Phil Lempert TODAY Food Editor • Profile • E-mail

In this special weekly feature, TODAY Food editor Phil Lempert brings you recipes “stolen” (with permission) from notable restaurants across America. See how much fun you can have (and money you can save) by cooking these dishes at home.

At Brooks restaurant in Ventura, California, you won’t find appetizers, entrees and desserts on the menu; you will find “openers,” “fillers” and “rewards.” This inventive attitude made us want to pinch one of their original recipes! The crispy calamari Cobb salad jazzes up an old lunch favorite, subbing crispy calamari for the traditional chicken or turkey, while adding pieces of butternut squash and a creamy, zesty and unique pesto vinaigrette to create a dish that is not the usual Californian fare.

Brooks restaurant is the first venture from a husband-and-wife team who are passionate about food. Andy and Jayme Brooks are the ultimate partners … Jayme oversees the business management of the restaurant as well as welcoming guests, while Andy focuses entirely on his kitchen and finding local and seasonal ingredients for his bold and creative menu (including his nightly five-course tasting menu). Together they have fulfilled Andy’s lifelong dream.

Brooks is located in the historic downtown district of Ventura, just a few blocks from the Pacific Ocean. Located 90 miles north of Los Angeles, Ventura is packed with state landmarks — including the San Buena Ventura Mission (one of the original Californian missions), the Ortega Adobe Building (built in 1857) and the original courthouse, dating from 1913, which is listed on the National Registry of Historical Places. With restaurants galore, art galleries and day spas, Ventura is a great pace to relax and unwind — and sample one of those five-course tasting menus at Brooks.

About the chef: Andy Brooks took the first steps toward fulfilling his dream of owning his own restaurant when he attended the Scottsdale Culinary Institute. After graduating, he worked at an impressive list of well-known West Coast restaurants before traveling to Chicago and then Washington, D.C., to work with respected chefs, gathering the experience necessary before finally moving back to the West Coast with his wife (both are California natives) in 2006 to open Brooks.

This crispy calamari Cobb salad is served at Brooks restaurant for $14.

Brooks
545 East Thompson Boulevard
Ventura, CA 93001
Telephone  805 652-7070
www.restaurantbrooks.com

Want to nominate your favorite restaurant dish for a “Steal This Recipe” feature? Just e-mail Phil at Phil.Lempert@nbc.com (or use the mail box below) with the name of the restaurant, city and state, and the dish you would like to have re-created. Want to know more about Phil and food? Visit his Web site at www.supermarketguru.com.

MORE FROM STEAL THIS RECIPE

Southern comfort: Try creamy shrimp and grits

Southern comfort: Try creamy shrimp and grits Try these tender and juicy Sonoma lamb loins Baked eggs n’ potatoes: A Midwest treat Pan-roasted halibut fuses fresh ingredients Luscious linguine harvests sea’s bounty Try classic pasta from a New York landmark Animal cookies offer old-fashioned goodness Try this fish dish just for the halibut Robust sauce complements bucatini pasta Lobster pot pie draws from French, comfort food   Add Steal this Recipe headlines to your news reader: