Harbor Restaurant Off to a Lobster Roll

To the new 449-seat capacity Harbor Restaurant, atop Stearns Wharf, with my trusty shutterbug Priscilla, which opened in September with panoramic views over the Pacific through giant crystal-clear windows.

The seafood eatery first opened in 1941 and has undergone an impressive renovation under its new owners, Santa Barbara realtor John Thyne III and wife Olesya, and Gene Sanchez and wife Carolina Jimenez.

It was originally the Santa Barbara Yacht Club and was once owned by Hollywood actor Ronald Colman – who also owned the San Ysidro Ranch, and now reposes in Santa Barbara Cemetery – and the Castagnola family.

In 1973 the eatery was destroyed by fire and eventually rebuilt by John Scott, who also owned the iconic Harry’s Plaza Cafe, a tiara’s toss from Chaucer’s bookstore.

Under new Chilean Executive Chef Gonzalo Del Pino, who formerly worked for TV chef Gordon Ramsay at his London outpost, Petrus, we dined on lobster roll, ahi tuna, salmon and soft-boiled eggs, avocado toast, and lobster arroz meloso.

For those looking for a more casual locale, the Longboard’s Grill, which is undergoing renovation, is open upstairs.

For Thanksgiving the restaurant was sold-out, a clear indication of its immediate popularity. And no wonder…