New weekly lunches at Paicines Ranch tie together the land and its bounty
PHOTOGRAPHY BY COLINE LECONTE
When meandering among the old barns and outbuildings that give Paicines Ranch its special rustic character, it’s a slight visual shock to come upon the Overlook—the ranch’s new dining spot—a sleek metal and glass building in tones of red, steel gray and black.
From the expansive patio, visitors can see the Gabilan Mountains as a dramatic backdrop with a ridge of smaller hills in front and the San Benito River wending its way through groves of valley oaks. On this particular day, the scene couldn’t be more perfect—puffy clouds dotting the blue sky, mirroring the four fluffy sheep below which are grazing in an adjacent meadow.
“You’re eye-level with the hawks here,” says Paicines Ranch co-owner Sallie Calhoun, sitting down to lunch and gazing out over the river valley. “You can watch the sunset from here, 365 days a year.”
Why is it called the Overlook? “Well, that’s what we’d been calling it, and it just kind of stuck,” says business manager Mary Rowen.
Calhoun, who with husband Matt Christiano bought the historic ranch in 2001, has been working ever since to rebuild the ecosystem. Now, she says with satisfaction, the riparian corridor is coming back to life, creating habitat that attracts hundreds of species of birds and other wildlife. The sheep in the foreground— “hospitality sheep” in ranch parlance—are a reminder that it is possible to produce meat sustainably, in ways that will renew the environment rather than deplete it.
The Overlook is just the latest chapter in the Paicines Ranch story. Calhoun’s dream began with the idea of restoring native grasses and plants to the land; the ranch’s mission has grown and expanded since then, and it’s now a destination as well as a passion project. Its lodgings range from glamping tents to cozy cottages to fourbedroom houses, and the ranch has venue space to accommodate weddings, retreats and other special events.
With all that going on, providing quality food became important as well. Under the guidance of executive chef Carlos Canada and his wife, events and catering manager Nancy Sorgatz, food service highlights ranch-produced meats and fresh local produce with menus that follow the seasons.
The idea of the Overlook “incubated for a long time,” says Calhoun. Although the concept was planned years ago, construction was delayed by the pandemic. The Overlook finally opened as a multi-purpose, LEED-certified facility that can seat up to 200 people indoors and out—a recent EcoFarm conference lunch held there hosted 120—and it includes a wine bar featuring vintages made from grapes grown on the ranch.
But Calhoun wanted to go a step further, and that’s what prompted serving weekly lunches for the public at the ranch. “We have so much amazing food produced right here, and this is a space that we can provide to bring the community together,” says Rowen.
“You can watch the sunset from here, 365 days a year.”
On a recent Thursday, lunch attendees included hikers bound for Pinnacles National Park, ranchers from nearby properties, Paicines Ranch staffers and people from nearby communities who just wanted to get out and enjoy the sunshine. On other Thursdays, the crowd might include visitors from the nearby Thousand Trails RV campground or people taking a break from tastings on the Cienega Valley wine trail.
On this day there was a choice of either beef or lamb burgers, served with fries or potato salad, and each meal included a spring mix-carrot-apple salad and a freshly baked cookie for dessert.
A different menu is posted for each weekly lunch, with all ingredients coming from local organic farms to complement the ranch’s grass-fed and pastured meats. Rowen points out that all lunches must be reserved beforehand through the ranch website, with seatings from 11:30am to 1:30pm.
“We only use proteins raised on the ranch,” says Canada, who joined the ranch team as head of food and beverage in 2021. For other ingredients, he visits local farmers markets, and also has vendors who bring items to the ranch. He draws inspiration from what’s fresh and in season: “My best way to cook is to have those relationships with the farmers.”
The lunches are a way not only to highlight ranch-produced products, but also to build a sense of community in a rural and sparsely populated area of south San Benito County. “It’s about the local food hub and it’s a way to support local food producers,” says Rowen. It also provides another draw for visitors to San Benito County.
Calhoun and Canada have big plans for expanding in the coming months. A Mother’s Day brunch is also in the works, as are cooking and food preparation classes that use simple ingredients and methods to create delicious meals, Canada says. Special dinners and added lunch days may also be a possibility.
“It’s a dream come true,” says Calhoun. “It’s all about eating, talking and trying to change the world.”
OVERLOOK
most Thursdays 11:30am−1:30pm by advance reservation only
13388 Airline Hwy., Paicines
paicinesranch.com
About the author
Kathryn McKenzie, who grew up in Santa Cruz and now lives on a Christmas tree farm in north Monterey County, writes about the environment, sustainable living and health for numerous publications and websites. She is the co-author of “Humbled: How California’s Monterey Bay Escaped Industrial Ruin.”
