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 […]
To celebrate local women of history, this column dedicates the month of March to them – their contributions, their stories, their inspiration, and opportunities to support. As a Black woman born in Jamaica, West Indies, growing up in Queens, New York City, and deciding to make Santa Barbara home 15 years ago, Leonie H. Mattison, […]
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From a somatic therapeutic perspective, stress, unexpressed anger, heartbreak, and grief are believed to be issues in your tissues that make up your internal state. The word “somatic” is derived from the root “soma,” which means “living body,” and your physical body can serve as a valuable guide when you listen to its messages. Somatic […]
Watch most Kung Fu movies and you’re sure to see the protagonist’s “master,” quintessentially depicted as the graying wise man, often cranky and whipping around a long beard. Meet Yun Chao Zhang, or Master Yun as everyone calls him, and he is nothing like those tired clichés, yet he is a master in the truest […]
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 […]
Strangers in the Night by Heather Webb chronicles the heart-pounding love affair between Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner. Told from both Frank and Ava’s points of view, the book spans the whole arc of their tempestuous romance, from the slow burn, through the sizzle and the fireworks that ultimately blew the couple apart. This is […]
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 […]
Janell Balmaceda uses a pitchfork to spread mulch over the walkways that weave between the garden rows below Thorrington Field. Student intern Peter Schramm (’25) hammers together pieces from several wooden pallets to create new compost bins. This spring, the Westmont garden will be flourishing again, thanks in large part to Balmaceda, Westmont’s new sustainability […]
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, […]
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“The practices we use to do business today, from a sustainability standpoint, are the same ones my grandfather used 95 years ago,” vintner Steve Sangiacomo told me this week. “How we farm, how we treat our employees – it’s all about responsibility.” Sangiacomo Family Wines is a premium wine brand in Northern California – they […]
Black History Month (BHM) is an annual national celebration during February that commenced with Negro History Week (February 1926) initiated by Carter G. Woodson, founder of Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH). Later in the 1940s, Blacks in West Virginia began to celebrate February as Negro History Month, and by 1960 […]
Ask me what our greatest Montecito exports are and I’ll say: Spanish-style tile, Pierre Lafond wine cake, and talent! Although born and raised in Los Angeles, today’s Dear Montecito feature has strong roots in Montecito that have inspired her to take up theater. Eleven-year-old Sadie Brickman Reynolds grew up hearing about her mother’s career in […]
Climate champions Hillary Hauser and Leah Stokes are being honored at the 15th annual AWC-SB Women of Achievement Awards presented by Women Connect4Good. KEYT-TV anchor and 2019 Women of Achievement award recipient Beth Farnsworth will emcee the event at the Cabrillo Pavilion on April 27. “This is an honor that takes every one of my […]
In approaching resolutions, it’s beneficial to step back and reflect on what you’ve learned and accomplished during the previous year. Be sure to keep looking until you come up with something you are proud of. With that in mind, it’s easier to set some goals for the coming year. The idea is to shift your […]
