It was a mellow night, and I met with a friend for a catch-up chat. He’d not yet been to La Tour, so I insisted. He tried a flight of wine under Graham’s recommendations, and I had my usual splashes of whatever was good. Some European stuff. But what I *really* wanted was a charcuterie [...]
Roadtrip with Gordon! We were en route to Los Angeles, and had our lunch pitstop in Carpinteria, at Sly’s. Goal: to try the Whiskey Cocktail and profiteroles. Gordon took photos of the menu, which I am grateful for. Instant reference. Check out the classic cocktails, and their great prices. Negroni, Manhattan, Moscow Mule, it’s all [...]
The bar, really, it’s the best place to sit. I may be waiting for someone, or I may not, it doesn’t matter, I get to sit in peace and browse the menu without expectations. Leslie did join me, and we had a lot to discuss, sitting side by side was best. We stayed at the [...]
How to please a Santa Barbara gal like me: * fine weather * good company * baguette from Our Daily Bread * double gouda from C’est Cheese * a glass of Pale Pink * sitting on the deck of Municipal Winemakers.
It’s time to start off-loading old routines and making new ones. With the passing of an old friend – my First Thursday tradition of getting dessert at a little restaurant that has now closed – I had to begin looking for a new one. There are many places I enjoy grabbing a small plate or [...]
I’m stubborn. When I hear my girlie girlfriends say Seagrass is the place for The Romantic Date or, *shudder*, the Valentine’s Day dinner I spin around and flee in the other direction. These cues usually mean: big fancy dinner, big fancy price tag. Oh, and creme brulee or lava cake, again? Dude. So not the [...]
I’m happy to see that Renaud’s in the Arlington Plaza downtown has expanded their outdoor seating. Before it was a couple 2-tops, now there is a little patio with half a dozen tables. I know that looking into a car park is not terribly exciting, but Santa Barbara is blessed with such beautiful weather most [...]
Snails. Fine, call it escargot. Je n’aime pas écrire en français. They were from Pacific Crepes, except I was not at Pacific Crepes, I was nearby. I was drinking wine and needed a little food, and this was what was fed to me. It was the start of a rather magical evening. This is an [...]
Sarah fell in love with beignets during a trip to NOLA many years ago. She bought a box of the doughnut mix to bring home. But a batch of beignet is an effort and fries up a lot in one go. So, if she’s going to put in the time and churn out a lot [...]
The sausage fest gang, or at least the primary players, sent out an invitation to dinner. The food would be a mystery, just show up. I like that. But some of us did request some guidance on what to bring that would complement the meal, so eventually Nathan committed himself to making coq au vin. [...]
