13 Feb Please The Palate Pick of the Week: Zaca Creek Inn and Tavern in Buellton in the Santa Ynez Valley

We are all itching to travel, to get out of our houses and go somewhere new. But we also have to be safe and smart when we travel. This past weekend, to celebrate my birthday, I traveled by car two hours north with my family (who are in my bubble) to Santa Ynez Valley. We booked three rooms at the new Zaca Creek Inn and were able to safely escape for a few days. That is why Zaca Creek Inn and Tavern is the Please The Palate pick of the week. Zaca Creek is a new addition to the town of Buellton that I first visited a few months ago and subsequently wrote about my dining experience. A popular restaurant and bar in the 1970s and 1980s owned by Jim Buell, a descendant of the town’s founder, the venue sat empty for nearly two decades. After a renovation, owners Chelsea Rushing and Stephen Villa reopened the property in August of 2020. Zaca Creek is home to The Tavern (a restaurant), The Inn (accommodations), and The Buellhouse (an event space). Wanting to get away for my birthday, I thought a two-hour drive to Santa Barbara Wine Country was a safe thing to do, especially by booking rooms at Zaca Creek Inn. The Inn has six suites and currently the rooms can only be booked for a single group. So, we booked three rooms and did not have to worry about anyone else staying there. Staying at The Inn at Zaca Creek was luxurious and relaxing. The Inn has a rustic modern feel to it. Each room is spacious with hand-troweled brick walls and artisan-crafted woodwork. Each room has a King or Double Queen beds, large screen televisions with DirectTV, and Nespreso Vertuo coffee machines. The bathrooms are large with rainfall showers and tubs. Having The Inn to ourselves was wonderful. It was peaceful, comfortable, and luxurious and it felt great to escape from home for a couple of days. We ate at The Tavern at Zaca Creek on their large covered patio where the large table, with a fire pit in the middle, enabled our family to sit spaced out. We ate at The Tavern at Zaca Creek both nights of our stay because of the comfort of the large tables and space but also because the food is really exceptional!