Fawning Over Fauna

For nearly three hours, very few people checked their phones. Instead, we talked to strangers. We shared plates with new friends. We clinked glasses with a vivacious team that graciously kept wine glasses full. It was an evening that marked a new beginning. An evening to celebrate the magic of what lies ahead for El Encanto. 

The evening set out to recreate Bruma Wine Resort’s Valle de Guadalupe restaurant Fauna. Long wooden tables were strategically placed inside The Dining Room at an angle, with bright green magnolia leaves serving as name cards written in golden ink. We began with cocktail hour and ended with glasses of Ruinart Blanc de Blancs (for those who opted for the alcoholic wine pairing) — a bright cuvée from chardonnay grapes that delivered such subtle hints of effervescence to almost seem invisible. 

Charred vegetables were the star of the menu created by Chef David Castro Hussong. Staying committed to Fauna’s mission to deliver sustainable and fresh ingredients, the team sourced seasonal specialties from local purveyor Ojai Roots. The surprise flavor bomb of the evening was the second course, where a blackened head of romaine lettuce was placed upon our table aside fresh flour tortillas, guacamole, beans, and salsa roja. The grilled lettuce taco was a testimony to Chef Hussong’s dedication to simple, brilliant ingredients; its deeply roasted crunchiness, combined with the creaminess of the beans and kick of the red sauce made for a stellar start. 

There was also a plate composed entirely of thick, meaty carrots, which were almost unrecognizable on a pristine white platter, their skins charred to a deepened black and sliced vertically — perfect for sharing or placing between a homemade tortilla alongside bone marrow. Guests were invited to compare local wines for each of the three courses against Mexican selections, curated from Wero Cham of Vinos Boutique. An Ojai riesling sat next to a Valle de San Vicente orange wine with the grilled octopus and scallops for a tribute to both where we are and where we come from.

Kitchen prep for the El Encanto Culinary Series Part II collaboration with Fauna, Valla de Guadalupe | Photo: Courtesy

The finale of the evening was from Chef Hussong’s partner in life and in Fauna, Pastry Chef Maribel Aldaco Silva. The towering dacquoise featured the unexpected combination of macadamia, rich chocolate cream, and black sesame. The sculpture packed a powerful punch for the final dish in an otherwise flavor-packed evening, as to be expected from one of Latin America’s 50 Best Pastry Chefs in 2023. 

From the heightened chatter in the room as General Manager Gary Obligacion cheered to an evening full of “magic,” this culinary celebration is much needed in Santa Barbara. “It takes so many people in order to just have a good time — they come together to do their thing, but when it happens, we create magic,” he said. 

This was the second iteration of El Encanto’s Culinary Series, the inaugural event which kicked off in October and featured food from Monterrey, Mexico’s Rodrigo Rivera-Rio of Koli. The series sets the tone for new owners Justin and Tyler Mateen, in partnership with the Cayton family’s Culver Capital, who purchased the El Encanto from Belmond in July, hiring some of the country’s best to usher in a new era of dining at the storied resort. Obligacion, who got his start in the ‘80s at Berkeley’s Chez Panisse and helped the Alinea Group toward a World’s 50 Best Restaurants title, is joined by Chef Joel Viehland as executive chef. 

“El Encanto needs to have more occasions like this,” Obligacion added. And they will. He teased out upcoming events in the New Year, including a dinner in January hosted by Chef Byron Gomez of Bruto. Be on the lookout for additional events at elencanto.com.