I
am lucky that my job includes indulging in a special event sometimes. Even
luckier that many celebrity chefs love to come and whip up dinner for 125
people because of our proximity to quality proteins and farm cuisine. My latest
adventure happened as part of the Morro Bay Oyster Festival with celebrity Chef
Bradley Ogden who came to prepare a meal featuring abalone from our own Abalone
Farm. Our magical meeting began at the
Inn at Morro Bay, where a luxury shuttle transported us to the beautiful
Abalone Farm in Cayucos for sunset cocktail hour. The feast was Morro Bay
Oyster Company’s Raw Oyster Bar and Castro sparkling wine, my idea of a perfect
sunset meal. I heard the magic words, “take as many as you want” and proceeded
to slurp six delightful oysters. A squeeze of lime juice and a sprinkling of a
mignonette sauce complemented these gems of the ocean. I would have been happy
with only this first course and could have filled up on freshly shucked oysters,
but we had more magic coming from the Inn at Morro Bay.
With
a private tour of the abalone farm where Brad Buckley told us how they grow
this blossom of the sea, we watched the sunset over the water. We hopped back
on our magic bus that transported to the Inn at Morro Bay where an elegant
dining experience awaited us with chic table settings and the full moon rising
over the picturesque bay. Our eyes drank in the beautiful ocean views and the
famous Morro Rock as we sat down anticipating our four-course meal and wine
pairing created exclusively by Star Chef Bradley Ogden.
We had Bradley the Abalone Cultivator , Neil the Oyster Officer, Eric the Wine Wrangler, a teacher, a bakery and yours truly, scary food reviewer at our long elegant table. We
had a lively table with iridescent conversation that was food centric but
enlivened with funny antidotes. We started with the Bodegas M- 2011
Albarino-Querida wine, and the wine maker explained how God and soil made this
an outstanding selection.
Chef
came out of the kitchen, was introduced and the meal began. Abalone Bisque with
an arugula puree offered pure essences of the ocean served in an espresso cup
it was high on richness. The salad that accompanied it featured charred abalone
salad with persimmons and Asian Pears, a dusting of almonds, and a spicy roasted
dacron sliced thinly. This was a complex salad, with multi layers of flavor,
all surprising and prepared impeccably.
Between
courses we toured the Inn at Morro Bay and talked with General Manager, Anna
Olson, who specializes in fixing up special properties like this one. With its
lush gardens, fantastical views of the bay and ocean, this has always been a
favorite spot of mine. New owners, Pacifica Host Hotels are remodeling and
updating the property to include more sea views and fireplaces for warmth on
those dew point heavy nights. We walked out to the expansive patio and took in
one of the lovely rooms. The restaurant (when not taking over by celebrity
chefs and foodies) is an elegant affair that offers fine coastal dining and
local wines.
Our
next course to enjoy was a
Cioppino style abalone stew with corn soufflé
stuffed baked cannelloni. The broth was light with a spice on the end and the
seafood inside was impeccably cooked scallops, shrimp, octopus, with a fried
and pounded abalone steak resting on top. Swimming in the stew was Andouille
sausage and red kale. This was my favorite dish. The wine pairing of Wild Horse
Pinot Noir brought the strong, subtle flavors to the palate.
Our
next course to savor was the Braised Beef Short Rib with roasted butternut
squash puree, roasted brussels sprouts, heirloom carrots and quince jam. The
meat was bursting with flavor and fell off the bones, the combination of sweet
and savory went dreamily with the wine pairing a Hearst Ranch Winery 2011 Three
Sisters Cuvee. Our last plate came with the instructions to indulge and we did
on a four-layered Devil’s Food chocolate cake with hot fudge drizzles and
vanilla crème anglaise
. This was flawless, not too sweet and brilliant with
the Roxo Port Cellars 2008 Magia Preta.
Chef
Ogden came out to a standing ovation and we toasted a miraculous meal in a
stunning facility and planned to come back and eat again. The Bay View
Restaurant at Inn at Morro Bay overlooks the panoramic setting of the bay as
well as ancient Morro rock. This is a restaurant and property you can always
count on, just across from the golf course and looking out on the back bay
estuary. The dining room features the freshest seafood directly from Morro
Bay’s fishing boats, Hearst Ranch grass-fed beef and the best produce from
local growers all prepared with California Cuisine flair. They are open for
special events like weddings, Christmas and celebratory parties. Dinner is
served Friday and Saturday only. Full Breakfast is served daily from 7:00 a.m.
to 10:00 a.m. The Inn at Morro Bay is located at 60 State Park Road in
Morro
Bay or call 805-772-5651 for reservations.
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