I think we can all agree, the world is hungry for a new year. As 2020 finally comes to a much needed close, let’s all take a deep breath and recognize the silver linings that either warmed our bellies or quenched our thirst during the past 12 months. No matter what 2021 has in store for us, I want to wish readers the most pleasant of new years as possible. Be safe, and let the food times roll!
—Caleb Wiseblood
EVERYTHING SPICE
Baan Thai in Santa Maria opened its doors to the public at the start of 2020. The restaurant’s owner, Sonya Ela, first moved to Santa Maria when she was 7 years old, after her family moved from Chiang Mai, Thailand, to the U.S. Her family goes back to Thailand every other year, she told the Sun, and the food Baan Thai serves is a mix of everything she loves, from Thai street food to fancy cuisine. Among the restaurant’s various noodle dishes is the pad kee mao (pictured). On a personal note, Baan Thai has become one of my favorite takeout spots in town (ordering online is convenient at baanthaism.com). My go-to meal is the Bangkok fried rice with a side order of chicken wings.
PERFECT PAIRING
In January, Riverbench Vineyard and Winery in Santa Maria teamed up with God’s Country Provisions in Buellton for a doughnut and wine pairing event. Each of the featured wines were also incorporated into the doughnuts themselves as well, including doughnut holes with wine-infused fillings inside. “Having the wines infused, you can make them actually pair well. It’s not like we just threw chardonnay with a vanilla doughnut. We put some thought into it to work in that flavor,” Danae Smith of Riverbench told the Sun.
TO FEED THOSE IN NEED
In March, the Blue Sky Center, Cuyama Buckhorn, Cuyama Valley Family Resource Center, and other organizations and community members collaborated on the Cuyama Valley COVID-19 Relief Fund. While the Cuyama Joint Unified School District continued providing meals for students every weekday during the COVID-19 school closures, supporters of the Relief Fund sought to ensure that those students got a second meal during the week as well.
ADAPTING TO THE VIRTUAL REALM
John Wayne Formica (pictured), chef at Pico Los Alamos, began teaching cooking classes through Zoom, starting in the spring of 2020. Being new to the area at the time, Formica described the Zoom classes as a great way to introduce himself to residents in a format that accommodates social distancing. Pasta and risotto are among some of the dishes Formica taught viewers to make from scratch during the series.
TOILET HUMOR
Gina’s Piece of Cake celebrated its return to full operating hours over the summer, after the Santa Maria Town Center Mall was able to reopen. The shop endured two rounds of COVID-19 mall closures prior to that, through help from social media, a Paycheck Protection Program loan, and “a little outside-of-the-box thinking,” owner Gina Martin told the Sun. The shop’s most timely cake at the start of the pandemic was humorously themed around one of this era’s most sought-after assets, toilet paper (pictured).
BREAKING BREAD
In October, Bob’s Well Bread Bakery and Cafe of Los Alamos opened its second location in Ballard, just 14 miles south of its flagship store. The Ballard location’s outdoor dining is spacious enough for 40, while indoor dining for 25 will be available once COVID-19 restrictions are reduced. Both locations offer a variety of pastries, sandwiches, and wine.
TIMELY EXPANSION
In November, Alfie’s Fish and Chips in Lompoc celebrated the anniversary of its first year at its current location (the restaurant was originally founded in 1969). The diner’s expanded space, 2,300 square feet versus the original location’s 1,400 square feet, has come in handy due to this year’s COVID-19 dining restrictions, co-owner Nellie Sewall told the Sun. Nellie and her husband, Mike, bought the Lompoc staple in 2001. I for one am always down for a batch of their famous hush puppies!
This article appears in Dec 31, 2020 – Jan 7, 2021.