Brunch at The Ranch: Famous Montecito Property to Open for Holidays

by Gabe Saglie, Senior Editor, Travelzoo
story published in the Santa Barbara News-Press on 11/27/18

“It’s been a long year,” admits Maxine Rutledge, resort manager at the San Ysidro Ranch. The doors at the famous resort hideaway have been shuttered ever since January 9^th, when a deadly post-storm debris flow devoured large portions of Montecito. Damage at the 500-acre Ranch was relegated to creekside cottages, mainly, steering clear of the most of the property’s 41 rooms and suites and the two-story building that houses its Stonehouse and Plow & Angel restaurants.

But the community has been anxiously awaiting its reopening ever since.

The Christmas season will offer the public’s first opportunity to return to the San Ysidro Ranch, as the resort brings back its popular Champagne Brunch for a very limited run. The themed gourmet events were announced via social media this week, on the Ranch’s Instagram and Facebook accounts, and are scheduled for four days only: December 22, 23, 29 and 30, from 10:30am to 2pm. Reservations are a must, as “there is still some construction going on and we need to control the number of people who are coming and going,” says Ms. Rutledge, who was named resort manager just a few weeks before the mudflow. “But this way, we can open up so that the locals get a chance to see it first."

The holiday Champagne Brunches will offer a combination of both traditional and new dishes; the menu should be finalized this week by Chef Matt Johnson, who’s helmed the Ranch kitchen for 10 years. The three-course brunch costs $125 per person and comes with free-flowing bubbly. For reservations, call 805-565-1720.

The Stonehouse, considered one of the best restaurants in the country, and the Plow & Angel lounge should be back up and running by the second week in January, a full year after the Montecito mudslides. Upgrades to both eateries are subtle: refreshed wood finishes and new awnings and umbrellas, mainly. Cottages are expected to begin welcoming guests come March.

“Employees have slowly started moving back into our offices,” adds Ms. Rutledge, “and it feels so good."

Find out more at sanysidroranch.com.

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