Food & Drink

Repurposed from a Roaring ’20s-era gas station, one of Los Alamos’ newest hot spots feels old in all the right ways.  “The facility just has an authenticity to it,” said Don Conner, one of the operating managers at The Maker’s Son, which opened its doors to the public earlier this summer. “Legitimately, this building is […]

Cold water, iced tea, and protein bars weren’t the only refreshments awaiting hikers at the summit of their uphill journey through Alma Rosa Winery’s 628-acre property, during the estate’s second annual fundraiser hike—Peace of Mind: 10,000 Steps in the Right Direction. While participants had wine tastings to look forward to at both the halfway point […]

The COVID-19 pandemic, characterized by empty shelves and grocery store lines that wrapped around the block, ushered in a new wave of curiosity about food supply chains and how they operate. This year, locals can learn a little more about the hands that feed them at the third annual Santa Barbara County Farm Day. “During […]

Just a little ways north, downtown San Luis Obispo has hotels, restaurants, bars, shops, historic buildings, and parks. It also has loads of tourists, which dwarf the city’s 47,000 population. Until recently it lacked one vital ingredient: a tasting room. With hundreds of wineries fanning out across the county—and annual visitors estimated at 7 million, […]

How’s that old saying go? When life gives you lemons, make tea and cookies? Orcutt resident Julie Young spent most of 2019 preparing to start her own business, Teacups Children’s Tea Parties, but the following year put those aspirations to rest, at least for a little while. “While my original idea was only tea parties […]

Founded in 2000, Flying Goat Cellars is technically, legally old enough to drink its own wine. While 2021 marks this local winery’s 21st year in business, birthday wishes aren’t the only cause for recent celebrations at its tasting room in Lompoc.  Among some big wins in multiple wine competitions over the past few months, one […]

Some of Alessio Carnevale’s fondest childhood memories took place at his uncle’s gelato shop in Calabria, Italy. One of these throwbacks begins with a broken arm, which may have inadvertently determined Carnevale’s career. “One summer, my uncle broke his arm, and my mother said I needed to help him out in the shop. It was […]

Wine tasting isn’t the only thing bringing visitors to Brick Barn Wine Estate in record numbers this summer.  Formerly home to a successful horse breeding facility, the 35-acre Buellton property recently announced a full slate of seasonal happenings (including live concerts, stand-up comedy shows, and outdoor film screenings), some of which sold out almost immediately. […]

At the end of June, a board of judges gathered in Paso Robles for a blind tasting event to determine the winners of the California Mid-State Fair’s 2021 Central Coast Vinegar Competition. From a pool of entries encompassing 10 coastal counties (from Alameda to Ventura), Solvang’s Broken Clock Vinegar Works placed first in one of […]

If you give a mouse a cookie, society has been groomed to assume the rodent will consequently demand a glass of milk. But what if said cookie giver doesn’t carry dairy products? While probably best known for its vegan burger, burrito, and taco offerings, Dreamers Vegan Takeout in Lompoc offers a rotating menu of delicious […]

Why watch the Friends reunion when you could just live it instead? While Father’s Day weekend marked the official reopening (albeit, a “soft opening”) of Kay’s Orcutt Country Kitchen (closed since last November), the iconic eatery is formally celebrating the occasion with an upcoming reunion of its own.  On June 26 and 27, five of […]

While the opal in Golden Opal Baking is a reference to founder Taylor Tate’s birthstone, the gold exterior also serves as a loving nod to her lineage. “I chose golden because my grandparents have had many loved golden retrievers over the years, and it just felt fitting to have a little piece of them in […]