Repeating Success

Eric Anders, co-founder of the Wood Ranch BBQ & Grill restaurants, sees no reason to mess with success.

So the new Wood Ranch barbecue place in Camarillo, which opened earlier this week, is not much different from the chain’s other two restaurants, in Moorpark and Agoura Hills.

“The food is basically the same--actually it’s identical,” Anders said.

Like its older siblings, the new location offers traditional grill fare including steaks, prime rib, burgers, chicken and baby back ribs. The menu also includes a selection of salad, fish and pasta dishes.

Not only is the food in Camarillo similar to that of the other two establishments, Anders also expects the clientele to be pretty familiar too.

“We’ve done so well in Moorpark and Agoura that we wanted to stay in areas of similar demographics--a lot of young families, more or less bedroom communities,” he said. “And Camarillo seemed underserved in restaurants.”

The new Wood Ranch is occupying the former site of McCarthy’s Restaurant, but Anders said even regular McCarthy’s diners are not likely to recognize the place.

“We gutted the whole restaurant; we even replaced the plumbing,” he said. “We created an open kitchen to basically show off the cooking, and our cleanliness and thoroughness.”

Anders said he and partner Ofer Shemtov have received a lot of inquiries from real estate brokers and landlords who would like to assist with the opening of more Wood Ranch restaurants on their properties. And there’s a good chance that could happen, Anders said.

“I’ve been approached by people outside Santa Barbara and in the Valley and we’ll probably continue going within just 20 to 25 miles away,” he said. “When we opened in Moorpark in the spring of 1992, we never wanted to manage just a restaurant. We wanted to build a system that enabled us to replicate what we do.”

The Camarillo restaurant is at 1101 Daily Drive. It is open from 4 to 10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 4 to 11 p.m. Fridays, 3 to 11 p.m. Saturdays and 2 to 10 p.m. Sundays.

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How many of you stare at your mashed potatoes and see a work of art? How many sculpt your fries? Does a baked potato remind you of Michelangelo’s David?

Then the Adam East Museum of Moses Lake, Wash., may have just what you need to express your hidden talents (unless of course you want to keep those talents hidden, which in this case may not be such a bad idea).

The museum is accepting submissions for its juried art show, “Baked, Mashed or Fried,” a tribute to the Columbia Basin’s chief agricultural product. The artist who in the determination of the judges can best express the aesthetic blessings of the potato will win $550.

And that’s plenty of cash for at least a year’s supply of art supplies at McDonald’s.

If you’re interested, call (509) 766-9395.

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Ron Breitstein, a lecturer on wine for the UCLA Extension program, and writer Henrik Van Leuven will discuss their book, “Wine & Dine: California Fine Wines Matched with Gourmet Recipes,” at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Barnes & Noble, 4360 E. Main St., Ventura. Admission is free.