Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Cafe

Located in the heart of Santa Barbara County 's Wine Country, the casual yet elegant Los Olivos Café serves California cuisine with a Mediterranean flair for lunch and dinner daily. The Wine Tasting Bar presents a selection of local and inter nat ional wines by the glass. The Garden Room offers a private dining facility for up to 42 guests. The Wine Merchant features over 300 local and inter nat ional vintages and is the exclusive distributor of owner Sam Marmorstein's Ber nat Wines . The Deli & Gift Shop offers picnic baskets, gourmet foods, cheeses, wine-related items and the Café's sig nat ure bread dipping oil. Café Wine Club memberships available to all.

Wine Merchant website

HOURS OF OPERATION
Café, wine tasting bar, wine store, deli & gift shop are all open daily from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Lunch menu is served from 11:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. ; Afternoon Light Menu from 3:00-5:00 p.m. ; Dinner from 5:00-9:00 p.m.

CHEF/MENU FEATURES
Executive Chef Nat Ely was Sous Chef at Birnham Wood Country Club in Montecito. Before that he served as Sous Chef at Emilio's Ristorante in Santa Barbara . He began his career as Banquet Chef at the Sandpoint Country Club in Seattle and advanced to Lead Chef at Festivities Bistro, then Place Pigale, both high-profile Seattle restaurants. He is nat ive of Hawaii and currently resides in Los Alamos with his family. Chef Nat creates hand crafted cuisine made with the freshest seasonal ingredients. For lunch enjoy his Torta Rustica with turkey, smoked ham, spinach, roasted peppers and fontina baked in brioche. Or in the evening savor the popular Café Salmon; fresh wild salmon fillet on a warm spinach, fennel and tomato salad with crispy new potatoes and citrus beurre blanc , or Pastilla with curried chick peas, red pepper and fennel baked in crisp phyllo served with sautéed spinach and roasted tomato basil vinaigrette, or Lamb Shank braised in red wine, tomato, sweet onion, and herbs, served with cous cous, market vegetables and nat ural jus, for a memorable dinner.

INTERIOR DESIGN/THEME
Los Angeles designer Cynthia Granado has integrated the café, wine store and tasting bar into a warm, inviting atmosphere using nat ural woods and simple, yet elegant bistro-style table settings. The raised hearth fireplace provides a central focus and gathering place.

HISTORY
Owner Sam Marmorstein, previously a Los Angeles stockbroker, moved to Los Olivos in 1995, bought 10 prime acres and founded Ber nat Vineyards & Winery. His highly acclaimed Char donna y and Syrah vintages are handcrafted and produced in limited cases. In late 1995, Marmorstein purchased the former Almendinger's Deli in downtown Los Olivos and created The Los Olivos Café. The Wine Merchant, including a wine tasting bar, deli & gift shop was opened in an adjoining space in 2001. In a perfect blend of food, wine and love, Sam met Shawnda (a former real estate agent and manager at Santa Barbara 's Café Au Lait) and they married in 2000.

More details on the creation of the Los Olivos Cafe & Wine Merchant can be found at www.santabarbarawine.com.

KEY CONTACTS
Founder/Owner/Winemaker: Sam Marmorstein
Special Events/Café Wine Club: Shawnda Marmorstein
Executive Chef: Nat Ely