Santa Barbara has a diverse food scene full of fantastic restaurants. New restaurants open regularly ranging from chic fine dining to casual family fare. I wrote about my favorite pizza place earlier this week, here are five more restaurants that you should add to your travel itinerary.
Andersen’s Danish Bakery & Restaurant | https://andersenssantabarbara.com
Home of handcrafted European cuisine and Danish pastries, Andersen’s is a charming restaurant and bakery located on State Street. While you can just stop by to pick up a pastry as you stroll around, take an afternoon to enjoy their high tea. Served on a tiered tray you will sample a variety of sweet and savory Danish-style treats from apple streusel to tea sandwiches. A little different from a traditional English tea, it’s a fun cultural experience for any tea lover or special occasion.
Beachside Bar-Cafe | https://www.beachside-barcafe.com
Located in Goleta, enjoy ocean views and a changing seasonal menu of fresh seafood. Be sure to get a window seat if you can because the view is worth the wait. Right on the beach, you get an unobstructed view of the ocean as you dine. With great lunch specials, this is the perfect stop after a morning on the beach. In addition to the seafood, they also serve a fantastic tri-tip sandwich.
Mizza | https://www.mizzasb.com
Boasting a menu of artisan pizza and Italian cuisine this is a great spot to grab some dinner after a day of shopping on State Street. You can’t miss the yellow umbrellas located in by the La Arcada Plaza, grab a patio seat if you can. They source their produce locally, so be sure to check out their salad and appetizer menus. The heirloom tomato and burrata salad is simple in execution, but delicious with ribbons of fresh basil and fresh cracked pepper. I haven’t had the chance to try their pizza menu, but the creamy pesto and smoked chicken orecchiette is worth consideration.
Old Town Coffee | https://otcoffeeshop.com
Another Goleta favorite, this coffee shop is worth a stop for more than just their latte menu. With empanadas from Buena Onda and donuts from Hook and Press in their pastry case be sure to come hungry. You can’t go wrong with any of the empanada options (though the prosciutto was a personal favorite and the brown butter donut is a must. The cafe has ample seating making it a great place to meet a friend or get some work done, but parking can be a little tricky depending on the time of day.
Les Marchands | http://lesmarchandswine.com
Easily one of the best weekend brunch spots in Santa Barbara. The seating area is relatively small, so arrive early if you want to guarantee your spot. While the specials change regularly, one constant is their spectacular take on chicken and waffles. Perfectly tender chicken with crisp, flavorful skin paired with just the right amount of syrup on a fluffy waffle. Bliss.
What are your Santa Barbara favorites? I’m heading back to the area later this year and am always excited to try something new.
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What better way to kick off Central Coast week on my blog than to talk about the restaurant that I visited on three separate occasions during my week’s vacation? My goal while on vacation is generally to try as much in a given city as I possibly can, so multiple visits to the same restaurant are a rarity. And then there was Bettina.
After a long day of driving all I could think about was pizza, and after a quick Yelp search I discovered that not only was Bettina close to my hotel, but the menu looked particularly delightful. From wood-fired bread and pepperoni pizza drizzled in local California honey to the truly spectacular carbonara pizza, every dish had an interesting twist.
Appetizers
Try the wood-fired bread. This was one of two repeat orders and it is one that you won’t regret. Warm and tangy with a side of house cultured butter that melts into the open crumb. It’s pure bliss. For something a little more substantial the fried cauliflower was also a hit, not least because the ranch dipping sauce on the side was heavenly.
Pizza
One of the things that caught my eye from the beginning was the seasonal menu of pizza options utilizing fresh (and often local) ingredients. The pepperoni pizza is generously sprinkled with the spicy disks and drizzled with a local California honey. The combination of sweet and spicy was well balanced (though the heat was a little much for me). The real shining star of the current menu is the carbonara pizza. Ricotta, mozzarella, and provolone piccante paired with melt in your mouth bites of pancetta and topped with an egg for good measure. The combination is the perfect savory mix of sharp and creamy with an added layer of richness from the pancetta and egg yolk. This was the dish that brought me back for a third visit.
Dessert
With an in-house pastry chef, the dessert menu should be given consideration. With the traditional Italian restaurant offerings of tiramisu to olive oil cake the menu is brief, but varied enough to suit both the traditionalist as well as the culinary adventurer. I couldn’t resist the call of the chocolate hazelnut cake and I wasn’t disappointed. Incredibly moist layers of chocolate cake sandwiched between buttercream and topped with roasted hazelnuts are served chilled. Sweet without being too much after a full meal, it’s a cake worth sharing.
I’m already plotting my next trip back when I’m in the area later this year (their winter menu has a potato pizza that looks divine) and adding a few flavor profiles to my everyday arsenal. Pepperoni drizzled with honey is a must, and I will be trying out adding some homemade ricotta to my next batch of carbonara. What is your favorite pizza pairing?
Bettina
1014 Coast Village Road
Santa Barbara, CA 93108
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