I think you should get the IDIOT OF THE MONTH AWARD.

Read what you wrote. (8/23/07)
Sizzler Robbed: Sizzler Restaurant on Hollister in Goleta was the victim of an armed robbery. Bahram Jabaroghli of Pasadena held up the restaurant and was ultimately captured after employees from Toyota (across the street) pointed him out to police as the suspect. Reader Andi directs you to see this YouTube video of the commotion surrounding the robbery. Mr. Jabaroghli receives SantaBarbara.com's first-ever Idiot Of The Month Award.

IS HE CONVICTED YET?
DID YOU SEE HIM HOLD UP THE RESTAURANT?
IS HE A SUSPECT?
IS HE GOING TO SUE YOU IF THEY FIND HIM NOT GUILTY?

- Shlooms

John,

I've been somewhat enjoying the "Steak Patrol" reviews posted on your site, despite the fact the Filet is one of the most overrated and flavorless pieces of meat out there. It does however still seems to satisfy the masses, so I guess it's not a totally bad choice of cut for your site. (but as you've already seen, each restaurants definition of "filet" varies).

Anyways, as a chef I felt I had to speak up about the most recent review by "Sgt. Gilliland." How could you have someone that is obviously uneducated about meat be one of your reviewers? While it sounds like he was served a poor imitation of a "filet," his comments on marbling are a clear sign he doesn't know what he is talking about. Fat = Flavor (in the meat world). No way to deny that. Now a big honking piece of fat is not desirable understandably, but a beautiful finely marbled steak is one of life's best culinary treats. It makes no sense that Gilliland complains he was likely served a "Choice" grade steak instead of "Prime," as a Prime steak will have, guess what, more marbling (fat). If he is in search of the ultimate Filet without any sauce to muddy up the taste of the meat, then he should be searching for the dreaded aged fat laced marbled beef, as when that filet hits the heat, those fine lines of fat melt and result in a tasty steak. It also does not make sense that a reviewer of steaks is ranting about how unhealthy they have become. For most diners, a fine steak is a treat, not something enjoyed everyday and when they order it they are not looking for health food. As a steak "purist" I agree that a steak should not be drenched in a heavy sauce and the only additions I usually make are a topping of a compound butter just as the steak leaves the heat. Thankfully due to more "artisan" meat purveyors high quality marbled beef is actually more accessible these days and the customers sure do love the flavor, who wouldn't? I guess maybe the so called, Sgt. Gilliland? Maybe it's time to send him back to the Academy?

Happy Dining,
Seth

Reporting From SBA: It's 6:05am and I am in the Santa Barbara airport typing this blog using my new Sprint broadband Internet card and my 17" Dell Inspiron 9300. I am starting an eight day vacation to Copco Lake (about 1/2 mile from the Oregon border in northern California), next to Mount Shasta.

Local Paper Duped By Hoax: While waiting in the airport (see above) I was reading a local paper and spotted a big goof - right on the front page! The Santa Ynez Valley Journal's current issue has a front page story (complete with large color photo) about Mars appearing as large as the moon on August 27th. Unknown to the editors (at least at press-time anyway), this Mars story is a hoax that has been circulating the Internet since 2003. Search Google for "Mars August 27" to see that it is an urban legend. Here is a picture of the front page.

Spam Spam Spam Spam: For some people Spam is a daily headache that arrives in your email inbox. For others Spam is a joke from a popular Monty Python comedy sketch. For the folks at L & L Hawaiian Barbecue in Goleta (in the University Plaza) Spam is actually something you eat! Yes, L & L's menu is full of food items that are popular in Hawaii, and Hormel Foods' SPAM is a big hit in the Aloha State. At L & L you can order plain Spam. Or grilled Spam (with soup). Or a Spamburger. Or a Spam & egg burger. Or Spam sushi. Or Spam and fried egg served with steamed rice. I wonder if local resident John Cleese has ever eaten there?

Friday, August 31, 2007

Rockin' Yogurt: Today I added Rockin' Yogurt to the guide. They are located next to the Metro 4 theater on State St. Speaking of frozen yogurt, I was in the city of Northridge recently and spotted a Penguins frozen yogurt. I had thought they were long gone!

Couchez Closez: Couchez Restaurant and Nightclub at 215 State St has closed their doors after 11 months in business. Their web site is gone and all phone calls go to voice mail. A peek in the window reveals extensive remodeling going on inside, with lots of new drywall going up. A rumor circulating is that they plan to reopen as a nightclub-only facility.

Vacation Time...Again: I leave on vacation again (I love summer!) on Monday for 8 days. This time I am going to Copco Lake in northern California, near the city of Yreka. The lake is about a half-mile from the Oregon border and a friend owns a house there. Even though Internet speed at the lake is horrendously slow (19kb dial-up), I should be able to keep up with my blog. Keep sending your juicy news tips!

Laptop Fridays: In case your are interested in high-speed Internet over the cell phone network (aka "3G") for your laptop computer, I did some research and discovered there is only one game in town: Sprint. AT&T and Verizon have not yet upgraded their cell towers in the Santa Barbara area to handle 3G. Verizon plans to sometime next year, but that launch date has been pushed back a few times already. AT&T has no local 3G and no plans to bring 3G here anytime soon. Sprint's network is here and works well. The price is $60/mo and the the PC Card required for your computer is $0 after mail-in rebate. With my new-found Internet freedom, I am planning to run SantaBarbara.com (and my other businesses) from Borders on State Street on Friday afternoons. Stop by and say hi. I am the guy with the giant silver Dell.

Thursday, August 30, 2007

The Big Yellow Wreck: The thunder and lightning we all enjoyed last evening set the perfect tone for my visit to the Big Yellow House, which resembles a haunted mansion these days. In this column back in February I relayed a story from Coastal View News that a new restaurant called the Yellow Rose would be opening in that location September 1st, 2007. I drove to Summerland yesterday expecting to interview the new owners as they put finishing touches on their shiny new restaurant. My first clue that plans had gone awry was noticing that the giant sign out front still said "Big Yellow House." Uh oh. As I walked up to the building, I saw weeds growing out of the asphalt parking lot, cracked cement steps, faded & chipped paint and a broken window. Uh oh. Upon close inspection it appears that someone started to tear down the interior for a remodel and abruptly cancelled the project. In it's current state of disrepair it would take a new owner a year or more to fix the wreck that is the Big Yellow House. Here are some pictures I took through the windows: front door, east side and west side (notice blueprints neatly rolled up on the table).

Avo Fest: Carpinteria's annual Avocado Festival is set to take place October 5-7th, 2007 along Linden Avenue. This festival is packed with people every year and includes lots of food and entertainment. Be sure to try the avocado ice cream! See avofest.com for details.

Stateside Update: I spoke with Juan the general manager of Stateside Restaurant & Lounge that will be opening in the former location of Acapulco Restaurant. He says they will be opening their doors at the end of September. They will serve lunch & dinner, have a happy hour and also offer a late night menu. In addition to being a restaurant, this 11,000 sq ft building will include a lounge, a nightclub and a private room for special functions. The food will be "Californian cuisine with a Asian twist."

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Steak Patrol: The Santa Barbara Steak Patrol, a team that wanders the city reviewing only the filet mignon, has a new recruit. Officer Wedge writes a review of the filet mignon at Kona Ranch House.

Paradise Store: Reader Steve Weixel stopped at the Paradise Store & Grill on highway 154 and learned that the Cold Spring Tavern isn't the only business suffering a slow down of business because of the Zaca Fire. The owner said business has been slow because most people don't realize it's open again, and was hoping it would pick up for Labor Day weekend. Pay a visit to Paradise Store!

New Restaurant Coming to Isla Vista: McMaster's Steak & Hoagie will be opening September 4th in the former location of New York Buffalo Wings. Owner George McMaster has opened a dozen Hoagie shops around the state including several Great Western Hoagie's in Los Angeles.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Restaurant Fad In Isla Vista: Closing: Reader Paul let me know that Saigon Express in Isla Vista had closed. I called the number and it was disconnected. I then decided to drive by to see for myself and it indeed was shut down, with a sign on the door saying "New Management." I guess new management services are being provided by the Grim Reaper. While in town, I walked around and noticed that New York Buffalo Wings had followed Saigon's lead and also closed its doors. Not to be outdone, Eclectic I.V. appears to have joined the parade and shut down. The sign on the door at Eclectic I.V. says they are remodeling and changing the menu and plan to reopen in mid-September. Only the Grim Reaper knows for sure. Lastly, reader Jonathon let me know that Isla Vista Spot bit the dust too. Who's next?

Psych!: The TV show Psych, which is fictionally based in Santa Barbara (but filmed in Canada) has contacted me to create the Santa Barbara wall calendar for their set. I am using select photos that I took for  SantaBarbara.com and photos from local photographer John Wardlaw.

Del Valle Coming To Goleta: Legendary reader Foodie Dan reports that Del Valle Grill Mexican restaurant will be coming to 5746 Hollister Ave in Goleta, replacing Lilia's Mexican restaurant.

Your Wish Is My Command: The most requested new feature, average ratings, has now been fulfilled. The guide now has sortable columns for name, average food & service rating, price and number of reviews. Tip: sorting by number of reviews in the various cuisine categories often gives the most accurate picture of the best restaurants.

Monday, August 27, 2007

Cold Spring Tavern Reopens: Head for the hills! Cold Spring Tavern, which is suffering a serious slow down in business because of threats caused by the Zaca Fire, has reopened. During the darkest hour, highway 154 was closed and the fire crews wrapped the entire restaurant with a foil shield to protect it from fire incase the flames suddenly turned toward the tavern. Matt Bush, manager of the tavern, tells me that the news media gave extensive coverage of the restaurant’s closing but hardly printed a word about it reopening. Matt says that many people mistakenly think that the restaurant and highway 154 are still closed which has caused business to drop off significantly. I am showing support by making the Cold Spring Tavern SantaBarbara.com’s “Restaurant of the Month” for September. I also brought a party of five for a delicious dinner at the tavern last Friday night. Show your support for the Cold Spring Tavern and head for the hills for dinner!
   To prove I actually went to the tavern, I took some pictures to share with you: Cold Spring Tavern, your friendly tavern crew, Treasures and Trash, the bar, our party of five, bobcat head, bear head, moose head, not-sure-what-it-is head.

Coming Soon: Reader Foodie Dan tells me that Creekside bar has a sign saying that a restaurant will be opening soon that mentions something to the effect of "Jakes BBQ and Briskets." I remember a guy named Jake launched a kabob restaurant at that location 2 1/2 years ago that ended up in restaurant Heaven. Perhaps he has returned to Earth for a second try?

Friday, August 24, 2007

Online Menu: Del Pueblo Cafe in Goleta has a new web site (delpueblocafe.biz) that includes their menu. I now link to their home page and menu in the restaurant guide.

Jobs At Stateside: Stateside Restaurant & Lounge will be opening soon at 1114 State St (former location of the Acapulco Restaurant) and is now hiring for all positions. Email: info@statesidesb.com

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Chill-out Town: A controversy is brewing over the exterior paint job recently added to Chili Town on North Milpas. Apparently the entire front of the building was painted to be one big, exceptionally "groovy" sign indicating the name of the business. Now there is a battle between those that call it art and those who say it breaks the city's sign ordinance. Perhaps the owner should paint a giant blue line across the front of the building to make peace with the city.

Arrivederci Maria: Reader Foodie Dan spotted an ad that says that the restaurant & equipment owned by Maria's Italian Kitchen in Five Points Shopping Center is for sale for $350k.

Sizzler Robbed: Sizzler Restaurant on Hollister in Goleta was the victim of an armed robbery. Bahram Jabaroghli of Pasadena held up the restaurant and was ultimately captured after employees from Toyota (across the street) pointed him out to police as the suspect. Reader Andi directs you to see this YouTube video of the commotion surrounding the robbery. Mr. Jabaroghli receives SantaBarbara.com's first-ever Idiot Of The Month Award.

Bay Brunch: Bay Cafe at 131 Anacapa St has started offering a Saturday & Sunday brunch. They also now offer wine tasting Fri-Sun and live music Thu-Sun (6-9pm). Call 963-2215

Esau's Update: As reported in this column in June, Esau's Cafe, which closed on State Street last year after 52 years of service, is planning to reopen on Chapala St. The grand opening has been moved from November to December.

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Ashes To Ashes: When I left my car at the Santa Barbara Airport parking lot 12 days ago to go on vacation, my 1989 Nissan Maxima was spotless. Here is how it looked when I arrived home, courtesy of the Zaca fire (see photos of windshield and roof). I imagine the car wash places are making a fortune right now with all the ash being dumped on the South Coast. If your car is as dirty as mine, the cheapest car wash I know of is Fairview Car Wash that has a new drive-thru exterior wash for only $9.

Let's Do Zen Yai: Reader Huyen as informed me that ever-popular Thai dinner spot Zen Yai at 425 State St has started serving lunch. She tells me that lunch hours are Tues-Fri, 11:30-2:15. Zen Yai has a special lunch menu, in addition to their regular menu.

Pizza Wars: Reader Jeramy informs me that my 8/14/07 rumor about Giovanni's Pizza coming to the Mesa is not really a rumor - it's fact. Apparently Giovanni's owns the plot of land that is currently being redeveloped. There will be retail and office space in addition to Giovanni's. Giovanni's is set to join Mesa Pizza Company, Dean-o's and Domino's in an all-out Mesa pizza war!

Secret Menu - Part Two: In-n-Out Burger (4865 Calle Real, Goleta), was founded in 1948 in Los Angeles and inspires loyalty that other restaurant chains can only dream of. Part of this mystique comes from their secret, unpublished menu (see yesterday's column for Part One). Next time you're at In-N-Out Burger, order one these off-the-menu specials: Fries "Well-Done" = extra crispy fries (excellent!). Fries "Light" = opposite of fries well-done, more raw than normal. "2-by-4" = two meat patties and four slices of cheese. "Flying Dutchman" = two meat patties, two slices of cheese and nothing else - not even a bun! "Veggie Burger" = burger without the patty or cheese (huh?). “Extra Toast” leaves your bread on the grill a tad longer resulting in crispy buns. "Neapolitan" Shake = strawberry, vanilla and chocolate blended together.

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Reporting From SB: I arrived home last night to nice cool, dry weather, a welcome relief from the humid, 95 degree nights in the Lone Star State - which explains the huge real estate price differential mentioned yesterday. I noticed a smoothie shop in the main lobby of the airport. I'll have to add it to the guide!

Secret Menu: In-n-Out Burger (4865 Calle Real, Goleta), was founded in 1948 in Los Angeles and inspires loyalty that other restaurant chains can only dream of. Part of this mystique comes from their secret, unpublished menu. Next time you're at In-N-Out Burger, order one these off-the-menu specials: "Animal Style" = the meat is cooked and fried with mustard and then pickles are added, extra spread and grilled onions are added. "Animal Style Fries" = fries with cheese, spread, grilled onions and pickles. "Protein Style" = burger with no bun (wrapped in lettuce). "3-by-3" = three meat patties and three slices of cheese. Also available: 4x4 on up to 100x100 (really!). "Double Meat" = like a Double Double without cheese. "Grilled Cheese" = no meat, just melted cheese, tomato, lettuce and spread on a bun. Tomorrow: Secret Menu - Part Two.

Visual Update: Two restaurants are coming to La Cumbre Plaza in November. Here are pictures of Ruth's Chris Steakhouse and Marmalade Cafe in their current state of construction.

