Garden of Earthly Delights

Tucked into a mostly residential neighborhood in Ojai is a stunningly lush 15,000-square-foot garden that’s been lovingly transformed into a high-end dining experience uniquely drawn from the lives of its young owners, as well as their lively surroundings.

The sparkle in Alia Rocher’s eyes as she walked us around the gardens and pathways and ponds that once housed the famous 1950s Ranch House restaurant — whose loyal admirers included chefs such as Julia Child and Alice Waters as well as stars such as Paul Newman, Barbra Streisand, and John Lennon — was justifiably starry-eyed as she showed off the restoration of the grounds. “One of the things it was famous for was serving dishes in handmade ceramic bowls and dishes, some made by Beatrice Wood herself,” shared Alia. 

Indeed, the original garden foundation adorned with the legendary ceramic artist’s broken pottery fragments is still intact, and Wood’s mosaic-like fragments still dot some of the pathways, along with ceramic bas-relief sculptures, ceramic Buddhas, and antique outdoor lighting fixtures. But, as Alia explained, more than 250 new plants have been added, in such a seamless way that you really can’t tell the old from the new growth, it all simply looks green and lush and beautiful.

After an intense career working in multiple Michelin-rated restaurants around the world and their own acclaimed Tarsan i Jane restaurant in Seattle, which earned four stars and a devoted following, Alia and her Spanish-born husband, Chef Perfecte Rocher, pulled up roots to be nearer to family in California.  

“My grandparents lived in Ventura, and I spent a lot of time in Ojai growing up,” said Alia. 

“Ojai was always in the back of my mind,” said Perfecte, who credits Acme Hospitality’s Sherry Villanueva with putting the initial idea there. He brought his Spanish fine dining expertise to consult with her on the opening of Loquita Restaurant in Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone, and “she kept saying you need to be in Ojai, you need to be in Ojai,” he laughed. 

Lucky for us, it wasn’t long before he listened to Villanueva.

The resulting restaurant, The Rochers at the Ranch House, is only about a month old and already a triumph. Our four-course prix-fixe meal last weekend was a truly memorable experience. With every plate’s artistry as lovingly composed as its flavors, this is an extremely elevated dining with a beautifully modern and unfussy vibe.

We started with cocktails. The Yuzu Pink Moment was a pretty-in-pink floral take on a classic gin and tonic, with just a touch of grapefruit and vanilla — an excellent, refreshing sip for a warm summer evening. My husband had the Smoke & Old Fascinate, their smoldering take on the Old Fashioned that came in a smoky box, and opened up with a nice woodsy aroma on the bourbon, which made me think of a campfire. Because we had some trouble making up our minds, they also brought us the Strange Green Ideas to try. It was a garden-inspired take on a spicy mezcal margarita, with a similar smoky touch as the Old Fashioned, but sweetened by a touch of mango and a beautiful bright green color from local greens. 

Billed as a four-course meal, we started with some lovely extras, which they called “snacks.” A really nicely foamy avocado mousse with plankton garnish and some fabulous crunchy potato puffs meant to be dipped in the avo mousse, plus spinach maki snacks topped with lacto-fermented tomatillo (looked like Jell-O, tasted divine) gave a terrific preview of the variety of flavors and textures up the chef’s sleeve.

Our official first course was a yellowtail tartare in a sauce “inspired from leche de tigre, which is the ceviche liquid of Peru.” This zesty citrusy gel sauce covered the fish almost pasta-style, resembling a pillowy gnocchi but tasting like a bright, clean fish dish. It was served alongside a maitake mushroom covered in a sweet and sour sauce made with blackberry, which had layers upon layers of luscious flavor. Atop all that was a roasted nori and sesame crisp designed to be used as a cracker base for the delicious yellowtail and its sauce. Sophisticated, delicious, and perfectly calibrated for summer.

Dry aged and smoked for three days, the bluefin tuna was smoked in hay and covered in dehydrated olives, then served with a sauce made from piquillo (a mild pepper from Northern Spain) and walnut that I could have easily eaten by the spoonful. It was served with chawanmushi, a steam egg custard from Japan, with sherry vinegar balls to give it a little sweet touch. There was a whole lot of flavor going on here, and I was IN for all of them, using a fork, knife, and spoon to enjoy each delicious drop!

Our third course was lamb prepared sous vide style, served with an incredible smoky eggplant spread, covered in mint oil and what our server described as “cocas de pasta bona, which is what they call it in Valencia” — a light, pillowy, crusty bread that was pure perfection paired with the lamb and eggplant spread. There was also a minty, berry-forward sauce for the lamb, but I was too enthralled with the eggplant to go too far into that one.

A honeydew-lemon-minty palate cleanser drink was next, followed by an apple sorbet (new to me and delightfully refreshing) atop an almond streusel, which I thought was dessert but turned out to be yet another snack.

The chocolate pièce de résistance was the real dessert — a dish they called Chocolate and Textures, which was a layer of chocolate sorbet atop chocolate crumble, atop chocolate paté with a warm butterscotch sauce and a little bit of passion fruit jam. A symphony of textures and chocolatey decadent deliciousness!

From the stunning gardens to the artful presentation of each course and the excellent service, the joyful artistry of The Rochers at the Ranch House is truly something special. And as Chef Perfecte shared with me, they’re just getting started. The menu will change seasonally and sometimes weekly, depending on what’s fresh and available and exciting.

The Rochers at the Ranch House is located at 102 Besant Road, Ojai. The prix-fixe dinner is $120 with private dining tables available for a slight upcharge. See therochersrh.com.