California Questionnaire: John Cox

John Cox’s introduction to the California restaurant scene was a bit unorthodox. After graduating from culinary school on the East Coast, the New Mexico native secured an internship at Sierra Mar, the acclaimed restaurant at the breath taking Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur. During his first three years at Sierra Mar, Cox worked his way up to chef de cuisine and along the way he developed an appreciation for California’s micro-climates as well the Golden State’s majestic beauty. It’s not surprising, then, that Cox is praised for his aesthetic sensibilities, crafting food that is simultaneously pleasing to the eye and the palate. The San Francisco Chronicle’s Michael Bauer even went so far as to call Cox the “Dominique Crenn of the Central Coast.”

The celebrated chef now runs two Central Coast restaurants—Cultura Comida y Bebida in Carmel-by-the-Sea and The Bear and the Star in Los Olivos—and he shared some of his Golden State favourites with us via the California Questionnaire.

Where do you live? I’m lucky (and crazy) enough to live aboard a boat in the Santa Barbara harbour.

Why there? For me, Santa Barbara exists on a perfect equilibrium between Northern and Southern California. We have palm trees and long sandy beaches, but we also have steep forested mountains and redwood groves. There is usually a hint of morning fog that soon gives way to perfect California sunshine. My wife and I thought it would be fun to live on a boat as a temporary housing transition. After two years in the Santa Barbara harbour I can honestly say there is no place we would rather live. We can walk to downtown, watch the Fourth of July fireworks from our deck, and are surrounded by lovely neighbours.

Who or what is your greatest California love? The Pacific Coast. Some people may wonder why I would be willing to have two restaurant concepts so far apart from each other—The Bear and Star in Los Olivos and Cultura in Carmel-by-the-Sea—but the 3-4 hour “commute,” either along the Big Sur Coast or through the Salinas Valley, is something I really enjoy. It’s just over 150 miles, but the two locations couldn't be more different or exceptional in their own ways. Whether my route takes me through the vineyards of Santa Ynez and Paso Robles or the coastal communities of Cambria and San Simeon, there are always beautiful views and something new to experience.

What is the biggest misperception about Californians? For every stereotype of Californians, there is a counterbalance. As a Texas/New Mexico transplant, I don’t worry too much about misperceptions because part of appreciating a culture is discovering how you were wrong about it and being pleasantly surprised.

What is the stereotype that most holds true? California is one of the most diverse and multi-cultural states and generally Californians are inclusive and non-discriminatory.

What’s your favourite Golden State splurge? A whole local box crab or spiny lobster grilled over charcoal on the Big Green Egg on my boat.

Time for a road trip—where do you go? It’s tempting to say Pacific Coast Highway between Monterey and Cambria but since that’s a normal drive for me, it can hardly be considered a road trip. Instead, I would drive up 395, a lonely desert highway that runs between Death Valley and the Sierra Nevada Mountains. I would then go over Tioga Pass into Yosemite and then return along the Merced River back toward the coast.

If you could decree an official state culinary experience, what would that be? Eat a purple sea urchin freshly pulled from the Pacific. This is partly because they are delicious but mostly because right now there is a major concern about their exploding population and their ravenous appetites. These urchin have little commercial value and can wipe out entire stretches of kelp forest, creating an “urchin barren,” or an area that has been completely “deforested.” I figure if I can decree anything, it might as well have a positive environmental impact.

Best California Song? To understand my answer, you first have to know that I moved to California in 2000, and as it happened a couple of the band members from Red Hot Chili Peppers lived in Big Sur, where I lived and worked at Post Ranch Inn’s Sierra Mar. The band was known to throw impromptu community concerts and occasionally dine at my restaurant. For that reason, Californication, despite its questionable lyrics, is the first song that comes to mind.

How would your California dream day unfold? I would wake up early, have an espresso, and drive up toward Lake Cachuma into wine country. My next stop would be the Parker Home Ranch, where Katie Parker McDonald and Rocky McDonald would have horses saddled up and ready to tour the upper pastures. We would check in on the herd of Wagyu cattle, ride through vineyards, peek into the mushroom cave and root cellar, check along the stream for any foraging, walk through the garden and orchard, and check on the chickens, ducks, turkey, and quail. For lunch I would have one of our ranch-raised Wagyu burgers paired with a splash of Fess Parker Rodney’s Vineyard Syrah from the vineyards we just rode through. I would head back home in time for dinner, picking up some fish from our neighbourhood market to prepare on the boat with my wife (who is also a chef). While dinner is cooking, we would relax on the back deck of our boat, sipping some beer from Third Window Brewing Company and watching the sunset.