LMC & Mr. Tall's Culinary Adventures in Santa Barbara: Part 2

What would a trip with LMC & Mr. Tall be without cupcakes! I read about Crushcakes Cupcakery on a cupcake blog (I don't remember which one anymore, or else I would totally mention it!). Not far from State Street, Crushcakes is an adorable little corner-store cupcake shop. Mr. Tall and I ordered half a dozen cupcakes to enjoy later. We got 2 Crush Cakes (their signature red velvet cake with sour cream frosting and topped with a chocolate heart), a Strawberry Blush (strawberry cake with pink frosting and some pink white chocolate shavings, I think), a Buttermilk Crumb Cake (buttermilk cake with cinnamon brown sugar crumble and caramel swirls), a Vanilla Harmony (vanilla cake topped with dark chocolate frosting and mini dark chocolate chips), and a Lemon Drop (lemon cake with lemon frosting and candied lemon peel).

Crushcakes' daily menu offers 10 different kinds of cupcakes and also special cupcakes such as The Elvis (fresh banana cake with peanut butter frosting and chocolate drizzle) among other equally intriguing choices. Mr. Tall and I particularly enjoyed the Buttermilk Crumb Cake and Lemon Drop, but all were moist and yummy. Crushcakes cupcakes had a bit of a homemade charm--each cupcake was not perfectly manufactured and consistent as you may find at Sprinkles, but they were every bit as creative and delicious. Crushcakes looks like the only place around downtown Santa Barbara that is a specialty cupcake bakeshop so if you live or travel to SB and is a cupcake fiend like me, Crushcakes is definitely worth stopping by--hey, you might remember (or get your first) cupcake crush.

After a day of shopping on State Street and enjoying the Museum of Art, Mr. Tall and I had a destination in mind for dinner. We got on the road and drove northeast to Buellton--to The Hitching Post II.

As seen in Sideways, The Hitching Post II boasts its own winery in the Santa Ynez Valley and other Santa Barbara County wine selection, and its famous Santa Maria-style barbecue menu. As you can see (picture below), the structure and the interior of the restaurant are far from impressive, but it is not the ambiance that bring people to this landmark--it's the food culture. A straightforward menu, carefully selected wine list, and the chef-owner Frank Ostini with his signature beard and hat, the HPII is a destination all on its own.

First, I checked out the wine menu and Hitching Post's own 2005 Pinot Noir Highliner caught my eyes, and I ordered a glass. Mr. Tall doesn't like wine so he simply ordered a soda (plus he was driving us back to SB).

Mr. Tall and I started with its most popular appetizer, grilled artichoke -- seasoned with "Magic Dust" (HPII's unique blend of salt and spices) and served with a spicy smoked tomato mayonnaise. Mr. Tall is not a big fan of artichoke, but he really enjoyed this first taste of the Santa Maria-style barbecue. The "Magic Dust" added a lot of flavor to to the artichoke, and the spicy smoked mayonnaise was a great compliment to the smokiness from the grill. We both gobbled that up. Each entree of HPII's menu comes with a choice of organic mixed green salad or today's soup, and Bay Shrimp Cocktail, soup or neither for $2 less. The entree also arrives with rice pilaf, baked potato or French Fries.

Mr. Tall and I both ordered the salad and decided not to get the second course. The salad was nothing memorable--it was doused with your choice of salad dressing (in our case, Ranch) and herb croutons. The Los Angeles Times hailed that HPII's French Fries to be the best in Southern California so Mr. Tall got the fries along with his 10-oz. Prime Top Sirloin, medium. According to its menu and website, HPII purchases its beef from small packers in Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas, and its steaks among other items (including the grilled artichoke) are grilled on its Santa Maria rotating barbecue, over an oakwood fire, and seasoned with Magic Dust.

The steak was perfectly cooked--slightly charred on the outside, still pink and juice in the center. The French Fries were pretty addicting--evenly cooked to a golden crunch on the outside but creamy and soft on the inside. Each fry was consistently and freshly cooked.

I wanted to get something different so I went with the smoked duck breast--cold smoked and grilled over oak, slightly pink inside, and served with an apricot-ginger sauce--with rice pilaf. This dish was apparently one of the main character of Sideways Miles' favorite dishes along with the Highliner. The duck was tender, and the smokiness did not overwhelm the flavor of the duck. The apricot-ginger sauce provided the perfect amount of sweetness and acidity to the dish. Needless to say, it went perfectly well with the Highliner. Overall, our dinner was definitely worth the 25-minute drive from SB to Buellton.

