When Kyle Irwin and his business partner Susie Bechtel decided to open up Field + Fort, their experiential retail store and restaurant in Summerland, in November 2019, little did they know the pandemic was also heading their way. The fact that the adjoining café, Feast, featuring gourmet breakfast and lunch items, not only survived but thrived during a time where many other businesses closed, proved that their fresh and flavorful dishes had an audience and that they could master the art of grab-and-go cuisine. As the restaurant continued to grow in popularity, the team needed a larger kitchen to meet the growing demand. Stars aligned when The Food Liaison in Carpinteria came up for sale, and the team jumped on the opportunity to expand, opening The Larder in its place in late August.
“Much like The Food Liaison, we wanted to bring delicious food to the community,” said General Manager Paul Burns. “We are introducing elements of Chef Austin’s menu from Summerland to Carpinteria, adding a few new ideas, and building on that with our unique style of service.”
Entering the stunning store in a nondescript strip mall off Casitas Pass Road, I felt instantly elevated, yet at home. The scent of freshly roasted Joshua Tree Coffee wafted out from the café, fresh fruit-laden pastries and bountiful sandwiches packed with brie, prosciutto, and fresh farmers’ market tomatoes beckoned from behind the glass case, and the warm and professional service from manager Celene Vasquez put me right at ease.
The only thing I had to worry about was choosing which delicacies to order. Favorites from Summerland’s Feast menu, including the breakfast sandwich with egg, cheese, apricot habanero jam, and Italian ham on a homemade English muffin, and the tarragon chicken salad sandwich tempted me with a wink, waving a familiar “hello.” I knew these dishes were perfect, and that I needed to broaden my horizons now that we were further down south. I decided to go for the Larder Bowl, which features grilled chicken, farro salad, tomato confit, dressed kale, caramelized onions, and a drizzle of their addictive romesco sauce. I am grateful I did for a variety of reasons, including the fact that I can never really argue with farro; the tender grain has a delightful nuttiness, the chicken was perfectly tender, and I would gladly eat the romesco sauce by the spoonful.
Delicious, nutritious, and beautiful is how I’d describe Chef Austin Moore’s food. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree for the talented chef, whose mom, Kim Schiffer, ran Fresh Eats Catering for 25 years and inspired his love of cooking. Moore brings a bold yet intentional creativity from years working in kitchens in the culinary mecca of Portland, and it shows in unexpected and flavorful ingredients. A green harissa slaw infuses the succulent tri-tip wrap with a bright acidity, and the grilled mushroom shawarma in their lovely veggie wrap adds a hearty meatiness to the plant-based dish. Although the food obviously takes a lot of work, The Larder concept is designed to make life easier.
“We wanted Carpinteria to be more focused on grab-and-go options,” Burns said. “It is geared toward being a place where you can quickly pick up something for work, the beach, a polo game, or dinner. We also offer a large selection of packaged gourmet food items, specialty ingredients, fresh pasta, ice cream, coffee and teas, and kitchen essentials.”…