When I walked into Conrad Gonzales’ Valle Eatery and Bar in Lompoc’s Hilton Garden Inn, I felt a huge wave a relief come over me.
It was like the feeling of walking into your house after being on a transcontinental flight that’s been delayed for five hours and then fighting through rush hour traffic to get home. It just feels so damn good to be in the place.
Valle Eatery is typical of the type of local flavor Hilton is lately known for incorporating in their Garden Inns. Eschewing chain restaurants or cookie-cutter standard hotel food, Hilton looked within the Santa Ynez Valley to find an up-and-coming chef whose food has a built-in fan base.
If you’re a fan of local tri-tip contests, you’re no stranger to Gonzales’ award-winning tri-tip tacos. He’s won several local competitions, including back-to-back awards at Presqu’ile Winery’s annual tri-tip cook-off. The secret, I believe after eating so much of his food, is in the way he pampers and finesses each and every ingredient, taking nothing for granted.
From making his own masa and using a traditional hand-ground technique for his tortillas, to slow-roasting fresh vegetables for his tacos, to hand making the salsa verde that accompanies many dishes, Gonzales has built a reputation at Valle Fresh in Los Alamos as one of the most talked about eateries on the Central Coast.
And he’s carried on that reputation for attention to detail in Lompoc. Valle Eatery and Bar is a stunning success of vision–a distinct upscale ambiance paired with impeccable originality, one that keeps with the vibe of a growing foodie community that expects more of the same of what they love and the occasional curveball.
The decor is clean and modern, a sophisticated chicness I could call home. I love the open flow of the bar and the hotel lounge/eating area. It feels perfectly right to order some tapas plates and sip on martinis in one of the sprawling sitting areas. This is a welcome touch of old-school living, when hotels were social scenes for people to meet and mingle with visiting dignitaries and celebrities.
You might feel a bit like one of the women from Sex and the City, as cliche as that might sound. It’s lush and perfect for sipping on the bar’s healthy selection of colorful and creative drinks. I would definitely grab some girlfriends and spend a Thursday night talking about makeup and fashion here. Drinks such as the Blackberry Elixir incorporate fresh, locally sourced ingredients and look pretty enough to take selfies with (which I did, naturally). On The Beach, made with Ciroc vodka, cranberry and orange juice, hibiscus syrup, and mint play up tropical themes with a classic urban vibe.
Valle Eatery currently offers a full breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu. Breakfast is pretty standard fare, with the exception of the addition of Nutella pancakes. Lunch is where things start to get intriguing. Soups and salads include two perfect seasonal soups, a pink lentil soup with fresh vegetables and a roasted corn chowder. I had the chowder and it was expertly made, the balance of roasted red peppers to the sweet corn was offset with a subtle amount of heat.
The shareable plates, also known as tapas in some regions, are a great idea for lunch or drinks with bigger parties. Valle Eatery offers a vibrant selection of dishes that allow customers to experiment and get to know more about the chef. Blistered padrons with teardrop tomatoes and manchego cheese speak to Gonzales’ roots in the valley; the dish is a nod to the vast agricultural fields just outside Lompoc’s city limits. Again, Gonzales is a master of balance; almost every dish incorporates a smart portion of something crunchy, salty, sweet, spicy, and creamy. It almost seems to come easy to him, these effortlessly flavorful dishes.
One of the best things I ate the day I visited was a plate of modest-looking hush puppies, served with a chipotle aioli and pickled chiles. The addition of the creamy spicy sauce was well paired with the sweet corn-flavored hush puppies. I like the way Gonzales fuses the world of traditional Southern comfort food using the idea of corn as an ingredient firmly rooted in Mexican cuisine. There’s a poetic harmony in the dish that reflects so much on his thinking as a chef.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Valle restaurant without the signature tacos. They are on the menu and include vegetable, wonton, halibut, pork belly, and of course, his famous tri-tip tacos. Having eaten quite a lot of them in my days here, I opted for the veggie tacos, a good choice. Made with broccolini, mushrooms, goat cheese, and shredded cabbage, the dish is remarkable for how much Valle manages to do with a few ingredients. The braised pork belly tacos are another must-try, served with goat cheese, salsa verde, shredded cabbage, Valle manages to execute a dish with a commonly used product that feels fresh and original.
Dinner offers a lot of the same options for starters as well as a full selection of brick oven wood-fired pizzas, which are made right on the outside patio. The dinner menu seems geared toward hotel guests looking for familiar and stable selections of beef and pork, which is fine. I would recommend the salmon broil, made with yuzu, soy, ginger, and fried rice for something a little more outside the box. Desserts include a house-made churro and a selection of seasonal gelato flavors, which are a good cap on the meals.
Just remember, if you do ask me to tag along to Valle Eatery to channel your inner Sex and the City self, I’m always the Carrie. Always. I’m a writer and have a hundred pairs of shoes. It’s non-negotiable.
Arts and Lifestyle Writer Rebecca Rose is berry berry happy. Contact her at rrose@santamariasun.com.
• Thursdays at Bodega in Los Alamos (pictured) is locals and industry day. If you live in the area or you work in the beverage/hospitality industry, stop by the new bed and breakfast and wine bar to enjoy discounts from noon to 9 p.m. Bodega is located at 273 Bell St.
• If you’re looking for some unique bar menu options, try Root 246‘s cocktails. Try the Refined Gentleman (pictured), made with rosemary, lime juice, and muddled blueberries, or the Herb Garden gimlet, with cucumber-infused vodka, muddled basil, and lime. Cocktails range between $9 and $13 at 420 Alisal Road, Solvang.
• I recently attended a fun soiree at a friend’s house with food from Thai Hut in Santa Maria and it was a huge hit, especially the yellow curry and the chicken pad thai. The yellow curry is still one of the best in the Central Coast, courtesy of the restaurant owners who prepare every dish from scratch from their own recipes. Pick some up for your next party at 120 E. Foster Road, Santa Maria.
• One of the most popular dishes at Scratch Kitchen in Lompoc has got to be their pan-roasted shrimp and scallops. I love that it’s loaded with fresh vegetables, including spinach, mushrooms, and red bell peppers with a beurre blanc sauce. Don’t skip the zucchini-quinoa latkes. Chef Augusto Caudillo prepares it daily at 610 North H St.
• Steak and eggs is a classic dish, and if you want to try it out for yourself, one of the best places in town that serves it up is Orcutt Burgers. A rib eye steak, two eggs, and hashbrowns served with a side of toast and jelly is only $12.99 at 1099 E. Clark Ave., Santa Maria.
This article appears in Sep 20-27, 2018.