You may know Los Olivos as a quiet nook where some of the region’s best wine tasting rooms are, but there’s another thing about it you may not know. It’s also the perfect spot for breakfast.
At the Bear and Star Restaurant, a Fess Parker family venture headed up by star chef John Cox, breakfast is served daily and always in perfect complement to the restaurant’s “refined ranch” cuisine theme. The daily menu, which is different from their specialized weekend brunch menu, is fairly compact and efficient, offering a sleek sunny version of the restaurant’s best dishes.
To be honest, I had no idea they even did breakfast. (I was just on the hunt for a 10 a.m. bloody mary while shopping.) It was a giddy surprise to find one of my favorite spots not only open for unapologetic morning lushes such as myself but also for a fresh and rewarding breakfast.
The menu is really simple, and I don’t mean that in a bad way. It’s easy to pick your breakfast mood (Salty fried meats? Check. Fresh veggies? Check.) and go from there. The offerings include a nice variety of dishes for those thinking more health consciously–honey spiced granola with Greek yogurt and fresh berries–as well as those just wanting to indulge in carbs.
It wouldn’t be a Bear and Star menu without the addition of a dish like huevos rancheros. This version is a bit more refined, with the addition of a house-made chorizo that brings a good dose of heat and a well balanced house-made salsa verde.
The thing about the Bear and Star is that, with very few exceptions, everything is made from ingredients either raised or grown at the restaurant itself or at the Parker family ranch located on the grounds of the Fess Parker Winery and Vineyard on Foxen Canyon Road. Almost every single bite of food, from the eggs to the Wagyu beef brisket, comes from barely a few miles away.
That translates to a sense of timeliness. It’s clear that Cox thinks not just about what dishes will please hungry tourists rabid to fill up before splurging on gifts and wine bottles in town but also how they will reflect on the seasonality of the region. He’s conscientious and meticulous but never fussy or pretentious in his offerings, which is why I enjoy their food so much. It feels like Important Food but it’s as approachable as your average diner or home-cooked meal.
In dishes such as the veggie bowl (one of my absolute favorite options on the breakfast menu), the eatery’s ability to make freshness shine really stands out. Cox and his staff manage to make a relatively rustic dish (packed with sofrito, potatoes, eggs, greens, and cheese) seem elevated. The flavors harmonize well together, without competing notes. The potatoes are expertly prepared and chunky, because we absolutely need more chunky bites in our bowls–diced vegetables be damned.
I’ve been restricting myself to a vegetarian and often vegan diet in 2019, and the Bear and Star is the perfect place to find viable options. But on this particular day I opted to indulge in fish, and the the smoked salmon toast was a good choice. I would have liked to see a lot more of the scallion crema, which was creamy and herbaceous, on the toast. The dish wasn’t disappointing, but it wasn’t as powerful as some of the other options. And even though I am generally fine with their price points, I did think the salmon toast was a tad overpriced at $18. I would love to see this dish refined or expanded on a bit, but again, I’m not hating on it.
Of course, there’s got to be Wagyu beef on the menu, since this is what the family ranch is famous for. For breakfast, it’s offered up in a brisket hash with poached eggs, hollandaise, and root vegetables. If you’re looking to indulge your sweet tooth, try the lemon ricotta pancakes with lemon curd and feel-like-they-were-just-plucked-out-of-the-ground strawberries. Also, the side menu allows you to top off your dish with offerings such as bacon, eggs, and sausage, should you feel the need.
Speaking of that bloody mary, it was divine. The Bear and Star’s bar is no slouch in the mixology department in the first place, so it was no surprise to find a complex offering for the traditional brunch favorite. There was a lot of heat, so if you like yours on the mild side go ahead and tell your server to dial it down a bit.
I’m not a morning person at all, but I think the Bear and Star makes a great case for early risers (and early morning bloody mary lovers).
Arts and Lifestyle Writer Rebecca Rose is best served over easy. Contact her at rrose@santamariasun.com.
• One of my BFFs, Lauren, has a boyfriend who makes her French onion soup. This is not a subtle hint to anyone in my personal life *ahem*. In the absence of having a brilliant chef as your life partner, try the version at the Santa Maria Inn’s Century Room. I’ve raved about it before but you know it’s cold outside and apparently not everyone’s significant other knows or cares to learn how to make this dish for them. For those who go unloved in the soup department, visit 801 S. Broadway, Santa Maria.
• Just like Bananarama in 1987, I also heard a rumor. This one is that Chef Rick’s is opening at the former location of The Jetty in Santa Maria. There’s a sign by the building and a website parked at chefricks.com with the address. Hmm. I wonder if there are any other 1980s pop songs to help me figure out what’s happening at 135 Foster Road, Santa Maria.
• It’s really easy to forget that despite the Danish-themed tourist bait, a lot of venues in Solvang hold some pretty amazing surprises. For example, H&P Vinhus has an insane amount of imported cheeses (pictured below), such as Le Pico aged goat cheese and Switzerland’s Le Gruyère AOP Cavern cheese, aged 11 months. The next time you’re in town, take a peek at what they’ve got at 440 Alisal Road, Solvang.
• Dungeness crab with a passion fruit dressing and a chipotle mayo (pictured above) is one of the most popular dishes at Alys Restaurant for a reason. The dish captures the essence of coastal living while celebrating Alys’ roots in farm-to-table country. It’s a must try at 451 2nd St., Solvang.
This article appears in Jan 17-24, 2019.
