Almost all the walls at Sear Steakhouse are adorned with at least one historic photograph or colorful artwork, minus one particular wall with a large bookshelf in front of it. Pressing hard on a specific side of the shelf reveals its true purpose—a secret door, straight out of a Scooby-Doo episode.
“It’s totally the Batcave,” Sear Steakhouse owner and executive chef Nathan Peitso said, comparing the hidden room behind the shelf to Bruce Wayne’s sanctum.
The unconventional entrance leads to a spacious four-walled vacancy, which Peitso intends to furnish and rent out to guests as a private dining room in the future. It’s an ongoing project, but for now, Peitso—who entered his new dual role at the restaurant in March—is prioritizing the venue’s menu offerings and simply aiming to run the best steakhouse possible, he said.
“I didn’t buy an existing business because I wanted to start a new concept. It’s still going to be a steakhouse,” said Peitso, who wants to make even the most traditional sides—mashed potatoes, Caesar salad, etc.—noticeably “the very best” for his diners.
Peitso described this goal as “reinventing the classics” while keeping these dishes’ familiarity intact. Before discovering Sear Steakhouse near the end of 2021, the restaurateur was on the hunt for a new venue and looked into spots in Ventura and Ojai. His search ended with the opportunity to live and work in “the most beautiful part of California, in my opinion,” he said.
“I love the whole Santa Ynez Valley,” said Peitso, who, before recently moving, had lived in Los Angeles for the past three decades. He became acquainted with the Central Coast over the years through weekend trips, weddings, and other happenings that brought up the coast.
“I have no ego or chip on my shoulder about having come from LA. I’m here to run a steakhouse, and I’m gonna do that the best way I possibly can,” Peitso said.
Before buying Sear Steakhouse, Peitso owned a farm-to-table fine dining restaurant, Farmhouse, in LA but had to let go of the eatery near the start of the pandemic due to low revenue and other circumstances caused by the COVID-19 crisis.
“Being back in command of something like this, after having lost my last restaurant to COVID, was very gratifying. It felt just like breathing again,” said Peitso, who described his first night working at Sear Steakhouse as surreal. “I could hear the bustle and see the people and talk to tables and see the kitchen working, and it just felt like I could breathe again.”
Under previous ownership, Sear Steakhouse cultivated working relationships with several local farmers, which is a trend Peitso plans to continue. He said that the restaurant will source ingredients from Santa Ynez Valley-based farms, as well as additional farms based in Southern California.
As for changes at Sear Steakhouse, guests at the eatery can look forward to an increase in vegetable-based dishes on the dinner menu, as well as an elevated seafood presence, sourced from Santa Barbara-based fishers.
Peitso is also introducing a special weekly dinner offering—held every Monday, between 5 and 8 p.m. priced at $35 per person—that features braised beef sugo (which can be substituted for a veggie option) over polenta, a side salad, and craft beer. On Fridays and Saturdays, Sear Steakhouse now hosts an “after hours” bar night, from 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., which includes a menu of charcuterie, crostini, cheese boards, and other light bites for guests to pair with their libations.
No matter what day of the week it is, when it comes to incoming guests Peitso is excited to meet, there is someone in particular he hopes will eventually stop by—Jeff Bridges.
“I can’t wait to meet him. Apparently he comes here sometimes,” Peitso said of the actor and Central Coast resident.
When most people meet Peitso for the first time, one of the things they quickly comment on is his uncanny resemblance to the Academy Award winner.
“I wonder if he would agree,” Peitso said.
Arts Editor Caleb Wiseblood would also love to meet Jeff Bridges. Jeff, if you’re reading this, please email me at cwiseblood@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Mar 31 – Apr 7, 2022.