WENDY THIES SELL

This year was a great year for Santa Barbara County’s dining public with about a dozen new restaurants opening for business. Trying to visit as many of them as possible has been my pleasure: S.Y. Kitchen in Santa Ynez, Caliterranean Café at Global Gardens in Los Alamos, Omakase in Old Orcutt, Cugini’s in Santa Maria, […]

It cannot be overstated; the people of the Santa Ynez Valley eagerly anticipated the opening of the latest venture by “The Brothers,” Matt and Jeff Nichols. The Nichols brothers, who are experts at homemade, fine comfort cuisine, earned a loyal following with their Brothers Restaurant in Solvang in the ’90s and during their decade of […]

Turning 30 in September was a milestone for Santa Maria native son Tracy Labastida. This fall, he left his job of six years as executive chef and general manager at Testa Catering—the largest caterer in Northern Santa Barbara County—to venture out on his own. On Nov. 1, the enthusiastic and energetic Labastida started his own […]

Morgen McLaughlin, the executive director of the Santa Barbara County Vintners’ Association, had the country described to her by an importer as “the Wild West of wine.” McLaughlin traveled to Shanghai in mid-November to see first-hand how the Chinese wine market operates. China, with a population topping 1.3 billion, is the fifth largest market for […]

Solvang is pulling out the stops this December to live up to its festive reputation. Two years ago, Time magazine named Solvang one of “The 9 Most Christmassy Towns in America.” The so-called Danish Capital of America will likely exceed expectations this year with its annual holiday extravaganza, Julefest, a whole month of holiday cheer. […]

Bangkok, Thailand native Boonie Walton came to the United States more than three decades ago seeking better schooling for her children. In 1995, she bought a restaurant on East Main Street in Santa Maria and named it Boonie Thai Cuisine, after herself. “I try to make everything exactly how we eat it in Thailand,” the […]

Benjamin Chanler-Laurin has worn many hats during his eclectic career: bond trader at the Paris stock exchange, CNN producer, wine importer, lead barista at Peet’s Coffee & Tea, baker, sommelier, and restaurant manager at a wide range of Los Angeles venues, including the sophisticated Founders Room at the Los Angeles Music Center and the exclusive […]

Twenty-two-year old Estephanie Diaz was born to bake. The pastry chef at the new Willow restaurant in Nipomo is young, but she’s had many good teachers over the years. Growing up in the Santa Maria Valley, the daughter of a former hotel pastry maker, Diaz also watched her uncle at work in his Tan Top […]

For the Halloween edition of Eats, I invited chef Ryan Gromfin to share one of his scrumptious soup recipes using seasonal gourds. Gromfin was formerly the chef at Central City Market. Now as a consulting chef, Gromfin assists restaurant owners around the world, inventing recipes, designing menus, and training staff. He recently worked locally with […]

Years of effort by local vintners paid off when the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau recently agreed to designate the 7,800-acre Ballard Canyon as a new American Viticultural Area.   Wineries producing wine with grapes grown is this area can now print the words “Ballard Canyon” on labels, which sets them apart from […]