Bar Le Côte Brings “Ranchish” Fare to California Wine Country

How do you serve impeccably fresh fish in a landlocked town? You dry-age it. That’s the secret to the whole roasted sea bream and beautifully composed kampachi crudo on the menu at Bar Le Côte in the sleepy wine-country town of Los Olivos, California. The brand-new restaurant from Greg and Daisy Ryan (of Bell’s in Los Alamos fame) and chef Brad Mathews (formerly of Fishing With Dynamite in Manhattan Beach) sources some of its seafood from the Joint Eatery, a restaurant/seafood market in L.A.’s San Fernando Valley. 

Thomas J. Story

Here Liwei Liao has perfected a dry-aging process in which fresh fish is aged, much like a prime steak, in a temperature- and humidity-controlled environment, losing water weight, developing a more nuanced and complex flavor, and firming up just so. The results are exquisite and have earned Liao a cult following among L.A. sushi aficionados for the chirashi boxes he sells. 

Daisy’s dad, a roving antiques dealer, adds the Joint to his regular jaunts to the city to shuttle fish to Bar Le Côte. It’s the sort of homespun and creative solution typical of the Ryans, who, in just two years, transformed Bell’s from a solid Central Coast country restaurant to a full-fledged food-obsessive destination serving French-inflected California coastal cuisine (with a perpetually long waiting list to get in). 

Daisy and Greg dubbed the food they serve at Bell’s “Franch,” a combination of French and ranch. Following that logic, you could call the food at Bar Le Côte “Ranchish,” as in ranch plus Spanish. Iberian influences abound on the menu: Manila clams and chorizo, shrimp with garlic, bomba rice, Spanish-style octopus, all boldly flavored and presented beautifully and unfussily—just the kind of food we want to cook and eat in summer. We rolled up the coast right before they opened to bring you a few of their recipes so you can try your hand at their magic at home—while you wait for that reservation to come through. 

A Ranchish Repast at Home

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Whole Roasted Sea Bream with Romesco Sauce

“Cooking whole fish is a great way to utilize the entire product, and it is a fun and classic way to cook for your guests,” says chef Brad Mathews. “At Bar Le Côte we use dry-aged sea bream from the Joint Eatery, but you can use any whole fish. The texture of the dry-aged fish offers an extra-crispy skin and a more consistent cook. We serve this sea bream with Romesco, a classic Spanish sauce made from roasted peppers, sherry vinegar, and almonds.” 

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Spanish Octopus, Fingerling Potatoes, Saffron Aioli & Frisée

“This is a classic dish that has been served in Spain and the rest of the world for years,” says Mathews. “The combination is not new to anyone, but when it is prepared with great attention to detail and perfectly cooked octopus, the result is extraordinary.” 

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Dry-Aged Kampachi Crudo, Saffron Oil, Avocado, Radish & Nasturtium

At Bar Le Côte, Mathews uses dry-aged finfish for the “delicate and beautiful” crudo. “This process allows for a cleaner, firmer-textured and cleaner-flavored fish,” he says. If you can’t source dry-aged fish, fresh sushi-grade kampachi will work just as well. 

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Roasted Pork Chop with Fennel Pollen and Pork Jus

“At Bar Le Côte, we source our pork from Erik Mallea in Buellton, who raises Berkshire pigs,” says Mathews. “His pigs have just the right amount of fat and a great flavor. Making your own Pork Jus is a bit of a project, but the results are stunning. Even without the sauce, the pork chop is delicious thanks to the fennel pollen and flaky salt. 

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Pacific Gold Reserve Oysters, Jonah Crab Claw, Cocktail Sauce & Mignonette

“This dish is truly about the products,” says Mathews. “We are serving Pacific Gold oysters shucked raw on the half shell, and the crab is steamed then cooled and cracked for easy access. Both are served on ice with cocktail sauce and mignonette. This preparation allows for the pristine quality of the ingredients to be the star of the dish. Raw oysters and crab have been some of my favorite items to eat my whole life. Homemade cocktail sauce is incredibly easy to make and worth it. And it’s important to remember that you want to use more shallot on your oyster than vinegar to heighten the crisp and briny flavor of the oyster.” 

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