WE TASTE IN PARADISE
@ sant ab arbar amag standbys such as squid ink risotto, linguine with clams, and octopus carpaccio. Chef Budi Kazali of Ballard Inn fame opened RAMEN KOTORI with chef friends and partners Francisco Velazquez and wife, Erica. The eatery’s authentically Japaneseinspired menu uses locally sourced ingredients in fan favorites like shoyu ramen, gyoza, and a Santa Barbra uni hand roll. SOLVANG SPICE MERCHANT specializes in hand-blended and hand-packed spices, hard-to-find herbs and roots, loose-leaf teas, and other foodie gift items. Chef Golzar Barrera’s TO-GO AT THE WINDOW sells prepared takeout of varying cuisines, hosts one-night pop-ups, and offers a collaborative kitchen space for culinary creatives and budding entrepreneurs.
Bits & Bites
SOLVANG
Taste
Feeling mimosas and chocolate Nutella Danish pancakes? Breakfast and brunch stretch into the afternoon, seven days per week, at the family and dog-friendly BREKKIES BY CHOMP. Shop—or take a cheese class—at CAILLOUX CHEESE SHOP, where cut-to-order artisanal cheeses and charcuterie mingle with fresh bread, cheese board accouterments, picnic baskets, and blankets. These pair well with neighboring CRAWFORD FAMILY WINES’ new tasting room location. GOOD SEED COFFEE BOUTIQUE locally batch roasts rare coffee seeds that segue to unique drink offerings. Don’t miss seasonally rotating organic baked goods—including vegan and gluten-free options—as well as owner Leyla Williams’s heritage grain sourdough breads, or pre-order-only Friday challah. Michelin “Plate” recipient FIRST & OAK restaurant at Solvang’s Mirabelle Inn now offers a monthly Afternoon High Tea as well as a lounge concept featuring elevated wine bar fare plus international and local “unicorn” wines. Solvang’s newest Italian restaurant, OSTERIA GRAPPOLO, serves signature
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BUELLTON
At GOD’S COUNTRY PROVISIONS—also popping up in Los Olivos—hand-cut, freshly made doughnuts take classic forms such as glazed and old fashioned, plus ever-evolving renditions like maple bacon, fruit loops, and peanut butter cup. Skip the well-deserved Industrial Eats lines at HERE TO GO, the retail and takeout side of the restaurant, housed in a dedicated, marketlike space.
SANTA YNEZ & LOS OLIVOS
Family-owned and operated, CARHARTT VINEYARD’s tasting room—situated in a historic Los Olivos “cabin”—boasts ample outdoor areas for lingering wine hangs. At CARUCCI WINES, the intentionally small brand focuses on single-vineyard, singlevarietal bottlings with an expression of place. The minuscule HIDEAWAY WINE CO. tasting room pours its eponymous label, Standing Sun Wines, and Blue Scarlet Wine. The new HOLUS BOLUS tasting room showcases the namesake label as well as the makers’ certified organically farmed estate
PHOTOGRAPHS: INDUSTRIAL EATS, ARIETTE ARMELLA; GOD’S COUNTRY PROVISIONS, BRITTANY TAYLOR PHOTOGRAPHY; RAMEN KOTORI, ZOE KAZALI
Where to sip and sup in the Santa Ynez Valley