**** (4 stars)
Solid winemaking, with the Pinot Noir being the standout. It’s a nice facility and the tasting room staff is informative. Not the most complex wines you’ll find in the area, but a good starting point.
Foley Estates Vineyard & Winery
6121 E Hwy 246
Lompoc, CA
93436
(805) 819-3815
https://www.yelp.com/biz/foley-estates-vineyard-and-winery-lompoc
*** (3 stars)
A flashback to the 50s in every way from decor to menu to the cracker basket on the table. Even the placements are unchanged! Anderson’s has never been my favorite soup, but the other food on the menu is quite good. My tuna sandwich was just like Mom used to make, and the quesadilla (which I’m pretty sure wasn’t on the menu in the 50s) was huge.
Pea Soup Andersen’s Restaurant
376 Avenue Of
Buellton, CA
93427
(805) 688-5581
https://www.yelp.com/biz/pea-soup-andersens-restaurant-buellton-3
***** (5 stars)
This beautiful property offers spacious rooms with traditional (and posh) decor in a very convenient location.
The decor incorporates fine woodwork and beautiful tile and mosaic floors into a blending of modern floorplans and colonial ambiance.
Prepared to order breakfast, evening wine, and nighttime desserts are included in the room price.
The staff are friendly hosts, and you feel as if they are inviting you into their home. While this imparts a bed and breakfast feel, the service level is what you would expect from a five-star resort.
Many good restaurants are within easy walking distance, and dozens of wineries and tasting rooms are just a few minutes away by car.
Santa Ynez Inn
3627 Sagunto St
Santa Ynez, CA
93460
(805) 688-5588
https://www.yelp.com/biz/santa-ynez-inn-santa-ynez
**** (4 stars)
Good Mexican food and a delightful outside dining area. The bartender seemed overwhelmed, but was turning out good stuff. Ceviche was huge and delicious.
Dos Carlitos
3544 Sagunto St
Santa Ynez, CA
93460
(805) 688-0033
https://www.yelp.com/biz/dos-carlitos-santa-ynez
***** (5 stars)
Top notch winemaking, in sharp contrast to some nearby wineries. Pinot Noir and Syrah are standouts here, and you can really see the difference in complexity between the estate and block designated wines. The top end wines are not cheap, but are worth it. Beautiful facility and grounds.
Melville Vineyards & Winery
5185 E Hwy 246
Lompoc, CA
93436
(805) 735-7030
https://www.yelp.com/biz/melville-vineyards-and-winery-lompoc
**** (4 stars)
This small, one-room restaurant offers fine dining in a home-spun atmosphere. Many of the dishes are definitely noteworthy. We particularly enjoyed both of our appetizers, the oysters, and the rabbit tacos. Flavors and textures were perfect in both dishes.
The entrees were fine, but not as impressive.
Desserts were nicely done, with a homemade honeycomb being the standout.
The weakness is the wine list, particularly the wines by the glass, which are heavily reliant upon a single so-so producer. This is odd, since the restaurant is in the middle of wine country.
Service was friendly, but the single server struggled to keep up with the three occupied tables, which were unfortunately simultaneously seated.
The menu allows you to select the number of courses you like, and we felt the price for three courses was extremely reasonable.
First & Oak
409 1st St
Solvang, CA
93463
(805) 688-1703
https://www.yelp.com/biz/first-and-oak-solvang-3
***** (5 stars)
Some of the very best winemaking in the area, and great hospitality. Standouts include their Cab and Syrah. They also make four Pinot Noirs that express different terroir and winemaker, which makes for a fascinating horizontal.
Dierberg Star Lane Vineyards
1280 Drum Canyon Rd
Lompoc, CA
93436
(805) 736-0757
https://www.yelp.com/biz/dierberg-star-lane-vineyards-lompoc
**** (4 stars)
This location seems a little tired, but it’s undergoing a remodel that should improve it. Service was good, and the food was well-prepared and served hot.
The Appetizer sampler offers petals from a bloomin’ onion, cheese and bacon fries, and deep-fried mac and cheese. Stick with the bloomin’ onion petals. The fries in particular don’t really work, as the cheese has a mind of its own, and doesn’t want to have anything to do with them.
The half portion of ribs is a winner. These are the meatiest ribs I’ve ever been served, and the sauce, while sweet, has a nice tang to it.
Drink prices deserve a shout out. The house margarita is a deal at $6, and the sampling of four different margaritas (served on a boomerang!) for $7 is an even better deal.
Outback Steakhouse
8195 Vineland Ave
Orlando, FL
32821
(407) 477-0098
https://www.yelp.com/biz/outback-steakhouse-orlando-3
**** (4 stars)
The outlaw rib eye is the go to steak here, arguably better than any steak you can get as sister restaurant Capital Grille. Lunch items are a good deal, but not up to the quality of the dinner menu. Excellent decor, bar ambiance, and service.
LongHorn Steakhouse
8398 Vineland Ave
Orlando, FL
32821
(407) 828-8976
https://www.yelp.com/biz/longhorn-steakhouse-orlando-8
*** (3 stars)
This is mainly a review of the Cheetos chicken sandwich.
I’ve always been a fan of KFC original recipe chicken; I find the crispy version flavorless. I usually don’t order sandwiches, because I associate them with the awful ones served at Chick-fil-A. But I do like to put potato chips into any sandwich, and I like Cheetos. So…
Of course I had to try this new item at KFC, and I really liked it. The chicken is moist and flavorful with a nice crunchy coating, and the Cheetos add even more crunch. Mayo gives it a creamy consistency, and there is an orange sauce that might be intended to be hot sauce, but I would have liked to be spicier.
Overall I enjoyed the sandwich and would have it again.
As for the location, it was difficult for the person taking orders from the drive-through to get the order correct, even after they repeated it correctly, and then I ended up with the wrong soda, so I would rate the service as below average.
KFC
5173 Kirkman Road
Orlando, FL
32819
(407) 351-8669
https://www.yelp.com/biz/kfc-orlando-10