Culinary Setback

In January, Executive Chef Rex Hale was busy designing menus for a new restaurant that was soon to open at the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, in addition to overseeing the inn’s three existing restaurants, a banquet facility and room service.

As March approaches, Hale is looking for work.

Hale would not discuss the reason for his sudden resignation, after 1 1/2 years on the job, but he said he was as astonished as anyone to no longer be part of the resort’s culinary picture.

Instead, Hale said, his attention is focused on finding another kitchen in which to create.

“I’m looking at a couple of different things, some independent restaurants, also at possibly a kind of small hotel--something more in the neighborhood of 30 or 40 rooms, upscale, full-service,” Hale said. “Whatever I end up doing, I will be in business for myself with some kind of partnership. I will not work for someone else again.”

Hale, an Ojai resident, said he intends to find work close to home.

“I’ve lived all over the world, and I’m truly happy in this area,” he said. “With what I do for a living, I couldn’t select a better place. This whole area, from Thousand Oaks up to Goleta, is a very big food-production area. For a chef living in it, it’s great--dealing with the people producing the food.”

Hale’s departure comes at a time of transition for the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, as resort officials incorporate the new spa restaurant, the Acorn Cafe, into the picture and redesign the inn’s formal dining room. The upscale Maravilla, formerly the Vista Dining Room, is scheduled for a late-March opening.

Shelley Decker, food and beverage director for the resort, said the culinary changes remain on course. “We’re trying to keep things rolling,” Decker said. “Things are going on as usual.”

The various kitchen duties, for now, are being handled by a trio of men. Bobby Angelito, who for most of his 30 years at the inn has served as sous chef, now is the chef in charge of the inn’s overall food presentation. Chef Calvin Francis is overseeing the Maravilla and Chef Jim McCartney is heading up the casual Oak Cafe.

Decker said a search for a permanent replacement for Hale is not on the immediate agenda.

“Right now we have not really begun a search for a new executive chef,” Decker said. “It’s not something we are going to jump right into without a lot of thought.”

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Rose Burtchby, chef and owner of Ventura’s City Bakery, likes to offer her diners the occasional opportunity to sample cuisine from around the world. Past multicourse specials have featured the foods of Spain and Morocco.

Next up, a sampling of the varied culinary styles of Africa, on Saturday night.

“The cuisine is so diverse, with interesting flavors, curries, chutneys, yams, plantains, peanuts and beans in their diet,” Burtchby said. “It works really well into a delicious menu.”

The menu will open with black-eyed pea balls from Nigeria and hot plantain crisps from Ghana, served with hot carrot relish and cucumber sambal. Next, a winter squash soup from Mozambique, followed by a tamboule--couscous salad with fruit.

For the entree, Burtchby will offer a choice of chicken hkatenkwan, a Ghana stew with tomatoes, peanuts, chiles and eggplant, or vegetarian samoosas, filled pastries. Main dishes will be served with a South African pilaf of rice and lentils, a Malawi greens dish called masamba, African flat bread and chutneys.

For dessert, guests will be served Liberian sweet potato puffs and a South African custard tart in puff pastry.

Cost is $25 per person. Seatings will be at 5:30 and 8 p.m. City Bakery is at 2358 E. Main St. For reservations, call 643-0861.