Santa Barbara New Years

[Matt H]

Hello Everyone,

A small group of us from Boston will be in Santa Barbara for a wedding 31st-2nd. The 31st and 1st are booked up with wedding festivities, but on the 2nd we have a chance to spend the day in Santa Barbara exploring around.

Here is what we are looking for:

- Best Breakfast recommendations in the area.
- For lunch the best Taqueria, and more specifically is La Super Rica worthy of all the hype? Is it worth waiting in line for?
- For dinner we are looking for a moderately priced restaurant (Under $25 entrees) with a lively atmosphere, excellent food and good cocktail program. Any type of food is fine.
- Best cocktail bar with excellent classic cocktails.
- Finally what are the best wineries to visit in Solvang? and if need be a good place to grab a quick bit while we are up that way.

We are staying at the Canary Hotel, but will have a car. I will be also posting on the LA board as we will be heading there from the 3rd-4th.

Thanks in advance.

M

[glbtrtr]

1. Inn of the Spanish Garden
2. # 15 Tocino Special at La Superica or drive to La Simpatia in Guadalupe
3. Take your pick of restaurants in Santa Barbara. You might like Hungry Cat.
4. Don't drink hard liquor -sorry can't help, cocktails not a biggie in this town, most are frou-frou affairs to make hard liquour to go down easier with sugar and fruit additions
Harry's Bar is probably the best known hard liquour spot for the serious classic cocktail drinkers.
5. Rancho Sisquoc winery. Grappolo, Ballard Store, Side Street Cafe, Root 246, Cold Springs Tavern, any of the Danish Bakeries in Solvang.

Visit the local restaurant website "Santa Barbara Dining" for more details, menus locations and reviews. And a search of this website will bring up most of our local favorites ..... over and over again.

[latindancer]

I'm confused about your "inn of the Spanish Garden" referral. It's a boutique hotel.
I love this little gem, and have stayed there many times, but what are you recommending it for?

[glbtrtr]

Gulp, you are right. I "read" bed and breakfast, not "best" breakfast. Thank you for catching this. I was puzzled if they are staying at the Canary why they also wanted a "bed and breakfast" but was moving to fast in my response to figure out I was not making any sense.

That being said, Anderson's Danish Bakery on State Street serves a fun breakfast in a lovely sunny sidewalk cafe setting. Close to the Carary Hotel too.

[latindancer]

Your recommendation is a good one, glbtrtr, for breakfast.
I love Anderson's breakfast and their pastries and I really like their service and sidewalk scenery.
A few days ago I was up in SB and ate, as usual, at D'Angelo's for breakfast. It's interesting, while eating there, how I found myself wanting more than their normal poached eggs (the only type of egg they serve) on toast with a cappuccino. It was okay, but expensive, and I thought about your recommendation for that lovely little I-Hop (is it landmarked?) on upper State.
Next time I'm automatically going there and skipping the expensive poached eggs.

[glbtrtr]

Chuckle. Only in Santa Barbara, would an IHOP possibly be "landmarked" for its historical status- of course you mean the incredible huge Morton Bay fig tree in the middle, around which the restaurant was built.

I do know a later day relative of the woman who planted the fig tree decades ago, but no it is not landmarked. But it should be. We have an active urban forest program in town - something to look into. It is loved and protected. Which is to still say nothing about their ........ ta da ......... killer Swedish pancakes. Yes, that too is a good breakfast setting, for the tree alone. Doubt there is another IHOP like it anywhere. We give chain restaurants a good name in this town. (That also invented the Egg McMuffin -no further comment.)

[SaltyRaisins]

The IHOP used to be a much better 24-hour place ("better" assuming you, like me, were a tipsy teenager at the time) called J.K. Frimples. The tree predates the restaurant, and good linguica omelets were on the menu then. Also, eggs a la rose at D'Angelo used to be so good...not anymore. Popularity gave them the freedom to omit the artichoke spread, overcook the eggs, and skimp on the prosciutto. Too bad...

As for the op's list, I like glbtrtr's suggestions, but offer my own take:

1. East Beach Cafe- if you're there before 9:45, you might have the place to yourselves this time of year. It's on the beach in the old Bath House building, and although you order at the counter, the rest of the meal is table service and the food, if simple, is good. Watching dolphins while you eat is pretty cool.

