Category: Ian Filippini

Ian Filippini Dishes on the Best Restaurants on the Santa Barbara Coast

The Best Restaurants on the Santa Barbara Coast

Santa Barbara, California is truly one of the most magnificent places in the country to visit and have a great time. Most come here for the amazing sandy beaches that line the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Even if you plan on doing nothing more than to live out your dreams of being a beach bum and spending your days lounging under an umbrella…you still plan on eating, right?

Thankfully, Santa Barbara has some great dining options to choose from. Some won’t even require you to leave the beach to enjoy. Let’s take a look at several of these restaurants for your leisure.

Summerland Beach Cafe
2294 Lillie Ave
Summerland, CA 93067
(805) 969-1019

http://www.summerlandbeachcafe.com/

The Summerland Beach Cafe is a breakfast lover’s paradise. Stationed in a charming clapboard home built in 1893, this establishment is known to draw in guests from all over. Here, you can enjoy your Belgian waffles or French toast out on the outdoor patio. Have you ever had an omelet with brie, spinach, and braised pork? The lunch menu boasts a number of excellent burgers, sandwiches, and salad for your enjoyment.

Beachside Bar-Cafe
5905 Sandspit Rd.
Goleta, CA 93117
(805) 964-7881

http://www.beachside-barcafe.com/#home

If you’re having too much fun by the water and can’t fathom leaving, then what can be better than a bar right on the beach that also happens to sell amazing seafood? Whether you want to grab a quick signature mixed drink to sip while hanging out on the beach or you find yourself craving a bucket of crab legs, this place was built with you in mind.

The Spot
389 Linden Avenue
Carpinteria, CA 93103
(805) 684-6311

https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-spot-carpinteria

No dining experience is complete in the Santa Barbara area if you haven’t visited The Spot. Very close to the beach, this small shack is THE local hang-out spot and has been around for over 90 years! There’s no better place to grab a tasty burger and fries, milkshakes, fish n’ chips, or even a variety of Mexican specialties.

Boathouse
2981 Cliff Dr.
Santa Barbara, CA 93109
(805) 898-2628

www.boathousesb.com

At the end of a long day swimming, relaxing, and seeing the sights, there’s no better way to cap off the perfect evening than by stopping by the Boathouse. Located right on the beach, this establishment is perfect for that romantic date with your loved one or even a family outing to enjoy some of the best seafood on the coast. All the food is locally caught and includes Dungeness crab and Spiny lobster, prepared to your liking.

Toma Restaurant and Bar
324 W Cabrillo Blvd.
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
(805) 962-0777

http://www.tomarestaurant.com/

Of course, there’s plenty of seafood places around when you’re enjoying your time on the beach. Are you craving something different? Then Toma Restaurant and Bar is the place for you! This fine-dining, high-class business is for the refined patron who enjoys amazing Italian delicacies with unique presentations. Known for it’s warm atmosphere and intimate setting, Toma is the perfect spot to take that loved one on a special outing.

To learn more about Ian Filippini, please visit https://ideamensch.com/ian-filippini/ and https://twitter.com/iaianfilippini

Ian Filippini’s Review of Yoichi Santa Barbara

     Ian Filippini Reviews Yoichi
     A Japanese restaurant named as Yoichi’s serving traditional Kaiseki cuisine, Sushi and Sahimi was inaugaurated at 230 East Victoria St. After the former Spiritland Bistro underwent a remodel in a stylish but minimalistic manner, the owners have served their seven-course, $85 menu from the very beginning, diversifying it every month.
     The hours of the eatery are from 5-10pm Tuesday to Sunday. Although Santa Barbara supports numerous restaurants for a relatively small-sized town and are a leading name as far as farm-to-table menus are concerned, it is very difficult to succeed when the focus is on a specialized niche of ethnic food. The restaurant specializes in Nigiri sushi and sashimi.
      The owner chef Yoichi Kawabata has over two decades of specialized experience in Kaiseki cuisine in both Japan and America. Kawabata opines that the most sophisticated form of Japanese cuisine is Kaiseki, which are traditional multi-course meals made from scratch by highly skilled chefs in innovative ways to increase their actual flavor. Kaiseki cuisine reflects the seasons. The ingredients and flatware undergo careful selection to signify the times of the year. It originated in the 16th century and initiated with Sen no Rikyu, the leading tea ceremony. Kaiseki can be enjoyed with sake and as a part of a formal tea ceremony. Simple cooking, involving conventional techniques bring out the actual flavors of the dishes. The sequence of the dishes are perfectly synchronized that reflects the Japanese tea ceremony. The cuisine is served on ceramic plates exclusive to the restaurant.
    Yoichi is a test for the Santa Barbara dining scene. Are the people mature enough as far as the tastes are concerned and comfortable with the costs to regularly sample this exclusive cuisine? Can the small town support the niche cuisine that’s usually the forte of much bigger cities? The early signs definitely point to the right direction.