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| - Here are the things I loved last night at Santa Barbara:
The Rhuby, white wine with rhubarb: not too sweet, the perfect summer drink, totally unlike anything else I've tried, totally delicious.
The pineapple chilli homemade soda - fresh, the chilli is not too hot but cuts the sweet, super fun non-boozey drink.
The appetizers and salads. All of them. The feta, green pea and dill mezze was so light and scrumptious salty and I could have eaten this all to myself. The zucchini fritters were light so savoury and not at all greasy tasting, the herb butter they were served with had me schemeing ways to lick the plate.
The kale salad I could have (and should have) eaten for dinner instead of sharing with a table full of vultures (jokes!) The panzanella my sister ordered was filling and light at the same time and would be top of my list for next time.
The place is bright with restful colours and a lively clattery atmosphere, seats about 40 I'd guess so not too crowded. The staff seemed a little stretched thin at moments but were faultlessly gracious throughout a barrage of mom questions from my table.
And the thing I didn't love sadly? My own main..
I ordered the special and so did another of my crew, and we were both kind of left flat by it. The mussels and shrimp curry with rice and asparagus sounded delicious and was just kind of.. meh, ok. Nothing particularly wrong with it, just heavy basic flavours, asparagus on the side feeling like an afterthought, boney fish in the curry, two shrimp total, I dunno.. not bad, just wished I'd stuck with the amazing salads and good looking green things swirling all around me instead.
Anyway, live and learn. I'll be back for cocktails, apps and salads 100%.
Oh - heads up, they don't take credit cards here, just debit.
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