Eats

When you live in a barbecue town, everyone has an opinion on where to get the best barbecue. So an innocent Facebook post asking for suggestions can quickly become a heated debate. That’s not so when the first suggestion is to try Rancho Nipomo. Located at the junction of highways 166 and 101, Rancho Nipomo […]

When Chef Pranita ‘Jay’ Onyeneke and her cousin Chris Vongsaroj walked into Antonio’s Ristorante in Nipomo last fall, they had something other than lunch on their minds. “I came through the door, ordered a couple appetizers, and straight-up asked him,” Vongsaroj said, recalling his offer to buy a restaurant that was not for sale. The […]

Walk into Niya Restaurant in Old Orcutt and a stately elegance is immediately apparent. Suddenly, any illusion a visitor may get from the “old” in Old Orcutt fades away behind a contemporary modern aesthetic and the aromas of fresh fusion happening in the kitchen. Of course, it’s more than design and aromatics that make a […]

Four days after the finale of the home cook competition All-Star Academy aired on the Food Network, first runner-up Vanessa Craig was back in the kitchen cooking up a storm in her native Santa Barbara County. Larner Vineyards and Winery invited Craig, who grew up in Solvang, to prepare a multi-course dinner for 20 guests […]

I can say from experience that raising a small flock of backyard chickens is not without its perils. One hen surprised me when she “came out” as a rooster, crowing at dawn for the entire neighborhood to enjoy. Another decided to lay her eggs behind the shed, unbeknownst to yours truly. My trusty Ameraucana laid […]

The merriest month in Paso Robles may well be May. Before the intense heat of summer sets in, two wine events are planned in this Northern San Luis Obispo County wine region: CABS of Distinction and the Paso Robles Wine Festival. With 32,000 vineyard acres and more than 200 wineries producing wines from more than […]

Deshia Hiebner loves to watch the expressions on customers’ faces when she tells them the origin of the name “ManRock Brewing Company.” Eyes usually widen from amused to curious to spellbound, all in the span of a brief conversation. Although the Grover Beach hangout sounds like it was named after an ’80s metal band (or […]

Owner of one of the most popular destinations in Northern Santa Barbara County’s restaurant scene, Clark Staub, has built a thriving business centered on pizza, or as he prefers to call it, flatbread. For 13 years, Full of Life Flatbread has handcrafted seasonal flatbreads, baked fast in a scorching hot, oak-fired stone oven, and served […]

Chapter three: “The first time Bill made wine, he was buck naked. Clothing wasn’t optional at the communal grape stompings on Mountain Drive above Santa Barbara …”  Can I just say, it’s been a few years since I’ve lain in bed and highlighted full sentences in a book, cap in my mouth, pages dog-eared to […]

The first time I met Gavin Chanin was late 2011 at the legendary Qupé/Au Bon Climat (ABC) winemaking compound east of Santa Maria. We were sitting at the fabled lunch table where cellar workers gather daily for tasty chow prepared by local wine rock star Jim Clendenen. I was there to interview all-around great guy […]

Dogs represent many things to many people. Vicki and Randy Weimer’s pair of happy-go-lucky Labradors served as true members of the family, teaching their children life lessons while always keeping an eye out for opportunities to roll in something interesting. When the couple moved from Southern California to the Central Coast about 22 years ago, […]

Film star Kurt Russell is set to make his first public appearance in Santa Barbara County since opening his wine tasting room, The Wine Saloon, at the 1880 Union Hotel in Los Alamos, a year ago. For the last seven years, Russell has partnered with Peter and Rebecca Work, owners of Ampelos Cellars in Lompoc, […]