Magruder Ranch – Profile

The ranch has been in the family for 4 generations. Mac’s mother grew up on the ranch and Mac’s father grew up on a plantation in Mississippi, studied as a banker, and then went into the Navy before he married Mac’s mother and took up ranching…

This Just In – Puglian Chicories

Starting tonight through the weekend, we’ll be serving Barciole di vitellone e cicora: scaloppine of Magruder Ranch milk- and grass-fed vitellone stuffed with Knoll Farm puglian chicories. For this dish, Chef Canales will be using chicories that were grown by Rick and Kristie Knoll of Tairwa’ – Knoll Farms in Brentwood. Rick and Kristie grew these chicories from seeds Oliveto co-owner Bob Klein brought back from one of his annual trips to Italy. Bob had stayed with his friends, Armando and Rosalba of Masseria Il Frantoio, Ostuni in Puglia….

In the Kitchen with Chef Canales: Dry-aged beef

This morning, Chef Paul Canales took a moment to show us some of the beef he’s been aging. Mac Magruder delivered a manzo six weeks ago, and the rib-eyes are now being prepared to go on the menu this weekend as tagliata & (maybe) wild mushrooms. Chef Canales also gives us a heads up on the porcini forecast for next week, tells us what “hard crack” means, and introduces us to Pablo “Tigre” Gavito….

This Just In: Vitellone & Chanetrelles

Primarily raised on mother’s milk with some grass-feeding, the meat has been aging in our meat locker. Chef Canales has been tweaking the aging times, to find just the right balance between the delicate veal and the characteristic aged-meat flavors. Tonight we will be using the loins, and Friday we will be serving the rib eye. They will be on the menu as tagliata, served with braised Torpedo onions from Brookside Farms in Brentwood. These animals are fairly small, and there isn’t…

Chef Canales Gives a Tour of the Meat Locker

We installed a large meat locker a few years back that finally provided the space for some more ambitious projects such as receiving whole sides of beef, as well as hanging and aging meat….

A Visit From Two Piedmontese Friends

Essential to the Oliveto Wine in Time project is Aldo Vacca, Director of Produttori del Barbaresco. Beginning in 1998, he has helped shape our ideas about wine, introduced us to many other fine producers, found old wine for our list, been a great host and friend, and helped us acquire hours of video tape about the region. On June 25th and 26th, Chef Canales will offer…

Brunello Dinner

A Visitor from Montalcino
Saturday, January 23rd, 2008
Traditional-style Brunello producer Francesco Ripaccioli, of the small, very fine estate Canalicchio di Sopra, will spend the evening with us.  Whereas his wines will be available throughout the dining room, we are also offering limited seating with Francesco where guests will dine with him, taste his wine, and talk [...]