Also, the service at HPII was nearly as wonderful in quality as its food. Our waitress was sweet and friendly, and any diner will get a sense of loyalty and pride of the restaurant from each of its employee. The Magic Dust and smoked tomato pesto (which is what they put into the smoked tomato mayonnaise) are available for purchase as well as a variety of wine bottlings from HP and other wineries. If you plan on going wine tasting in the Santa Ynez Valley or are traveling near that area, then I highly recommend making a dinner date at the Hitching Post II--you will not be disappointed, and be sure to make a reservation!

The weather in SB was not as accommodating as everything else on the rest of our trip. Mr. Tall and I endured cool weather and lack of sunshine, but tried to make the most of our visit anyway. Case in point: Day 3's picnic at the beach. After picking up some yummy sandwich, salad, and drinks from Panino 3, we drove up to Montecito and set up a picnic on Butterfly Beach. After braving the cold sea breeze long enough to finish our lunch, we headed back to our B&B and walked around Stearns Wharf and the harbor to take in more of the sights and grab some souvenirs for our family.

For dinner on our last full day in SB, Mr. Tall and I just wanted something quick and easy--but still delicious, of course. After a really short drive from our B&B to State Street, we grabbed some burgers at The Habit. With a few location in Santa Barbara, it seems to be a local favorite burger joint. They also have several locations in Ventura County, LA County, and up in the Sacramento area. Their Charburgers are "100 % fresh lean beef" served with mayonnaise, pickle, tomato, shredded lettuce (the best way to put lettuce on a burger), and caramelized onions on toasted sesame seed buns. In terms of quality, The Habit's and In 'N' Out's burgers are probably on the same par, but Habit's burger paddies are not as greasy since they are char-grilled. I got the #1, which is the Charburger with fries and a drink, and Mr. Tall got the #1 with cheese.

Their fries were also comparable to In 'N' Out. Mr. Tall and I enjoyed our burgers while people-watching on State Street, which was a cool setting for our short and sweet dinner. The Habit also offer grilled sandwiches, salads, shakes, and malts, which I would assume are all tasty.

After our very casual dinner, Mr. Tall and I decided to end our last night in SB with some drinks at Opal Restaurant & Bar. I discovered this place reading one of the magazines at the B&B room. The thing that caught my attention was its specialty martini menu, which offered a Thai-Chee-Ni. Located by the Arlington Theater, the Opal reminded me of a local favorite akin to restaurants in South Park or Kensington. Mr. Tall and I sat at the bar, surrounded by happy diners in this charming restaurant. Mr. Tall ordered a beer and I, of course, had to try the Thai-Chee-Ni. This martini is made with a Thai chili-infused vodka and pureed lychee fruit--it was spicy and sweet! A really surprisingly delicious drink--the spiciness was unlike when you eat a Thai chili but added to the warmth and complexity of the vodka. Lychee was the perfect fruit to chill out the punch of the chili. Their other drink specialities sounded interesting (Blood Orange Greyhound and Fresh Ginger Mandarin Cosmo among others), but me being a light-weight, I just got a Framboise (raspberry liquor) and Sprite, and Mr. Tall got another beer to end the night. The next morning, after mailing a postcard for Mr. Tall's grandparents in Wisconsin, Mr. Tall and I departed from Santa Barbara, and what a wonderful trip it was!

Good-bye, Santa Barbara--we'll be back again!

Enjoy,
Little Miss Contrary

Coming: San Diego Restaurant Week at Chive and LMC's 24th birthday!

LMC & Mr. Tall's Adventures in Santa Barbara: Part 1

Mr. Tall and I recently went on a much needed vacation and culinary adventure in Santa Barbara. While I was studying my life away last semester, Mr. Tall found a lovely bed & breakfast across the street from the wharf and thoroughly researched interesting attractions in town. We made our way from San Diego, stopped in Los Angeles for one night to have dinner with my sister (at Yabu, of course), and off we went to Santa Barbara.

