Tried Alma Fonda Fina last night and the ceviche cuizmala was phenomenal. Many of the other items were wonderful and though service was hit and miss (new restaurants always need a grace period) it’s definitely worth checking out!
Lama Sama: I’m thrilled this business has opened in San Roque as it’s definitely needed in this area. I have enjoyed Lama Dog in the funk zone for some time (food selection much better!). I went right after they opened with friends and was not terribly impressed for these reasons. Sooo loud and impossible to get a seat, kids running all around screaming and unattended while parents boozed, very small wine menu. The service was ok. The food, this was my biggest issue. The menu was small, limited and no healthier options, southeast Asian food is definitely not for everyone and the prices were outrageous for what it was. I certainly don’t mind paying for good food but this was over the top. I got the duck salad which was $30 with tip and was the tiniest portion I’ve ever been served and it had so much dressing I only ate two bites, it was gross. I ordered at my seat from the barcode menu and had to get up and retrieve my food from the kitchen window (no server & tipped). My friends ordered at the window and their food was delivered by a server (no tip). What???? I was so confused by this odd service. The food part of this establishment needs a serious reboot.
My young padawan, why must you walk when you can drive?
Why must you be able to drive by a business for it to exist?
Your written Caruso’s dessert by Vincent Donatelli is sensational!
Aperitivo is consistently the best meal in town
I whole heartedly agree with this review on Lama Sama! Place is gorgeous, staff are great and attentive, and we had such high hopes for the food. Our party ordered the $20 burger and thought there would be some sort of chips or fries that would come with it, but just a tiny burger arrived on the plate all alone. And I got seriously the smallest laughably tiny $24 duck salad with like the tiniest portions of dried shredded duck, and $8 for like 10 tater tots. I agree with other commenter's, go for the drinks but save your money on the food! (Unless you want to go home hungry and sad about being ripped off).
Swerving away from the pizza topic, it’s interesting reading about the black sheep liquor license fundraiser, I know they had a full bar at their old location on Ortega… what happened to their liquor license? I haven’t been to the new location, and didn’t know they were just Beer and Wine…Liquor licenses are hard to come by in SB!
I like Llama Sama. It's close to our house - hooray!
But, the food prices are just stupid. If a family of 4, two eating a burger and fries from the kids' menu, two eating an adult burger and fries, would spend ~$100 on food alone. The $10 tray of Sysco tater tots prices out at $0.25 per tot. The fried rice salad is a small bowl of rice and a couple granules of sausage for $20. It's just too much.
Sounds like a lot more trouble for everyone involved than just doing some basic arithmetic.
Is it supposed to look like Snake Run? I agree, terrible logo.
I am in the habit of using my charge card at a restaurant where I double the tax amount and round up to make the total bill an 'even amount' (ie $20, or $30.50) . That way, I let the restaurant do the math from the total to the subtotal and extract the tip amount which is 'odd' with dollars and cents. But my last 4 outings at restaurants, they just looked at the 18% or 20% (or more) at the bottom of their slips and added that to the subtotal, thus the amount taken from my charge card was NOT the 'even' amount I had filled in! It was always an 'odd' amount larger than what I had written as my final total to be charged. Anyone else noticed that happening?
I would think that is a bit illegal to do when I have filled in a TOTAL amount.
I’m a New York pizza guy who has lived in So
Cal for many years. I’ve been to almost all the
great newer pizza places in Los Angeles and I’m happy to report we have caught up to NY
My issue with Bettina is the pizza is very inconsistent and the last time oily and over
sauced with little cheese
Especially the meatballs are great… sooo good
Been following this closely and very much agree! It seemed from the reporting that they didn't even really have to go through the MPC, that the MPC threw a fit when they realized Caruso intended to skip the MPC and go directly to the county - as was his right due to the nature of the project being proposed. They demanded to be a part of it and then made complete asses of themselves. Classic.
The MPC and MBAR have an emarrassing history of being the biggest incestuous NIMBY's that trip over their own feet on delusions of grandeur power, when luckly they have no real say. I think of them every time I am stuck in Montecito side street traffic from travelers using driving apps to skirt the 101 mess that they delayed from fighting the widening for years.
Santa Barbara is pretty amazing compared to most city's in the country. Are you aware that 24hr fitness is not retail, and the "national issue" due to online shopping is greatly exagerated? Brick and mortar stores still represent 85% of shopping and is growing as more retailers combine the digital and in person shopping experience. What's hurting retail is lack of foot traffic, the number of people coming down to State Street today is still less than it was pre-pandemic.
Kudos to the developers of 15 S Hope Ave for proposing something outside the box, that I think fits well in the general character of SB. It's nice to see something different from generic post modern Spanish Revival being proposed. I wish them luck.
Quasi related - all this pizza talk make me realize I feel the same way about generic post modern Spanish Revival the same way I feel about Rusty's Pizza - It's all over town, it's mediocre at best, and someone you know swears it's really good.
Yes the place is a dungeon and there are only about 100 other gyms in town... the true culprit.
I worry about the parking for all of these structures. The one on Hope said 19 parking spaces for 46 units which does not seem sufficient. The building on De la Guerra did not mention parking at all. The streets will become overrun with cars parked for tenants.
State street is pretty amazing compared to most downtowns in this country. Are you aware this is a national issue due to shifts to online shopping? Times have changed.
Bettina folks are from Roberta’s, a lauded Brooklyn pizza establishment. I’ve been to Italy, I’m just back from New York and I’m a foodie. Bettina makes not only excellent pizza but an entire menu of amazing stuff. Michelin agrees.
Even more businesses leaving downtown, and with 24 hr fitness they can't even (incorrectly) blame it on the "retail apocalypse". When will city council finally wake up to the current state of State St. being bad for business?
Yes, I read she had worked with Renato.
Thanks. Good to know.
