Tag archives: culinary
Dust off your beret and get ready for a week of pure epicurean delight! The Taste of Santa Barbara, presented by the Santa Barbara Culinary Experience, is back, promising a whirlwind adventure for your taste buds from May 13 to 19. Imagine this: basking in the golden glow of the Santa Barbara sun, sipping on […]
Michelin star or not, Montecito and The Hamptons share riviera and foodie status. On the map, they’re opposites, split by a 3,000-mile expanse. But Montecito and The Hamptons – both aspirational coastal enclaves – mirror each other in special ways, from idyllic weather and the bon vivant lifestyle they both promote, to the sophisticated travelers […]
We eat with our eyes, and this Tuesday, October 10, guests will get to do both at Art After Dark – an evening of culinary creations curated to the art nestled around Mar Monte Hotel in The Unbound Collection by Hyatt. The evening begins with a reception on the hotel’s Front Terrace that overlooks the […]
Culinary whiz Mitchell Sjerven, owner of the West Victoria Street eatery bouchon Santa Barbara, had a double celebration last week with Bastille Day, which was also the 25th anniversary of his popular restaurant’s opening. “It is a story of enduring relationships,” says Mitchell. “From working side-by-side with my wife, Amy, to having both my daughters, […]
One of my favorite types of articles are the industry-insider sort of stuff. What do experts know that we don’t know? Unfortunately, I couldn’t get an expert this week, so I asked my friend Jakob Hammer to join me instead. (Only kidding!) Please enjoy our light-hearted conversation about the behind-the-scenes of culinary school. Q. You […]
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 […]
Santa Barbara’s big culinary takeover next week is actually two years in the making. Taste of Santa Barbara, presented by the Santa Barbara Culinary Experience in partnership with the Julia Child Foundation, was originally scheduled for May of 2020, and then the world shut down. Rescheduled to this month – May 16 to 22 – […]
Rick H. is getting a second chance to make it right. The Santa Barbara Rescue Mission (SBRM) resident, whose full name is being withheld to protect his privacy, stands over a cutting board slicing pan-seared chicken breast. He neatly places slices on a pool of tomato feta sauce before garnishing them with chopped sautéed peppers. […]
There’s a new chef and fresh burst of inspiration in Belmond El Encanto’s kitchen. The Old Hollywood glamour-style hotel, perched on the Riviera, gets its first major menu change in four years, thanks to Bruno Lopez. He’s the former executive chef at the Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage and Raffles L’Ermitage Hotel in Beverly Hills and is […]
With their revolutionary perspective on the fundamentals of food preparation and flavor combinations, UCSB Arts & Lectures’ featured chefs Samin Nosrat and Yotam Ottolenghi represent a new paradigm of cooking ideals and styles. Moderated by Sherry Villanueva, Managing Partner at Acme Hospitality, “Chefs in Conversation” will feature the two James Beard Award-winning cooking book authors […]
These days it’s hard to get excited about anything when days turn into weeks and weeks turn into months and the only glimmer of hope is your next home-cooked meal. Same salad dressing, same lemon chicken, same wine, and the same cloth napkins (just washed). Life has been, well, uneventful. That is, up until last […]
Complex, intriguing, and utterly delicious, Oaxacan cuisine – with its roots in southeastern Mexico, where proud indigenous people fine-tuned the art of Mexican cooking over centuries – is making its way into the hearts (and stomachs) of Santa Barbarans at Flor de Maiz. The latest concept by restaurateur Carlos Luna, the restaurant opened last fall […]
Santa Barbara’s hospitality industry has been hit hard by COVID-19. Several local hotels have laid off their staff and are now closed, putting a halt to the local service industry. Those who remain on property are keeping busy, however. For his part, Rosewood Miramar’s Executive Chef Massimo Falsini is working with first responders and other […]
It is fitting, of course, that a world-class culinary affair inspired by Julia Child would take place in Santa Barbara. The beloved chef summered on its shores as a child, and it was in the bucolic enclave of Montecito that she chose to spend her final years. Indeed, the Santa Barbara Culinary Experience, coming the […]
Though we are all captivated by Santa Barbara’s stunning scenery, historic charm, and laid-back vibe, there’s no denying that Santa Barbara County has become a destination in its own right for food and wine. What we lack in Michelin stars and grandiose dining experiences we make up for in talented winemakers, skilled chefs, dedicated farmers, […]
Social gridlock reigned at the Margerum Wine tasting room at the Hotel Californian when owners Doug and Marni Margerum hosted a bustling bash for Santa Ynez Valley author Frances Schultz‘s latest book California Cookery & Southern Style, featuring 100 classic recipes by Stephanie Valentine, inspired menus and gorgeous table settings. Frances, a North Carolina native, […]
Too many cooks didn’t spoil the broth when Epicurean Santa Barbara celebrated its second anniversary at the Chase Palm Park Recreation Center with 120 guests. The food and wine social club, which has 150 members who attend around four events each month, featured four chefs and their culinary wizardry at the boffo bash. “Our goal […]
A gastroenterologist is a doctor whose techniques nowadays include inserting an endoscopic light down into people’s intestines. One member of that elite community recently wrote a book about his work, entitled, The Tunnel at The End of The Light. If I may say so, the whole process of eating, digestion, and elimination is one that […]
Epicurean Santa Barbara, a group of culinary enthusiasts and oenophiles, has just debuted in our tony town. The group, which currently has 78 members, was founded by the foodie fab four of Leif Pietila, Renee Martin, and dynamic duo Keith and Amy Robinson, who met at the Newcomers club when they moved here from Portland, […]
