In the heart of Santa Barbara County’s renowned wine country is the award-winning Ballard Inn; fifteen uniquely decorated guest rooms that capture aspects of Santa Ynez Valley’s allure and rich history.
Upon arrival, the Ballard Inn put me in the holiday spirit with beautiful decorations including wreaths, lights and mistletoe.
I stayed in Cynthia’s Room that features a white brick fireplace, elegant antique furnishings, and a king size bed. Each morning, a complimentary breakfast is provided for guests to enjoy. In the evening, there’s a complimentary wine and cheese hour. I enjoyed swirling, smelling and sipping local Santa Barbara County wines. The elegantly bagged cookies hanging on my door each evening was a sweet surprise!
We ate at Gathering Table, the restaurant onsite run by Chef Budi Kazali. Chef artistically melds Asian and French cuisine to deliver a truly unique dining experience with seasonal and locally sourced produce, seafood, and meats. Everything on the menu sounds delicious so I had a hard time deciding what to order!
We started out with:
Sesame Caesar Salad
Pork & Shrimp Shumai with soy-ginger dipping sauce
Entrées:
Duck Breast with Japanese turnips, spicy-bacon marmalade, sweet potato purée, and pinot demi-glace
Scallops with truffle beurre blanc and mushrooms
To Settle Our Sweet Tooth:
Pink Salt Caramel Budino
Thai tea, caramel banana, and vanilla ice creams
If you’re looking for an excursion nearby, be sure to check out the charming, Danish themed town of Solvang. It’s filled with charming shops, restaurants, bakeries – and windmills!
It was my first time staying in Santa Barbara County’s wine country and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There’s beautiful scenery, a chill vibe, great food and local wines! While in the area, be sure to use the Ballard Inn as your base station! It may end up being hard to leave!