My next few posts are based on a couple of delicious and delightful pop up dinners I’ve recently enjoyed in Ventura and in Hanalei. Pop-up or Chef Table dinners seem to be hot everywhere, I’ve dined at the Palo Alto Garden Court 520 Chef Table many times and I love the concept…interesting food pairings based on market ingredients and a delightful method of meeting other foodie diners to compare notes of their latest tastings.

Set in the original downtown area of Ventura, CA, directly across from the historic Old Mission San Buenaventura, Paradise Pantry, has been operating as a restaurant and wine bar for seven years. Owned by Tina Thayer and Kelly Briglio, the pantry area overflows with a wide selection of wines from around the world and a generous collection of gourmet goodies.

An apt use for this space, the Pantry is connected to the Peirano Market Building which was originally constructed in 1877 for merchant Alex Gandolfo an Italian immigrant who opened a general merchandise and grocery store. Gandolfo’s nephew, Nicola Periano, immigrated to the area and in the next decade he assumed ownership and later purchased the property, which remained in the Peirano family, continuously operating as a grocery store, until 1986. As a child, I was always attracted to the colorful wall mural, a brightly colored parrot screeching an ad for Ghirardelli’s cocoa. In the grand circle of life, I ended up living my adult life in the bay area, the home of the famous Ghirardelli’s chocolates and cocoa.

Joel Huff, who was Executive Chef at the notable Silks restaurant at the Mandarin Hotel in San Francisco, also created gastronomic cuisine in Miami at Azul and numerous fine dining establishments. Joel has returned to his roots in Ventura, a native surfer, he is consulting with several local businesses and originated a wildly popular monthly Chef’s Table pop up at Paradise Pantry.So popular, they frequently have three seating’s at the Sunday night dinners. The small kitchen is run with precision by an attentive staff and headed by Joel. Recent Sunday night theme was Attack Of The Italian Dinner, four courses followed by dessert. Wine pairings are generously poured with each course.

Menu: Primo – Italian Ham and Cheese: Slices of rustic toast brushed with olive oil, accompanied by a small stone slab mounded with thinly sliced prosciutto di parma and an abundant bowl of whipped buratta crowned with a splash of fresh tomato salsa. An interactive course: design your own bruschetta; great icebreaker if you are dining with new friends.

Insalata – Smoked River Trout Salad: Wild greens, radishes, spiced melon with petite Concord Red Grape dressing.

Primo – Pork Meatballs: Creamy white polenta and red gravy. My only complaint: it wasn’t served with a spoon, which I could have used to scrape every last morsel of the scrumptious polenta from the bowl! The tender and tasty meatball perched in the polenta was just enough to whet your appetite for Secondo.

Secondo – Casaraccia Pasta: Oxtail ragu, preserved lemons, pungent green olives and parsley. Perfecto! The braised meat must have simmered in its savory juices for hours, as it fell apart with the touch of a fork, delicate and divine! A teeny hint of the piquant preserved lemon hit the right notes. The pasta base must have been soaked and perhaps cooked in the jus, as it was incredibly rich and permeated with the richly flavored ragu.

Dolce – Textures of Pistachio: Sponge cake, ice cream, pistachio crumbled goats milk ice cream. Finale bellissiomo! Artfully torn portions of sponge cake in a pool of soft nutty ice cream. Light and airy sponge cake combined with crunchy pistachio nuts was a light sweet ending to a rich delicious dinner.

Next Pop Up with Joel Huff at Paradise Pantry – October 26 – fall pumpkin theme.

Call 805-641-9440 for reservations.