Thanks to a newly launched sports bar menu, guests of the Tavern at Zaca Creek in Buellton on Sunday and Monday nights will be tempted to try the brown-butter Buffalo wings, among several other new food items and cocktails.
Kitchen member Jim Lane—a die-hard Lakers fan who helped spearhead the sports menu and is widely regarded as “the biggest sports fan” on staff—would rank the new chicken wings at the top of his personal favorites.
“Chef Cullen [Campbell’s] recipe he brought from his Memphis roots are the best wings I have ever tasted,” Lane said, “and his homemade ranch is delectable.”
The new menu, which premiered at the beginning of December, was designed to entice fans to visit the Tavern on game nights, which is why the bar added new television screens recently as well. Whether he’s working the night of Monday, Jan. 10, or not, Lane said he’s especially stoked for the College Football National Championships to start up.
“[It’s] right around the time for the race for the playoffs for the last few weeks of the NFL Regular Season,” Lane said. “The year has been so crazy, and a tight race in both conferences, that it will be interesting to see who actually makes the playoffs.”
Born and raised in Ballard, Lane said one of the reasons he enjoys working at the Tavern so much is that there’s a sense of family among both the staff and the patrons.
“I feel at home when I am at work,” Lane said, “and I feel the customers appreciate the extra hospitality we are able to provide.”
While trying to draw in passionate sports fans like Lane, the Tavern’s kitchen staff sought to curate a crowd-pleasing selection of heightened comfort foods.
“We wanted easy, delicious, and slightly indulgent menu items. When you think of sitting back on a Sunday afternoon with your friends and watching some games, you’re not thinking about steaks and caviar,” said Stephen Villa, the Tavern’s general manager. “You want simple yet incredibly tasty items, so we threw on a fantastic smash burger, jalapeño poppers, onion rings—just things that scream hangout bites; items that can be shared and eaten with only a slight bit of guiltiness.”
The beverage side of the new sports menu features a selection of locally produced beers for $6 each and a variety of specialty cocktails for $9 each. These offers are exclusive to guests of the Tavern every Sunday and Monday from 2 to 8 p.m.
But those planning to visit Zaca Creek soon should keep in mind that the bar and restaurant will be closed between Monday, Dec. 20, and Sunday, Dec. 26.
Although the popular eatery will be closed during Christmas, the venue has big plans in the works to help ring in the new year, Villa explained.
“For New Year’s Eve, we’re throwing a black tie gala here at Zaca,” Villa said. “It’s been a long, hard year for everyone, so we wanted to create a night for everyone to come out and enjoy themselves safely with food and drinks, plenty of bubbly, a live jazz band, raffles, and games throughout the evening, along with other activities.”
Villa added that, thanks to a collaboration with Jim Vreeland Ford, a sober driver program will be available for the gala’s guests to use for drop-offs and pickups throughout the event.
The New Year’s gala will also work as a fundraiser, with proceeds set to benefit the Stage Four Foundation, a new charity created by Zaca Creek, “which will devote its resources to helping late-stage cancer patients deal with the financial difficulties that present themselves when dealing with a life-threatening challenge,” Villa said.
Send your New Year’s resolutions to Arts Editor Caleb Wiseblood at cwiseblood@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Dec 16-23, 2021.