Eats

On the back of every bottle at Future Perfect Wine, a dedication reads: “For the fearless, dreamers, scallywags, dazzlers, explorers, and incurable romantics. We are all connected and this is for you.” These are the deities Sunny Doench Stricker, founder of the label, aims to please with her newly released libations. The public was invited […]

Henry David Thoreau walks into a wine bar. This isn’t the start of a joke, just an image conjured up while speculating how said philosopher might have responded to Dreamcote founder Brit Zotovich’s “life’s short, make it count” approach to both winemaking and wine drinking.  Zotovich’s favorite quote is one of Thoreau’s most famous: “You […]

Arkansas and Vermont are the only states left without pins on the map of the United States hanging in Smith House Manufacturing on Thompson Avenue in Nipomo.  The Smiths had shipped Monkey Spit Hot Sauce products to every other state in the union as of May 22 and are eager to claim the remaining two […]

Growing up as the daughter of two business owners, Santa Maria local and lifelong foodie Rachel Boston had always hoped to start a business of her own one day. The only question was what? “It has been a huge dream of mine, but the question always was what should I do that I am passionate […]

If a title as boss sounding as the Dogfather isn’t enough to convince patrons to give this house-made sausage on a toasted hoagie a go, it might help to know it’s a staff favorite at the Santa Ynez Sausage Company. “I love to add caramelized onions, chopped-up house pickles, and Dijon mustard to make it […]

Monkey see, monkey dough, as participants of an upcoming fundraiser will discover. During the virtual workshop, those who sign up will get to bake their own batch of monkey bread.  Led by Recipes Bakery founder Meichelle Arntz, Baking for Angels takes place on a Sunday afternoon (May 16, from 3 to 4:30 p.m.) and pre-registrants […]

“It just kind of became mine,” Kathy McPike said, recalling how she came to own the Berry Stop back in 2013. The site was originally home to a Darensberries stand, which McPike worked at for about seven years before its vacancy allowed her to open a stand of her own.  “I was the manager/a little […]

If you like “Meadacoladas” (and gettin’ caught in the rain), put those personal ads to rest; High Seas Mead is the escape you’ve been looking for. The Meadacolada (pineapple and coconut mead) is just one of the brand’s four core flavors, alongside the Cosmic Bandito (blackberry and pineapple), Cheap Thrills (raspberry and coconut), and Mystic […]

The age-old adage “less is more” rings true for local winemaker Jessica Gasca, at least in terms of her modestly described “tiny operation,” Story of Soil in Los Olivos. “Larger wineries always seemed to lack that soul,” Gasca said on why she prefers to own and operate a relatively small-scale winery that promotes gentle processing […]

Don’t let the release date fool you; April 1 marked the for-real debut of Naughty Oak Brewing Company’s newly designed line of to-go cans. It was fabulous news for fans of the popular Orcutt brewery, but imagine if said occasion was an elaborate April Fools’ Day prank in disguise? Patrons would have come home with […]

Like nearly every small business last year, Guadalupe Cafe faced its share of challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Only six months after its grand opening (in September 2019), the cafe closed its doors in response to the crisis and didn’t reopen for to-go orders and outdoor dining until May 2020. “After the state order […]

Specializing in small-batch, handcrafted varietals, winemaker Gretchen Voelcker believes the best way to produce wine is with minimal human interference. This Central Coast local plans to discuss her winemaking style and other topics during an upcoming virtual panel. As part of Buttonwood Farm Winery and Vineyard’s Women in Wine series, the event will be hosted […]