Dining at Bacara Resort & SpaCalifornia Dreamin'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. Three restaurants—Miró, The Bistro and Spa Café—give guests a spectrum of cuisines to choose from.
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.)
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. Read our hotel review of Bacara Hotel & Spa (Updated: 05/25/11 SG) |