16 Mar Please The Palate Pick of the Week: Dinner at Bell’s in Los Alamos

In the tiny two-block town of Los Alamos in the Santa Ynez Valley, there is a charming, casual, delicious restaurant that is also a 1-star Michelin restaurant. Bell’s Los Alamos is the sister restaurant to Bar Le Cote in Los Olivos, a restaurant that I try to eat at when I am in town. This past trip to Santa Ynez, I had a night free and was able to book a reservation for a Monday night. Dinner at Bell’s Los Alamos, a family-run, French-inspired bistro, is the Please The Palate pick of the week.

About Bell’s Los Alamos

Bell’s is small restaurant with a casual bistro vibe. It is owned by Executive Chef Daisy Ryan and CEO Greg Ryan. Daisy, who was named Food & Wine Magazine’s “Best New Chef”, is a native of the Santa Ynez Valley. She graduated from the Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park and worked for Grammercy Tavern, Chef’s Fare at Brooklyn Fare, and Per Se, as well as The Line Hotel in Los Angeles and McGuire Moorman Hospitality in Austin, Texas. Her husband and partner Greg grew up in the Willamette Valley and also attended culinary school. He worked at Tribeca Grill and Per Se in New York, The Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles, and Jeffrey’s and Josephine House in August. When they opened Bell’s in Los Alamos in 2018, it was their first independent restaurant project (Bar Le Cote opened in 2021).

The Service

Bell’s is a small restaurant but service is not lacking. Servers and managers are dressed casually and the service is unpretentious. We had a few people come to our table throughout our meal and each one was attentive, engaging, and professional.

The Food

Bell’s, with their French food meets the California Central Coast, offers a prix fixe menu. The menu changes regularly as ingredients are local and seasonal. Santa Barbara Sea Urchin, Regiis Ova caviar, mille crepe This first bite was extraordinary. The fresh Santa Barbara sea urchin and caviar were on top of layers of thin crepes. I cut it in little bites and tried to take even smaller bites, just to make the dish last longer. We paired our first few dishes with a local Chenin Blanc, the Lo-Fi Wines 2019 Honeybear Orchard, Chenin Blanc Los Olivos, California. The wine’s texture and freshness were perfect with the first bite, as well as with the salad. Salade of Finley Farms Lettuces with shallot and medjool date vinaigrette This trademark salad is a blend of salty and sweet with the freshest, tastiest lettuces. Bell’s Seeded Sourdough, Vermont Creamery cultured butter When bread and butter is so good, you have to count it as a course, and not a side dish. For our main courses, we enjoyed the Cameron 2019 Nebbiolo, Willamette Valley. This food-friendly red wine offered balanced tannins and acid and was medium-bodied. It was a versatile wine that paired with fish, vegetables, or meat. Winter Squash Roti with duqqa, chevre, and black truffle This dish was decadent. The roasted squash was tender and the chevre added a tangy and creamy note. Dorade Royale with petite broccoli and sauce homard (lobster) I chose the fish for my main course and my friend picked the Steak au Poivre (a 5 oz culotte with Steve’s peppercorn sauce and frites). The fish was meaty with a rich lobster sauce. There was both a delicacy and a richness to the dish. Coriander Glacee with olive oil and sea salt For dessert, I opted for the ice cream which was savory and a light, yet flavorful way to end the meal. If you find yourself in the Santa Ynez Valley, make sure a visit to Bell’s is on your list! Bell’s Restaurant 406 Bell Street Los Alamos, CA 93440 Thursday – Monday Lunch | 11am – 3pm Dinner | 5:00 – 8:30pm