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spr ing
Gianfranco’s Trattoria
666 Linden Ave 684-0720
Yes, there is a
Gianfranco; there is also
his wife, Anna, and their
son, chef Giovanni, so
this trattoria is certainly
family owned and
operated. Appeals
include an outside patio,
robust coffee, and
homemade ravioli. Menu
items include carpaccio,
bruschetta, roasted beet salad, Caesar salad, or pastas in
homemade Italian sauces. Dinner specialties include pan seared
Atlantic salmon, Bistecca Fiorentina, Cioppino and the Agnello.
Gianfranco et al promise that eating here, “will be like taking a trip
to Italy without the jet lag!”
SANTA BARBARA
Andersen’s Danish Bakery
1106 State Street 962-5085
Established 1976, the
best in Danish &
European cuisine in
Santa Barbara serving
breakfast, lunch &
dinner. Authentic
Danishes, Apple
Strudels, Marzipans,
desserts & much more.
Experience Andersen’s
Gourmet Food Parade with a European interior, or dine on the
sidewalk patio. To eat or sip outside Andersen’s puts one at
the heart of downtown Santa Barbara life, equidistant from
museums and movie theaters, Paseo Nuevo and the
Arlington.
Bistro
8301 Hollister Avenue at Bacara Resort 968-0100
Cream-colored
interior, warmly lit
wall sconces,
beamed curving
ceilings, arched
entryways, glowing
chandeliers, large
comfortable
upholstered high-
back chairs,
lavender
tablecloths, lush
carpeting a tile-encrusted curved bar, original oil paintings, and
ocean views set the stage for Bistro’s Mediterranean atmosphere.
Fresh, simple meals, including bruschetta, tuna club sandwich,
even pizza and a peanut-butter cheesecake, served al fresco
with an ocean breeze. “A little loose, a little luxurious, a lot to
look forward to,” is what they tell us.
Boathouse at Hendry’s Beach
2981 Cliff Drive 898-2628
Known for its
blood orange
Margaritas, The
Boathouse at
Hendry’s Beach is
located right on
the sand at one of
Santa Barbara’s
most popular
beaches and
offers both indoor
and outdoor
dining serving
breakfast,
weekend brunch, lunch, and dinner. Enjoy oysters on the half
shell or done Rockefeller style, fried Monterey calamari,
Dungeness crabs, Coquille St. Jacques and any number of
seafood items in the elegant dining room, or in a more casual
outdoor patio area.
Stonehouse Restaurant
900 San Ysidro Lane 565-1725
Located in what is a
19th-century citrus
packing house,
Stonehouse features
rustic stone walls
surrounding a carpeted
room; rich wood beams
crisscross overhead, and
through the windows the
rich greenery of the
Montecito countryside is
vibrantly evident. The lounge offers full bar service and one can also
dine under the stars on the ocean-view deck; a wood burning
fireplace and heated stone flooring provide year-round comfort.
Dinner entrées are serious cuisine, and predictably pricey, but
careful execution combined with a delightful atmosphere and the
rich history of the locale make dinner here unique.
Trattoria Mollie
1250 Coast Village Road 565-9381
The breezy outdoor seating overlooking Coast Village Road
undoubtedly lures people into Trattoria Mollie’s peachy-yellow
interior elegance, but the warmth and flavor of the cooking
therein keeps them coming back. The eponymous owner-chef
Mollie Ahlstrand produces restrained and refined pasta dishes
that rely more on subtle flavors than smothering sauces, as well
as meat and fresh seafood plates that have a similar and equally
pleasing simplicity… Indeed, even Oprah is a fan.
Tre Lune
1151 Coast Village Road 969-2646
Tre Lune (three moons) is classic
Italian. The dining room is simple
and square, furnished with black
wood chairs and creamy
tablecloths, and always,
chattering patrons. The kitchen is
tucked behind a fully stocked bar,
and walls are bedecked with
framed black-and-whites of
voluptuous old-time vixens like
Bardot, Loren, Fonda, and Vitti. The food is very traditional, and
the warm romance of Tre Lune in the evening is a reminder that
we do indeed live La Dolce Vita. Breakfast is also served and this
has become a seriously popular late-morning hangout.
