I grudgingly admit the simple corn tortilla tacos are acceptable. I ordered the carnitas and the steak. They also came with a handful of tortilla chips that – paired with a generous and diverse salsa bar – are filling and cost just a smidge over $5 after tax. However, the decor is so chain store [...]
Sign me up for this cult. If Trader Joe’s and Ikea got together and said, “let’s make a grocery store!” Fresh and Easy is what they would spawn. Owned by Tesco, a UK grocery chain, the layout and decor is simple and sensible. Ah, mellow, ungarish packaging, marketed towards young professionals, singles, couples, and young [...]
The Museum Cafe changes management hands every few years. There was a time it was Zal’s Museum Cafe, then it was Fresco Museum Cafe. Now, it appears to simply be called Museum Cafe, as it is owned by the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. Currently it is managed by Emily Stuart, with Chef Brenda Simon. [...]
Drunkards, the lot o’ ya! Sadly, weekend party drunks are the primary patrons of this really great Mexican eatery. And even they are missing out, not only on their brain cells, but on the better menu. The counter/night menu is now simplified to whatever drunk people most crave. Sad, really. Those who venture during standard [...]
There is an assumption one can safely make before trying the food. That is, given that this is Isla Vista, the priority of the food is to make one full as quickly, easily and cheaply as possible. I set out to be proved wrong, and found my assumption to be true. Meaning – I was [...]
Breakfast at Renaud’s is always excellent. The friends who’ve been here are won over and become regular customers. The other friends, who’ve not yet been, I look forward to indoctrinating. This was one such morning, and not only was I pleased with breakfast, but I loved the photo I got of an honest plate of [...]
I may have exceeded the quota allowed for talking up the same restaurant. That place is Kobachi and I love it to bits. Really, the best izakaya in town, and I adore the concept of it. Japanese tapas, you know? Never been to Japan myself but enough friends have and they have explained it in [...]
What sets this Habit apart from the others, aside from the address, is that it looks more like a food court chain restaurant. And, the music is REALLY LOUD. My friends and I had to yell at each other to be heard, and we were sitting right next to each other. Imagine what the woman [...]
pasta ready to boil Originally uploaded by rosidae A friend was recently given some homemade pancetta, and another friend recommended that serving the pancetta should be paired with the freshest penne one could find. It seems to me that the freshest pasta is the pasta made by oneself. I don’t know if it’s authentic for [...]
