Embers Only Pizza Club
Written by Jessica Pregnolato | Photography by Frances WillsrudGathering on a winter's evening in the low 40s for an outside gathering might not appeal to most. But when gathering for the purpose of pizza, it is easy to brave the elements. Easier still, when your hosts are Kate Pepper of Kate's Bread, made famous here in Ojai, and her partner in crime, pizza savant Cade Stephens.
Off a street in Casitas Springs, in a nursery stockpiled high with Australian native plants , trees, and bushes, a small, elegant space has been carved out for a few lucky guests, bordered by a burning brick oven and prep tables. The night is chilly but glorious, with an almost full moon rising over the mountains to the East and a sun setting softly in the West. Oversize wooden bowls hold homemade crackers and slices of sourdough, with plenty of funky cheese, roasted mushrooms, and herby dip to warm up the palate.
Strangers and friends gather at the communal table, while smaller tables nestle against the succulent arbor for a more intimate experience. Some have traveled from LA and Ventura to attend this special dinner, and some of us live up the road. We are all being bathed in delicious music and ample wine as Kate sets generous bowls of local greens dressed in her mother's impossible-to-re-create dressing on the table. Kate's daughter Frances photographs the action; a few kids dart in and out of starter acacias and bottlebrush.
Even if you are not a local, chances are you have been exposed to Kate's Bread in one or two incarnations. Perhaps picking it up on Sunday at her old Bakeshop, seeing her helm the bakery at Duchess in its initial opening period, or showing up in town to support friends making art and music. Whether for pastries, loaves, or an Instagram page revealing exhausted, sensual snaps of wee hours in the morning baking life, Kate can create a sourdough even your self-imposed gluten-abstaining pal could digest with ease.
Cade is also someone that has surely served you multiple bites of heaven. First, slinging pies with Sespe Pizza in the back lawn of the Rancho or events in the Valley, then brightening up the Thursday market with his brothers from Wanderer Pizza; Cade knows his way around pizza ovens, especially because he builds them.
Together they have formed Embers Only, a pizza club that will serve a local, simple feast at different locales around town, celebrating the stunning produce and talent this Valley provides. Signing up allows members to buy early bird tickets to these limited and special events.
Night has fully fallen; a fire pit keeps us toasty, along with plates and plates of pizza coming every few minutes. We pass pizza around to our new friends, careful to ensure everyone gets a slice before the next hot pie comes out. Even though we are almost (or already) full, it is hard to say no to another piece.
