The Artful Flavors of San Juan Bautista
January 2014 by Darlene Boyd
The Faultline Steakhouse will be arriving at a soon-to-be announced location in 2014. This fine culinary arts experience, lead by Chef Shelly Ruiz, is a tantalizing experience for the culinary palette. Ms. Ruiz, former owner of Aromas Café & Grille, from 2005 to 2008, has been doing a trial run here in San Juan Bautista, since October. She has also been cooking and catering since she was 9 years old, assisting her mother with a catering business in Watsonville and Aptos. For Ms. Ruiz, the “art of cooking” comes naturally, having cultivated an innate knowledge of knowing which ingredients will compliment each other, creating an appetite for cultivated goodness. Ms. Ruiz has a supportive family team, with her daughter Erica Richardson, serving as the wine steward and son, Ethan Richardson serving as sous chef. This proves to be a “Chez Panaisse” experience in our own yard.
Ms. Ruiz specializes in California Fusion Cuisines, which bring together the charm of many ethnic elements, as well as the flavorful and healthy presentation of locally grown and harvested produce, sustainable seafoods from Pacific Harvest. She pairs to her foods with local wines from our San Benito County wineries. For instance, one of her signature entrees is titled “The Mission.” This deliciousness is served on a bed of wilted seasonal organic braising greens, with sweet potato mash, topped off with grilled skirt steak and finished with a port wine reduction, paired with an Aimee June Winery’s Tularian. Another favorite entree is the “Stuffed Portabella Mushroom” Another gorged with pine nuts, grated parmesan cheese, arugulla and baby spinach, paired with a Pietra Santa Winery’s Rosato. For those seafood cravings, she features the “Wild Salmon” paired with Pietra Santa’s Twin Terrances. Those who love beef might try the “Filet Mignon” or “Beef Carpaccio” paired with DeRose Winery’s Vine Zinfandel. Another wonderful blend is the “Beef Wellington” paired with Jayse Winery’s Grenach. For deserts, she has pies from Gizdich Ranch as well as her renowned, fresh bread pudding, served with artfully roasted Vertigo Coffee.
To further enhance the eating experience, Ms. Ruiz wants to feature local musical talent, such as a live pianist, for Friday and Saturday evenings. She also plans to augment the visual ambience by sprinkling in quality visual art works from local artists. “It’s the perfect place to throw a special event, private party, or simply enjoy a nice relaxing meal.”
Ms. Ruiz would also like to offer cooking lessons for groups of up to 10 students, ranging from adolescents to adults. Using the products of local growers and suppliers, she wants to further the culinary arts enjoyment within our community. She is excited about creating cuisine of many ethnic cultures, for the fun of creating and enlarging the local culinary experiences. She hopes to do some of this at her restaurant, but can also do it as a “culinary arts party” in private homes. She also enjoys catering and cooking for private party events. So be sure to keep your eyes, ears, nose and tastebuds tuned for entertaining and quality fare. The Faultline Steakhouse can be reached at 831-593-1051 and www.faultlinesteakhouse.com. Treat yourself to an artfully flavorful experience on many levels.
OPEN STUDIOS
San Benito County Arts Council is announcing that they are now accepting OPEN STUDIOS ART TOUR APPLICATIONS, which will be held April 26-27th, 2014. Artists based in San Benito County are encouraged to submit their application online at www.sanbenitoarts.org, where you may also download the application. They can also be reached at 636.2787 for more information. All applications are due by January 31st, 2014.
Open Studios is a weekend art tour, where artists throughout San Benito County open their studios to the public. The event draws hundreds of local and out-of-town visitors and is a great opportunity for artists to exhibit and sell their work, as well as for the public to meet the artists and learn about the processes of art-making. This year’s tour will take place on the weekend April 26th– 27th and will be preceded by a month-long Preview Exhibition at the Blak Sage Gallery in downtown Hollister. The Exhibition will be launched by a Preview Reception on April 4th, which invites artists, friends and the public into the gallery for a special sneak peak of Open Studios.
New and past participants are encouraged to visit www.sanbenitoarts.org to learn more about this year’s Open Studios Art Tour. Past and prospective artists are encouraged to attend an informational meeting on this year’s Open Studios Art Tour at 6:30 pm, Friday, January 17th at the Blak Sage Gallery, 727 San Benito St. in downtown Hollister. This meeting will address important dates, deadlines and new information regarding this year’s tour and exhibition. Please come with your ideas, questions and suggestions.
For questions or more information please feel free to contact the Arts Council at info@sanbenitoarts.org or call at 636.2787.
“Practicing Moves” – Animation Dance Community
Animation Dance Community and Salt-n-Light Productions will be gathering up local dancers, singers, and other entertainers to put on a show for a San Benito Freshman involved in tragic car accident this past November. The young lady was gravely injured and her mother passed away. The family could really use the community to rally around them and help defray exorbitant medical costs. The event is set to be held in the San Benito High School Auditorium on February 7, 2014 at 6:00pm.
For more information contact Lisa Morales at (831) 206-9580.