Dining and Imbibing in the Conejo Valley
By Don Sonderling
No matter where you go on the Central Coast, this region is always ready to serve up new surprises. Among our favorite new discoveries are the enticing, creative restaurants in the eastern portion of Ventura County. Often referred to as the Conejo Valley or simply East County by locals, this enclave has been making a name for itself amongst food and wine enthusiasts. Here are a few we love.
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Randy’s Recipes: Cinco de Mayo Menu
By Randy Graham
Cinco de Mayo is a national holiday in Mexico and is celebrated throughout our Southwest. Growing up in the 1960s, I used to think Cinco de Mayo was like our Fourth of July.
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Lompoc: The Central Coast’s Best-Kept Wine Tasting Secret
Story and photos by Katherine McMahon
Heading north just after the Gaviota Pass, State Route 1 splits from the California 101 to curve west, passing through serene valleys in the Santa Ynez Mountains and along Salsipuedes Creek to the City of Lompoc. Lompoc sits in its own valley surrounded on the north and west by Vandenberg Air Force Base. On the east side of the city is the Santa Rita Hills which contain some of the best grape growing conditions in the region. Yet when Lompoc was founded 150 years ago, it was established as a temperance colony where the manufacture, sale, and consumption of liquor was prohibited. Fortunately, that stage in Lompoc’s history didn’t last long and today there is a rich local wine culture. Part of what makes the area special for winemaking is the significant presence of diatomaceous earth, which is a white, rocky soil formed from ancient deposits of sea life, much the same way that Paso Robles is known for its calcareous soils. But what stood out for me on my visit to Lompoc was the devotion and passion of the artisans making wine.
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The Vibe of the Valley: Ojai Community Farmers’ Market
Story by Kerstin Kuhn • Photos by Misty Hall
It’s a Thursday afternoon in November and it’s chilly in downtown Ojai. The clocks have just gone back, and dusk is settling in on the valley. But the cold and dark are no match for the Ojai Community Farmers’ Market (OCFM), where things are in full swing. There’s a workshop happening with a group of people sitting in a circle learning how to start a medicinal herb garden. Little kids are intently focused on their story-time session with the Ventura County Mobile Library, while a pair of local musicians are setting up to play. Shoppers are perusing the farm stalls, tasting strawberries, hand-picking produce, buying loaves of sourdough bread, and pre-ordering their Thanksgiving turkeys.
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Tri-tip tribe: Searching for the best barbecue on the Central Coast
Story and photos by Katherine McMahon
Barbecue: Technically, it’s just food cooked over a flame. The term comes from a Native American word for slow cooking meat over a fire. But today there is so much cultural complexity that goes along with the word, particularly when meat is involved. Depending on where you’re at and who you ask, you’ll get very different definitions. While many famous barbecue styles come from the southern U.S., there are countless other varieties like Hawaiian, Korean, and even a style native to the Central Coast dubbed Santa Maria style. In my travels on the Central Coast, I have eaten at barbecue restaurants that encompass a range of tradition and innovation, drawing from regional preferences and those across the globe.
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Fall Comfort Food
By Randy Graham
Fall brings a yearning for cozy blankets, hot apple cider, and comfort foods here on California’s Central Coast. One of my go-to comfort foods is poutine with plenty of tangy gravy.
My riff features French fries, cheese curds, and gravy made with vegetable stock and rice vinegar. If you’re looking for comfort food for Halloween or Día de Los Muertos, give my quesofundido a try. It is good with a bowl of fresh tortilla chips or small handmade flour tortillas for dipping. If you need to provide comfort food to vegetarians visiting at Thanksgiving, we have you covered there too.
Try my veggie meatballs made with walnuts, onions, fresh sage, and mild longhorn cheese. Veg heads and meat lovers of all ages love this recipe. AnotherThanksgiving favorite of mine is my mom’s riced potatoes recipe, made with russet potatoes, butter, half-and-half, sour cream, and Parmesan cheese.
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