Saturday, November 24, 2012

A WEEK IN SHANGRI LA - Part Two - Lake Casitas & Casa Barranca Wines





A WEEK IN SHANGRI LA
Part Two
(Lake Casitas & Casa Barranca Wines)


House sitting in the Ojai Valley and the town of Ojai was not rough duty.  I mean really, did Ronald Coleman like living in Shangri La in “The Lost Horizon” (shot in Ojai)?  He may have stayed there in glorious black and white, but he knew that he had found something mystical and magical.  And so did we years later.  Even on a very overcast day that made us feel like we were in a black and white movie, we found new horizons.

The first was Lake Casitas nestled in the mountains surrounded by RV camp grounds, nature trails and a “café” (Marina Café) overlooking the lake. The café turned out to be a coffee shop/truck stop, but since I love diners, drive-ins, dives and truck stops, it was the perfect place to have lunch on a cloudy day.

When we arrived we were the only customers and took a table by the window with a lake view...


 ... and after reading through the menu, it was a cheeseburger and fries for me and pancakes and sausage for Richard.  The pancakes weren’t as good as he had hoped, but my cheeseburger was the perfect, old-fashioned, not super-sized, meat patty with melted American cheese, “special” sauce and sliced sweet pickle that I used to get at Howard Johnson’s in my youth, and at my hometown luncheonette (remember when there actually were ‘luncheonettes?’) in Bayside, Queens, Long Island, New York.  I opted to keep the iceberg lettuce, tomato and raw onion as a “side” salad and not on the burger. The skinny French fries, however, were spectacular. Crispy, crunchy on the outside and soft and mushy on the inside. Just how I used to deep fry them when I worked the Woolworth luncheonette (there’s that term again) counter in high school.

After lunch (just as some truckers arrived), we explored the lake...

 \



...  then drove to a high vista to check out the Valley’s horizons. The sky was dark and angry (I expected to see Thor in the clouds ready to toss a lightning bolt), which made the view all the more dramatic.


By the time we finished driving in the mountains exploring the back roads, nooks and crannies, it was the “cocktail hour,” so we headed back to town for a little wine tasting at the Casa Barranca organic winery tasting room right there on “Main Street.”


  


Alysia Dewar, the winery’s charming wine club manager, was our barista.  Richard and I decided to share both flights offered.

 

We started with the 2011 Sauvignon Blanc ($20) made from grapes from the Evergreen Vineyard in Santa Barbara County with tastes of pear and pineapple. The wine was a nice surprise. I don’t usually care for sauvignon blanc, but this wine has a bit of ‘weight’ to it that made me a fan.

Next was the 2009 Pinot Noir ($30) from the Laetitia Vineyard in Arroyo Grande and it had a nice berry and plum flavor. This is a pleasant wine that would pair well with pork or turkey.

The 2010 Bungalow Red, a blend of syrah grapes (Westerly Vineyard, Santa Monica
County) and grenache grapes (Rich Vineyard, Ventura County), ($25) was a nice full-bodied wine with those cherry and berry flavors you expect from a rich red.

My favorite wine in this flight was the 2009 Merlot ($20) made from grapes from Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Barbara County.  Spicy, earthy, with hints of blackberry and even cardamom, this velvety wine is a find at twenty bucks.  Just give me a straw.

Though I liked the 2011 Arts & Crafts Red ($25), a blend of central coast cabernet sauvignon, merlot and petit verdot, I agreed with Alysia… this is a wine that needs to “sit” and mature awhile before uncorking.  Interesting note: this wine was named “Arts & Crafts” in honor of the Pratt House, a national historic landmark designed in 1909 by legendary craftsman designers, Greene & Greene which, along with the winery, is featured at the Casa Barranca Estate

The second flight was a totally red tasting experience.


I enjoyed the 2010 Grenache ($25) and the 2011 Cab Franc ($28), both with hints of chocolate, and the 2009 Pinot Noir which won the silver medal at the Long Beach Grand Cru, but…

…it was the 2010 Casa Red ($20), a little bit of this and that blend of grapes from Santa Barbara County that surprised. What a terrific table red for spaghetti or pizza night.

The 2010 Syrah ($25) from Thompson Vineyards in Santa Ynez with herbs, cocoa and berries and a nose that made me think of allspice was just plain delicious, as was...

