While Napa and Sonoma county may be the most well-known places to fully immerse yourself in the vineyard lifestyle, Santa Barbara does the trick if you're staying in Southern California, and don't want to venture too far from the LA area. It's basically a win-win.
We checked into the Milo hotel, a nearly-beachfront property in Santa Barbara that is big enough to host our 6-person family, and small enough to be considered "boutique." With daily wine hours and weekly wine tastings, Milo really leans into the area's reputation for good vino. The spacious rooms were coastal without being too beachy, and the front desk staff were some of the most helpful that we've ever experienced. Plus, the hotel is dog-friendly, meaning there are new friends to meet (and pat) around every corner (ideal for me, the non-dog-owning dog-lover).
Our first evening in Santa Barbara was spent exploring the grounds and (of course) grabbing a glass of wine from the front desk to enjoy on the immaculately maintained terrace and gardens. Seeing as one glass was clearly not enough, we made our way to a stop on the "Urban Wine Trail." The Deep Sea tasting room on Stearns Wharf provided the best views along with some great wine. We awkwardly divided up 3 tastings with 5 wines each among 5 people, which, if you do the math, means that we each got 3 glasses to taste (phew). After the second round we just about got the hang of it, meaning we could (finally) relax, take some photos, and pet the resident dogs.
You really are spoiled for choice when it comes to the food options in Santa Barbara (and California in general). From fantastic Mexican restaurants, to phenomenal Asian food, to top-notch coastal cuisine- you'll certainly never get bored. But our first night brought us to what was arguably the "safer" choice of a comfortable Italian trattoria.
So the Olia's saddled up and we made our way to Olio for some pasta and pizza. After sharing an antipasto board featuring the most indulgent truffle honey I've ever had, my mom and I split a pasta while the rest of the fam went solo. We oohed and ahhed over our sausage and mushroom pasta with a creamy red sauce, before digging into a chocolate hazelnut pana cotta that made it feel like we were dunking our spoons into a jar of Nutella.
With the first (half) day done and dusted, we spent our second day dabbling in something a little bit more cultural than just wine and food. After a quick breakfast, we drove to one of Santa Barbara's most historic sites, the Old Mission. This Mission was a key player in the settlement of California, and has been around since 1786. We took a guided Docent tour of the property, where we were able to delve deeper into the history of the site.
After the tour, we drove further afield to Santa Ynez for a wine tasting at a small winery called Roblar. Keen to try out the wines they had on offer, we made our way to the circular bar in the middle to sip on 5 local wines and chat to the friendly staff. This wine tasting room was the epitome of cozy, and we easily could have spent all day there.
Unfortunately, our stomachs were rumbling so we headed to the neighboring town of Los Olivos for a lunch of the freshest salad nicoise I've ever had at Los Olivos Wine Merchant and Cafe. Chargrilled tuna, just pink enough in the middle, with juicy, ruby-red tomatoes and the works.
With a day of wine tasting under our belts, we headed back to the hotel for some beach and relaxation time (a must when your hotel is across from a beautiful beach!). For dinner, we grabbed some Mexican food at the fast casual Los Agaves. This was truly some of the best Mexican food I've ever had- despite it being "not so fancy." I had the most bright and fresh fish tacos with mango salsa and zingy crema. I loved my tacos but you really can't go wrong with anything on the menu. It's safe to say that eating at Los Agaves is a must for any visit to Santa Barbara!
The best ice cream in Santa Barbara can be found at none other than McConnell's. This place is really the stuff dreams are made of. Whether you have a simple sweet tooth and enjoy flavors like Dutch milk chocolate, or have more of a craving for complex flavors like hibiscus, McConnells is filled to the brim with high-quality, creative ice cream flavors. Now the line might be long, but it's certainly worth it- especially for a scoop of salted caramel chip!
On our final day in Santa Barbara, we stuck to the wine theme and headed to the Demitria estate. This property was an oasis of calm, with an acoustic guitar player, and stunning views of the vineyards below. With the friendly staff guiding you through the tasting in an accessible way, you feel like you're in the backyard of a close friends house. That is, if your friend owns an estate in wine country.
To soak up the alcohol, we popped into Sides Hardware and Shoes for lunch. Obviously, this place isn't an actual hardware store- rather, it's a fabulous lunch spot that serves indulgent sandwiches and fresh salads, all with a side of their famous thick-cut bacon. I tucked in to a fried chicken sandwich with pickled red onions and fatty bacon, marveling over just how good it tasted. I still think about that sandwich to this day.
The one activity during out vacation that was a hit among all six of us (that's a big ask, by the way) was our private boat cruise around the harbor. No private yacht? No problem. Celebration cruises has you covered. Whisper is your best bet if you're a small to medium group that wants a bit of privacy without the price tag. A private, small boat (complete with charming captain Steve) that allows you to bring your own food and wine aboard is just the ticket for a family day out. We booked onto the sunset cruise, so we could take in the views of the coast. Perfection.
Still not completely full from consuming cheese, bread, and wine aboard Whisper, we headed to Les Marchands, the sister-restaurant of the uber-hip Lark restaurant. We opted for cocktails instead of wine (a Bramble, for me), and skipped over appetizers in favor of really savoring our mains. For me, the Moroccan-style lamb meatballs really hit the spot; spicy, hearty, and just a little bit creamy too.
If you've made it to the end of this rather lengthy blog post, then there should be no question what Santa Barbara's highlights are- namely, the food and the wine. Bursting with restaurants to try, from the most casual Mexican eateries to the more trendy French spots, and never lacking in vineyards and tasting rooms to visit, Santa Barbara is truly any foodies definition of heaven.
No comments:
Post a Comment