peasoup's Profile
Paso Robles: Tiger Paws Indian Cuisine
Can someone tell me if this restaurant still exists? 555 12th Street
TIA
lunch 2/27 in Santa Barbara
the place is Lilly's Tacos, and the tacos de ojos are not really eyeballs. At least not the crunchy eyeball you're thinking of. The taco contains the meat picked from around the eye sockets of the steer's head, and are pretty tasty.
Go ahead, try one. Here's looking at you.
Mollie's meatballs in Montecito: anyone try them?
If you have your heart set on them, then go ahead.
But I think Mollie's best dishes are her fresh pastas.
And I love to order a simple pizza Margherite and a bottle of wine, but the pricing here is really out of all proportion to what is served.
I like to call it the Montecito tax.
Paulas Pancakes in Solvang
You're thinking of Ellen's Danish Pancake House, in Buellton. It originally was located in the spot now occupied by Paula's.
After a short time without a home, it reopened in Buellton and has been wildly successful ever since.
It's a little rougher around the edges than Paula's but the food is very good and certainly chow worthy.
Seeking restaurant for Thanksgiving-Santa Maria area
I'm betting both Rick's and Wine Bistro (now Trattoria Uliveto) will be closed for the holiday.
Food Recs - Santa Barbara / Solvang Road Trip
For the record, it's Patrick's Side Street, not Pete's - and thanks for your report.
The Ballard Inn Restaurant is my very favorite place in all of Santa Barbara County to dine.
Great Mexican food in Santa Barbara
Yes, there are.
La Taqueria El Bahio has the best Mexican food in Santa Barbara. (IMO)
Not fancy - disposable plates and flatware, order at the counter, etc etc
The food is the real deal though, and you shouldn't miss it.
El Sitio has a couple of locations around town that serve up some tasty chow, too.
And Lilly's Taqueria, on Chapala where it dead ends at the freeway, is another nondescript hole in the wall with good food - just tacos of various kinds of meats, some a bit more adventuresome than others. Worth a trip for a chowhound.
Wine Cottage Bistro Orcutt
I'm not sure if this has been mentioned in this thread or in the links, but Uliveto is a partnership, and one of the partners is Alfonso Curti, who was the chef for many years at Trattoria Grappolo, in Santa Ynez.
Now he has a place of his own.
Trouble making up my mind about Santa Ynez wine dinner
I'm having difficulty coming up with a place in the SY Valley that meets your many requirements.
How about Santa Barbara instead?
You might look into Square One, on Cota Street, downtown.
I think they'll fit the bill fine.
Santa Barbara / Santa Ynez Food and Wine Tour
Well, Thursday is going to be a problem, because whatever isn't closed is going to be doing Thanksgiving dinners and that's just a crowded, expensive mess.
The problem with your request is that you are looking for "off the beaten path" but our area is so small that everything is ON the beaten path. There aren't any secrets here, unfortunately.
The best food continues to be served at the Ballard Inn, Grappolo, Brother's, A-Ru (sushi), and the Hitching Post (known for their steak but if you call ahead and tell them a vegetarian is coming they will make you a nice dinner - not just the token nod that many places do - they are creative with it)
I'm not sure if any of the above fit your budget.
I also recommend Firestone Walker Brewery in Buellton. It's great to go there after a day of wine tasting and cleanse the palate with some of their award winning beers and ales. They have a nice dinner menu, too, which may fit your budget.
As to wineries there are a ton but it really depends upon what you like. Absent that info, I would say just go to Los Olivos and wander around - there are numerous tasting rooms and you are bound to find something you like.
The Los Olivos Grocery is a great resource for picnic supplies - they have a terrific cheese case and a very good wine selection. They are located on Hwy 154 a few miles outside of Los Olivos in the direction of Santa Barbara.
For coffee, Corner House Coffee in Los Olivos is a great spot - they serve Peet's, it's friendly and comfortable and they have free internet access.
Romantic Solvang?
there are few fine dining restaurants left in Solvang proper, and the ones that bill themselves as such are, shall we say, overreaching.
One you could check out is Chef's Choice - an interesting establishment that combines cooking classes, a bistro, and kitchen shop together - check the menu and see if it appeals to you. The chef has the credentials, and the food is better than it needs to be in that location. I prefer it for lunch rather than dinner - it's just an atmosphere thing for me.
As luck would have it, you do have options, albeit just outside of town.
For an intimate, quiet dinner I would heartily recommend the Restaurant at the Ballard Inn - in Ballard - they have a terrific wine list with local gems as well as well some well selected imported wines. If you google Ballard Inn you'll find the menu posted on the website.
Less intimate, but delicious choices within a fifteen minute drive would be Brother's at Mattei's Tavern, (LosOlivos) Trattoria Grappolo,(Santa Ynez) or the Hitching Post. (Buellton) All three tend toward noisy and bustling, but it is quieter during the week, especially this time of year.
I don't know if you've made arrangements for accommodations in Solvang but if you check out the four diamond Petersen Inn - dinner is included with your room in their Cafe Provence - open only to guests. The food is quite competent, if a bit staid.
Trattoria Grappolo?
The food is very good. Locals tend to get treated better than visitors.
They serve crusty bread, and dipping oil if you want it.They'll keep bringing it if you ask.
Appetizers and salads range from $8 - $12
Pastas are around $12 -$18
Main courses $18 - $30
Specials are usually $25 or $30
We usually get 2 apps, split a pasta and then split a main.
They give you plenty of food. And many times they buy you a dessert.
You'll spend at least $9 for a glass of wine, or $35 or more for a bottle. $7 for bottled water.
Rehearsal Dinner in Santa Ynez
I think the Vineyard House might be able to do something in that price range - how many people?
Your next best bet would be the Firestone Brewery in Buellton - they do things like this all the time - it has a fun atmosphere, good food and service, and a good portion of their menu falls right into your sweet spot.
Good luck.
Arthur Avenue Experience — Huge Disappointment
"They also brought foil-wrapped packets of butter with our bread "
Good! Where did this whole dip the bread in olive oil come from, anyway? Certainly not Italy.
Unless I'm tasting the olive oil in contemplation of a purchase, I'd prefer good butter.
If it's good bread, I'm happy to eat it unadorned with anything at all.
Santa Ynez Wine Country, dinner choice?
IMO, the best restaurant in wine country is not on your list, and you should rectify that immediately.
The Restaurant at the Ballard Inn is where you should have your special dinner.
BTW, Paula's does not do brunch - it's a traditional breakfast, only. I guess you could call it whatever you want, but I don't think of it as a brunch place.
Disappointing NY pizza [Moved from the LA board]
I'd add Louie & Ernie's to your list, just to make sure the Bronx is represented - very similar to the Patsy's pie, if, and only if, you get one straight from the oven.
While I understand the original poster's lament - I've lived half my life in NYC and the other half in So Cal - I think even the mediocre pizza in NYC is better than what's served up here in CA on a routine basis - with the possible exception of a very few Italian restaurants which happen to have wood ovens. But every time I go there for a pie, it winds up costing me $150 - a la carte salad, the pizza, and a bottle or two of wine!
Nothing here duplicates the experience of ducking into a pizzeria for a slice or two, and getting a damned good, filling meal for under $10
Sissy's Uptown Cafe, Lompoc
Glbtrtr, from SB, take 101 to the Lompoc turnoff, and continue along Hwy 1 until you are deposited on Ocean Ave/Hwy 246, the entrance to Lompoc.
Make a left and go straight on Ocean until you get to "I" Street, make a left, and the restaurant is on your left hand side, right next to a large city parking lot.
Sissy's Uptown Cafe, Lompoc
It's nice to see this place getting discussed here. I enjoy their lunches often . I don't get over there for dinner as much because it's a long drive home after a bottle or two of wine.
It is worth mentioning that Sissy's has one of the best selections of local wines in the area - maybe the best - and not just the common bottles, but the hard to find stuff as well. Many of the bottles they offer are available only from highly allocated mailing lists. So wine lovers take note - they use good stemware, too.
The desserts are special, as well. I would drive 100 miles for a slice of their coconut cream pie.
Santa Ynez Wine Tour? (moved from LA)
I don't know what happened to you at Grappolo - but it is one of the best we have to offer up here - I will admit the treatment the locals get is superior to that which the walk ins receive, but isn't that true almost anywhere?
Overall, they do a very nice job and we eat there several times a month.
To correct the record, they don't use canned chicken at Panino. It may appear to be, but it most certainly isn't. They process their own fresh chicken breasts into sandwich ready pieces and distribute to each of their stores - I know this for a fact. There isn't much, if any, canned chicken used in foodservice these days - some might use frozen, cooked chicken, either pulled or diced, but canned chicken isn't even on the radar.
I've never run into the problem you describe - them being out of bread.
I mostly frequent the Los Olivos store.
Santa Ynez Wine Tour? (moved from LA)
A few things. 154 is open now.
Epicurean Picnic is closed. Forever.
Intermezzo/Wine Cask @ Fess Parker's is also no more.
Now, it has reverted back to Fess Parker and is called Restaurant Marcella at Fess Parker's. Avoid.
You could eat at Los Olivos Cafe, but I find the crowd to quality ratio unbalanced - head the few short minutes to Santa Ynez and you can choose from Grappolo, Vineyard House, Paula's Burger Barn or the Red Barn.
If the crowd isn't too bad, then give the Cafe a go, or you could also try Panino down the street - very good sandwiches, casual atmosphere.
Picnic Supplies in Solvang?
agreed. How the poster can say LOG is expensive and then turn around and recco C'est Cheese is beyond me. I shop at both and their prices are comparable.
El Rancho's deli leaves me cold - they make everything look nicey nice, but they've got no soul. You want a deli where someone's heart is in the cooking? Check out New Frontier's Market on Alamo Pintado and 246 - I'll bet you'll see and taste the difference.
Picnic Supplies in Solvang?
Los Olivos Grocery is your best bet for the picnic supplies. As a bonus, it is directly across the road from Brander, who in my opinion is making the best sauv blanc in the area.
Here's what I would do:
Spend your morning in Solvang, doing whatever you wish. When you're done there, head out to Los Olivos, and peruse the many tasting rooms there. Once you've had your fill, head out to hwy 154 ( a block or so from the center of town) and make a right turn, as if you were going to Santa Barbara. A mile or so down the road is Los Olivos Grocery, on your right hand side. Load up on your picnic supplies, or have them make you a sandwich. Then just head across 154 to Brander. You can picnic there. It's a very nice spot.
Once you're done there, just jump back on 154, head in the opposite direction, and it will take you right into the 101 North, which is headed back in your direction.
I would stop at Chef Rick's in Orcutt if the timing works - you'll get a terrific meal there.
Have fun.
Santa Barbara: Fun Like the Palace but not the Palace
Yeah, and it's a lot better than running a "buy one entree, get the second one free" coupon in the local rag. Same effect though, if you think about it.
Wine Cask in Santa Barbara
sad to report, Doug Margerum has sold the Wine Cask and the Los Olivos location has reverted back to Fess Parker's ownership.
Weekend in SLO and Lompoc
It's not Lucky's - it's Albertson's and the name you're trying to remember is the Cajun Kitchen.
Breakfast at Ellen's @ the Avenues of the Flags
Regarding the coffee, you're right, most places in the valley serve dreck.
My favorite is Corner House Coffee, out in Los Olivos, they serve Peet's, but then you pretty much have to forgo the cooked breakfast, unless baked goods are your thing.
Hey, come to think of it, I think you can get a cooked breakfast, AND Peet's coffee at the Los Olivos Grocery.
I cannot understand why the sit down restaurants in Solvang won't upgrade their coffee - it really is lousy, and it ruins the whole breakfast, IMO.
Weekend in SLO and Lompoc
I can't help you in SLO, but in Lompoc for a gut busting, local style breakfast, I would hit either Tom's on College and G street, American Host, on I Street just off Ocean, or the Cajun Kitchen, right on H Street in the Albertson's Center.
For lunch - a nicer, wine country lunch can be had at Sissy's Uptown Cafe, on I Street - great local wine list here. Jalama Beach Cafe is also nice.
Local secret - there's a McConnell's Ice Cream store in the Albertson's Center that also makes great sandwiches, if you need some for the road.
Reception Dinner for 50 in Santa Barbara
Fess Parker's Doubletree could do it without breaking a sweat. Right across the street from the beach.......we have many company functions there and they do a fine job, certainly good enough for a rehearsal dinner.
SB Fiesta!
these are just personal preferences, mind you, but I have adhered to them for many a fiesta.
First, I hit the Casa de la Raza booth for a tri tip torta.
Then, it's the avocado stuffed with shrimp.
That's usually filling enough, but sometimes for giggles I'll have a piece of corn - if I don't have one, it's no big deal.
My favorite margarita in town is at the Cafe del Sol, but others swear by El Cazador. Given the proximity of the latter to the mercado, it might be the better choice, though the crowds will be brutal.
