This year, Santa Barbara County’s restaurateurs prove that March needn’t be limited to a single celebration of all things green. In venturing beyond the corned beef and cabbage of St. Patrick’s Day, they promise to deliver a variety of edibles guaranteed to delight Scandinavians, sushi fans, beef-eaters, and foodies of all stripes.
Beginning March 14, chefs in the Santa Ynez Valley will roll out the red carpet for Solvang’s third annual Restaurant Week. For five days, select restaurants will serve specially prepared three-course tasting menus, priced in honor of the new year at only $20.10 (excluding tax, tip, and beverages).
The chefs who provide this rare opportunity to wine and dine at bargain prices represent seven area eateries, including Bit O’Denmark (688-5426), Red Viking Restaurant (688-6610), and Kabuki Restaurant (693-8289). Diners in search of American-style dishes can check out Hadsten House Inn and Restaurant (688-3210) and River Grill at the Alisal (688-7784).
For a taste of the wine country cuisine that has made Central Coast dining famous, guests can book a meal at Mirabelle Inn and Restaurant (688-1703) or Root 246 by Bradley Ogden at Hotel Corque (formerly the Royal Scandinavian Inn, 686-8681).
Since interest in these showcase meals runs high, reservations are strongly recommended. For details and to make reservations, contact participating restaurants.
A stand-alone delight, Solvang’s Restaurant Week also serves as a tempting appetizer for the Taste of Solvang Food and Wine Festival, slated for March 19 through 21 and taking place all over town. A celebration of Solvang’s rich culinary and cultural heritage, this extravaganza of edibles has been tickling taste buds for 18 years.
The weekend kicks off with a Friday night Dessert Reception at the Solvang Veterans Hall, where guests can nibble their way through a dazzling array of sweets, while tapping their toes to live music by the Alan Satchwell Quartet.
Delicacies include sweets provided by, among others, Café Angelica, Greenhouse Café, Ingeborg’s Danish Chocolates, Mortensen’s Bakery, Olsen’s Danish Village Bakery, and Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.
The next day, March 20, guests can nosh their way through 40 taste stops located throughout the village and serving Danish, American, and assorted ethnic specialties. Ticket packets include detailed maps and menus, as well as valuable coupons for future use.
That evening, savor the wines of Solvang on the Tasting Room Walk, hosted by 10 area wineries. Participants include Carivintas Winery, Lions Peak Vineyard, Lucas and Lewellen, Mandolina, Presidio Vineyard, Olive House, Sort This Out Cellars, and Wandering Dog Wine Bar.
Wind up the weekend on Sunday, noon to 3 p.m., with a BYOP—Bring Your Own Picnic—in Solvang Park, where picnickers can groove to live entertainment. Spend a relaxed afternoon and enjoy the singular experience of lounging with family and friends on one long picnic blanket winding through the Park.
Another kind of celebration, a series of fundraisers sponsored by People Helping People (PHP), takes place in and around the Santa Ynez Valley over three days in March and April. Chefs at three local restaurants will host multi-course dinners, all in support of services for area vineyard and farm workers and their families.
Chefs will pair each course with a vintage from PHP’s Vino de Sueños, a line-up of wines bottled annually and sold to raise money for the cause. Seating, which is limited to 50 guests at each dinner, is likely to go fast, so reservations are recommended.
Buellton’s A-RU Japanese Restaurant hosts the initial dinner on March 14. Last year’s sell-out crowd dug into a seven-course meal, and this year, Chef Jina Bae promises a new menu to pair with the 2009 Vino de Sueños releases.
“Pairing Asian foods with both red and white wines is not an easy task,” Chef Bae said. “Last year, we worked with two local winemakers to test the pairings, and I think the results pleasantly surprised the crowd, which included some well-known vintners.”
On March 28, the PHP dinner will take place at Full of Life Flat Bread in Los Alamos. Owner/chef Clark Staub plans to feature his wonderful flat bread pizzas baked in a wood burning hearth, as well as an appetizer, soup, and salad showcasing fresh ingredients.
Frank Ostini, owner/chef at the Hitching Post II Restaurant, presents the last of the three benefit wine dinners on April 28.
It will be served at Buellton’s Avant Tapas Restaurant and Wine Bar at the Terravant Wine Company, but will include a traditional spread of the Hitching Post’s fabulous food.
Peppered with smorgasbords, dessert bars, tasting menus, and wine dinners, early spring on the Central Coast promises all the makings of a food lovers’ dream.
With so many meals to choose from, even St. Patrick’s Day die-hards will find something exciting to go with that corned beef and cabbage.
K. Reka Badger believes every smorgasbord should have corned beef and cabbage. E-mail comments or ideas to rekabadger@hotmail.com.
This article appears in Mar 4-11, 2010.