When the Rushing family viewed a property off Jonata Road owned by Jack Buell, whose family ranch eventually evolved into the city of Buellton, they were entranced with it. The land had been unused since 2001.
“We thought it would be the ideal place to start a restaurant,” Chelsea Rushing said.
The Rushings—Chelsea; her husband, Stephen; and Chelsea’s mother and father—purchased the property in December of 2018. Since then, they’ve renovated the property and opened The Tavern at Zaca Creek in August of this year. It was the first amenity to open on the property, which will be a sort of mini resort when everything is completed. The Inn at Zaca Creek currently has six hotel rooms available for overnight stays, and The Tavern will eventually be joined by a more casual dining option, The Treehouse.
As the Rushings reclaimed the property, they wanted to stay true to the history of the spot, combining timelessness and quality to build something that will last—in The Tavern, these qualities are manifested in “nuanced flavors and Old World techniques.”
As someone who spent 14 years in the cellars and vineyards of the Santa Ynez Valley, Stephen’s responsible for the wine, and Kaitlyn Paul, a Buellton native and childhood friend of Chelsea’s, is the executive chef.
“We brought her in from the restaurant business in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to work here,” Chelsea said.
In Jackson Hole, Paul spent four years with a fine dining restaurant group, opening two restaurants. According to Zaca Creek’s website, she focuses on technique and local resources.
“All of our beef, seafood, and wines are locally based,” Chelsea said. “All of our beef is locally grown, 100 percent wagyu beef.”
With roots in Japan, premium cuts of wagyu are well-marbled and tender, with tiny veins of fat interspersed with the meat. Chelsea said that all of the cattle the restaurant uses for its beef are raised by Los Alamos-based rancher Luke Branquinho, who’s been a mainstay for years on the National Finals Rodeo circuit.
That wagyu beef is incorporated into some particularly hot sellers on The Tavern’s menu, Chelsea said: The wagyu burger, which can be ordered with cheese or without; and the wagyu tartare—marinated minced wagyu served with a black truffle aioli, truffled eggs, and house-made potato chips.
It’s not all beef, though. Local seafood graces the lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch menus. The zesty Lobster Louie salad includes lobster claw meat, bay shrimp, little gems lettuce, soft-boiled egg, cherry tomatoes, radish, cucumber, avocado, and green goddess dressing. The pub classic fish and chips, made with Pacific rockfish, is served with house-made french fries, and tartar and cocktail sauces.
“All of our seafood comes from Giovanni’s Fish Market in Morro Bay, Santa Barbara Seafood, and from Travis Meyer of HaHa Fishing [in Gaviota],” Chelsea said.
Chelsea said that the crab-stuffed poblano Benedict (a brunch item) has also been a particularly big seller.
“It’s kind of like a chile relleno with crab stuffed in it. And there’s an egg, and hollandaise sauce,” she said.
Sunday brunch also offers a proprietary bloody mary with optional add-ons such as caviar, lobster claw, or shrimp. And then there’s The Tavern’s Morning Light cocktail—Lunazul Blanco Tequila, Campari, freshly squeezed lime juice, demerara sugar, and a dash of grapefruit bitters, served with a topping of either sparkling wine or an IPA float.
Or you could get a little morning heavy with the Flor de Zaca, which consists of Flor de Cana four year extra seco rum, St. Germain, and grapefruit juice, topped with Francois Montand brut rosé. And there’s more than one bloody option. The Vida Verde—Del Maguey Vida Mezcal, freshly squeezed lime juice, and demerara sugar, shaken with avocado—comes with a rim of Sal de Gusano and Sal de Chapulin.
The Tavern’s outdoor dining facility has a capacity of 56 customers, and indoor dining is at 25 percent capacity, in accordance with state and county COVID-19 health guidelines.
“Our tables have been easily able to accommodate outdoor diners,” Chelsea said.
For those chilly evenings coming up quick, Chelsea said there is a fire pit between each outdoor table at The Tavern.
“The fire pit keeps people nice and warm. It’s perfect for that,” Chelsea said.
On those cool evenings, you can tuck into a hand-cut wagyu steak with a hasselback potato with beef tallow and seasonal veggies; a seared halibut with pineapple-jicama slaw, carrot top chimichurri, and a charred Meyer lemon; or a kalbi-style wagyu short rib served with kimchi, Korean-style pickles, and a zucchini-carrot pancake.
Chelsea said a particularly popular seafood item is the Basque-chorizo stuffed squid—squid stuffed and grilled with Basque chorizo, roasted potatoes, salsa roja, pickled red onion, cilantro, and vinaigrette.
And then, of course, there’s the wine. With local and European varieties, there are dozens of bottles to choose from.
“We have a large selection of red and white wines, with an ample combination of newer wines and old-school wines,” Stephen said.
Opening the restaurant during the pandemic, Chelsea said, was a challenge, but the restaurant’s owners and staff have persevered. Although plans for some parts of the property, such as The Buellhouse, a large event venue, have had to wait out the pandemic, The Tavern is open and ready to serve.
In the meantime, The Tavern is spicing up midweek offerings with “local oyster days,” every Tuesday and Wednesday, Chelsea said. The special features $2 Grassy Bar oysters and rotating drink deals.
As the weather continues to shift, The Tavern’s menu will change gears in mid-November for the winter season.
Contributor Kenny Cress enjoys a variety of meat and seafood dishes. Reach him through the editor at clanham@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Nov 12-19, 2020.