The wife and I are planning a couple of days to the Solvang area and I’d like some help separating the good from the hype. I’ve been through all the websites; I’d now like to pick the considerable brains of my fellow Dopers.
I’ve heard so much about the bakeries–which one(s) are the best? And if I wanted to sample an authentic Danish smorgasbord, which one do you recommend? We’ll be there on farmer’s market day–is it worth it?
And which of the surrounding wineries would you go to if you were limited to two? We’re probably looking at the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail, but if you have a better idea, I’m willing to listen.
As of now, we’ll probably be staying at the Days Inn in Buellton, which is where they filmed “Sideways”. Any thoughts? I got a rate of $80/night, which is just about what we can afford, but I can go a bit higher if the place is a lot better.
Arriving on a Tuesday around lunchtime; leaving Thursday around the same time 'cause I have Dodger tickets for Thursday night.
I grew up in the area but I never really understood the draw, so I can’t really help you in Solvang. The only reason that I go there was for the outdoor theater with a fantastic theater group but unfortunatly they are performing in Santa Maria until mid-june.
I suggest eating at Splitpea Anderson’s and the Hitching Post (possibly the best steak in the world).
As far as recomending the best places on the Foxen canyon wine trail I would suggest Fess Parker and Zaca Mesa. The only one I wouldn’t recomend would be Firestone, it just hasn’t been the same since Jim Beam bought it. If you’re a fan of Firestone from about 7 years ago or so the old wine maker is up a Kennith Volk Vinyards and they make fantastic wines.
Sounds like a great trip though and it should be beautiful if windy this time of year and it always good to watch the Dodgers.
Second on the the hitching post. As far as the bakeries go, I have not found a bad one yet.
About Pea Soup Anderson’s. The billboards for PSA are a California icon. I can recall seeing them from the 1950s. Good Pea soup, breakfast isn’t bad, but with the bakeries in Solvang only 10 minutes away, I would stick to PSA for some soup for lunch. (Hitching Post for dinner, have the grilled artichoke for an appetizer). For another dinner I can recommend Brothers’ Restaurant Mattei’s Tavern in Los Olivos. Great food.
There are several wine tasting rooms in Solvang. Not as good as touring the winery, but it does give you the option.
If you have the ability to transport fresh fruit and veggies home, the farmer’s market is worth it.
No clue on which smorgasbord I’ve never done one there.
If you are a bike rider, there are tons of great road rides around Solvang. Some pro teams train there during the winter.
If you’ve any interest in local history, I’d recommend taking one of your mornings at the La Purisima mission between Buellton and Lompoc. It’s really (imo) the best of the California mission sites. As for Solvang itself, it’s a cute tourist town, but you’ll probably run out of things to do in town fairly quickly unless you really enjoy wandering shops. In terms of authenticity, my Danish friend (born and raised in Denmark) dubbed it “generic Scandinavian”, but not specifically Danish; I couldn’t speak for how authentic any of the restaurants might be except to say the aebleskiver we sampled were apparently not homemade, heh.
My folks went there last year on a grandparent-granddaughter trip with the Princess and the Diva. They took the Amtrak train up, stayed in Santa Barbara, and rented a car to drive into Solvang. Mom was not impressed, but the girls apparently enjoyed it. They bugged my folks for souvenirs until they finally gave in and bought them some candy and overpriced fluffy socks in one of the shops. They also took a tour of the Santa Ines mission. If they go back, I will go with them, and see if I can talk them into actually trying the baked goods in Solvang and maybe visiting La Purisima as well.