After checking in to our B&B, Casa del Mar Inn, Mr. Tall and I checked out Stearns Wharf and took in the sights by the beach. Since it was nearly dinner time, we walked over to Brophy's Brothers, which was highly recommended by a friend of mine who's from Santa Barbara. Brophy's Bros is a 2-story restaurant at the Breakwater fisherman's wharf that is very popular among the locals and tourists; the top floor is the restaurant/bar and the bottom floor is its bar/merchantile. Mr. Tall and I waited for 45 minutes (good thing we weren't too hungry) and were seated inside on the second level. There are seatings out on the terrace overlooking the Breakwater; the bar faces and opens out to the water as well; and there are several tables inside.

All the entrees were served with cole slaw, a choice of a green salad or a cup of clam chowder, and a choice of rice pilaf or french fries. Its fresh fish menu changes daily depending on the market availability. Mr. Tall ordered the halibut, which was grilled and served with a curry spice sauce and mushroom, and served with cole slaw a rice pilaf. As for me, I'm not a huge fan of clam chowder (or any cream-based soup for that matter) but decided to try Brophy Bros' version anyway--and I was pleasantly surprised! I have limited experience with clam chowder, but this one had really good balance flavors from the cream and little cubes of potato, and nice chunks of clams in nearly every bite.

My entree was the Thresher shark, grilled and served with a sweet and tangy sauce of red onion and pineapple, and it was delicious! It was my first time trying shark and I really enjoyed it; its texture was similar to a cross between halibut and tuna but more dense and a meatier flavor. The portions at Brophy Bros were extremely generous, and Mr. Tall and I weren't even close to finishing our entrees because our pieces of fish were so huge!

Mr. Tall is not a breakfast person, but luckily our B&B has a lovely selection of breads, pastries, and really yummy homemade blueberry muffins, and a variety of tea, coffee, and juice. Every morning, I woke up, grabbed some blueberry muffins and several tea bags, and avoided all eye contacts with other patrons and ran back to the room because my bed head is not even slightly attractive. The B&B room's kitchenette area is equipped with a mini-fridge, sink counter, and a microwave, which was very convenient for heating up my muffins and hot water.

For our first full day in SB, Mr. Tall and I started the day with an early lunch at Tupelo Junction. Although Mr. Tall did the research for Santa Barbara attractions, I happily volunteered to research restaurant spots. Well-reviewed by the NY Times and Bon Appetit, the Tupelo Junction was a natural choice for one of the restaurants not to be missed. Our water arrived in mason jars, which was a really nice touch reflecting the restaurant's southern-style influence. There were so many items we wanted to try on the menu, but we knew our appetites could not accommodate.

So, Mr. Tall decided on the oven-roasted free-range turkey sandwich with cranberry sauce, cream cheese and lettuce (Mr. Tall dislikes tomatoes in his sandwiches and burgers, among other applications), and served with sweet potato fries. The sandwich was great, but the fries were disappointingly soggy and oily. I went with Tupelo Junction's signature fried chicken salad. Definitely not the healthiest "salad" but with the combination of crunchy fried chicken cutlets, dried cranberries, toasted pumpkin seeds, huge chunks of fresh corn bread croutons, and herb buttermilk dressing (with plenty of dill), every bite was worth it!

Day 1: Old Mission Santa Barbara & Rose Garden

Day 1: Santa Barbara Botanic Garden--definitely our favorite attraction in SB!

After a fun-filled first day, Mr. Tall and I headed to the State Street area for dinner at Los Arroyos. Once we entered this restaurant, we ordered our food at the cashier and sat down to enjoy fresh tortilla chips and a selection of salsas at their salsa bar. I am a big fan of horchata so Los Arroyos's homemade horchata was a delicious choice, and Mr. Tall went with his usual Jarritos tamarindo. Mr. Tall's Burrito Mojado--a burrito filled with steak and black beans topped with salsa roja, cheese and sour cream--served with rice, was very filling; the steak was flavorful and not too fatty, unlike most carne asada; Mr. Tall really liked it.

I ordered a special item of Tacos a Mano Rajas con Queso--two soft tacos of homemade tortillas with chorizo grilled pasilla chiles and onion, topped with Monterey Jack and queso fresco--it was absolutely delicious! Their soft taco plates come with a side of rice and black beans or Caesar salad, which was good but not as memorable as the tacos themselves. Mr. Tall and I enjoyed Los Arroyos so much that we returned for a second time for a shared plate of Maria's Enchiladas--two enchiladas with carne asada topped with salsa verde, cheese and shredded lettuce.