Monday, August 20, 2007

Reporting From 27,000 ft: I am flying home to the smokey South Coast today. Just before I left Friendswood, Texas, I spotted a flier for a home for sale across the street from where I have been visiting. Though Texas locals would think nothing of it, the flier is quite shocking for anyone used to the high price of real estate in Santa Barbara. Here is a photo of the mansion I am talking about. Specs: Single family home, 4 bedrooms, 3 full & 1 half baths, includes kitchen + breakfast room + living room + study/library + den + game room + laundry room + food pantry, 2 car detached garage, 2 story, build sq ft: 3,384, lot size 1/3 acre. Price: $329,000

Fess Parker Opens Restaurant Marcella: Fess Parker’s Wine Country Inn has a new sign out front, proudly displaying, "Restaurant Marcella". "It has a nice ring to it," explains Fess Parker, the gracious host and former actor, who brought Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone into America's living rooms from the mid-‘50s until 1970. Restaurant Marcella replaces Wine Cask and Intermezzo, the Santa Barbara restaurant company that managed the food and beverage operation at the inn for the past two years. The restaurant will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner to locals, day visitors and its overnight guests. Carlos De Leon, General Manager of Fess Parker’s Wine Country Inn, will also oversee the restaurant operation. Shannon Cummins, former Sous Chef for Bacara Resort, has been named Executive Chef of Restaurant Marcella.

Carl's Coming To Carp: The Coastal View News reports that the former location of Coco's Restaurant in Carpinteria, a long-vacant property visible from the 101 freeway, will become a Carl's Jr. The building and 1.14 acres of land, located at 4610 Carpinteria Ave, was recently purchased for approximately $2.5 million by CKE Restaurants Inc, the parent company of Carl's Jr.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Reporting From New Orleans: Today I endured 100 degree weather, high humidity and wandered down Bourbon Street. The news said it was the hottest day of the year in town. I met up with a friend's dad, Dr. Marx, who is a professor at Tulane University in New Orleans. He showed me around the French Quarter and pointed out a very significant landmark: Antoine's. Antoine's is the oldest restaurant in America and has been run by the same family since 1840. Here are some pictures (outside 1, outside 2, sign, inside). Dr Marx tells me that only tourists sit in the front room by the entrance and locals always request a seat in one of the many charming interior dining rooms. They don't take reservations and can be crowded so the only way to get a table in advance is to know a waiter. Locals call their favorite waiter and request a table be set aside. Again, only locals know how to do it right!

Tea Room: Reader Huyen came down from Hearst Castle recently and stopped in downtown Lompoc and had a wonderful lunch at Penelope's Teas & Gifts. She said this is the only tearoom in Santa Barbara County and that it was delightful. They have over 60 different loose-leaf teas, British-style entrees for lunch and have a charming decor. 105 West Ocean Ave, Lompoc, CA, 805-736-1122

Rumor Of The Day: Reader Nick tells me that he heard that the construction at the corner of Meigs Rd and Cliff Dr (the former location of a gas station) will include a Giovanni's Pizza. Right next door to that location is the Mesa Pizza Company.

Monday, August 13, 2007

Reporting From New Orleans: This blog is being written from the La Quinta Inn at 301 Camp St in New Orleans, Louisiana. Today Flip and I (and his 2 kids) visited the Tabasco factory on Avery Island. Though 90% of the peppers are grown in South America, every bottle of Tabasco is packaged here in Avery. Here are some pictures of the factory (welcome sign, factory floor, barrel of pepper mash). Later in the day we ended up at Hard Rock Cafe in New Orleans then had dessert at the famous Cafe Du Monde that has been serving coffee since the 1860's (outside pic, inside pic, landmark plaque).

Speaking Of Tabasco: About six years ago, I was having lunch at Cajun Kitchen - Goleta (at that time they were located near the airport) when a friend told me about his favorite dip for french fries. He said he likes to put a little bit of ketchup on his plate and pour Tabasco sauce on it. I thought that was kind of odd but was willing to give it a try. To my total surprise, the taste was absolutely amazing. Don't go over board with the Tabasco, just drizzle a little bit on top of a small pile of ketchup. Ever since that fateful day, I have used ketchup & Tabasco for almost every type of potato dish that comes my way. Most frequently the destination is french fries and hash browns, but the secret sauce is now starting to make its way on to the burger too. Where will it end? Give it a try.

Friday, August 10, 2007

Chili Town Opens On Milpas: Reader Aubrey tipped me off to the arrival of Chili Town at 730 N. Milpas, the former location of the DogHouse. Chili Town specializes in chili char burgers (see picture of menu) and is run by Mark Abrishami, who also owns Luigi’s Pizza & Pasta in Goleta. Everything is made fresh, including the burgers, the chili and even the bun. Luigi’s in Goleta started offering chili burgers and they soon became very popular. Expanding the burger selection at an Italian restaurant would go against the theme so Mark decided to instead start a new restaurant that specialized in fresh char burgers. You can also order hot dogs, chili dogs, corn dogs, fries, chili fries, onion rings, a shake or a sundae.

New In The Guide: Yesterday reader Huyen wrote me an enthusiastic email about Laguna Store & Deli at 512 Laguna Street so I added them to the deli section of the guide today. Here is her message: "I had a giant Carne Asada Chimichanga there for only $5.00! They serve mainly Mexican food and hamburgers too. Beer & Wine, basic convenient market items too. Very reasonable prices and they also have patio seating and a parking lot."

Time For A Vacation: I am leaving on a plane this morning to visit my good friend Flip in Friendswood, Texas (just south of Houston). I'll be gone for two weeks and it will be insanely hot and humid (which will make me appreciate Santa Barbara that much more!) As part of the vacation, Flip and I will be driving to New Orleans. It will be the first time there for both of us. Flip started his professional life working at McDonald's in Victoria Court on State Street and now is a doctor with a mansion and a swimming pool. How's that for climbing the corporate ladder? I'll keep in touch from the road.

Thursday, August 9, 2007

Pavilion Gardens: Reader Foodie Dan tells me that a new restaurant is coming to 415 N. Milpas St, the former location of Hibachi and, more recently, Las Brisas. It will be called Pavilion Gardens. I stopped by to take a peek and the place is completely gutted. No need to start forming a line outside just yet.

Breakfast Barn: The Burger Barn at 3621 Sagunto in Santa Ynez has started serving breakfast on weekends. They are now serving omelets, waffles, pancakes, french toast and south of the border specials. Hours Mon-Fri 11am-3pm, Sat-Sun 8am-4pm.

Summerland Special: Cafe Luna at 2354 Lillie Ave in Summerland has three specials going on right now. Mondays: free medium cup of coffee 7-10am. Wednesdays: buy one pastry get one free. Fridays: free iced tea with your lunch order.

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

La Arcada Update: Two restaurants will be opening soon in La Arcada (1114 State St). Stateside Restaurant & Lounge, which is replacing Acapulco Restaurant, will offer a lunch to late night menu with a California-Asian focus. Petite Valentien, occupying the former location of Bogart's Cafe, will offer small plates and tapas.

Breaking Down The Walls: Reader John tells me that Beachbreak Cafe in downtown Santa Barbara has taken over the space occupied by an adjacent business, doubling the restaurant's size. As SantaBarbara.com's very first "Restaurant of the Month" in October 2004, not long after they opened, I am happy to see Beachbreak continue to do well. Their food and service were excellent and it inspired me to create the monthly honor.

Gimme S'more: I was dining at Holdren’s in Thousand Oaks recently and discovered that they have an unusual dessert offering – real s’mores that you roast right at your dinner table. I overheard the people next to me ordering this so I asked my kind waiter Chad if he could give me a demonstration. Before I knew it, he brought out a small flaming goblet on plate of colored stones (see photo). What follows the fire is familiar to everyone: marshmallows, graham crackers, chocolate bars and, of course, cooking sticks! After a lengthy discussion about iPhones with Chad, he told me that this classic campfire dessert is also available at Holdren's Steaks & Seafood in Santa Barbara.

Father (and Mother) Knows Best: I had lunch recently with my parents and discovered that they have a favorite burger in town: the $6.79 Mushroom-Swiss Burger at Chili's in Goleta. They like to stop at Chili’s after a Costco run. The burger comes with sautéed mushrooms, aged Swiss cheese, mayo, shredded lettuce, tomato & pickle, all on a bed of fries. In addition to enjoying the food, Mom said to tell you that the service at Chili's is excellent.

Corkage Fees: There is an interesting discussion going on between Curtis, Larry, Art, JB and Mike about corkage fees on the Trattoria Vittoria page.

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

Brown Pelican Update: Apparently Brown Pelican's 25-year lease ends this December, which is the reason the County is taking action now to look for new management. The current management has begun a letter-writing campaign (2981 Cliff Drive, Santa Barbara CA 93109) to drum up support. One look at the reviews from locals over the past year tells me that they have their work cut out for them. An employee of Brown Pelican told me recently that they couldn't take their visiting mother to dinner at their own restaurant because the food was so bad. That's exactly what they said. I haven't eaten there in over 5 years so I personally haven't had a bad experience there. Perhaps it is time to pay a visit! I'll report back here to let you know how it goes.

Taste Of The Nation: A nationwide culinary benefit, Taste of the Nation, supports the fight to end childhood hunger in America and is in the planning stages to bring their event to Santa Barbara. The event attracts over 50,000 guests each year nationwide. Sponsored by American Express, the benefits are held in different cities, which include food and wine tastings, seated dinners and outdoor barbeques. For details, see TasteOfTheNation.org

Monday, August 6, 2007

Change Of Guard At The Brown Pelican: Reader Foodie Dan tells me he saw a bid acceptance proposal from the County of Santa Barbara, requesting bids to operate the restaurant and snack bar at Hendrys Beach, currently occupied by the Brown Pelican restaurant. They have put out a similar notice for the concession stand at Jalama Beach. Here is a quote from the press release:

The County of Santa Barbara/Parks Department is seeking a corporation, business, or individual to lease and operate a restaurant and snack bar at Arroyo Burro Beach County Park. The licensed premises consist of an area of approximately 3,600 square feet of lease space located at Arroyo Burro Beach County Park, 2981½ Cliff Drive, Santa Barbara, California 93109. The intent of this RFP process is to result in a concession lease agreement for a restaurant and snack bar at Arroyo Burro Beach County Park.

New Indian Restaurant: The explosion of new Indian restaurants in Santa Barbara continues! Back in May I mentioned in this column about a new restaurant named Saffron opening at 113 W. De La Guerra St (near Chapala). Reader John confirms that this will be an Indian restaurant. Flavor of India used to be the only game in town. Over the last few years Santa Barbara has seen a variety of choices appear on State St including All India Café, Spice Avenue and The Taj Café. Isla Vista saw the opening of Indian restaurant Naan Stop last year.

Restaurant Of the Month: Max's Restaurant on upper State Street is being highlighted this month in the SantaBarbara.com Restaurant Guide. Owner Henrietta Forystek started working at the restaurant in 1984 and became owner in 2002. She tells me that she was impressed by the way everything is made from scratch and continues the tradition. Popular breakfast items include soufflé-style omelets (Brie omelet and Guatemalan omelet), orange pecan pancakes, corned beef hash and turkey sausage (all made from scratch). You can even use a French press to make gourmet coffee right at your table. Lunches include soups made from scratch (clam chowder plus soup-of-the-day), Santa Fe turkey melt and more. Their popular salads include albacore tuna, cobb and muffelata salads.

Jazz Dinner At SOhO: Minnie Driver & Special Guest, Sunday, August 12th, 8pm, $23/$18 with dinner, all ages. Harp Magazine says: "Minnie Driver isn’t like most actors who treat making records as a hobby. She’s actually good... Volleying between lush, ethereal, British pop melodies and easy-strumming Americana, the disc is composed of songs about all kinds of love... Ever since [landing a deal with Zoë/Rounder Records] she’s been blasting holes in the actor-singer stigma." SOhO Restaurant & Music Club. Call for reservations 962-7776

Friday, August 3, 2007

Fiesta Dignatarios at the Zoo: Yesterday I took 99 pictures of happy faces wandering the hilltop at the Santa Barbara Zoo for the Fiesta Dignatarios celebration. I then fired up my digital movie camera and wandered the dance floor and grounds.

The Habit Sold: Owners Brent and Bruce Reichard have sold an 80 percent stake of their Habit hamburger chain to a group of investors lead by Karp Reilly in Connecticut. As part of the deal to sell the 20-location chain, founded in Goleta in the late 1960's, the Reichard's will retain 100% ownership of all Santa Barbara and Goleta Habit locations. The new owners plan to expand rapidly, opening 16 new restaurant locations over the next two years.

Dine and Dash: Five juveniles left Denny's in Goleta without paying their $55 bill. They were last seen fleeing in a "newer Volkswagen Beetle."

It Lives Up To The Hype: I finally broke down and bought an iPhone. I researched the thing to death but couldn't decide whether or not to make the leap until my friend let me borrow hers. Only Steve Jobs could have the vision and determination to dictate the creation of a phone so advanced and easy to use at the same time. And this is coming from a guy who has never owned a Mac. I have retired my relatively new, previously cutting-edge web & email-enabled Treo 700wx cell phone. It is a dinosaur by comparison.  The iPhone doesn’t just bring Internet bells & whistles to the table – it reinvents voice mail too. With the iPhone, your voice mail automatically downloads directly into the phone so you can listen to them in any order, just like email. Given that the iPhone is already years ahead of everything else on the market, and will only get better and cheaper over time, Motorola, Nokia and the rest of the cell phone industry must be shaking in their boots. The Blackberry will be with us forever, but most other "smart" phones might be extinct in 5 years. I can pretty much run my SantaBarbara.com from the iPhone, which means less back strain from sitting in an office chair and a better tan!

Thursday, August 2, 2007

Fiesta Pequena: Last night I went to opening ceremonies of Fiesta. I took some pictures & movies to share with you!

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Fiesta: It's finally here! Check out a complete list of events.

State Side Open For Fiesta: Reader Huyen emailed me my first Fiesta tip! Though the grand opening is later this year, Stateside Restaurant at 1114 State St (the former location of Acapulco) will be opening their patio for drinks and finger food during Fiesta. Open Wednesday through Saturday...afternoons and evenings. DJ will be playing background lounge and house music every evening.

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Joe's Cafe Opens Today: The grand opening was delayed a month but it was worth it. Remodeled to its original 1928-era look, Joe’s Café is ready for Fiesta!

Goleta Welcomes Mediterranean Café: Mediterra, a local ethnic market near Sizzler in Goleta, has expanded its offerings to include a full Mediterranean Café that specializes in Turkish cuisine, coffee and tea. Founded by Nell Demir and Julia Komili, the new café, open 11am-2pm Mon-Sat, also serves Armenian, Greek and Middle-Eastern food. They decided to add the café because many customers of their popular market wanted to sample the products on the store shelves. All ingredients of the café’s meals (including their popular Greek Gyro) can be purchased right at Mediterra. Each cup of Turkish tea is hand-made using an urn-shaped silver-plated samovar. You can have your Turkish coffee made with a Turkish bean, Greek bean or Lebanese bean, all imported from their respective countries, and all available for sale at the market. 5575 Hollister Ave, Goleta. (805) 696-9323

Trivia Of The Day: Borders bookstores uses Seattle's Best as their in-house coffee shop. Barnes & Noble instead uses Starbucks to deliver their java. However, which ever chain you decide to use as the source of your next steaming latte, your money ends up in the same bank account. Starbucks acquired Seattle's Best in 2003.

Monday, July 30, 2007

Chili Town Coming To Milpas: Reader Aubrey sent me a tip about a new burger place opening at 730 N. Milpas St, the former location of the DogHouse. I spoke with the owner, Mark Abrishami and he said the restaurant will be named Chili Town and will specialize in chili burgers. He expects to be open in about 10 days.

New Yogurt Shop Opening On State: Reader Aubrey also informs me that a new eatery called
Rockin' Yogurt is opening on State St in mid-August.

