FIG & OLIVE celebrates the spring bounty with new menu in Newport Beach, California

FIG & OLIVE is celebrating new beginnings with spring and newly appointed Executive Chef, Wilfrid Hocquet. Chef Wilfrid’s cuisine represents his life-long passion for pure ingredients and minimalist culinary technique. That’s not to say his dishes are not exquisitely beautiful. He just lets the fresh produce be the star of the dish with its vibrant colors, aromas, and textures. This fits in perfectly with founder Laurent Halasz’s culinary vision of balanced flavors and use of premium olive oils as if dining in the South of France.

Here is a look at some of the menu items:

Burrata, Tomato, Pesto, Balsamic Crostini (Mix and match - 3 for $12, 6 for $21) is creamy from the velvety smooth burrata, herbaceous from the pesto and microgreens, and sweet and tangy from the balsamic and tomato. Rating: 5/5

Manchego, Fig, Marcona Almond Crostini (Mix and match - 3 for $12, 6 for $21) is simplicity at its best. Even though it is simple, it is rich and powerful in flavor from the nutty manchego to the sweet fig. Rating: 4/5

Shrimp, Avocado, Cilantro, and Tomato Crostini (Mix and match - 3 for $12, 6 for $21) has a perfectly cooked shrimp with a nice snap. With an almost Latin flair, the ingredients work well together from the creamy avocado to the sweet tomato to the refreshing cilantro. Rating: 4.5/5

Octopus, Hummus, Pimenton Crostini (Mix and match - 3 for $12, 6 for $21) is lovingly topped with tender, thinly sliced octopus. The hummus adds a creamy flavor for a Mediterranean flair. Rating: 5/5

Pata Negra, Smoked Tomato Concasse Crostini (Mix and match - 3 for $12, 6 for $21) has a Spanish tapas influence. Pata negra (also known as jamón ibérico) is a cured ham produced in Spain and Portugal from black Iberian pigs or cross-bred pigs that are at least 50% Iberian. The cured flavor of the pata negra pairs well with the smoky, rough chopped tomato. Rating: 4.8/5

Courtesy of FIG & OLIVE

Crab Salad ($15) combines jumbo lump crab, celery, celeriac, snow pea, green apple, lime, cilantro, scallion, horseradish mayo, and pink pepper. This salad is a clean, refreshing way to start any dinner. The vegetables and green apple add a crisp texture to the moist, tender crab meat. Great dish for spring! Rating: 4/5

Paella Del Mar ($32) includes black tiger shrimp, sea scallop, calamari, mussels, saffron rice, green pea, red bell pepper, artichoke, saffron aioli, pimenton, and oregano. The saffron rice is creamy like risotto. All of the seafood components are cooked to perfection – the shrimp has a nice snap, the calamari is tender, the scallops are nicely seared, and the mussels are succulent. The peas, bell pepper, and artichoke help tie everything together with a nice fresh flavor. Rating: 5/5

Rosemary Lamb Chops ($39) are grilled, smoked à la minute with a bouquet of Herbs de Provence, goat cheese & chive gnocchi, braised eggplant with honey, thyme, and rosemary garlic olive oil. The presentation is lovely with smoky dome. Using a bit of artistic flair, the server removes dome in a swirling motion so the smoke spirals up into the air. Then, they top it with an olive oil drizzle. The lamb has a Mediterranean flavor profile from the rosemary, garlic, and olive oil. The goat cheese gnocchi are a nice creamy, starchy surprise. Rating: 4.5/5

Caramelized Apple Tart ($12) is a crisp puff pastry with caramelized apples and topped with vanilla ice cream. It is a very light dessert, reminiscent of something you would pick up for breakfast at a French bakery along with an espresso. The vanilla ice cream makes it a bit more decadent with its creamy flavor and texture. Rating: 4/5

Chocolate Fondant ($12) is flavored with candied orange and topped with vanilla ice cream. This dessert is like a marriage of a chocolate lava cake and soufflé. It has a slight chocolate lava-like center, but is light like a soufflé. The vanilla ice cream acts like a crème anglais as it starts to melt into the nooks and crannies of this cake. Rating: 5/5

Mother’s Day Special: FIG & OLIVE has a prix-fixe brunch ($40 + tax & gratuity) and dinner ($48 + tax & gratuity). If you don’t have plans yet, make reservations now.

Atmosphere: 5 out of 5 stars

Décor: 5 out of 5 stars

Service: 5 out of 5 stars

Food: 5 out of 5 stars

For more information:
Fig & Olive Newport Beach

151 Newport Center Dr.

Newport Beach, CA 92660

+1.949.877.3005

Lunch Hours: Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.

Dinner Hours: Sunday through Tuesday from 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Wednesday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Thursday from 4 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 12 a.m.

Brunch Hours: Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.

McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams has been “keeping it real” since 1949

After a beautiful drive up the coast from Ventura, Santa Barbara opens up like an oasis with green palm trees and houses lining the coast. In the heart of downtown Santa Barbara, across the street from the Paseo Nuevo Shops & Restaurants, is McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams on State Street. Founded in 1949, McConnell’s has been an ice cream staple in Santa Barbara. Their ice cream has been made the same way for almost 70 years, from scratch. These small batch ice creams are made with Central Coast, grass-grazed milk and cream. They also pasteurize the raw milk at their own creamery, The Old Dairy (since 1934). The ingredients are sourced from local, sustainable, organic farmers, artisans, and purveyors that they have been working with for decades. Unlike most processed ice creams, McConnell’s does not contain any stabilizers, preservatives, fillers, or additives.

