It could be said that farming is in Bernard Ibarra's DNA. Growing up on a farm on the French side of the Basque country, his family heavily depended on the earth's bounty to help feed them. His mother taught him how to jar tomatoes and other produce. They collected salt harvested from sea water and processed snails which they hunted. "Food awakens all of your senses. Not only by eating it and how it tastes but also by the way it is harvested and prepared," says Ibarra.
That passion for cultivating the riches of the land and sea stayed with him. Now that he is Executive Chef at Terranea Resort on 102 lush and picturesque acres on the Palos Verdes Peninsula he brings that same passion with him. Chef Ibarra, who oversees the resort's eight dining venues, in-room dining and banquets, established a sea salt conservatory which sustainably harvests and creates Terranea's own signature sea salt. So you just might find him in his waders and chef coat at 6:30am hauling big buckets of ocean water to make high-quality salt.
Chef Ibarra also employees over 120,000 bees as he harvests organic honey from Terranea's beehives. He painstakingly infuses flavors into both the salt and honey using Meyer lemons and lavender grown on property. It really gives people a taste of foods that are literally in Terranea's back yard.
However, Chef Ibarra is just one of the many gems of Terranea and the Palos Verdes Peninsula 30 miles from Los Angeles. Nestled into the coastal bluffs, the ever-transforming panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean also makes the place a standout. Plus the sunsets add to the drama. Picture hues of purple and pink mixed with dim light yellow. Against the backdrop of the ocean, framed by palm trees and mountain ranges, it's dazzling.
Here are some more treasures of Terranea Resort and the Palos Verdes Peninsula.
Try kayorkeling, which combines kayaking and snorkeling right off the back of a kayak. Just in front of Terranea is a marine preserve and kelp forest filled with wildlife. As guides navigate through different coastal areas (including a cave), feel totally immersed in the marine culture which includes white striped bass, sea lions, and dolphins.
Hike on a trails to the Point Vicente Interpretive Center open daily from 11:00am to 5:00pm (admission is free, donations are accepted.) The American Cetacean Society has been conducting a whale census there for decades. They count thousands of whales and observe their behavior during their annual migration from December through May. As they conduct a census of whales passing through the Catalina Channel they answer questions and share observations. Watch gray whales migrate south from Alaska to Baja Mexico. In the spring they head back north to Alaska.
Have lunch at Nelson's and you'll just may spot a whale spouting water in the distance, see a dolphin, then watch a flock of seagulls and maybe some grey pelicans. Just don't forget to ring the restaurant's ship bell. Witness a sea lion, ring once, see dolphins, ring twice, discover whales, ring three times. The restaurant's giant Hot Bavarian Pretzel with garlic butter, sweet beer mustard, cheese sauce is divine. So are the fish and chips and lobster tacos.
Visit the Wayfarers Chapel. Enveloped by the trees surrounding it, this magnificent glass church was masterfully designed by architect Lloyd Wright, son of Frank Lloyd Wright. His vision was to create a tree chapel or natural sanctuary set in the forest surrounded by nature and light. The nondenominational chapel contains glass walls and ceilings which magnifies the sunrise and the sunset. Inspired what he deems the "the great cathedrals of redwood" in the Redwood Forest Lloyd Wright has said, "I wanted particularly to allow those trees and...trunks to be seen and the space beyond and into infinity to be observed. So those who sat in the sanctuary would perceive the grandeur of space out beyond and around them."
Don't miss, Bashi, the resort's outstanding Asian-inspired restaurant from acclaimed Chef Bruce Nguyen which celebrates the Japanese farming families who first settled in area in the early part of the 20th century. 17 sake varieties and a vast selection of of Asian beers are an ideal match for dishes like sizzling shaking beef, hoisin glazed spare ribs, Shanghai style garlic noodles, five-spice roasted duck salad and an assortment of sushi.
Go whale watching. Participants have been known to spot finned, gray, killer, humpback, finned and minke whales. For their whale watches, Terranea partners with the Aquarium of the Pacific. The excursions are offered daily and given in specially-designed fast catamaran boats.