Dinner With The O's: In 1999, Goleta introduced a meal that caught lots of attention: the $1.50 pup & cup lunch at Costco. Not one to be outdone, Montecito has finally responded with an attention-getting meal of its own: the $50,000 Dinner. On September 8^th 2007, media mogul Oprah Winfrey is lending her support to presidential hopeful Senator Barack Obama by hosting a fundraiser at her East Valley Rd estate. A $50K pledge will win a dinner with Miss Winfrey and the candidate.

Update: Renaud's Patisserie and Bistro, first announced in this blog July 13th, plans to open by mid-September in Loreto Plaza, says the Santa Barbara News-Press. Owner Renaud Gonthier will offer breakfast & lunch, including traditional French pastries and sandwiches.

Tequila Dinner: Restaurant Zaffiro presents a Patron Spirits Dinner, Aug 1, 7pm. $34.95 per person. Call 968-6201

Undiscovered: The Discovery Store in Paseo Nuevo Mall closed its doors for good yesterday. I walked in just as they were selling the last of their stock at a discount. I enjoyed this store and am sad to see it go. I asked the soon-to-be-unemployed lady at the sales counter if she knew what business will be the next tenant in this space and she didn't know.

Friday, July 27, 2007

Coming Soon: Reader Aubrey tells me that a new burger place is opening at 730 N. Milpas St, the former location of the DogHouse.

Freebirds Sold: The popular Freebirds World Burrito, opened in Isla Vista in 1987 by Mark Orfalea and Pierre Dube, has been sold to Tavistock Restaurants LLC, a private investment company based in Emeryville, CA. Tavistock owns about two dozens cafes and breweries coast to coast, in addition to investments in sports, real estate, biotechnology and financial services. There are seven other Freebirds locations, all in Texas. Tavistock has ambitious plans to expand Freebirds, with a target of 60 new locations over the next five years. Mark Orfalea's cousin, Paul Orfalea, also started a little business in Isla Vista that became very successful. It's called Kinko's.

Ventura Fever: It appears that the hottest thing for a Santa Barbara restaurant to do these days is expand to Ventura. Brophy Bros., a popular seafood restaurant at the Santa Barbara Harbor just opened their second location, this time at the Ventura Harbor. It even has the look and feel of the Santa Barbara location, complete with upstairs outdoor dining and a full bar. The southbound parade continues with Holdren's Steaks & Seafood (2 locations), Cajun Kitchen (7 locations) and Blenders in the Grass (12 locations) all setting up shop in Ventura County in the last 6 months. Even I am guilty of catching Ventura fever. Two years after launching SantaBarbara.com, I started Ventura.com and expanded my restaurant guide to the south.

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

The Birds: Many restaurants with outdoor patios suffer from hungry-bird attacks that would make Alfred Hitchcock proud. The DoubleTree Resort in Santa Barbara, which has several eateries and regular outdoor wedding buffets, has come up with a solution; they hired Stephanie Sayre at Sky Patrol. Sky Patrol is owned by Tony Sufferdini of Simi Valley. Stephanie wanders the premises with an Auger Hawk from Africa named "Arrow", a Saker Falcon (also from Africa) named "Clint", and a Tawny Owl from Europe named "Groovy." They are perched on her leather glove to scare away birds and it works – I saw it first hand. Sparrows & seagulls, a common nuisance at the resort, take one look at these predators and disappear. With humans, Stephanie's birds have the opposite effect - they draw a crowd! I took pictures of Stephanie holding Arrow the Hawk (photo) and Groovy the Owl (photo 1, photo 2). The birds are on duty at the DoubleTree Resort Fri-Sun through Labor Day.

Speaking Of The DoubleTree: Today I added Cafe Los Arcos to the restaurant guide. Cafe Los Arcos is an American restaurant located inside the DoubleTree Resort and is open every day 6:30am-10pm.

New Mediterranean Cafe in Goleta: Reader Foodie Dan let me know that a new restaurant Mediterra Cafe & Market has opened near Sizzler in Goleta. I have now added it to the guide. Owner Nell Demir tells me they are open for lunch Mon-Sat and that they offer "delicious Italian, Greek, Turkish. Armenian, Iranian, Kosher specialties and imported gift items."

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Greek Festival 2007: Be Greek for the weekend! This Saturday & Sunday mark the 34th year that members of the St. Barbara Orthodox Church bring a little bit of Greece to the South Coast. Perennially voted “Best Festival” in local polls, Santa Barbarans return each year to enjoy an entire weekend of authentic Greek food, live music and traditional folk dancing. Festivities run 11am-7pm July 28 & 29 at Oak Park. Admission is free.

Outdoor Dinner & Movie: Enjoy dinner & a movie under the stars at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club in Carpinteria. On Friday, July 27th, in addition the summer dinner buffet (7:30pm), the club will be playing the movie “Flicka” with outdoor seating (8:30pm). Adults $27, kids under 12 $17. RSVP 684-6683

Weekend Brunch: In Montecito, Cava Restaurant & Bar on Coast Village Rd now offers brunch on Saturdays and Sundays 8am-1pm, featuring traditional Mexican & California breakfast specialties.

Free Coffee: Caje at 1007 Casitas Pass Rd in Carpinteria is offering free coffee during July, Mon-Wed 6am-10am.

Tequila Tasting: Friday, July 27, 5pm-7pm enjoy a pre-Fiesta tequila tasting party at the Museum of Natural History. Tickets are $20 if you call 805-682-4711 x110 by Wednesday July 25. Tickets are $25 at the door.

News From Santa Ynez Valley: Every Thursday join Fess & Marcy Parker for an evening sing along at Fess Parker’s Wine Country Inn in Los Olivos. 8:30-10:30pm in the lobby lounge. No cover charge. Call 688-7788. Vineyard House Restaurant in Santa Ynez offers live Jazz music on the outdoor deck 6:30-8:30pm through Sept 26. $2 cover. Call 688-2886. Global Gardens presents free organic food tasting every Saturday at 2902C San Marcos St in Los Olivos, 10am-2pm. Call 693-1600. Los Olivos Cafe presents Teaser Wednesdays with 5 selected wines complimented with hors d’oeuvres, 5-7pm. Cost $15 per person. Call 688-7265. Volare Ristorante in Santa Ynez presents live Jazz from 7-9pm every weekend. Call 693-8072.

Market Research: My three nieces Katy, Victoria & Heather are visiting from Reston, Virginia. Spotting a market research opportunity, I asked them for a restaurant-related idea for my column. Without hesitation, Victoria told me “KFC doesn’t have dessert.” Intrigued by this shocking news, I checked out the KFC in Goleta and, at first glance, it appears she was right - that they don’t offer any dessert. As I looked more carefully at the menu (above the cash register) I finally noticed in small print off to the side, a mention of cake & pudding.

Monday, July 23, 2007

Black & Blue Ball: I attended the Black & Blue Ball at the Doubletree resort yesterday along with about 1000 other extremely happy locals. All monies raised at this event benefit the local chapter of the Muscular Dystrophy Association. I have put online pictures and a movie from the event.

Did He Order The King Crab?: The reigning monarch of Jordan, King Abdullah II was seen driving a Harley-Davidson motorcycle last Thursday with his son and 11 friends (not to mention a fleet of U.S. Secret Service agents) along Stearns Wharf to dine at the Harbor Restaurant. His Santa Barbara stop is part of motorcycle trip down the coast of California.

Free Ice Cream for Donors: The United Blood Services of the Central Coast, in conjunction with Cold Stone Creamery, has launched a "Pint for Pint" campaign. You receive a pint of ice cream with each pint of blood donated.  A donation center will be setup in Carpinteria on August 8, from 7:30am - 11am at Pacific Scientific, 6348 Rose Ave. You can redeem your ice cream certificate at any Cold Stone Creamery including the location on State Street and on Calle Real in Goleta.

Friday, July 20, 2007

New Weekend Brunch: Starting this weekend, Zaffiro Restaurant begins serving brunch on Saturdays and Sundays, 10am-2pm. Take a sneak peek at their new brunch menu.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

The Habit Opening Near La Cumbre Plaza: The Habit will open in February 2008 at 3890 La Cumbre Plaza Lane, the former location of Kayser Nutrition, behind Vons. The Habit first opened in the late 1960's as the "Hamburger Habit" in Isla Vista and Goleta. The current owners, brothers Bruce and Brent Reichard, purchased the Habit in 1980 and have since expanded to 21 outlets, located in Goleta, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, Sacramento and Davis.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Monte Cristo: As a follow-up to my July 3 & 12 blogs, reader Maritza and reader Fran both sent emails letting me know that A Capella Restaurant on Bath St also sells the Monte Cristo sandwich. A Monte Cristo sandwich consists of ham, turkey, and Swiss cheese between two slices of bread, soaked in an egg-based batter and grilled or deep-fried. The sandwich is often served with fresh fruit or with maple syrup on the side.

Breakfast Burritos: Reader Aubrey asked me to ask you which restaurant serves the best breakfast burrito. Please email me with your opinion!

• Reader Margie suggests Longhorn Coffee Shop in Santa Ynez
• Reader Darrol says The 805 Deli is the "best in town by far". Lito's on Haley is next on his list.
• Reader Lemonjelly suggests Metropulos, with bacon and a dollop of sour cream, no salsa!
• Reader Lemonjelly also tells me that The Cantina in I.V. is very popular with students.
• Reader Huyen says D'Vine Cafe has a wonderful breakfast burrito..the veggie one is great and you can add meat to kick it up a notch.
• Reader Brandon says that he biggest are definitely at the Mesa Super Cucas and El Sitio on de la Vina location are great. Smallish and a little overpriced, the breakfast burrito at Daily Grind is very tasty. Rose cafe's chorizo is killer, though again, the burritos are a little small.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Steak Patrol: Today I launch a special review page called the Steak Patrol that compares top steak restaurants throughout Santa Barbara County. The guide includes a steak tutorial and a “meat map.” I am proud to introduce steak expert and talented writer Patrick Gilliland as the lead reviewer. Patrick has an incredible depth of knowledge about the proper preparation and serving of a good steak dinner. We have already visited 8 restaurants since May. We review only the best places, and the ratings range from A- to AAA+. The Steak Patrol page reviews only the Filet Mignon (to have a common point of comparison) and the final rating does not put much emphasis on the quality of side dishes or the service. It’s all about the beef.

Monday, July 16, 2007

Holdren's 2.0: The hugely popular Holdren's Steaks & Seafood has opened their second restaurant, this time at 1714A Newbury Rd, in Thousand Oaks (805-498-1314). It is a beautiful place complete with Captain's wine room and a replica of the bar in Santa Barbara they had custom made. I ate at the new location last Friday night and took some pictures with my cell phone (click here to see outside, inside). Everything was outstanding, from the delicious grilled shrimp cocktail and roasted red pepper soup, to the absolutely perfect prime rib with garlic mash potatoes. The place was packed and the cozy ambience of the Santa Barbara location was artfully replicated. I had an enjoyable conversation with the manager Blake and he told me that they have received many inquiries from visiting patrons to have Holdren's open additional locations, including Las Vegas, Palm Springs, San Diego and San Francisco. No new locations are currently planned but they would like to eventually have a fleet of 10 Holdren's restaurants throughout the west.

Thank You Fire Crew: Richard Klingman at the Los Olivos Grocery has started a fund to pay for food and various needs for the fire crews battling the Zaca fire. The people of Santa Ynez Valley have come together and have been generously contributing to the fund.

Fiesta Wine Tasting At Sunken Gardens: Elements Restaurant & Bar is hosting their second-annual Old Spanish Days wine tasting event at the Santa Barbara Courthouse. Elements chef and co-owner, Paul Becking will create hors d’oeuvres paired with wines from over 30 wineries. The event occurs July 28th from 4pm-7pm. Elements will also host a separate pre-event reception that includes a rare-reserve tasting, with foods paired to the reserve wines, at the restaurant (located across the street from the Courthouse) from 2:30pm-4pm. Wine tasting list includes ABC, Qupe, Ethan, Kunin, Westerly, Alma Rosa, Rusack, Carhartt, Stolpman, Zaca Mesa, Consilience, Jaffurs, Carr, Babcock, Melville, Arcadian, Sunstone, Palmina, Summerland, Longoria, Whitcraft and Star Lane. General event tickets cost $65. To include the pre-event rare-reserve reception, price is $80. Contact ticket agency at 963-4408 or visit ElementsRestaurantAndBar.com.

Brewmaster Dinner At Zaffiro: Chef Amy McNelis creates a delicious four-course meal, paired with Firestone beers. Thursday July 19 at 7pm. Reservations required. Call Zaffiro Restaurant at 805-968-6201.

Friday, July 13, 2007

Coming Soon: Reader Foodie Dan tells me that he has noticed a business name application for Renaud's Patisserie and Bistro at 3315 State St. This is the location of recently-closed Italian Bakery, next to Harry's in Loreto Plaza.

Late At Longboards: Longboards Grill on Stearns Wharf has expanded their hours to be open late every night. They now close at 11pm Sun-Thu and are open until midnight on Fri-Sat.

California Wine Festival: Located on the sea side of Chase Palm Park, over 70 wineries will pour 200 different wines at this year's "Reds, Whites and Blues" seaside Wine Fest. Admission includes complimentary souvenir festival glass, gourmet food samples from over 20 booths, souvenir program, unlimited wine tasting and live blues entertainment. Participants will also have the opportunity to bid on large-format magnum wines, luxury wine tasting weekends in Napa and more. Saturday, July 21st, 1-4pm. General admission $65.

Jazz Dinner At SOhO: On Monday, July 23rd, 8pm another Jazz Society dinner at SOhO will feature Sara Gazarek. SOhO says: “Championed by some of music’s most celebrated figures, Sara Gazarek has emerged as a strikingly original artist with limitless potential. Blessed with a gorgeous, translucent voice, excellent pitch, and supple sense of time, Gazarek is steeped in the jazz tradition, but is not afraid to embrace the music that moves her generation.” Call for reservations (805) 962-7776

Remote Control: I wrote Monday's Al Steinman news clip from my Treo 700wxi cell phone while driving on the 101 freeway to a campground at Montana de Oro state beach. I sent the last-minute story to the Santa Barbara Daily Sound (where I write a column every Tuesday) as I was driving past the beautiful Shell Beach. A little while later, from my tent at the campground, I used this glorious gadget to remotely control my home desktop computer, with complete screen, mouse & keyboard access. With my "virtual" presence in Santa Barbara established, I posted the same story to this online blog from my cell phone. I love technology! I just got back (for real, not virtually) and have received confirmation that Moby Dick's hugely-popular Al Steinman has indeed retired. He will be missed.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Counting Monte Cristo: Speaking of polls, last week reader Danny inquired about places that serve a Monte Cristo sandwich. I put the question into my blog and received several responses. Reader Christine suggested the Bit O' Denmark restaurant in Solvang. Reader Margie suggests Garrett's on State St and Pea Soup Andersens in Buellton. Reader Justine said that Garrett's sandwich is different from the classic in that they put egg in it. Justine also said that she saw the Monte Cristo sandwich on the menu at Beachbreak Cafe on lower State St. We'll consider this poll completed!

Fiesta Wine Tasting: Elements Restaurant & Bar is hosting their second-annual Old Spanish Days wine tasting event at the the Santa Barbara Courthouse. There will be hors d’oeuvres paired with wines from over 30 wineries. The event occurs July 28th from 4pm-7pm. For more information, contact 963-4408.

Jazz Dinner at SOhO: Nate Birkey, Wednesday, July 18th, 8:30pm. SOhO says: "Nate Birkey's quiet but intense demeanor typifies an artist restlessly pursuing the evolution of his own musical personality. As composer, trumpeter and vocalist, he imbues warmth and broiling energy into his music, as heard in his most recent CD release." Dinner reservations ensure priority seating. Call for reservations (805) 962-7776

No News Is Good News: I read in the Coastal View business notices section that the popular Xanadu Bakery in Montecito was abandoning their name. I called them to confirm and was told their was a "legal mishap" but that the problem was resolved and their name will remain "Xanadu Bakery."

