Roblar Winery pairs signature sparkling wines with chef Peter Cham's buttermilk fried chicken every Thursday, during Birds & Bubbles

Santa Barbara local Peter Cham said most people are surprised to hear that it takes him multiple days to make fried chicken. 

Roblar Winery pairs signature sparkling wines with chef Peter Cham's buttermilk fried chicken every Thursday, during Birds & Bubbles
BIRDS OF A FEATHER: For more info on Roblar Winery, call (805) 686-2603 or visit roblarwinery.com. The winery is located at 3010 Roblar Ave., Santa Ynez.

“I know fried chicken sounds really simple, but it’s surprisingly difficult to make really good,” said Cham, executive chef at Roblar Winery in Santa Ynez. “So with ours, we brine it for 24 hours. We let it air dry for another 24 hours, before we even dredge it and bread it to fry, so it’s like a three-day process.” 

Cham’s aim is to “pack as much flavor” into his buttermilk fried chicken as possible, and his process has proven successful based on the dish’s popularity with Roblar patrons. About a month ago, the winery launched a new weekly promo highlighting Cham’s chicken, pairing it alongside a glass of blanc de blanc (one of Roblar’s signature sparkling wines). If you’re not sold at this point, this duo’s nickname should seal the deal: Birds & Bubbles. 

click to enlarge Roblar Winery pairs signature sparkling wines with chef Peter Cham's buttermilk fried chicken every Thursday, during Birds & Bubbles
PHOTO BY CALEB WISEBLOOD
THE BRINING : Peter Cham, executive chef at Roblar Winery in Santa Ynez, aims to “pack as much flavor” into his buttermilk fried chicken as possible, through a three-day process. “We brine it for 24 hours. We let it air dry for another 24 hours, before we even dredge it and bread it to fry,” Cham said.

“Fried chicken and Champagne is a great pairing,” said Cham, whose prized poultry—crispy on the outside and perfectly juicy on the inside—is served with sides of Calabrian chili honey, cabbage slaw, freshly baked corn bread, and spiced watermelon. 

Roblar Winery offers the Birds & Bubbles deal every Thursday, but Cham’s rotating menu of seasonal bites (which includes smoked salmon deviled eggs, wood-fired wild mushroom pizza, and more) is available Fridays through Sundays, and house-made sandwiches and salads can be purchased during the remainder of the week.

For each menu item, Cham uses fresh produce and herbs grown just steps away from the winery’s tasting room, on the Roblar property’s organic farm. This was one of the perks that attracted Cham to join the Roblar team about four months ago.

click to enlarge Roblar Winery pairs signature sparkling wines with chef Peter Cham's buttermilk fried chicken every Thursday, during Birds & Bubbles
COURTESY PHOTO BY REBECCA NUSS
ORIGIN STORY : “As a kid, I feel like I wasn’t watching cartoons and whatnot. I always was interested in watching cooking shows,” said chef Peter Cham (pictured), who looked up to popular chef Martin Yan, of Yan Can Cook, and frequently helped his grandmother with kitchen duties during his childhood.

“Honestly, the farm really sold me,” Cham said. “We have a farm about a half mile away. And just having that close relationship with the farmer and being able to literally go out there any time I want to pick fresh produce, and really have a voice in what we grow, rather than just finding a use for produce we order, really helps us develop our menus.”

Prior to joining Roblar, Cham’s decades of culinary experience trace all the way back to his childhood, when he frequently helped his grandmother make dinner in the kitchen while growing up in Santa Barbara.

“I was always tasked with the menial things like smashing garlic,” admitted Cham, but his interest in cooking only grew from there.

“As a kid, I feel like I wasn’t watching cartoons and whatnot. I always was interested in watching cooking shows,” he said, having looked up to Martin Yan, of Yan Can Cook, and other popular television chefs.

click to enlarge Roblar Winery pairs signature sparkling wines with chef Peter Cham's buttermilk fried chicken every Thursday, during Birds & Bubbles
COURTESY PHOTO BY CARY WILTON
BITES AND BRUTS : Roblar Winery offers the Birds & Bubbles deal every Thursday, but chef Peter Cham’s rotating menu of seasonal bites (which includes smoked salmon deviled eggs, wood-fired wild mushroom pizza, and more) is available Fridays through Sundays, and house-made sandwiches and salads can be purchased during the remainder of the week.

During his young adult years, Cham moved to San Francisco to attend culinary school and be “completely immersed in food culture,” he explained, calling the city a food mecca. Seven years and several culinary roles later (including positions at multiple Michelin starred restaurants), Cham relocated to Massachusetts for an opportunity to work with acclaimed chef Matthew Guadet.

But a mixture of nostalgia for both his hometown and California weather brought Cham back to the Central Coast eventually.

“I spent two years in Boston. After two winters, I looked at my wife and was like, ‘We should move back to California,’” Cham said. “And we knew we wanted to raise a family, so we thought Santa Barbara would be a good place for that.”

After moving back to Santa Barbara in 2016, Cham took on a job as executive sous chef at the Kimpton Canary Hotel’s restaurant, Finch and Fork, where he was eventually promoted to executive chef. 

click to enlarge Roblar Winery pairs signature sparkling wines with chef Peter Cham's buttermilk fried chicken every Thursday, during Birds & Bubbles
COURTESY PHOTO BY CARY WILTON
NEW CHEF ON THE BLOCK : For each of his menu items, chef Peter Cham (pictured) uses fresh produce and herbs grown just steps away from Roblar Winery’s tasting room, on the property’s organic farm. This was one of the perks that attracted Cham to join the Roblar team as executive chef in late spring.

But “after five years of working in a large corporate setting, I wanted something a little bit more grassroots and family oriented,” Cham said about his decision to segue into his new roles (as both executive chef and head of culinary operations) at Roblar Winery, where he looks forward to expanding the tasting room’s offerings and revamping the catering and events programming to enhance guests’ experiences.

When Cham isn’t busy in the kitchen, you’ll probably find this avid cyclist out on a bike ride—or at least that was the case before his 15-month-old daughter entered the picture.

“I’ve been really busy with the new kid, so I haven’t been able to ride as much as I used to. But I used to participate in Chefs Cycle, which is a fundraising ride with a bunch of other chefs and food industry people where we raise funds for No Kid Hungry,” Cham said of the three-day, 300-mile event. “It’s a lot of fun and super challenging, but for a really good cause.”

Arts Editor Caleb Wiseblood would walk 500 miles for more fried chicken. Send comments to [email protected].

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