On the very eastern edge of Oxnard, in one of the most unlikely of places — at least from my point of view — is one of the very coolest restaurants at which I have had the pleasure of having dined: Tierra Sur. From the Herzog Winery website, I have lifted the following quote:
“… inside Herzog Wine Cellars new state-of-the-art winery, is Chef Todd Aarons’ second incarnation of Mediterranean influenced seasonal cuisine, this time utilizing California’s local produce. Chef Aarons is a veteran of Zuni Café in San Francisco and Savoy in Manhattan, and is now returning home to California to make Tierra Sur his new abode.“
We Decided to Return For Dinner
Believe me when I tell you that everything about Tierra Sur, from the appetizers to the fine wines from the cellars of Herzog, is top notch. Lauren and I had stopped at the Herzog Wine Cellars building a day earlier just to do a tasting and to check out the winery – a kosher winery by the way – and, after looking at the menu and speaking with some of the nicest people that I have yet encountered (especially at a winery), we decided that we would return for dinner.
By the way, we decided to do the Special Reserve Tasting – $6 per person, the tasting fee waived with the purchase of a Special Reserve wine; (we did purchase one) – and enjoyed a 2004 Russian River Chardonnay, a 2002 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, a 2005 Lodi Zinfandel and a 2005 Late Harvest Zinfandel. All were excellent; the self-guided tour of the winery is something that one should definitely take advantage of; there was some great history of the family and its wine-making endeavors.
Upon returning the next evening, we were seated at a four-top – one of only about a dozen tables in the whole place – that was covered with a starched and pristine white cloth. Fresh cloth napkins were folded at each place. A single flower and a candle graced the austere table, and a basket of warm bread was brought immediately, along with glasses of ice water. The menu was a plethora of items that I would generally not expect to see… all of them a study in mouth-watering masterpieces from Executive Chef Todd Aarons.
Amazing Appetizer List
The appetizer list boasted items such as Cornmeal Cod Cake with Bowfin Caviar and Truffled Chive Vinegrette, Chorizo Lamb Sausage and Black Olive Piadina. There were also Flat Bread with Watercress, and Cherry Tomato Salad with Zahtar Dressing, Jerusalem Artichoke Soup with Fried Artichoke Croutons and Toasted Walnut Oil. Entrees included Mustard and Juniper-encrusted Venison with Sautéed Brussel Sprouts, Lardons and Homemade Spätzle with Red Wine Currant Jus, Breaded Veal Chop with Broccoli Rabe, House-made Lamb Bacon and Braeburn Apples with Cider and Red Wine Lentil Stew and Pan-seared Onaga, Hawaiian Red Snapper with Black Rice Pilaf and Curried Fish Stew.
Choices were difficult – I have selected but a tiny sample of the many listed; the menu changes seasonally – due to the interesting entrée selections, but we finally decided to split a dish called “Platillos, small plates of salt cod beignets, mushrooms and garlic custard, molasses cured salmon” as an appetizer (wonderful flavors by the way!). For dinner, Lauren ordered the “Marjoram and savory roasted chicken with wild mushrooms, roasted baby carrots and turnips” and I chose the “Pan seared Onaga” (see above).
The service was paced perfectly and we had plenty of time to not only enjoy dinner but to enjoy our conversation as well. The kitchen was in full view, and I was surprised at the relatively small size of the facility, but everything almost seemed to be choreographed and not a motion was wasted; neither was there much conversation in the kitchen. When the food was delivered to the table, it was as hot as I could ever imagine – a real treat for me, as that is how I was taught it should be; rarely have I experienced it.
Style and Grace — Absolutely Exquisite — Attention to Detail
We also ordered a glass of the same vintage Chardonnay that we had sampled the day before; it was brought by a sommelier with subtle but elegant manner and presented with style and grace. As we proceeded with dinner, I noticed that the entire room was dining with the calm, quiet and dignity that I would SO like to see more often in restaurants and rarely do. Our dinners were absolutely exquisite and more than ample enough to dissuade us from trying one of the many desserts. We even had to take a small bit of our dinners home with us.
I do have to say that, even though it was a Monday evening, I would have thought that Tierra Sur would have been busier. The prices maybe were a bit higher than other fine dining venues, but then again, what is offered is far and away above many of those same places. The bottom line is that that Tierra Sur is definitely a four-and-a-half Zin dining experience. I would attribute much of this to the attention to detail – of everything from the initial seating to the presentation of the meal and wine. Tierra Sur is a top notch restaurant and it definitely deserves to be placed at the top of your places to visit when in the Oxnard area. They also serve lunch and offer a wine tasting menu (with food) as well. Great job by Chef Aarons and his fine kitchen crew, and also to the excellent wait-staff!
Ralph Pancetta
Tierra Sur restaurant is located at 3201 Camino del Sol in Oxnard, CA. While you’re there, make sure to leave some time to learn about and sample Herzog Wines!
