From Vancouver, Washington, to Portland, Oregon, chef Erik Dandee has made a name for himself in more than a few cities along the West Coast during his career of nearly two decades. He and his wife were living in Palm Springs when a rare (the pun will make sense in a bit) opportunity attracted them to relocate to the Central Coast late last year.
The couple now lives in Lompoc, and March 10 marked the grand opening of Sear Steakhouse in Solvang, with Dandee at the helm as executive chef.
“There is something peaceful that draws you to the Central Coast,” Dandee told the Sun. “The way the hills roll into the ocean, you find yourself becoming one with the landscape.”
Dandee also loves the locavore aspect of the region, especially since it means “being able to utilize products that are within a half-hour of drive time from the restaurant,” he explained.
The prospect of using local sources to create distinctive menu items at Sear Steakhouse was a huge draw for Dandee to take the executive chef position, he explained.
“People say that they are ‘farm to table’ all the time, but we actually own and operate our farms,” Dandee said.
He was referring to the synergy between Sear Steakhouse and two farms located within minutes of the restaurant’s location. The new steakhouse will source ingredients for both its food and drink menus from Roblar Farm and Sear Farm, owned and operated by the same owners of the restaurant itself, husband-and-wife duo Jimmy and Karen Loizides.
The opportunity to use these farm—populated with more than 100 varieties of vegetables, fruits, and herbs—was what sealed the deal for Dandee, he said.
“Being involved in the growing season and future growing seasons is very exciting,” the chef said. “We are able to look ahead when creating menus, knowing that what we are planting this week will be available four to six weeks from now. This allows us plenty of time for recipe development so we can go through the different variations of a dish before it goes live on the menu.”
This new full-service restaurant and bar is bringing farm-sourced dining to downtown Solvang, near the center of town on 4th Place, at the corner of Copenhagen Drive. As soon as indoor dining becomes an option, Sear Steakhouse will accommodate about 150 diners. The current outdoor seating options at the restaurant include a front and back patio. The restaurant also houses a private dining room that can accommodate up to 14 guests.
Dandee added that the steakhouse will procure ingredients and resources from other local farmers and winemakers as well. While USDA prime and choice beef is provided from neighboring ranches, the steakhouse also makes use of fresh seafood from local waters in its menu.
The Sear Steakhouse team also includes General Manager Alberto Battaglini, known locally as a popular mixologist and the co-owner of Pony Espresso in Santa Ynez, who will use the local farms’ ingredients to create a cocktail menu rich with Central Coast flavors.
Even the restaurant’s live-edge wood tables and banquettes were constructed from materials harvested by local suppliers. The rustic décor of Sear Steakhouse is inspired by the combined narratives of the Chumash influence and the modern ranch styles that embody Santa Ynez Valley.
“We’re all in love with the history of the land in this area, the historic structures, and the agricultural past,” owner Jimmy Loizides said in press materials. “That’s what we want to showcase with the Sear Steakhouse concept and menus.”
Whether you’re in the mood for sushi-grade, beet-cured salmon or seared tenderloin with ginger garlic ponzu and microgreens, the steakhouses’s appetizer menu aims to please a wide range of palates. Alongside the familiar cuts of beef that patrons will come to expect—filet mignon, New York, ribeye, bone-in tomahawk, etc.—the restaurant’s entrée selection also includes wild-caught diver scallops with cauliflower purée, crispy pork belly, and pickled red onion; bone-in Duroc pork chop with seasonal chutney, charred kale; and more.
Sear Steakhouse also offers rotating daily specials based on what’s in season, with inspiration and ingredients micro-sourced from the surrounding region.
For Dandee, taking the reins of the Sear Steakhouse kitchen harkens back to his roots, as he worked as a dishwasher for a similar family-owned steakhouse in his youth before attending culinary school and kicking off his career.
Aside from life in the restaurant business, Dandee’s grilling chops once brought him to show business as well. In 2019, Dandee earned a spot on one of the Food Network’s competition shows, Fire Masters. Although he didn’t win the competition per se, he still looks back at the experience as a different kind of win.
“I had a wonderful time. It was the first time I was part of something like that,” Dandee said. “I went into the competition with two goals: Don’t get sent home first and don’t cut my finger. I succeeded in both of those, so I take that as a win.”
Arts Editor Caleb Wiseblood is chilling and grilling at cwiseblood@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Mar 11-18, 2021.
