In addition to serving dinner Wednesday through Sunday, the restaurant now offers lunch with casual fan favorites like arroz verde (vegetarian paella), fried-oyster po’ boys, skate-wing sandwiches, peel-and-eat shrimp, and BLC spiced fries. There’s happy hour, too, with half-priced bottles of sparkling wine to pair with oysters or caviar. 2375 Alamo Pintado Ave., Los Olivos, barlecote.com
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Tasting Twice
Winemaker Rob DaFoe’s passion for wine originally took hold more than 25 years ago, when the Santa Barbara County native toured France as a pro snowboarder.
Rob Dafoe stands behind the bar at his eponymous tasting room.
Written by Anna Ferguson-Sparks | Photographs by Jessica Sample
Winemaker Rob DaFoe’s passion for wine originally took hold more than 25 years ago, when the Santa Barbara County native toured France as a pro snowboarder. Now after more than a dozen vintages, eponymous DAFOE WINES occupies one of the newest tasting studios in Los Olivos, an intimate space lined with mementos of DaFoe’s well-lived life. Here guests can savor the label’s minimal-intervention, classically made wines, which include Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, concrete-aged Grenache, skin-fermented Grenache Blanc, Albariño, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay. Tastings also showcase DaFoe’s second label, ATTIC SALT WINE CO., under which he produces dynamic varietal blends. Photos and boards—of the surf and skate kind—adorn the tasting room’s interior, while an airy deck in front allows for outdoor tastings. 2901 Grand Ave., Ste. C, Los Olivos, 805-429-0070, dafoewines.com
I Walk the Wine
An active wine-tasting experience awaits those who embark on the new hiking tours at renowned ALMA ROSA WINERY. The appointment-only hikes traverse the historic El Jabali estate, a 628-acre property in the Sta. Rita Hills appellation. The two tours—Caracol Hike ($75 per person) and Attente Hike ($95 per person)—vary in duration and intensity and showcase different sides of the estate, rewarding adventurers with spectacular mountain and valley views plus glasses of wine, followed by a private wine tasting and cheese plate at Alma Rosa’s ranch house. Alma Rosa will offer a similar hiking excursion on July 23, during its third annual Peace of Mind: 10,000 Steps in the Right Direction fund-raising walk to benefit both One Mind and the Mental Wellness Center in Santa Barbara. almarosawinery.com.
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Home Sweet Homestead
The queen of California cool is at it again.
Inside the designer's Santa Ynez ranch house
Written by Anush J. Benliyan | Photographs by Angi Welsh
Jenni Kayne
The queen of California cool is at it again. With an ever-expanding portfolio of U.S. boutiques, a recently published second book, and a distinct voice in the fashion, beauty, entertaining, and home décor realms, Jenni Kayne shows no sign of slowing down. The lifestyle maven’s eponymous brand and its unmistakable relaxed-meets-refined aesthetic were on full display—quite literally—when she unveiled the Jenni Kayne Lake House in Lake Arrowhead in 2019 (which she since successfully sold). Now, the designer has debuted her second experiential showcase property—an idyllic retreat nestled on a hillside in Santa Ynez. Renovated and decorated to a T, the serene 20-acre Jenni Kayne Ranch will be a hub for branded and invitational events. Plus, fans can enter a forthcoming social media giveaway that will allow members of the community to stay at the abode and fully immerse themselves in the Jenni Kayne world. Pieces from the interiors collection mingle with one another in the space, while outside, horses, baby goats, and donkeys roam the landscape. “I grew up in Santa Ynez, so when picturing an escape from L.A. for my family and friends, the location felt like the perfect place to bring the growing Jenni Kayne Home brand to life,” says Kayne. The launch is just one of Kayne’s latest endeavors in the region. In August, she will open the doors to a home store in Montecito, and come fall, JK’s Oak Essentials skin-care line will take center stage at The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern spa in Los Olivos. jennikayne.com.
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Vine Tuned
Summer 2022 brings the ultimate wine experience back to Santa Barbara County
Summer 2022 brings the ultimate wine experience back to Santa Barbara County
Written by Gabe Saglie | Santa Barbara Wine Country map, courtesy of Jamie Slone Wines
After a two-year pandemic pause, the world is paying attention again to the fact that world-class wines are being crafted here. The big picture remains the same: This is an industry that is both welcoming and cooperative, and for the budding oenophile the tasting experience is extraordinary and approachable at the same time. The offerings and experiences, however, have gotten a makeover—they’re more curated, more personal, and more focused on quality that easily rivals the rest of the world.
The east-west orientation of the Santa Ynez Mountains—creating a natural corridor and a unique set of conditions in which a wide range of wine grapes thrive—sets the stage for seven AVAs, or unique growing regions: Sta. Rita Hills, Ballard Canyon, Los Olivos District, Happy Canyon, Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Maria Valley, and the newest of all, Alisos Canyon. Spread across them are 70-plus grape varieties, more than 14,000 acres of grapes, and more than 250 wineries. The industry generates upward of 9,000 full-time jobs.
