637669 Sat Jul 18 23:54:09 -0700 2009 26 3 California 0 4871151 Tell me where I have to go and what to order... Sat Jul 18 23:54:10 -0700 2009 74154 irishkevbo 1 4871416 Love to get some limits here because there are so many choices depending on where you are staying and food likes, dislikes, settings, budget and curiosities. We could send you to $400 meal at San Ysidro Ranch or a great fresh taco for $3.95 at La Superica. Can you provide a few more clues and we can help you pin down some local favorites. Sun Jul 19 07:23:43 -0700 2009 4871151 12522 glbtrtr 2 4871562 I've heard great things about Los Agaves on Milpas. Have you been there and what do you think? I'm on my way up today and would like your thoughts. Sun Jul 19 08:48:30 -0700 2009 4871416 239340 latindancer 3 4872367 It is good, not great, but good. Uses local ingredients, freshly prepared. Fresh "Mexican" can only go so far, but if this is what you want this is a good choice, along with a lot of other places too in this town. So it depends what you are looking for. It is casual, so this is not a place for dining finesse. It is like Los Arroyos, Los Gallos, etc ... and even Rudy's can turn out some really good fresh stuff too. I don't think they take this type of food to a different dimension than others that are similar in town. And there is nothing wrong with that. If this is a convenient location, then you will enjoy it if you are looking for fresh Mexican with a few of their own unique twists, sauces and ingredients. By all means try it. I would go back again. Sun Jul 19 16:36:30 -0700 2009 4871562 12522 glbtrtr 4 4882296 Thanks glbtrtr. Unfortunately I ran out of time in Santa Barbara and had to come back to 'the furnace' here in LA> Santa Barbara was beautiful for the three days I was there. The first dinner had I ate was at The Boathouse and I had a wonderful Petrale Sole with roasted potatoes and fresh steamed spinach. The service was excellent, the scenery was beautiful and the food was delicious. Two nights later I dined at Santa Barbara Fish House. I was pleasantly surprised, actually, being this is the heighth of the tourist season and it is located across from Stearn's Wharf. I, once again, had Petrale Sole. They actually prepared it the same....pan sauteed on a bed of roasted potatoes and fresh steamed spinach. The service was wonderful and the food was excellent. I love to try new wines I've never tasted in Santa Barbara. I was turned on to a wonderful winery named 'McManis'. It's a central coast, family run winery, and they're known for their pinot noir. It's excellent. Thanks for the advice on Los Agave. I'm anxious to try it. Wed Jul 22 16:54:57 -0700 2009 4872367 239340 latindancer 5 4882640 Latindancer- the Boathouse and the Fishouse are owned by the same folks...they also own the SBShellfish on Stearns Wharf. Wed Jul 22 19:05:03 -0700 2009 4882296 12388 JalamaMama 6 4882706 I didn't know that, thanks. I was really happy to have found these (2) restaurants. Now I know why they prepared the sole the same at both places. Regardless, I find myself, back in LA, thinking about that fish! Lucky Santa Barbara. Wed Jul 22 19:33:59 -0700 2009 4882640 239340 latindancer 2 4875459 I had La Superica for lunch and I have to say I didn't get it. I have a chile relleno in cream sauce and it was discusting. 2 pounds of cheese, no flavor in a bland cream sauce. The #16 was good but will melted cheese all over it, I found it gooey and hard to eat. I have eaten some great Mexican in my day and La Superica was not one of them. P.S Great salsa and tortillas Mon Jul 20 16:33:30 -0700 2009 4871416 74154 irishkevbo 3 4877098 # 15 is cheesy (bacon, melted cheese, fresh tortillas and pico de gallo), gooey and hard to eat. And it drips all over and needs multiple napkins before you are done. And....... it is hard to put down. Yum! It's the best. Fresh, simple, flavorful and addicting. Tue Jul 21 08:44:46 -0700 2009 4875459 12522 glbtrtr 4 4878722 Not really Mexican food but it sure does sound good. Tue Jul 21 16:26:14 -0700 2009 4877098 74154 irishkevbo 5 4879421 Uhhhh, I think it IS Mexican food .......... Mexican cheese, and you can also order it with chorizo sausage instead of the Mexican bacon on the fresh Mexican tortillas and the fresh Mexican pico de gallo ...... put together at a really authentic Mexican family fresh taco stand ............yup, it is Mexican on all counts. Tue Jul 21 20:57:33 -0700 2009 4878722 12522 glbtrtr 6 5156483 Show me one place in Mexico that slatthers it's food in montery jack cheese (American) and pico de gallo. Real mexican food has a little bit of queso fresco or Chihuaha cheese, it's not covered in cheese. I had a chile relleno that may have been the worst thing I ever ate, it was covered in cream and discusting cheese, uggghhh. Wed Nov 04 15:52:48 -0800 2009 4879421 74154 irishkevbo 7 5156506 I agree that the cheese they used was surprising since it tasted like some kind of american cheese. I think SuperRica is not bad but by far not as good as some people make it and it lives from its hype. Wed Nov 04 16:00:13 -0800 2009 5156483 13239 honkman 5 4882337 "Not really Mexican food but it sure does sound good" ____________________________________________ What? If it's not Mexican then what is it? Wed Jul 22 17:10:43 -0700 2009 4878722 239340 latindancer 6 5156526 It's totally cool if you don't like La Superrica, but we gotta keep the facts straight, here: there is no use of Monterey Jack at La Superrica. They use only queso panela and queso oaxaca. Throwing around the word "real" before Mexican food could be problematic on these boards, in any case. As for the cream sauce on your chile relleno- I know one of the national dishes of Mexico to be chiles en nogada. The sauce for this dish is usually made with crema and queso and a lot of ground walnuts. A very creamy sauce indeed, and a not atypical accompaniment to a chile relleno. Facts: you say that your #16 had "cheese melted all over it." To me, that description implies a prepared dish being covered with a