INN AT NEWPORT RANCH WELCOMES CHEF NICK WELLS
Chef Wells introduces new culinary program focused on the bounty of the 2,200-acre ranch on the striking North Coast of California
FORT BRAGG, CALIFORNIA (March 11, 2025) – The Inn at Newport Ranch is pleased to announce its new Executive Chef, Nick Wells, whose talent and connection to California’s seasonal bounty brings an exciting evolution to Newport Ranch’s dining experience.
From the Inn’s dramatic, 2,200-acre property, Wells, working in concert with renowned gatherer and culinary consultant Adam Lawrence, is redefining the dining experience on the North Coast of California with a fresh, foraged and hyper-local approach.
Adam Lawrence has worked with some of the most renowned chefs in the culinary world, immersing himself in the study of wild ingredients from both land and sea. Through his deep connection with the wilderness, Adam has developed a unique approach to cuisine, rooted in a profound respect for the forgotten harvest. As the gatherer and research-and-development chef at San Francisco’s Saison, which earned three Michelin stars at the time, and through his work as Chef-in-Residence at Fulgurances Laundromat in Brooklyn, Lawrence has earned acclaim for his commitment to wild foods.
“We’re thrilled to have these culinary innovators developing a program tied to our incredible land,” says General Manager Blair Foster. “Their approach celebrates the bounty found across our seven microclimates and draws our guests closer to the terroir all around them for a truly immersive experience.”
Executive Chef Nick Wells will craft menus that showcase the biodiversity of the coastal meadows, ocean, old growth redwood forest, and the various other habitats in Newport Ranch’s immediate vicinity by harvesting items at their peak and combining them in a way that evokes and creates unique and lasting memories of The Ranch.
“At Newport Ranch, we have such a diversity of flora and fauna to source, and a variety of climates that provide the natural elements for successful harvests – it's truly a dream to interpret this land and deliver it to guests each day on a plate,” says Chef Wells. “We are surrounded by abundance here at Newport Ranch.”
Each evening, guests of Inn at Newport Ranch choose between a casual, family-style Ranch Supper or Chef’s Tasting Menu with dishes such as live-fire Grilled Black Cod with an alder-infused sauce, fermented rice and maitake mushroom, or Stemple Creek Beef Tenderloin with grilled onions and seaweed, and charred cucumber.
Chefs Adam Lawrence and Nick Wells and one of their new menu creations for their tasting menu at Inn at Newport Ranch.
Chef Wells and Lawrence foraging on Newport Ranch and another new creation from their menu.
With a freshly stocked pantry of ingredients from Newport Ranch’s 2,200-acre ranch, gardens, coastline and forests, including ferments and preserves, each dish reflects the beauty and biodiversity of the land. From the meadows to the sea, every meal tells a story of wildcrafting the natural bounty with passion and creativity.
Located off California’s scenic North Hwy 1, 20 miles north of Mendocino, The Inn at Newport Ranch is part of a coastal cattle ranch and timber preserve on the site of the former town of Newport. The ranch is a 3.5- hour drive from both San Francisco and Sacramento, and a 2.5 hour drive from Santa Rosa. For those who wish to bypass the scenic drive, helicopters may land on the ranch and private planes may land at the nearby Little River Airport.
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The Inn at Newport Ranch is located at 31502 North Highway 1 Fort Bragg, CA 95437. Room rates start at $775/night and $1,110/night for Suites inclusive of breakfast.