Joel Koch
If there is any truth in the power of subliminal suggestion, Joel Koch was destined to become a chef from birth, for Koch means “cook” in German. Taking the destiny thing just one step further, it also seems that this talented chef’s fate was to be featured on the Melissa’s web site, for he was raised in Melissa, Texas!
Together with his business partner, General Manager Gary Grenus, they operate a truly one-of-a-kind dinner house in Santa Barbara, California. The fare at Spiritland Bistro is described by its owners as Organic Global Cuisine. However, this three-word catch phrase does not really capture the passionate commitment that Chef Joel brings to a set of ingredient criteria that is an extension of his own social consciousness and world view. The result is an award-winning eatery that attracts an unusual mix of patrons one would not expect to find dining under the same roof.
Like any restaurant, Spiritland Bistro is in the business of offering delicious meals to diners who will, hopefully, want to repeat the experience. Appreciative returning clientele is especially critical in a relatively small community like Santa Barbara. While the basic goal of cultivating repeat business is what defines success for any professional chef, including Joel, it is also just about where the traditional food service business model ends and Spiritland begins. To understand the business model that Joel emulates, it is necessary to walk down the aisles at another retail food industry venue.
Joel first found inspiration and resolve to cut his own path as a restauranteur while working as a deli chef at a burgeoning grocery store chain in Plano, Texas by the name of Whole Foods Market. His home state is where this now national icon of cutting edge grocery merchandising first tried a new approach in an old business sector. Joel observed this company challenge almost every traditional precept of the retail grocery industry by applying very non-traditional standards of practice and carrying only products that supported an unwavering belief in environmental and social consciousness. While the very idea of selling organic produce and other earth-friendly products into the politically conservative Texas marketplace certainly did not appear to be a very smart business plan, it worked.
The success story of Whole Foods demonstrated to Joel that it was possible to base a business on his own outside-the-box visions that did not include proven culinary common denominators and was based on a larger world view approach to operating a commercial kitchen. No doubt it would be a risk, but at least success would hinge on a table setting of his own creation, not on whether Joel was capable of duplicating someone else’s menu.
So what is Spiritland Bistro? The name comes from Chef Joel’s belief that cooking should embrace and celebrate a respect for the spirit of the land that provides the ingredients that make possible the dishes that he creates. He practices this awareness of and respect for the land by adhering to a purchasing policy that is close to 100% organic.
“I use organic rice, eggs, flours, chicken, beverages and produce,” says the chef. “Respecting the ocean also nurtures the land, so we buy only Audubon-recommended seafood. A more plentiful supply of nurtured and healthy fish embraces better flavors as well. The best culinary masterpieces come from pure ingredients embodying the true flavors of mother earth and the greatest level of energy from the food. Every food has its own energy. I try to match the good energy and earth awareness that went into growing the organic produce, for instance, supplied by the dedicated farmers who provide the fruits and vegetables that we serve.”
However, to describe Spiritland as simply an organic health food restaurant is to pigeonhole it much too quickly; plus, that phraseology conjures up a granola-hummus-yogurt stereotype that does not really fit the exquisite dishes that are created in Chef Joel’s kitchen. Primarily, there is great attention paid to décor to support an ambience of fine dining that is not an emphasis in most health food eateries, which are predominantly coffeehouse casual in style and atmosphere. The building itself has a history as a restaurant inn and retains this quality. The quaint but airy dining room décor and quiet colors makes for a soft and comfortable elegance. The table setting designs visually support the chef’s “hay stack” plating style.
Organic ingredients are the common motif for all the dishes on the menu, however the fare itself realizes an extremely diverse range of food ideologies within the organic community. The legend at the top of the menu explains this diversity, as well as the chef’s obvious range of culinary octaves: Vegetarian (no meat, fish or poultry), Vegan (no animal products), Raw (vegan & prepared below 108 degrees), GF (gluten free), SF (soy free), EF (egg free), DF (dairy free). Every dish is clearly marked with these codes and key words so that patrons can avoid, or experiment, according to their own gastronomic disciplines and/or moods.
Using the requisites of these dietary restrictions, Chef Joel then creates dishes from around the world. The menu includes Greek, Caribbean, Indian, Italian, Asian and California Cuisine on a regular basis, plus a weekly feature. As the chef explains, “We celebrate a different culture or cuisine or style of food in addition to our regular menu as an example that all food from different parts of the world can be executed with an organic approach, with high vibration, in a beautifully creative presentation and wonderful flavor.”
“It is fun to introduce a cuisine that someone has never experienced. In many cases the flavors are so unique to the diner because many individual palates have been exploited by artificial products. So it may be the first time to have the true flavors of a certain cultural cuisine; this is exciting and profound at the same time.”
The dynamics of having a staunch Vegan dining at the same table or at a table adjacent to a person who has ordered Salmon Stuffed with Mushrooms & Goat Cheese in White Wine Cream Sauce makes for some interesting dinner table [sometime intra-table] conversations to say the least! Conversely, the curious meat-and-potatoes patron who might never enter a more casual health food café finds in Spiritland Bistro the opportunity to sample whole food cuisine in a fine dining atmosphere. The chef says this is definitely the fun part of his job; he is able to not only serve good foods but to teach about them with an eatable lesson-plan that covers the subjects of ecological respect, cultural appreciation and healthy living all on one plate. Organic Global Cuisine, and it works!
Put away that yogurt and granola! For this feature, the chef has provided Melissa’s with a selection of recipes typical of the restaurant’s weekly three-course feature. In this case, it’s a feast of Thai dishes using an array of fresh organic ingredients that are as good for the earth as they are for the mind and body. If you are considering a trip to sample Spiritland Bistro’s unique cuisines, we suggest that the eatery’s web site be consulted for a look at upcoming menu feature themes and special events.
