The chefs behind the culinary revolution
In 2015, chefs John Arslanian and Scott Parker arrived in Lake County from Los Angeles, determined to introduce concepts that had long trended elsewhere — local, seasonal, sustainable, fusion fare — to the area.
They set up Fresh & Bangin’ Eatery in the unlikely hamlet of Lucerne, on what might be called “the other side of the lake,” as there are no railroad tracks for reference in the county.
The roasted bone marrow? It didn’t go over so well. Sous vide pork belly? They ended up taking most of it home for dinner.
“We change our menu every three or four months,” Arslanian says. “It took people a year to understand that.”
Not that Lake County was an utter culinary wasteland,
mind you. Several kitchens have long reputations and enviable fan bases. At Jimmy’s Deli & Taqueria in Lakeport, which is known for its falafel and baba ganoush, regulars readily line up at the counter since the restaurant closes early most of the week — and entirely on weekends.
With one or two exceptions, however, the few aspirational chefs rarely dared to adjust their menus.
Arslanian and Parker’s little restaurant somehow inspired a culinary revolution in Lake County. Via poke with a raspy strain of smoke from toasted sesame and empanadas filled with local pears, seasonal fish and vegetables plucked from a nearby farm, Fresh & Bangin’ caught on. And other chefs began to take notice.
Since Fresh & Bangin’ opened, Matthew Metcalf traveled north from the Bay Area and is in the process of reviving Greenview Restaurant in Hidden Valley Lake. Mayme Dyslin set up in the rustic Loch Lomond Roadhouse, perched halfway up Cobb Mountain. Matt Young took over Saw Shop Gallery Bistro in Kelseyville and Jeremy Zabel returned from Napa to spark the stalled menu at Lakeport’s Park Place.
“We’ve seen a lot of change — the quality of chefs and the way people eat,” Zabel says. “The great thing about having so many chefs is we are all pushing each other.”
Zabel and Park Place Executive Chef Francisco Cervantes also pledged allegiance to seasonal and sustainable fare. But they don’t refer to their new form as fusion. Call it Caleclectic: shrimp and grits, wild mushroom rillettes, braised beef ravioli, even a Wagyu beef hot dog.
“We’re open to trying anything,” Zabel says. “That leads to a lot of creativity.”
Park Place’s version of the classic New Orleans po’ boy yields something to tradition. Fried shrimp — sourced from the Gulf for authenticity — is a common feature. Tomatoes and pickles are also authentic on a “dressed” sandwich. But they also shower on red onions, ladle it with slaw and ditch the delta-style French bread for a loaf of ciabatta.
“There’s even a little arugula hiding in there,” Zabel says.
At Loch Lomond Roadhouse, Dyslin drives culinary change through weekly specials. What appeals to regulars remains on the menu. Perhaps for that reason, much of the list features comfort food. But Dyslin is hardly one to settle.
“If they want meatloaf, it doesn’t have to be basic,” she explains.
Dyslin drapes the American favorite in a red wine and bourbon reduction. Brawny pulled pork huffs features hints of charred wood, scorched caramel and drifting smoke — leftovers from the tender meat’s time in a mix of Coca-Cola, Dr Pepper and bourbon. Fish tacos gain their ethereal crunch from a tempura-style crust spiked with beer.
Jerry Phillips at O’Meara Bros. Brewing Company in Lakeport and Greenview’s Metcalf take the alcohol treatment a step further by pairing each dish with brewmaster Tim O’Meara’s beers.
Metcalf is still pacing his menu at Greenview. His plans call for rapid changes as fruits and vegetables peak, close relationships with fishing boats along the coast and an emphasis on organics.
“I think I’m here on the cusp,” he says. “But the problem I’m finding is there are some people really excited and others who say ‘you’ve turned it into a high-priced eatery.’ ”
It’s a revolution in progress. But one thing’s for sure. With inventive chefs and new venues joining the area’s stalwart restaurants, Lake County can now consider itself a minor dinin destination.