Tag archives: local restaurants

The sun shone bright on a recent weekday afternoon, and a soft sea breeze rolled through. The handful of outdoor tables at the Veranda cottage at the San Ysidro Ranch, nicely spread out, were slowly filling up. Lunch was being doled out in synchronized fashion, and by a welcoming staff. The latest foodie offering at […]

After nearly 30 years, the mudslide of 2018 put an end to her elegant Trattoria Mollie on Coast Village Road. She opened a new Mollie’s next to the Granada on State Street, but COVID-19 crushed that endeavor too. Armed conflict broke out in the Tigray region of Ethiopia in 2020 and the country is now […]

You do not have to travel to Italy to experience the delicious food that comes from its rolling hills and cobbled streets. Andrea Girardello and Brian Dodero opened Aperitivo at 7 W. Haley St. in October of 2020, inspired by the Italian emphasis on choosing fresh, quality ingredients rather than intricate preparations. The namesake? “Aperitivo” […]

Brunch is often the best part of a weekend. Walk along Cabrillo St. on an early (but not too early) weekend day, and the winding lines outside of restaurants will confirm the popularity of this all-encompassing meal that straddles breakfast and lunch. While many locals have their favorite place to brunch, there is a new […]

There’s a new culinary experience at the San Ysidro Ranch – and it’s top secret. The Secret Cellar premiered in December, building on the luxe property’s famous world-class dining but offering something totally exclusive. It brings diners underground – past the Stonehouse patio, past the entrance to the Plow & Angel and down the stone […]

Late last week, Bettina owners Rachel Greenspan and Brendan Smith announced on social media that they have signed a lease for a new location in Carpinteria, as part of a multi-tenant development project coming to Linden Avenue.  The new location will be more casual than the Montecito Country Mart location, and will be more of […]

To Gala, a new Anacapa Street eatery, formerly known as Pacific Crêpes, where I would eat regularly when I first came to Santa Barbara in 2007 and churned out a column for the Santa Barbara News-Press, just a tiara’s toss away. Now it has gone from a decidedly French theme to Spanish-owned by chef Jaime […]

When life throws you curveballs, what does the owner of the vegan joint Rascal’s do? In short, Dalan Moreno gets to work and gets things done!  After a sudden and unexpected notice to vacate his downtown residency on Cota Street on November 4, 2022, Dalan was left in a moment of uncertainty. But if 17 […]

The signature restaurant at the Rosewood Miramar Beach, Caruso’s, has earned a Michelin Guide one-star and Michelin Green Star designation in California’s 2022 rankings. The distinguished honor places Caruso’s as a fine dining destination among Michelin’s esteemed list of 89 restaurants in California, all rated according to the guide’s rigorous standards, and one of only […]

I, like so many others, have childhood memories of burgers, the beach, and that larger than life bearded, jolly man looming over Santa Claus Lane. Growing up on the road with traveling artists as parents, we stopped at countless little, quirky resting points along the way, but something about Santa Claus Lane sticks in the […]

Blue skies, swaying palm trees, and warm weather make our city the perfect setting for California Dreamin’, but diners can still find hearty winter dishes on the menus of many of Santa Barbara’s best eateries.  Game birds, root vegetables, chestnuts, truffles, and other seasonal ingredients are among the rich cornucopia of flavors awaiting diners. “You […]

It’s almost always happy hour somewhere in Santa Barbara. I love the tradition of getting together with friends, work colleagues, and neighbors to ponder a myriad of topics over food and drinks: “How’s the marijuana odor control in Carpinteria coming along?” “Do you think Southern California Edison will move the utility lines underground in Santa […]

Montecito’s Pierre Lafond Wine Bistro restaurant, which has been closed since the pandemic, is having a new lease on life. The Charter Oak Restaurant in St. Helena in the heart of the Napa Valley run by chef Christopher Kostow, also of the Michelin 3-starred The Restaurant at Meadowood (TRAM), has just allegedly signed a lease […]

Hours after last week’s Montecito Journal went to press, the war between the restaurants and the retailers over the future of Coast Village Road (CVR) got hotter.  Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse expressed his written opinion regarding his long-term commitment to the continuation of parklets on CVR. At the same time, CVR retailer Kevin Frank, […]

After much community debate, including in the pages of Montecito Journal, City Administrator Rebecca Bjork sent a letter to stakeholders late Wednesday discussing the fate of the parklets on Coast Village Road.  As of October 28, 2022, the City is requiring new rules for parklets, mainly, that they will be limited to a maximum of two adjacent parking spaces in […]

Coast Village Road (CVR), though ceded to the City of Santa Barbara in 1960, remains an iconic pillar of the Montecito lifestyle. The CVR streetscape offers sophisticated dining, boutique shopping, historic hotels, real estate brokers, drugstores, medical offices, professional services, hair salons, banks, business offices – and yes, even a modern, high-priced combination gas station, car […]

Warm summer breezes and longer days beckon diners outdoors to explore the city’s diverse culinary landscape. Although there has been a recent uptick in virus cases, restaurant owners and chefs tempt diners with their summer creations. Several local eateries continue to exercise the same safety protocols at the height of the pandemic. “Our doors to […]

Who remembers that cookbook How It All Vegan by Tanya Barnard and Sarah Kramer? If you do, congrats, you’re older than you think. If you don’t, well, who can blame you? It was a vegan cookbook published in 2002. Before vegan burgers started popping up at fast food chains, before walls were packed with specialty […]

We are all too familiar with the surfeit of restaurant and business closures that COVID left in its wake. Restrictions kept patrons away, and even the most bustling take-home enterprises had difficulty covering operation costs and rent. For many business owners, closure was the only option. For others, this time of uncertainty made bucket list […]

Saturday Dear Diary, This pandemic was so inconvenient, and awful, just awful. I’ve never felt so lonely and depressed in my entire life. Thank you for helping me get through the pandemic! I’ve kept sane with tantalizing home cooked meals and entertaining TV series like Pam and Tommy. Last night I finished the last episode […]