This Memorial Day weekend, Sunday brunch comes to gargantua restaurant at Beacon Coffee (2024)

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At Beacon Coffee in Ojai, what started as a pop-up dinner with two seatings on the last Sunday of every month recently became gargantua, a lowercase-on-purpose, restaurant-in-residence that serves lunchTuesdays through Saturdays.

Now its chef is adding Sunday brunch, which, in a nod to the leisurely pace of the three-day Memorial Day holiday, launches this weekend.

There will be fried eggs with linguisaand malted-barley waffles with mascarpone, said Nick Barainca. But other items, like fermented banana bread with crème fraîche and cacao nibs, point to the exploratory nature of the restaurant, which Barainca named after the black holeMatthew McConaughey fellinto in the2014 sci-fi movie"Interstellar."

"I'm a big Christopher Nolan fan, for one thing," Barainca said with a laugh. "For another, it's about going into something with no expectations. You don't know what's on the other side, but you're putting 100 percent into the journey."

MORE: Gargantua offers well-sourced, seasonal lunch fare in Ojai

In the case of brunch, the journeyincludes other new dishes (cherry pie with chamomile-Chantilly cream among them)joined by selections from the existing lunch menu. Some items, like black kale salad with avocado and cured egg yolk, are returningafter making a trial-run appearanceon Mother's Day.

Designed to fluctuate with the seasons, gargantua's menus are printed on small cards and projected onto a partial wall that separates the order counter from the kitchen. (Prices range from $5 to $15.) Barainca and sous chef David Monroyshare the space with baristas delivering Beacon Coffeepour-overs, lattes and sparklingteas.

Gargantua's lunch service debuted in April and currently includes "meat & bread,"a pairing of house-made pork linguisa and charcoal sourdough that recallsBarainca's Basque grandfather. Nearing the end of its seasonal run, Pixieshaved icefeatures delicateshards of frozen tangerine juice atopivory crémeuxand mochi rice cakes with a garnish of pea blossoms. The latter werepreserved in sugar, atechnique inspired by the salt-preserved cherry blossoms Barainca experiencedduring a trip to Tokyo.

Dishes are served in minimalist-chic pieces byDelphine Lippensof Humble Ceramics and on circular wooden trays cut down from squaresby Barainca himself.

"Lunch is an underestimated meal period. I wanted to show that the lunch hour can be ambitious, too," said Barainca, whose culinary background includes stints at such fine-dining spots as the Coral Casino Beach & Cabana Clubat the Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa BarbaraandatMattei's Tavernin Los Olivos during the era of chef Robbie Wilson.

MORE: We made a list: 6 foodie things to do this Memorial Day weekend (May 25-28)

Barainca decided while suffering through high school in Lancasterthat he wanted to be a chef,a career goal inspired more by "the sheer will to do something different"than his job as a busboy at Chili's, he said. After earninghis culinary degree at the Art Institute of Santa Monica, heinitially bought into the hard-charging, hard-drinking affectations of chefdom.

"When I was young and insecure, there was always more. I was folding one ingredient into another, adding another element, showing off," Barainca said. "My food now is much more flavor forward."

Essential to the change was Barainca's decision several years ago to get sober."When I got ahold of that, I became less self-absorbed. I started cooking the best I ever have.Doors started opening for me," he said.

Barainca was serving as a menu consultantfor celebrity magnetLiaison Restaurant + Loungein Los Angeles when he was offered the chance to run adinner series at The OP Cafe, a breakfast and lunch spot in Santa Monica.

Beacon Coffee ownersJohn and Jennifer Wheirwere invited to the opening by one of Barainca's former sous chefs.By June 2017, Barainca had startedtraveling to Ojai at the Wheirs' request to present five-course tasting menus at the coffeehouse, located in a former Carrowsthat now also houses Cattywampus Crafts.

"I never had my sights on Ojai before that. I was stuck in a Los Angeles mentality. But I discovered more of a creative voice here,a creative culture that people want to build on and support," Barainca said.

The easy access tolocally grown produce and other ingredients doesn't hurt, either.

"Food is good. It has the possibility of being great the closer it is to the back door," Baraincasaid, referencing the period between when something is harvested and when it lands on one of his hand-made ceramic plates.

For the record, John Fonteyn of Ojai's Rio Gozo Farm typically strolls through the front door when delivering boxes of butter lettuces and tender green peas.Avocados, citrus and bay leaves fromFillmore-based King & King Ranchare dropped off for pick up atBeacon Coffee in Ventura.

MORE: Ojai's Porch Gallery launches line of rockin' glassware (2015)

"You can get so much good stuff coming in that it becomes a challenge. I want to say 'yes' to everything," Barainca said, laughing again.

And dinner? He plans to say "yes" to that in late summer or early fall— although there may be a few exploratory pop-up dinners in the meantime.

For now, gargantua's updated hours inside Beacon Coffee are from 11 a.m to 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays(211 W. Ojai Ave.). For information, click on the "gargantua restaurant" tab on the Beacon Coffee website athttps://www.beaconcoffee.com.

OPEN, SHUT AND IN BETWEEN

Gasolina Tapas, the only full-service restaurant inside The Annex at The Collection at RiverParkin Oxnard, was scheduled to close at the end of service on May 25 — roughly sixmonths after its debut in the public market-style space. Chef and owner Sandra Cordero cited a lack of business as the reason for the closure, which as of the deadline for this column was timed to follow a rousing flamenco concert meant to "end things on a positive note," she said.

