Grazing Is Good

The Grazing Place Offers Creative, Eye-Catching Charcuterie from Carpinteria to Santa Ynez

By Sean Magruder Tue Jan 30, 2024 | 12:17pm

Monica Vuchkova serves up individual fruit and cheese offerings at an event | Photo: Danielle Honea

Monica Vuchkova has a hard time keeping a smile off her face. And she seems keen on spreading it to the mouths of the South Coast, in between bites of creamy Brie, fresh figs, salty coppa, and honey smeared on a chunk of crunchy baguette.

That’s just one of many tasty combos to be had thanks to The Grazing Place. Vuchkova, a chemical engineering grad and native of Bulgaria, has found her calling in drool-inducing charcuterie boards, and her happy place in Santa Barbara. She’s combined both with The Grazing Place, which is just as much in the eye-candy business as the charcuterie space. Vuchkova’s boards offer every snack one would expect. What stands out, however, are the quality of the ingredients and the pops of marigold, rosemary, and the incredibly inventive permutations into which meat, cheese, fruit, and flowers are sliced and folded. Though Vuchkova didn’t say as much, it’s obvious these gregarious grazing tables reflect their maker.

She wasn’t always so chipper. After immigrating to the U.S., Vuchkova worked as a transportation manager in Chicago and recalled “feeling drained, not feeling happy. When I moved to Santa Barbara, my life changed so much. The energy people have here is so different.” Swap in scenery — done. Next came the real plunge: pursuing her life’s work. “I like to explore, and I needed something to express my creativity,” she mused. “I thought it would be a side hustle.”

A mom of a one-year-old and on the cusp of a second pregnancy might not seem like the obvious candidate for entrepreneurial adventure. But that’s exactly where Vuchkova was in early 2021, when she decided to pour everything into The Grazing Place. One mantra has got her through it all: “No expectations, no disappointments,” Vuchkova said matter-of-factly.

She needn’t have worried about expecting too much with The Grazing Place — by mid-2022, the business had grown exponentially, supplying a number of wedding and corporate event clients and now the Au Bon Climat, Grassini Family Vineyards, and Deep Sea tasting rooms. Vuchkova even began a picnic offshoot called The Picnic Place. The quick rise of both follows her high standards. In addition to making each table one of a kind in ingredients and arrangements (!), Vuchkova is working with strictly organic and primarily local produce. “It’s important for me to be organic,” she said. “If I can’t feed this to my kids, I can’t give it to you.”

Detail is everything in these set-ups by The Grazing Place | Photo: Cambria Shelley

How did a chemical engineer and transportation manager successfully pivot to the luxury food space? It all started in a small Bulgarian village, where Vuchkova spent summers with her grandparents. She and her grandmother would cook throughout the day, and once at the table with a big spread, her grandfather had a rule: Nobody gets up until everybody is done debriefing over the massive meal. The ritual stuck with her. “One of my passions is bringing people together through food. That’s how I was raised. I get excited about it,” Vuchkova said, again, the last part almost redundant.

More clever plating by The Grazing Place | Photo: Burgundy Blue Photo

Her tips for a great charcuterie board? “Use different colors and cut things in different ways. Use herbs and edible flowers to spark joy. I love trying different textures and shapes…. [The board] should be whatever makes you happy,” Vuchkova offered, making it sound so easy. One thing is for sure — what’s made her happy has others cheesing from ear to ear too.

See thegrazingplacesb.com.