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Attention Night Owls: Not everybody has breakfast in the morning, lunch in the afternoon and dinner in the early evening. Some people find themselves awake in the middle of the night, hungry and no where to go. For those deprived souls who feel like munching on a pre-dawn donut or perhaps an after-nightclub snack at 2:30am, I have compiled a list of all the local fresh food locations open 24-hours a day: Carrow's, Denny's - Goleta, Denny's - Santa Barbara, Freebirds World Burrito, Jack in the Box - Goleta, Jack in the Box - Milpas, McDonald's - Fairview, Spudnuts - Downtown and Winchell's Donuts. Note to students: Super Cuca's in Isla Vista is also open 24-hours on Fridays and Saturdays.

Monday, July 9, 2007

Where's Al?: I have heard from two people that Moby Dick's famous Al Steinman is no longer with the restaurant and that all his Sinatra memorabilia and life size photo are gone. I called the restaurant and they say he is on "vacation." What's the scoop Santa Barbara?

Black & Blue Ball: One of my duties as committee member and webmaster for the Muscular Dystrophy Association's annual Black & Blue Ball, is to help get the word out. Voted the “Best Charity Event” by the Santa Barbara Independent Reader’s Poll, the Black & Blue Ball occurs on July 22nd at the Fess Parker’s Doubletree Resort. With 1200 expected attendees and entertainment by music legend Edgar Winter, you should get your tickets soon. Brought to you by the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, the BBB sells out every year. Local food-industry businesses sponsoring this year’s event include 31 West, Albertsons, Bay Cafe, California Pizza Kitchen, Caribbean Coffee Co., Chef Karim's, El Torito, La Dolce Vita, Lettuce B. Frank, Restaurant NU, Rodney's Steakhouse, SB Olive Company, Trader Joes, Woody's BBQ, Zaffiro and Zelo. Visit the official web site at BlackAndBlueBall.com.

Fish Market: The Bay Cafe new Fish Market is now open at 131 Anacapa Street and has the same hours as the restaurant (Mon-Sun 11am-9pm). There is a live lobster tank and plenty of local catch including thresher shark, halibut, sea bass & red snapper. They also have seafood flown in from Japan including hamachi (yellowtail), ahi tuna, flying fish roe and seaweed salads. The Bay Café’s new Fish Market even has all the stuff you need to make your own sushi including seaweed, rice, ginger, wasabi, rolling mats and a wide selection of sake.

French Festival: The 20^th annual French Festival is the place you should be this weekend (July 14 & 15, 11am-7pm). Taking place at Santa Barbara’s Oak Park, it is the largest French celebration in the Western United States and admission is free. Dozens of chefs prepare fine French food ... everything from crêpes to quiche, from café au lait to decadent desserts and pastries. There is non-stop entertainment on three stages: Cancan, Edith Piaf, Maurice Chevalier, Josephine Baker, Hot jazz a la Django Reinhart, Grand opera, French Tahitian dance and Moroccan belly dance. Sunday afternoon is the famous Poodle Parade under the festival's huge Eiffel Tower. Local eateries participating at the French Festival include Le Bon Cafe and Pacific Crepes. For more information call 805-564-7274 or go to FrenchFestival.com.

New Ownership At Barcliff & Bair: Shelley Shoemaker and David Bozzini are the new owners of Barcliff & Bair at 1112 State Street in La Arcada. I am told that they bought the business when best-friends (and co-owners) of the restaurant, Connie Barcliff and Alicia Bair, felt it was time for a change. Shoemaker grew up in a "hotel family" that owned hotels where customer service is everything. At Barcliff and Bair they invested in the menu, updating it with daily specials, fresh lemonade, soups, salads, sandwiches and now have extended afternoon hours on weekends. Additionally, they now offer a champagne mimosa service that features fresh strawberries, chocolate of the day, half or whole bottles of vueve cliquot and a carafe of orange juice.

Vons Boutique: Vons Market in Montecito, first opened in 1968, will be undergoing a major remodel beginning in 2008. It will be redesigned as a Vons “Lifestyle” Store in the same fashion as Fairview Vons in Goleta, including upscale amenities, new floors and big selection of organic produce. Look out Lazy Acres!

Restaurant Of The Month: Baja Fresh in Goleta is SantaBarbara.com’s “Restaurant of the Month” for July. To say that I am a frequent patron is an understatement. I order the same lunch here nearly every day (2 Baja-style chicken tacos and a small drink). Managers Patricia, Juan and Jose no longer ask for my order; they just punch it into the register when I get to the front of the line. Here’s a tip: on Mondays, with your order of a meal, they give you a coupon for a free taco ($2 value).

Friday, July 6, 2007

Fun Fourth: I am back in town from my annual 4th of July pilgrimage to Newport Beach, CA. Man, my inbox is packed with more than 50 restaurant guide-related inquiries! Didn't anyone else take a vacation? :)

Downtown Wine Trolley Tour: From 11am-3pm this Sunday, July 8th, you can climb aboard a trolley and visit five different wineries. Enjoy wines, gourmet nibbles, and a trolley ride! Trolley's will run between: Carr Winery, Jaffurs Wine Cellars, Margerum Wine Company, Oreana Winemaking Co. (formerly Cellar205) and Santa Barbara Winery. Tickets are $50. Call 805-963-3633

Adios: Reader Dianne tells me that Cafe La Luz on Chapala Street has closed their doors.

Brunch At The Ranch: Starting this weekend on July 8th, the San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito begins a weekly Sunday Brunch from 10am to 2pm. Price is $45. For more information call 805-565-1700

Five Restaurant Owners Join The Guide: The owners of Arts & Letters Cafe, Caje, Giannfranco's Trattoria, Hollister Brewing Co. and Neighborhood contacted me and have opened control panel accounts. Control panel accounts in the SantaBarbara.com Restaurant Guide are free of charge and allow owners to post responses to public reviews written about their restaurant. They can also enter extended descriptions of their restaurant and information about specials, hours, web site, menus, etc. The total number of restaurant owners that have opened control panel accounts in the guide stands at 95. Welcome aboard!

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Taco Tuesday: One of my responsibilities as a blogger and restaurant columnist for the Daily Sound is doing the hard labor to find you good restaurant deals. Here’s one: New Baja Grill in Camino Real Marketplace offers “Taco Tuesday” from 4pm-9pm every week. Tacos are 2 for 2.50 (chicken, steak, carnitas at half the normal price), 2 for 2.99 beers (Pacifico) and 99 cent sodas. With thousands of starving students living nearby, this place gets packed. Arrive early or late if you want to get a table.

Get Healthy: Tia Yox at Island View Nursery in Carpinteria is offering a free class on how to beat the "sugar blues" and eat healthier. She will also show how to make home-made chocolate. Saturday, July 7 at 11am. Island View Nursery, 3376 Foothill Rd, Carpinteria, 805-684-0324.

Sandwich Search: Reader Danny is searching for any restaurant on the South Coast that serves a Monte Cristo sandwich. If you are able to provide any info for Danny, please send me an email.

• Reader Christine suggests Bit O' Denmark 473 Alisal Rd in Solvang (688-5426) for a good Monte Cristo
• Reader Margie suggests Garrett's and Pea Soup Andersens

Monday, July 2, 2007

Jamba Jamboree: If you would like to win a batch of smoothies and have them delivered to your door, you might be interested in the new Jamba Juice contest running from July 6 to Aug 10. They have a web site JambaFruitfulLiving.com where you can enter the contest. 65 winners will each receive a batch of 25 smoothies delivered to your home/office and 15 winners will each each be awarded $500.

Silver & Gold: Two local restaurants have reached truly amazing milestones. Downey's, opened in 1982 by John & Liz Downey, is celebrating its 25th anniversary in business. Sambo's on the Beach is the original and only remaining site of the once great restaurant chain founded in 1957 by Sam Battistone Sr. and Newell Bohnett. Now in its 50th year, Sambo’s is currently owned and operated by their grandson, Chad Stevens, founder of Chad's Restaurant on Chapala St.

Rumor Of The Day: I have been told there is a rumor running wild in Summerland that Gene Montesano (owner of Lucky's, Tre Lune, D'Angelo's, Bucatini and Joe's Café) may buy the Summerland Market and turn it into a high-end New York-style deli. The Summerland Market closed earlier this year.
 

Friday, June 29, 2007

Dining At The Miramar: The Miramar Hotel in Montecito has been closed since 2000. The current owner, Rick Caruso, will soon tear it down and completely rebuild a "plantation" themed resort, scheduled for opening in 2009. That's a bit far off in the distance, but I thought I would give you a sneak peek into their dining plans. The Montecito Journal reports that the main building of the new Miramar Hotel will house the lobby and the second floor will be the location of their primary dining room. It will seat 120. Breakfast & lunch will be served there in a casual dining experience. At night time, however, it will transform into an upscale dinner restaurant, complete with dim lights and linens. Outside, by the pool, will be a second restaurant, covered by a porch. It will seat 138. A third food option at the new & improved Miramar Hotel will be a snack bar at the beach. And, finally, they may add a malt shop in another area for kids. I grew up next to this hotel and spent my youth at the beach there, running from Jacques, the Miramar's infamous lifeguard/security guard. We used to eat at the "train" that was parked on the property. I am glad to hear the beach will have a real snack bar. It always needed one!

New In The Guide: Today I took a trip downtown and added Fresco Museum Cafe to the restaurant guide. Fresco, located inside the Santa Barbara Museum of Art's gift shop at 1130 State Street, opened on May 26th.

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Food & Fireworks: Hotel Andalucia's 31 West restaurant is offering a 4th of July dinner at their El Cielo rooftop bar. Here is their official promotion: "A Fabulous Fourth: Join us for an extravagant rooftop celebration on Wednesday, July 4th in honor of Independence Day. We're featuring a bountiful BBQ, festive cocktails, and fabulous desserts...all followed by an unparalleled view of Santa Barbara's fireworks. $60 per person. Reservation required. 5:30pm-9:30pm. 31 W. Carrillo Street. Call 805-879-9100"

Speaking of Fireworks: I have finally launched a 4th of July information page. I have run this site for 11 years without any mention of our proud country's Independence Day. There is a reason for my neglect, however. I have lived in Santa Barbara my whole life, but, since the day I was born, I have only experienced one 4th of July in town. Our family has a tradition of spending the 4th of July every year with friends in Newport Beach, CA on the Balboa Peninsula. If someone is interested in volunteering, I could seriously use some pictures of the parade and other 4th festivities to add to SantaBarbara.com. I am never around to take any!

Now Serving Lunch: The popular organic/vegetarian restaurant Spiritland Bistro (230 E. Victoria St) has expanded their menu and is now serving lunch. The new lunch hours are Mon-Fri 11:30am-2pm. SB describes their restaurant as serving "raw, vegan, ethnic, wholesome, organic, living cuisine"

Job Opening: Mondial Santa Barbara Inc. is looking for experienced full-time catering kitchen staff, including nights and weekends. Experience is a must. Please fax a resume to 805-884-0993 or email to peter@mondialsantabarbara.com

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Esau's Returning To Santa Barbara: I have received confirmation from the Carpinteria Esau's that there is a 90% chance that Esau's Cafe, which closed on State Street last year, is planning to reopen in Santa Barbara. The address will be 721 Chapala Street, which is a mixed-use (residential/commercial) building currently under construction, but nearly completed. Esau's triumphant return to paradise is scheduled for October or November.

New Chef At Harbor Restaurant: I have received a tip that David Cecchini, formerly the executive chef with Restaurant NU, will be the new chef at the Harbor Restaurant, starting sometime in July.

Monday, June 25, 2007

The New Joe’s Café: What’s old is new. On July 1st, Santa Barbarans will see something for the first time in decades: the reincarnation of much of the original 1928-era Joe's Cafe. The Montecito Journal reports that Joe's has been completely remodeled, using a 1928 photo of Joe Ferario (with his bar in the background) as the inspiration. Gene Montesano, who also operates Lucky's, Tre Lune, D'Angelo's, Bucatini, bought Joe's Cafe four years ago and is the driving force behind the changes. The booths will have new leather cushions and are designed with a tilted back to be more comfortable. The floor has been removed and replaced with oak. The bar has been completely stripped down to natural wood and includes brass foot rails and hooks for ladies’ purses. Even the front doors are being updated to the original look. Though the  kitchen has been completely remodeled, the most popular items on the menu will remain the same. Owner Gene remarks "I would like Joe’s to have the best food on State Street, and not necessarily the most expensive, but the best." The staff Santa Barbara has come to know and love will all return, including long-time bar tender Frankie Calvillo (38 years of service) and Jim O'Tool (39 years at Joe's). During the first week of July expect an enormous party at Joe's Cafe. For the festivities, burgers might be priced as they were in 1928.

Friday, June 22, 2007

Grinding To A Halt: Reader Rif tells me that the Coffee Grinder on Linden Avenue in Carpinteria has closed their doors. I tried calling their phone number and it is disconnected and their web site is gone too. For a small town, it is sad to see a popular local shop close. Fortunately there are other java options nearby, including the Coffee Bean, that opened last October.

Terrific Tri-Tip: My Tuesday column in the Santa Barbara Daily Sound contained my secrets to barbecuing great tri-tip. Daily Sound reader Ray Gates, who has been cooking tri-tip for over 50 years, passed me some tips about handling the juices. Ray tells me that all meat must rest after being cooked, except if it is a thin hamburger. Apparently, if the meat is allowed to rest, the meat will be naturally juicy. For tri-tip Ray suggests tenting the meat in foil for a good ten minutes before slicing.

Wieners & Wine: For the second year in a row Oreana Winery (205 Anacapa St) will rip the fancy facade off the world of wine and get down to what really matters on hot July afternoons – hot dogs, provided by Lettuce B. Frank. Winemaker Christian Garvin will be offering his newest releases including Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc and sparkling wine. Rock group Holden will perform on a flatbed truck which serves as the impromptu stage. In addition to the food and wine, Telegraph Brewery will be tapping some locally made ales and there are also fun events for the kids. The event starts at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday July 1, and runs until Sundown.

John Scott's Secret Empire: Did you know that many of Santa Barbara's popular restaurants are owned by one company? I discovered this the other night while dining at the Tee-Off. Scottco Hospitality, run by local restaurant guru John Scott, owns and operates the following dining locations: El Paseo Restaurant, Harbor Restaurant, Harry's Plaza Cafe, Kona Ranch House, Longboards Grill and the Tee-Off Restaurant. Not to be content with being the restaurant king in Santa Barbara, Scottco also owns the Scotch & Sirloin in Ventura.

Thursday, June 21, 2007

More Sunset Magazine: Reader Zach Miller pointed out that my June 18 news item about the top 10 seafood restaurants on the west coast (as ranked by Sunset Magazine), failed to mention that the Shoals Restaurant, also made the list. Congrats Shoals! Here is what Sunset had to say: "Hidden inside the Cliff House Inn, north of Ventura, the Shoals serves fine and fresh seafood: sea bass, shrimp, scallops, calamari, and clams, bathed in delicious sauces. The restaurant fills up fast, so make reservations. Just beyond the patio tables lies the surf break of Mussel Shoals; from here on a summer night, you might see the dark forms of dolphins gliding past, backlit by glittering moonlight."

Sting & The Boys: I went to The Police concert last night at Staples Center. It was packed. Though my seats were in the clouds, it was still an excellent show. I took pictures of the crowd and stage with my cell phone. Can you guess which song they were playing when I took this shot? Here is a YouTube video from their recent concert in Vancouver. Towards the end of the show I scanned the crowd with my binoculars to see if I could recognize any celebrities enjoying far better seats than my own. I spotted one: actor Jake Gyllenhaal, standing front row left.

