Posts filed under 'Food & Wine Events'
The Santa Maria Barbecue Bash Is Back
Get ready for an extravaganza of Santa Maria barbecue this weekend as the Family Care Network hosts its second annual Wild West BBQ Bash at Preisker Park in Santa Maria this Saturday, June 26 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. This event is just another reason why they call Santa Maria “California’s BBQ Capital.”
That said, Santa Maria Style Barbecue won’t be the only sizzling treats served up on Saturday. Teams of barbecue experts from across the Santa Maria Valley and California 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 a benefit for foster and high-needs children and families on the Central Coast. Admission is free, and barbecue sampling tickets can be purchased for $2 apiece. Click here for more information.
The family-friendly festivities will include live music, cultural displays and children’s games. So bring the kids…and your appetite!
2 comments June 24, 2010
A Perfect Pairing: Rodeo and Barbecue
The 67th annual Santa Maria Elks Rodeo officially begins this evening, kicking off an action-packed weekend at the Santa Maria Elks / Unocal Event Center, including the 2010 Elks Rodeo Parade on Saturday. From barrel racing to team roping, steer wrestling to bull riding, this rodeo has it all. And naturally, the aromas of red oak and sizzling Santa Maria barbecue will be prevalent throughout the festivities.
The rodeo speaks to the Santa Maria Valley’s rich ranching heritage, the same heritage that gave rise to Santa Maria Style Barbecue. Indeed, the roots of Santa Maria Style Barbecue date back to the mid-1800s, when large ranches occupied the hills of the Santa Maria Valley. Local ranchers would host Spanish-style feasts each spring for their vaqueros, or cowboys, as well as family and friends—barbecuing meat over earthen pits filled with hot coals of red oak. Out of this tradition came Santa Maria Style Barbecue.
The Santa Maria Elks Lodge has also played a storied role in the legacy of Santa Maria Style Barbecue, staging epic barbecues through the years, and counting numerous Santa Maria BBQ experts among its members.
As R.H. Tesene wrote in his Santa Maria Style Barbecue book, “The Santa Maria Elks Lodge has been by far the largest and most active organization to promote and put on Santa Maria Style Barbecues since the Santa Maria Club…There are many teams of Elks barbecuers who travel great distances throughout the United States with their barbecue its, red oak wood, meat and personnel to put on large special out-of-town Santa Maria Style barbecues.”
Visit the Elks Rodeo web site for information and tickets, and don’t forget to bring your appetite.
Add comment June 4, 2010
Chardonnay Symposium Comes to BBQ Country
Attention Chardonnay enthusiasts! The ultimate celebration of this noble varietal is coming to the Santa Maria Valley with the first annual Chardonnay Symposium on Saturday, July 31 hosted by the Santa Maria Valley Wine Country Association.
In the words of wine writer Steve Heimoff, “Chardonnay — America’s favorite white wine — is about to have its very own public event. The Chardonnay Symposium. About time.” Hear, hear!
The full-day event begins with morning informational sessions featuring speakers selected from California’s most notable Chardonnay growing regions, including Jim Clendenen of Au Bon Climat, Brian Talley of Talley Vineyards, Denise Shurtleff of Cambria Winery, Richard Sanford of Alma Rosa, and Randy Ullom of Kendall-Jackson.
Full-day tickets cost $100 and include a choice of morning panel discussion, lunch, transportation, admission to the Grand Tasting, a Riedel wine glass, and gift bag. Tickets for the Grand Chardonnay Tasting Event are included in the full-day cost or may be purchased for $45 separately. The tasting event will take place at Tres Hermanas Winery. Visit the symposium’s web site for tickets and more information.
Now, we won’t be so cheeky as to suggest that Chardonnay is the ideal pairing for Santa Maria Style Barbecue (a local Syrah or Pinot Noir tends to be a more appropriate match), but there is no question that the varietal is a perfect pairing for the soils and climate of the Santa Maria Valley. Chardonnay thrives amid the valley’s long, moderate growing season, which is forged by its rare “transverse” geography. Simply put, the valley runs west to east, opening right up to the Pacific ocean at the far end. This orientation encourages the influx of cool marine air, resulting in exquisite growing conditions for Burgundian varietals, among others.
So come on out and enjoy the ultimate Chardonnay experience, and don’t forget to savor authentic Santa Maria BBQ at one of our local restaurants while you’re in the neighborhood.
