Wine Country Times

Powerhouse couple and restaurant owners, Fernando and Ashleigh Plazola, bring the farm-to-table concept to their restaurant called Cultivo, located in downtown Ukiah.

Cultivo, meaning "to cultivate" in Spanish, originated with a vision that Fernando (who is also the executive chef) had to work closer to where his family lived. Inspired by his mother's home-cooked meals, Fernando gained interest in culinary arts and decided to work his way up in the service industry, fulfilling roles as a bartender and server beginning almost 30 years ago. After marrying Ashleigh, the duo settled down in Mendocino County and decided to open Cultivo after the long commute Fernando was making to work as an executive chef in Sonoma County.

"A little boy from Mexico followed his dream to be a chef and to be able to provide for his family to break the chain of struggling to make ends meet," Ashleigh said about Fernando. "He is doing a fine job at accomplishing his dreams. He provides delicious San Francisco-style delicious meals in the comfort of your hometown all the while trying to keep local vendors a top priority."

The couple originally planned on purchasing a lot where they could have a large garden to serve guests fresh ingredients that were hand-picked daily. Choosing to settle in downtown Ukiah made finding the space to garden on-site difficult, but they still made the farm-to-table concept a priority, as they highlight quality ingredients on their menu at their seasonal peak to keep customers coming back for more.

"Cultivo has evolved in several ways," Ashleigh said. "It has become a staple for many patrons who dine with us sometimes two to three times a week. It has become a well-known catering option for our county. We now offer our mobile pizza oven as well which has been a fun item at many public events."

Ashleigh gives thanks to her husband for keeping the restaurant afloat, thanks to the quality and consistency of the food. Often, Fernando would be the only one working in the kitchen performing a four-man job without pay if his cooks needed to quarantine. Ashleigh claims that their perseverance is how they managed to weather the storm and will be opening a new restaurant in summer 2021 called Hanger 39.

"If a restaurant can survive COVID, it can survive anything," Ashleigh said.