MORE: Chef Sandra Cordero explores her dual ancestry at 2 restaurants in one

Cordero, a former model who earned her culinary chops while training with Los Angeles chef Neal Fraser, will continue to operate the adjacent Pancake, her restaurant devoted to sweet and savory Dutch pancakes. It is open Tuesdays through Sundays(550 Collection Blvd., Suite 105, https://www.ilovepancake.us). Some of the dishes featured at the Spanish tapas bar will continue to be available at Gasolina Cafe, Cordero's original restaurant in Woodland Hills. It serves breakfast and lunch daily, in addition to presenting the occasional paella-night dinner event (https://www.gasolinacafe.com).

Published in the May 23 Business section of The Star, this week's Open and Shut column contained information about plans by the owner of Cisco's Mexican Restaurant & Sports Barto open a new concept in Westlake Village, about the opening of Afters Ice Cream in Oxnard, and about the closing of the first — and final —Ventura County location of Dickey's Barbecue Pit in Ventura.To read it, click onhttps://bit.ly/2IE2AXG.

SOMETHING'S BREWING

Named for a local landmark, Tarantula Hill Brewing Co.took two big steps forward last week in the quest tobecome the first microbrewery in the city of Thousand Oaks.

Step one: Thousand Oaks nativeMike Richmond, who has spent the past 10 years at Stone Brewing Co.in San Diego County,was named brewmaster.

A1998 graduate ofNewbury Park High School, Richmond earneda degree in biological sciences fromUC Santa Barbara in 2002 and worked asan agricultural technician for the state of California before moving to Washington D.C. to supervise the region's largest, 24-hour veterinary hospital. Bitten by the homebrewing bug, Richmond returned to Californiato complete the master brewing program at UC Davis.

"It feels great to have this opportunity to come back to my roots," Richmond said in a media release.

Step two: Construction at the brewery site, 244 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd.,could start "in the next few weeks," according to chief marketing officer John Edney. "We have just approved the plans so now they go to technical planning," Edney wrote in a May 19email to The Star.

MORE: Tarantula Hill Brewing owners on track to open Thousand Oaks' 1st brewery

WE HAVE A WINNER

The 10th annual Berry Blast Off recipe contest included an extradash of drama when finalists Jake Hagen of Granada Hills and Lizet Melgoza of Oxnardwent head-to-head May 19 on the Strawberry Promenade stage at the 35th anniversary California Strawberry Festivalin Oxnard.

But after factoring in problems caused by traffic, a cold hot plate and other issues, first prize in the timed competition went to Hagen for his dish: Coconut Shrimp with Strawberry ChipotleDipping Sauce and Sweet Coconut Rice. Hagen, who made it as far as the semifinals in 2017, this year earned an array of prizes that included a set of Cutco chefs' knives and a vacation provided by Welk Resorts.

NOTES FROM UP NORTH

Shuttered first by the Thomas Fire and then by the deadly Montecito mudslides, the Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara is scheduled to reopen on June 1.Located on 22 oceanfront acres, the property has undergone extensive renovations to its landscaping and to some of its guest rooms and back-of-the-house areas,according to a spokesperson.

Its on-site restaurants include the al frescoBella Vista, where returning executive chef Marco Fossatihas added what he calls "The Pasta Cart Experience" to the dinner menu. At $22 per person, it features spaghetti with caciocavallo cheese and fresh Tellicherry pepper, prepared tableside. The resort's Summer Tasting Series will startJune 8 with an event devoted to sparkling rosés(1260 Channel Drive,https://www.fourseasons.com/santabarbara).

Restaurants, tasting rooms and other businesses in the Santa Ynez Valley wine-country town of Los Olivos will band together June 3 to present the inaugural Locals Love Block Party. The event from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. will include free wine tastings, discounts on wines by the glass and bottle, appearances by food trucks, live music and more. For updates, visit the event Facebook page athttps://bit.ly/2GtLNEB. (A reminder: June 3 also will mark the final day of business for the current version of the restaurant at Mattei's Tavern, also in Los Olivos.)

Featured in the movie "Sideways" and considered a must-visit spot for oenophiles passing through the Santa Ynez Valley, the Buellton restaurant known as theHitching Post 2(406 E. Highway 246) will soon have a new neighbor. A tasting room devoted to wines made by pith helmet-wearing chef/owner Frank Ostiniand business partner Gray Hartleyis slated to open in Julyat 420 E. Highway 246. The address is a former home turned garden center turned tasting room for Loring Wine Co., which on May 10 reopened at its new location next to Industrial Eats just down the road.

The Hitching Post Wines project will include the label's first-ever tasting room, picnic grounds and atake-out/delivery concept that will offer a limited lunch menu (http://www.hitchingpost2.com).

CHEERS!

The upcomingOjai Music Festival is the inspiration for the nextrelease in the Rock the Glass series presented by Porch Galleryof Ojai. Decorated with musical notes and blocks of color, theglass will be unveiled during a fundraiserfrom 5-7 p.m. June 3 at the gallery (310 E. Matilija St.) will include samples of Peared Notes, a drink created by Pam Frame of Found 203 Studio. Proceeds from tickets, $20, will benefit the festival and its BRAVO Education & Community Programs.

The glasses will also be sold at Porch Gallery and at the Ojai Music Festival pop-up boutique in Libbey Park when the festival takes place June 7-10. For information, click on https://www.ojaifestival.org.

Lisa McKinnon is a staff writer for The Star. To contact her, send email to lisa.mckinnon@vcstar.com. To have theVCS Eats newsletterdelivered directly to your inbox, visithttp://bit.ly/VCS_Eatsand type in your email address.

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