Via Vai
1483 East Valley Road 565-9393
Unapologetically simple, fresh, and above all, Italian, Via Vai
attracts patrons mainly for the way cooks prepare their pizza: thin
crust, fresh ingredients, and traditional combos like the Margherita
or the Quattro Formaggio. Via Vai has a full menu as well, however,
complete with antipasti, risotto and pasta, and heartier meat dishes.
Xanadu Bakery
1028 Coast Village Road 969-3550
Baked goods and reasonably priced breakfast plates make
Xanadu a frequent stop on many morning routes. Grab a latte
and a pain au chocolat, and steal a relaxing few minutes in
the fresh air on the shady outdoor patio across from the Vons
entrance and watch the world go by. Xanadu is patronized
mostly by Montecito residents, whose deeply ingrained daily
routine nearly always includes reading a newspaper or chatting
with friends and neighbors.
CARPINTERIA
Garden Market Café
3811 Santa Claus Lane 745-5505
Santa Claus Lane got its name from
the rotund red-suited Santa that
once held court on the roof of a
nearby building; it is also a famous
winter surf spot. Garden Market has
a new extensive breakfast menu,
serves lunch, features a gourmet
deli, organic coffee bar, and garden dining. Also for sale:
wines, gifts, books, bath & body items, and a gift and bridal
registry. Nursery and garden accessories are available too.
Pierre Lafond Market & Deli
516 San Ysidro Road 565-1504
A Montecito
favorite for 41
years, Pierre
Lafond features
gourmet items,
local specialty
foods, and
produce locally
grown and from
Lafond
Vineyard’s own
organic garden.
Wines available
are from Santa Barbara Winery and Lafond Winery.
Entrées from the expansive deli case are prepared by
Pierre Lafond Bistro Catering. Relax on the patio with a
cup of freshly brewed coffee or espresso drink, or stop by
for a quick sandwich to cart down to the beach or nearby
park. Pierre Lafond also offers a wide selection of salads
and wraps.
Plow & Angel
900 San Ysidro Lane 565-1745
Enjoy a comfortable,
convivial atmosphere in
this locals’ favorite,
famous for its mac ‘n
cheese and melt-in-your-
mouth ribs. The cozy
ambiance is enhanced
with original artwork,
including stained glass
windows and an homage
to its namesake, Saint
Isadore, hanging above
the fireplace. Plow &
Angel has, appropriately,
the feel of an old and
well-lived but
sophisticated farmhouse
from the outside and a
rathskeller from inside, as it shares a kitchen and chef with
upstairs/upscale Stonehouse Restaurant. Established tasty
favorites give Plow & Angel a warmly vibrant dining
atmosphere all week long.
Sakana Japanese Restaurant
1046 Coast Village Road 565-2014
Sparse clean décor lends a minimalist atmosphere to this
intimate family-run sushi bar and traditional Japanese
restaurant, making for a definite contrast to the wild
combinations on the menu. Taking pride in its freshness, Sakana
offers innovative takes on sushi, and is known for the scores of
exotic sauces it uses to enhance them.
Stella Mare’s
50 Los Patos Way 969-6705
This white-trimmed Victorian mansion overlooking the bird
refuge nestled down amidst fairytale trees and greenery,
serves traditional French Country fare. Opened since 1996,
it offers a full bar in a converted greenhouse, and boasts
of an extensive French and American wine list. Voted “most
Romantic” restaurant in Santa Barbara, Stella Mare’s is a
popular destination for special events. With fresh seafood,
such as the seared scallops in a lobster cognac sauce, and
a selection of treats from the wood-burning grill, your dinner
for two can easily turn into its own special event.
EATERIES GUIDE