Archive for March, 2010
Wine and Dine During Vintners’Festival
In the Santa Maria Valley, BBQ country is also the wine country, as the region is home to numerous award-winning wines, including the Wine Enthusiast’s Wine of The Year for 2009.
Are you getting thirsty? Good, because at the upcoming Santa Barbara County Vintners’ festival on April 17 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., you will be able to sample a wide array of local wines, including those from the neighboring Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Rita Hills. The event will be held at River Park in Lompoc.
The festivities will include live music and appetizers from a variety of local restaurants. Please visit www.sbcountywines.com or call (805) 688-0881 for tickets and information.
P.S. For more information on touring the Santa Maria Valley wine country, visit www.santamariavalleywinecountry.com and www.santamaria.com. Click here for restaurants specializing in Santa Maria Style Barbecue, and here for information on a dining promition that coincides with the vintner’s festival.
Dine and Save in BBQ Country
“DineOut: Santa Maria Style” is back, and it’s better than ever as eight participating restaurants in the Santa Maria Valley offer special reduced price menus from April 12 through April 25.
The dates are designed to correspond with the Santa Maria Strawberry Festival on April 23-25, and it’s a great way for people to affordably experience the variety of our local flavors, including, of course, Santa Maria Style Barbecue!
The fixed menu prices start at $10.10, and continue with the “2010” theme at $20.10, $30.10 and $40.10, depending on the restaurant and meal. For example, the Historic Santa Maria Inn is offering a Grilled Salmon Filet atop grilled basil polenta for $20.10, which includes choice of soup or salad, tomato bruschetta and a dessert featuring vanilla ice cream, seasonal berries served in a caramel basket. Prices do not include tax or tip.
The participating restaurants are The Hitching Post in Casmalia, Trattoria Uliveto, Far Western Tavern, Garden Room Restaurant at the Historic Santa Maria Inn, Vintner’s Bar & Grill at the Radisson Hotel Santa Maria, Portabella at the Holiday Inn and Suites, Adelina’s Bistro at the Monarch Club, and Quizno’s on South Bradley Road.
Diners are encouraged to make reservations in advance, and to mention the “DineOut: Santa Maria Style” promotion when dining or making a reservation as regular menu items will also be available. Click here for a full listing of menus and pricing.
Local Classic Offers a Fresh Twist
One of the Santa Maria Valley’s barbecue landmarks is serving up some new flavors to go along with old favorites, once again proving that good taste never goes out of style.
Indeed, the Far Western Tavern in Guadalupe, which boasts more than 50 consecutive years of same-family ownership, recently announced an updated menu that exhibits a greater emphasis on fresh, locally grown ingredients as well as local artisan wines. “These are specialty wines, many produced by boutique wineries, that you won’t find anywhere else,” says General Manager Thomas Warner.
But fear not, Far Western fans, because when it comes to red oak barbecue and prime grade beef, nothing has changed at this Santa Maria BBQ destination. The menu still includes the familiar classics, such as the Bull’s-Eye Steak, New York Strip, Cowboy Cut Top Sirloin and other dishes that recently earned the Far Western a prestigious spot on Sunset Magazine’s list of the West’s top 10 barbecue restaurants.
With its western decor, cowhide furnishings and 19th century Tigerwood bar, the Far Western Tavern also serves up an ambiance that is as memorable as its menu.
When it comes to Santa Maria Style BBQ, there’s nothing like the real thing, so the next time you’re visiting the Santa Maria Valley, don’t forget to visit the Far Western Tavern, Hitching Post and other local restaurants that specialize in this regional culinary tradition.
Get Wild with Santa Maria BBQ
It’s never too soon to mark your calendars for an epic Santa Maria Style Barbecue feast, so make a note of the second annual Wild West BBQ Bash coming to Preisker Park in Santa Maria on June 26, 2010 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Hosted by the Family Care Network as a benefit for foster and high-needs children and families on the Central Coast, the Wild West BBQ Bash features dozens of expert barbecue teams from Santa Maria and across California competing for the Wild West BBQ Crown.
The teams will compete in six categories: chicken, beef brisket, pork ribs, pork shoulder, “People’s Choice,” and of course, Santa Maria Style tri-tip. The event is sanctioned by the International Barbecue Cookers Association.
Admission to the event is free, and barbecue sampling tickets can be purchased for $2. The family-friendly festivities will include live music, cultural displays and children’s games.
The Wild West BBQ Bash was launched in 2009 to rave reviews. Last year’s competition included seasoned competitors such as Brian Stein of Susie Q’s Brand and Harry Soo of Slap Yo Daddy BBQ featured on TLC’s hit show “Pit Masters” along with local rookies such as Jim Leuthold of Central Coast Smokers and Ron Fleenor of R&R Catering in Santa Maria.
If you would like more information on the Wild West Barbecue Bash, or if you would like to register as a competitor, click here to visit the event’s web site.
The Scoop on Santa Maria Pinquito Beans
No traditional Santa Maria Style Barbecue meal is complete without pinquito beans. But what are pinquito beans, and where did they come from?
Pinquitos are small pink beans that are native to the Santa Maria Valley. No one is quite sure about the origins of the pinquito bean, but after all these years it remains a commercial crop exclusive to the Central Coast.
Pinquito beans have long been considered an essential component of the Santa Maria BBQ menu, making them one of several indigenous ingredients that are integral to this regional culinary tradition.
In his seminal book on Santa Maria Style Barbecue, R.H. Tesene writes about the community barbecues of the 1920s and 1930s, and remarks, “The only beans used were the pinquito, a miniature cousin of the pink bean that has a very distinctive flavor and is only grown in the Santa Maria Valley.”
Pinquito beans are prized for maintaining a firm, plump texture even when fully cooked. The beauty of pinquito beans is that they are relatively easy to prepare. Click here for a simple recipe for preparing a classic side dish of pinquito beans as part of the Santa Maria barbecue meal. Local purveyors such as Susie Q’s Brand and Cowboy Flavor offer pinquitos for sale.
To see the farming of local pinquito beans in action, click here and view the video at bottom produced by California Country Television. At the two-minute mark, John Porter of Alamo Farms shows how he cultivates this special crop.
