Tag archives: food

Book It
By Steven Libowitz   |   April 16, 2020

Suzanne Cuddy has temporarily turned her Little Free Library – one of the charming stand-alone cabinets where people can take or leave books for personal use that have popped up all over town in recent years – into a Little Free Pantry. Folks stopping by location at 2124 Bath Street, close to Pueblo Street and […]

Needs at Unity Shoppe
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   March 26, 2020

Unity Shoppe (Unity) is offering free food and other essentials to Santa Barbarans who are now unemployed or unable to work due to the spread and impact of the Coronavirus pandemic. To meet the overwhelming need, Unity has consolidated its offerings to food distribution alone and now estimates it is serving more than three times […]

Summerland Eats?
By Leslie Westbrook   |   March 19, 2020

Message Machines On… & One, Lone To-Go I called a few businesses in Summerland to speak with a human being but got a lot of recordings. Field + Fort has “temporarily closed until it’s safe for staff and community. We hope you all stay healthy,” notes their outgoing message. The brief message at the Nugget […]

Fragrant Cane Supper Club
By Dalina Michaels   |   February 27, 2020

There is a new supper club in town – but it’s not your granny’s get-together of the ‘50s. This is a chance to experience a meal on a new level… a “high”-er level, if you will. Just when you thought your Friday night couldn’t get more exciting, enter Melissa Petitto and Cynthia Abulafia. Both moms. […]

Santa Barbara’s Inaugural Culinary Experience
By Hana-Lee Sedgwick   |   February 27, 2020

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, […]

Santa Barbara Restaurant Week
By Gabe Saglie   |   February 20, 2020

Santa Barbara Restaurant Week is back – a gastronomic extravaganza starring some of the South Coast’s top eateries and some of the best bang-for-your-buck eating you’ll find all year. The promotion, which features prix-fixe menus at three price points – $25, $35 and $45 – lasts two full weeks, from February 21 through March 6. […]

The Urge for Urchin
By Steven Libowitz   |   January 23, 2020

Writer-director-producer Jason Wise – whose previous documentaries include the much-lauded SOMM trilogy, had little idea what he was in for when he started making his latest film, The Delicacy, about Santa Barbara’s urchin diving industry. “Urchin is my favorite food, and I wanted to spend more time up there,” said the L.A. resident who did […]

More Than Just Food: Santa Ynez Valley Restaurant Weeks Target Wine Lovers, Too
By Gabe Saglie   |   January 23, 2020

Have you seen all the promos for Restaurant Week? It’s a national phenomenon throughout the winter season, actually: destinations leveraging the appeal of their top chefs (and the allure of value) to entice consumers and beef up foot traffic during a historically slow travel time of the year. Santa Barbara’s Restaurant Week returns February 21 […]

Liquid Leftovers: 10 Tips For Preserving Your Thanksgiving Wine
By Gabe Saglie   |   November 26, 2019

If you do Thanksgiving right, it’s not just edible leftovers you’ll be enjoying the next day. The cavalcade of flavors on your table means you’ll be popping a lot of corks, too – a wide range of wines to match a wide range of foods. And while Tupperware and aluminum foil works well when it […]

South Meets West
By Richard Mineards   |   November 26, 2019

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, […]

Epicurean Delights
By Richard Mineards   |   November 26, 2019

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 […]

To Eat His Own
By Ashleigh Brilliant   |   November 14, 2019

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 […]

Whiskey in the Jar: Ireland Sees New Growth in Longstanding Industry
By Gabe Saglie   |   November 7, 2019

My latest work trip to Ireland last week was fueled by food. The island nation is in the throes of a new three-month festival, Taste the Island, spotlighting its current culinary renaissance and luring international travelers with myriad foodie events. I spent the week doing recon by following my taste buds, and by happily gaining […]

Bettina Celebrates 1st Anniversary
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   November 7, 2019

Last week marked the first anniversary in business in Montecito for husband and wife team Brendan Smith and Rachel Greenspan, owners of Bettina in Montecito Country Mart. “It’s been a lot of work, but an overwhelmingly positive experience,” Greenspan told us earlier this week.  Riding on the coattails of the success of their mobile pizza […]

Mouth-Watering Menu
By Richard Mineards   |   October 31, 2019

To Tydes at the Coral Casino where the Biltmore’s new executive chef Michael Patria and Michelin-starred culinary wizard Erik Anderson from the new Truss Restaurant at the Four Seasons in Napa Valley, showed off their skills debuting a new dinner menu which is available through November 16. The menu, which marries Patria’s vision for the […]

Montecito Deli Celebrates 18th Anniversary
By Joanne A Calitri   |   September 26, 2019

Jeff Rypysc, owner of Montecito Deli and Catering, is celebrating his 18th year in business. The deli is located at 1150 Coast Village Road, the same location since Jeff took over the ownership on September 11, 2001 and also purchased the prior owner’s secret recipe for piadina, special flatbread made in Italy. The deli continues […]

Successful Taste of Coast Village
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   September 19, 2019

Nearly 500 people turned out for the inaugural Taste of Coast Village event this past Saturday, September 14. Thirty eateries, breweries, and wineries from Coast Village Road and beyond participated in the event, which took place in a cordoned off and tented area of the parking aisle on the 1100-1200 block of Coast Village Road. […]

Wine and Dine
By Richard Mineards   |   September 12, 2019

The rotunda at the Hilton was jammed when the 38th Taste of the Town threw its 10th annual Connoisseurs’ Circle gala, co-chaired by Lori Farnsworth and John O’Neill, for 213 foodies and wine lovers 48 hours before its popular Riviera epicurean festival with a tidal wave of restaurateurs, caterers, winemakers, and breweries serving samples of […]

Taste of Coast Village
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   September 5, 2019

Over the last few years, Coast Village Road has seen the arrival of more than a handful of new eateries, offering Montecito’s lower village an array of exciting dining options, the majority of which are locally owned and operated. In an effort to showcase its burgeoning restaurant scene, the Coast Village Association presents the inaugural […]

It’s Child’s Day!
By Richard Mineards   |   August 22, 2019

Statuesque culinary goddess Julia Child, who died two days short of her 92nd birthday in 2004, would have been 107 years of age last week, and many admirers of the first celebrity chef were determined she not be forgotten. Mayor Cathy Murillo joined nearly 200 guests at Beanie Baby billionaire Ty Warner‘s beautiful Morocco-inspired Montecito […]