Chef Lacey Franklin Brings Seasonal Cuisine to Oak Farm Vineyards
Chef Lacey Franklin hit the ground running when she joined Lodi’s Oak Farm Vineyards in April to establish a farm-to-fork culinary experience for the public and wine club members. Inspired by the variety of fresh ingredients grown onsite and regionally, the chef designed an all-day menu offering gourmet breakfasts, lunches and sharable items such as charcuterie boards and house-made gnocchi. “People love good food,” Lacey said, crediting the owners of Oak Farm Vineyards, Heather and Dan Panella, with giving her every tool needed to provide it.
The Oak Farm tasting room is a harmonious blend of wood, stone and warm lighting elegantly welcoming guests to socialize around the 28-seat bar or relax in plush leather club chairs arranged spaciously beside the soaring fireplace. There are other beautiful event spaces, indoors and out, to accommodate gatherings of various sizes. Visitors are free to enjoy food and wine almost anywhere on the property, a serene rambling estate verdant with shade trees, lush lawns, bocce courts and lovely views. Every Thursday, starting at 4 p.m., guests can be found sipping Oak Farm Vineyard’s award-winning wines and getting comfortable for an evening of live music, food and socializing.
Lacey’s Path
The responsibility for establishing the dining experience at the winery felt like an ideal match given Lacey’s unique background and training. Raised on her family’s apple farm in El Dorado County, she was steeped in firsthand knowledge of the many facets of their rural restaurant, bakery and her grandparents’ catering service. From there she immersed herself in Sacramento’s Le Cordon Bleu culinary school, and upon graduating she landed a coveted job at Auberge du Soleil in Napa. At just 20, she was the first female sous chef on the savory side of the kitchen, where she worked under the guidance of Chef Robert Curry, a mentor with whom she is still friends 13 years later.
Weekly trips to the Marin Farmer’s Market were a highlight of kitchen life in Napa. “Thanks to my upbringing in professional kitchens, I made sous chef at Auberge by age 23,” Lacey smiled. During her five years with the Auberge brand, Lacey was able to work at their resorts in Costa Rica; Chileno Bay, Mexico; and Solage in Napa. At each location she relished working with local ingredients, absorbing fresh ideas and honing her expertise as a chef.
After she was promoted to chef de cuisine and then executive sous chef, Lacey made a big leap in 2018 when she took over as executive chef at the Mayflower Inn and Spa in Washington, Connecticut. It was a wonderful experience but also challenging to no longer have access to the farm-fresh produce of California. “It was really different,” she said. When the pandemic struck, she came home to reestablish her roots in Napa, working at Torc until 2024. There she focused on developing her personal style, which she says is a product of all the chefs she has trained under.
Unique Style
Lacey appreciates the creative freedom she has at Oak Farm Vineyards and enjoys the direct contact with the guests. “Cooking feels like instant gratification when I get to see people’s reaction to the foods,” she said. Since initiating the food program in April, response has been immensely positive with guests frequently commenting that there is nothing else like it in the area. “My inspiration comes from my past experiences, the ingredients themselves and my upbringing. I like to pull from homestyle foods but refine them. For example, Mom’s pot roast inspired a fancier dish, our short rib on polenta,” she described. “The coconut ginger ceviche is modeled after the one in Costa Rica made with halibut but lightened with coconut water rather than the heavier, high-fat coconut milk.”
Future Events
While Chef Lacey and her staff update the menu weekly, they are also busy planning for upcoming special events. The fall season will usher in harvest dinners, special wine pairing meals, and in December, Heather will feature her yearly Christmas Stroll, a lighting, decor and merchandise extravaganza. “The entire property is transformed!” Heather said. “There are lights everywhere, the barn is decorated inside and filled with vendors from all over, and we are very excited about what Lacey, with her talent, has brought here, allowing us to offer year-round cuisine that’s the ideal accompaniment to our French and Italian style of wines.”
Lacey points out that she has spent years surrounded by some of the biggest and best wines and wine clubs around, and finds that not only are the Oak Farm Vineyards wines outstanding, but adds, “Our wine club is better than almost any other; it’s a great deal and is flexible whether someone is a 12- or 4-bottle member, which is very unusual.” Heather added enthusiastically, “We always had great wine, we just needed the one thing that goes with it: great food. And now we have it!”
Visit Oak Farm Vineyards, 23627 N. DeVries Road, Lodi. Breakfast, lunch and sharables are served 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Call 209-365-6565 or visit oakfarmvineyards.com for reservations.
