Upon opening her new hat shop in September, Flame Kissed founder Natascha Ruiz installed a curtain to cover a vacant door frame that leads to the venue’s storage room. Ruiz felt giggly about repurposing that curtain, leaving it as an inside joke for those familiar with the Los Olivos video store that once graced 2922 […]
Central Coast
Posted inFood & Drink
Central Coast wine pioneer John Alban is the San Francisco Wine Auction’s 2026 Winemaker of the Year
Taste it yourselfTo connect with Alban Vineyards or learn more about its educational tastings and seminars, visit albanvineyards.com or rakedranch.com. The only way to taste is to attend one of the winery’s Private Tasting Series dates, which are scheduled for April 10 and 17 and May 1, 2027. Check the website for updates. Visit Alban […]
Posted inNews
Santa Maria High School celebrates Athletic Hall of Fame inductees
Every year since 2023, student athletes and coaches of decades past are ranked in a point system to determine who gets added to Santa Maria High School’s Hall of Fame. With dozens of nomination submissions to narrow down each year, it’s up to the school’s hall of fame committee members to draft their top picks, […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Guadalupe stars in three recent films made by a Nipomo filmmaker
Cheers for ChachiFollow Chachi Ramirez’s career on Instagram @chachiramirezfilms. View his films online at vimeo.com/mercybrothers. Learn more about his Central Coast creative agency, Suede and Pomade, at suedeandpomade.com. Chachi Ramirez’s career in film has led him across the globe. “I’ve shot documentaries that have taken me into really, not to say hostile, but maybe uncertain […]
Posted inFood & Drink
A popular social media account reviews Central Coast bites and sips
Nearly 15,000 people on Instagram follow one of the most popular food reviewers on the Central Coast. He’s often seen in a bright orange hat and a crisp white T-shirt with the acronym “lotsj” identifying his brand. He’s Jeff San Juan, the content creator behind Life of the San Juans on social media. What had […]
Posted inNews
The Grapevine brings new residential elder care, hospice options to Santa Maria
From the outside, the one-story home at 1130 Grapevine Road in Santa Maria appears to be just that: a nice house neighboring others in a suburban neighborhood. Past the front door, there are six bedrooms, a spacious kitchen, and a living room stocked with board games, puzzles, magazines, and coloring books within the city’s newest […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Visit Grover Beach’s only tasting room as the owners take to the skies for a new chapter
Millions of orange and black butterflies have taken flight from the designated grove of eucalyptus trees off Highway 1 in Pismo Beach. A hair south of the sanctuary, one Shell Beach couple realized it was time for a new adventure of their own. Partners Julie Garcia and Ercilia Martins bought Grover Beach’s Monarch Grove Winery […]
Posted inNews
Santa Ynez Valley People Helping People nurtures new youth-led coalition efforts
As the end of summer break draws nearer, so does a new beginning for the Santa Ynez Valley People Helping People Youth Coalition. Dedicated to educating youth about the harms of alcohol and drug misuse through periodic visits to school campuses, this local initiative is taking a more collaborative approach with its programming this year, […]
Posted inOpinion
Salud Carbajal’s housing spin is why voters are tired of politics
Housing is one of the most pressing issues facing the Central Coast. So when Congress passes a bipartisan housing bill, it should be good news. But instead of simply telling the truth, politicians too often turn good news into campaign spin. That is what Congressman Salud Carbajal is doing through the 21st Century ROAD to […]
Posted inNews
Long legacy: Central Coast tribes push to reclaim their ancestors’ remains and belongings
Editor’s note: This is the second in a two-part series. The first, “Native return,” ran June 25. Whiteboards crowded with titles and case numbers loom behind Jonathan Malindine’s desk at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. The museum’s Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) officer has underlined some in red and circled […]
Posted inNews
Going home: A push to return Native American remains and belongings back to tribes
Editor’s note: This is the first in a two-part series. The second part is scheduled to run July 9. Some of the shelves at UC Berkeley and other institutions are kept from public view, but Kathy Marshall has seen them. “When [I] visit schools and universities, [I’m] just like, I bet none of these kids […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Try something new with the Central Coast Meatless Meetup crew
Thirteen years ago, Steve Key decided to stop eating animal products. Before he flipped the switch, he’d call himself a “wannabe vegetarian,” refraining from meat most of the time but not going against the grain while out to eat with his buddies. He found it difficult in the 1980s and 1990s to find meatless options […]
