| Los Alamos is an unspoiled gem only ten minutes north of Los Olivos. The town was founded in 1876 by John Bell and Dr. J.B. Shaw, both from San Francisco. the two bought adjoining ranches from two original Mexican land grants and allocated one-half square mile from each of their ranches to establish the town. It's a lovely town today with fine shopping and dining spots.
One of the first places to stop as you turn onto Bell Street is the Los Alamos Depot Mall. Established in 1994 as a multi-dealer antique and collectibles shop, it is housed in the only surviving Pacific Coast Railway station. The narrow gauge line was abandoned in 1933, and the tracks beyond the station were torn out by 1936.
Today 50 dealers sell a variety of merchandise from Victorian glassware to Budweiser collectibles at the Depot. Owners, Randy and Charlott Ophaug, also import antique iron from the Middle-East and reproductions of antique furniture from Indonesia, including a fine line of mahogany and teak pieces. The 17,000 square foot Depot Mall is the largest antique store on the Central Coast. |
A great place to visit anytime at 458 Bell Street&emdash;is the old General Store building which houses the Café Quackenbush and Art Brut. Café Quackenbush has a wonderful ambiance and welcoming staff. They serve espresso drinks, and have a delightful menu featuring items which can be served as a sandwich or salad. My favorite is the roasted pepper with goat cheese, but they also have egg salad, tuna salad, smoked salmon, turkey with chipotle mayo, roast beef with Danish blue cheese, smoked pork loin and southwestern turkey.
Another surprise in this sleepy cattle town is the Art Brut gallery next door. Featuring fine art from California en plein air artists, from contemporary to old school, and antiques&emdash;individual items to entire estates. The antiques are country, French, country English and high-end reproductions. One of the finest galleries in Santa Barbara county. |