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Visiting Chef's Dinner: The San Ysidro Ranch welcomes Luca Rutigliano from CordeValle, in San Martin, CA, as a guest chef at the Stonehouse Restaurant on June 30th, 2007. Rutigliano will be joining the ranch's regular chef, John Trotta in creating a series of culinary delights, including amuse bouche, fresh herb crusted Ahi tuna sashimi, crispy soft shell crab, polenta dusted filet of sea bream and ranch herb roasted rack of lamb. $85 per person, $135 per person with wine pairings.

And Now For Something Completely Different: In an effort to expand their test marketing, McDonald's has announced that all Santa Barbara locations will be included in a test of the new premium Angus beef burger. The burgers, available now in local restaurants, are seen as a key way McDonald's is working to compete with rivals Burger King, Hardee's and Carl's Jr., who have been selling bigger, premium burgers for several years. The Santa Barbara region is also included in a test of the new Southwest Salad.

Monday, June 18, 2007

Seafood At Sunset: The current issue of Sunset Magazine honors the West Coast's "top ten seafood spots by the sea" and the Endless Summer Bar-Cafe, located at the Santa Barbara Harbor, is included on the elite list. Sunset Magazine says: "Epitomizing the town's casual surfer chic, this harborside gem has surfboards hanging from the ceiling and surf videos scrolling, reminders of the world's perfect waves. And, yes, Bruce Brown, director of the original Endless Summer (1966), eats here. But it's the food that stars: seafood fresh off the docks, transformed via the lightest batter and seasonings into something mouthwatering. Try the popcorn shrimp or the sesame-crusted ahi on a warm spinach salad." The other nine honorees were from California, Oregon, Washington, Victoria B.C. and Hawaii.

Friday, June 15, 2007

Lettuce B. Frank Opens On State: Hot dog, salad and chicken specialists Lettuce B. Frank opened for business today at 413 State Street. Readers who have been following this column know that LBF is brought to you by the founders of the DogHouse on Milpas St, that closed late last year. This time around, their East Coast dogs, though still delicious as ever, are only part of the menu, which includes salads, rotisserie chicken, sliders (mini burgers) and fish & chips. I stopped in and spoke with Vinny (one of the founders) and he told me that everything is made fresh at LBF. They make chili fresh daily, onions are sautéed daily, they hand roll out beef daily, cheesesteaks are sliced daily and the pulled pork is braised 3 or 4 times a week. Everything that is fried is hand-dipped in house-made batter. Vinny tells me that the french fries come from the highest quality Idaho russet potatoes, and that they use zero trans-fat oils. Welcome back guys!

Top Chef Eliminated: As mentioned in this column earlier this week, Clay Bowen, sous-chef at the University Club of Santa Barbara (1332 Santa Barbara St), was selected to compete on the Bravo channel's popular TV show "Top Chef: Season 3." Thousands of chefs from all over the country applied for a chance to compete on the show, taped in Miami Beach last February, and Bowen was one of the elite few to be chosen. Unfortunately Mr. Bowen was eliminated in the first round this week, with his “wild boar chop with a side of scorpion fish and corn bread.” He still had a lot of fun and was glad he did it. The new season of Top Chef can be seen on Wednesdays at 10pm on Bravo TV.

Thursday, June 14, 2007

I Said "NO ANCHOVIES!!!": More than pizza dough was flying at Rusty's Pizza on Cabrillo Blvd last Tuesday evening. Lt. Paul McCaffrey of the Santa Barbara Police Dept reports that "chairs were thrown and knives were drawn" as gang members got out of control. No customers or employees were injured. By the time the SBPD arrived, the gang members, who momentarily turned the parlor into a real-life video game, had fled.

New In The Guide: Today I added two dining locations to the SantaBarbara.com Restaurant Guide. These places have been around for quite awhile: Sandbar and Neighborhood. I didn’t add them sooner because it simply never occurred to me that they offered food, in addition to being a bar. I was walking by both last weekend and saw some very tasty lunches being served (see a picture of fish & chips at Neighborhood), when the eternally dim light bulb floating above my head finally lit up.

Tech Brew: The El Paseo Restaurant will once again be hosting Tech Brew. What is Tech Brew? "It is Santa Barbara's regional premier networking event for high tech professionals, cutting edge entrepreneurs, innovators, business managers & leaders" says founder Dennis Cagan. Date: Monday, June 25, Time: 5pm - 8pm, Price: FREE, No Host Bar, Casual Business Attire, RSVP: alan@smallbizentrepcntr.org, Info: (805) 879-1729

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

State Street Stats: I was browsing through the SantaBarbara.com restaurant database recently and pulled together some statistics for you hungry number crunchers out there. On State Street there are 144 dining locations consisting of: American (31), Coffee (17), Mexican (15), Japanese (11), Italian (10), Burger (7), Pizza (7), Smoothie (7), Ice Cream (5), Bakery (4), Chinese (4), Indian (4), Steakhouse (4), Thai (3), Seafood (4), Brewery (2), Donuts (2), Hot Dogs (2), Markets (2), Argentinean (1), Bagel (1), Danish (1), French (1), Moroccan (1).
   The dining locations span 6 miles from Eladio's (1 State Street) to Eller's Donuts & Thai Food (4317 State Street). With all the recent talk about corporate caffeine invading State Street, no stats would be complete without mention of our friendly java outlets. The highest density of coffee shops (11) is between Starbucks at Cota and Starbucks at Victoria where you can buy a Cuppa Joe approximately every 336 feet.

Top Chef: Clay Bowen, sous-chef at the University Club of Santa Barbara (1332 Santa Barbara St), has been selected to compete on the Bravo channel's popular TV show "Top Chef: Season 3." Thousands of chefs from all over the country applied for a chance to compete on the show, taped in Miami Beach last February, and Bowen was one of the elite few to be chosen. The new of season Top Chef premieres tonight at 10pm on Bravo.

Local Breweries In LA Times: Reader Jonathon Schuhrke informs me that there is an in-depth article in today's Los Angeles Times about the growth of breweries in Santa Barbara County.

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

TV Dinners: Independent columnist Barney Brantingham reports that Giada De Laurentiis, of the Food Network, was in town during Memorial Day weekend. Apparently she dined at Bouchon, Brown Pelican, Elements, Trattoria Grappolo and even stopped to have dessert at McConnell's. Her Santa Barbara visit will air on July 27th as part of the Food Network's "Weekend Getaways" program.

Out & In Burger: Tom Schultz of the Santa Barbara Newsroom (santabarbaranewsroom.com) reports that a Goleta burger icon that went out of business in October 2005, will soon be back in action.  Restaurant owner John Price says he intends to renovate Storke Road Drive Inn (370 Storke Rd), in business under various names since 1966. Price also plans to open the long-closed drive-in window, a feature Santa Barbara County has rarely allowed since 1981. Because the restaurant pre-dates county laws restricting drive-ins, it will be allowed to proceed with that classic feature. Nearby McDonald's, in Camino Real Marketplace, was denied a permit to activate their drive-in window when it opened in 2000. Previous names for the 41 year old diner include "Aloha Restaurant" and "Dairy Delight."

Monday, June 11, 2007

Mama's Bakery: Reader Sam informs me that the Italian Bakery in Goleta is cooking up a new name. The new name will be "Mama's Bakery." Apparently the changeover has already occurred - they just haven't put up a new sign yet.

Friday, June 8, 2007

10,000 Reviews And Counting: Reader Foodie Dan won a SantaBarbara.com Restaurant Guide contest today that honored the person who submits the milestone 10,000th restaurant review. The restaurant guide was launched in 1996 and the review system was added in 2001. Foodie Dan, who tells me he went to extraordinary effort to calculate the exact moment to submit his review, won $600 in dining gift certificates, a $400 ”pile-o-cash” and a plaque commemorating the event. I would like to thank all reviewers who have done such tremendous work and displayed such creativity over the years. Perhaps the next prize should be a Costco Dog bonanza for everyone?

Entertainment Nights: Bricks Cafe (509 State St, 899-8833) now offers nightly entertainment. Mondays: music by Rooster Fish and Lady Blue 7:30pm-9:30pm. Tuesdays: music by Martinez Bros & Alberto Negroni 7:30pm-9:30pm. Wednesdays: Jazz night 8:30pm-10:30pm. Thursdays: Stand-up Comedy night 7:30pm-9:30pp. Tupelo Junction Cafe (1218 State St, 899-3100) offers Bluegrass music every Thursday 5:30pm-7:30pm. Cafe Buenos Aires (1316 State St, 963-0242) offers Tango Wednesdays with live tango musicians and open tango dancing 7pm-9:30pm.

Thursday, June 7, 2007

Esau's Returning To Santa Barbara?: Reader Foodie Dan spotted an application for a new business named "Esau's Cafe" to open at 721 Chapala Street in Santa Barbara. Esau's Cafe - State St closed last year while Esau's Cafe - Carpinteria is alive and well and was recently voted Best Restaurant in Carpinteria.

Spreading The Love: Having been voted Best Pizza by the general public in SantaBarbara.com's 2007 restaurant poll, Pizza Mizza (140 S. Hope Ave, 566-3900) is expanding their popular pie empire to the south. Pizza Mizza now delivers to Summerland and Carpinteria.

Karaoke In Carp: Starting June 13 and running until the end of summer, Giovanni's Pizza (5003 Carpinteria Ave, 684-8288) in Carpinteria is having Karaoke night every Wednesday from 5:30pm-10pm. Hosted by Marty Rosales and Larry Nimmer.

Tuesday, June 5, 2007

Bakeries Merged: The Italian Bakery on Upper State Street in Loreto Plaza has closed its doors and merged with its sister location in Goleta. The Italian Bakery (5342 Hollister Ave, 692-1666) in Goleta will be the combined bakery.

Monday, June 4, 2007

I.V.N.Y.: A new restaurant/deli specializing in wings opened up in Isla Vista last week. New York Buffalo Wings (910 Embarcadero Del Norte, 685-7010) offers five flavors of chicken wings, wraps, subs and healthy salads. Restaurant owner Sam is the same person who owned the previous business at that location, Jerusalem Garden Cafe, which closed last month. I spoke with Sam (a very kind and business savvy gentleman) at the I.V. Deli Mart around the corner (another business he owns), and he told me that New York Buffalo Wings will also be serving an American breakfast. Everything costs less than $10, which is par for the course in student-mecca Isla Vista.

Speaking Of Isla Vista: UCSB students enjoyed another grand opening recently: Pho Bistro (903 Embarcadero Del Norte, 685-3610), which specializes in Vietnamese cuisine, has opened its doors in Halloween Heaven. Check out their menu. Pho Bistro is right next door to the regional caffeine E.R. known as IV Drip.

Friday, June 1, 2007

The Starbucks Diet: Starbucks Corp., which has 13 locations on the South Coast, announced it will replace whole milk with 2 percent for espresso drinks in all of it's North American stores. Drinks will soon be made by default with the lower-fat milk, but customers can still request their cappuccino with whole milk, the company said. Starbucks said that low-fat milk in drinks has become increasingly popular in its stores.

La Salsa Update: It was reported here on May 23rd that Baja Fresh purchased the La Salsa chain. I have received confirmation that La Salsa (3987 State St), in Five Points Shopping Center, will be converted into a Baja Fresh restaurant. Due to the similarity of their menus, the Baja-Salsa change-over should go smoothly, without any panic in the streets.

Thursday, May 31, 2007

Sub Surfaces In Carpinteria: Reader Jonathon Schuhrke was manning the crow's nest when he spotted Rincon Sub (1108 Casitas Pass Rd) in Casitas Plaza. This location was formerly occupied by El Jirasol Subs which recently had a burial at sea. Rincon Sub, which was added to the guide today, is known for their "Tri-Tip Monster Sub" and "Chile Verde Torta" (Mexican sandwich). Owners Tommy & Yolanda Moreno tell me they are having an official grand opening (complete with ribbon cutting) on Friday June 22nd. Festivities, which include live music and prizes, continue that Saturday.

Mollie's Meatballs: The Montecito Journal reports that Mollie Ahlstrand, owner of Trattoria Mollie (1250 Coast Village Rd) in Montecito, and her chef Eduardo Carranza were invited to Palm Beach, Florida to cook for the All Star Celebrity Polo Challenge fundraiser. Mollie was honored with the Star Diamond Award signed by notable chefs Alain Ducasse, Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Le Cirque owner Sirio Maccioni. Mollie spoke about the people who helped make it happen. "I want to thank all my loyal customers for their support," she says. "My family and staff are the best. And finally to Oprah, for making my turkey meatball so well known."

Solstice Fundraiser: Aldo's Italian Restaurant (1031 State St) will donate 10% of food sales to the Summer Solstice Parade fund, when you eat at Aldo's on Tuesdays during June.

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Barbecue Bandit: According to Santa Barbara police spokesman Lt. McCaffrey, officers arrested Lynn Catalina Gutierrez, 22, on suspicion of check forgery after she "purchased" a $140 barbecue meal from the State Street Cafe (440 E. Ortega St). Fortunately the felonious feast was delivered by the State Street Cafe to a residential address, making it relatively easy to locate the culprit again, once the scam was discovered.

Dinner At Esau's: Esau's Cafe, recently voted Best Restaurant in Carpinteria, is known for serving a terrific breakfast and lunch. They have now added dinner to their menu, on Fridays & Saturdays. Their new dinner hours are 5pm-8:30pm and the menu continues their American food tradition, including meatloaf, prime rib, garlic mash potatoes and more.

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Fresco Opening Downtown Location: I was strolling down State Street past the Santa Barbara Museum of Art last Sunday night when I decided to check my email with my Palm Treo 700. There, smiling at me from my inbox, was a tip from reader Tony, telling me that a new restaurant is opening up next to the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.
   I literally stopped dead in my tracks, turned my head to the left and, sure enough, there was a big public notice plastered on a door (see photo). The sign read “Applicant: Brouillards, Inc. License: On-sale Beer & Wine – Eating Place. Business name: Fresco Museum Café. Address: 1130 State Street.”
   Like thousands of other people in town, I am a huge fan of Fresco (I recently ate at Fresco uptown and Fresco at the Beach, on the same day). Fresco Museum Cafe has the potential to turn a relatively sleepy block of State Street into the next dining hotspot. In the tradition of Star Wars (which first hit theaters 30 years ago this week), I just might get my sleeping bag and start camping out so I can be first in line!

Here's Looking At You, Kid: Reader Tony informs me that, after 10 years of faithful service in downtown Santa Barbara, Bogart's Cafe has closed its doors in the La Arcada shopping mall. Apparently it will be replaced by a business (possibly a restaurant) named Petite Valentien. I don’t have any more details than what could be gleaned from papered over windows and the sign telling the name of the new place "coming soon."
  When SantaBarbara.com launched in 1996, its first office was upstairs in La Arcada and, at that time, Bogart’s Cafe was a video rental store named “Bogart’s.” They also had great coffee and great food that I frequented regularly. By the time I left La Arcada, Bogart’s had transformed into one of Santa Barbara’s most popular cafes.

Garden Of Eat'n: The Garden Market on Santa Claus Lane near Carpinteria has expanded its menu and hours in addition to opening a new wine bar. They are now offering early dinners on Fridays and Saturdays until 7pm that includes specially prepared tapas. On Saturdays they will also be featuring entertainment by local musicians. In March the Garden Market added a wine bar. The public is encouraged to sample new wines and can also setup private wine tastings.

Friday, May 25, 2007

Italian Street Painting Festival: Starting today, and continuing throughout Memorial Day weekend, the plaza of the Old Mission will be transformed with 200 colorful, large-scale street paintings created by 400 artists and young people. The artists (madonnari) begin working on Saturday morning of the Memorial Day weekend and continue drawing throughout the three-day festival or until their street paintings are completed. For 25,000 annual visitors, the festival also features live music on the Mission lawn and free evening concerts in the church, authentic Italian cuisine, and a special street painting area for children.

