Sam and Shawnda, At Home in Paradise
When Sam Marmorstein talks about the Santa Ynez Valley, the word that bubbles to the surface most often is “paradise.” The journey that brought this successful Valley restaurateur and wine maker home to Los Olivos started in the Bronx and meandered through several changes of job, city and family.
Born and raised in the Bronx, Sam got a BS in Accounting at a local university there. A sophomore summer cross-country road trip instilled a love for the California coast, so after he graduated he came out west and spent a year working as an accountant. He hated it, so he switched to being a stockbroker with Merryl Lynch in Santa Monica for 9 years. Financially it was rewarding and he was creating wealth for people, but he decided that instead of changing money he wanted to actually create something concrete that would last, so he joined the family window covering business and grew it for seven years.
Living the Dream
In 1995 he was going through a divorce and wanted to move out of LA. He had been on a bicycle trip in the Santa Ynez Valley years before and thought it was paradise. Bitten by the wine bug in 1992, Sam had been making wine as a hobby in a Topanga basement with a friend and thought, “Wouldn’t it be great if I could buy a piece of land where I could plant a vineyard and make wine from my own grapes?” so, as he describes it, “That was the impetus for me to come out to the Santa Ynez Valley. I bought a house on ten acres, planted a three acre vineyard in the backyard and then started looking for something to do to make a living.” Allmendinger’s Deli (formerly Bent Clausen’s Deli) was up for sale nearby. Sam loved the location but wanted to create a more sophisticated restaurant where the food revolved around local wines, so he closed the restaurant, gutted and remodeled it. He took out the linoleum, deli case and fluorescent lights, and created a relaxed atmosphere for elegant dining. Three months later the widely admired, and now famous from the movie Sideways, Los Olivos Café was born.
“Most people move somewhere because that is where their job is, but I moved somewhere because it was I wanted to live and then started looking for something to do once I got here. I’d had a business before and was confident I could do something.” Confidence is definitely Sam’s strong suit. It has carried him across country, through several major life and career changes. He admits to a bit of apprehension while he was in limbo, not knowing what he was going to do, but says, “Sometimes you have to challenge yourself a little bit and take a leap of faith to get to the next level.” Sam’s parents had imbued him with an entrepreneurial spirit and taught him that he could do whatever he set his mind to, that nothing was beyond his grasp. It gave him the confidence to say, “Yeah, I can do it.”
Wine and Roses
The wine has always been paramount to Sam. His original idea for the restaurant was to have a great place to enjoy local wines, and food that would go along with the wine. The wine always came first, and his choice of Mediterranean/California cuisine was easy because of how naturally it pairs with wine. When he hired chef Norman Scalar, the restaurant was offering a great menu and, “Everyone was talking about the food, but the wine was always the main focus to me, although food is very important as well. We always strive to be the best that we can be.”
His fifth year in business, 2000, was a pivotal year: Sam married Shawnda, who is now his right hand in the business, hired a manager and took over the space next door. He opened it up into the restaurant and turned it into a wine store that concentrates on Central Coast wines and a smattering of the best wines from the best wineries that other regions are known for. The wine store carries a huge selection of wines from Santa Barbara and San Luis Counties in addition to Napa ValleyCabernets and regional specialties from as far abroad as France, Italy, and New Zealand.
Sam named his own winery, Bernat, in honor of his father’s history. His first release was a 1999 Chardonay, and he produces about 400-500 cases a year of well reviewed, organically grown Syrah and Chardonnay. The Marmorsteins try to farm as naturally as possible, and love to watch the seasons change in the vineyard.
Now, when the vines are dormant, between the rows it is green; in the springtime the new buds pop out; in the late spring to early summer it is in full bloom and the leaves are everywhere; and in the fall the leaves turn yellow and the grapes are heavy on the vine. Sam says, “You feel the cycle of life. Once you have a vineyard, it is hard not to have it. There is always something to do.” He is living where he wants to live and doing what he wants to do.
Shawnda does the advertising and PR for the store and restaurant, handles the bookkeeping, and brings in fresh ideas and perspective. Sam says appreciatively, “She’s been a great partner in helping grow the business.”
It’s Got to be “Wow!”
Sam and Shawnda are constantly tasting the food and updating the menu. Sam says, “If it’s not going to be a “Wow!” dish, let’s not put it on the menu.” Attention to detail is vital, and Sam emphasizes how important customer satisfaction is to them, how hard they work to fix any problems immediately. “It’s a work in progress and it requires constant attention to keep the standard high.“ He remarks, “Any business is only as good as the people working there and I’m very fortunate to have great people working for me.”
In addition to running the restaurant, Sam and Shawnda are busy with Hannah (5), Jonah (4) and Adam, who is 19 months. Hannah and Jonah go to Family School, while Adam has a full time job keeping Mom and Dad on the run. Jonah’s recent 4th birthday party celebrated Robin Hood’s theme of giving to the poor and raised $225 for People Helping People. Sam also has an 19 year old son named Zev, who is currently in Israel on a community service project for a year.
The business and his family are pretty all consuming, but in his spare time Sam is the President of the Los Olivos Business Organization. They provide public services like restrooms and street cleaning and put on Day in the Country and Old Fashioned Christmas. It is a way to give back to the community where he feels so rooted and at home. He feels very fortunate to live in such wonderful town with such great people, and the word “paradise” comes up again and again.