View a slideshow from Taste of Solvang 2016.
A food columnist who knows what she’s doing would narrow her field of coverage so she’s reviewing one meal—or at least one restaurant—at a time. But I have no idea what I’m doing, so this week we’re going to review the dining options of an entire city. Woo!
I spent my March 19 strolling through Solvang during its annual food tasting event, sampling whatever yummy-looking morsel was thrown my way. By the end of the day I’d tried 15 different eateries. Some were Danish, of course, but I also tried a Vietnamese restaurant, an Italian place, a burger joint, a smoothie shop—for a little city, it’s got a lot of food (and wine).
So here we go: The A-list of Solvang dining, according to my Taste of Solvang experience.
We’ll start with the Danish stuff, because we’ve got to start somewhere.
I stopped by Solvang Restaurant, where I tried my very first aebleskiver. It was like a doughnut, if that doughnut was a million times better than any other doughnut. It was all fried and crispy on the outside and doughy and warm on the inside and it was covered in jelly and joy. I loved it very much. If I didn’t want to eat it so badly, I probably would have married it.
Olsen’s Danish Bakery offered an assortment of Danish pastries for sampling. I settled on an apricot pastry, which was good, but honestly kind of the average-level good you’d expect from any fruity pastry. But the bakery’s atmosphere was open, airy, and easy, and if I had to pick somewhere to eat an any-fruity-pastry, that was a good somewhere to do it.
Let’s move away from the pastries and toward the Danish sausage I tried at the Red Viking Restaurant. It was adorable, and the sausage came gathered on a platter with a little toothpick and flag stuck in it. It was only a small sliver of their menu offerings, but it was delicious. I’d go back to see what a full meal there tastes like.
On my way to find water, I stopped by Bit o’ Denmark, where I tried some Danish paté on pumpernickel bread. The sample filled my mouth with vastly different but complementary flavors. I would have filled a whole plate of that stuff if I’d been allowed to.
All right, let’s talk non-Danish places: Pho 805. Holy crap. They gave me a sample of their barbecue pork, which was insanely flavorful and awesome, along with a small bowl of pho. I think my sampler there might have been my favorite of the day, and if I had to pick one place where I’m most likely to return for a meal, Pho 805 is it.
Solvang Brewing Co. was the only beer-centric venue of the event, where I sampled a stout along with a beer grain muffin. I was slightly disappointed with the lack of tasting options, but their website says they currently have 10 house brews on tap. As for the stout I tried, it was A-OK.
I closed out my day at the Wandering Dog Wine Bar, where I tried their antipasto sampler along with a white ale, and a lager. But my favorite tasting there was the glass of wine I bought.
That wine was the only thing I paid for all day, and I shelled out the cash because the wine was named “Brenna,” which is my name, and that made me feel all warm and special (as did the wine itself). It was a 2014 Rhone Cuvee from Ballard Canyon, and it was positively delicious.
You’ll have to wait another year before Taste of Solvang rolls back around, but the restaurants I tried are available for your dining pleasure at any time. I know I’ll be back soon!
Brenna Swanston is planning her wedding to aebleskiver. Send any helpful wedding-planning tips to bswanston@santamariasun.com.
PHOTOS BY BRENNA SWANSTON
This article appears in Mar 31 – Apr 7, 2016.