.png)
We were so close to Solvang that I could not NOT show it to Michelle. Michelle is new to California so this whole trip was a way of showing her some more of the state. Our visit with Anne took us only about five miles from cute, touristy Solvang.
Solvang is a Danish-y town in the Santa Ynez valley. In the early 1900's a bunch of Danish families gravitated to the region and started the town near the Santa Ynez mission. The architecture was to remind them of home and it has since become a tourist destination to see this European gem in the California countryside.
If you are gonna visit Solvang you might as well eat Danish. We stopped for lunch at an outdoor cafe and shared a cold lunch combo consisting of open faced meatball, roast beef, and cheese sandwiches. They were topped with pickled cabbage and cucumber. The cheese was Havarti. It was very typical European - light and simple with just a small square of rye bread. We both liked the roast beef but found the meatball boring. It was a pork meatball, sliced, cold, and with no hint of spice or flavoring.
We had to also give Michelle a taste of ebelskivers. (I still haven't tried my new ebelskiver pan/mix that I won last month.) These round pancakes are served with raspberry sauce and powdered sugar. Some people will put a piece of apple or a bit of jam into the center of the ball. We asked about this but the waitress says that as far as the town was concerned, they were not filled. They are always served here in threes and freshly made to order. Each of us happily had a ball to ourselves and I made quick work of mine. I should have bought a bottle of the sauce while I was there.
I looked at more of the menu to see what else they served, but it wasn't too varied - schnitzel and sausages. I think I'll stick to the Danish stuff I like best, the baked goods.