The Portuguese Bend Artist Colony, a community of artists who are devoted to painting and preserving the Portuguese Bend area on the Palos
That passion for cultivating the riches of the land and sea stayed with him. Now that he is Executive Chef at Terranea Resort on 102 lush and picturesque acres on the Palos Verdes Peninsula he brings that same passion with him. Chef Ibarra, who oversees the resort's eight dining venues, in-room dining and banquets, established a sea salt conservatory which sustainably harvests and creates Terranea's own signature sea salt. So you just might find him in his waders and chef coat at 6:30am hauling big buckets of ocean water to make high-quality salt.
Chef Ibarra also employees over 120,000 bees as he harvests organic honey from Terranea's beehives. He painstakingly infuses flavors into both the salt and honey using Meyer lemons and lavender grown on property. It really gives people a taste of foods that are literally in Terranea's back yard.
However, Chef Ibarra is just one of the many gems of Terranea and the Palos Verdes Peninsula 30 miles from Los Angeles. Nestled into the coastal bluffs, the ever-transforming panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean also makes the place a standout. Plus the sunsets add to the drama. Picture hues of purple and pink mixed with dim light yellow. Against the backdrop of the ocean, framed by palm trees and mountain ranges, it's dazzling.
Here are some more treasures of Terranea Resort and the Palos Verdes Peninsula.
Try kayorkeling, which combines kayaking and snorkeling right off the back of a kayak. Just in front of Terranea is a marine preserve and kelp forest filled with wildlife. As guides navigate through different coastal areas (including a cave), feel totally immersed in the marine culture which includes white striped bass, sea lions, and dolphins.
Hike on a trails to the Point Vicente Interpretive Center open daily from 11:00am to 5:00pm (admission is free, donations are accepted.) The American Cetacean Society has been conducting a whale census there for decades. They count thousands of whales and observe their behavior during their annual migration from December through May. As they conduct a census of whales passing through the Catalina Channel they answer questions and share observations. Watch gray whales migrate south from Alaska to Baja Mexico. In the spring they head back north to Alaska.
Have lunch at Nelson's and you'll just may spot a whale spouting water in the distance, see a dolphin, then watch a flock of seagulls and maybe some grey pelicans. Just don't forget to ring the restaurant's ship bell. Witness a sea lion, ring once, see dolphins, ring twice, discover whales, ring three times. The restaurant's giant Hot Bavarian Pretzel with garlic butter, sweet beer mustard, cheese sauce is divine. So are the fish and chips and lobster tacos.
Visit the Wayfarers Chapel. Enveloped by the trees surrounding it, this magnificent glass church was masterfully designed by architect Lloyd Wright, son of Frank Lloyd Wright. His vision was to create a tree chapel or natural sanctuary set in the forest surrounded by nature and light. The nondenominational chapel contains glass walls and ceilings which magnifies the sunrise and the sunset. Inspired what he deems the "the great cathedrals of redwood" in the Redwood Forest Lloyd Wright has said, "I wanted particularly to allow those trees and...trunks to be seen and the space beyond and into infinity to be observed. So those who sat in the sanctuary would perceive the grandeur of space out beyond and around them."
Don't miss, Bashi, the resort's outstanding Asian-inspired restaurant from acclaimed Chef Bruce Nguyen which celebrates the Japanese farming families who first settled in area in the early part of the 20th century. 17 sake varieties and a vast selection of of Asian beers are an ideal match for dishes like sizzling shaking beef, hoisin glazed spare ribs, Shanghai style garlic noodles, five-spice roasted duck salad and an assortment of sushi.
Go whale watching. Participants have been known to spot finned, gray, killer, humpback, finned and minke whales. For their whale watches, Terranea partners with the Aquarium of the Pacific. The excursions are offered daily and given in specially-designed fast catamaran boats.
The Portuguese Bend Artist Colony, a community of artists who are devoted to painting and preserving the Portuguese Bend area on the Palos