Food + Beverage

Raising the Steaks

Three Cuts, Three Stories, One Valley. Article by Matt DeMarcus | Photography by Lena Ibarra & Talia Helvey Steak makes sense in the Santa Ynez Valley. Ranching is in our history, winegrowing is all around us, and plenty of restaurants know their way around the grill. This fall, the SYVCL team set out to find the top steaks in the Valley. We didn't get far before the question changed, from which steak is best to why each chef swears by the one they serve. We were not looking for a winner or...

Food + Beverage

The Honor System

Fresh from the farm, close to home, and good for the community. Article by Sara DeMarcus | Photography by Matt DeMarcus Buying food close to where it grew has its own particular pleasure: tomatoes warm from the sun, walnuts trucked in from just a few miles away. Some of the Valley's best food still comes with no cashier, just a stand, a payment box, and trust. FINLEY FARMS 1702 N. Refugio Road Chris and Johanna Finley run their honor stand open daily from 10 a.m. to sunset, selling fresh...

Food + Beverage

Happy Hour. Reclaimed.

Whiskey ’N Rye gives Valley locals a better reason to come back to Solvang. Article by Matt DeMarcus | Photography by Provided & Lena Britt Photography There was a time when happy hour actually felt like a deal. You could wrap up at work, head to a restaurant, order something you probably wouldn't have ordered at full price, and walk away feeling like you'd beaten the system. Somewhere along the way, a lot of happy hours lost that appeal. The discounts got smaller, the menus got shorter, and...

Life + Culture

No Sugar Added

Explore Anna Vocino's cleaner side of cocktails, mocktails, and appetizers. Article by Grace Galloway | Photography by Provided Anna Vocino has spent close to a decade educating people on quitting sugar and grains, one podcast episode at a time. She co-hosts Fitness Confidential, a health podcast with trainer Vinnie Tortorich, has written three bestselling cookbooks, and has voiced characters in hundreds of commercials most of us have heard without knowing it, most recently Mrs. Potato Head in...

Fitness

Making a Spalsh

SYV Community Aquatics Foundation turning a dream into a landmark. Article by Sara DeMarcus | Photography by Matt DeMarcus Some childhood lessons stay with us forever. Riding a bike. Looking both ways before crossing the street. Learning how to tie a shoe. For many families, swimming belongs on that list. It's more than a recreational activity or summer pastime. It's a life skill. One that builds confidence, encourages healthy habits, and, perhaps most importantly, helps keep children safe...

Arts + Culture

Designed for Living

Why the best homes aren't just beautiful—they're built around the people who call them home. Article by Matt DeMarcus | Photography by Lena Ibarra Walk through a thoughtfully designed home, and it's easy to notice the obvious details first: the finishes, the colors, the lighting, the furniture. But according to interior designer Paige Saltzman of Nanci Paige Design, those elements are only part of the story. A successful home isn't defined by how it photographs. It's defined by how it...

Life + Culture

TRAIL. TEE. AND TERROIR.

How the Santa Ynez Valley dresses for the ride, the round, and the harvest. Article by Sara DeMarcus | Photography by Lena Ibarra The Santa Ynez Valley trusts things made well: vineyards, ranches, tables built to last. Clothing is no different. Very few locals here dress for a trend; they dress for the life they're already living, in pieces meant to hold up. The following two mornings make the case better than any outfit could. Just off Alamo Pintado, Buttonwood Winery's new horseback trail...

Arts + Culture

A Local Canvas

From hand-thrown porcelain to century-old oils. Article by Matt DeMarcus | Photography by Provided No two of these galleries look alike, and that's rather the point of visiting all of them. The Valley's Gallery Scene Gallery Los Olivos | The Valley's largest fine art space, representing 50+ juried artists since 1992. 2920 Grand Ave, Los Olivos | GalleryLosOlivos.com Judith Hale Gallery | 31 years in the Valley, now inside Solvang Antiques, representing artists in western and...

Arts + Culture

The Foundation Behind the Valley

Grants, scholarships, and over thirty years of quiet local investment. Article by Sara DeMarcus | Photography by Provided When Adria Griggs was a high school senior, her parents told her they could only afford community college. Then she received a scholarship from the Santa Ynez Valley Foundation. "It was the reason I got to go to San Diego State," Griggs says. That scholarship set her on a different path. She went on to become a teacher and coach before attending law school. Today, she...

Wellness

Beyond the Supply List

The Back-to-School Checklist designed to help local families prepare for a successful school year. Article by Matt DeMarcus | Photography by N/A Every parent has forgotten something. A permission slip. A sports physical. A school picture order form. Those mistakes are usually easy to fix. The oversights that create the biggest headaches during the school year are often the ones families never realize they're making: routines that aren't in place, risks that haven't been reviewed, and plans...