After looking back at my foodie adventures over the past 12 months, I feel so grateful for the outpouring of winemakers, chefs, and business owners who invited me to their places of work for savory grub, sweet treats, soft and hard drinks, and warm conversation.
In summing up this year’s most memorable occasions, I’d be remiss to not mention one that’s particularly bittersweet and less feel-good than the rest, and it happens to be my earliest restaurant-related memory of 2024.
One morning in January, New Times Staff Writer Bulbul Rajagopal from the Sun’s sister paper and I visited Highline Adventures in the Santa Ynez Valley for a zip-lining feature in Get Outside magazine.
After our zip-lining tour ended, I knew exactly where I wanted to take her for lunch—Pea Soup Andersen’s, just a few miles away. I’d been about a dozen times, but she had never been.
Upon reaching the Buellton gem’s front entrance, we noticed a large on-brand green sign posted on the door, to the right of mascot chef Hap-Pea, that read: Temporarily closed for redevelopment.
We caught the 1924-established eatery during its first week of closure, at the start of its centennial, and it hasn’t reopened since. But I never lost hope—and rumors of the Buellton staple’s eventual revival under new ownership began to circulate during the fall.
In the meantime, please enjoy my rundown of 2024 in Eats below, or feel free to hit me up to carpool to the Santa Nella location! I might need a designated driver depending on my BSC (blood soup concentration).
SHOYU AND TELL
2024 marked the fifth anniversary of—and my first visit to—Ramen Kotori in downtown Solvang. I highly recommend the ramen shop’s shoyu ramen with pork belly. In August, the eatery tied with Paula’s Pancake House and peasants FEAST for Best Solvang Restaurant in the Sun’s 2024 Best of NSBC readers poll.
WHO LET THE DOGS OUT
During the spring, Avila Beach’s California Hot Dogs opened its first drive-through location on Nicholson Avenue in Santa Maria, in the same plaza as Cool Hand Luke’s and Costa de Oro Winery. Hot dogs are a given, while other menu staples include smash burgers, shave ice, and tater tots (nicknamed Napoleon’s Tots, in honor of Napoleon Dynamite).
TICKET TO RIDE
In May, winemakers from Lompoc, Santa Maria, Los Alamos, Buellton, and other areas across Santa Barbara County converged at the Santa Barbara Zoo for Roar and Pour, where attendees enjoyed oodles of wine tastings during their zoo visit. “It’s exciting to drink great wine when you’re right next to an animal that could kill you in a second,” Lumen Wines winemaker Will Henry told the Sun with a laugh.
RAISING THE BAR
Visitors of the Sports Bar at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez can look forward to pairing their libations with food selections from six distinct eateries, including Bok Bok’s, where guests will find chicken wings, sandwiches, and more. The Sports Bar opened at the casino in June.
SLAW AND ORDER
When Terri Buzzard took on the role of executive chef at Roblar Winery in August, one of her first signature dishes at the Santa Ynez destination was the crispy pork schnitzel, plated with farm harvest slaw and spicy mustard sauce.
LIVE AND LET LATTE
Santa Ynez Valley-based coffee roaster Zaca Coffee opened its first brick-and-mortar coffee shop in September on Highway 246 in Buellton. In December, the company celebrated another grand opening, with the debut of its new coffee trailer, permanently stationed in Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone.
Send food and drink tips to Arts Editor Caleb Wiseblood at cwiseblood@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Dec 26, 2024 – Jan 5, 2025.