I laughed when I saw that Rusty's had won best pizza in the latest reader polls! What's even funnier to me is how expensive Rusty's is. A medium "Rusty's Special" will regularly come in more expensive than pizzas at Bettina. Rusty's pizzas may taste cheap, but their effect on your wallet is anything but.
Not sure why the original poster keeps returning to Betina (sic) if it's "not terrible" at best. Yes, please, keep the table open for others that appreciate their food.
Yeah, I went last weekend, and generally enjoyed it. The beer selection is excellent as you would expect. I found the Sama Sama food to be good but the portions were ridiculously tiny. I think it was five or six chicken wings for something like 20 bucks.
I’m not super thrilled about the sports bar vibe that I got, but I’ll try again sometime that’s not Sunday in the middle of 20 screens showing NFL games.
Bettina‘s pizza tastes great, but i feel in general people opening pizza places never had a „real“ italian pizza…
[Man, I really need to fire my self-editing editor. That's a lot of "wonder" in them there sentences.]
Revolver is absolutely fantastic pizza and I would never lump them in the same sentence as Rusty's and Little Caesars.
Revolver, Bettina, St Bibiana, L'antica are IMO the heavy hitters in town, with Nook and yes, Ginos (whole pie, not slice) being right up there with them.
There's a reason Rusty's and terrible beer like Fig Mountain win Independent reader polls and it's certainly not the quality of their product.
City lot #7 Figueroa St entrance.
Wow, I was really surprised to hear about Sweetie's closing and wonder how the Santa Barbara Restaurant Collective (Mesa/Lighthouse group) is doing. Anyone know? I wonder how a deli will distinguish itself there since we already have Lazy's and Vons + Sams to Go and Subway. Sorry to see Sweetie's go and wonder if McConnoll's should have taken over the spot.
I can't wait to add Flavour to my favorite cookbook collection by Pascale Beale!
I can't wait to add Flavour to my favorite cookbook collection by Pascale Beale!
What are your favorite pizza spots in town? Little Caesar’s? Rusty’s? Revolver? lol
Don't worry, Mark, you are not the only one "so off the mark" 🙄. Give the Nook Pizza a try, if you are like us, you'll enjoy that a lot better.
Georges Bitar & his wife are the couple who bought it. I believe his wife used to work at Via Maestra? Georges bought it from the original owner Renato.
Part of the 101 widening expansion project.
Regarding LamaSama: I really like the space - clean and open and inviting, though painfully loud. The Lama Dog beer selection is great and the service is on point. Sama Sama also had good servers but their insultingly small portion size and high prices won't have me choosing to eat there again. Compare Blue Owl's fried rice salad with Sama Sama's. Blue Owl's is almost 3 times as big, has great flavors, and way more fresh veggies. Sama Sama's, on the other hand, was "double take" small and 90% rice. I spoke with a friend who mentioned that their Sama wings order, though tasty, was tiny. I'd love this place to succeed in this location but I can't imagine my impressions are unique.
Well, everybody has a right to an opinion even if it is so off the mark. Maybe don’t go anymore and keep a table open for someone who loves and appreciates Bettina?
Public parking garage on Helena Avenue, between Yanonali Street and the railroad tracks?
Same folks. That's just their business name.
Been to Betina at least half a dozen times always thinking this time I will understand what everyone raves about but each time I am leaf thinking "this is what passes for excellent pizza in Montecito?" Not terrible but certainly not close to great.
Close but no cigar....
I thought Via Maestra was owned by a couple who had worked for the original owner. I didn’t know it changed ownership again to this Bitar Group ?
Santa Barbara City parking lot 8 behind the Chase restaurant.
@Erik - Fear not, Barbareno’s added fee is only for its special 10th anniversary event and it’s very clearly listed at the top of the Tock event page, which is linked in the article above.
This should be a good fit for the area! Hope you well with this upscale addition to the hood.
Wow! Can’t wait to check it out in person!
