I spent 48 hours exploring the fabulous Santa Ynez Valley back in September. In the decade since I first visited the area (Hello, Pea Soup Andersen’s and Saarloos & Sons), the region which includes six towns (Ballard, Buellton, Los Alamos, Los Olivos, Solvang, and Santa Ynez) has come into its own to become a tremendous food and wine destination.

The Valley’s breathtaking vistas, easy-going spirit, and community of passionate chefs and artisans make a visit here equal parts rejuvenating and delicious. Given its close proximity to Los Angeles, I make an effort to visit the area annually, along with my other favorite wine region the Valle de Guadelupe.

My whirlwind trip included visits to both new and familiar restaurants, along with a few stops at notable farms and vineyards. Early fall’s sunny skies and mild temperatures made for outstanding conditions. The plump grapes clustered on the vines were almost ready to be plucked, processed, and transformed into wine.

—

One of the standout meals of the trip was at Pico at the Los Alamos General Store, where chef Cameron Ingle is heading up the kitchen. The restaurant, which winemaker Will Henry and his wife Kali Kopley opened in 2016, is set in a historic building that served as the town’s General Store for over a century.

The chef, who previously worked at Blue Hill, Bestia, and Bavel, draws inspiration from locally-sourced produce and proteins for the restaurant’s small-plates menu. The flavors are bold, while the room is boisterous. Dinner started with my usual cocktail and an order of house-made marinated olives ($10).

The chicken liver mousse ($18) with a green tomato preserve served with grilled levain bread was nothing short of sensational.

Also terrific were the awesomely supple Hope Ranch mussels with fennel and tarragon ($25).

One of the evening’s specials was a lightly grilled fish collar slicked with olive oil and brightened with fresh herbs.

Every meal here must include the patatas bravas made with fried NY 150 potatoes and served on a puddle of smoked pimento aioli ($18).

—

The trip also included a return to Bell’s, a French-inspired bistro founded by Greg and Daisy Ryan. While dinner is a prix fixe affair, lunch is quite casual, with an a la carte menu that feels straight out of Paris by way of Southern California.

Our server said that the house-made bread served with pollen butter ($6) was not to be missed, and he was absolutely right.

A highlight from the meal was a gorgeous salad with apples, sweet peppers, cucumber, goat cheese, a nut and seed mix, and mustard vinaigrette ($20).

The scratch-made pork country pate with apricot, pistachio, and chive was also superb ($18).

The steak tartare with hand-cut Flannery Prime New York was classically executed from yolky top to caper-studded bottom ($25).

Bell’s signature mille crepe with Santa Barbara uni and a heap of caviar ($30) tasted extra special since I didn’t manage to snag one on my first meal here.

—

It’s hard to believe that Full of Life Flatbread has been holding it down on Bell Street in Los Alamos since 2003. The veteran pizza slinger founded by Clark Staub still majorly slaps after all these years.

To start, a half-dozen smoked Morro Bay Oysters…

…and a local yellowfin tuna crudo topped with juicy roasted grapes.

On the pizza front was the Shaman’s Bread (with red onions, New Cuyuma pistachio, rosemary, flax seed, black peppercorn, and grana padano) and a Pepperoni and Peppers flatbread (with roasted pasilla peppers, red onion, pepperoni, herbs, and cauldron tomato sauce).

It was sweet, literally and figuratively, to reunite with The Beast — an off-menu dessert marrying a thick and chocolaty brownie slab with an equally monstrous house-made marshmallow. The wood-fired oven toasted The Beast to caramelized perfection.

The pavlova topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit hit a totally different but equally satisfying note.

—

The trip also included a stop in Santa Barbara proper for lunch at Bettina. It was something kind of wonderful sitting on the breezy outdoor patio, chatting with old friends, and digging into excellent salads and pizzas.

The pie topped with prosciutto was especially great…

…as was the classic Caesar…

…but of all the wonderful dishes gracing our table, it was the ‘nduja stuffed dates with vanilla oil that made me swoon. The petite dates delivered on all flavor fronts — sweet, savory, spicy, and herbaceous. Any fears of the vanilla oil veering into perfume territory were unfounded.

—

Rounding out the trip were stops at a duo of tasting rooms. I loved learning more about the region’s wine production and history from Gabe Fabela on my visit to the Mae Vineyard House tucked in the Santa Rita Hills ($70 per person). The gorgeous 28-acre property, which was purchased by Justin Tyler Willet (of Tyler Winery) and his wife Amanda in 2015, produces chardonnay, pinot noir, and syrah.

(Pro tip: The vineyard plays host to an ongoing lunch series with Bell’s that benefits Feed the Valley. The dates for 2023 haven’t been released yet, but the events sound seriously dreamy, and all for a good cause.)

For a closer-to-town wine tasting, we headed to Casa Dumetz Wines in Los Alamos, which is owned by winemaker Sonja Magdevski. It was a pleasure learning about and tasting her line of wines — Casa Dumetz, Clementine Carter, and The Feminist Party — in this cool and comfortable room.

It just doesn’t get any better than the Santa Ynez Valley. Until next time…

—

Previously in the Central Coast…

Moqueca Brazilian Cuisine – Oxnard
{Swoon} Apple Fritter At Diaz’s Bakery in Ojai
Saarloos & Sons – Los Olivos
Paula’s Pancake House – Solvang
Pea Soup Andersen’s – Buellton
Full Of Life Flatbread – Los Alamos
La Super Rica Taqueria – Santa Barbara
​​California Dreaming: Road Tripping Through The Central Coast