 where to stay: We usually stay with my parents or Ted's sister but the following are my picks if you can't stay with our relatives:
Hotel Santa Barbara looks nice and is downtown on State Street within walking distance of good restaurants, the harbor and Stearn's Wharf. Check out their site: www.hotelsantabarbara.com
The El Encanto is the place to go for a romantic weekend. The food is quite good and the views of the mission, town, and ocean are breathtaking. It is in a residential neighborhood and within a short stroll of the beautiful Mission Santa Barbara. We stayed in a bungalow on our wedding night which is its own building, and is beautifully appointed with all the best stuff. www.elencantohotel.com
The Four Seasons Biltmore in Montecito, on the beach and very deluxe. www.fourseasons.com
Coast Village Inn in Montectio is a reasonably priced alternative to the Biltmore. There are many good restaurants witin walking distance. You can stroll to the Biltmore and their beach
www.coastvillageinn.com
The Upham Hotel , an upscale B&B, is downtown and very nice. My grandparents used to stay there when visiting. You can see for yourself on their website www.uphamhotel.com
for great restaurant advice on-line go to www.nippers.com
Santa Barbara has many good restaurants. The following restaurants have my vote for the particular dish I have noted.
The following restaurants were visited in April and/or September 2002 and/or February 2003.
The Wine Cask: I love it, Ted thinks its snooty and expensive. The room is part of a beautiful adobe house with a terra cotta tile floor, exposed beams, and a warm ambience. The food is pricey but worth it. Wine Spectator has adorned them with many awards.
Mollie's and Piatti in Montecito: good Italian food with a great pizza Margherita. At Piatti in Montecito be sure to say hi to Chris at the bar.
Nu: 1129 State Street. a beautiful courtyard setting in the heart of town. We dined there with my parents in February and thought the food was terrific. Some say it's inconsistent but nippers.com thinks its good and so do we. An outdoor lunch would be lovely.
Chad's: great atmosphere if you like to be with young, good looking, having a fun evening type people. Order anything with the tchoupitoulas sauce.
Blue Agave: another hip place (aka meat market) next door to The Palace. the food is good and the scene is great
The Palace: good New Orleans cuisine with a great blackened filet mignon with artichoke heart in a holandaise sauce, the best crawfish "popcorn", and a killer jalapeno martini.
Hamburger Habit the best hamburgers in town. A good choice the day after too many jalapeno martinis
The Italian Grocery: a great place to stock up on Italian ingredients and don't forget to take home an italian sandwich, ask for Super Deluxe with the olive oil
Your Choice: on Milpas Street; very good Thai food with great pork sate and pineapple fried rice
Cafe Del Sol: good Mexican food with the best margherita in town. The deck is the place to be on a sunny afternoon. Located at the Bird Refuge
The Taj is downtown's new Indian restaurant. If you can convince the owner, Raj, to wait on you your evening will be marvelous. The food is very good but the service is lousy (perhaps improved by now). The garlic naan is terrific as are the vegetarian dishes we sampled.
Brophy Brothers is at the harbor and a locals' hotspot with fabulous fresh seafood and a small deck facing the marina and East Beach. There's nothing elgant about this place but the food is fresh and honest.
Breakwater Restaurant: is also at the harbor and the place for breakfast. The huevos rancheros is my favorite.
La Super Rica: On Milpas Street, Julia Child's favorite Mexican food in Santa Barbara. Order at the counter and sit at a picnic table or take away.
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