The steaks are sizzling on an iconic grill on the Central Coast. The Hitching Post II in Buellton has served millions of meals over the years and is known around the world for its food and its own wine label.
It’s part of a pair of family-owned restaurants in Santa Barbara County that have been serving up barbecue and more for nearly three-quarters of a century.
"My parents bought the original Hitching Post in Casmalia the year I was born," said Hitching Post II owner Frank Ostini. His brother runs the original. The wine (the acclaimed Hitching Post vintages) came later.
"I came back in the '70s, and had fallen in love with wine. All I wanted to do was to make wine for my family's restaurant. It's gotten way bigger than that. The wine goes all over the world, but I still pretend I'm just making it for my family's restaurants."
He and Gray Hartley created a small boutique wine line that’s become an acclaimed brand that you can now find in places like the Hollywood Bowl.
What helped the Hitching Post II, the wine, and the Santa Ynez Valley explode in popularity was their featured roles in the Oscar-nominated 2004 movie Sideways.
"Our brand was known, and our restaurant was known before it," said Ostini. "The Hitching Post in Casmalia had contractors coming from Vandenberg Air Force Base, and they went all over the country talking about it. It started long before Sideways, but the movie took it to another level."
As a result of the movie, people from around the world stop to eat at the Buellton restaurant.
At a 40th anniversary celebration for the restaurant, locals and longtime customers packed the bar, which played a big role in the movie.
Kathy Joseph owns Fiddlehead Cellars.
"This is the community gathering place," said Joseph. "Frank and Jamie (Frank's wife) never turn away anyone. If you show your face, you are greeted with a majestic welcome."
Brad Lettau was a Hitching Post chef for more than four decades. He’s retired now, but returned to cook at the anniversary celebration. He shared the restaurant's secret.
"It's a good fire, good seasoning, and a little tender love," said Lettau. "A good piece of meat is a good starting point." The most popular cuts are the filet and the ribeye.
The Hitching Post’s owner said they kept their family’s famous barbecue recipes secret for decades, but he's now sharing them with fans.
"What I learned from my father, he never taught anyone outside of our family," explained Ostini. "He said there are family secrets we needed to keep. We saw other restaurants lose their chefs, or lose their owners, and lose their techniques, and all the institutional knowledge. We've been so successful I'm willing to share it, and I want everybody to understand how this grilling works."
Ostini has been doing barbecue classes and workshops to share the secrets behind the famous meats they serve
And, while the Hitching Post wines have become famous, Ostini said they are also evolving. They’ve brought in the son of his winemaking partner, Gray Hartley, to try to create the next generation of wine.
"We're looking to see what young people want to drink," said Ostini. "We have customers that have been with us forever, but now it's time for young people. Westin Hartley, Gray's son, knows how to make Pet-Nat, which is a sparkling rosé wine. We also have a low alcohol wine. Drinking less, and better is what we need to do."
Ostini said food and wine have been a part of his life since he was a child. He’s now in his 70s, but retirement is not in the plans.
"I'm going to go fishing a lot more," he joked. "But I am going to keep my hands involved, and teaching it until...forever."