Add comment May 31, 2010
The Sweetest Festival of All
In the Santa Maria Valley, sweet strawberries are the perfect complement to sizzling barbecue. Indeed, no Santa Maria BBQ meal is complete without being punctuated by a dessert made with fresh local strawberries.
Now it’s time once again to celebrate and savor the valley’s signature berry as the annual Santa Maria Valley Strawberry Festival arrives at the Santa Maria Fairpark on April 23-25. As always, this berry bash will feature strawberry varietal sampling, strawberry desserts, educational exhibits and old-fashioned carnival entertainment.
The Santa Maria Valley is renowned for the rare quality of its strawberries, which, like wine grapes, thrive in the region’s uniquely moderate coastal climate. The recently released Santa Barbara County Crop Report reveals that more than 7,500 acres of strawberries were harvested in 2009 (with the vast majority of that acreage being in the Santa Maria Valley), and that the total value of the county’s harvested strawberries for 2009 was more than $344 million.
Now is one of the best times of year to enjoy local strawberries at their best, and the Strawberry Festival is your ultimate ticket to indulge in this sweet local sensation.
Add comment April 20, 2010
Go Fly A Kite in BBQ Country
While this blog is dedicated to Santa Maria Style Barbecue and the surrounding flavors of the Santa Maria Valley, sometimes something comes along that causes us to put down the forks, knives and wine glasses…
On that note, we just can’t resist talking about the first annual Famly Kite Festival brought to you by the Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum. This free festival takes place on Sunday, April 18 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Rotary Centennial Park.
The festivities will include a kite chase for children, a “most beautiful” kite contest, and expert “sport flyers.” You can bring your own kite to join the fun, or purchase one on site. Check out this Kitelife Magazine article for more information and a schedule of events, or visit the Discovery Museum web site.
And after you work up an appetite after an afternoon of kite flying, you know what to do: Enjoy a reduced-price menu during the DineOut: Santa Maria Style promotion that is taking place through April 25.
Add comment April 15, 2010
It’s Time to Dine Out…Santa Maria Style!
The time has come to treat yourself to the many flavors of the Santa Maria Valley as DineOut: Santa Maria Style begins today, with eight local restaurants offering reduced-price menus for the next two weeks.
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 (see below for link to full menus listing).
The participating restaurants include Santa Maria BBQ specialists The Hitching Post (Casmalia location) and Far Western Tavern, as well as Trattoria Uliveto, Garden Room Restaurant at the Historic Santa Maria Inn, Vintner’s Grill at the Radisson, Portabella at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites, Adelina’s Bistro at the Monarch Club, and Quizno’s at South Bradley Road.
Just ask for “DineOut: Santa Maria Style” when making your reservation. Click here for a full list of DineOut: Santa Maria Style menus. Bon appetit!
P.S. Thanks to KKFX Fox 11 and KCOY 12 for featuring DineOut: Santa Maria Style on this morning’s news show!
1 comment April 12, 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.
Add comment March 30, 2010
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.
2 comments March 25, 2010
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.
Add comment March 6, 2010
Don’t Forget to Dine Out in Santa Maria Style
Special thanks to Reka Badger and the Santa Maria Sun, KEYT Television, the Santa Maria Times and Katy Budge of Casa Festiva (if we’ve missed anyone, let us know!), for spreading the tasty word about Dine Out: Santa Maria Style, a special promotion that runs through December 13, 2009.
During this promotion, seven participating restaurants are offering special fixed price menus under the banner of “Dine Out: Santa Maria Style” in the heart of Santa Maria Style BBQ country.
The participating restaurants include Santa Maria Style Barbecue specialists The Hitching Post and Far Western Tavern, as well as the Garden Room Restaurant at the Historic Santa Maria Inn, Vintner’s Bar & Grill at the Radisson Hotel Santa Maria, Adelina’s Bistro at the Monarch Club, Bamboo Garden, and Quizno’s on South Bradley Road.
The fixed menu prices start at $10.09, and continue with the “09” theme at $20.09, $30.09 and $40.09, depending on the restaurant and meal (prices do not include tax or tip). Click here to view details and a full breakdown of the available menus.
P.S. Don’t forget to enjoy the simultaneous Wine Christmas Passport Weekend this weekend!
Add comment December 3, 2009