Santa Barbara Wine Festival: The 20th Annual Santa Barbara Wine Festival will be held Saturday, June 30, 2007 from 2:00-5:00PM at the Santa Barbara Natural History Museum, located at 2559 Puesta del Sol Road in Mission Canyon, just beyond the Old Mission. The festival features more than 50 of the best Central Coast wineries, complemented with local restaurants and caterers in a spectacular setting along the beautiful, oak-shaded Mission Creek. In addition, savvy experts present on topics such as cooking with Central Coast wines and pairing wine with food.

Get Paid To Eat: Now that's MY kind of job! Craig Smith, creator of the popular Craig Smith's Blog is reporting today that the Santa Barbara News-Press has a freelance job opening for a restaurant critic. The ideal candidate will have "journalism experience and a food or restaurant background." One article will be published each week, for $125, which includes dining expenses. Respond to Keri Bradford, Arts & Entertainment Editor, at kbradford@newspress.com.

Good Deed Of The Day: This week, El Torito (29 E. Cabrillo Blvd) provided meeting space and free delicious hors d'oeuvres for the Black & Blue Ball committee (I'm a member) which puts on an annual fundraiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Whenever I see a restaurant go out of their way for charity, expect a nice plug here! You will soon see a lot of plugs on this site for the Black & Blue Ball charity event, which occurs July 22, 2007 at the DoubleTree.

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Baja Fresh To Buy La Salsa: This information has not even made the papers yet, or the web for that matter (until now). I received an insider tip that the two Mexican food empires are planning to combine. It is not clear to me what the direct result of that will be. There are two local Baja Fresh locations: Baja Fresh - Goleta and Baja Fresh - Upper State. Perhaps La Salsa - Five Points Center will become a Baja Fresh? Your guess is as good as mine. I did notice that Baja Fresh recently started serving mango salsa, which, until now, was only available at La Salsa. That should have been my first clue of the pending merger!

Monday, May 21, 2007

Restaurant Marcella Update: Apparently Fess Parker did not buy Wine Cask - Los Olivos as reported here earlier. Wine Cask was a tenant in Mr. Parker's hotel in Los Olivos and he did not renew their lease. He will be opening his own dining location, called Restaurant Marcella, in its place.

Stellar Experience: Last Saturday night, a rare celestial event occurred when two bright lights in the night sky (Venus and the moon) came together, within 1 arc of each other (see my photo). Things also came together in spectacular fashion that night at the Hollister Brewing Company. I wanted to try out their new Hollister Burger and, when I arrived, I encountered a packed house (see photo) of locals entertaining a similar idea.
   While I was waiting to dine, I counted 84 people inside, 26 people on the patio and 12 people in line. Much to my surprise, the first thing I noticed was families with small kids having dinner at Hollister. I expected the place to be full of drunk UCSB students, but this was definitely not the case. Hollister has a good mix of singles and families, and, that night, ages ranged from 3 to 65. I noted that about 20% of the customers were college age.
  As promised by the hostess, I was sitting at a table within 15 minutes. Service was also good, considering the galaxy of customers in the building and I was munching on my burger 16 minutes after ordering. Though I ordered a medium burger and it arrived well-done, it was still very delicious. The bread they use is soft and delicate and does not overwhelm the beef. The service was great and the whole operation seemed to be running smoothly even though the place was busting at the seams with customers.
  The owner, Larry Kreider, who also founded the Santa Barbara Brewing Company, told me that the mix of people (age range, families, singles) that have come to dine at Hollister is exactly what they had hoped for. And they have already had to brew new beer 17 times since opening, to keep up with demand. Unlike many brewing companies, the locally owned and operated Hollister Brewing Company creates their beer onsite.
   Larry gave me a tour of the brewery (see photo) and explained to me how the whole brewing process works. What was especially amazing to me was the fact that the taps at the dining room bar are connected directly to the brewery (see photo). Basically you've got water, malt, hops and yeast brewing at one end of the room and refrigerated taps filling beer mugs at the other.
   The Hollister Brewing Company is a well-thought-out and well-executed operation that is a welcome and valuable addition to Goleta. The stars have shined on The Good Land.

The Name Game: This is the fifth column in a series about food locations in far away cities that have been given names that you will find very familiar. When visiting New York City, I recommend you see the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty and Times Square. And, if you happen to be on 12th St, don't forget to stop by Santa Barbara Deli Superette (551 E 12th St, NY, NY) and stock up on groceries. If for some reason they don't have just what you are looking for, you can always head over to Santa Barbara Deli Grocery (2499 Boston Rd, Bronx, NY) which has a dependable selection of food essentials. Tell them John sent you!

Friday, May 18, 2007

Joe's Closed: I was walking on State St last night went I felt that something was amiss. I realized there wasn't the usual hustle & bustle going on in front of Joe's Cafe (536 State St). It was closed! I quickly walked over to check out what was going on. My fears that Joe's had been replaced by yet another cell phone outlet were quickly displaced as I read, with great relief, a sign that said "closed for remodeling." I called their answering machine and the voice mail says they are reopening July 1st, 2007.

New Restaurant On De La Guerra?: Speaking of reading signs, I spotted an official-looking notice posted on a building on De La Guerra St (west of Paseo Nuevo Mall). It appears a new restaurant (or perhaps a bar) named Saffron will be opening in that location. The sign says "Public notice of application to sell alcoholic beverages. Type of license: on-sale beer & wine, eating place. Name: Saffron, 113 W. De La Guerra St." The sign was dated March 19, 2007. Glancing in the window, I could tell the remodeling of that location had not yet begun, so it will probably be a few months before they open.

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Rodney's Tops in 2007 Zagat Survey: Rodney's Steakhouse (633 E. Cabrillo Blvd) at Fess Parker's Doubletree Resort, has been awarded high ratings from the Zagat Survey that separately rates the qualities of a restaurant (Food, Decor, Service) based on a 30-point scale. Rodney's ratings of 27-Food, 24-Décor and 23-Service; mark it as one of the top restaurants in Santa Barbara.
   The recently released ratings report says :A "find" in Santa Barbara, this "surprisingly good" steakhouse in Fess Parker's Doubletree Resort delivers "fantastic" steaks, "delicious" desserts, and an "extensive menu of drinks"; a "carefully overseen" staff shows that it "cares" about its customers in the "well lit" art deco setting.

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Jake's Does Breakfast: Reader Dianne passed me a tip that Jake's Cottage Cuisine Cafe (2911 De La Vina St) is now open . I spoke with Jake and he was a very nice guy with a lot of restaurant experience. While I was there he personally met with each of his customers to be sure everything was just right.
   The main focus of Jake’s is serving breakfast, including omelets and quiche. They are serving breakfast and lunch seven days a week, 7am-3pm, in addition to espresso drinks and fresh baked goods provided by Anna's Bakery. The original plan was to be closed Mondays but the positive response from the public will keep Mondays open too. On Sundays, Jake's will have a buffet.
   Here's a secret (shhhhh...): when ordering your meal, add the words A-Plenty  (for example, "scrambled eggs-a-plenty") and Jake's will greatly increase the size of the meal, at no extra cost. For more information, check out Jake's menu: side 1, side 2.

Brewmaster Dinners and Tequila Dinner: New Belgium Brewing Company and their popular Fat Tire Amber Ale takes center stage at Zaffiro Restaurant in Goleta in June. Chef Amy McNelis will team up with Fat Tire to create a special four-course menu, pairing her foods with the popular New Belgium brew on June 21, 2007, beginning at 7:00 pm. “Our previous three monthly Brewmaster dinners have been sell-outs,” explained McNelis. “I’m excited to work with the New Belgium Brewing Company for our next special event.”
   On July 19, 2007, David Walker from Firestone Walker Brewing Company is the featured guest at Zaffiro, pairing the local Firestone brew with Zaffiro’s four-course menu.
   In celebration of Santa Barbara’s traditional Fiesta , Zaffiro welcomes Patron Tequila to the Goleta restaurant for a special dinner on August 1, 2007. “Many dishes can be created with a tequila influence,” explained McNelis. “It will be fun matching flavors with Patron.” Reservations are required for the specialty dinners by calling the restaurant at 805-968-6201. The cost is $34.95 per person, not including tax and gratuity.

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Fess Parker Opening Restaurant Marcella: Reader Alan let me know that changes were happening in the Santa Ynez Valley at Wine Cask - Los Olivos. Fess Parker did not renew the lease for Wine Cask - Los Olivos and will be opening his own restaurant named Restaurant Marcella. Right now they are in the process of updating the decor and menu.

As If You Care: I celebrated my birthday over the weekend by BBQing tri-tip for 80 people in my backyard. I have discovered an amazing sauce for tri-tip that everyone was raving about. Just before you cook the tri-tip, rub in some "Suzie Q's Santa Maria Seasoning" (available at Costco). This seasoning consists of salt, pepper, garlic, parsley and sugar. Generously rub the powder into both sides. Cook the tri-tip medium-rare to medium, on a BBQ, on low flame, for about an hour.
   Be sure to use a professional high-quality knife (and not that beat up old knife sitting in your drawer). Sharpen just before use and cut the meat cross-grain, in the thinnest slices you can possibly achieve (thin slices are only possible with a good knife). Cross-grain cutting makes the meat much more tender to chew. Chop the whole tri-tip in half (with the grain) before slicing so each piece is smaller.  As you chop it up, save the juices and pour them back on top of the meat in the serving tray.
   I have found that really large tri-tips are hard to cook all the way through, and don't taste as good. Costco seems to get this right too. Their tri-tips are just the right size and have all the fat removed. When someone asks you how you made this amazing meal, tell them it's your Uncle John's secret recipe.

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

K9 Update: The hotdog, salad & chicken restaurant Lettuce B. Frank, brought to you by Tony & Vinny (former owners of the DogHouse), is scheduled to open in early June at 411 State St. For those of you who can't wait that long, take a sneak peek at their menu.

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Stateside On State: In the La Arcada shopping mall, at the location formerly occupied by Acapulco restaurant will be a new dining hotspot called Stateside (1114 State St). It will serve American-Asian food and have live entertainment at night, in a lounge atmosphere. It should be opening late summer or early fall.

Dessert Alert: At the end of next week, Zaffiro restaurant, in Camino Real Marketplace, is adding a dessert bar that will be open until midnight. It will be the only dessert bar in the area where you can go after dinner or late at night and get some dessert, coffee, espresso, after dinner drinks etc. Speaking of Zaffiro, they will also be starting a brunch at the end of this month or beginning of June. Details coming soon!

Four Restaurant Owners Join The Guide: The owners of Szechuan Restaurant, Whale Tail Deli, Barcliff & Bair and Quantum Kitchen & Cocktails contacted me and have opened control panel accounts. Control panel accounts in the SantaBarbara.com Restaurant Guide, which are free of charge, allow owners to post responses to public reviews written about their restaurant. They can also enter extended descriptions of their restaurant and information about specials, hours, web site, menus, etc. The total number of restaurant owners that have joined the guide stands at 90. Welcome aboard!

Monday, May 7, 2007

Hollister Brewing Co. Opens In Goleta: Camino Real Marketplace just got a little bit happier. Hollister Brewing Company opened today, next to Borders, in the former location of now-closed Camino Real Cafe. Hours are 7 days a week, 11am-11pm. I spoke with the manager Larry and he gave me the inside scoop. Unlike many brewing companies that don’t actually make beer onsite, Hollister has five large fermenters and six serving tanks that will brew about a dozen different types of beer right on the premises. But it’s not all about the beer. Hollister Brewing Co. also wants to be known for great food. Larry really emphasized to me how they are going to great lengths to build a reputation for serving fresh, high quality meals. Their menu offers appetizers, paninis, pizza, soups, salads, a variety of sandwiches and local wines by the glass or bottle. I hereby officially predict that their Hollister Burger (hand ground & formed Masami Kobi beef, cooked to order) will become the burger-lover's talk of the town.

Downtown Brewing Co. Opens On Upper State: Reader Tony let me know that yesterday another brewing company opened to the public. The Downtown Brewing Company, which has locations in San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles, has food, pool, lots of TV's and, of course, plenty of brew. Their brewmaster, Steve Courier, has won several awards in connection with his work at the SLO Brew location and is nationally recognized for his brewing skills. Their beer list includes Lager, Honey Blonde Ale, Pale Ale, Amber Ale, India Pale Ale, Wheat, Blueberry Ale, Double Blonde, Irish Stout, Oatmeal Stout, ESB and Hemp Ale. In case you are wondering why an uptown Santa Barbara brewco would name themselves "Downtown," it is because their flagship brewery is located in "downtown" San Luis Obispo.

Thursday, May 3, 2007

They Should Just Call It "Water": Here is a tip for those of you, who, like myself, enjoy caffeine-free diet colas. I used to think it was impossible to find a restaurant that serves caffeine-free Diet Coke on tap in Santa Barbara. Every place sells Sprite, lemonade, etc, but a caffeine-free diet coke? No chance. Starting this week, however, Baja Fresh - Goleta and Baja Fresh - Santa Barbara switched from Pepsi to Coke and now offer caffeine-free Diet Coke, on tap. I believe they are the only place in town that offers this.

Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Brewmaster Dinner: Amy McNelis, Chef of Zaffiro Restaurant in Goleta is teaming up with Brian Thompson, Brewmaster of Santa Barbara’s Telegraph Brewing Company for another special evening of fine Italian cuisine being paired with award-winning microbrews. The May 9 event at Zaffiro will be the third in a series of Brewmaster Dinners that have been sellouts for the Italian eatery located in the Camino Real Marketplace in Goleta. Brewmaster Dinners at Zaffiro are $34.95 per person, not including tax and gratuity. Seating is limited and advanced reservations are required by calling 805-968-6201.

Epiphany Opening New Wine Bar: Celebrating six years in business on June 12, Epiphany is now in the construction phase of opening a new wine bar in Montecito that is currently scheduled to debut this July. It will be called Sesto Senso wine and carpaccio bar. (www.sestosensoca.com) They will feature a large selection of wine by the glass (focus is local, California and some imports) and their carpaccio bar will feature carpaccio's, charcutterie, artisinal cheese, caviar, shellfish, light appetizers and then homemade chocolates for dessert.

Good Deed Of The Day: Last week Restaurant Nu provided meeting space and free delicious hors d'oeuvres for the Black & Blue Ball committee (I'm a member) which puts on an annual fundraiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Whenever I see a restaurant go out of their way for charity, expect a nice plug here!

Happy Holidays: Last week SantaBarbara.com had our Christmas party, which we have each year at the Palace Grill. Christmas party in April? Let me explain. Last Christmas my holiday plans were thrown out the window when, starting December 12th, I ended up playing Santa Claus to kids who were dialing my phone number by mistake. Somehow the story ended up on national news. With the ensuing media circus and my phone ringing off the hook, I dropped everything for two weeks, including our Christmas party. Shari Falter, who wrote much of the content on SantaBarbara.com, happened to be in town last week so I gathered up my friends and finally threw our annual Christmas bash. The Palace Grill staff kindly played right along with it and owners Michael and Sandy DeRousse even came over and had a nice chat with us. Much to our surprise, they brought out an artwork made out of chocolate as our dessert, created by their talented in-house chocolate artist Sheryl. Below is a picture of this mocha-masterpiece, complete with chocolate Mission, sailboats & Stearns Wharf. I highly recommend the Palace Grill for all festive occasions.

Monday, April 30, 2007

Grand Re-Opening: The Bay Cafe reopens to the public on today. After closing last year, the restaurant has new ownership, new management and new energy to welcome Santa Barbara back! In addition to the restaurant, they are opening a wine bar inside the main building. Just outside the main building, in June, they are planning to open a new fresh fish market and gourmet store.

