WENDY THIES SELL

After a glorious morning walk in the famed Bien Nacido Vineyard in Santa Maria, Michael Bonaccorsi and I sat down outside the historic adobe to open a couple of bottles of his Bonaccorsi pinot noir and chardonnay. While interviewing him for my wine-themed television segment at the time, I asked Michael to give my viewers […]

Trattoria Uliveto, the terrific traditional Italian restaurant in Old Town Orcutt, is one of several Central Coast restaurants using modern means—social media—to market its business. Whether it’s on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Linkedin, restaurants are posting pictures of appetizing specials, advertising events, revealing new menus, and hosting giveaways. Last month, Trattoria Uliveto offered one such […]

With the arrival of a new, progressive place in town, Los Alamos expanded its horizons last Saturday, during the Northern Santa Barbara County hamlet’s busiest weekend of the year, Los Alamos Old Days. Global Gardens—the bright and cheery olive oil and vinegar tasting bar and shop that arrived on Los Alamos’ blossoming Bell Street over […]

Dave Corey, a Santa Maria Valley winemaker and former competitive cyclist, talks almost as fast as he pedals his high-performance Cannondale road bike; he still rides 200 miles a week on the back roads of Santa Barbara County, except during the busy grape harvest. Get him on the topic of wine and he has both […]

Two Santa Barbara County fundraisers this October give the dining public the opportunity to fill more than their tummies—they’ll also help replenish the coffers of a local service club and a nonprofit organization. On Saturday, Oct. 5, the Vandenberg Village Lions Club hosts a first-of-its-kind event in the area, Dinner in the Dark. That evening, […]

The new Willow restaurant and market, located at the corner of Willow and Pomeroy roads in Nipomo, opened to a packed house of eager and curious customers on Aug. 29. I was invited to attend Willow’s “soft opening” two nights earlier. I enjoyed my three courses: the heirloom tomato and burrata salad; diver scallops on […]

For some people, it might be true that “you can’t go home again.” But it’s working out well for the winemaker at Byron Winery, Jonathan Nagy. He grew up in the Santa Maria Valley; his father was in the U.S. Air Force and transferred to Vandenberg Air Force Base when Nagy was a newborn. Nagy […]

Summertime 2013 has been a season of growth and renewal in the Santa Barbara County wine industry. Several wine producers spent the summer renovating existing tasting rooms or moving into new locations. One such vintner is Sonja Magdevski, the Malibu beauty who opened Babi’s Tasting Room in Los Alamos a year and a half ago […]

As a boy growing up in the Santa Maria Valley, James Gentry fondly remembers looking up and seeing the iconic longhorns and wildlife mounts on the walls at the historic Far Western Tavern in Guadalupe when dining there with his family. Fast-forward 20 years and Gentry finds himself in charge of the kitchen at the […]

Living on California’s Central Coast, we don’t have to travel far from home when we want a weekend “away” in paradise. One of my favorite getaways is the North Coast of San Luis Obispo County. This summer, my husband Michael and I met up with friends for two rejuvenating days of wining and dining along […]

Mattei’s Tavern, built in 1886 and considered one of the best-preserved stagecoach stops on the entire West Coast, has undergone a remarkable rejuvenation and is now ready for 21st century customers. Chef Robbie Wilson and his wife and business partner Emily Perry Wilson recently gave me a tour, explaining the changes they made to the […]

For years I have taken out-of-town visitors and local friends alike to Solvang for breakfast at Paula’s Pancake House, which is known for some of the best pancakes and waffles around. Paula and Charles Greenwald found success serving their customers crepes and waffles at The Belgian Café in Solvang, so in 1986 they opened a […]