Restaurant suggestions for Santa Barbara?

[Beth Y]

We are headed to So.Cal this weekend and will be spending two days in Santa Barbara on our own (the rest with family in LA where we will likely not get any choices). Does anyone have any favorite restaurants in Santa Barbara? Thanks in advance!

[Ralph]

We, too, spent 2 days in Santa Barbara about 1 1/2 years ago. Had two GREAT dinners, one at Brigitte's, a wonderful little place on State Street, downtown; cuisine is Californian/American. The other restaurant, is the Palace Grill, a cajun/creole place. I know it was a while ago when we were there, & the restaurant business being what it is, I hope at least one of those two places is there. For other suggestions, try www.sbrestaurants.com (http://www.sbrestaurants.com) or www.santabarbaraca.com. (http://www.santabarbaraca.com.) Have a great time!

[Gail]

I was in Santa Barbara just for the afternoon a few months ago, and darn it can't remember the name of the place where we ate. It was across the street and down the block (North) of Stearns Wharf, beyond a Mexican place. I'm not recommending it for a special meal, but for a lunch (I had steamed Manila clams, bread and wine) it was nice. Ralph's comment about the restaurant business is sooo true-- yet I was amazed to find another of my lunch haunts from 15 years ago-- Mousse Odile, on Cota Street-- was still around. I REALLY wish my buddy in Washington State had connected her e-mail by now, because I could've given you a fabulous suggestion. She had found some inn in the foothills which she recommended highly for a special meal and gorgeous view. I checked the restaurant site Ralph mentioned and none of the names struck a familiar chord. Sorry I don't have more time to check on it.

Oh, also, if you happen to be doing nothing around sunset and you find yourself at Stearns Wharf, there was a nifty little nook off to the left which sold wine and snacks-- a relaxing place to sit and do absolutely nothing except watch the Pacific for a few moments...

Have fun!

[This message has been edited by Gail (edited 08-09-2000).]

[Don]

My in-laws are in Santa Barbara, and I can only think of one restaurant that I truly enjoyed. It was called Appethai, and as you might expect, they served Thai food. I haven't eaten there often, but I was never terribly disappointed.

By the way, there is a jewel of a restaurant in L.A. if you can get away from the family for a night. Las Fuentes in Reseda has the best Mexican food that I have ever eaten in my life! (And I have eaten my fair share of Mexican food.) It's a little family-run joint on Vanowen just east of Reseda Boulevard. The place is constantly busy. I had a Mexican friend who would drive an hour and a half just to get to Las Fuentes. I've been eating there for over a decade now (it's a must on any visit to L.A.), and the quality never fails to impress. They even have a salsa bar with six different homemade salsas. The tacos al pastor and the gringo-style burrito al pastor are the closest things to heaven on earth! Try to keep it quiet though. The restaurant has expanded twice in the past few years, and I don't want it to get much larger. Have fun!

[Gail]

Originally posted by Don:
...By the way, there is a jewel of a restaurant in L.A. if you can get away from the family for a night. Las Fuentes in Reseda has the best Mexican food that I have ever eaten in my life! (And I have eaten my fair share of Mexican food.) It's a little family-run joint on Vanowen just east of Reseda Boulevard. The place is constantly busy. I had a Mexican friend who would drive an hour and a half just to get to Las Fuentes. I've been eating there for over a decade now (it's a must on any visit to L.A.), and the quality never fails to impress. They even have a salsa bar with six different homemade salsas. The tacos al pastor and the gringo-style burrito al pastor are the closest things to heaven on earth! Try to keep it quiet though. The restaurant has expanded twice in the past few years, and I don't want it to get much larger. Have fun!

Hey, Don! Thanks so much for the info. Would you believe that in the twenty-seven years my mom's been living in the San Fernando Valley, we have yet to find a single Mexican restaurant we'd consider remarkable? (Since Mexican food is my mother's life's blood, I'm sure she'll love the insider information-- plus it'll give us someplace to eat next time we visit!) http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif