Succulent Cafe Wine Charcuterie

*** (3 stars)

This is more of a counter service sandwich shop (at least at lunch time) than an actual cafe. However they do have wine by the glass or bottle.

The “fish” on my salad was actually a round patty of minced and then fried fish and spices, presumably intended for a fish burger. However it contained about ten times the amount of salt that would have rendered it edible, so this was not successful. My companions’ tuna melt and ham sandwich were better.

The outside seating area is pleasant, and set back far enough from the main highway to create a nice oasis in busy Solvang.

Succulent Cafe Wine Charcuterie
1555 Mission Dr
Solvang, CA 93463
(805) 691-9444
http://www.yelp.com/biz/succulent-cafe-wine-charcuterie-solvang

Mortensen’s Danish Bakery

**** (4 stars)

In our taste off of four different Solvang bakeries, I found that Mortensens has the butteriest tasting cookies. I particularly liked the plain round ones with the curved tops. They have a long, buttery finish that is slightly salty and not as sweet as some.

Mortensen’s Danish Bakery
1588 Mission Dr
Solvang, CA 93463
(805) 688-8373
http://www.yelp.com/biz/mortensens-danish-bakery-solvang-2

Olsen’s Danish Village Bakery & Coffee Shop

***** (5 stars)

This is one of four bakeries in Solvang where we purchased tubs of butter cookies for a taste off. They were among the best, but the real standout here were the pastries. The macaroon was the best I’ve ever had, with a perfect crispy crust and chewy but not soggy interior. The cinnamon pastry, a sort of palmier with a cinnamon crust was amazing. We nursed it for breakfast three days in a row, and it was still just as good!

Olsen’s Danish Village Bakery & Coffee Shop
1529 Mission Dr
Solvang, CA 93463
(805) 688-6314
http://www.yelp.com/biz/olsens-danish-village-bakery-and-coffee-shop-solvang

Birkholm’s Bakery& Cafe

**** (4 stars)

This is one of the best bakeries in town. As of this writing their butter cookies still come in the traditional waxed cardboard tub rather than a plastic bucket. We compared the butter cookies from four bakeries, and these were the softest and crumbliest. The standout is their plain, round, flat butter cookie, simple and very buttery.

Birkholm’s Bakery& Cafe
460 Alisal Rd
Solvang, CA 93463
(805) 688-8188
http://www.yelp.com/biz/birkholms-bakery-and-cafe-solvang-2