A review of S.Y. Kitchen in Santa Ynez, California – modern, rustic Italian food at it’s finest.
One of my favorite parts of traveling is the food. (duh) I especially love it when I’m with a larger group of people, and we can experience a meal family style, getting to try a lot of the restaurant’s menu. Such was the case with our visit to S.Y. Kitchen in Santa Ynez, California.
Located in the small town of Santa Ynez, California, in an unassuming building on a quiet street lies S.Y. Kitchen. I was quite excited as we drove up, seeing the artichoke on the signage and the outdoor seating. The restaurant itself is not huge, but the rustic appearance is welcoming and comfortable.
We were seated at the table and the waiter took our drink orders. There is a mixologist at the bar, but since I don’t drink, I told the waiter to surprise me with a nonalcoholic drink. I don’t remember what was in my drink, but it was a delicious hit!
Since we were a larger group, we had prearranged for the chef to make us an assortment of dishes, served family style. The food started coming, and didn’t stop until we were all stuffed to the brim. The food is all made fresh, with produce coming straight from the farmer’s market, seafood coming direct from Santa Barbara, and pasta made fresh daily in house. I didn’t try one thing that I didn’t fall in love with – it was all that good. The standouts for me were the Octopus Salad, Baked Artichoke and Wild Mushroom Pappardelle. The pasta was easily one of the best pasta dishes I have ever had. And for dessert, you really can’t go wrong, but I’m still dreaming of the balsamic berries with coconut gelato.
The restaurant stayed busy the whole time we were there, so I’d recommend making reservations. But if you are in the area, do not hesitate and make your way straight to S.Y. Kitchen.
S.Y. Kitchen
1110 Faraday Street
Santa Ynez, CA
(805) 691-9794
www.sykitchen.com
Carrie @Frugal Foodie Mama says
This all looks amazing! And I just love family-style meals when with bigger groups-you get a little taste of everything and don’t have to choose just one meal to enjoy. 😉 I think it is the best way to truly experience what a restaurant has to offer.
@Travelpanties says
Wow. Even the salads look mouth watering!!! I wish I could make a salad that looked like those. That said I’d still rather have the pizza haha. Yum!!!
Ashley | Spoonful of Flavor says
What a great restaurant in a quaint little town! Everything looks absolutely amazing, from the salads to the pizza and pasta!
Rachelle says
Those artichokes look amazing! I’m tempted to try grilling them at home even.
Andi says
I love how the food is plated, it totally fits the “rustic” monniker. The buratta looks delicious!
cheryl illinois says
The food looks amazing! Would love to try it.