Restaurant Spotlight: Olivella (Wine Spectator)

Escape from L.A. for "valley-to-table" dining in a tranquil town

Photo by: Ojai Valley Inn & Spa

In Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, Olivella houses an inventory of 9,000 bottles.

About 70 miles north of Los Angeles is Ojai, Calif., a city in a scenic valley setting with a charming downtown area. Ojai Valley Inn & Spa has been one of the city’s top resorts since 1923, and its Olivella restaurant has held Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence for more than a decade. Olivella takes its connection to the region very seriously, sourcing ingredients from nearby farms, orchards, ranches and waters through its “valley-to-table” program. Chef Andrew Foskey blends inspiration from Italian cuisine with local ingredients. The result is a menu of Italian staples with a distinct Californian twist, like bison carpaccio with pine nut and a frutti di mare with uni and almond crumb.

With its most recent renovation in 2015, the resort created what is now the trophy piece of the restaurant: the Olivella Wine Room. The impressive private-dining space holds about 500 of the restaurant’s 10,000 bottles in temperature-controlled, glass-enclosed units lining the walls. Managed by wine director Melissa Lamb, the 850-label list features standouts from California—with special attention paid to its closest wine region, the Central Coast—as well as France and Italy. While the list is expensive overall, each there are picks for under $100 from all three countries, and there are two pages of half-bottle selections. For guests seeking a deeper understanding of the labels on their list, Olivella regularly hosts winemaker dinners with prominent producers like Dom Pérignon and Opus One.