Santa Barbara is on the cutting edge of these food trends

August 27, 2019 // By Amber Gibson

By Amber Gibson
August 27, 2019

Photo courtesy of Rob Stark / Tyger Tyger

Santa Barbara's rising foodie scene

San Francisco and Los Angeles get all the attention when it comes to California dining, but for a small city of less than 100,000 people, Santa Barbara has a surprisingly outstanding and diverse culinary scene. In recent years, chefs have been making use of Santa Barbara County’s year-round farmers markets, sustainable seafood, ranch lands, world-class wine, and now craft beer to an extent we haven’t previously seen. Buzzy chefs from major metropolises are opening up shop, mini food complexes are popping up, there's excellent craft coffee and food artisans are partnering for interesting – and delicious – collaborations.

Chef Massimo Falsini Photo courtesy of Rosewood Hotels

Top chefs: Massimo Falsini

Top chefs from Los Angeles, New York and beyond have moved to Santa Barbara for the quality of life, adding a contemporary global perspective to the city's restaurants. For example, Massimo Falsini oversees six restaurants and bars at the Rosewood Miramar Beach and was previously the executive chef of Michelin-starred Solbar in Napa. He brings an authentic Italian touch to the Rosewood's signature restaurant, Caruso's.

The Monarch Photo courtesy of Jakob N. Layman

Top chefs: Phillip Frankland Lee

Phillip Frankland Lee of The Monarch, The Silver Bough and Sushi | Bar is bringing an ambitious new level of fine dining to Montecito. The Top Chef alum previously worked at Providence under Michael Cimarusti (who won a James Beard Award for Best Chef: West 2019), as well as at Alinea Group in Chicago. His $550 tasting menu at The Silver Bough is among the best in the country and an unforgettable theatrical experience – like stepping into the eponymous Celtic myth.

The Monarch Abalone Photo courtesy of Jakob N. Layman

Superb sustainable seafood

Santa Barbara's bounty of local seafood is coveted throughout the country and nowhere will you find fresher spot prawns, sea urchin, halibut, red snapper, black cod and abalone. You'll find these succulent fish and shellfish on menus all around town, and if you're curious, visit Santa Barbara Fish Market right in the harbor to try freshly cracked sea urchin right from the shell.

Tyger Tyger Photo courtesy of Rob Stark / Visit Santa Barbara

Mini food complexes: Tyger Tyger

Instead of the large food halls with a dozen or more vendors now so common in major cities like New York and Chicago, Santa Barbara has scaled down the concept to fit the city's size with a number of mini food complexes, usually anchored by one restaurant and one or more libations purveyors. It’s a great way to share costs and also offer more diverse options to diners. Tyger Tyger complex in the Funk Zone is a great example featuring the trio of Tyger Tyger, Monkeyshine and Dart Coffee Co.

The Mill Photo courtesy of Gabriela Herman

Mini food complexes: The Mill

The Mill on the city's east side was a former feed mill constructed in 1904, now an artisan marketplace with Potek Winery producing onsite (there's a tasting bar too), Third Window Brewing, and Brasserie Solera, serving brewpub fare and operated by the same owners as Third Window Brewing. Brasserie sources ingredients from the owner's family farm and ranch in Los Olivos, and uses the brewery's spent grain to feed their wagyu beef herd, which is served in the wood-fired meat pies and burgers.

Photo courtesy of Hook & Press Donuts / Visit Santa Barbara

Mini food complexes: Mosaic Locale

Mosaic Locale brings together three very different culinary specialties under one roof. Draughtsmen Aleworks makes small batch beer from familiar ales to more experimental varieties. You'd be surprised at how well beer can pair with browned butter and blueberry pancake donuts from Hook & Press Donuts, not to mention the Argentine empanadas from Buena Onda.

Aaron Olson Photo courtesy of Blake Bronstad

Craft coffee: Handlebar Coffee Roasters

The craft coffee scene here is excellent, too. Handlebar Coffee Roasters has two cafe locations in town, including a mid-town all-day cafe and roastery that transitions to evening with a wine list curated by renowned wine expert Rajat Parr. Founders Kim Anderson and Aaron Olson were former professional cyclists and discovered Santa Barbara while riding in the California Amgen Tour. Their single-origin roasts are served alongside locally made pastries from Renaud’s Patisserie.

Cajé Specialty Coffee Drinks Photo courtesy of Amber Gibson

Craft coffee: Cajé

Rise Coffee Roasters, Cafe Ana and Dune Coffee Roasters are all excellent as well, but the most exciting and newest of all is Cajé. They serve complex non-alcoholic coffee cocktails like the Burnout – hot breve latte, bourbon pecan syrup, activated charcoal and a ginger salt rim – and Maillard's Folly – an iced latte with roasted pineapple syrup, housemade caramel, cacao powder, macadamia and coconut milk. Plus, the space turns into speakeasy Lab Social at night.

Photo courtesy of Twenty-Four Blackbirds

Artisan collaborations: Twenty-Four Blackbirds

There's a lot of camaraderie among the culinary community in Santa Barbara and collaborations between chefs, brewers and food artisans elevate everyone's game. Twenty-Four Blackbirds supplies cocoa nibs to local brewers Telegraph and Third Window, among others, to make beer, and uses Handlebar Coffee in one of its chocolate bars. Pastry chefs at local restaurants Sama Sama and Barbareño have used their chocolate and Hook & Press also uses their chocolate in their donuts. Rosewood Miramar Beach leaves Twenty-Four Blackbirds bonbons at turndown and stocks their chocolate in the minibar.

Artisan collaborations: Rori's Artisanal Creamery Photo courtesy of Rori's Artisanal Creamery

Artisan collaborations: Rori's Artisanal Creamery

Rori's Artisanal Creamery has several locations in Santa Barbara, including at Montecito Country Mart and the Santa Barbara Public Market. The beloved ice cream shop also collaborates with some of the best hotels in town, serving ice cream at Finch & Fork at the Kimpton Canary Hotel and Belmond El Encanto. For the Rosewood Miramar Beach, founder Rori Trovato even makes three specialty flavors – boozy limoncello, snickerdoodle and a vegan eucalyptus lime ice cream made with organic coconut cream – served at their adorable poolside scoop shop.

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About Amber Gibson

Amber Gibson spends 350 nights a year in hotels searching for the latest and greatest in the travel industry. Her writing and photographs have appeared in print, online, and on the radio for outlets including Forbes, National Geographic Traveler, Departures, Four Seasons Magazine, Conde Nast Traveller, NPR, Saveur, Departures, Rhapsody, Hemispheres, American Way, Private Air, and Serious Eats. She graduated as valedictorian from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and received a fellowship to attend the 2017 Wine Writers Symposium at Meadowood Napa Valley. Champagne, dark chocolate and gelato are her biggest weaknesses.