A Taste of Santa Barbara Comes to Mākena

Executive Chef Kurt Lesmerises provides the Wine & Education Series Chef Demonstration. Photo courtesy of Mākena Beach & Golf Resort.

Mākena Beach & Golf Resort continues it Food & Wine Education series with a Taste of Santa Barbara on Thursday, March 10 at 6:30 PM at the resort’s Molokini Bar & Grille restaurant.

The event will feature three wines from the southern Californian region paired with three takes on popular dishes from three famed Santa Barbara restaurants.

Master Sommelier Patrick Okubo returns to share his wine expertise, while Executive Chef Kurt Lesmerises will be on hand to provide three tasting dishes and the event’s trademark cooking demonstration.

The first tasting features the Bella Vista restaurant. Located at the Four Seasons Santa Barbara, the eatery is considered one of the best restaurants in the region and serves up Italian-inspired California cuisine. For this course, Chef Lesmerises provides his take on their classic Italian “Polpo” dish, or grilled octopus served at Mākena with toasted tomato and taggiasca olives. The dish is paired with 2014 Clone 4 Chardonnay from the Cambria Estate Winery in Santa Maria.

The second tasting dish takes us to La Super Rica Tacqueria, a hugely popular mom-and-pop institution made famous by Julia Child, who named it one of her favorite places to eat. For this course, Chef Lesmerises attempts the restaurant’s Alambre de Pechuga de Pollo, chopped chicken with bell peppers and onions sautéed with bacon and Oaxacan cheese served with fresh pico de gallo and homemade corn tortillas. The dish is paired with 2013 Lincourt Pinot Noir from Lindsay’s Vineyard in the Santa Rita Hills.

Master Sommelier Patrick Okubo. Photo courtesy of Mākena Beach & Golf Resort.

The final dish pairing includes Chef’s take on a entree from the popular Hitching Post II restaurant, known for “Santa Maria Style BBQ” and made famous by the beloved by wine lovers film, Sideways. Chef provides his take on the restaurant’s Pork Baby Back Ribs, a dry rubbed “No Sticky Sauce” ribs. The chef serves it up with BBQ baked beans and Kumu Farms carrots and green beans. The dish is paired with 2012 Star Lane Cabernet Sauvignon from Star Lane Vineyards in Happy Canyon.

The event includes live entertainment, complimentary parking and is offered at $60 per person, plus tax and gratuity.

For reservations or more information call 808-875-5888 or visit here.