From Santa Barbara, CA
California Dreamin'
Bacara Resort & Spa Takes a Spanish Turn
by Naomi R. Kooker

Fragrance dominates Bacara Resort & Spa, a 78-acre Spanish villa-style compound outside of Santa Barbara. Oil—that prominent natural resource—hits the olfactory nerve as you approach the resort. You can see the rigs off shore and deposits glitter like silver fish jumping in the distance.

The resort is hugged by the Santa Ynez Mountains, an area abundant with excellent Central Coast vineyards and wineries. It’s the perfect climate for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay: sunny during the day and quite chilly at night.

Inside the resort, the sweetness of jasmine and the visual spectacle of abundant bougainvillea take over. Lilies perfume the grand lobby and the salt smell of the sea wafts in. But some of the most enchanting aromas—and flavors—come from Bacara’s three dining venues, the wines that make up the winsome lists, and the ingredients grown on the premise.

Bacara has a 1,000-acre avocado and citrus ranch, as well as 10 acres of herb, organic fruit and vegetable gardens, so cooks can pluck nearly a dozen kinds of basil as well as heirloom tomatoes for executive chef David Reardon's outstanding tomato soup. A Brookline, MA, native, Reardon has been with the resort since it opened four years ago.

Three restaurants—Miró, The Bistro and Spa Café—give guests a spectrum of cuisines to choose from.

Basque-inflected Miró

Miró, the fine-dining restaurant named for Spanish artist Joan Miró, sits on a bluff overlooking the ocean and is decorated in a contemporary whimsy that mimics the abstract artist and the two original Miró sculptures. Light wood walls juxtapose the Bordeaux- and Pinot Noir-colored carpeting, and the bar/lounge area has a fine marble fireplace. Miró’s 12,000-bottle wine cellar features an exquisite setting for wine dinners and private parties in its intimate cave-like room with candlelight and French tiles.

Chef/consultant Gerald Hirigoyen of Piperade in San Francisco has recently joined chef de cuisine David Garwacki to create a more Basque-Catalonian-focused cuisine, replacing the venue’s French menu. Meanwhile, the menu shines with food and wine pairings like the creamy pumpkin soup with a shallot flan and toasted pumpkin seeds served with a “Clos Hauserer” Zind-Humbrecht Riesling 2000. Braised rack of lamb with crushed Tarbais beans, olive oil and tomato marmalade brought out the finer points of a Tantara “Dieberg Vineyard” Santa Maria pinot noir ($80).

Desserts are the artistic endeavors of pastry chef Ben Galang, a Philippine native who has worked with Reardon for 20 years. We liked his white chocolate torte with poppy seed served with brandied cherry compote, a chocolate cloud with drunken sour cherries. In fact, we recommend all of Galang’s creations, from the caramelized apple tarte Tatin with flaky pastry to the breads, brioche, and breakfast pastries. (The lemon poppy seed muffins are so good you’ll want to smuggle them for the road.)

Casual dining room The Bistro

For more casual dining, The Bistro offers Mediterranean cuisine in a golden-yellow dining room overlooking the ocean. Literally fresh-from-the-garden ingredients accentuate the rustic beauty of dishes like a thick heirloom tomato soup, a vibrant purée made from tomatoes from the garden with goat cheese quenelles; al dente tagliatelle with fresh peas, artichokes, roasted tomatoes and chanterelles couldn’t have tasted more like spring.

Lunch and breakfast at The Spa Café are superb. The kitchen turns a lobster martini, a small salad of lobster, avocado, mango and vanilla sauce, into gustatory origami—delightful in its simplicity and taste. Even the smoothies are dynamite with ripe fruits from the ranch and your choice of nutritional supplements.

Wining and dining are not relegated to the table at Bacara. Reardon conducts group and private cooking classes; guests can tour the avocado and citrus ranch and gardens, and visit local wineries.

The resort itself has 311 luxurious guest rooms and 49 suites, each with a private balcony or patio overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Not only do you get the salt air but you get a sunrise and sunset, since the bluff on which it sits faces south, providing east and west views. Calla lilies are in all the rooms; large marble bathrooms feature large Jacuzzis. (The pomegranate hair conditioner and lychee soap smell good enough to eat.) There are three pools, a conference space, a 211-seat screening room, and the illustrious spa. Couples stroll the winding walkways in robes and sandals, going to and from the spa, a four-level 42,000-square temple of aromatherapy and relaxation, which features body treatments and classes, including beach-side yoga. If you must, you can rent pool-side cabanas with Internet access.

(Updated: 07/08/08 HC)