HotelChatter

The weekend will feature a welcome reception on Friday evening, golf on Saturday, then a gala dinner prepared by all five chefs on Saturday night. Proceeds from the event will go to the Share Our Strength and Help of Ojai charities. The per person cost for the weekend is $1,450 for double occupancy, and $1,850 for single occupancy, and includes an upgraded room and unlimited golf the day before and after the tournament.

Though our lunch consisted of fresh produce and local prawns seasoned with the bounty of the newly planted resort Herb Garden, we got a sneak peek at the menus for both the welcome reception on Friday evening, and the gala dinner on Saturday night after the chefs have whacked their way through a round of golf. Some of the dishes that caught our eye were Todd Gray’s crispy blue crab beignets with warm mayo, Jamie West’s spiced red kuri squash bisque with coconut foam, Budi Kazali’s Santa Barbara sea urchin with ponzu, Ming Tsai’s duck foie gras potstickers, and Alan Wong’s ahi poke on avocado salsa with wasabi…and that’s just part of the menu for Friday night! Plus, we’ve heard that Todd Gray, the chef at that Obama fave, Equinox in Washington, D.C., is whipping up the same Virginia pan-fried oysters he prepared for the First Lady recently on her birthday.

After all that food, chances are you’ll want to work it off on the fairway, but if golf isn’t your thing, schedule a treatment at the resort’s famous spa, taking an art class at the Artist’s Cottage on the property, or mixing up your own personal scent from essential oils at the next door Apothecary (then whenever you run out, they can mix you up a new batch and ship it to you).

Got a group of friends who all want to go? Consider renting what has to be one of the most pimped out villas we’ve seen in a while: the Casa Elar. Originally constructed for the owners of the resort as a present from their children, this sprawling five-bedroom villa has all the modern luxury including his-and-hers bathrooms in almost all of the bedrooms, a private pool, a huge kitchen, a stone pizza oven where one of the resort chefs will come and bake you your own personal pie, outdoor fireplaces and balconies overlooking Chief Peak and the mountains, and complete privacy from the rest of the resort. Plus, there’s a tricked out Bentley golf cart for your use. No wonder Kate Walsh from Private Practice and Grey’s Anatomy got married there. The price tag? A cool $15,000 per night with a three night minimum, so start saving now.