Santa Ynez Valley chef Anthony Endy went up against celebrity chef Bobby Flay on Flay’s own show last April—and beat him. Endy got the best of Flay on the Beat Bobby Flay show in an episode that aired in June, giving Endy—the executive chef at Alisal Guest Ranch in Solvang—a boost as the ranch reopened […]
KENNY CRESS
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Alfie’s Fish & Chips celebrates a year at its expanded location, continuing to serve fried goodness through COVID-19 challenges
This year has been particularly hard on the owners of Alfie’s Fish & Chips in Lompoc, Mike and Nellie Sewall. Similar to other Santa Barbara County restaurants, the pandemic has forced the longtime Lompoc establishment to shut down not once, but twice. And on top of that, Nellie has been battling cancer. “I was diagnosed […]
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The Tavern at Zaca Creek offers locally based beef, seafood, and wine
When the Rushing family viewed a property off Jonata Road owned by Jack Buell, whose family ranch eventually evolved into the city of Buellton, they were entranced with it. The land had been unused since 2001. “We thought it would be the ideal place to start a restaurant,” Chelsea Rushing said. The Rushings—Chelsea; her […]
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The county’s newest AVA, Alisos Canyon, owes its existence largely to two local winemakers
Wes Hagen and Noah Rowles, two longtime area winemakers, figured Alisos Canyon had the wherewithal to be the newest designated American Viticultural Area (AVA) in Santa Barbara County. The two men liked the area’s location. They liked the soil. They believed in the workers who tilled the soil and harvested the grapes. So they labored […]
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The 101 Grill offers a different take on a typical burgers and sandwiches menu
Annie Greene saw what she figured was a culinary need in Santa Maria. So she decided to fill it. “There isn’t much upscale fast food here, and most of what there is is pretty expensive,” she said. So she and friends Michael Xu and Claire Reyes decided to open a new restaurant that features what […]
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Since 1979, Tom’s Burgers has served meals with an ample helping of community outreach to the Lompoc Valley
The words on the window to the left of the Tom’s Burgers entrance, and on the window to the right of it, read, “Lompoc Strong.” Those words signify a commitment the business has made to the Lompoc Valley since opening its doors in 1979. On an unseasonably balmy mid-October day, Jenn Villareal, Tom’s Burgers manager, […]
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Bob’s Well Bread Bakery and Cafe opened a second location, which means that yeasted goodness is now baked daily in the Santa Ynez Valley
Talk about a fruitful lifestyle move. Bob Oswaks had been in the television industry in Los Angeles for 30 years when he decided it was time for a career change. “It wasn’t anything all of a sudden. I had been working for Norman Lear for years. He talked to me after I had been working […]
