HAYLEY THOMAS

At The Spoon Trade American Eatery, the first thing you’ll notice is the cluster of antique spoons dangling in the foyer. They’re silver, gunmetal, slate, battleship—and all hues in-between. Some capture the Grover Beach light and throw it back with dazzling intensity. Others have seen better days. All are special if you ask Chef Jacob […]

Something strange happens upon entering the tiny “town” of Harmony, population 18. First, your cell phone stops working. Then, as if sucked into a Twilight Zone episode, time evaporates. Hours sweep by as you lose yourself in the fiery glow of a glassblower’s handiwork. Yellow finches and hummingbirds flit from branch to branch as you […]

I can say from experience that raising a small flock of backyard chickens is not without its perils. One hen surprised me when she “came out” as a rooster, crowing at dawn for the entire neighborhood to enjoy. Another decided to lay her eggs behind the shed, unbeknownst to yours truly. My trusty Ameraucana laid […]

Deshia Hiebner loves to watch the expressions on customers’ faces when she tells them the origin of the name “ManRock Brewing Company.” Eyes usually widen from amused to curious to spellbound, all in the span of a brief conversation. Although the Grover Beach hangout sounds like it was named after an ’80s metal band (or […]

Chapter three: “The first time Bill made wine, he was buck naked. Clothing wasn’t optional at the communal grape stompings on Mountain Drive above Santa Barbara …”  Can I just say, it’s been a few years since I’ve lain in bed and highlighted full sentences in a book, cap in my mouth, pages dog-eared to […]

Dogs represent many things to many people. Vicki and Randy Weimer’s pair of happy-go-lucky Labradors served as true members of the family, teaching their children life lessons while always keeping an eye out for opportunities to roll in something interesting. When the couple moved from Southern California to the Central Coast about 22 years ago, […]

When it came down to figuring out which wines paired best with this year’s lineup of Girl Scout cookie flavors, William James Cellars owner and winemaker Robin Bogue espoused one golden rule. And that is, besides being obvious, “Try not to eat all the cookies in one sitting.” “When we decided to do this pairing […]

One dark and stormy Wednesday morning in Nipomo, Bob “Kiwi Bob” Criswell found out just how akin to family his farmers’ market customers truly are. At daybreak, his son, Michael, decided there had been enough snoozing in the Criswell household. Always a fan of selling kiwi at the local farmer’s markets—the same way his father […]

Like the very best wines, some homecomings are meant to be savored. When U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Nick Firestone returned home to the Santa Ynez Valley after a 10-month deployment in Afghanistan last November, his parents, Adam and Kate Firestone, were overwhelmed with elation. “When his mother gets to hug him, safe and sound, we […]

Dusk is falling in sleepy Los Alamos, but the Alamo Motel is just beginning to heat up. Motel visitors and locals alike spread out colorful Mexican blankets on the front lawn, soon to be dotted with picnic suppers sourced from nearby Bell Street Farm. Some settle into rocking chairs, while others sprawl out and consider […]