Great to Dine with the Danes

It would be both glib and inaccurate to say that taste and Solvang go together like drink and Death Valley. As part of the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley, the town has grown as both a wine and food mecca in recent years, so that means the 16th Annual Taste of Solvang Food & Wine Festival should really be worth celebrating.

This year’s version of the fest also inaugurates a fine dining for few dollars deal; nine Solvang restaurants-including recent visitors to The Indy food pages Bacchus at the Storybook Inn and the River Grill at the Alisal-are offering special three-course tasting menus for the price of $20.08 (excluding tax, tip, beverages) between Sunday, March 9, and Thursday, March 13. Visit solvangusa.com for full details and make those reservations early.

And we haven’t even discussed the March 14 Dessert Reception, March 15 Walking Smorgaasbord, and the same day’s Wine Tasting Room Walk. There’ll be nothing quixotic about hanging out around Solvang’s windmills.