Between a Cork and a Barrel

bouchon
Bouchon is French for “cork,” and this Santa Barbara restaurant prides itself on uncorking the best local wines and pairing them with bold flavors that harmonize perfectly.

“We believe Santa Barbara is producing some of the finest chardonnay, pinot noir, and syrah,” owner Mitchell Sjerven says. “Other locally produced varietals will surprise you with their quality, variety, and approachability.”

In addition to valley vintages, Sjerven selects produce from area farms and seafood from the Santa Barbara Channel. “We then take into account how these flavors can be presented in concert with local wines,” he says. “You’ll taste the difference and see how well they work together.”

Even Julia Child recognized this symphony of farm-fresh ingredients and world-class wines — the restaurant’s wine list has earned the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. Child’s favorite dish was the bourbon-and-maple-glazed duck breast with corn-and-fava-bean succotash, applewood-smoked bacon, and butternut squash. It’s such a local favorite that it stays on the menu year-round.

To experience bouchon’s fresh-and-local approach, accompany chef Greg Murphy on a Farmers’ Market Foodie Stroll and select your own ingredients. Then manager and sommelier John Loewen pairs wines with your menu, so you can relax and enjoy your three-course dinner. And relaxing is easy on the candlelit patio, with fresh flowers on tables and twinkling lights in trees — details that won bouchon a Best Romantic Restaurant award. It also won for Best Overall Restaurant, as it’s hard to beat wine-country cuisine in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara.

Wine Cask
Chef Brandon Hughes recently brought his decade of experience at fine restaurants in Santa Barbara to the beloved Wine Cask, a local institution of 30 years lauded for its elegant cuisine and extensive wine list. Today the Wine Cask is enjoying a rebirth as a neighborhood restaurant with an informal atmosphere in its quiet courtyard and its wine bar and bistro Intermezzo. But foodies can still get their fine-dining fix in the exquisite Gold Room.

Chef Hughes has a firm grasp on all facets of the Wine Cask experience. Here he chats with us about his own cooking philosophy:

What do you bring that’s new to the Wine Cask?
Santa Barbara is a very special place, and my experience with local purveyors at the Santa Barbara Farmers’ Market has been my biggest influence. The Wine Cask had become known for elegant, detailed food in the restaurant, and my style is a more rustic and friendly approach, while at the same time bringing in the freshest, most local produce.

Name a local ingredient that you can’t get enough of.
It’s seasonal for me, but figs always come to mind…. We have gorgeous Black Mission Figs with a quality that’s unsurpassed. I use them in desserts, but they’re also great as a base for foie gras…. And persimmons…they have such an interesting flavor. People are used to seeing persimmon cookies, but they’re just great with scallops.

What’s your favorite menu item?
Pork is something I’m passionate about. It’s a versatile product, and I’m in love with our dish using black truffles, a little bread salad [corn bread panzanella], fava beans, and a caramelized shallot and black truffle demi-glace. It complements the sweetness and saltiness of the pork chop. Another dish that people here really enjoy is the seared scallops; it comes with sweet pea risotto and sautéed pea tendrils in carrot vinaigrette with local honey and sliced beet carpaccio for a nice earthiness.

What sets the Wine Cask apart in the Santa Barbara dining scene?
Honestly, it’s the quality. No matter what we’re doing, from simple bar food like cheeseburgers to high-end fare such as caviar and foie gras, you’re guaranteed that we won’t send anything to the table that’s not of the utmost quality.

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A recipe from chef Brandon Hughes of Wine Cask

Seared Diver Scallops
With sweet pea risotto, beet carpaccio, pea shoots, and carrot vinaigrette

Scallops
4 Mano de Leon scallops
In a very hot pan, sear scallops in grape-seed oil for 1, but no more than 2 minutes, until golden brown on one side; then flip over for about 30 seconds depending on size of scallops. Place atop risotto. Serves 2.

Chef's tip: When assembling the dish, err on the side of slightly undercooking scallops as placing them on the hot risotto will "finish" the cooking process. Scallops should still be translucent in the center when you pull them from the hot pan.

Risotto
2 cups arborio rice
1 cup finely grated Grana Padano cheese
1 cup fresh shelling peas, blanched
1 sweet onion, diced
1 bay leaf
2 cups white wine
Sweat onion in medium pot with tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil. Add rice and bay leaf; toast rice for 2 minutes on medium heat. Deglaze with white wine, stirring rice often. Slowly add water until rice is al dente. Add cheese and peas; stir, adding enough water to gain desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

Beet carpaccio
2 large red beets
sprig of thyme
bay leaf
Roast beets in 325-degree oven with a tablespoon of water, bay leaf, and thyme for 35 minutes, or until you can pierce with fork. Peel skins; slice thin on a mandoline.

Carrot Vinaigrette
2 cups fresh carrot juice
¼ cup Champagne vinegar
2 tbs. honey
Reduce juice very slowly (to maintain color) until about two-thirds remains. Add vinegar and honey to juice; whisk in 1 cup olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.