Santa Barbara is so good at banning things and then doing absolutely nothing about enforcing such bans.
Laws are meaningless when they're not enforced.
As one example of hundreds of such regulations that are not enforced: Gas powered leaf blowers were banned in Santa Barbara in 1997
The police blotter in the montecito journal was a recurring feature for many years. Not sure when they discontinued it, but glad to see it’s back!
I wish for this, too! I stopped eating meat this year and am mostly vegan. Eating out is hard and unsatisfying. I will take this opportunity to plug the vegan tomato pizza at Saint Bibiana, however! It’s sooo good!
Absolutely!! Agree, agree, agree! Santa Barbara is way behind the times with this. It's time!
I couldn’t agree with Emma more. It’s time to step up!
WARNING - DO NOT DINE AT THIS “NEW & IMPROVED” RESTAURANT unless, you don't care about how much you're paying for a dining experience in which your orders are taken an hour plus after your arrival, and be sure to memorize it, since you may be quizzed by another sever later in the evening after your first order went MIA. Beverages are delivered at a snails pace, AND you only get one, so order wisely and in large quantities unless you’re part camel. Be sure to locate the nearest water carafe's to refill your own table water, oh, and you should bring your own spoon if you plan to order soup, just incase, since utensils seem to be in short supply. When your food does finally arrive (2 hours in to your experience) be sure to inspect quickly and thoroughly, voice any issues/concerns immediately to your server, you may not see them again. Also, be prepared to eat in front of your table mates, they most likely will not get their food at the same time, IF it ever arrives. Don’t expect any apologies from management/ownership, this is how they roll…. Can’t comment on dessert, it was bedtime for me by the time I finally finished picking at my incomplete meal, but I can assure you this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience I hope to never repeat. Too many other GREAT local restaurants I’m happy to patronize.
What’s up with all the negative comments regarding the owners of the Chase Restaurant?
Saying that they themselves set fire to the restaurant?
The Cultured Abalone Farm tour is great! The property of course is stunning but the tour is extraordinarily fascinating. I’d highly recommend.
Ooooh. Basque cuisine! Excited.
Fun times! I hope you have tried a Segway, less effort, but plenty of fun. When we rented in SF, the owner put my 80+ y/o Mom's in "Turtle mode", due to her age, and she was NOT amused...
I feel like we’ve arrived at a point in time where every restaurant should have at least ONE completely vegan item on their menus. Whether you yourself are vegan, have a vegan family member or a friend in your dining group it makes it very hard to support a place that can’t accommodate one of your crew. I’m not talking about a salad that you can remove the cheese from but an honest to goodness, entirely vegan option that showcases the chefs talent and the local flavors of the menu. A simple dish that is “default vegan” that a diner can add fish, egg, chicken, steak or whatever else is on offer and makes sense. Bettina did this brilliantly with the Rosso pizza. I would have hoped by now more restaurants would have followed suit.
* Siteline has tremendous pull & power - perhaps you could also be on the lookout for this. Happy to consult to any and all. Every vegan dish is also an opportunity for add-on/upsell items which will invariably help with food costs. Win win.
So glad the SloDoCo opened and is 24/7! We tried their donuts over the weekend and they are great! Lots of flavors to try and will be a great after dinner dessert option when it seems all other dessert options are closed in town.
Never in the history of restaurant's has the opening week crowd numbers keep going after the first week, it will mellow out and the noise will get better ,but no matter what someone will complain about the noise ,ahhh you are at a crowded bar what type of noise do you expect?
We went last night (Saturday) to have dinner. It was super crowded and so noisy that we decided to go elsewhere. We'll definitely try again when it's a bit less crowded - I'm happy to have them in the neighborhood.
Totally agree! I like the newsletter too, but also treasure local secrets, which are becoming more and more rare because of online sites. Traffic and crowds are not so great.
Yes this was certainly anticipated. Everyone who can, RIDE YER BIKES!
Monoculture can be a real mistake. St.Paul Minnesota used to be called “The city of elms”, then Dutch elm disease hit and the whole urban forest died in a few years.
Dang. Missed this one. One of my favorite little spaces in Santa Barbara.
I love your news letter. It is so informative. It keeps the locals well informed on so many levels. Altho', I feel like it gives away so many of the local secrets trails, walks etc. to the tourist, who also read it. And well, leaves me feeling, there is nothing sacred anymore.That makes me sad. It takes away the magic of discovery.
In the 80s and 90s we had wonderful parties at Knapp Castle. It should also be noted that Lotte Lehmann owned the property and it was under her ownership that it burned. Somehow I always wanted it to stay as a ruin for people to enjoy. We have so few these days.
i stopped at the bank friday afternoon and there was absolutely no parking. 6 car backup waiting for a space to open up. that's going to be the challenge.
Thank you for continuing to mention the fake spider webbing being a hazard to birds! It’s so sad. And I love your newsletters!
The Doremus Italian Stone Pines of Anapamu Street, from the 300 to 800 blocks, comprise a designated City Historic Landmark, established by City Council in 1997. It is curious that an advisory committee can override the actions of elected officials, and that the Historic Landmark Commission has been so left out of this process of, in effect, de-landmarking a beloved iconic feature of the community. But these days, Parks and Rec (some call it Wreck) has a lot of power that seems to supersede the interests of historical preservation. One would think they would prioritize and take extra special care of retaining the health, safety, and conditions of those important trees. But that has not been the case for more than a decade.
Thanks for making your plea re: that tacky-looking webbing material that appears each October. Who knows what it is made of (probably not degradable.) m
Most users just blanket it on their yard or house with the misguided thought that it looks like actual spider webs. I say, “Stick to pumpkins.”
pond in courtyard at Presidio ave
