The Gathering Table at Ballard Inn
Summer’s Don’t-Miss Dish
Ballard Inn has been a fixture in Santa Ynez Valley since 1985, known as a wine country getaway with romantic ambiance and award-winning cuisine. Now, it’s undergone a complete transformation, from the 15 guest rooms to the modern farmhouse dining room complete with a long, communal table in front of the fireplace. And the cuisine is also refreshed: California Creative with a menu featuring shared plates. Chef Budi Kazali is still at the helm, consistently producing some of the top cuisine in the area. His style is to use local, organic produce to create favorite and innovative dishes, frequently with an Asian spice or flavor.
“Growing up in Indonesia, I crave some of the foods I had when I was young,” Kazali says. “And I’m lucky that Shu Takikawa is growing some of them right here in Los Olivos at The Garden of…..”
Takikawa’s organic, clean produce is a result of his genuinely caring for the land and his lettuce is widely known as the best (he’s something of a master farmer and other farmers come to study under him). Kazali gets produce like shishitos and yu choy from him, and local sea bass and abalone from Santa Barbara area fishermen. “It’s great to get such innovative stuff that’s such great quality— it really allows me to do something fun and challenging.”
To make the crispy sea bass, he sautés chopped onion, garlic and corn until soft, then adds white wine and white miso and cooks until reduced by half to make a sauce that is drizzled on the plate. He cooks peppers until charred on one side, then chars corn and adds tomatoes and basil, stirring and seasoning before adding to the plate. Then he cooks the fish and adds that to the plate, topping with micro cilantro. He will also be cooking up Shiso Herb-Crusted Tempura Abalone with Daikon Radish Sprouts and Ogo seaweed this summer!
