Fodor's Expert Review Ballard Inn & The Gathering Table

Editor's Note: This location is reported to be under new ownership and therefore this review may contain inaccuracies.

Set among orchards and vineyards in the tiny town of Ballard, 2 miles south of Los Olivos, this inn makes an elegant Wine Country escape. Rooms are furnished with antiques and original art. Seven rooms have wood-burning fireplaces; the inn provides room phones and TVs on request. At The Gathering Table, which serves dinner from Wednesday through Sunday, owner-chef Budi Kazali creates French–Asian--California fusion dishes by the fireplace in a cozy, modern farmhouse-style dining room.