Ocean Views: Today I launch a new Ocean Views page that is designed to help tourists find a restaurant to dine at while enjoying great ocean views. For each restaurant listed on the page, I have included an aerial photo, an exterior photo and an interior/close-up shot. This new listing replaces the "By The Beach" page which has been retired.

Friday, April 27, 2007

The Cat Comes Home: Reader Jonathan alerted me to the arrival of The Hungry Cat, a new restaurant that just opened at 1134 Chapala St, which used to be the home of the now-closed L'ombretta. From looking at their web site, it appears they have another location in Hollywood and offer a lot of seafood options in the $15-$25 range. Welcome to Santa Barbara Hungry Cat!

Thursday, April 26, 2007

McBrophy's: I just found out that a rumor about Brophy's becoming a McDonald's has been spreading around town like wildfire. I am to blame for this one. On April 1st, I added an April Fools joke to this column, detailing how Brophy Bros. will be replaced by "McDonald's at the Harbor" that will have "the best view of any McDonald's in the country" and will be using "local catch for their filet-o-fish." Just below that fish story was an April Fools disclaimer, that apparently nobody read. D'Oh!!!

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Extra! Extra!: Starting today, this column will also appear in print in the Santa Barbara Daily Sound, a daily newspaper that specializes in comprehensive local news. The column will appear every Tuesday. You can also read the Santa Barbara Daily Sound on the web at www.dailysoundonline.com

My Mi-steak: It turns out the information I received previously about Ruth's Chris Steakhouse coming to downtown Santa Barbara was incorrect. Ruth's Chris will be opening in La Cumbre Plaza. The eatery will be replacing the woman's clothing store "Express" - near the middle of La Cumbre Plaza. The official address will be 3815 State St. I called La Cumbre Plaza corporate headquarters and they said Ruth's Chris will be opening mid-November 2007.

Speaking Of La Cumbre Plaza: Another eatery coming soon to our friendly uptown shopping mall is Marmalade Cafe. This is an upscale dining chain that has quality food and a very rustic and home-like decor. It is replacing the now-closed Red Robin. I called La Cumbre Plaza corporate headquarters (and Marmalade Cafe corporate headquarters) and was told that it should open late October/early November 2007. The official address will be 3825 State St.

Low Down on Downtown: I spoke with the manager at the Downtown Brewing Company that will be opening soon at 3744 State St, which used to be the location of the Sandman Bar & Grill. They will be having a "soft" opening next week and an official opening during early May. The original March opening was held up because of typical red tape (inspections, license delays, etc). He said they have had 20-30 people per day stopping by, asking when they are opening. All the signs are indicating a pent up demand for a quality brewco on upper State St. The Downtown Brewing Company may be on to something BIG. In case you are wondering why an uptown brewco would name themselves "Downtown," it is because their flagship brewery is located in "downtown" San Luis Obispo.

Monday, April 23, 2007

Easy Come, Easy Go: Reader Emily tells me that Cuzcatlan Salvadorian Cuisine at 2911 De La Vina St, has closed its doors for good. In its place will be Jake’s Cottage Cuisine Café that is scheduled to open May 1st. I dropped by and had a nice conversation with Jake himself, who also is the new owner of the building. He told me that he used to own a couple of restaurants on the East coast and now is going to give Santa Barbara a try. The main focus of Jake’s will be serving breakfast, including omelets and quiche. The restaurant will be divided into 3 sections. The left side will be an express bar for pastries, donuts, croissants, bagels and take-out coffee. The right side will be the dining room where they will serve breakfast (followed by lunch) from 6:30am-3pm Tue-Sun. In the back will be a private room that the public can use for meetings.

Coming Soon: This is a follow-up to my February 12th blurb about The Melting Pot Restaurant coming to Santa Barbara. I called them today and they said that they are definitely coming to Santa Barbara in 2007 but do not yet have a location picked out.

Saturday, April 21, 2007

Helping Out: I went to a fundraiser last night for Unity Shoppe and noticed some local restaurants donating for the cause. Restaurant Nu, Blue Agave and Bougainvillea spent the entire evening dishing out freshly prepared (and donated) food to the guests. All seafood at the event was donated by the Harbor Meat & Seafood Company.

Friday, April 20, 2007

New In The Guide: Today I added the Plow & Angel to this restaurant guide, under "Californian" cuisine category. The Plow & Angel, closed for over two years for remodeling and reconstruction after a fire, is located at the San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito. I will swing by this weekend and take some photos.

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Return of Hibachi?: Observant reader Foodie Dan tells me that he has noticed two fictitious business name statements for a Hibachi restaurant at the address 415 Milpas St. This is the same address where a Hibachi restaurant used to be located and has since closed.

Saturday, April 14, 2007

Gone But Not Forgotten: The Italian & Greek Market at 636 State St closed today. Always at the top of their game, Italian & Greek Market leaves Santa Barbara a winner. They won the most votes in two categories of this guide's 2007 Santa Barbara Survey: Best Deli and Best Greek Restaurant. I will still send the owner, Johnny, his award poster. Speaking of Johnny, he emailed me a message today to be relayed to all of you:

John,

Johnny from the Italian and Greek deli. Please update your report that we did not sell our building, but leased it out to Verizon. Please thank everyone for us. Santa Barbara has truly blessed my family.

Thank you, Johnny

We Deliver: Yesterday I was out of the office all day. The weather was so nice, it was the perfect time to deliver the award posters for the first-annual Santa Barbara Survey. I drove to over 30 restaurants yesterday and still have a couple dozen deliveries to go. Here is a sneak peek at this year's poster:

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

New Owner: The Wine Cask Restaurant has been sold. I am told that the new owners will be bringing new energy and investment into the business and will expand the already-large wine selection.

Monday, April 9, 2007

Closing Soon: The Italian & Greek Market at 636 State St is closing in a few days on April 14. The family that has owned it for decades, has leased the building to a new tenant: a Verizon Super Store. The owners have already opened up Trattoria Vittoria on Victoria St, so their spirit and talent lives on!

Moving Soon: Mel's, a downtown bar since 1963, is moving. It has been at its current location for decades but the rent at its Paseo Nuevo Mall location was recently doubled. The sad part is that Mel's didn't ask to be part of the mall. It was comfortable at its De La Guerra St location when the powers that be decided to build Paseo Nuevo Mall around it. Rumor has it that it will be moving to the former location of Zeno Manue at 411 State St. There are two doors at that location. One door will lead to Lettuce Be Frank, the coming-soon reincarnation of the now closed DogHouse. The other door will take you to Mel's.

Remodeling: I spoke with a manager at 31 West, the restaurant located inside Hotel Andalucia on Carrillo St. They are planning a major remodel. There has been an ongoing problem with the current design because the hotel lobby seating area was merged with the restaurant, creating noise issues, among other things. The current lobby seating area will become part of the restaurant. They are planning on removing one of the large pillars between the restaurant and lobby and moving the bar there. Open archways between the current lobby seating area and the hotel entrance/staircase, will be filled in, further separating the restaurant from hotel.

Friday, April 6, 2007

Beefing Up Holdren's: The hugely popular Holdren's Steak & Seafood has opened their second restaurant, this time at 1714A Newbury Rd, in Thousand Oaks (805-498-1314). It is in the new development with the two new Marriot hotels. They opened last night with a soft opening for the regulars from SB and some friends of the restaurant. Everything went really well, I am told. It is the same menu as SB along with the wines and spirits. I am told it is a beautiful place complete with Captain's wine room and a replica of the bar in SB they had custom made. It has the same feel, food, and service as their SB location and they are officially opening to the community tonight.

Tuesday, April 3, 2007

BrewMaster Dinner: For two nights Zaffiro will have a special 4 course dinner paired with Telegraph beer. Telegraph BrewMaster Brian Thompson and Zaffiro Chef Amy McNelis will be presenting their creations. This is one event you do not want to miss! Dates: April 11, & May 9, 2007 --- both starting at 7:00 P.M. Each night will highlight different food and beer pairings. April 11 will also be the release of Telegraph's new Strong Ale. Space is limited and going fast and the first dinner sold out, so reserve today! Tickets must be purchased beforehand and are $34.95 plus tax and gratuity per person, all inclusive. Any questions, please call Zaffiro at 968.6201 and ask for any available manager.

Monday, April 2, 2007

10,000th Review: The total review count currently stands at about 9,200. Today I posted information about a prize to the person who writes the 10,000th review ($600 in dining gift certificates). Of interested on that page is some trivia about the restaurant guide, including:

• Who wrote review #1? Shari Falter on November 19, 2001
• Who wrote the most reviews?  John Dickson 90, LemonJelly 53, Hajir Sailors 40, JB 34, Chee 25
• Who has emailed the most information tips to the restaurant guide? Steve Weixel
• Who is the most photographed person in the guide?  Sarah Latta
• Who was the first "Restaurant of the Month?" Beachbreak Cafe, October 2004
• What was the first restaurant added to the guide? Moby Dick Restaurant, February 25, 1996
• When did the restaurant guide first go online? March 4, 1996

Grand Opening: Introducing Greek House Cafe at 5 W. Haley St, which opened on March 19th. In addition to their cafe, Greek House Cafe offers "Greek To Go," "Take Home Greek" and imported Greek grocery items.

Friday, March 30, 2007

Closing Soon: Restaurant NU has announced that they are closing their doors on May 28th, 2007. The owner of the property at 1129 State St has decided to reconstruct it and asked all tenants to leave by the end of May. They were notified just a few days ago by their landlord and they are hoping to find a new location, but don't expect to be able to with such short notice.

Squash That Rumor: A rumor is going around that Piranha Restaurant & Sushi Bar on State Street will be closing. i am in that restaurant right now as I type this from my Treo 700. I asked the chef and the manager and they both said that the rumor is false and they are NOT closing. With that settled, I think I will order a Manzano roll.

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Opening Soon: The Bay Cafe is planning to re-open in mid-April. New owners and new management are doing great new things to this location. In addition to the restaurant, they are opening a wine bar inside the main building. Just outside the main building, in June, they are planning to open a new fresh fish market and gourmet store. They had a one-day pre-opening party recently, which is why the rumor was going around that they had re-opened. They will soon!

Opening Soon: The Greek House Cafe is opening soon at 5 W. Haley St, just west of State St. I stopped by yesterday and they were still painting the interior.

Opening Delayed: Reader Darryl tells me that the March 31st opening of the Downtown Brewing Company on upper State St is being delayed. Apparently there is a holdup on the liquor license.

Speaking Of Brewing Companies: Reader Steve Weixel tells me that he saw brewing tanks sitting outside the future home of Hollister Brewing Company in Camino Real Marketplace. The windows are still papered over so it is hard to gauge how far along things are.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Returned From The Sea: I have received word from two different readers that Bay Cafe is open once again. Their phone number has changed so I haven't been able to call and confirm. I'll swing by and take a look.

Monday, March 26, 2007
 
New Rating: No Rating: Today I introduce two new rating options: and . During the Food Forum Friday face-to-face meeting with reviewers last week, I received several suggestions of ways to improve this restaurant guide. I have now implemented one of those suggestions. Starting today, there are two new restaurant rating options: Food: No Rating and Service: No Rating. It was suggested to me that at times, having a rating might not be relevant. For example, when you sit down at a restaurant forever and no one gets around to serving you, you might decide to leave. You could rate the service accordingly, and not rate the food, because you didn't have a chance to eat there. Another case might be a dining establishment that doesn't really have "service," such as a fast food restaurant. You could rate the food but not rate the service. Finally, you might have something important to say about a restaurant, while not wanting to rate the food or service at all.

Sale In Isla Vista: A tipster passed to me the news that Jerusalem Garden Cafe in Isla Vista is for sale. It is still open at this time. Now, if I had the will and the means to buy this place, I would open a 24-hour Spudnuts donut shop to compliment the 24-hour Freebirds World Burrito across the street. It would be a match made in heaven.

New In The Guide: I was working on this guide when I suddenly heard the music of Santa Barbara's famous mobile ice cream parlor, known to kids as simply "The Blue Truck". I grabbed my digital camera, dashed downstairs, ran across my backyard, scaled the back fence, crossed the street and ordered an ice cream cone with peanuts on the top. Before I knew it, 6 kids were pressed up against this rusty rover, going through the menu plastered on the side. Only one of them had any money, so SantaBarbara.com bought a round of desserts for the little ones!

Friday, March 23, 2007

Something's Brewing: Reader Darryl tells me that he spoke with Charlie, the owner/manager of the soon-to-be-open-on-upper-State-Street Downtown Brewing Company. Charlie said they are opening next Friday, March 30th, for friends & family. Grand public opening is Saturday, March 31st.

Grand Opening: Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf - State & Victoria has opened its doors today next door to the Granada Theater. The official opening is Monday, March 26th at 5:30am. At that time they will be having lots of giveaways. The first 200 customers on Monday receive coupons, mugs, half pound of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee or half pound of Kona coffee.

Food Forum Friday II: Santa Barbara Restaurant Guide reviewers are meeting again for lunch at Mad Dogs, today at noon. Come join us for the lunch hour to chat about the local restaurant scene!

Community Benefit: 11am-9pm next Tuesday. Ten percent of the cost of lunch or dinner at Aldo's Italian Restaurant will benefit Community Mediation programs, including City @ Peace. 805-963-6687

Amateur Chef Competition: April 25-29 at Santa Barbara Fair & Expo located at Earl Warren Showgrounds, 3400 Calle Real. Deadline to enter is April 4, entry form is at www.sbfairandexpo.com or stop by Earl Warren Showgrounds for an exhibitor handbook. Categories include appetizers, cheesecake, chili & cornbread, salsa and apple pie.

Splendid Squid: 2pm tomorrow (Saturday) at Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, instructor Dr. Mandy Reid, author of the upcoming book "Silver Squid" will talk about recipes she has discovered from around the world. Learn about culinary traditions using squid, watch a cooking demonstration and sample squid dishes prepared by local chef Michael Hutchings and paired with local wines. $25 museum members, $35 nonmembers. Reservations required. 805-682-4711, ext 170

Thursday, March 22, 2007

New In The Guide: Today I added Gelateria Gioia in Montecito to the guide. This delightful dessert location is named after the manager's daughter Gioia who can be seen at the counter in the lower photograph on their page that I created today. Gelateria Gioia is owned by the same people who bring you two other Montecito favorites: Pane e Vino and Via Vai Trattoria & Pizzeria.

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

No Cheesecake Factory: I called the Cheesecake Factory and asked that they confirm the rumor I had heard, that they are coming to Santa Barbara. They told me to contact their exclusive real estate company. I did, and the real estate company said they are NOT coming to Santa Barbara. They said they have looked around Santa Barbara but have not found any suitable location.

Monday, March 19, 2007

Hot Dog Update: I have new information about the new hot dog place called Lettuce Be Frank that will be opening soon at 411 State Street. In addition to hot dogs, they will have the "best salad bar in town", hamburgers and fried chicken. And everything will be made from scratch, including spices. They will be open until 3am on the primary nightclub evenings. They are considering putting kiosks in the various downtown bars so people can order dogs to be delivered at the bar. The interior designer is the same person who designed the recently opened Milk & Honey. The owners of Lettuce Be Frank are the guys who started the now closed Dog House on Milpas St. They sold all rights to the Dog House and no longer have any association with it. The grand opening of Lettuce Be Frank is currently scheduled for mid-April, 2007.

Made For Television: Reader Barry tells me that during the Santa Barbara Film Festival, an episode of the Food Network's TV show called Dinner Impossible was filmed outside the Arlington Theater. Apparently the show's chef, Robert Irvine, was filmed running around town to various local markets trying to get everything he needed for the main event that evening. He even had to physically build an entire kitchen near the entrance to the Arlington. This episode will air on Wednesday, March 21, 2007 at 10:30pm on the Food Network.

