Santa Barbara 2006

March 27…Lush, sun-drenched, relaxed and nestled seductively between Los Angeles and San Francisco, Santa Barbara IS the American Riviera. As I sit at the West Beach Inn, just steps from the largest of the world’s oceans, the Pacific, I can’t help but wonder where that sun-drenched weather is. It’s 53 degrees and raining. I can’t see the ocean for the clouds so I might as well find a cozy restaurant to eat and drink my rainy day blues away. Later that evening…Sitting right next door to the hotel is a quaint Italian joint named Emilio’s. I wandered in solo and asked for a table in a dark corner-they obliged. It was the perfect night for a glass of Pinot Noir and a bowl of butternut squash soup so I ordered both-they obliged. By the way, did you know the word soup originates from the Teutonic word suppa, which refers to a Medieval dish consisting of a thick stew poured on slices of bread, called sop, used to soak up the liquid-interesting, yes? Anyway, the soup was very medieval-thick, creamy and full o’ flavor. The organic greens salad with gorgonzola, candied walnuts and apple slices was a delightful contrast to the hearty soup. I left the restaurant wholly satisfied.

Update on March 28, 2006 by stacie

March 28…Awake at 6a.m. and the rain still coming down, I decided I could tolerate the provided Maxwell House coffee no longer so I donned my running apparel and started out for any nearby coffee house. Forty-five minutes later and soaked to the bone, I found a Ralphs Grocery store. I bought some Peet’s Italian Roast, half & half, a couple of granny smith apples and toothpaste.(I forgot it) The rain let up a bit on my jog back to the hotel but I was so chilled by then it didn’t matter. I got back to the room, made a pot of extra strong coffee, poured most of the pint of half & half in my mug, added a dollop of coffee then gulped it down. That was just the beginning…

Update on March 28, 2006 by stacie

Afternoon, March 28…There seemed to be a rain cloud stuck overhead in Santa Barbara-24 hours of non-stop rain. Suddenly, around 4:30 p.m., the clouds parted and the sun was unveiled. I immediately grabbed my camera and started exploring. I ran into the Tuesday Farmer’s Market on State Street and bought a pint of the sweetest strawberries I’ve ever eaten. I decided to get a chunk of cheese, a loaf of fresh, crusty bread, and bottle of vino to eat/drink with the strawberries-my dinner. After walking about the town for several hours I retired to my room and promptly began eating.

Update on March 29, 2006 by stacie

March 29…”So sung they, and the empyrean rung With Hallelujahs”—Milton. The sun is shining! Time for a run on the beach (after coffee, of course). Later that day…I had an uneventful run on the beach unless you consider running into Ron Livingston uneventful. [(I did)] He played Peter Gibbons in the 1999 comedy OFFICE SPACE. Uh yeah, I’m gonna need you to go ahead and run a little faster…In a blur he was, I mean, I was gone but it was him…I’m certain of it. Anyway, after my run, I made it back to the room where I showered and rushed over to the hotel breakfast. What’s up with American hotel breakfasts? Could they be any worse? Could we take the lead from Europe? Uh yeah, I’m gonna need something more than stale bagels and yoghurt with added sugars.

Update on March 30, 2006 by stacie

March 30…After a day of shopping and finding absolutely nothing I needed a good meal and a glass of wine. (After all I am in the Santa Rita Hills area-a favorite growing spot for Pinot Noir-my preferred grape.) An oceanside cafe sounded relaxing so we went to The Beachside Cafe and Bar. I chose an indoor table with views of the ocean’s waves hitting the beach. (it was a chilly evening) I started with a glass of Byron Pinot Noir and seared ahi tuna on a bed of greens-delicious. Next, a cup of clam chowder right before the main course-a bowl of pesto pasta with shrimp-very nice. I’ll need to run a bit further tomorrow morning after that meal.

Update on April 1, 2006 by stacie

March 31…I concluded I was not going to make it to Babcock Winery in Lompoc so I needed to find a couple of bottles of their Pinot Noir in Santa Barbara to bring back to Phoenix. I called East Beach Wine Co. and not only did they have what I was looking for but they were having a tasting of Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais wines-we went straightaway. I also concluded one reason I live in Phoenix is the abundant sunshine. I feel gloomy without it. Today the sky was leaden and thick yet again so we decided to stay close to the hotel for our dining plans which meant going to Emilio’s once again. It’s becoming my second home. I tried the asparagus soup, rack of lamb and cannellini bean puree. It was heavenly. I found out in Santa Barbara there is a BYOB at all restaurants and if you show a receipt from East Beach Wine Co. there is no corkage fee. So, we brought one of the bottles of the Babcock Pinot I’d just purchased. The meal and wine were exceptional.

Update on April 2, 2006 by stacie

April 1…I’d been wanting to do my own version of a “Sideways” spin through the Santa Barbara wine country and today was my last chance. We got a pretty early start as early starts go leaving the West Beach Inn around 8:30am. We took the 101 to Solvang and started the tour passing some of the locations from the movie-AJ Spurs, Hitching Post II, Solvang Restaurant and Blackjack Ranch Vineyard. We ate lunch at Los Olivos Cafe & Wine Merchant (the very same where before entering the restaurant Jack pulls Miles aside and utters one of my favorite lines…”Don’t go to the dark side, Miles.”) and did several wine room tastings. The weather? Perfect-maybe it got up to 67 degrees.