Chef Sebastian Nobile in his garden. (Photo by Chip Scheuer)
The Oak Tree Ristorante in Felton is nestled in tall Redwood trees that are over 1,000 years old. Growing next to them are fruit trees just starting their lives. Owners George and Kathy Topusidis opened the restaurant three years ago, and initiated the improvements on the land, and chef Sebastian Nobile has been working with them to plant the fruit trees and make garden beds for herbs, berries and artichokes. The restaurant's olive trees were just planted this year, meaning the little khaki-colored orbs will be populating Oak Tree’s menu within a couple more years.
Originally from Uruguay, Nobile wears a floppy red chef’s hat in the kitchen, along with plaid shorts and flip-flops: the ultimate laid-back chef. He chats animatedly in Italian with his co-workers while grilling tomatoes and squash. Raised by his Italian grandfather, he grew up helping his grandfather in the kitchen and seeing him cook for the family every day.
Nobile is proud of the four boxes of fruit his apple and pear trees yielded on a recent harvest. He’s been using them in dessert pies, salads and breakfast dishes. He also grows peaches, cherries, persimmon and guava.
His breakfast dishes are largely sourced from eggs laid by hens on the Topusidis' property in Ben Lomond. When he can’t get an ingredient from the gardens at his home or at the restaurant, Nobile turns to the local Felton farmers’ market for produce. The seasonal menu at Oak Tree focuses on using ingredients at the peak of their yearly ripeness and abundance, including fish, which he also sources locally in the Bay Area. The open layout of Oak Tree allows guests of the rustic, wood-heavy dining room to view Nobile at work in the kitchen while they’re enjoying their meals.
George Topusidis spent a significant amount of time preparing the wooded area for productive gardening, ensuring an even better crop in the years to come. His olive trees are housed in an impressive enclosure made with cedar and wire, ensuring protection from any local wildlife that may have an appetite. Nobile says it makes a huge difference.
“Professional landscapers don’t take care the same way,” he says simply.
