No matter how you chew it, 2018 was a mouthful.
In Santa Maria and Orcutt, new ventures dotted the landscape, as an ever-changing and evolving populace sought out more unique eats. The Santa Ynez Valley continued to increase its presence as the dominant local food scene. It was a year I Rebeccamended everything from big bowls of comforting pho (thanks to not one but two new Vietnamese eateries) and delicious sweet treats. Food trucks dominated and we ate our body weight in fried chicken, tacos, pork belly, and steak sandwiches.
OK, it’s definitely time for that New Year’s resolution about dieting.
One of the hardest moments led to one of the best surprises in the Central Coast food scene. When Jamie Gluck and John Wentworth shuttered Bell Street Farms, locals and fans from as far as San Francisco and Los Angeles were left heartbroken by the exit of a Los Alamos staple. But the pain was short-lived when husband and wife team Daisy Freitas-Ryan and Greg Ryan took over the venue. The pair, both Per Se alums, turned Bell Street Farms into Bell’s, a charming take on a French bistro. Out with the old, in with the new, as they say.
I breathed a massive sigh of relief when Chef Crystal “Pink” DeLongpre announced she would be taking over the kitchen at Root 246. The fall menu, unveiled in November, is uber-inspired by Chef Pink’s quirky ideas about comfort food, including steak and fries, fried chicken (pictured), and osso bucco. It’s a fun and promising start for the eatery in Solvang and one of our favorite local chefs.
Food writing brings you close to a lot of incredible stories, and for me this year, none was more heart-wrenching than the indomitability of the Sanregret family. Grant and Jen are owners of the bright yellow lemon in Los Olivos, home of Los Olivos Lemons, which serves up fresh batches of lemonade, including flavored varieties such as jalapeño, lavender, blueberry, and more. But they are also parents to son Vance, who has cystic fibrosis. Their story was more than I expected—funny, filled with optimism and energy, and a true testament to who the people behind our foodie favorites really are.
We celebrated food trucks in Santa Maria and beyond at a time when local governments struggled to make them fit into the already booming local food industry. Popular local trucks included Cubanissimo (which celebrated a year in business at their brick-and-mortar restaurant in 2018), Crave, Taco Tichitas (run by always charming and endearing Rosa Lopez), and Lidos. Pictured: Lidos’ Alisa Urquhart, left, and Steve Dewing make philly cheese steaks in May in Santa Maria.
Another standout new eatery was Valle Eatery, located in the Hilton Garden Inn in Lompoc. I made my first visit there in September, almost a year after it opened, and immediately fell in love. Chef Conrad Gonzales has proven time and time again he knows his way around tri-tip, but it was here that he finally spread his wings with an impressive and advanced menu that felt like comfort food but tasted like a fine dining experience. Pictured: A braised pork belly taco with goat cheese and salsa verde.
In 2018, Santa Maria saw two new Vietnamese restaurants open—Tommy’s in Santa Maria Town Center West in January, and Viet Kitchen on Skyway Boulevard near the Santa Maria Public Airport. Tommy’s went on to change its name to Saigon Cafe, amping up traditional Vietnamese meal offerings. Viet Kitchen continues to be a hit with the lunch crowd, offering pho and vermicelli noodle dishes in huge portions. Their success shows that Santa Marians are eager to accept new cuisines with welcoming arms.
When the Skyview Los Alamos hotel opened with a major renovation, one of the most exciting aspects was the overhaul of the existing eatery, which the owners dubbed Norman’s. The sleek restaurant, decked out in classic 1950s Hollywood decor, is intimate yet playful, offering dishes such as Baja scallops, flat-iron steak, and roasted pumpkin with quinoa. They also have plenty of crafty cocktails available from the bar. Never again will you think of it as the creepy little place on top of the hill in Los Alamos.
This article appears in Dec 27, 2018 – Jan 3, 2019.