… the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon ($25) from French Camp Vineyard, Paso Robles with its mint and mulberry tastes with a little cassis thrown in and a slight scent of pine cones. The perfect pairing with that Christmas rib roast.

Visiting Casa Barranca tasting room was the perfect way to end another day in Shangri La.


Casa Barranca Wines
208 E. Ojai Avenue
Ojai, Calif. 93023
805-640-1255

Saturday, November 10, 2012

ALERT THE MEDIA






ALERT THE MEDIA



Well, if you can, I'd appreciate it. ;D

"Freeze Frame" - my John Grisham meets Sue Grafton suspense thriller is now on Kindle just in time for the holidays!!! Yay!!!

If you haven't checked it out yet, I hope you do... 


 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009XIE7EA

Click in and read the reviews (most from people I don't even know), the blurbs, etc., etc. And if the spirit moves you, tell all your friends and families - even strangers on the street... I'd appreciate it. (and it's cheap!!!)

Thanx!!!

Thursday, November 1, 2012

A WEEK IN SHANGRI LA - Part One - Feast Bistro




A WEEK IN SHANGRI LA
Part One
(Feast Bistro)

Recently, our friends, Stu and Kyle, asked us if we wanted to spend a week house/dog sitting in their lovely home in the town of Ojai, surrounded by mountains with “pink moments” where the mountains literally turn pink in the sunset.  Who can turn down an opportunity to sip wine and gaze at a pink mountain moment or two?  Not Richard.  Not I.

Made famous as Shangri La in Frank Capra’s “Lost Horizon,” Ojai is a mystical, spiritual valley littered with artists, farmers, hippies and Hollywood stars with renowned theater, music, art and lavender festivals. Some Native Americans believe mankind was born out of its mineral springs.  I’d be hard-pressed to argue that point.


After a mere hour and fifteen minute drive from our home in Studio City, we settled in and explored the neighborhood as we walked the dog and drove around town.  After spending many sleepovers in Ojai, the terrain wasn’t totally unfamiliar, but we found new neighborhood pockets and fun markets to explore.

Saturday was “Ojai Day,” a yearly event in town.  The main street was blocked off and filled with booths selling herbs, jewelry, soaps and scents, sidewalk art and all sorts of local artists’ wares.


Our friend, Candace, decided to drive up from L.A. for lunch and to browse the booths.  The town turned out en masse, enjoying the street food while watching children play in various playground venues set up for the day as they shopped and mingled with their neighbors.

We opted to have lunch at Feast Bistro, one of my favorite restaurants in town. Started by Beryl Schwartz, Elio Zarmati and chef Susan Coulter, Feast Bistro offers healthful, delicious gourmet food at affordable prices.  It has patio dining, a wine/beer/espresso/tea bar where you can also get Belgian chocolates and pastries from local bakers, but we chose a table in the front room where we could watch the action on street.

patio

back room

open prep area

front room
Richard and I had never lunched there and were pleased to see such a full, diverse menu:

 
from Eel River organic beef burgers to veggie burgers of brown rice, mushrooms, sweet peppers and oats; a Vietnamese chicken sandwich to a Memphis-style pulled pork sandwich; cheese tortellini in bacon and tomato cream sauce to spicy chicken breast w/ greens and veggies topped with bleu cheese crumbles; homemade soups to steamed mussels and clams; salads to a bacon, caramelized onion and smoked mozzarella flatbread.  Something for everyone.

Richard ordered the Memphis-style pulled pork sandwich topped w/ tangy cole slaw and a side of pommes frites.  Of course, I had a bite.  Tender and savory. We both loved it.

Candace had the day’s flatbread special with assorted cheeses and veggies and I opted for the flatbread on the menu (put bacon on something and I’m ordering it) – both were delicious (yes, I had a bite of Candace’s) and both were served with a little salad in the middle.  It looked gorgeous and tasted even better.

We toured the booths a bit more and discovered a collection of antique cars – well antique to some -

This car was just like Candace's lst car

This is the car (an MG) I always wanted
Now that's a real antique car
 
then waved goodbye to our friend, as she left for her short journey back to L.A. 

It was time to walk the dog and a wait for some pink moments.

Feast Bistro
254 East Ojai Avenue
Ojai, Calif. 93023
805-640-9260


Below is the dinner review I wrote a couple of years ago: