Archive for the 'Central Coast' Category

Moqueca Brazilian Cuisine – Oxnard

Published by Gastronomer on January 30, 2012 in Brazilian, Central Coast, Restaurant Review and Seafood. 4 Comments

Aside from eating apple fritters the size of a small island nation while visiting the Central Coast, The Astronomer and I also indulged in a seafood stew called moqueca from Moqueca Brazilian Cuisine. I would have never found this out-of-the-way restaurant if it weren’t for my friend Bill of Street Gourmet L.A. I mean, sleepy surfer towns and authentic Brazilian fare don’t exactly go hand in hand, you know?

To begin, The Astronomer ordered a bottle of Xingu beer. The dark and spicy Brazilian tipple fit his mood and palate perfectly.

I took Bill’s advice and ordered a caipirinha, Brazil’s national cocktail. It was made with cachaça (sugar cane rum), sugar, and lime—simple, refreshing, and strong.

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The Best Apple Fritter Ever at Diaz’s Bakery – Ojai

Published by Gastronomer on January 26, 2012 in Bakery, Breakfast / Brunch, Central Coast and Dessert. 7 Comments

Get thee to Diaz’s Bakery for freshly made apple fritters the next time you’re in Ojai. My friend Melina introduced me to this monstrosity a few weeks ago, and it’s been making regular appearances in my doughnut-flavored daydreams.

Each Frisbee-sized fritter is coated from top to bottom in a classic sugary glaze. The innards are soft, simple, and dotted with cinnamon-sprinkled apples. The whole thing is truly spectacular, but the best bites are along the cratered edges, where the icing has turned the deep-fried nubs into candy. It’s the perimeter that disappears first on my fritter.

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Saarloos & Sons – Los Olivos

Published by Gastronomer on March 30, 2011 in Central Coast, Dessert and Winery. 5 Comments

Following a morning of split pea soup, Danish pancakes, and famished ostriches, The Astronomer and I made one final stop at Saarloos & Sons before departing home. While I love wine tasting, my tolerance is low for vineyards with snooty and intimidating atmospheres. I knew that Saarloos & Sons wouldn’t give me any trouble on that front because they’re well known for their hospitality and warmth, along with their exceptional wines. Plus, I’d heard that cupcake pairings were available with every wine flight. Clearly, this was my kind of tasting room.

Saarloos & Sons is a family-run winery four generations in the making. The tasting room, which is located in a beautifully refurbished home in downtown Los Olivos, had a relaxed and airy feel to it. The lineup for the day included five different pours:

Mother - Grenache Blanc
Father - 100% Estate 2008 Syrah
194VII - 100% Estate Cab/Syrah
Family - 2007 Bordeaux Style
Extended Family – Pinot, Santa Maria Valley

All of Saarloos & Sons’ wines are produced in small batches, with usually less than 400 cases of each. Every wine is given a name befitting its character and reflective of Saarloos family history. Much to our disappointment, the tasting did not include “In-Law” (Whole Cluster Pinot).

Truth be told, I was a teensy bit more excited about the cupcake lineup by Enjoy Cupcakes. Baker and owner Amber Joy Vander Vliet changes the flight every week depending on the wines on offer. This afternoon’s selection included:

Chocolate Blackberry Syrah (Signature Treat) – Chocolate syrah cake, filled with dark chocolate fudge, topped with blackberry frosting and a syrah soaked blackberry that’s rolled in sugar
Meyer Lemon Chardonnay – Chardonnay cake, filled with meyer lemon curd, topped with lemon frosting and sugared lemon zest
Banana Churro – Vanilla cake, with a fried banana filling, topped with cinnamon frosting & homemade churro chip
Chocolate Peanut Butter Honey – Chocolate cake, filled with honey mousse, topped with peanut butter frosting & creamed honey
Mud Pie – A buttery chocolate cookie crust under a chocolate cake, filled with whipped chocolate mousse, topped with vanilla Kahlua frosting & chocolate sauce
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut – Vanilla cake, filled with white chocolate mousse, topped with vanilla frosting, white chocolate & chopped macadamia nuts

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Paula’s Pancake House – Solvang

Published by Gastronomer on March 29, 2011 in Breakfast / Brunch, Central Coast, Danish and Restaurant Review. 4 Comments

The thing to do in Solvang between waking up and getting tipsy at nearby wineries is to sit down for a Danish breakfast. While the people in Denmark would most likely scoff at the inauthentic fare served in these here parts, no one seems to mind because the ambiance is cozy and the waitresses are clad in traditional Scandinavian get-ups. Or so we kept telling ourselves as we walked toward Paula’s Pancake House, the most popular brunching spot in town.

Lang arrived at the cozy cottage before The Astronomer and I did and snagged a table on the sunny patio. Soon after we joined him, waters and menus were dropped off.

I ordered the Paula’s Special ($8.75), which included two Danish pancakes topped with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. The pancakes were larger and thinner than traditional ones, but tasted more or less the same as a box of Bisquick. I wasn’t expecting the pancakes to bring on any fireworks, just something more unique than a super-sized version of traditional American pancakes. On that front, I was sorely disappointed. The strawberries and whipped cream, on the other hand, met and exceeded my expectations.

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Pea Soup Andersen’s – Buellton

Published by Gastronomer on March 24, 2011 in Central Coast, Chain / Multiple Locations, Diner and Restaurant Review. 15 Comments

The Astronomer and I had no intention of dining at Pea Soup Andersen’s during our stay in the Central Coast. However, the spectacle of a restaurant seemed to beckon us in from the moment we arrived with its cheesy cartoons and garish color scheme. Not to mention that our hotel was located directly next door, which meant that there was really no escaping the allure of a big bowl of pea soup. On our final morning in town, we finally gave in to Pea Soup Andersen’s undeniable mystique and grabbed a table for two.

The restaurant, which Anton and Juliette Andersen opened in 1924, is something of an institution in these here parts. The clientele is comprised mostly of tourists looking for a diversion while traveling from Southern California to points further north, and vice versa. The Pea Soup Andersen empire includes the signature restaurant, a Danish bakery, a gift shop, and an inn where we stayed.

The dining room has held up well considering how long this place as been around. The vibe is a cross between a down-home diner and a medieval castle. Service is efficient, but mostly indifferent.

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