Tag archives: Italian food

Totally Local: The Indefatigable Mollie Ahlstrand
By James Buckley   |   December 12, 2023

After nearly 30 years, the mudslide of 2018 put an end to her elegant Trattoria Mollie on Coast Village Road. She opened a new Mollie’s next to the Granada on State Street, but COVID-19 crushed that endeavor too. Armed conflict broke out in the Tigray region of Ethiopia in 2020 and the country is now […]

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” […]

Thario’s Kitchen: Family Feels and Home Cooking on Santa Claus Lane
By Zach Rosen   |   December 6, 2022

I, like so many others, have childhood memories of burgers, the beach, and that larger than life bearded, jolly man looming over Santa Claus Lane. Growing up on the road with traveling artists as parents, we stopped at countless little, quirky resting points along the way, but something about Santa Claus Lane sticks in the […]

Mollie Moves On
By James Buckley   |   December 7, 2021

I’ve known Mollie Ahlstrand for more than 30 years. Her high-end Italian restaurant on Coast Village Road was there for more than 25 of those years. But, the fires, the floods, the debris flow, and other disasters took their toll and she moved her place to Santa Barbara three years ago, only to run into […]

At Olio e Limone, It’s Amore
By Claudia Schou   |   February 18, 2021

Regular patrons of Olio e Limone are fans of the eatery’s Southern Italian fare as much as its owners Elaine and Alberto Morello. But there was a road that led the Sicilian chef and business partner wife to Santa Barbara. The two embarked on a business venture and romance that has lasted more than three […]

Convivo – A World of Flavor in Every Bite
By Claudia Schou   |   September 10, 2020

For those who want to venture outside their usual comfort zone, Convivo allows diners to expand their cuisine horizons far beyond the expected. The Italian fusion eatery nestled on the ocean side of Santa Barbara Inn offers traditional Italian fare married to exotic, rustic world cuisine. Sesame flat breads, seven-hour veal Bolognese served on house-made […]

Ca’ Dario Spotlights Summer Peaches
By Claudia Schou   |   August 20, 2020

Ca’ Dario Chef-Owner Dario Furlati has added fresh summer peaches to his menu. Influenced by the rustic home-style cooking served in osterias in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region, the chef-driven eatery is offering a trio of summer dishes that spotlight the flavor and texture of this juicy fruit at its locations in Montecito, downtown Santa Barbara, and […]

Little Dom’s Opens New Seafood Concept in Carpinteria
By Claudia Schou   |   August 13, 2020

Step inside Little Dom’s Seafood’s newly opened Carpinteria location and be transported back to a time in the mid-20th century when red faux leather booths were en vogue and portraits of famous Italian patrons were displayed on walls like badges of honor. Back then, neighborhood restaurants serving traditional Italian American fare were indies, not part […]

Ca’ Dario Opens on Coast Village Road
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   April 30, 2020

Despite the inability to fully open and seat and serve diners, Dario Furlati, owner of the Ca’ Dario restaurants, has softly opened his newest location on Coast Village Road, offering dinner for takeout. “It’s been a long time coming, and I’m happy I can finally open the doors,” he told us earlier this week, behind […]

Good Golly, Ms Mollie
By Richard Mineards   |   June 21, 2018

Major social gridlock took place when Montecito dynamic duo Mollie Ahlstrand and her son, Ali, opened their new Italian hotspot Mollie’s, the State Street eatery just a tiara’s toss from the venerable Granada. The tony twosome have long run their popular nosheteria Trattoria Mollie, on Coast Village Road, whose lease is up in the New […]