Thanks again to everyone for the great suggestions!
Hitching Post II: This meat and potatoes steakhouse had little chance of winning my praise given that I am not a fan of grilled meat. To me, an average rendition of mapo tofu or spaghetti aglio e olio tastes better than America’s best steak. (I do like Japanese wagyu.) The two steaks I tried here (top sirloin and filet mignon) tasted much like the steaks I’ve tried at other acclaimed steakhouses in the past–fine, nothing special. That’s not criticism; I don’t know of any way they could be made better. I liked the quail a little bit more and the smoked duck breast a little less. Appetizers were decent; sides were boring but typical for steakhouses. Though this restaurant was not up my alley, I’m glad we went, because our foreign guests had often asked us what authentic American food tastes like, and I think this is a great example.
SY Kitchen: This restaurant was much more suited to my tastes. Their special of chilean seabass was the best fish dish I’ve had in recent memory. The spaghetti with clams was excellent. Soups and octopus salad were also good. The only disappointment was the pizzas due to their dense, dry crusts. I guess without a dedicated, super-hot pizza oven it’s impossible to make really good pizza.
Bob’s Well Bread. Everything here was good. This is a no-brainer for breakfast or brunch.
Due to our schedules, we decided to forego Industrial Eats in favor of Los Agaves in Santa Barbara. I concur with all the positive FTC reviews for this no-frills Mexican restaurant.
Finally, a shout-out to Good Seed Coffee in Solvang. I liked their coffees made from a $5,000 device called a “Trifecta,” which I had never seen before. I also liked their baked goods. This would make a great quick breakfast stop.
p.s.: Once again, our favorite wine tasting stop was Samsara. I think they have the best pinots in the Santa Ynez Valley. We became club members this time.