California Ranch Cookout Series

courtesy photo 

Alisal Ranch, the 10,500-acre luxury working ranch in California’s Santa Ynez Valley, has announced the return of its beloved California Ranch Cookout series, taking place throughout summer and fall. The series welcomes a lineup of notable, award-winning chefs from around the country to the ranch, who will each use their own, unique cooking styles to perform a live demonstration and prepare a feast of barbecued meats, grilled sides, seafood, roasted veggie dishes, specialty desserts, signature cocktails, and more. The al fresco cookouts, available to both guests and members, feature live music and take place at either the Rodeo Arena (following a one-of-a-kind California rodeo!) or on the scenic Oval Lawn, both of which feature sweeping views of the beautiful rolling hills of Santa Ynez.

The 2023 season of California Ranch Cookouts welcomes guest chefs to Alisal Ranch from June to September, including: 

June 24: Chef Eric Greenspan | Eric Greenspan is an acclaimed chef, TV personality, and author of two cookbooks: The Great Grilled Cheese Book: Grown-Up Recipes for a Childhood Classic and Cook Up Comfort with Eric Greenspan. A pioneer in the ghost kitchen industry, he is currently the Culinary Director of Virtual Dining Concepts, which has launched many successful concepts including MrBeast Burger with YouTube star MrBeast, Tyga Bytes with hip-hop star Tyga, Mariah’s Cookies with Maria Carey, Mario’s Tortas Lopez with Mario Lopez, among others.

July 26: Chef Ben Ford | A pioneer of the slow food movement, Ben first opened community-centric gastropub Ford’s Filling Station in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 2004, then later in Downtown LA and in the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).  His cookbook, Taming the Feast: Ben Ford’s Field Guide to Adventurous Cooking, is a manifesto for gathering people together to eat good, sustainable organic food transformed into sumptuous feasts. 

August 12: Chefs Saw Naing + Kelsey Brito | Saw is the executive chef and partner at The Dutchess, an all-day bakery, café and Burmese restaurant in Ojai, CA, where he explores his Burmese-Indian roots and introduces people to his unique, Californian take on South Asian cuisine with a majority of ingredients coming from less than 50 miles away. Kelsey is the pastry chef and partner, and oversees the creation of all the breads, pastries, and desserts. The Dutchess also boasts Kelsey’s  beautifully rustic, seasonal pies and layer cakes, many of which incorporate organic, locally-milled flours from The Tehachapi Grain Project.

August 30: Chef Brad Wise | Chef + Owner of Rare Society, Brad’s story begins on the Central Coast. Dating his now wife, whose family has roots in the region, Chef fell in love with Santa Maria-style grilling. The ancient method of cooking, live fire proved to be fun for him: the unharnessed, spontaneous flame, the drama fueling his obsession with wood-fired everything. This has become his unintentional trademark, a signature style that is on full display across his hospitality collective, TRUST Restaurant Group, which to date includes TRUST, Fort Oak, Rare Society, Cardellino, and The Wise Ox.

September 23: Rory and Meave McAuliffe| Rory’s Place in Ojai, CA is a collaboration between sisters and co-owners Rory and Meave McAuliffe. Chef Meave has 15+ years of experience in the restaurant industry, and has worked as executive chef in several restaurants throughout California and on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, including Saltwater in Inverness, Gjelina in Venice, and The Shed in Healdsburg. Rory manages Rory’s Place, pouring natural wines and keeping the vibes high. and prior worked as a producer of documentary films, advertisements, and national PSA’s. 

For more information about the California Ranch Cookout series or to make a reservation, visit www.alisalranch.com or call (800) 425-4725.

ABOUT ALISAL RANCH: 

Hidden in the golden hills of California’s Santa Ynez Valley—just 36 miles northeast of Santa Barbara—sits the legendary Alisal Ranch. Surrounded by mountains, meandering across 10,500 sweeping acres, this timeless, family-owned property has embraced the spirit and nature of the American West for nearly a century. As stewards of the land, the ranch honors its rich heritage by providing authentic western hospitality and luxury ranch living, in an experience exclusively suited for today’s most savvy travelers. This is a rare opportunity to immerse in California’s abundant, wild nature; to stargaze free of light pollution; to learn the secrets of barbecue from the country’s top chefs; to fly fish, canoe, or kayak on a 100-acre, spring-fed lake; to share stories with family around a crackling fire pit; or enjoy a massage after a long day on horseback. The ranch cares for more than 100 horses, all trained to ride with experts as well as beginners with timeless ranch experiences, ranging from trail rides and corral lessons to breakfast rides and rodeos. Alisal is both intimate and expansive, with just 73 guest cottages—including a Nathan Turner-designed Turner House of suites—two 18-hole championship golf courses, six tennis courts, pickleball courts, and more. The ranch is consistently ranked among the top destinations in California and beyond by media (Conde Nast Traveler “Top 15 Southern California Resorts,” USA Today’s “Best Destination Resort”, etc.) and it’s been a favorite of the celebrity set—from Clark Gable and Doris Day to contemporary artists of today. For more information, visit www.AlisalRanch.com, @AlisalRanch on Instagram, @AlisalRanch on TikTok, /AlisalRanchResort on Facebook, /AlisalRanch on Pinterest, and @AlisalRanch on YouTube.