handful of cheap cheese and being tossed under a salamander. La Superrica does not do this- they fire-grill their meats and veggies to order and then transfer them to a flattop where they are diced together with the cheese so that a really great depth of flavor is spread throughout the meat. The dish exists in a cheese-less version on the menu as well. Wed Nov 04 16:06:09 -0800 2009 4882337 209317 SaltyRaisins 7 5156558 Are you sure about queso panela and queso oaxaca ? Both times when trying #15 the cheese did taste like Monterey Jack (I know that queso oaxaca sometimes taste similar to unaged Monterey Jack but both times it tasted (not in a good way) like aged Monterey Jack Wed Nov 04 16:17:24 -0800 2009 5156526 13239 honkman 8 5156722 Yeah, I'm pretty sure. I've seen them prepping the cheese, and it's in those particular shapes. Wed Nov 04 17:28:37 -0800 2009 5156558 209317 SaltyRaisins 7 5156733 irishkevbo, Love that real treat at Superica - melted cheese, bacon, fresh tortillas and pico de gallo. It's real there and that's real for me. Yum. I want it now! If I want real Mexican food, I go to Mexico just like I do for every other national cuisine. I have yet to find "real" international cuisine outside its home base. I find pale comparisons and some creative interpretations, but I never hold a local place to their standards of origin. Chill, some of us love LSR. It is okay for you to not like it. Really. Can't find good soda bread outside Ireland either. Wed Nov 04 17:33:15 -0800 2009 5156526 12522 glbtrtr 3 5161095 Everytime time I go to LSR, I order #16. Most people, including myself the first time, don't know how to properly eat this dish - they use a knife and fork?!? Instead, treat the plate like fajitas...take one of the tortillas, place it on a clean plate or your hand, take a handful of the pork/cheese/pepper mixture and place it in the tortilla...add whatever salsa/guac you want - personally I like the salsa verde and guac...eat it like a taco... You can easily get 5 nice sized tacos out of this (you need to order extra tortillas). Enjoy! Fri Nov 06 09:59:15 -0800 2009 4875459 12132 manku 4 5161198 Ordering the extra tortillas is a good way because even my fav, the #15 special could go further with a few more succulent fresh tortillas than just the three they include making this bit of heaven last even longer. Thanks for the suggestion and your mouth-watering description of your fav. Fri Nov 06 10:29:03 -0800 2009 5161095 12522 glbtrtr 1 4875484 Habanero hot shot at the Brewhouse Mon Jul 20 16:42:11 -0700 2009 4871151 10809 Josh 1 5157617 Brophy Bros on the Waterfront is a must. Show up for Sunset early, take in the view of the SB Riviera and enjoy classic, simple seafood at a great price.. Chowder, Oysters, Louie Salads... All Killer! Don't miss it... http://www.brophybros.com/ FYI, the people above talking S#@!t about Super Rica are on CRACK! Still the best Taqueria on the planet... Thu Nov 05 06:24:51 -0800 2009 4871151 1121909 Mister Munchie 2 5157885 'Still the best Taqueria on the planet...." While I agree Super Rica is good, you're going overboard with the accolades. It's one of Santa Barbara's better places to eat, for sure. Just like Brophy Bros. Thu Nov 05 07:55:52 -0800 2009 5157617 239340 latindancer 2 5158170 "Still the best Taqueria on the planet..." - I dodn't know that Santa Barbara is now a own planet ;) Thu Nov 05 09:33:50 -0800 2009 5157617 13239 honkman 2 5158176 There does seem to be some rather weird reverse snobbery trying to put La Superica down. We owe LSR a huge debt of gratitude because they introduced us to terrific fresh Mexican style foods decades ago when the standard in this town was not much better than canned Rosarita. El Paseo stood for everything that was wrong with gringo Mexican and few would venture down to Haley Street for the Rose Cafe which was only a few shades better. LSR owner started from scratch in a very modest setting and built little by little his very solid reputation to become a very well-loved dining choice and opened this town to the possibilities of what regional Mexican cooking can be. Just because Juila Childs also recognized what the owner was trying to do with fresh food within this unique national cuisine is no reason to look down your noses on it because it is not to your own liking. Thank you LSR for setting the standard and awakening our local taste buds to the wonders of this all to often badly presented and underappreciated regional cuisine. You are part of the fabric of our town and take a very well-deserved place near the top of it for what you brought to us through your incredibly hard work and attention to detail. And BTW, did I tell you l LOVE the Number 15 Ticino Special! Don't change a thing and I am glad over the decades you have not. Thu Nov 05 09:36:01 -0800 2009 5157617 12522 glbtrtr 3 5159328 "Just because Julia Childs also recognized what the owner was trying to do with fresh food within this unique national cuisine is no reason to look down your noses on it because it is not to your own liking". Huh? I'm not sure what you're attempting but regardless of whether Julia Childs liked/loved La Superica (years ago) is irrelevant to my tastes and whether I like the place or not. I like LSR. However, given that, I argue whether or not it's 'the best Taqueria on the planet'. It's a place to go when I'm in Santa Barbara and the food is consistently good. I can't think of why this would be considered "weird reverse snobbery". What does that mean anyway? Thu Nov 05 15:29:29 -0800 2009 5158176 239340 latindancer 4 5159910 Latin dancer - my comments were not in response to you, but merely commenting on MrMunchies observations about all the trash talk against LRS. If you look at the format for the reply comments there is no relationship to any one persons comment but rather a response intended to be in the most general terms to the topic itself .My apologies if you took this as a personal response to you. None intended. Thu Nov 05 19:52:43 -0800 2009 5159328 12522 glbtrtr