Cherries
By Melissa Petitto   |   June 20, 2023

The Farmers Market colors are saving me during this rainy, overcast, gray June. Walking through and looking at all the bountiful produce, envisioning what I will make once I take them back to my kitchen, is saving me from a major case of June Gloom. This week my daughter and I were drawn to the […]

Baker’s Bash
By Richard Mineards   |   May 23, 2023

Uber party planner Merryl Brown and Ashley Adelson hosted a blooming boffo bash at Villa Corbeau, Ashley’s charming Riven Rock estate, just a tiara’s toss or two from the $15 million, six-acre home of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The fun sun-soaked fête celebrated former Ojai resident Loria Stern’s Eat Your Flowers: A Cookbook, […]

 

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The Princess and the English Pea
By Melissa Petitto   |   May 9, 2023

The English pea is popping up at the farmers market and I made the most divine soup out of them… I even tricked some clients by making it vegan and they were amazed! The English or garden pea is a shell pea, meaning the pod is too fibrous to eat. These gorgeous pods are not […]

The Feel of an Aperitivo Meal
By Brooke Bidwell   |   May 2, 2023

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” […]

Spring Asparagus
By Melissa Petitto   |   April 25, 2023

Warm weather is trickling in slowly, Santa Barbara – and I am here for it! Spring in the farmers’ market is such a glorious time, crowded as it is with all the vegetables that begin popping up after our rainy months… artichokes, snap peas, fava beans, arugula, and asparagus… just to name a few. This […]

Barbareño Hosts a Cross-sensory Concert and Dinner Experience
By Zach Rosen   |   April 18, 2023

Barbareño has already proven themselves on the plate – crafting dishes that blend central coast tradition with colorful flavors and engaging plating. Their ingredient choices highlight the abundance of the area while emphasizing the locale in which they are served that seemingly captures the laid-back yet sophisticated style of Santa Barbara. But the upcoming event, […]

Strawberry Fields
By Melissa Petitto   |   April 11, 2023

The Central Coast has some of the most amazing strawberries I have ever tasted. They are beginning to make an appearance again and I for one am so thrilled. At one of my favorite Farmers Market vendors, I asked about the crop this year and was told that many of the fields were flooded with […]

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  • Costa on the Coast: A New Brunch Locale with a View
    By Zach Rosen   |   March 28, 2023

    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 […]

    More to Love In Carpinteria
    By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   March 21, 2023

    In last week’s edition, we told you about Bettina’s plans to open a new location in Carpinteria. This week, word on the street is that Chef Mollie Ahlstrand, formerly of Trattoria Mollie on Coast Village Road and then on State Street, is opening an Italian market/deli on Casitas Pass Road, in the same shopping center […]

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    Bettina to Expand 
    By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   March 14, 2023

    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 […]

    Inconspicuous Beauty
    By Melissa Petitto   |   March 14, 2023

    What a couple of weeks it has been in our beautiful town – rain, snow, and high winds! With the weather, I am still in the winter mode of craving warming and comforting foods and was drawn to the inconspicuous beauty of the celery root, bulbous on the bottom with bright greens on top. The […]

    Winter Whites
    By Melissa Petitto   |   February 28, 2023

    Well, readers, it’s still cold outside and a nourishing soup is on my mind. This week, I was pondering the white vegetables in the farmers market and their often overlooked brilliance. These vegetables, which are lacking in pigment, have a phytonutrient, or plant chemical, known as anthoxanthin.  Vegetables such as garlic, onion, fennel, potato, turnip, […]

    A New Brick and Mortar for Rascal’s And How the Community Can Help!
    By Christopher Matteo Connor   |   February 14, 2023

    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 […]

    An Ode to the Carrot
    By Melissa Petitto   |   February 14, 2023

    Walking through the Santa Barbara farmers market this week, I keep coming back to the carrot. This often-overlooked vegetable is one that when at its peak, is so utterly sweet and delicious that it can be eaten without adornment.  I love the colors of the heirloom carrots – bright purple with an orange center, radiant […]

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