I love Santa Barbara. I’m sure you all have figured out by now that I love the coast. The ocean is so calming, so peaceful. In Santa Barbara you can enjoy the peaceful, calm ocean… and great wine. No, it’s not as popular as Napa, but Santa Barbara has some fantastic wineries that are really worth checking out. If you’re cheap like me, you probably prefer a good $10 bottle for every day and maybe a $20 bottle for a special occasion. I just don’t believe in paying 50 bucks for a bottle of wine when there are $10 bottles that are perfectly good. (To answer your question: No, I’m not a full fledged wine snob… just a tad.)
In addition to the great wine, Santa Barbara is just damn beautiful. The city has always been a bit of a haven for the artsy type. Every weekend along the coast road (Cabrillo) vendors set up booths filled with hand made jewelry, art, photography and much more. My boyfriend, Scott, picked up a copper wind chime/swirrley thing. (It’s really interesting. You hang it outside and it swirrles around in the wind.) With the temperate weather, it’s so nice to just stroll along Cabrillo and perhaps pick up a lovely print to remind you of your fantastic weekend in Santa Barbara.
Keep in mind Santa Barbara is a college town. There will be (GASP) people partying. State Street is the main drag in terms of food, drink and shopping. There are some incredible places to eat in Santa Barbara. If the noise of State Street is too much for you, there are lots of other options.
Where to Eat
Most of the tourists head for Stearns Warf. There are lots of restaurants and kitschy shops that are more than happy to take your money. The locals don’t go there. The locals go to the second, smaller pier. If you walk north past the Warf, it’ll be about another 15 minutes by foot. (Not to fear! The weather is fabulous so you won’t mind the walk.)
Once you reach the smaller pier, I recommend stopping by Brophy Brothers for clam chowder and cocktails. Watch out for the restaurant, though. Literally you can blink and miss it. This small local’s spot is so popular that people literally start lining up before it opens.
Check out their web site for more info on their unpretentious atmosphere and FAB food:
http://brophybros.com/
Another place worth checking out is The Palace (located at 8 East Cota Street). I’ve eaten at the Palace several times; they’ve been around for years. Their Cajun cuisine is complimented well by their strong drinks (especially the martinis).
A wonderful option for first timers is their combination platters which include: chicken, coconut shrimp, blackened catfish, steak with Hollandaise sauce (uh… yum) and bread pudding with a whiskey cream sauce for dessert. (Warning: that’s a LOT of food.) Scott and I both ordered martinis and were shocked when they showed up in mason jars. (We were happy that the restaurant was within walking distance of the hotel. )
Their bread pudding and muffins were so fantastic that I bought the recipes for $5. Their menu is on line.For more info: http://www.palacegrill.com/
Where to Stay
There are endless teeny tiny hotels and B&B’s. I thought I’d be adventurous and book a room at a new B&B. Then I read a review. They allow dogs… and there’s no limit to the number of dogs. Enough said. The hotel web site may look fantastic but, keep in mind the wonderfulness of Photoshop. My advice is to read reviews and make sure the place will not be a dump. (For reviews, I start with http://www.concierge.com/. They list hotels by price and have everything from a cheapey hotel to the Ritz.) There’s nothing worse then having an awful trip because you haven’t slept in 4 nights.
After looking at other hotels and waffling about perhaps trying someplace new, I decided to stick with a place where I’ve stayed before. The Eagle Inn is located about 2 blocks from Cabrillo (a 10 minute walk to the beach) and 2 blocks north of State Street. This charming Spanish style Inn is located in a quiet residential area. This is good to note because hotels around State Street can get quite noisy.
The Oceana was another option. Yes, there’s a hotel in Santa Monica called the Oceana. It’s owned by the same company. This hotel is huge. The property must span an entire block. Though I haven’t stayed there, the room rates look reasonable for the area and the property looked very well taken care of.
