Last weekend, we found ourselves a little north of Santa Barbara as we spent the day visiting the Folded Hills Farmstead to pick some berries and feed the animals. After working up an appetite, we headed to Fitzpatrick’s Tavern in Solvang as I had discovered them on the Find Me Gluten-Free app. I always get a kick out of visiting Solvang with their horse-drawn wagons, wind mills and Danish architecture. After talking at length with our waitress, I learned that they have GF buns, they prepare them on a portion of the grill that is not contaminated with gluten, and they have a dedicated fryer for their fries. I had a cheeseburger but might try the Spicy Melt burger next time. If you are looking for a no frills, standard (and safe) burger and fries this is your place.
Fitzpatrick’s Tavern Pub & Grill
25 AugS.Y. Kitchen
22 May
Last night, we decided to head to Santa Ynez for a change in scenery. First, we stopped at one of my favorite boutiques, Ladybug, to check out their latest merchandise. Then we headed down the street to try the new restaurant in Santa Ynez, S.Y. Kitchen. I started with the special tomato salad which had tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and olives along with fresh goat cheese. The ingredients were very simple but it was very fresh and flavorful. For my main dish, I had gluten-free pasta with a duck ragu that had tomato, thyme and porcini mushrooms.
I usually avoid any and all dishes that have the word mushroom in the description. However, the people next to us were eating this dish and it looked amazing. The waiter assured me that they cook the gluten-free pasta in a separate pot and use a clean colander and utensils. This dish was so hearty that I found it difficult to finish. We also shared an order of the sauteed spinach.
The spinach was very good and was finished quite quickly. There was a gluten-free dessert on the menu that I was thinking about ordering. But the waiter didn’t come by for 25 minutes after dropping off the dessert menu, so by the time he did, I had decided against it. I really liked the feel of this restaurant. It had a rustic farmhouse vibe to it. I also love the drive along the 154, so I can definitely see us returning!
Sides Hardware and Shoes
8 Mar
Wednesday was one of those overcast days that almost beg you to have soup. Lucky for me, at Sides Hardware and Shoes, their special soup for the day was a fantastic carrot soup with ginger cream and chive oil. I started with a cup of it, instantly regretting that I didn’t just order a gallon of it as my order. For my main dish, I initially was going to order the shrimp tostada but they fry the corn tortilla in contaminated oil. Instead, I had their fish tacos.
These were served on fresh corn tortillas and had fresh albacore tuna, cabbage, guacamole, salsa and a chipotle aioli. There was a lot of fish with the tacos so I filled up pretty quickly. However that didn’t stop me from trying their gluten-free dessert, macaroon sandwiches.
These coconut macaroons were filled with dark chocolate and coconut swirl sorbet. I am not a huge coconut fan and I was pretty full at this point so I only had one. But for those coconut lovers, this would be a great dessert to share!
Los Olivos Cafe and Mini Horses
27 Dec
I had the day off today so we drove into Los Olivos for lunch at the Los Olivos Cafe. I had a Caesar Salad without croutons and with grilled chicken. We also ordered the Roasted Local Vegetables which was supposed to include roasted garlic, fresh mozzarella and tapenade, but for some reason, ours didn’t have the mozzarella. This made us sad. After lunch, we went to Quicksilver Ranch in-between Solvang and Ballard. Miniature horses are quite funny looking. I highly recommend this place if you have kids or if you just want to laugh.
gluten-free in sb 