Solvang will welcome a new steakhouse, seafood restaurant next year | Food and cooking

Downtown Solvang will add a new Coast Range steakhouse and seafood restaurant to its gourmet dining repertoire starting in February.

The restaurant will be located on the former site of Mandarin Touch, which closed last year in March after 25 years of operation.

Winemaker, sommelier and James Beard Award winner Rajat Parr and award-winning chefs and industry veterans Anthony Carron, Lincoln Carson and Steven Fretz join forces to celebrate what the Central Coast has to offer, including steaks from historic ranches from the region, seafood sourced directly from the Santa Barbara docks, as well as a wine program featuring the region’s best producers, according to a restaurant spokesperson.

The team intends to launch the Vaquero bar and terrace first in early February, following strict COVID-19 guidelines, and then the restaurant and cafe in the spring of 2021, the spokesperson said.

The Vaquero Bar, a full cocktail bar with an outdoor terrace, will offer a wide selection of cocktails, local wines and craft beers, as well as a bar menu. The café and daytime grocery store will offer pastries, coffee and lunch options to enjoy on the restaurant terrace or as a picnic take-out to a local vineyard. The dinner-only grill and seafood restaurant will serve dishes celebrating the area’s farms, ranches and seafood, including produce from the owners’ Santa Ynez Ranch.

The city of Solvang will not enforce the latest state-mandated three-week business shutdown, advising businesses to continue to open doors and eat as they have throughout the summer and fall.

The team will be joined by partner and experienced marketing professional Hillary Calhoun and managing director and mixologist Joseph Sabato, according to the spokesperson.

“They say there is always a silver lining. While 2020 has brought challenges, it has also allowed us to assemble a team of world-class chefs and find the perfect space to showcase our talents in a part of the world we love, ”said Carron.

For updates on the Coast Range building, follow the restaurant on Instagram @coastrangerestaurant.

In order to support those in need this holiday season, the Santa Barbara County Women Winemakers collective is organizing a virtual fundraiser …

The Wildling Museum will host a private holiday shopping experience, open to the public, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

To date, the campaign has reached 59% of its fundraising target to tackle aging infrastructure and improve audience accessibility, technical capacity and amenities, a Theaterfest spokesperson said. Learn more online.

Lisa André covers local news and lifestyles for Santa Ynez Valley News.