We love third window (as long as know is hangry, can take awhile) & Secret Bao! Also Love: Arigato outside or upstairs, Public Market (lots of choices and you don’t have to sit sit), Lilac Montecito, Los arroyos Montecito, Lure, Dutch Gardens.
The next ones we have been going again but have seemed to be kinda hit or miss in the recent years/ months and yet we still go every few months ish: Arnoldis, Creekside, Timbers (not amazing but amazing outside for kids to run it out), meet up Chinese, The Palace, Brewhouse
Marilyn - calamari with red sauce is a classic combination. I imagine this dish is a breaded and sauteed calamari steak, shape and size of a milanese chicken breast , so it works. Calamari is mild as chicken but texturally different so this is interesting.
The stigma of cheese and seafood in the same dish as a culinary no-no has ran its course long ago and I love the idea that Ellwood is serving a brave dish such as this and using calamari instead of (let's face it, boring) chicken to revive an old classic in unique fashion.
"and shared plates we feel is the best way to enjoy it so guests can try several things"
When share plates are 2-3x the price of a regular entree and advertised , that doesn't translate to guests trying several things. It's a lovely menu, and I wish success. I am not to tell one how to run their business but if you look around town, simple food without the frills keeps the locals happy. Steak frites and the burger sound like they're checking those boxes. Maybe the bar will be the place to eat instead of the restaurant for us locals until the individual item menu is released. We will stop by regardless!
After reading the menu and anticipating it for some time, I can't wait to visit and enjoy The Ellwood. Family dinners usually entail sharing, so I think the concept and menu offer some delicious options with the ability to taste multiple items. I do agree that more local fish (WSB, Crab, Shrimp, Black Cod) would all be great additions. Looking forward to visiting here soon!
I'm really curious about Peak Hygiene. It would be a nice experience to have your teeth cleaned without having the dentist come in afterward with bad news. Also, sorry to see the Parker Clay retail store close. Love their products!!!
I know costs have gone up, but at those prices, and ala carte, I won't be eating there. And calamari with red sauce??
Is their gonna be an updated menu with seared ahi tuna?
Let's see how the restaurant holds up after some big storms and storm surges. Not sure I would sink so much money into a restaurant so close to the beach.
I’m looking forward to coming and appreciate the elevated menu. I live in Goleta, and 3rd generation local. It’s not what I expected, but it looks delicious and Goleta can use a higher end dinner option!
Hey Omar,
I think you can tell from just these initial comments that old school Goleta is not looking for “elevated” dining. We are all missing the Beachside and the Sundowner specials and the great, affordable seafood dinners we all enjoyed with our families for years. Unfortunately this menu you’ve presented won’t work for this community. Please consider a menu that’s more reasonable and accessible for this community. Everyone misses the Beachside so take that as a hint.
Piling on, thanks for all your work on the site. Always a fun read and helps us keep a pulse on what’s happening in SB, particularly the restaurant scene.
I know those of us at UCSB would love a great post-work spot that is elevated beyond IV standards but not so expensive that us poorly paid UCSB staff can’t afford. There’s a lot of potential if you market to campus. Looking forward to checking it out.
I realize that people want a cheap eats kind of place. Fish 'n fries in plastic basket. But don't we have enough of these? I don't think we have a finer dining establishment right on the beach. (And they are building out a casual option). However, I personally think Ellwood should focus a bit more seafood, like they initially mentioned. To me, the menu looks tilted toward red meat + chicken. Given the location and steak prices so high, it might benefit to rethink that. But of course I don't know the first thing about running a place like this nor what customers actually want! Personally, when eating by the ocean, I think of seafood. I remember years ago going to Beachside and eating some incredible fish. And it was kind of fun and even magical eating it with the waves crashing just outside. The mood and setting to me suggests to focus on the sea and not to fight, well, the tide...
It's fine and understandable to have a steak or burger on a seafood menu (my daughter for instance sadly won't eat fish any longer) but the vibe IMO should be ocean oriented. It's also perceived as a healthier option. Certainly it's less heavy and leaves room for appetizers, salads and desserts.
Thanks for posting the menu online. I hope the comments above help but they are pretty random and some people can't seem to state their opinion without adding a few barbs. Ignore those, they are not your people. I think the community will give the Elwood a try. Maybe add some innovative type of fish tacos to appease some of the cranky people? Not sure if I saw ceviche on the menu. Also, a Bouillabaisse and/or Cioppino would be really cool.
We are so happy the Ellwood is about to open. We loved the Beachside and went there almost weekly. Please add a local menu with burgers and fries and vegan burgers and fries. Good luck and welcome to Goleta!
