Surf ’n’ Turf
Leather banquettes, custom made-in-Italy sconces, and pressed-tin ceilings set the tone inside Solvang’s Coast Range restaurant.
With their Coast Range restaurant, a powerhouse team of chefs is putting Solvang on the culinary map
Written by Caitlin White | Photography by Sara Prince
Solvang is better known for Danish architecture than fine dining, but last year a trifecta of chefs and a James Beard-recognized sommelier put COAST RANGE on the map as a destination steakhouse. Helmed by Anthony Carron (800 Degrees Pizza), Steven Fretz (Church Key), and acclaimed pastry chef Lincoln Carson (Bon Temps, Mes Amis)—as well as partners Hillary Calhoun and Joseph Sabato—the place has a wine list from sommelier and winemaker Rajat Parr that’s the cherry on top. Flanked on one side by a casual sister spot, Vaquero Bar, which opened in April 2021, Coast Range started offering indoor and outdoor dining on Mission Drive last fall.
Chef Anthony Carron, General manager and mixologist Joseph Sabato, Chef Steven Fretz
Head inside for a Victorian-meets-maritime feel—think leather booths, velvet curtains, and a sea captain’s portrait—and begin with a whole grilled California artichoke with “good butter” and melty pecorino, or try a spectacular daily fresh crudo bathed in shiro dashi, a Japanese chili paste called yuzu kosho, and baby cilantro. Next, a boatload of fritto misto including calamari, broccolini, and pepperoncinis is accompanied by furikake aïoli, Thai chili dipping sauce, and key lime. You’ll find those dishes on the brunch menu, served from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday to Monday.
Reservations are highly recommended for the dinner menu, which is available starting at 5 p.m. Thursday to Monday and offers a hearty steak list filled with impeccable cuts from purveyors like Delmonico and Creekstone. Make any steak into a surf-and-turf combo with lobster tails always on offer, or indulge in oysters on the half shell and chilled shellfish for a seafood fix. Steakhouse staples like French onion soup and wedge salads round out the evening appetizers—or splurge on Regiis Ova caviar and call it a night. Before you go, brioche donuts with brown-butter glaze make for a fluffy, flawless finish, courtesy of Chef Carson. 1635 Mission Dr., Solvang, 805-624-5420, coastrange.restaurant
