Each year we go “off the grid” between Christmas and New Year’s. For our whole team, it is a time for family, friends, celebration and reflection. Vinny and I always head down south to experience our “West Coast Mediterranean” in the Central Coast area. This year we chose to discover some new favorites versus settling into our tried and true restaurants, galleries and shops. See what we stumbled on below!
SANTA BARBARA
Don’t miss the delicious Italian food at Ca’ Dario. Chef Dario Furlati was born and raised in Northern Italy, and it shows in the delicate pastas and extraordinary grilled meats. This is the best Italian food in Santa Barbara and some of the best our family has ever tasted. We experienced the Insalata Romana followed by the Grigiliata D’Asparagi made of grilled asparagus, wrapped with pancetta, Parmesan and balsamic vinegar. Our entrees included Ravioli Al Burro E Salvia which were pasta pillows filled with spinach and ricotta with browned butter and sage sauce and Tagliatelle Verdi Alla Bologene which was made of spinach tagliatelle with traditional Italian beef ragout. The meal was so incredible, we ate there twice!
Photo courtesy of the LA Times. Photo courtesy of Ca’ Dario.
My team and I have long admired the hand-printed Belgian linen fabrics of Santa Barbara–based Raoul Textiles. Raoul’s retail store on State Street is part workshop and part showroom. The downtown location is an elegant and evolving presentation of the Raoul aesthetic. In addition to owner, Sally McQuillan’s, sought-after textiles, the store carries a sophisticated range of decorative art, furniture, lighting and home accessories. The retail store carries, hand-printed tea towels, Raoul pillows and blankets, journals, custom fabric hangers and signature handbags.
Just down the street from Raoul, you will find the new and developing “Funk Zone”. It begins with the Urban Wine Trail and is filled with farm-to-table restaurants, a vibrant arts district, several local surf shops and galleries that feature local talent. Depending on what you are made of, you can try all kinds of local grapes. The tour encompasses 17 tasting rooms. Winery stops include Au Bon Climat, Carr Winery, Cottonwood Canyon Vineyard & Winery, Deep Sea Tasting Room, Grassini Family Vineyards, Jaffurs Wine Cellars, Kalyra Winery, Kunin Wines, Margerum Wine Company, Municipal Winemakers, Oreana Winery, Pali Wine Company,Sanguis, Santa Barbara Winery, Silver Wines, Whitcraft Winery and Summerland Winery.
Map courtesy of Visit Santa Barbara
The Lucky Penny opened in the Funk Zone at 137 Anacapa Street, immediately next to the new Lark restaurant. Owner Sherry Villanueva offers a description of her new eatery: “Lucky Penny take-away café offers wood-fired pizza, artisan coffee, handmade pastries, seasonal salads, fresh squeezed juices, beer and wine. Enjoy your meal onsite in our picnic area or grab it to go. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner from 7 a.m. – 9 p.m. seven days a week, Lucky Penny is the perfect place to stop as you meander along the Urban Wine Trail in Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone. Lucky Penny is covered entirely in copper pennies making even the building a true work of art!”
We loved the simple Margarita Pizza and Garden Salad on the open air patio. Casual and comfortable, it is a wonderful place to spend the afternoon.
The Lark, named for the sleek overnight Pullman train of the Southern Pacific Railroad that serviced Santa Barbara from 1910 -1968, is a 130 seat full-service restaurant located in the historic Santa Barbara Fish Market building, next door to The Lucky Penny. Also situated in the heart of the Funk Zone, The Lark brings the entire Santa Barbara community together to celebrate their unique place. The aesthetic is wonderful and the menu looks great too—since we can only eat so much, it is on our list for next visit.
Doug Washington, owner of the acclaimed Town Hall and Salt House restaurants in San Francisco, has designed the interior and exterior space with an urban style that integrates vintage and repurposed materials for a sophisticated yet casual sensibility. Original lighting, handmade furniture and a 24-seat live-edge communal table stacked on vintage radiators create a space that is warm yet exciting. Doug collaborated with Dan Bush Design/Build of Portland, OR along with AB Design Studio and Young Construction of Santa Barbara, CA.
The Santa Barbara Art Foundry features the world’s top selling artists in bronze, paints, and mixed media, and featuring the art of Tim Cotteril, Nano Lopez, Erte, Ted Gall and many others. The Santa Barbara Art Foundry also provides wine tastings and pairings from local vintner and international award winning winery, Blair Fox Cellars. The Santa Barbara Art Foundry has something for everyone and has tours starting every five minutes, seven days a week.
OJAI
We were drawn to FiG because of its playful entrance {below} and stayed and chatted because of the wonderful interiors and lifestyle pieces, not to mention the chit chat with Kristen, the cheerful shop sales gal. This spot is a great place to start in Ojai due to its “happy” home décor and inside scoop on the town.
Ojai, of roughly more than 8,000 people, located 65 miles northwest of Los Angeles, is renowned for its olives, dates, wines and citrus fruits. Those Mediterranean staples find their way into the cuisine of the valley, and onto the menus of local restaurants. And perhaps nowhere is that more apparent than at Azu, where the local bounty finds its way onto the table in creative ways. Chef Laurel Moore carefully selects the finest ingredients – from the restaurant’s vegetable garden, local ranchers and the farmers market – to create a Spanish-heavy Mediterranean tapas-style menu that is to die for. We started our luncheon with hummus and Processco and then moved on to Fall Quinoa Salad made of shaved brussel sprouts, pine nuts, avocado, crispy chickpeas & quinoa with basil vinaigrette. If I could have this for lunch every day, I would! Vinny enjoyed the Portobello Mushroom Burger with Gruyere and horseradish and homemade pickles.
Wanda Weller Sakai’s store has “curated goods” representing modern design with a handcrafted feel sourced regionally whenever possible, a kind of retail design-locavore. Wanda has worked for more than 20 years in the apparel design industry, where she’s created clothing for such influential brands as Adidas and Patagonia. Today, as owner and curator of Modern Folk Living, Wanda’s impeccable personal aesthetic, passion for quality, and interest in sustainable materials and manufacturing influence her selection of products and services. Her fresh eye has drawn her to carrying brands such as Riffle, Heath Ceramics and Apolis, too.
Photo courtesy of CoolHunting.
Bart’s Books, at the corner of Matilija and Canada streets in Ojai, CA, is the home to the largest independently owned and operated outdoor bookstore in the United States. This unique outdoor book store has been an Ojai institution for so long that a trip to the area is not complete without wandering through their extensive collection. Categories ranging from history to design to cookbooks that are displayed in the kitchen and gallery room alongside an inspiring collection of art books. Patio tables with umbrellas for sunny days offer peaceful spaces for reading and an open air “roof top” offers the perfect amount of light. Next year Bart’s Books will celebrate its 50th year in business.
Dressed in blue and white, Marche Gourmet is a European style deli with Italian, French, Greek and influences. Being in Ojai, they have gluten-free choices, vegan and vegetarian options and organic produce, fresh sliced deli meats and a wonderful selection of cheeses. Fresh baked cookies, quiches, frittatas, paninis and sandwiches are their specialty. We stopped in for a coffee and gluten free Toffee Oat Cookie that hit the spot!
