On our first leg of the trip, Oakland to L.A., Les and I decided to stop in Santa Barbara for dinner, a city that has a small town vibe and also screams southern California. After driving for about 4 hours post falafel drive in we arrived at our dinner spot famished and ready for a tasty meal. As we entered the front doors of Opal Restaurant and Bar, a California Cuisine-ish joint with a large eclectic menu, all I could think about was how underdressed I was....how embarrassing! Then I settled into my seat, looked around, and realized that I wasn't inadequately clothed for the environment. Some people in Southern California are just kinda fancy. Don't worry, you don't have to be in a froufrou smock and stilettos to dine at this cozy spot. (If you want to get decked out however, go for it!)
Once I got over my initial hesitation I started focusing on the menu! It was extensive. I had no idea what to chose. They do provide guidance by pointing out the local favorites, but what does that really mean? I decided to call our bubbly server over and discuss. Well, actually first we ordered ginger cosmos that fell flat due to the lack of ginger and liquor, totally worrisome. This just reminded me, hold on. I'm going to rant for a minute. What is it with upscale restaurants serving supbar cocktails??? I just can't figure it out. I've been in a few places lately where the food experience was excellent, but the cocktails were just not good. Dear restaurant owners, I really believe it would behoove you to invest in your bars. Shout to my friend Anna Katherine's spot in Memphis, Sweet Grass. Not only is the fare mouth watering good, but the bartender is a magician. Great food and great cocktails equals repeat visits. Good food, bad cocktails means we've got a one hit wonder on our hands.
Back to the chow. After having the waitress weigh in on what to order I started with a roasted beet, heirloom tomato, and fresh mozzarella napoleon. My dad ordered the flash fried shredded phyllo wrapped tiger prawns served with a coconut curry dipping sauce. My napoleon would have been enjoyable (average yet enjoyable) had the tomatoes been ripe. There is something wrong with you if you serve unripe tomatoes in California at a place that focuses on fresh ingredients in AUGUST. Also, the mozzarella...not so fresh. At this point in the meal I was completely underwhelmed. Good thing my dad and I enjoy each others company because where the food was lacking the conversation was not. My father's tiger prawns were pretty good. They were wrapped in phyllo dough and fried so yeah that is hard to screw up. The one thing I didn't really enjoy about his app was the intense sweetness of the dipping sauce, but like I said before at this juncture of the meal I wasn't expecting much.
The saving grace...the entrees. Hallelujah! I ordered the lemon grass crusted salmon filet topped with ribbons of zucchini, squash, and carrots smothered in a Thai curry sauce served atop a bed of basmati rice. Heaven. The sauce carried the perfect amount of heat, and the Riesling in my glass created the perfect balance between sweet and spicy. My dad had their paella with fresh steamed mussels, manila clams, tiger shrimp, chicken and chorizo sausage. Everything was cooked to perfection. So delicious!
We ended up skipping dessert to get back on the road and head to our final destination for the evening, my Aunt's house in the L.A. area burbs. So nothing to report there.
To sum it all up, if you are looking to eat a meal in Santa Barbara that has enough variety to satisfy an array of palettes, this would be a good place to go. The atmosphere is cozy, the portions are just right, and the price is reasonable. Just make sure to skip the cocktails (drink wine instead) and anything with uncooked vegetables in it. I'll be semi-generous and give it a 6/10, but that's just my opinion....take it for what it's worth!!
Check back soon for a post about the most ridiculous foodie marathon ever in Los Angeles. Until next time...Bon Appetit!!
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