Jetset Extra Hits the Food Scene in Santa Barbara
You will never starve in Santa Barbara; there are so many restaurants to choose from, depending on your appetite or time of day. If you are looking for breakfast, you can go to Andersen’s Bakery and have fresh pastries or a HUGE order of Eggs Florentine (yum) or Tupelo Junction for an amazing brunch of baguette French toast or delicious waffles.
Any one of the restaurants along State Street is suitable for lunch or dinner. We decided to take a couple of side trips off State Street. First we headed down Cota Street to meet Gabi Barysch Crosbie, owner of Blue Agave Restaurant and Tequila Bar. Specializing in Oaxacan style food and beautiful smoky mescal tequila. You will not want to miss this place. Gabi talked with us about the ambiance of the restaurant and how authentic her menu is. Her chicken mole enchiladas were so delicious I wanted to lick the plate. The mole was dark, rich, and layered with some incredible spices. This is the thing to order when eating here!
Having a crew of hungry people with me I always need to be thinking about the next place to eat so everyone is kept happy and wants to work (yes, it’s still called work when we are having fun exploring for Jetset Extra). We headed to Seagrass off of Ortega Street where chef/owner Robért Perez talked with us about his restaurant, his family, and his food. Robért’s wife Marianna works with him running the front of the house, and his sons and daughter in law are all also involved. It really is a family business. Later that night we went back for dinner and have the pictures to prove it. What’s the menu item to order here? The Ahi Dog. Think sushi on a stick but with style: an ahi sushi roll battered with corn meal batter and deep-fried. Delish!
Fresh, organic and sustainable are the common words used by both Gabi and Robért. Each of their restaurants make sure that what they are serving to their customers have integrity. They believe in supporting the local economy by buying straight from the local farmers and fisheries. Plus, eating food that hasn’t traveled for miles and miles just tastes better.
Gabi and Robért are affiliated with SBIFF’s Film Feast. All 30 of the restaurants that are participating create menus designed to get the film buff in, fed, and out to their next film viewing. It is a great way for people attending the film festival to get to eat great food and still be a part of the festival. So, if you plan your trip in January remember the film festival is happening and plan your trip around it.
Check out the Santa Barbara image gallery
