Here I am, at the end of another year, offering a handful of my favorites, one of them culled from a story I wrote early in 2023.

They range from the eatery whose chef named it to honor her beloved, late mother, to the longtime winemaker who offers a slam-dunk sushi and wine pairing, to the neighbors who built a family-friendly “club” that showcases food, smaller-production wines and outdoor games, plus one more.

I’ve enjoyed about 10 dinners and a handful of lunches at Ellie’s Tap & Vine in Santa Ynez during four years’ time, but it wasn’t until late August that I cornered owner Joy Reinhardt for an interview.

Reinhardt’s very busy — she’s owner and sole cook at the restaurant she opened in May 2019 and named after her mother, Eleanor, who most knew as “Ellie.” She died suddenly in 2018 after a short battle with cancer.

“While we were oil and water, I would like that my love for her shines through my (Ellie’s) story, as she was so fun and loving,” Reinhardt recalled.

That August evening, she expressed hope that sales would pick up come September, as “August was hit or miss.” We surmised that Californians likely had resumed traveling overseas for summer vacations — more so since the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, even in these leaner times, Reinhardt vowed she’d never cut hours for her four employees. “I’ve got a good read on staff and our needs,” she said.

The chef moved to Santa Ynez from Sacramento after many years on the East Coast, where she owned many restaurants, a catering business and wine stores, honing her knowledge about fine dining and wine.  

Ellie’s wine list exemplifies her passion. Included are bubbles by the glass, as well as bottles from this county and San Luis Obispo, Northern California and Europe. Those wines and her stellar dishes attract repeat business from locals, many of whom dine there at least weekly.

One of those locals approached Reinhardt during our interview to thank her for his dinner.

“I love the crab cake,” he told me, taking the chef’s hand and calling her “my favorite.”

Our conversation drifted toward “The Bear,” Hulu’s hit show.

“I could have written that series,” she said. “All that energy is very true to the restaurant business.”

Click here for more information about the restaurant and its hours.

When I caught up with­ Doug Margerum in late October for a sushi pairing with his namesake wines at the newer Los Olivos tasting room, I didn’t know how sushi might enhance wine, or vice versa. But the sushi rolls, sashimi, eel and pork hit the ball out of the park, especially the pairings featuring sparkling and white wines.

Following the success of his downtown Santa Barbara tasting room, team Margerum opened the Los Olivos site in June with curated wine and food pairings, among them the sushi he and I shared, Kumamoto oysters, and cheese and charcuterie.

The bento box sushi and wine pairing is $150 for two, is available Tuesday through Saturday and requires 24-hour advance reservations. Note: There’s plenty of food for two.

Click here for more information about Margerum Wine Co, and click here for reservations.

Margerum, former longtime owner of the Wine Cask in Santa Barbara who founded Margerum in 2001, is no stranger to good food. He crafted the sushi/wine paring with Jina Bae of Los Olivos’ BB Sushi, formerly of Buellton’s Aru Sushi.

The first pairing featured fresh Dungeness crab baked with vanilla bean sauce and wrapped in soy paper, along with 2019 Blanc de Blancs sparkling from Margerum’s Sta. Rita Hills’ label, Barden.

The second was sashimi yellowtail with yuzo kosho, brushed with yuzo soy sauce. The wine was the 2022 Sybarite Sauvignon Blanc from Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara (one of Margerum’s four vineyard-designate sauvignon blancs).

The third wine was the 2021 M5 Estate White Rhone blend, Los Olivos District, with Unagi sashimi with sauce.

I preferred the first three pairings with the sparkling and whites over the final two, with a red rhone and bluefin tuna and pinot noir and grilled Korean spiced pork, respectively, simply because white wines’ acidity better marries with fish — and heat. But I’d go back for that sushi any day.

In May, I wrote about the Guadalupe Social Club, the family-friendly eatery/tasting room designed (literally!) by Arroyo Grande neighbors and friends Lexie Bell and Brooks Van Wingerden (who, coincidentally, is also a longtime employee of Margerum Wine Co.).

Van Wingerden brings decades of wine marketing to the table, and Bell a background in design, construction and events. The two created a spacious, cozy eatery that features wine by the flight, glass or bottle. The food, be it charcuterie, flatbread-style pizzas, salads and more, are all designed as light bites with food in mind.

Since the space opened in February, winemakers have hosted tastings, and the owners have hosted private events including baby showers, birthdays and bridal parties.

I’ve suggested the Guadalupe Social Club to several friends, all of them parents of children ranging in age from 5 to 15, and the kids devoured the food and ran around the ample “backyard” space that measures nearly a half-acre and offers life-size games and outdoor seating for their folks.

“Someone has to be first (to do this), and it might as well be us,” Bell said with a laugh.

Click here for more information, including hours and events.

Will Henry and Kali Kopley, the husband and wife duo behind Pico at the Los Alamos General Store, Warner Henry Vineyard, the adjacent and aptly named Wild King Vineyard, Lumen Wines and more Pico-hosted wine tastings and food events than I can squeeze into my life, continue to impress with their efforts to educate about soil and vineyards, local produce and my favorite — small-production wines crafted by gifted people.

Pico doubles as the tasting room for Lumen Wines, spearheaded by longtime winemaker Lane Tanner, who doubles as one of my favorite people in our wine industry.

While nearly two years have passed since I dined at Pico, it and Henry are on my radar for those aforementioned tasting events. He and Kopley unite growers of produce, hand-raised meats and wine and regularly host reasonably-priced afternoon events with winemakers who share the couple’s passion for all things Santa Barbara County.

Click here for more Pico information, and click here for tasting and vineyard tours.