It was a mighty tasty afternoon snack! Los Arroyos is undoubtedly one of our favorite restaurants in SB. They also have another location in Montecito, which is a short drive from the State Street area. If I lived in SB, Los Arroyos would have a place in my heart like Mama Testa does!

On our second day, Mr. Tall and I decided to take a leisure day of walking and shopping on State Street as well as visiting the museum. Another favorite spot on the trip is Blenders in the Grass. It's sort of like a Jamba Juice with a dozen locations from Santa Maria to Oxnard. Mr. Tall really enjoyed the Red Cranberry, a blend of cranberry juice, strawberries, non-fat plain yogurt and raspberry sherbet, which was a special item on the menu that day. I also enjoyed the Tropical Guava, which blended guava juice, strawberries, banana, non-fat frozen yogurt and pineapple sherbet. They have menu items like a date-based smoothie among other interesting and seasonal choices. They also offer a wide variety of free supplements such as bee pollen and spirulina to boost up any of their 24-oz smoothies. Their Blenders in the Grass jingle on the radio is pretty catch, too--"Give me a Blender!" I will boldly say that their smoothies are much better than Jamba Juice--give me a Blender now, please!

Day 2: Santa Barbara Museum of Art

I was trying to consolidate all of our adventures into one post, but I'm getting a bit A.D.D. so please come back soon for part deux of SB!

Enjoy,
Little Miss Contrary

LMC Eats LA: Yabu

When Mr. Tall and I visit Los Angeles, there are three things we always do: visit my sister at UCLA, lunch in Thai Town, and dinner at Yabu. Located on West Pico Boulevard in the West Hollywood area, Yabu is a small and inconspicuous gem of a restaurant. The place probably seats only 25-30 people so the tables and sushi bar are always occupied, but we have managed to get a table without too long of a wait as long as we don't get there too late.

The first time Mr. Tall and I visited Yabu was for my sister Pinnerton's birthday. There is a set menu, but the daily special changes depending on the availability of seafood. We started with an order of crispy fried Japanese black-back sole. The fish was so fresh, simply cooked, and simply delicious. The best part was probably the fish's bones--crispy and yummy!

Mr. Tall is not a fan of sushi and sashimi, but my sister and I are so we tried some new dishes we had never had. First up was the Suzuki, or the sea bass sashimi. It's no Blue Fin tuna, but the fish was fresh and beautifully cut to nearly translucent, paper-thin slices. Mr. Tall ordered the next dish, which was the Japanese-style chicken wings. Probably not the most authentic dish, but still absolutely delicious.

The chicken wings, simply broiled and sprinkled with Japanese sea salt, went fast.

Mr. Tall steered clear of this one: Santa Barbara sea urchin. I thought it was creamy and fresh, but Pinnerton didn't really enjoy it very much. My sister and I are always up to trying new things so that was probably our adventurous dish of the night.

Although the seafood is well known at Yabu, its soba dishes are the most renowned because the soba is made in-house every day. My sister and I have tried a cold soba dish, but we enjoyed soba soup dishes the best. Our favorite was the Tanaki, or soba with tempura batter vegetable paddy. There are a variety of other noodle dishes, but soba is definitely the way to go. The "before" picture on the right ...

And here is the "after" ... We devoured it and licked the bowl clean. The soup was flavorful and the soba was amazing. A must-try.

Mr. Tall was quite full yet so we order the broiled black cod with shitake and enoki mushroom. This dish was such a wonderful preparation, and we all enjoyed it very much.

The birthday girl had to have dessert--even though I had baked her a dozen Lemon Poppy Seed cupcakes, which were awaiting in her dorm room. The green tea parfait consisted of crispy corn flakes, red bean, green tea ice cream, and whipped cream, of course. Yabu is undoubtedly one of our favorite restaurants in LA. It is unpretentious, reasonably priced, and served delicious and straight-forward food. The food culture in LA is greatly diverse, and there is a vast availability of all sorts of restaurants around the city. Yabu is truly one of a kind and worth a visit if you're ever in the area. Have a happy 4th of July!

Enjoy,
Little Miss Contrary

Coming up: vacation and good eats in Santa Barbara with LMC & Mr. Tall and San Diego Restaurant Week!