Santa Barbara Food Tasting
Embarking on a tour is an excellent way to acquaint oneself with a new city, and for food enthusiasts, a food-tasting tour is an absolute delight.
After thorough research, I opted for Taste Santa Barbara Food Tours. They provide two distinct food tours in the Santa Barbara area and offer the option to personalize them as private tours.
We chose a private tour for two in light of COVID-19 concerns and a more tailored experience.
Book your Santa Barbara activity here.
Our rendezvous point was on State Street, where we met Georgia, our guide, at the entrance to El Paseo Plaza.
We were thrilled to discover that Georgia, formerly a history teacher, is passionate about sharing insights on Santa Barbara's history and architecture – a learning experience we eagerly embraced.
Interesting Fact: The Chumash people, native to this region, have a rich history dating back approximately 13,000 years in the area now known as Santa Barbara.
Our inaugural food tasting was at Grassini Family Wines – a gem among Santa Barbara's numerous tasting rooms. This particular venue boasted a charming garden where we relished a flight of wine complemented by a “Grazing Box” filled with fruits, nuts, and crackers.
Note: On a previous excursion, we explored wine tasting in the Santa Ynez Valley, including a visit to the Grassini winery. Read more about it here.
Our time at Grassini set a delightful tone for the 3.5-hour tour.
As we meandered to our next tastings, we absorbed stories about Santa Barbara's origins, the rationale behind its Spanish Colonial Revival architecture, and landmark buildings and stumbled upon several hidden shopping plaza treasures.
Interesting Fact: In response to a catastrophic earthquake in 1925, city planners mandated the Spanish Colonial Revival style for rebuilding, imposing ordinances to restrict building heights to a maximum of four stories.
Our culinary journey continued at Los Arroyos, where we indulged in some extraordinary tacos and beverages. We savored their “Tajas Con Queso Tacos” – a vegetarian delight featuring grilled pasilla chiles, onions, monterey jack, and queso fresco. The tacos burst with flavors, tempting us to order more, if not for the anticipation of more culinary delights ahead.
For our drinks, we sampled Jamaica and Horchata – both exceptionally refreshing.
Moving from Californian and Mexican flavors, we ventured to Empty Bowl Gourmet Noodle Bar to taste Thai cuisine.
This culinary gem is nestled within the Santa Barbara Public Market, a breeding ground for innovative restaurant concepts. Aspiring restaurateurs can rent space to test their food ideas before launching a full-scale restaurant.
Interesting Fact: Santa Barbara was once known as the “Hollywood of the North,” playing a pivotal role in the early silent film industry with numerous productions.
At Empty Bowl, we were treated to a Papaya salad and potstickers. The potstickers were a hit, while the papaya salad offered a unique taste that might require an acquired palate. This restaurant also serves traditional Thai dishes like pad Thai, various noodle options, and lettuce wraps.
The Public Market is a culinary mosaic offering many global cuisines, including Japanese, Middle Eastern, Mexican, and Italian.
Speaking of Italian, our next destination was The Chase Restaurant and Bar. It is conveniently located on State Street and offers indoor and outdoor seating options.
We chose to dine alfresco, enjoying the vibrant pedestrian scene while sampling an array of Italian specialties. The food was delicious and generous in portion, leaving us with delightful leftovers for dinner.
We concluded our tour at El Paseo Plaza with a visit to Cebada Wines. The sommelier introduced us to four exquisite wines. The standout was the Blueberry Wine, which we loved so much that we purchased a bottle to take home.
As we relished our final wine tasting, Georgia fetched our dessert from McConnell’s Ice Cream. Faced with an extensive list of flavors, we settled on Cookies and Cream, Banana Salted Caramel, Pistachio, and Chocolate Chip. Each flavor was exceptionally creamy and delicious – arguably some of the best ice cream I've ever enjoyed.
Interesting Fact: Mac and Ernie McConnell meticulously developed their unique ice cream recipes, inspired by the French Pot ice cream-making process. In December 1950, they opened their first McConnell’s Ice Cream shop, which quickly gained popularity.
The tour was impeccably organized and included an excellent selection of culinary experiences. Georgia was an outstanding guide, combining friendliness with a wealth of knowledge.
I highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Santa Barbara. It's an exceptional way to explore the city and discover new culinary delights.