Finally, a Central Coast restaurant where simplicity rules and flashy fare takes a back seat to homemade comfort food. Located in Lompoc, Valley Soup and Sandwich offers healthy alternatives for hungry diners who appreciate hearty soups, salads, and sandwiches.
Valley Soup and Sandwich is the brainchild of Mark Ashmalla and his sister-in-law, Leslie Rindscliesch, who once operated a popular Santa Barbara eatery featuring a similar menu. Their restaurant opened in February to rave reviews from customers eager to dig into tasty, affordable food served without a wait.
“It’s fast and still healthy,” Ashmalla said. “The restaurant has a great atmosphere, and Leslie does really great soups.
“It’s been so well received,” he smiled. “Everyone who’s come in says, ‘I’ve heard such good things about you!’”
Inside, Valley Soup and Sandwich resembles an Italian deli, complete with a hand-painted wall mural that mirrors the region’s wine country landscape. Other walls support a rotating show of oils, watercolors, and photographs created by local artists.
Located in a former pizza shop, the restaurant offers seven to 10 fresh, housemade soups every day, including New England clam chowder, French onion, chicken tortilla, cream of spinach, roasted tomato, broccoli cheddar, and vegetable curry.
“We also have Randy’s Mexican,” Ashmalla said. “Randy was one of my sister-in-law’s customers [from the other restaurant]. It’s like a light chili, and everyone loves it. As soon as it’s up, it’s gone within a day.
“We take recipes from customers,” he explained, “and if you bring it in, we’ll name it after you, and you get a free bowl of soup!”
In addition to whipping up delicious soups, Valley Soup and Sandwich’s employees are adept at producing fat, juicy sandwiches, such as pesto with roast beef and seasonal cranberry turkey panini, as well as turkey bruschetta wraps.
“They’re not really chefs,” Ashmalla laughed, “they’re more like sandwich wizards. We make our tuna salad, egg salad, and chicken salad right here. We don’t get fancy; we’re very basic.
“Everyone’s been raving about them,” he continued. “In fact, one lady got all teary-eyed about the egg salad, because it tastes just like her mom’s.”
At the side-by-side salad bars, customers can even create their own masterpieces by adding lettuce, tomatoes, and extra veggies.
“You order your meat, cheese, and bread,” Ashmalla explained, “and we build that part for you, and then you go to the salad/sandwich bar and put on whatever else you want. You can make a sandwich no one’s ever tried before.”
Staffers make the potato and macaroni salads, and coleslaw from special recipes, and customers can dig into green salads from the salad bar or order one of the house specialties, which range from mozzarella tomato salad and antipasto, to Cobb, oriental chicken, southwestern style, and even vegan.
“We’d like to gear ourselves up for the vegetarians, vegans, and people who are gluten intolerant,” Ashmalla said, “because it’s very hard for them to go out to eat, and we want to offer them a place to go.
“I’m a meat lover and not well educated about all that,” he added, “but we’d love to take suggestions. I do believe it’s something that could be our niche.”
Among those staffers helping to make Valley Soup and Sandwich such a success is Bob Hamilton, a retired restaurant manager with formidable kitchen skills.
“Mark asked if I would work a few hours for him baking,” Hamilton said, “which I am now doing. And with his sister-in-law making the soups, needless to say, the place has been well received here in Lompoc.”
Among Hamilton’s creations are the restaurant’s famously moist carrot cake, as well as pancetta leek soup and a black bean vegetarian chili that Ashmalla describes as “out of this world.”
Ashmalla and his wife, Judy, moved from Santa Barbara to Lompoc with their four daughters in 2003. Ashmalla, who has managed the Garden Room at the Historic Santa Maria Inn and the Hotel Mar Monte, in Santa Barbara, met Hamilton when he was hired to replace Hamilton as manager of the café at La Purisima Golf Course.
“I kept him on as a mentor, ”Ashmalla said, “and I’ve enjoyed working with him ever since.”
When the recession hit, Ashmalla got creative and brainstormed Valley Soup and Sandwich.
“I was out of work and literally had to buy myself a job,” he admitted. “It’s been a learning experience, but I listen to my customers and fix whatever mistakes come up.
“It’s important to have healthy food inside you,” he declared, “and ours is all natural. We’ve had a great local response, so come in! You’ll fall in love with our food!”
Food falls in love with K. Reka Badger. Dine with her at rekabadger@hotmail.com.
This article appears in Sep 16-23, 2010.