The Hitching Post was founded by Frank and Natalie Ostini in Casmalia, California in 1952, specializing in “Santa Maria Style Barbeque,” a California ritual stemming from the culture of the Native American Chumash and the Spanish Rancheros who cooked over the heat of a fragrant red oak wood fire. Son Frank Ostini Jr. is the owner of The Hitching Post 2, opened in Buellton, California in 1986. As a nationally respected chef and winemaker, he showcases the tradition of the highest-quality Santa Maria Barbeque paired with some of the region’s best Pinot Noir wines. The Hitching Post 2 became internationally recognized with the 2004 Academy Award-winning film Sideways and has been earning praise for its food and wines for over three decades.