(1a. Renaud's croissants are superb. The best I've had in the U.S.- they have a downtown location now and do have a breakfast menu.)

2. Superrica would be the most chow-worthy Mexican in SB, though I recommend Taqueria Lilly if it's a "real taqueria" that you want:

http://www.santabarbara.com/Dining/re...

3. I agree with glbtrtr on this. A wide target. If it's a good "cocktail program" you're after, something on State Street might serve best. Best to let us know what you're thinking after you've narrowed it down a bit- we'll tell you if it's worthy.

4. Tee Off- it's on upper State street, not downtown, but is certainly "old school," as in Go-Sonnyboy-And-Make-Grandpa-His-Highball old school, and serves some very nice steaks to boot. Or Joe's, which is downtown, and is a 20-something's beehive on weekend eves, but does do a decent cocktail.

5. Stick to Santa Inez for wineries, and Rancho Sisquoc is very picturesque. Don't try to hit too many-that takes all the fun out of it if one of you has to drive. 2-3 at the most. Also, if you hold your liquor well, you could combine a winery excursion with cocktails at Mattei's Tavern in Los Olivos- they do a nice Harvey Wallbanger, and serve good food.

Cheers!

[Matt H]

Awesome information guys, once I have narrowed down the dinner choices I will post back. Thanks again.

[sbgirl]

-Beachbreak Cafe has great breakfasts - grab a good cuppa joe across the street at SB Roasting Company first, then settle in at Beachbreak for chow.
-Don't think Super Rica is worth the hype, have heard great thing about Lillyas, too, same neighborhood.
-Opal for dinner. Others that may fit the bill are Paradise Cafe, Jill's Place.
- Good, serious cocktails at Joe's and Harry's (already mentioned), Arnoldi's (especially if Willy is there), the Chase if Todd is bartending. All are restaurants, not strictly cocktail bars. If Jimmy's was still around I'd send you there but, alas, it is no more.
-Agree with others that you want to avoid Solvang. Los Olivos has a lot of good tasting rooms in a small area, and good food options too. Panino has great sandwiches and salads.

[glbtrtr]

Do you mean Lilly's at the end of Chapala street or is there another one near La Superica on Milpas Street -not sure I would say they are in the "same" neighborhood but I may not know about a new location. Please help. Thanks.

I have been to Lilly's at the end of Chapala Street, and it was nothing I would recommend other than it is cheap, friendly and spartan. They got on the map to a wider audience for their "eyeball" tacos- which are simply the muscles that surround the eye, not the orbit itself. Meat tacos is all they are, but just from an untraditional body part that Fido may well have been eating for years but not typically found on western style menus, along with tripe and tongue.

It certainly is a worthy choice for a thorough exploration of our modest taco establishments. One should not overlook El Bajio either on Milpas Street. And I myself have a very soft spot for La Superrica and love their #15.

Second Opal as a good solid bistro restaurant choice that is always pleasing with a wine list that impressed a lot of people for their careful selections.

Great old-timey cocktail bar suggestions: Joe's, Tee-Off, Harry's, Arnoldi's and the long-mourned Jimmys which was the quick drink run between acts at the Lobero theater for many. Shows a lot of old time Santa Barbara was centered about some serious hard drinking liquour spots. Going to Harry's is like entering a time capsule of flocked wall paper, red tuck and roll naugahyde booths, dim lighting in the middle of the day, and a serious traditional bar and a lot of regulars who make it a very friendly place.

Forgot about Arnoldi's because that again has a very affectionate spot in a lot of old time Santa Barbaran's hearts, though not crazy about the food. I need to go back and see if things have changed --- or maybe appreciate that they have not.

[sbgirl]

I meant Lilly's at the end of Chapala, yes. Have not gone so only word of mouth.
I would not eat at Arnoldi's, glbtrtr - went for drinks for a friend's birthday gathering and left to forage for food elsewhere (ended up at Bouchon). Birthday girl and partner had mediocre food at best, some reported as inedible. Like the bar and bocce, tho.
Note to Matt - Opal also has a full bar with some good house drinks.