Every now and then, I’m going to head up to the Santa Ynez Valley and report back about what’s new (or just new to me). If there’s something you think I should check out, let me know at 917-209-6473 or [email protected].
Christopher Hyldahl and Rick Ringer, who bought the Ballard Inn* last fall, have begun unveiling the hotel’s new look. This is their first hospitality venture; partners in business and not in life, they have backgrounds in commercial real estate. (*The website hasn’t been revamped yet.)
Built in 1985, the inn is certainly the biggest establishment in itty-bitty Ballard (which has the benefit of being well off Highway 154). The exterior got a refresh, including new landscaping, but the real action happened in the public rooms. General manager Frank Kastelz, who just moved from Aspen, where he was GM of the Aspen Meadows Resort, showed me around.
Interior designer Whitney Able Melnick has introduced a playful, contemporary vibe, with high-contrast black-and-white in the double-height lobby and a mix of colors, patterns, and materials in the three sitting rooms. In the last photo below, that’s Gucci wallpaper under the Hunt Slonem bunny print.
The most dramatic change occurred in the restaurant, now painted in two sumptuous shades of green. It’s open for dinner only, Wednesday through Sunday, so I didn’t get to dine there. But chef Brendan Collins’s menu looks intriguing; vegetables are less common at valley restaurants than you’d expect.
In the next month or so, the inn will open a second restaurant to the side of the building. As yet unnamed, it’s centered on a wood-fired oven and entirely alfresco, and it will serve lunch and dinner.
The 15 guest rooms are next on the owners’ to-do list. I got to see four, and my advice is to try and reserve one with a wood floor—they have more charm. Bear in mind, however, that in all guest rooms, the sinks are outside the bathroom.
·················
The other big hospitality news, of course, is the Inn at Mattei’s Tavern: it’s said to finally be opening sometime in the first quarter of 2023. I hear that the resort’s food-and-beverage outlets will soon begin to have locals by, but the rest of us must wait for the official debut later this fall. The hotel’s Instagram is pretty corporate; for a livelier take, follow chef Rhoda Magbitang, who shares photos of the food and interiors.
View this post on Instagram
·················
I met a friend for lunch at Campo del Sol, the new Mexican restaurant from the Coast Range folks in the former Succulent Café space in Solvang. While the inside has been painted in festive colors, the outdoor tables are more winning, assuming the weather isn’t extreme. I thought the fish tacos were excellent, as were the two salsas that showed up with the chips.
·················
Speaking of vegetables, the valley seems to be growing more of them than it knows what to do with. At Buttonwood Winery & Vineyard, a woman presumably involved with the farmstand made a point of telling me that the watermelons, while delicious, have seeds. I got the impression that she was tired of people complaining. Life must be pretty damn good if watermelon seeds qualify as a problem.
As at Buttonwood, Roblar Winery‘s new farmstand is on the honor system. And the bounty is impressive, although probably even better earlier in the day. I was tempted to surprise my husband with a $50 wine barrel planter. Luckily, it wouldn’t fit in my trunk.
·················
Last stop: The Other Room in Los Olivos. It’s a joint venture between folks from Companion Hospitality (Bell’s, Bar Le Côte) and The Backroom in Solvang. They’ve given the former Community Craft space (and before that, Figueroa Mountain taproom) a low-key makeover with a wooden banquette and David Shrigley prints. It feels like a clubhouse for people who work in the wine industry; sure enough, said Companion beverage director Emily Blackman, “tasting rooms close at 5 p.m., and by 5:30 every face we know from tasting rooms is here.” While the focus is on beer, particularly ones you don’t see much in the valley, wine isn’t totally forsaken. The “ever-changing wine retail is for people who geek out on wines—international, small allocations, hard to find here.” At the moment, food is limited to tinned fish served alongside Ritz crackers—the perfect high-low accompaniment to that $445 bottle on the bottom shelf of the cabinet.
················
Sign up for the Siteline email newsletter and you’ll never miss a post.
I’m disappointed to see the interior changes at the Ballard Inn. We just loved it for its European old country manor collected look. Now it looks like blah commercial interior design firm staging.
First time staying at Ballard Inn and not impressed. If you’re going to the expense of a remodel, do it right. Rooms are OK but not 4 star
Ballard Inn is where all the kids used to take their prom dates, in the 80’s. It was fancy, back then, lol.