Casa Blanca

330 State Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
805.845.8966
CASABLANCASB.COM

August will mark the five-year anniversary of Casa Blanca Restaurant & Cantina and its unique mix of fresh Mexican food, cool décor, expansive patios, big-screen TVs, and good-time vibe. And with 140 brands of tequila in stock, the sipping’s outstanding, too, whether it’s a classic Margarita, an inventive specialty cocktail or a connoisseur’s super-premium añejo. In the past year, Casa Blanca has raised its already top-shelf tequila game, introducing a house tequila from the venerable Herradura tequila distillery. A Casa Blanca crew traveled to Herradura’s historic hacienda in Jalisco, the heart of tequila country, and spent the day with the master distiller, walking the agave fields, and watching the harvest and the distillation process. They sipped from several barrels and purchased their favorite, a reposado blend aged a year in American oak. The tequila was bottled and labeled at the hacienda, and Casa Blanca Herradura Reposado tequila was born. Since then, six staff have made three more trips to Herradura to purchase three more barrels. And recently Casa Blanca started a similar program with Patron, buying a barrel of extra añejo (aged 34 months) at a price that allows them to pour what could be a $50 shot for $15. The bar crew is inspired and ready to share stories - and new tequilas - to inspire you. Salud!

LUNCH
DINNER
FULL BAR
KID'S MENU
OUTDOOR SEATING
PRIVATE ROOM
LOCAL WINES

Ca Dario

37 EAST VICTORIA STREET
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
805.884.9419
CADARIO.NET

Ca’Dario chef-owner Dario Furlati jokes that if he changed his menu, he might get in trouble with his customers. “They come in for certain favorite dishes,” he says, some of which he’s been serving since the restaurant opened in 1997. Of course, who can blame the chef’s regulars for holding him hostage to his own cooking? He’s from Lake Como, and his menu reflects his northern roots in classic dishes like homemade ravioli filled with spinach and ricotta and drizzled with sage butter; whole oven-baked branzino, an identity element of Italian cooking; and a 24-ounce bone-in rib-eye steak that’s a $36 bargain. “Authentic,” Furlati says, describing his food in a word - which is why it never gets old. But while the regulars might own the main menu, Furlati uses the daily specials to introduce rare regional dishes. From Rome, there’s baked gnocchi topped with butter, sage and Parmesan, and from Trentino, he might serve canerderli, a kind of dumpling made with bread, eggs and speck (smoked prosciutto). He also taps local sources for spot prawns, halibut, duck, quail and even venison - maybe grilled and finished in the oven with shallots, garlic and rosemary. Add wines from California, Italy, Chile, France and Argentina, and a dessert list of carefully made classics, and you’ll defending the menu against change, too.

LUNCH
DINNER
FULL BAR
LOCAL WINES

Ca Dario Pizzeria

29 EAST VICTORIA STREET
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
805.957.2020
CADARIOPIZZA.NET

A collection of ingredient driven antipasti and salads will get you started right, with six draft beers and a wine list of half-Italian, half-California wines for accompaniment, and some fine desserts are available later. But the dozen or so authentic, inventive, well-considered thin-crust pizzas listed on the 8-foot-tall blackboard are the big draw here. Pizzas range from an ultra-traditional Margherita to fresh takes such as the Soffione con Uovo, with dandelion greens, mozzarella and a farm egg; the Rossa Piccante, featuring Fresno chilies, spicy Calabrese salami, tomato and mozzarella; the “Carbonara,” with cream, quail eggs and pancetta; and even a Vongole Veraci, which includes fresh clams, bottarga, pecorino cheese and cream. Those for whom “gluten-free” translates as “pizza-deprived,” will be happy to know that any pizza can be made with Dario’s secret-recipe gluten-free crust.

LUNCH
DINNER
LOCAL WINES

Brophy Brothers

119 HARBOR WAY
Santa Barbara, CA 93109
805.966.4418
BROPHYBROS.COM

Both the Santa Barbara and Ventura locations have a fun, lively atmosphere with beautiful views of the mountains and harbor. Choose your spot: sit at the full length bar and meet some locals, enjoy the lively atmosphere with an inside table, or grab a space on the balcony and lean in or sit at a table. Everyone is welcome at Brophy Brothers!

LUNCH
DINNER
FULL BAR
OUTDOOR SEATING
VIEW
LOCAL WINES

Brewhouse

229 MONTECITO STREET
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
805.884.4664
SBBREWHOUSE.COM

For 16 years, The Brewhouse Santa Barbara has been many things to many people: the setting for a lively Saturday night, the spot for an after-work beer with friends or co-workers, the headquarters for a casual weekday lunch, the meeting place for a gang of friends to hit a Sunday brunch where they make their own pancakes. But whenever people come and whomever they bring or meet, The Brewhouse always offers a relaxed, unpretentious atmosphere where people can have a good time. You can pull up to the long bar or choose a wood table or booth inside or a table outside, then order a well-poured cocktail or a beer from the extensive menu that includes 16 selections crafted a few feet away on the premises, as well as a rotating list of six “guest” beers. Add some appetizers or something more substantial from the diverse menu of fairly priced comfort food - the fire-roasted artichoke with rosemary aioli, the pasilla pork loin, the cheeseburger and the filet mignon and mushroom enchilada with ancho-lime cream sauce are all favorites and then just enjoy the vibe. Locals love the place and make up the majority of the clientele. Visitors love to find it, and when they do, they tend to return multiple times during their stay to soak up some genuine S.B. atmosphere. Live music gets started at around 8:30 or 9:00 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and a trivia nights crank up the amplitude on some Sundays.

BRUNCH
LUNCH
DINNER
ENTERTAINMENT
FULL BAR
KID'S MENU
OUTDOOR SEATING
LOCAL WINES
PRIVATE ROOM

Boathouse

2981 CLIFF DRIVE
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
805.898.2628
BOATHOUSESB.COM

Located at Hendry's beach, the Boathouse is the perfect addition to this secluded spot. Owners Tom White and his son, Adam, transformed this restaurant into a hip, nautical eatery that serves mouth-watering dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The ocean views have always been spectacular, but now the building and the food match the setting. The interior and enlarged outdoor patio take full advantage of the postcard views. On the patio, sheets of glass with contemporary stainless steel hardware minimize any on-shore wind. The interior is fittingly nautical, yet simple. The dinner menu follows suit with delicious seafood including fresh local catches, cioppino and fish tacos as well as mesquite-grilled steaks to name a few. The full bar provides a break from the sun with their delicious honeycomb mojito, blood orange margarita or signature Boathouse punch. A walk up snack bar is available for folks on the run or those who want to enjoy a meal on the beach.

BREAKFAST
LUNCH
DINNER
FULL BAR
OUTDOOR SEATING
PRIVATE ROOM
LOCAL WINES