"I'm excited to be returning to this area and all of the bounty that this region has to offer," said the chef. "Some of the best seasonal produce in the country is grown locally and the wines from this area are superb - all elements for creating unique regional menus."

Chef Jamie will be responsible for the menus at Ojai Valley Inn & Spa's four restaurants - Maravilla, the resort's signature restaurant featuring both elegant ambiance as well as an award-winning California Central Coast Cuisine; the Oak Café for great casual dining all day long, either under the ancient oaks overlooking the golf course or indoors by the fireplace; Café at the Spa for light and healthy fare in the courtyard at Spa Ojai; and Jimmy's Pub, the perfect spot for lunch, dinner and cocktails with a menu featuring selections from a wood burning brick pizza oven and a full selection of draft beers and Central Coast wines. He will also oversee the resort's in-room dining and banquet menus.

"We're so excited to have Chef Jamie West with us as his talents, knowledge of the area and relationships with local producers and winemakers will keep us at the forefront of the culinary scene here," said Janis Clapoff, Managing Director of the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa.

Chef Jamie is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, and has worked at Silverado Country Club and Resort in Napa, Meadowood Resort Hotel in St. Helena, L'Auberge Del Mar Resort and Spa near San Diego, San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito, the five-star Mayflower Inn in Washington, Connecticut, and Westwood Look resort in Tucson. 

The American Tasting Institute named Chef West "Southern California Chef of the Year" in 2000. He has been a featured chef at the James Beard House in New York, a guest chef on "The Early Show" on CBS with Bryant Gumbel and the host of his own cooking show on ABC-TV in Santa Barbara. His cuisine has been featured in "Bon Appetit" and "Art Culinaire." 

Since 1923, vacationing guests have sought the tranquil pleasures of the historic Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, a AAA Five Diamond property located on 220 tree-shaded acres 35 miles south of Santa Barbara. Affirmed by its many prestigious awards and fresh from a $90 million renovation, the legendary Inn is one of the nation's unique hidden treasures. For reservations: 1-800-422-6524, or on the Internet: www.ojairesort.com.

Joe Enos 
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