Nearly a century ago, a hardy band of Danes immigrated to the Santa Ynez Valley, where acorns and venison dominated the culinary scene. The newcomers built barns and planted fields, and as they settled in, their cooking filled the air with aromas of smoked sausage, pickled vegetables, and baked confections.
Eighty-odd years later, a group of local bakers and restaurateurs decided to create a showcase for their signature wares. Hoping to entice locals and visitors alike to sample the increasingly varied cuisine of their little town, they conceived Taste of Solvang, a moveable feast of food and wine.
Taste of Solvang, which began in 1993 as an afternoon of nibbling entrees and desserts, has grown into a weeklong extravaganza of novel events. This year, the grazing kicks off with Restaurant Week, March 15 through 19, and continues through Sunday, March 22 with a gala picnic in Solvang Park.
Mary Harris, events coordinator for the Solvang Visitors Bureau, introduced Restaurant Week last year as a way to highlight the menus of local eateries.
“Restaurant Week is something I had experience with while living in New England, where it’s a tradition,” Harris said. “People always like to try out new restaurants, so why not have an event that would allow them to sample local cuisine at a very affordable price?”
Part of that tradition is to price the three-course tasting menus according to the year the event takes place, so expect to pay $20.09 (excluding tax, tip, and beverage) for a generous sampling of local fare. This year’s nine participating restaurants include Bit O’Denmark, Cabernet Bistro, Chef’s Touch, Kabuki Restaurant, Red Viking Restaurant, and River Grill at the Alisal.
“It’s great for groups,” Harris said, “because each person can order a different thing and you can taste each other’s dishes. And the restaurants love it, because it encourages people who’ve always wanted to come in to do so.”
On March 20, Hotel Corque (formerly the Royal Scandinavian Inn) hosts Taste of Solvang’s Dessert Reception, featuring sweet treats from 14 area businesses, including bakeries, restaurants, chocolatiers, and wineries pouring late-harvest and sparkling wines to match.
“Last year one of the greatest hits came from the Solvang Lutheran Home,” Harris said. “They have a fabulous chef, and he came with these little lemon tarts that were incredible!
“It’s always a surprise, which is why I think people come back every year,” she continued. “We also have a terrific jazz quartet playing and people dancing. It’s a lot of fun.”
The next day brings the Walking Smorgaasbord (11 a.m. to 4 p.m.), the grand centerpiece of Taste of Solvang, where guests can sample fare at 50 different tasting spots around the village. A ticket includes detailed menus and a map (loaded with valuable coupons for future visits) to provide guidance.
“The Walking Smorgaasbord is an unusual event,” Harris said, “in the sense that some of the stops have Belgian waffles or aebleskivers, while others have olive samples. One will even be serving Carlsberg Beer.
“It’s kind of like Halloween for grown ups,” she laughed. “Children get to go door-to-door and get food, but adults don’t get to all that often. So, here’s a chance. It’s really wonderful!”
That evening, the Wine Tasting Room Walk (6 to 9 p.m.) finds more than a dozen local producers pouring their best vintages for event guests. Among the participants are D’Alfonso-Curran Wines, Lucas & Lewellen, Olive House, Presidio Vineyard, Wandering Dog Wine Bar, and Winery Row.
Crowning the festivities on Sunday, Bring Your Own Picnic unfolds in Solvang Park atop a 120-yard continuous blanket. The Valley Wind Ensemble will play and the Solvang Village Dancers will be on hand to provide mealtime entertainment.
Harris, who has lived in France, was inspired to include the gigantic picnic blanket after observing a holiday tradition in that country.
“At any park in Paris,” she smiled, “there’s a strip of cloth winding through all the flowers. You bring a picnic and sit down, and you might sit next to friends or someone from another country.
“I thought it lent itself to Solvang,” she continued, “where locals, as well as people from other countries and across the U.S., love to come to these events.”
Harris emphasized the lighthearted nature of Taste of Solvang, an annual tribute to both the town’s ethnic identity and its astonishing culinary diversity.
“Taste of Solvang is a very natural picture of what the town is like every day,” Harris said. “It has that element of whimsy that I think is pretty much what Solvang is about.
“Traditionally, people think this is where you come to eat Danish food,” she added, “and that’s true, but there’s an awful lot more to Solvang than that.”
K. Reka Badger has that element of whimsy, too. E-mail comments or ideas to rekabadger@hotmail.com.
This article appears in Mar 12-19, 2009.