Wine, Wine and More Wine
A few weeks before our trip to Santa Barbara, my boyfriend enthusiastically called to tell me that he arranged for a wine tour. He also mentioned the name of the tour company: Captain Jacks (no joke). As the story goes, the owner of the tour company lost his eye to cancer and his buddies started calling him “Captain Jack” (arrrr). Who knows if this story is true? Regardless I figured that any tour company called “Captain Jack’s” and has an eye patch as their logo has to be fun.
We decided on the 4 hour wine tour (for $50), fondly referred to as the “booze cruise”. Your tour guide picks you up at your hotel and drives you around to local tasting rooms. There could be worse ways to spend a Sunday.
We were the first couple to be picked up. The second couple looked to be in their early to mid 20’s. After we went around the car, introducing ourselves, we heard a voice from the back of the car. “I’m just letting you guys know, I’m here to get wasted.” At least he was honest.
As it turns out, Scott and I (in our early 30’s) were the old farts of the group. The two other couples were in the early 20’s. With three very diverse couples, it was a lively bunch.
The first two wineries were our favorites. Summerland is a charming little town just south of Santa Barbara. The Summerland winery tasting room is located on the main drag. I had never been there but, it might be interesting to visit Summerland. The wine was good. The Zin and Pinot are my favorites there. Like many wineries, Summerland has a wine club. You receive 2 bottles of wine every other month for about $45 a month (including shipping).
The second winery we attended was the Santa Barbara winery, which happens to be one of my favorites. The negrete is a fantastic wine, as well as the Syrah. They, too have a wine club for $60 every other month. I couldn’t resist. I signed up.
The tour ended with a trip to the Warf Vintners, located on Stearns Warf. It was a beautiful day for the fantastic location. The Warf Vintners is, as you can imagine, located on Stearns Warf and has many fantastic wines. Their wine tastings start at $10.
I would do a Captain Jacks tour again. The tour guide was very nice and knowledgeable about wines. And you certainly meet interesting people on a wine tour.
http://www.captainjackstours.com/index.html
Here are a few things you might want to keep in mind about Santa Barbara. During the summer it’s a mad house. There are lots of tourists there for the main reason that you or I would go there. It’s beautiful, relaxing, fun and there’s a ton of wine there! As with most places, the hotel rates increase in the summer time. Try off season, instead: Jan, Feb or even March is beautiful. It does get damp and foggy there. So, don’t forget a jacket, and try some fantastic wine just for me!
In addition to the great wine, Santa Barbara is just damn beautiful. The city has always been a bit of a haven for the artsy type. Every weekend along the coast road (Cabrillo) vendors set up booths filled with hand made jewelry, art, photography and much more. My boyfriend, Scott, picked up a copper wind chime/swirrley thing. (It’s really interesting. You hang it outside and it swirrles around in the wind.) With the temperate weather, it’s so nice to just stroll along Cabrillo and perhaps pick up a lovely print to remind you of your fantastic weekend in Santa Barbara.
Keep in mind Santa Barbara is a college town. There will be (GASP) people partying. State Street is the main drag in terms of food, drink and shopping. There are some incredible places to eat in Santa Barbara. If the noise of State Street is too much for you, there are lots of other options.
Where to Eat
Most of the tourists head for Stearns Warf. There are lots of restaurants and kitschy shops that are more than happy to take your money. The locals don’t go there. The locals go to the second, smaller pier. If you walk north past the Warf, it’ll be about another 15 minutes by foot. (Not to fear! The weather is fabulous so you won’t mind the walk.)
Once you reach the smaller pier, I recommend stopping by Brophy Brothers for clam chowder and cocktails. Watch out for the restaurant, though. Literally you can blink and miss it. This small local’s spot is so popular that people literally start lining up before it opens.
Check out their web site for more info on their unpretentious atmosphere and FAB food:
http://brophybros.com/
Another place worth checking out is The Palace (located at 8 East Cota Street). I’ve eaten at the Palace several times; they’ve been around for years. Their Cajun cuisine is complimented well by their strong drinks (especially the martinis).
