Tag archives: food
Vicenta’s is the latest eatery from prolific restaurateur Carlos Luna, who opened his first nosheteria in 2008 aged just 27, and now includes five branches of Los Agaves and Santo Mezcal on State Street. The 160-seat Mexican restaurant in Goleta was quite bustling when I went for lunch with my trusty shutterbug, Priscilla, and dined […]
The State Street locale that was home to Downey’s for 35 years has been quietly operating as a fresh new concept since May of this year. Owned and operated by Jim Mishler, Roost offers a fresh and simple menu for both lunch and dinner. Mishler has been a mainstay in the local restaurant scene for […]
“The saddest part about these fires in California is that they are self-inflicted. Californians should not allow such mismanagement to continue. At what point will common-sense forest management practices win out over the ideologically driven environmental lobby? Soon, I hope, or Paradise might not be the only thing lost.”– Krystina Skurk (The Federalist) (Ms Skurk […]
The 21st annual Empty Bowls fundraiser at the Ben Page Youth Center was so oversubscribed, there had to be three seatings for the simple soup and bread meals, which allowed the 1,000 participants paying just $30 to choose a hand-crafted bowl and, after dining, take the colorful ceramic home. The bustling event, founded by the […]
The 7th annual Season of Hope food and toy drive is underway; Montecito Fire Protection District is now accepting donations of non-perishable foods and new, unwrapped toys at both fire stations. The community-wide event is sponsored by KSBY and includes local non-profit organizations, fire departments, and several businesses. The donations go to the Unity Shoppe’s “Central Distribution Facility,” […]
Four months after opening for business in Montecito Inn, the owners of The Monarch restaurant announced November 1 that they have expanded their operations to include brunch, which is now available seven days a week. The menu, which is available from 7 am to 2:30 pm, includes breakfast items that will be offered for the […]
Khao Kaeng, the newest concept from the owners behind the widely popular Empty Bowl Gourmet Noodle Bar at the Santa Barbara Public Market, has opened on Coast Village Road. The eatery is located in Coast Village Plaza (1187 Coast Village Road), in the lower space formerly occupied by Here’s the Scoop. “People are excited we […]
Nearly two-and-a-half years after signing their lease in Montecito Country Mart, Bettina owners – and husband-and-wife team– Brendan Smith and Rachel Greenspan opened the doors to their Neapolitan-style pizza place on October 29. Following the success of their mobile pizza catering concept, Autostrada, Smith and Greenspan wanted to open a brick and mortar space to […]
Carlitos Cafe y Cantina, the popular State Street eatery, a tiara’s toss from the Arlington Theatre, is celebrating its 40th anniversary next month. The Mexican restaurant, owned by Montecito residents Carlos and Leslie Lopez-Hollis, is one of the longest-reigning businesses on the ritzy rue. “We saw great potential with the location and knew we could […]
French culture consistently impresses American culture with art, poetry, literature, theatre, fashion, and architecture; but the French take their sweets and pastries just as seriously as Monet took his paintings. Every four years, France holds a “craftsman competition” called Meilleur Ouvrier de France (“Best Worker in France”). The contest is open to pastry chefs who […]
A record sell-out crowd of 300 guests descended on Sherry Villanueva‘s Funk Zone eatery The Lark for the 48-year-old Community Environmental Council’s ninth annual Green Gala, raising more than $125,000 for the cause. The boffo bash, lavishly decorated in green hues, was co-chaired by Carolyn Fitzgerald, Leanne Schlinger Diebolt, and Elizabeth Wagner, with the ubiquitous […]
Braille Institute Auxiliary of Santa Barbara (BIA) held its 4th annual “Festival of Flavors” at the Braille Institute Santa Barbara Regional Center. It’s a charming venue with its large courtyard in the center of their facility. Event chair Sydney Tredick welcomed everyone by telling us, “The event committee are all the ladies with jewels on […]
Almost every married woman knows the experience of trying to make their spouse’s favorite childhood meal. My husband is third-generation American-Lebanese and he grew up on foods with names I still can’t pronounce and had never tasted before. Pasta was my British parents’ idea of exotic cuisine. But how hard could it be? I’m a […]
We’ve all done it. Opened a bag of chips or cookies intending to eat only a handful, and ended up polishing off the bag. Had that second helping when lingering tableside with company, or scarfed a chocolate bar – or two! – in the aftermath of bad news. Mindlessly eating to chase away boredom or […]
It’s not every day you see a crowd of hungry revelers enjoying local food and wine while dressed in togas. Yet, that’s exactly what you’ll find at the “Feast of Apicius” event on Saturday, October 20, at the Santa Barbara Natural History Museum. Held from 2 to 5 pm in Fleischmann Auditorium, this delicious wine […]
One of downtown Santa Barbara’s most popular restaurants is coming to Montecito in 2019; Ca’ Dario owner Dario Furlati has signed a lease to take over the space currently occupied by Giovanni’s at 1187 Coast Village Road. Property owner Hank Hurst confirmed the news, saying he is looking forward to having Dario, his team, and […]
Foodies were out in force at the Lark in the Funk Zone when the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County hosted a reception to commemorate its 7th annual Table of Life fundraiser October 6 at the beautiful Montecito estate of Jim and Stephanie Sokolove, who are leaving our rarefied enclave for the balmier attractions of Boca […]
Growing up with two British parents, we never missed afternoon tea. It was an insisted-upon daily ritual to stave off hunger between meals. Or, maybe it was their way to give us a “jolt” of sugar and caffeine to energize us do our homework and afternoon chores. My mom was a bit of a renegade, […]
Earlier this week, Montecito Deli owner Jeff Rypysc celebrated 17 years in business on Tuesday, September 11. Rypysc closed escrow on the purchase of the business on September 11, 2001, and since then has been feeding Montecito locals and tourists at the casual deli. Rypysc has always attributed his success to two things: his loyal […]
We recently returned from a trip through Burgundy, where we went mustard tasting in Dijon. I now appreciate how the right mustard can be the “wow” factor to any meal. This recipe uses a slightly sweet mustard called Golden Dijon, available from Viva Oliva on Coast Village Road. It is the perfect complement to the […]



