Biggs’ Temptations : Ventura native makes a very tasteful return as the owner of new Cheese and Wine Market.

Venturans have welcomed home a native son with open arms--and big appetites.

Jim Biggs is doing lively business at his new downtown Cheese and Wine Market, and whether patrons know of his geographical pedigree, a recent return to his old stamping grounds is proving to be fruitful.

Housed in what was once the stockroom for the historic Peirano Market on Main Street, Biggs’ eatery offers a simple menu of not-so-ordinary gourmet deli fare. Plentifully portioned sandwiches feature marinated and rotisserie-cooked meats, specialty cheeses, fresh basil tops and thick slices of hothouse tomatoes, all layered onto a crispy baguette.

The bill of fare pairs up meats and cheese--Burgundy-cured salami and aged provolone, for instance. But “my menu is just a suggestion,” he said. “People can combine any meat or cheese that they want.”

There are salads too: “Bleu and Greens” with crumbled Danish blue cheese; spicy chicken salad; and another with slices of fresh mozzarella. All salads are drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Biggs, who was born and raised in Ventura, moved with his wife, Pam, to San Luis Obispo about eight years ago when she landed a public relations position with Edna Valley Vineyards.

“We went up there following her career path,” Biggs said. After many years of experience in the food and beverage industry, Jim, too, found a new direction: He realized a yet-to-be mined niche in the San Luis Obispo area.

“San Luis Obispo is a distinct viticultural area, but there were no high-end gourmet shops to accompany the wines there,” he said. “There are a lot of decent restaurants, but there are no small gourmet shops, so that’s what really put the seed in our mind.

“I finally got my little nest egg put together and opened a shop,” he said. That was four years ago.

In 1998, fate touched Biggs. Word reached Oxnard-based KL Associates, owners of the 117-year-old Peirano building site, that Biggs’ store might make an attractive addition to its renovation project. KL Associates was looking for a synergistic next-door neighbor to Jonathan’s at Peirano’s restaurant.

“It couldn’t be just another store,” said Richard Keller, a partner in KL Associates. “We needed an ‘Oh, wow!’ tenant.” KL Associates first scoured Ventura County in search of the right combination of a wine-and-cheese gourmet deli establishment. The match was not found, so up to San Luis Obispo they went to check out that lead.

Keller was enthused. “My reaction was, ‘We got to have these people,’ ” he said. “So we gnawed and gnawed at them. We tried convincing them to come to Ventura. We asked them to disrupt their lives.”

Said Biggs: “We negotiated for a couple months and here we are. The opportunity to open a business in Ventura was more than I had hoped for.”

The 2-month-old Cheese and Wine Market is fashioned similarly to the San Luis Obispo site. “I originally wanted to open up a restaurant, but we’ve had a couple of kids and I don’t want to keep restaurant hours anymore,” Biggs said. “I do want to express myself creatively with food in the shop. I can create dishes here and get my restaurant kicks, but still be home by 8:30.”

Biggs’ market and Jonathan’s at Peirano’s provide downtown Ventura with a substantial dose of Mediterranean-influenced foods.

“I never intended it to be Mediterranean--there are just flavor combinations that I like,” Biggs said. “It just kind of culminated into this.”

The meats--prepared by Biggs--include turkey breast, marinated in chardonnay with herbes de Provence and olive oil; chicken, marinated in a spicy, garlicky pepper sauce; and Angus beef, prepared in toasted garlic, onions and cracked pepper. There is also Black Forest ham imported from Germany and Burgundy-cured salami. Want to purchase by the pound? Selections include sweet, mild or hot coppacola, cured pork shoulder ($13 per pound), bresaola ($21) and pate maison ($11).

Cheeses include white cheddar, Jarlsberg, smoked Gouda, French double cream brie, fresh goat’s milk cheese and several others.

And now the wines.

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“We want to bring Central Coast wines into focus down here in Ventura,” Biggs said. He stocks a few international wines, including Chilean, South African and Hungarian, plus Napa Valley selections.

“I like to focus on wineries that produce 10,000 cases and under,” Biggs said. “We do carry some of the big hitters just because they are demanded. But I like to bring in quality, small family-type operations.”

Biggs sells by the bottle, but mainly concentrates on wines by the glass. At the back of the rectangular room sits a row of oak barrels--once used to age wine but now serving as tabletops for wine-tastings.

From 5 to 7 p.m. Fridays, Biggs offers a “Wine Down” with special-priced appetizers and wines by the glass. And coming in March will be “Sunday Supper,” a twice-monthly dinner-wine event with a special multicourse meal prepared by Biggs.

While no date has been firmed up for the inaugural Sunday dinner event, a menu has been drafted and Biggs is taking reservations.

The evening will begin with champagne and international farmstead cheeses, followed by a French cream pastry; potato soup with dill and smoked cheddar accompanied by a pinot gris; rotisserie-roasted Angus beef with aged mountain Gorgonzola; roasted rose potatoes with Parmesan-reggiano; baby carrots with sweet basil and honey; fresh-baked rolls with a cabernet sauvignon and chocolate torte cake with a vintage port. Cost: $40 per person.

Cheese enthusiasts might also consider Biggs’ cheese of the month club, which features three pieces of cheese with a combined weight of a pound and a half.

DETAILS

The Cheese and Wine Market is at 208 E. Main St., Ventura. Hours: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Mon.-Thur.; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Fri.-Sat.; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun. Call 652-2268.

Rodney Bosch writes about the restaurant scene in Ventura County and outlying points. He can be reached at 653-7572, fax 653-7576 or by e-mail at: rodney.bosch@latimes.com.