I agree with you. The menu looks fantastic with some really yummy options but I'm having a hard time envisioning going there for dinner with my husband. We have totally different diets (I'm vegetarian, he's not, etc.) so ordering seems complicated and like we'd end up taking a lot of food home due to overordering to accommodate both of us. I'd really love for this place to be a success so I think it's worth the owners hearing these thoughts, though of course delivered with civility.
Sorry Erik, it was posted as "the dinner menu" and not as "may change in the weeks to come." We have been countless times to dine at Goleta Beach, have taken friends, family, and business associates there, and would be thrilled and excited to support a new restaurant if the menu felt more traditional/accessible. I would have thought that feedback from the local community before opening could be valuable to the new proprietors (apparently it might have been, since they posted additional details about their plans and menus). Instead, for now I will quietly move on and they will not get my business until their additional menus are available -- I sincerely wish the Ellwood success. With such a long lead-up time to opening, I just wonder if they put thought into what will bring sustainable numbers of diners into a new Goleta Beach restaurant, not just what and how they want to serve their food?
It would be great if everyone could bear in mind that The Ellwood is weeks out from opening, so judging it is premature, to say the least. Also, persuading restaurateurs to release a menu is not always easy, so when people immediately carp about it, the owners' day gets ruined and my job gets harder. Opening a restaurant anywhere, but especially in Santa Barbara, is insanely difficult. Let's support people with the guts to do it, and if the restaurant turns out not to be for you, maybe just quietly move on.
Disappointed that if we want an individual meal we will have to eat at the snack shack. Was hoping to enjoy the restaurant but both interviews stress family dining. Their website isn’t complete and no additional menus are available :(
Thanks for the feedback. For clarity, this is only part of the dinner menu. Our lunch / brunch menus are all more traditional individual entree based. We also have several options for solo diners or guests that want their own plates. These will be listed on our bar menu. There’s a great burger, a sea bass dish, and a steak frites for example.
Our team spent a lot of time creating a menu we love, and shared plates we feel is the best way to enjoy it so guests can try several things. Our goal is to have something for everyone, and specifically there are two additional concepts opening adjacent to the Ellwood (The Break & The Coop) that will feature more family friendly options for dining when we ware fully open. Wood fire pizzas, bbq, sandwiches, salads, ice cream, coffee, and donuts.
Yeah Ellwood, I agree. That menu is kinda whale shit if you ask me…
I'm a regular user of the harbor and have been going to the Breakwater for close to 40 years. Most always for breakfast and it was always good, never really great but the prices were also very affordable. It was solid breakfast, like Esau's or the now closed Judge for Yourself. So back in October, with three friends we went to the new Breakwater to check it out. I ordered CA Benedict, it came with a heirloom tomato and avocado. As soon as I cut the egg I knew this was different. The yokes were a deep orange color, and the combination of them with the hollandaise sauce with the tomato & avo. . . . Wow. I looked a my friends plates, one had an omelet, another a scramble and the third the same thing Erik got. All were orange. By the end of the meal they were using their toast to clean their plates. (Jam was homemade) We all agreed it was one of the best breakfasts we've had. The potatoes were another improvement. Not sure what spices they are using but I mixed them with the yokes and that was awesome. And I absolutely understand the regulars that don't like the upgrades and higher prices. I paid $24 yesterday for my favorite Eggs CA Benedict, yes it's a lot but each bite was so good. If there was one change I didn't like is the awning over the patio. It can be cold and having the umbrellas let some warming sunshine in. Lastly, I had lunch there in November and had the fish tacos. My review is they were as good as the ones at Shoreline Cafe, maybe better because the fries were amazing.
Agreed, unfortunately I don't think that menu is going to draw as many patrons as a more standard offering with some traditional choices (a great burger and fries or fish tacos by the ocean?) where each person can get what they want. I'm disappointed too, and honestly don't see this menu as something my Goleta family would be interested to try. Maybe they're trying to be a high-end restaurant, but it's Goleta Beach, and they're going to miss a ton of the local crowd I think. I hope it changes over time.
What is up with the Elwood menu? It looks bad, not sure if that's going to work but wish them luck.
Erik, I really appreciate your blog and it’s the first thing I read on Sunday (and the last thing on Wednesday). You bring a very distinct observation to what you cover. Subtle but it always makes me chuckle. Great to have you and your husband in Santa Barbara!
Hey ELLWOOD, some people (like me) do not like to share. What's up???
Been waiting years for you to open and this dinner menu is a diappointment.