The pioneers who launched Santa Barbara’s wine industry some 40 years ago are, for the most part, still here, creating and collaborating with the next generation of winemakers who have brought along new practices, fresh investment, and notable innovations to the visitor experience. Today’s wine consumer is savvier and more curious than ever, and thanks to a special blend of charm and glam—and with deference to both past and future—no wine region delivers like Santa Barbara.
We celebrate this exceptional terroir and unique viniculture in our highly anticipated annual Winery Guide, available online at sbmag.wine.
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Table Talk
A new generation of restaurateurs are discovering Ojai’s network of farmers, fishermen, and ranchers
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.
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Bold Blues for 2022
Designer Christina Rottman isn't playing it safe with rich, tone-on-tone interiors
Designer Christina Rottman isn't playing it safe with rich, tone-on-tone interiors
“This room reflects our client’s deep love of nature, surf, and creative inspiration.”
TOP: Details include vintage leather campaign chairs from the Paris Marché Paul Bert Serpette and Robert Crowder wallpaper. Below: Painted in Farrow & Ball's Hague Blue, the library is filled with heirlooms and objets d’art, both found and collected. Pieces include a custom sectional by Christina Rottman Designs in a Holland & Sherry navy velvet, vintage desk lamps from Lucca Antiques, a Harbinger coffee table, an Hélène Aumont chandelier, and a Mansour hide rug. "The deepest of blue greens was our go-to color in transforming this space," says Christina Rottman.
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Home Run
Lining a wall of Heidi Merrick’s Summerland showroom is a deftly curated collection of coffee-table books, candles, and other home goods with a minimalist bent, ideal for expanding a design library or updating a bar cart.
Heidi Merrick’s Summerland showroom
Written by Elizabeth Varnell | Photography by Sara Prince
Lining a wall of Heidi Merrick’s Summerland showroom is a deftly curated collection of coffee-table books, candles, and other home goods with a minimalist bent, ideal for expanding a design library or updating a bar cart. The ready-to-wear designer decamped with her family to a plot of land between Ojai and Carpinteria during the pandemic, and she’s been exploring off-the-grid notions of housekeeping as well as more polished aspects of domesticity. Merrick’s eponymous shop stocks handblown glasses and decanters in subtle mint, peach, and onyx tones or smoky gray hues alongside asymmetrically playful Tina Frey resin bowls. Karen Mordechai’s Sunday Suppers (Clarkson Potter, $35), a recipe book with tips on offbeat entertaining, joins A Tale of Interiors (Rizzoli New York, $60), with its glimpses inside the lush yet livable houses dreamed up by Louisa Pierce and Emily Ward—of the L.A.- and Nashville-based firm Pierce & Ward—for Dakota Johnson, Lily Aldridge, and Karen Elson. By appointment only. 2272 Lillie Ave., Summerland. heidimerrick.com.
Merrick’s Summerland candle, $58.
A set of six handblown coupe glasses, $195.
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Poetry in Motion
If you have had the pleasure of stumbling upon the serene, lyrical work of Maria Trimbell—
Written by Anush J. Benliyan | Photography by Steve Ouimet
If you have had the pleasure of stumbling upon the serene, lyrical work of Maria Trimbell—be it in the pages of Santa Barbara Living (Rizzoli New York), in a café in Spain, or inside a perfectly appointed Michael Smith-designed home—there is no doubt that you have been entranced by the Ventura-born artist’s hand-painted atmospheric murals.
“I discovered decorative painting serendipitously after searching for a good fit for my artistic skills, my obsession with European art and architecture, and my desire to do something with my hands out in the world rather than sitting at a desk or easel all day,” says Trimbell, who recently moved to Los Osos with her husband, art reproduction expert Steve Ouimet.
Calling upon such age-old influences as Italian frescoes, Japanese screens, chinoiserie, verdure tapestries, and bygone French artists like Monet, Matisse, and landscape painting pioneer Claude Lorrain, Trimbell—with the help of Ouimet—begins each custom scenic mural as a loose sketch directly on site or on a wall-sized canvas. She then builds upon her chalk or watery paint base using high-quality lime paints like Color Atelier, golden acrylics, and chalky paints like Farrow & Ball, adding depth and intricate details for a “misty, layered effect,” she explains. (For works on plaster, they mix their own paints.) The resulting frescoes—which take anywhere from two weeks to two months to complete—depict romantic scenes of nature that immerse the viewer into Trimbell’s poetic world.
In addition to painted-to-order murals, Trimbell and Ouimet are now offering a new accessible line of custom-printed wallpaper murals that are hand-painted, photographed, then printed on large-format archival canvas to be installed by a paperhanger. “Our clients are creative and sophisticated,” Trimbell says, “and, above all, they appreciate living with art and beauty.” mariatrimbell.com.
Top to bottom: Artist Maria Trimbell paints grisaille trees for her Lorrain mural inspired by the work of Claude Lorrain; a sitting room features a fantasy trompe l’oeil balustrade, trees, and landscape; a detail of Trimbell's Livia mural at her studio.