The Weekender: Ojai, CA

Location: Ojai, CA

Visit: August 2019

The town of Ojai, popultation ~7,500, is nestled in the mountains northwest of Los Angeles. Less than two hours away by car (depending on traffic, of course), the jewel of this quiet, agricultural region is the fabulous Ojai Valley Inn.

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We had the opportunity to stay there over Labor Day weekend and were blown away by the property, the amenities and the overall vibe of the hotel and the town. The hotel and the town are really intertwined into one overall experience. The hotel is on a massive property (220 acres) but it is adjacent to the rest of the town, so it’s an easy bike, or even walk, into town for some off-campus eating, shopping or wine tasting.

There is plenty to do on the property, as well, including:

• 18 hole golf course, designed by George C. Thomas, Jr. (who also designed the Bel Air, Riviera and Los Angeles Country Club courses.
• 3 swimming pools, each designed for specific styles (Pixie Pool for the kids, Tranquility Pool for the spa crowd, and the Indigo Pool for the adult crowd).
• 7 dining options, including The Farmhouse, a special events venue that hosts dinners by the likes of Nancy Silverton (Mozza and related restaurants in LA, founder of La Brea Bakery).
• Bicycle rentals for quick trips into town or just peddling around the property.
• Boutique shopping at several on-site venues (and even more in town)

Our weekend started with an afternoon check in. The hotel has a range of rooms from “Luxury” (with ~400+ sq. ft. of space), all the way up to the 1,100 sq. ft. “Fontana Suite”. Our room was on the lower end of this scale, but beautiful nonetheless: King bed, couch, porch with valley views and a large bathroom, all updated with classic, yet modern finishes, fitting in perfectly with the Spanish villa style of the overall property.

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From our room, we headed to the nearby Tranquility Pool for a little sun before meeting up with the rest of our group for dinner at “The Oak”, a great restaurant located centrally within the property across from the main gathering area, a giant oak tree with hanging lanterns.

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Prior to dinner, most of the hotel’s guests gather near the oak tree for “The Pink Moment” where the sunset reflects along the mountains that surrond the valley. It’s definitely worth it to set aside some time to watch the sunset in this amazing location.

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After dinner, we enjoyed some local wine, sitting around the fire pits – lots of kids running around on the nearby practice putting green. It’s a super family-friendly resort and a great place for little ones. Many of the people we met had been bringing their kids for years, or even decades.

After a great night’s sleep, we woke up early, grabbed a coffee at “Libbey’s” a café and market located next to “The Oak”. We wanted to bike into town for breakfast and needed to get to the onsite bike rental shop early to make sure we could get a child-seat for our friends’ two-year-old. With him strapped in on the back of his dad’s bike and our puppy snuggly attached to the basket on one of our bikes, we headed into town, along a long white fence and then to the main road, where a great little breakfast spot “Ojai Café Emporium” which had the much needed outdoor seating for the dog. Breakfast was a mix of American and Mexican classics, including pancakes, huevos rancheros, breakfast burritos and the like.

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After breakfast we headed back to the hotel and enjoyed the pools for most of the day, including pool-side lunch at the Indigo Pool.

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Dinner this evening was a special treat. The great Nancy Silverton (Mozza, Pizzeria Mozza, La Brea Bakery, etc.) and one of her suppliers, Stefano Bruno (DeStefano Cheese) were hosting a dinner and cooking demonstration at “The Farmhouse”, Ojai Valley Inn’s special event space.

Nancy in the “Culinary Ambassador” for the hotel and hosts over a dozen events each year to highlight food and cooking. For this event, “Cheese Making & Dinner with Stefano Bruno, Nancy Silverton & Pizzeria Mozza”, in addition to a great cooking demo, specifically focused on Burrata, we were treated to a variety of dishes from Pizzeria Mozza and Mozza, prepared by Nancy, her executive chef Elizabeth Hong, chef de cuisine Herbie Yuan and the hotel’s kitchen crew. Courses included:

• Mozza Caprese with Pane Bianco
• Nancy’s Chopped Salad
• Pizza – Margherita with Mozzarella, Tomato, Basil & EVOO
• Pizza – Corn, Poippini Mushrooms, Fresno Chiles, Fontina & Mozzarella
• Pizza – Salame, Tomato, Mozzarella and Fresno Chiles
• Pizza – Jimmy Nardello Peppers, ‘Nduja, Tomato and Smoked Scamorza
• Pollo al Forno (Chicken) with Five Spice Sausage, Spicy Peppers and Broccolini
• Baccala al Forno with Tomato, Ceci and Rosemary
• Whole Roasted Carrots with Cumin, Corriander and Dill Yogurt
• Whole Roasted Cabbage with Puffer Grains, Rice and Bagna Cauda Yogurt
• Seasonal Slab Pie with Vanilla Gelato
• Butterscotch Budino

All accompanied by extraordinary wines from Italy:

• Emidio Pepe Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, Abruzzo (2015)
• “Vespa Bianco” Chardonnay/Sauvignon Blanc Blend, Fruili (2016)
• La Fiorita Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany (2011)
• Cavallotto “Bricco Boschis” Barolo, Piedmont (2013)

After dinner, we even got to meet Nancy, herself!

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Needless to say, after dinner it was right to bed. A food coma to end all food comas.

The next day, we slept in and then joined our friends at the Pixie Pool for some time with their son, before heading back to the room to clean up, get packed and head back to Los Angeles. Overall, an amazing weekend and definitely something to try to make an regular event!

Where to Stay

Ojai Valley Inn ($400-$500 per night) (905 Country Club Rd, Ojai, CA 93023) (www.ojaivalleyinn.com). A beautiful spanish-style resort, covering over 200 acres of hotel grounds, oak trees and golf course. A perfect get-away from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles.

• General Rating: 92 (Four Star!)
• Four Star Rating: 83 (Exceptional)
• Notes: A beautiful place, not cheap, but worth the splurge. Lots of dining options, although we only scratched the surface. The town is super cute too. Something to explore on our next visit!

Where to Eat and Drink

• Libbey’s @ Ojai Valley Inn (for coffee and donuts) (see above)
• The Oak @ Ojai Valley Inn (breakfast, lunch & dinner) (see above)
• Olivella @ Ojai Valley Inn (fine dining) (see above)
• The Farmhouse @ Ojai Valley Inn (special events) (see above)
• Ojai Café Emporium (breakfast) (108 S Montgomery St, Ojai, CA 93023) (www.ojaicafeemporium.com)