THIS RESTAURANT HAS CHANGED NAMES The Restaurant at Ballard Inn Awards

THIS RESTAURANT HAS CHANGED NAMES The Restaurant at Ballard Inn Restaurant Review:

An intimate space with just a dozen tables, The Restaurant at Ballard Inn is located in one of the oldest, and smallest, townships in the Santa Ynez Valley. Chef/owner Budi Kazali creates menus that not only feature dishes from his Asian background, but excel with the European roots of California wine country cuisine. There is a clear emphasis on rich, robust main ingredients that lend themselves to partnering with wine. You'll find pan-seared Sonoma duck breast served with a creamy sweet potato purée and a balsamic reduction, and crisp sweetbreads with a mushroom-Madeira sauce. Filet mignon comes with blue cheese scalloped potatoes, rich enough for a really big red. Seafood includes pan-seared scallops with curried cauliflower purée and grilled Atlantic salmon with rock shrimp risotto, not to mention local ling cod and tempura rock shrimp with a puttanesca sauce. The wine list offers a cross-section of local, small-production labels, and an on-site tasting room (open only on weekends) features a seasonally rotating selection. Round off your meal with a dessert wine or a slice of warm chocolate cake with hazelnut ice cream.