Friday, March 16, 2007

Google Maps: Thanks to a suggestion from reader Dave, I finally got around to adding a mapping feature to every restaurant listing in the guide. When you click on the new Map link in the guide, it takes you to Google Maps, with the page centered on a restaurant's address.

Food Forum Friday II: Our next scheduled Food Forum Friday is March 23rd, 2007 at noon (next week). FFF is a chance for SantaBarbara.com Restaurant Guide reviewers to get together in person, during the lunch hour, and discuss the local restaurant scene. The location will again be Mad Dogs on State Street. I will be there and already have confirmation from a few others.

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Jimmy's Oriental Visitor Center: Jimmy's Oriental Gardens restaurant, that closed last year, will be preserved and become part of the El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park. The Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation purchased the property and are considering turning it into a interpretive center to showcase the history of Santa Barbara's long-gone Chinatown. They are even considering leasing part of it to a new restaurant owner.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Let Them Eat Cake: Reader Angela passed me a tip that The Cheesecake Factory might occupy the former location of the Acapulco Restaurant. This is just a rumor at this point. I'll keep you posted.

Burgers & Beer: The Hollister Brewing Company will soon be occupying the former location of Camino Real Cafe. Reader John Wardlaw tells me that, in addition to serving beer, they will also offer gourmet hamburgers.

Grand Re-Opening: The restaurant Quantum, which closed two years ago, is having a re-opening party tomorrow under the new name of Quantum Kitchen & Cocktails, at their same 201 W. Carrillo St location.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Dining By The Beach: I have created a new section about Waterfront Dining. I receive many requests for information about restaurants near the beach, so I created a page with aerial photos showing exactly where the restaurants are, relative to water's edge.

Monday, March 12, 2007

A Restaurant Location No More: Reader Steve Weixel informs me that the corner of La Cumbre Rd and State St, which once was a Koo Koo Roo and, more recently, a Sushi Teri, looks like it is becoming some sort of financial institution, complete with office chairs, desk & computers.

People Eat Sushi From A Market?: Reader Steve Weixel also informs me that the sushi counter at the Fairview Vons was closed by the health department last week. The woman he spoke to at Vons didn't know when, or if, it would be back.

Saturday, March 10, 2007

We Got The Scoop: Introducing Trattoria Vittoria, a new Italian restaurant downtown at 30 E. Victoria St. They occupy the former location of Pascuals Restaurant, which, I am sad to report, is now closed. Trattoria Vittoria has been open for dinner for a week, but have not put the official word out to the public yet. The owners are Giovanni Comini and his wife Sofia Gallina. Giovanni Comini was a proprieter of Pascual's so this is not an ownership change - it's a complete restaurant change and also includes live music. Sofia Gallina is owner of the Italian & Greek Deli downtown, so there is a lot of solid, local experience backing this hot new dinner delight.

Ready To Go: A few days ago I mentioned that the new Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf on State St might be ready in 6 to 8 weeks. It looks like my estimate was off by 6 to 8 weeks. I glanced in the window today, and, miraculously, remodeling was completed! They should be open soon.

Friday, March 9, 2007

Four New Categories: For the last 3 months, I have been calling each restaurant to find out what their hours are and whether or not they serve breakfast. After calling 661 restaurants, and spending 39 hours on the phone (I feel like a teenager again!), I finished the task this morning at 8:30am. Why would a person subject themselves to such torture? For you, my friend. With this new data in hand, I created four new categories that I launched this morning: Breakfast, Open Before 8am, Open After 10pm and Open 24 Hours. Keep in mind that restaurants change their hours and never tell me about it, so you might want to call them to confirm.

Thursday, March 8, 2007

Basics of Eggs Class: 10am-2pm this Sunday at Williams-Sonoma in La Cumbre Plaza. Egg selection & handling will be discussed, including cooking techniques such as omelets, poaching and frittata. Reservations taken up to a day before class. Free. 569-6913

Brewmaster Dinner Series: 7pm Wednesday at Zaffiro. Telegraph Brewing Co will present a four-course dinner, each paired with a different beer. Limited seating. Reservations required. $34.95

Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Sneak Peak: Reader Foodie Dan noted that the sign at the former Sandman Bar & Grill has been replaced with a sign promoting the Downtown Brewing Company. I took a sneak peak inside and they are almost ready for business. A man sweeping the floor inside said the owners had hoped to open by St. Patricks Day but doesn't think they will be ready in time.

Sneak Peak: Reader Jonathan let me know that the sign is up at Pattaya Thai Restaurant & Music Club in Old Town Goleta. I took a sneak peak through the window and, from what I can tell, they might be ready by the end of the month. They still have a bit of work to do on the place but their web site looks complete.

Sneak Peak: I was on State Street and took a sneak peak in the window at the future home of Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, which used to be occupied by the Santa Barbara Sandwich Company. Things are pretty torn up inside but it is taking shape. Normally I would say it might open in 3 months, but this location is part of a national chain, and probably has a significantly higher remodel budget. So I give it 6-8 weeks if they push it.

Name Change: Read Steve Weixel let me know that Maeda Sushi has been renamed East but the menus still say "Maeda". I took a new exterior photo and spoke with the manager. She said that it has the same owner but they are "trying a different concept." I heard a rumor it is supposed to be Thai - Japanese fusion.

DogHouse Re-Opening?: Reader Dave was passing by the DogHouse and saw a sign on the window that said, "The Doghouse will re-open in March, sorry for the inconvenience." Perhaps they are planning to revive the existing location?

Monday, March 5, 2007
 
Changes To The Guide: Today is the beginning of the 12th year of this restaurant guide. A few changes are taking place. The guide will no longer expand into Solvang and Buellton as originally planned. The extra workload required to maintain those regions isn't something I can take on at this point. And the further you get away from Santa Barbara, a restaurant becomes less relevant to a Santa Barbara restaurant guide. From this point forward, I'll limit the Santa Ynez Valley section of the guide to Los Olivos and Santa Ynez, with the exception of Ballard Inn and The Hitching Post. A few Solvang and Buellton locations were removed from the guide.
   Also, I decided to not include locations in the guide that don't have storefronts. Places with no storefronts can't be photographed, and this is a photo-centric restaurant guide. Because of this, a few non-storefront bakeries were removed. The only exception is the Catering category, which is reserved for sponsors.
   And finally, I am going to limit this column to restaurant news. It has been fun chatting about everything under the sun in the column, but it is eating up more of my time than planned and other parts of SantaBarbara.com are suffering because of it. Limiting it to news for the time being will mean this column might not be daily, unless the news tips roll in frequently.

100% Photo Coverage Finally Achieved!: All 661 restaurants, coffee shops, etc have photographs, inside and out. The photo project, started in early 2005, was finally completed last Saturday - just over 2 years after it began. Before 2005, there was not a single picture in the guide and no restaurant hours (hard to believe, but true).  The very first picture was taken on January 28th, 2005 while having lunch at the El Encanto on the Riviera. The last picture was taken March 3rd, 2007 at the The Hitching Post in Buellton.  The total number of pictures taken, including restaurants that have since gone out of business, is 1470. I have now physically been to every location from Santa Ynez Valley to Carpinteria - perhaps a first for an individual in the modern history of Santa Barbara?

Santa Ynez Photos Added: The last set of photos, taken Saturday, were of the restaurants in the Santa Ynez Valley section of the guide (I don't go to the valley very often, so it took awhile). Restaurants with new pictures added include Ballard Inn Restaurant, Big Tom's Backyard BBQ, Grappolo Trattoria, Hitching Post, Los Olivos Grocery, Panino - Los Olivos, R Country Market, Santa Ynez Burrito, The Porch and Volare.

Winter Wine Down: The reason I was in Santa Ynez Valley to take all the above-mentioned photos is because I spent the day at Gainey Vineyard for a Muscular Dystrophy Association fundraiser called the Winter Wine Down, where I was asked to be a food judge for the culinary competition. Here is a picture of the judges in action (left to right: Philip O'Keefe head chef for Willows at the Chumash Casino, yours truly, and Michelle Mastrangelo owner of Epiphany Restaurant and Bar). It was a terrific event, very classy and there was a huge turn out. I highly recommend you attend next year!

New In The Guide: While I was in Santa Ynez Valley shooting pictures, I added a few new restaurants to the guide, including Corner House Coffee (Los Olivos) and  Volare Deli & Longhorn Coffee Shop (Santa Ynez). Tips: Longhorn Coffee Shop has been serving breakfast & lunch since 1963 and is open at 4:30am. Corner House Coffee also serves smoothies and McConnell's ice cream.

Friday, March 2, 2007

Restaurant Re-opening: Quantum, closed to the public for 2 years after it transformed into a private dining room, re-opens March 12 as a public restaurant again. They will be open for lunch Mon-Fri and dinner Thu-Sat.

New Name: At the beginning of February 2007, Italian restaurant Paoli's changed its name to Bougainvillea. It has the same owner and still serves Italian food.

Great Vegetarian Pizzas: I am hearing from many people about how great a place Pizza Guru is for vegetarians and vegans. They even offer soy cheese. Check 'em out!

500th Phone Call: As some of you know, since January 1st, I have been calling all 650+ restaurants in the guide to update the hours (when they open and close each day). Yesterday I made the 500th phone call. This is the first data cleanup I have done in a decade. Many restaurants had no hours listed in the guide so there will be lots of new information when I'm done.  The main reason I am doing this is so I can launch new categories that show which restaurants are open late, which are open early, and who serves breakfast. The award for most descriptive hours goes to El Encanto Dining Room (which is closed for renovation). Here's their schedule: "Monday-Saturday Breakfast 7:30am-10:30am & Lunch 11:30am-2:30pm & Dinner 6pm-9:30pm, Sunday Breakfast 7:30am-11am & Brunch 11am-2:30pm & Dinner 6pm-9:30pm". By contrast, Carrows hours are: "Mon-Sun 24 hours"

Thursday, March 1, 2007

Restaurant of the Month: Congratulations to Panino - Goleta, you're Restaurant of the Month! Having recently opened to the public and offering that killer #10 sandwich (read my Feb 12th column), Panino is more than deserving of the recognition. FYI, I came back recently and tried the #10 again and it was just as good as the first time!

A Birthday Gift To You: Le Bon Cafe has been added to the list of restaurants offering discounts in honor of this restaurant guide's 11 birthday. This Sunday, March 4th, if you buy any entrée at Le Bon Cafe, get the second entrée at half price. That's a killer deal. Other restaurants offering discounts include Zaffiro, Left at Albuquerque, Spiritland Bistro and Chad's. Chad's is not open Sunday so they are offering their great discount on Monday, March 5th.

I'll Be The Judge Of That: I've been invited to be one of three judges at the Winter Wine Down Culinary Competition that will be held 1pm-4pm this Saturday at Gainey Vineyard, 3950 E. Highway 246, Santa Ynez. Local restaurants will compete in five categories and wineries will provide tastings. Music by Rick Reeves, Blue and Crosby Loggins. Proceeds benefit the Mid-State Chapter of the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Tickets $125 VIP, $75 general in advance or $85 at the door. Info: 805-563-0456

New in the Guide: Completing my scouring of Goleta's Magnolia Shopping Center for restaurant guide material, I have now added Lassen's Health Food to the Markets category.

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

New Look to the Guide: I added thumbnail images to the category lists yesterday. This was the first major change to the look of those pages in 6 years. I could use some feedback from you about it. The pages are now longer, which means more scrolling, and they are slower to load because of the images. But they also add color to the page and give you a glimpse at what's inside before you click. Waddayathink? It won't hurt my feelings if you tell me it sucks.

Restaurant Rumors: The current word is that Ruth's Chris Steak House, mentioned in an earlier column here, is going into the Limited Express space, next to Macy's on State Street, downtown.

New in the Guide: I pulled into Magnolia Shopping Center the other day, and, much to my surprise, I spotted a deli way in the back! Subway - Magnolia Center has now been added to the guide. With so many eyes and ears out there sending me tips, I am amazed I was the first one to spot it!

East Meets West: I discovered that New York Magazine recently did a story on Santa Barbara, and, as part of the article, they highlighted five area restaurants. Here is a lengthy quote:

"In this sandal-wearing town, Sevilla’s orange- and gold-hued interior counts as opulent. Despite a boxy stucco exterior, the Spanish restaurant’s urban attitude comes through in its inventive tapas (the tuna seviche with passion fruit and avocado is especially good) and its darkly intimate, and very busy, bar.

You can’t make a reservation at the popular Arigato Sushi, but the unexpected—and surprisingly delicious—combinations make it worth the wait. Don’t expect leisurely service; this place likes to turn tables fast.

Ask for a table on the patio at Elements, so you can gaze on Santa Barbara’s lovely 1929 Spanish-Moorish courthouse, right across the street. The panko-crusted halibut is perfect for a diet-conscious spa weekend, and the list of Sideways-caliber local wines is long.

The vegetarian-friendly SpiritLand Bistro specializes in organic global fare, with a tangy Thai coconut yellow curry sharing the bill with Italian vegetable risotto.

New on the scene is the crowd-drawing Fresco at the Beach, which replaced a much pricier restaurant in the Santa Barbara Inn. The grilled prawns with Tuscan beans served over warm arugula is spa-healthy dining at its finest. Prices are good, the view even better: It’s one of the only restaurants in town directly overlooking the ocean." - New York Magazine

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

The Big Yellow House returns: As reported by Coastal View News, the property formerly known as the Big Yellow House will be reopening as the Yellow Rose on September 1st, 2007 in Summerland. The restaurant, a dinner house, will be operated by the Rosenson family who also own The Sky Room in Long Beach. The Yellow Rose will offer the same kind of fine dining as The Sky Room and will be open for dinner nightly with lunch served Thursday through Sunday. The cuisine will be "American Continental" and the decor "American Traditional" with live music and dancing.

Dessert Discovery of the Day: If you are looking for amazing gelato or sorbet, rivaling anything found in Italy, head on over to Montecito and visit Here's The Scoop, which I added to the restaurant guide today. It is all the rage in Montecito right now - for good reason. The Scoop is run by Bob & Ellie Patterson and they make everything fresh. The Scoop has raised the bar for quality and taste so high, they really stand alone in the dessert category. In the 20 minutes or so that I was there, one customer after another would arrive and be astonished at what they found (and tasted). So was I. Their most popular gelato flavor is Peanut Butter w/Reeses. For those of you who don't know (like I didn't) gelato is not the same thing as typical ice cream. It is more dense (less air mixed in), has less fat (fat increases aftertaste) and simply tastes better. Many of their sorbets are made from fresh fruit, purchased at the Montecito farmers market and include flavors you may have never tried. Did you know there is a fruit that is a cross between an orange and grapefruit? Well there is, and they make fresh sorbet with it. One local farmer grows a unique extra-tasty strawberry that is the foundation for a special flavor of sorbet that has started a local following. The Scoop is very much part of the Montecito community and serves their gelato and sorbet to all the local elementary schools. They even have a wall inside their shop displaying artwork by local children. The Scoop has a gelato cart (complete with umbrella and six flavors) that you can rent for weddings, fundraisers, etc. I also learned that Here's the Scoop is the supplier of gelato for Northstar Coffee on State St. Every now and then, I find a hidden gem in Santa Barbara. This place is one of them.

Just Sugar: Speaking of all things sweet, Food Forum reader John Wardlaw has started a new web site called Just Sugar. It contains information about how Coca-Cola and other soft drink companies switched from sugar to corn syrup in the mid-1980's, dramatically altering the taste of their products for generations to come. He tells how you can still locate REAL Coca-Cola and other products that use sugar. Sugar products don't have the strong aftertaste that corn syrup does. Just Sugar is currently a small web site but it is growing as John continues his research.

I have made a web page with pictures, movies and audio files from the whole experience.

- John