When driving north of Santa
Barbara into the beautiful wine county of the Santa Ynez valley , fine dining
options can be rather challenging at times. There are many fine choices of
quaint locally owned restaurants serving up nice dishes with sustainable
ingredients. Over the many years we have traveled in the area we have never
disappointed with any of our dining options. That being said, sometimes you are
in the mood to enjoy a fine dining experience and in the past that could be a
difficult thing to find amongst the rolling Hills of the Santa Ynez Valley
.

We had the pleasure of  meeting Chef Budi Kazali a few years ago when he was a featured Chef at the  World of Pinot Noir. His very imaginative cuisine with Asian and French influences kept our palates waiting with anticipation for his next dish he would
present of, course, paired with the area’s very fine Pinot  Noirs.

Executive Chef Budi
Kazali

Before taking over the stoves at
The Ballard Inn & Restaurant in 2004, Chef Kazali, a graduate of the
California Culinary Academy, worked in some of the best restaurants on the West
and East Coasts. Early in his career he worked in San Francisco’s renowned La
Folie and the boutique Campton Place hotel. After relocating to Boston with services such as the ones by moving companies Edmonton, Chef
Kazali helped to open the James Beard Award winning Blue Ginger with Chef Ming
Tsai, where he gained expertise in melding the flavors of Eastern and Western
cuisines.

After five  years at Blue Ginger, Chef Kazali returned to San Francisco, and refined his  proficiency with French cuisine and technique at the acclaimed Restaurant Gary
Danko. At Ozumo, a lively and upscale Japanese restaurant, Chef Kazali returned
to his appreciation and dedication to producing fine Asian cuisine.

Finally, with  his own Ballard Inn & Restaurant, Chef Kazali brings his vast experience to  light in his own innovative way, creating memorable and delicious dishes to  please the most discriminating palates. We were so intrigued with his culinary  artistry that we vowed to visit his restaurant the next time we were in the
area.

We headed off highway 246 and drove through Los Olivos on our  culinary mission. Pulling up to the Ballard Inn , it reminded us of a Grand  Southern Plantation with is wraparound porch complete with rocking chairs and  snow white columns. The Restaurant at the Ballard Inn is one of the most  intimate and romantic dining destinations in the Santa Ynez Valley and has been  voted as one of America’s Top Ten Most Romantic Inns. With only 12 tables,  candle light, and a fireplace, we can see why it deserved such an honor. The  atmosphere is elegant but comfortable all at the same time.

We entered the small dining
room and were seated immediately by their very attentive hostess. Our server
appeared quickly afterward and gave us their very extensive wine list that
features many of the area’s finest wines and a nice selection of international
wines as well. We settled on a nice Gewurztraminer from Alsace that we felt
would pair with almost anything on the menu. Chef Budi greeted us table side and
disappeared into his kitchen to begin paining a culinary masterpiece of colors
and flavors before our eyes.

The Menu is small and simple that features  Appetizers like Panko Crusted local Abalone with Truffled Ponzu , Red Roast Kurobuta Pork Belly with Napa Cabbage Fondue and Pan Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras with & Pomegranate Reduction provide guests a nice way to start.  Entrée’s you are sure to enjoy include Chive Crusted Scottish Salmon with  Shitake & Miso-Dashi Broth and Grilled New York Strip Loin with Shitake  & Leek Pad Thai and Peanut Sauce. No matter what you may choose, each of  these dishes offers an insight to Chef Budi’s culinary genius.

After lovely Tuna Sashimi gift to wake up our palates we  eagerly began.

“New Style” Hamachi
Sashimi with Avocado & Soy-Yuzu Vinaigrette

Hamachi Sashimi with Avocado and
Soy-Yuzu
Vinaigrette

Chef
Budi calls this dish “new style” and we can see why. The Hamachi Sashimi with
Avocado explodes with layers of flavors with the Soy Yuzu Vinaigrette leading
the way. This dish was deliciously fresh with the Hamachi not over powering the
dish but in perfect harmony with the Vinaigrette and Avocado
.

Pan Seared Duck Breast with
Sweet Potato Purée & Balsamic Reduction

Pan Seared Duck Breast w Sweet
Potato Puree & Balsamic
Reduction

We  had heard through the “grapevine “that the Pan Seared Duck Breast was a house  specialty. So of course, we had to see what the excitement was all about and
were very glad we did. It does not get any better than Seared Duck Breast and
Sweet Potato. Chef Budi takes it one step further by adding a Balsamic Reduction
and pureeing the potato for a dish that we will return for.

Seared AHI Tuna “ Special “

Seared AHI
Tuna

Chef  Budi offers nightly specials and the menu can change with some mouthwatering  surprises. When we were told of the Seared AHI Tuna special, we just had to  indulge. The AHI was seared to perfection served on a bed of greens that made  very bite memorable.

Bread Pudding
w Ginger

Bread Pudding with
Ginger

We  usually think of a bread pudding as being quite filling and expansive. At first,
we were planning on passing the dessert but after a gentle nudging from our
server we decided to see why see we so insistent. This was not your usually
bread pudding. Flavors and aromas of ginger and fluffy light texture made this
bread pudding a nice treat and fitting end to a lovely experience that did not
leave us overly full by very satisfied.

Dining at the Ballard Inn was a  delightful experience. Our servers were eager to help us relax and enjoy our  evening dining experience. Chef Budi Kazali’s award winning French Asian cuisine  melds the flavors and techniques of eastern and western cuisines to create  dishes that would impress even the most distinguished diners. On our next visit  we plan to stay at the Ballard Inn and experience this very special venue over  several days to enjoy great dishes and explore the Santa Ynez valley from an  front row seat. For more information on the Ballard Inn please
visit http://www.ballardinn.com.