A wonderful option for first timers is their combination platters which include: chicken, coconut shrimp, blackened catfish, steak with Hollandaise sauce (uh… yum) and bread pudding with a whiskey cream sauce for dessert. (Warning: that’s a LOT of food.) Scott and I both ordered martinis and were shocked when they showed up in mason jars. (We were happy that the restaurant was within walking distance of the hotel. )
Their bread pudding and muffins were so fantastic that I bought the recipes for $5. Their menu is on line.For more info: http://www.palacegrill.com/
Where to Stay
There are endless teeny tiny hotels and B&B’s. I thought I’d be adventurous and book a room at a new B&B. Then I read a review. They allow dogs… and there’s no limit to the number of dogs. Enough said. The hotel web site may look fantastic but, keep in mind the wonderfulness of Photoshop. My advice is to read reviews and make sure the place will not be a dump. (For reviews, I start with http://www.concierge.com/. They list hotels by price and have everything from a cheapey hotel to the Ritz.) There’s nothing worse then having an awful trip because you haven’t slept in 4 nights.
After looking at other hotels and waffling about perhaps trying someplace new, I decided to stick with a place where I’ve stayed before. The Eagle Inn is located about 2 blocks from Cabrillo (a 10 minute walk to the beach) and 2 blocks north of State Street. This charming Spanish style Inn is located in a quiet residential area. This is good to note because hotels around State Street can get quite noisy.
The Oceana was another option. Yes, there’s a hotel in Santa Monica called the Oceana. It’s owned by the same company. This hotel is huge. The property must span an entire block. Though I haven’t stayed there, the room rates look reasonable for the area and the property looked very well taken care of.
Wine, Wine and More Wine
A few weeks before our trip to Santa Barbara, my boyfriend enthusiastically called to tell me that he arranged for a wine tour. He also mentioned the name of the tour company: Captain Jacks (no joke). As the story goes, the owner of the tour company lost his eye to cancer and his buddies started calling him “Captain Jack” (arrrr). Who knows if this story is true? Regardless I figured that any tour company called “Captain Jack’s” and has an eye patch as their logo has to be fun.
We decided on the 4 hour wine tour (for $50), fondly referred to as the “booze cruise”. Your tour guide picks you up at your hotel and drives you around to local tasting rooms. There could be worse ways to spend a Sunday.
We were the first couple to be picked up. The second couple looked to be in their early to mid 20’s. After we went around the car, introducing ourselves, we heard a voice from the back of the car. “I’m just letting you guys know, I’m here to get wasted.” At least he was honest.
As it turns out, Scott and I (in our early 30’s) were the old farts of the group. The two other couples were in the early 20’s. With three very diverse couples, it was a lively bunch.
The first two wineries were our favorites. Summerland is a charming little town just south of Santa Barbara. The Summerland winery tasting room is located on the main drag. I had never been there but, it might be interesting to visit Summerland. The wine was good. The Zin and Pinot are my favorites there. Like many wineries, Summerland has a wine club. You receive 2 bottles of wine every other month for about $45 a month (including shipping).
The second winery we attended was the Santa Barbara winery, which happens to be one of my favorites. The negrete is a fantastic wine, as well as the Syrah. They, too have a wine club for $60 every other month. I couldn’t resist. I signed up.
The tour ended with a trip to the Warf Vintners, located on Stearns Warf. It was a beautiful day for the fantastic location. The Warf Vintners is, as you can imagine, located on Stearns Warf and has many fantastic wines. Their wine tastings start at $10.
I would do a Captain Jacks tour again. The tour guide was very nice and knowledgeable about wines. And you certainly meet interesting people on a wine tour.
http://www.captainjackstours.com/index.html
Here are a few things you might want to keep in mind about Santa Barbara. During the summer it’s a mad house. There are lots of tourists there for the main reason that you or I would go there. It’s beautiful, relaxing, fun and there’s a ton of wine there! As with most places, the hotel rates increase in the summer time. Try off season, instead: Jan, Feb or even March is beautiful. It does get damp and foggy there. So, don’t forget a jacket, and try some fantastic wine just for me!
