R.E. MARK LEE

R.E. Mark Lee, a trustee of the Krishnamurti Foundation and longtime friend of Alan Hooker, talks about Alan’s unique gift in family-style hospitality and his uncanny ability to nurture a vibrant sense of creativity and wonder. 

 

TIM KOSUB

 

Tim Kosub, a former Ranch House wine steward, explains how the restaurant helped him navigate the difficult transition into adulthood by providing him with a heightened perspective through exploration and everyday play. 

 

RALPH EDSELL

Ralph Edsell, a former Ranch House Gardener and Alan’s close confidante, gives an intimate glimpse into Alan’s complex private life.

 

RUSS BRUNELLI

Russ Brunelli, General Manager of The Ranch House, tells the story of the rise of the restaurant from a small boarding house for J. Krishnamurti’s followers to a low-key hideaway for Hollywood royalty.

 

david skaggs

David Skaggs, started at The Ranch House as a busboy before eventually taking over the restaurant after the Hooker's retirement in 1969.  Skaggs recalls the restaurant's heyday in the 1970's, serving such Hollywood elite as Paul Newman, Robert Redford, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and Marlon Brando.  Another regular was an up-and-coming chef named Wolfgang Puck who was quoted as saying, “Alan has cooking that is very warm and comfortable.” Puck would later go on to create his first flagship restaurant, Spago, an instant success and culinary phenomenon.

 

CRAIG WALKER

Craig Walker, author of “The Ojai Valley: An Illustrated History,” explains why Ojai’s serene remote location and unique electromagnetic vortex, makes it the perfect backdrop for The Ranch House, a refuge of sorts for Alan's miniature mystical friends and spiritual seekers looking for direction and answers to life's eternal questions. 

 

Michael krohnen

Michael Krohnen, J. Krishnamurti's longtime personal chef, shares a rare glimpse into the metaphysical ideas that underlie Alan’s "taste of home” culinary style and why Alan is credited with pioneering the farm to table movement.  

 

NANCI MARTINEZ

Nanci Martinez, Beatrice Wood's Manager, recalls how Wood, a ceramic artist who served as an inspiration for the character of 'Rose' in Cameron's “Titanic,” played an integral role in establishing a design aesthetic that reflected the imagination and quirky personality of Alan Hooker.

 

JOY MILLS

Joy Mills, (1920-2015) was an educator who served as President of the Theosophical Society in America and Director of the Krotona School of Theosophy in Ojai, California.  Mills came to know Alan Hooker during the early years of his life as a traveling lecturer for the Theosophical Society. She recalls the early days at The Ranch House and the profound impact J. Krishnamurti's teachings had on Alan’s worldview.