ONE FLAVORFUL, FELL SWOOP: If you were to say to someone visiting Solvang for the first time that this one eatery or this other tavern were "sort of close to the windmill," well, you'd probably be mostly right, depending upon your definition of "sort of" (or "kind of" or whatever your preference is here). The Santa Ynez Valley town is incredibly strollable, and if your friend set off from Alisal Road, where the oft-photographed windmill stands, they'd soon come across the pastry shop or wine bar you first recommended (and probably wouldn't make too many lefts and rights in the process). But how does one become acquainted with the eats of this eats-big burg beyond one or two recommendations from an in-the-know pal? The answer is to take the Tasting Trail, which pops up during Taste of Solvang each March. The 2017 date for the Tasting Trail is...
SATURDAY, MARCH 18 — that's but a single date in the larger Taste of Solvang multi-day schedule — and a host of restaurants will participate. The theme of the event is "bite-sized edible treats," which means you won't get overly full from the outset (meaning the 14 other places you had intended to try would be a no-go). As for the 2017 participants? Copenhagen Sausage Garden, Mortensen's Bakery, Old Danish Food Farm, Olsen's Danish Village Bakery, and Hummingbird Restaurant shall all dot the trail. And if you pass that famous windmill on Alisal while out strolling, well, that won't be unexpected. After all, "sort of close to the windmill" is pretty accurate, in Solvang terms, one of the foodiest, on-foot-iest places in the state.