The California Ranch Cookout, now in its fourth year, will take place throughout the summer at Solvang ranch
Alisal Ranch, the 10,500-acre luxury dude ranch in Solvang, is excited to welcome a new lineup of culinary talent for its beloved California Ranch Cookout series, now in its fourth year, which is scheduled to take place throughout the summer from June 8 through Aug. 24.
The series welcomes several notable, award-winning chefs from around the country to the ranch, who will each use their own unique cooking styles to perform a live demonstration and prepare a feast of barbecued meats, grilled sides, seafood, roasted veggie dishes, specialty desserts, signature cocktails, and more. The al fresco cookouts, available to both guests and Alisal Ranch members, feature live music and sweeping views of the beautiful rolling hills of the Santa Ynez Valley.
The current lineup includes the following guest chefs:
June 8: Chef Brad Matthews — Born in Ithaca and raised in Watkins Glen, New York, Brad Matthews’s earliest memories of hyper-local cuisine spring from a childhood of hunting and fishing along the Finger Lakes. By the age of 14, he was already working in small, family-run restaurants with an emphasis on from-scratch seasonal cooking. In 2009, he headed west to Los Angeles, working as the sous chef — and eventually executive sous — at Bar Pintxo. Matthews currently serves as the executive chef at Bar Le Côte in Los Olivos, where he enjoys developing creative seafood dishes, among a team of talented cooks who share his passion for coastal cooking.
June 22: Chef Jeremy Tummel — Chef Jeremy Tummel leads the culinary team at La Paloma, a restaurant that focuses on the traditions of Santa Maria and influences from Baja Mexico. Tummel’s experience draws from his time at Wine Cask, Bacara Resort & Spa, Pebble Beach Company, The Rosewood Miramar Beach, Santa Barbara City College Culinary Academy, and The Bear and Star in Los Olivos. A third-generation Santa Barbara native and part Chumash Indian, Tummel’s love for Santa Barbara runs deep in his DNA.
July 13: Chef Nik Ramirez — Born in Maui, Nik Ramirez had a passion for cooking from a young age. After starting his culinary career at Santa Barbara’s iconic Wine Cask in 2008, Ramirez continued to hone his skills, cooking, and staging at 108 in Copenhagen, Gaggan in Bangkok, and a seasonal izakaya restaurant in Japan’s remote Iya Valley. In 2019, Ramirez decided to move closer to family and accepted a position at Acme Hospitality in Santa Barbara. In 2022, Ramirez and his wife Ashley began a series of weekly Na Na Thai pop-ups at Companion’s Bar Le Côte in Los Olivos, and a year later in June 2023, they opened Na Na Thai’s brick-and-mortar in Buellton, serving authentic Thai street food classics in a lively setting.
July 27: Chef Claudette Zepeda — Claudette Zepeda is an award-winning, San Diego-based celebrity chef and culinary entrepreneur known for her fearless style and bold approach to regional Mexican cuisine. A celebrated culinary anthropologist, Zepeda draws upon more than 20 years of experience working in restaurant kitchens, as well as her extensive travels around the world and throughout Mexico that inform her vast knowledge of indigenous ingredients and cross-cultural expressions of cuisine. Zepeda’s multi-faceted expertise is showcased in her role overseeing the creative vision as founder of Chispa Hospitality, which started in the Spring 2022, including food concepts in Australia and Mexico. VAGA restaurant in San Diego’s North County is where she authors a love letter to her hometown with a menu that celebrates local flavors and immigrant influences.
Aug. 10: Chef Marcel Vigneron — Esteemed celebrity chef Marcel Vigneron has dedicated his life to gastronomy and exploring his culinary abilities. Throughout his career, he has continued to pursue the progression of gastronomy, and at the age of 25 he gained national notoriety in season two of Bravo’s hit reality series, “Top Chef” where he made it to the finals finishing as runner-up. He has worked all over the globe with world-renowned chefs, including Joël Robuchon (named “Chef of the Century” by the Gault Millau) and Michael Mina (awarded “Best Chef of 2002” by the James Beard Foundation during the time of Vigneron’s employment). He currently resides in Malibu and was recently appointed as executive chef of The Aster, a first-of-its-kind members’ club and hotel in the heart of Hollywood that is home to Lemon Grove, a featured restaurant open to the public that features fresh California fare with a menu that will pay homage to the agricultural traditions of the City of Angels.
August 24: Chef Brian Redzikowski — Chef Brian Redzikowski attended The Culinary Institute of America for a two-year program in culinary arts. Before graduating from college with high honors, he was recognized as an “Outstanding Student” by Wine Spectator and was awarded a full scholarship. During his schooling, he completed an externship at New York City’s acclaimed Le Cirque 2000. After graduation, Redzikowski moved to Aspen Colorado, and worked as Chef de Cuisine of Nobu Matsuhisa Aspen. After three years at Nobu, he moved to Las Vegas to accept a sous chef position at Joel Robuchon at the Mansion. Today, Redzikowski leads menu development for all nine of SDCM’s creative concepts, and he currently serves as executive chef at Kettner Exchange, which was selected to be included in the Michelin Guide’s prestigious Bib Gourmand list, an honor that it has maintained through 2024. During Redzikowski’s career, he has had the opportunity to compete in Iron Chef America and he was also awarded as Rising Chef in the Los Angeles California area.
For more information about the 2024 California Ranch Cookout Series or to make a reservation, visit AlisalRanch.com or call (800) 425-4725.
Feature Image provided by Alisal Ranch
