Eats

Yearly tradition Visit santamariavalley.com for more info on Santa Maria Valley’s 2024 Restaurant Month and Craft Cocktail Contest. Sugar. Spice. Everything nice. Maybe a little gin, vodka, and vermouth. Shaken, of course. While recipes both classic and classified are available year round, there are far more than just three ingredients on display throughout this year’s […]

Blue Cuyama Blue Sky Center is located at 1000 Perkins Road, New Cuyama. Call (661) 413-3005 or visit blueskycenter.org for more info on the nonprofit.  A local nonprofit is ringing in the new year—and the following two years—with some new funds to support its unique gardening program. Near the end of 2023, Blue Sky Center […]

Boulevard of broken bread Call (805) 819-0915 for more info on Savory & Sweet Eats, located at 1412 Burton Mesa Blvd., Lompoc. The eatery posts frequent updates about its menu offerings on both Facebook and Instagram. Behind the tirades of F-bomb raids, Gordon Ramsay is less intimidating than his TV persona when the cameras aren’t […]

A grand addition to Grand Avenue Call (805) 904-6876 for more info on Hanna’s Mexican Fusion Restaurant, located at 1412 E. Grand Ave., Arroyo Grande. Follow the eatery’s Instagram page for updates on both its new brick-and-mortar and its food truck, @hannas.street._.tacos. When SLO local Cesar Cortes and his family embarked on running a taco […]

Ribbon cuttings for new eateries along the Central Coast weren’t in short supply over the past 12 months. When I looked back on the Sun’s food and wine stories of 2023, I was reminded of the contagious enthusiasm some of my interviewees exuded while gushing about their dreams of owning their own restaurant or tasting […]

Ice to meet you Visit orcutticecreamkitchen.com for more info on Orcutt Ice Cream Kitchen. The mobile business’s next pop-up event will be held on Friday, Dec. 29, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Naughty Oak Brewing Company, located at 165 Broadway St., suite 102, Orcutt. Chopped nuts. Chopped chocolate. Chopped marshmallows. Without this holy trinity […]

With the help of nearly $5 million in federal funding, a Santa Barbara County elderberry farming experiment kicked off in November, aiming to make the locally grown medicinal plant more widely available on the West Coast.  Spearheaded by the White Buffalo Land Trust, a regenerative farming-focused nonprofit founded in Summerland five years ago, the project […]

Party invite Call (805) 868-1858 or visit woodinyouliketoparty.com to find out more about Woodin You Like to Party, a Santa Maria-based event planning and charcuterie company.  Complimentary home deliveries of charcuterie orders are available to residents of the Santa Maria Valley area, while a delivery fee applies to customers in other cities along the Central […]

Canyon can-dos For more information on wineries located along the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail, visit foxencanyonwinetrail.net. The Christmas on the Trail program will include festivities at various venues in the Santa Maria and Santa Ynez valleys on Saturday, Dec. 2, and Sunday, Dec. 3. Bribing Santa Claus is probably not the best way to get […]

Enduring favorite For more info on Thai Hut or to place an order at the restaurant ahead of time, call 1-805-934-0911. The eatery is located at 120 E. Foster Road, Orcutt. Longer nights. Longer sleeves. Longer showers. With each drop in temperature this fall in Orcutt, the possibility of resisting Thai Hut’s tom kha selections […]

Come out of your shell Enjoy oysters on the half shell and more at Mother Shuckers, 133 Thompson Ave., Nipomo. The restaurant is open Thursday through Sunday from 2 to 9 p.m. Karaoke nights take place Saturday from 8 to 11 p.m. Keep up with Mother Shuckers on Instagram @mothershuckersnipomo and on Facebook at Mother […]

Say yes to pinot Visit kingscarey.com for more info on Kings Carey. The boutique winery and tasting room is located at 1210 Mission Drive, unit 103, Solvang. Tastings are offered by appointment only. For appointment inquiries, call (805) 680-7006 or email james@kingscarey.com. Achieving a healthy work-life balance won’t be in the cards for local vintner […]