As Johnny Mathis cooly croons about forgotten lovers, a teenager behind me pipes up.
“Who is this singer?” he asks.
I shoot a glance to the table, wondering if I need to offer my input. Next to him is an elderly gentleman who cracks a smile and chuckles. He shakes his head and we exchange glances.
Inside The Century Room at the Santa Maria Inn you might find yourself instantly in another time and place. The ambience is clear from the moment you step into the intimate space, with its long row of dark benches paired with high-back tufted gray chairs. An elegant, single peach-colored rose adorns every setting, delicate and tastefully placed in the center of the small dark wood table. The room certainly lives up to its name.
I always thought I would one day come here to write about the spectacular brunches the Inn does on Sundays, but who doesn’t already know about those? And the venue already gets rave reviews as a romantic dinner spot. So I ventured in for lunch one day to see what the midday meal looks like at this classic local institution.
There are so few local restaurants that still adhere to this kind of timeless sensibility. Inside, the mood is far from fast casual dining; rather, waiters are attentive and patient as courses are introduced one by one. Diners are allowed to contemplate without piles of appetizers crammed on the table and (gasp!) enjoy their food before plates are ripped away.
The hotel and restaurant still do everything they can to anchor a sense of vintage authenticity, and The Century Room is where you’ll especially notice it in the little details. This is the kind of place your grandmother would go in the 1940s, decked out in her best victory suit for a lunch with her girlfriends.
It’s the kind of place where you would order a perfectly prepared classic dish like French onion soup, which is so easy for restaurants to mess up that when it’s prepared well you want to write home about it. The Century Room’s version is massive and delivers on the balance of sweetness from the onions and richness of the cheese. I needed a fork to really dive into the thick layer of cheese and bread on top, and that certainly is not a complaint.
All of this reverence for the past is reflected in a menu that manages to marry the world of contemporary premium casual dining with retro sensibilities. The first course menu (with the rather modernist descriptor “share/pair/taste”) features classics like a wedge or Ceasar salad as well as flatbread pizza, a nod to the Trend That Will Never End on the Central Coast. The Century Room also pays homage to Santa Maria’s culture with an offering of pork belly al pastor empanadas, served with pickled red onions and green salsa.
The lunch menu has a great deal of variety, reflecting a nice balance of varying cuisines and styles. For the traditionalist, the venue offers up Monte Cristo sandwiches lightly dusted in sugar and served with strawberry jam as well as a French dip with horseradish cream and (naturally) fresh au jus on the side.
There’s a good selection of options on the lighter side, including a cedar smoked salmon with dried cherry couscous; an ahi tuna salad served with egg, fingerling potatoes, cherry tomatoes, and a shallot vinaigrette; and a simple grilled chicken breast with rice and salad.
I embraced the full-on 1960s crooner vibe and went straight for a classic, the Century Room Burger. Served on a brioche bun with the choice of cheddar or Swiss cheese and a garlic aioli, the burger is a spectacle to behold. It’s a massive tower of meat and fresh vegetables. I was impressed with the way it was presented as well, on a thick butcher block cutting board, adorned with crispy fries and a fresh dill pickle.
Other highlights include the sunburst chicken salad, which I think has a lot of nice flavors from all the fruit, including mango, papaya, and cantaloupe as well as a bright sesame dressing to finish it off. The lemon chicken pasta is also a nice addition to the lunch menu, with a good dose of fresh peas and salty prosciutto.
If I had to nitpick–sorry, it’s my job–I would maybe question the choice for soup du jour on the day I visited. It’s literally 104 thousand million degrees outside (actual scientific reading, no need to verify) so why offer something like clam chowder? I realize it’s popular (up there in terms of overuse with our friend flatbread pizza), but it just seemed a bit out of place. I would love to see restaurants like The Century Room take a bold-ish step and offer a chilled soup like vichyssoise on a hot day like that. I also wouldn’t have minded another beef option aside from a burger, one that really tied into a vintage theme.
Other than that, my only complaint is I couldn’t stay there longer. It was a luxurious break from a hectic day, balanced by a mesmerizing atmosphere and a menu that offers a little bit for everyone.
Arts and Lifestyle Writer Rebecca Rose always recognizes a Johnny Mathis tune. Contact her at rrose@santamariasun.com.
• The tasting menu at Aly’s Restaurant and Alebru Vino in Solvang is a strong Rebeccamendation this week for its fairly affordable price (compared to a lot of other tastings) and menu diversity. For $60 ($80 with wine tasting), they offer grilled Maine lobster tail with edible sea sand, warmed smoked sea scallops, cornbread pudding, locally sourced Mangalitsa collar steak, and a passion fruit mousse. Try it at 451 2nd St., Solvang.
• Allan Hancock College Winery is offering $15 bottles of its torrontes (pictured left), made from its campus vineyard. Described as having notes of “rose, honey, and muscat” as well as other fruit flavors, the wine can be purchased at hancockcollege.edu/ahcwinery/wine.
• Mortensen’s Danish Bakery is selling kransekage cookies. The cookie is based on a Danish kransekage cake, typically made for special occasions such as weddings. Made of pure marzipan and roasted and layered in frosting, it’s a unique treat available at 1588 Mission Drive, Solvang.
• Congrats to chef Louise Smith, who just opened Louise’s Kitchen Table in Solvang. She offers sandwiches, salads, and light snacks at 1210 Mission Drive, Solvang.
• There are a lot of good boba tea places around Santa Maria, but one of my favorites is Boba House. I especially love the taro tea boba (pictured above), but they also offer flavors including honeydew melon and cappuccino. The venue also offers a packed lunch menu featuring hearty servings of traditional Chinese food favorites such as Kung Pao chicken. Get your bubble tea on at 2047 S. Broadway, suite B, Santa Maria. m
This article appears in Aug 16-23, 2018.