One way to enjoy McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams is in an ice cream sandwich. At the Santa Barbara location (opened in 2013), there is an on-site bakery which makes fresh cookies and other sweets daily. A very popular cookie that locals come in to buy in droves is the Salted Chocolate Chip Cookie. They are buttery and have just the right amount of salt to balance the sweetness of the chocolate. For an ice cream sandwich ($6.95), they are sturdy enough to hold yet give easily when bitten like an ice cream sandwich should. When using these cookies, choose ice creams that have chocolate in them to tie it all together. Rating: 5/5

Here are two ice creams that pair well with the Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies:

Chocolate Covered Strawberries has a richly complex, smooth creaminess of McC’s Sweet Cream and Guittard^® bittersweet, melted chocolate, and ripe Santa Barbara strawberries. The base has a creamy strawberry flavor. The melted chocolate forms ribbons in the ice cream and adds a crunchy texture. The chunks of strawberry add a refreshing sweet tangy flavor. Rating: 5/5

Rocky Road is Valrhona^® chocolate, salt roasted almonds, plump little marshmallows in a base of Central Coast milk, cream, cage-free organic eggs, and pure cane sugar. The base has a deeply rich chocolate flavor. The marshmallows and nuts add both fluffy and crunchy textures. Rating: 5/5

With sweet tooth satisfied, it was time to head over to Bacara Resort & Spa for the “Cooking Conversation with the New York Times”, part of the Santa Barbara Food & Wine Weekend.

Atmosphere: 5 out of 5 stars
Décor: 5 out of 5 stars
Service: 5 out of 5 stars
Food: 5 out of 5 stars

For more information:

McConnell’s Fine Ice Cream

728 State St.

Santa Barbara, CA 93101

+1.805.324.4402

Winter Hours (October through May): Sunday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Summer Hours (June through September): Sunday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.

Parking: Free 90-minute parking on street and in parking structures

Downtown Ventura Certified Farmers’ Market celebrates its 30th anniversary

Since 1986, Downtown Ventura Certified Farmers’ Market brings a wonderful outdoor shopping experience to locals every Saturday. Local California farmers and artisan showcase their freshest, vine and tree ripened fruits and vegetables, herbs, nuts, olive oil, juices, jams, jellies, flowers, plants, honey, cheese, meats, eggs, fish, and baked goods. If you’re longing for some breakfast or lunch, hot food vendors are onsite too.

On June 4, 2016, Downtown Ventura Certified Farmers’ Market will be celebrating its 30^th anniversary. From 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., the celebration will include cooking demonstrations by cookbook author and chef, Amelia Saltsman, musical entertainment, non-profit community booths, children’s activities, and more. Scratch FoodTruck will be there with their tasty menu along with other local artisans.

Here are some purveyors you don’t want to miss:

McCloskey Nursery is family-owned and has been farming since 1898 in Goleta, CA. They have grown so many different crops over the years from pampas grass for horses, tomatoes, and soybeans during World War II. Today, their main crops are orchids, avocados, and cherimoyas.

Fair Hills Apple Farm is a family-owned, organic farm in Paso Robles, CA. The farm began in 1992 when Nancy and David Rydell purchased 100+ acres and planted their first apple orchard. Stone fruits like peaches, nectarines, apricots, and cherries are coming into season and will be available through August/September. July and early August is when the apple season will start up again, with over 19 varieties of apples to choose from. Apple cider is another one of their products which is also sold at the market and available year round. You can also find their apples in Whole Foods Markets in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara locations.

Watkins Cattle Company raises 100% range fed (free range) cattle. John and Shane Watkins run 260 head of cattle on 1,000 acres of rich pasture in Cuyama, CA and Canada Larga Ranch (3,500 acres) in Ojai, CA. The beef is aged for 23 days before the final butchering and packaging processes. The different cuts they sell are roast (7-bone, rump, pot), brisket, tri-tip, heart, tongue (lengua), ribs (back and short), steaks (flat iron, skirt, New York, ribeye, cowboy, filet mignon), and cut/ground meats (fajita stir-fry, stew, taco, ground). They also sell pork (butt/picnic roast, ham hock, chops, bacon, ground, hot Italian/jalapeno cheddar sausages) and chicken (whole/half, breast, thigh, drumsticks, wings).

Buon Gusto Farms is an organic olive farm located in Ventura Valley where the trees get the warmth of the summer sun and the cooling ocean breeze. Olives are hand-harvested and cold-pressed within hours of harvest to ensure the highest quality extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). They also have flavored EVOO including Peppery-Basil, Mandarin Orange, Garlic, Meyer Lemon, and Garlic-Basil. They also sell balsamic vinegars including Special Balsamic, Champagne Pear, Fig, and Pomegranate that pair perfectly with their EVOO. Olive oil can also be made into soap as EVOO is a natural nutritive and moisturizer with scents like jasmine, lavender, lemongrass, and mandarin.

If you are a Ventura local, visiting Ventura, or just passing through on your way north, stop by the Downtown Ventura Certified Farmers’ Market to pick up some fresh, healthy produce and products to enjoy at your leisure.

For more information:

Downtown Ventura Certified Farmers’ Market

Corner of Santa Clara & Palm Streets

Ventura, CA

Hours: Every Saturday (rain or shine) from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.

SNAP/EBT customers welcome. Redemption authorized at the Market Information Booth.

Due to California state healthy laws, pets are not allowed in the market, except service animals.