Live The West in Santa Maria Valley
Listen up, pard’ner. Santa Maria isn’t just a unique destination for enjoying remarkable local barbecue and wine. It’s one of “The Greatest Places to Live the West,” according to the latest issue of American Cowboy magazine.
To meet its criteria, the magazine sought out places with Old West charm, open rangeland and outdoor activities. A total of just 20 places made the final list.
The resulting article’s section on Santa Maria touts the homegrown culinary tradition of Santa Maria Style Barbecue (of course!), as well as Santa Maria’s mild climate, wineries, Elks Rodeo and status as an All-America City.
Launched in 1994 as a Western lifestyle magazine, American Cowboy is a bi-monthly publication distributed to more than 95,000 subscribers nationwide. Owners Active Interest Media say that “American Cowboy is the cultural chronicler of the American West, covering every aspect of the lifestyle including personalities and legends, history and heritage, travel and events, art and entertainment, sports, food, and fashion.”
So come on out, live the west, and don’t leave town without a taste of authentic Santa Maria barbecue!
Add comment May 13, 2010
Celebrating National Barbecue Month
In the Santa Maria Valley, barbecue is never out of season. Nevertheless, we must celebrate the advent of National Barbecue Month this May, which always reminds us that the nation’s weather and barbecues are both beginning to heat up in earnest as we turn the corner toward summertime.
Naturally, this is also a perfect time of year to visit and experience the wondrous flavors of our bountiful valley. The temperatures are reaching a perfect pitch, the grapevines are bursting with fresh green growth, the strawberries are in season, and the Santa Maria Style Barbecue is, as always, sizzling.
And no visit to the valley is complete without a meal at one of our landmark Santa Maria BBQ restaurants. Click here for a list of restaurants that showcase this local culinary tradition.
Of course, if you can’t visit right now, you can still become a barbecue hero at home by adopting the methods and ingredients of Santa Maria barbecue. Click here for tips and recipes, and here for a how-to video. Enjoy!
Add comment May 6, 2010
Santa Maria BBQ Blog in SF Weekly
Let’s face it, everyone loves a shout-out, which is why we were thrilled to have this blog linked to a story in San Francisco’s SF Weekly newspaper.
In the story, food critic Jonathan Kauffman answers the following question from a recent Houston transplant: Where can I find Tex-Mex food?
Later in the piece, he encourages his readers to seek out “Cal-Mex” food, and kindly suggests that people “take a weekend road trip to the Santa Maria Valley to gorge on tri-tip steaks grilled over red oak and long-braised pinquito beans.”
Great idea! They don’t call the Santa Maria Valley “California’s Sweet Spot” for nothing, as the valley is located nearly dead center between San Francisco and Los Angeles, making it an relatively easy jaunt from the big metro areas to the north and the south.
So come on down, or up, and bring your appetite for Santa Maria BBQ.
Add comment April 27, 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
Spotlight on Santa Maria Strawberries
The Santa Maria Valley is sweet as well as sizzling, as fresh strawberries join Santa Maria BBQ as one of the region’s signature flavors.
Now, KSBY Television has turned the spotlight on the valley’s sensational strawberries in advance of the annual Santa Maria Valley Strawberry Festival on April 23-25.
Anchor Jeanette Trompeter visited the local strawberry fields with grower Daren Gee and produced a segment on Santa Maria Valley strawberries for her “No Place Like Home” news series, which aired last night. As Daren noted in the segment, the Santa Maria Valley’s uniquely moderate and steady coastal climate is ideal for growing some of the world’s finest strawberries.
According to the most recent Santa Barbara County Crop Report, 7,193 acres of strawberries were harvested in 2008. More than 90 percent of these acres are located in the Santa Maria Valley. Total field value for local strawberries in 2008 exceeded $309 million. More than 10 strawberry varieties are grown in the Santa Maria Valley.
Thanks to Jeanette and KSBY for this sweet segment on Santa Maria Valley Strawberries.
Add comment April 2, 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
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.
Add comment March 16, 2010
