Tag archives: Riviera

Do you remember the pre-streaming, pre-Tivo, pre-DVD, pre-VCR days when Santa Barbara was among nearly every artsy city in the country that had cinematic art houses showing classic movies and curated retrospective among screenings of indie and foreign films? Now with its new After Hours weekend series, SBIFF’s Riviera Theatre is in many ways returning […]

“Cinema shows us a world that fits our desires.” French film critic André Bazin’s quote is spoken by Jean-Luc Godard in the opening credits of his film Contempt.A camera crew tracks along towards us, until the camera itself nearly films the frame. It tilts down and turns its lens on us.  What if the line […]

Have you ever been stuck in a rut? Doing the same thing day in, day out. The same rituals, the same tasks, the same autopilot life? Now imagine that – but you’re on some uninhabited island off the coast of England where your only friends are a group of rare flowers. If you weren’t on […]

“You need murder and violence in order to be happy.” That cutting line, said by a wife to her depressed detective husband cleverly describes the protagonist of Park Chan-wook’s new film, Decision to Leave, and at the same time, Park Chan-wook himself. Or does it?  The South Korean “provocateur” is well known for his violent […]

Who has Doc Brown’s number? He lives around here, right? We could use his DeLorean right about now, ‘cause we’re taking a ride back to the ‘70s! This week at the Riviera is a 4K Restoration of Mike Nichols’ 1971 film, Carnal Knowledge starring Jack Nicholson, Art Garfunkel, Candice Bergen, and Ann-Margret. Really, how could […]

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 […]

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet.” Shakespeare employed that now famous line in his play Romeo and Juliet to imply that the naming of things is irrelevant. The Riviera Ridge School might beg to differ.  The highly-esteemed independent educational institution that serves […]

Cowboy hats proliferated when Riviera Ridge School hosted a Western-themed fundraiser with 200 guests raising a hefty $300,000 for school activities and faculty. The boffo Home on the Ridge! bash, co-chaired by Tina Wood and Andrea McFarling, kicked off with a champagne-fueled VIP reception at the home of head of school Christina Broderick, complete with […]

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 […]