(Kind of) Biking to The Baker’s Table

Convincing Debbie to accompany me to the Santa Ynez Valley for the day was easy, especially when I promised her we’d have lunch at The Baker’s Table. She was also up for riding bikes, which we did eventually do, though not to lunch.

Last Thursday was a spectacular clear, crisp day. Our drive up the coast was a breeze, and since we were both ravenous, we headed straight to The Baker’s Table. You know when you arrive at a place to eat and you are famished and cannot think straight or make a decision? That was us, gazing at the appealing handwritten menu; everything sounded delicious to us. In the end, we compromised and ordered two different sandwiches to share from the lovely owner and baker, Amy. I also ordered a slice of carrot cake, a baguette, and a lemon scone in order to have a complete gustatory experience.

We took our iced teas outside and chose a table, feeling like we were going to dine on someone’s pretty wraparound porch. Debbie was especially pleased the tea was freshly brewed, with just the right amount of sweetness and fruitiness. She is very particular about her tea, and will write off a place with stale or uninteresting brews. Once our food arrived, we were all business, and I had to remember to slow down in order to note details about the meal we shared.

We both ordered sandwiches: mine was a tuna melt and hers was a grilled ham and cheese. These were no ordinary sandwiches. They were exceptionally tasty in every way, from the just right thickness and perfectly toasted sourdough bread, to the fillings inside. I started with the ham and cheese, and enjoyed the nuttiness and melt of the Gruyère and the subtle tang of the Dijon mustard. Then I took a small break from the main event to nibble on the green salad dressed with a tangy Sherry vinaigrette that reminded me of my aunt’s homemade dressing.

Soon I returned to the other sandwich and it was stellar as well. The tuna salad included fresh thyme, an herb I had never thought of adding to my tuna (but will in the future), and the provolone and cheddar cheeses were beautifully melted. Which sandwich did I prefer? It was a draw.

Even though we were quite full, we had just enough room in our stomachs to share the carrot cake. I liked how it was moist and not too sugary and appreciated the good ratio of cake to cream cheese frosting.

We waddled to the car and headed to Pedego, where affable, knowledgeable Sam rented us a couple of electric bikes. Should we have ridden the ones with throttles? Probably not, as we felt a bit out of control at times. But they sure were fun! Upon his recommendation, we rode out of Los Olivos, heading toward the tiny town of Ballard. Then we swung up and around winding Ballard Canyon Road, passing bucolic Saarloos’ Park. We looked down on the valley in the late afternoon, grateful for the golden sunshine hitting the green hills across the way and for Sam’s excellent route suggestion.

That night I made a simple vegetable soup which we ate with the crispy baguette. How I wish I could walk or ride my bike to pick up a loaf of that bread every day. The lemon scone I ate the following morning was also very good and buttery, with enough heft to carry a smear of orange marmalade. My excursion with Debbie was less than an hour out of Santa Barbara, but we felt we were worlds away. I urge you to get out of town and explore the nearby Valley and definitely include a stop at The Baker’s Table.