Santa Barbara- Food, Fun, and Fabulous Sites 3

Breakfast Battles

I happened to stay at a Holiday Inn, which I mistook for a Holiday Inn Express. The former does not serve breakfast (boo!) so I searched town for inexpensive breakfasts. There was a Denny’s across the street but I wanted places with a more local touch.

International Café

I stumbled across International Café, located in a strip mall on Calle Real in Goleta. Although I went to this location three times I always got the same thing because it was sooo good: smoked salmon bagel with cream cheese, capers, tomatoes and red onions. It was delicious!

The bagels seem fresh though they weren’t quite my style. I prefer super soft, fluffy bagels and theirs were thick and chewy. International Cafe offers vanilla coffee, which everyone before and after me always seemed to order. I recommend you follow their example and try it when you stop by. The regular coffee won't rock your world, so try something different.

The service didn’t thrill me, either. All three mornings there were young girls working, perhaps college students. They would’ve worked a bit faster if they weren’t busy complaining to each other about class schedules and homework.  They were kind to the customers but the time thing could be a downside if you’re in a hurry. I never was so it worked out fine.

Overall Rating: 7/10 So-so service still can't ruin a good lox bagel.

Tupelo Junction

By far my favorite breakfast experience took place at Tupelo Junction in downtown Santa Barbara. Had I discovered it earlier I would've gone there multiple times. 

The storefront is small, with two outdoor tables situated near the sidewalk. Upon entering, the restaurant opens up into a broad, warm room with tasteful country kitchen decor. I sat in one of the few window seats to enjoy people watching and basking in the warm winter sunshine.

I enjoyed everything that touched my mouth. Tupelo Junction has a decent tea selection. The whole leaf earl gray was warm and rich (I add milk and honey to mine). They refill the water here, which is important to me. I drink a lot of tea and quality leaves can be used more than once (so it's a waste not to!).

I ordered a scramble with two eggs, Gouda cheese, applewood bacon, caramelized onions and spinach served with a side of seasoned potatoes and banana nut bread. Scrumptious! I loved how all of the flavors worked together to create a warm, hearty party in my mouth. The Gouda was particularly nice, a much welcomed break from the cheddar that's so common on scramble/skillet dishes. And good lord is it filling! I skipped lunch that day. (Not completely--I ate ice cream and was just fine until dinner).

The hostess and waitress were both incredibly pleasant and attentive. 

My only regret is not coming multiple times to try the beignets. The ladies next to me were nearly orgasmic with happiness as they ate theirs!

Overall Rating: 10/10 for excellent food, great views and a menu that offers something for everyone.

Santa Barbara- Food, Fun, and Fabulous Sites 2

Noodle City

If you’re staying in Goleta, CA (near the Santa Barbara airport) then I beseech you to visit Noodle City.

Noodle City is two blocks from my job. I was on my way to another restaurant when I saw it. The aroma of pho drifted outside from the open door. I stopped in my tracks on the sidewalk and peeped inside. The tiny establishment was packed. It was a high energy place in a laid-back town. I couldn’t resist stepping inside.

There were maybe three waitresses for all 35-45 guests that were packed inside but those girls were handling it. No one missed a beat. The service was fast and courteous (though not steeped in Southern hospitality like I’m used to).  

I ordered pho with seafood. It was straightforward; the only oddities were the fried blocks of tofu which I've had before but theirs were particularly delicious. They were a nice touch. The seafood was good but I’m not going to claim that they pulled it out of the ocean that morning or anything. The dish was flavorful and piping hot, just as it should be!

What makes this place is the atmosphere. Santa Barbara isn’t a particularly diverse city when it comes to ethnicities so the diversity found at Noodle City was invigorating. It was like every person of any color was eating there. And some of them brought their white friends!

I’m laughing as I write that but it’s true.

I chatted a bit with the table of guys beside me. They ordered pho with chicken, a broken rice and pork dish, and a vermicelli dish with chicken and shrimp. Consensus? It was all excellent. The guys mentioned that they stop in at least once a week. Noodle City is the “best Vietnamese restaurant in town.”

Overall Rating: 9/10 for great food, fun atmosphere and speedy service

Santa Barbara- Food, Fun, and Fabulous Sites 1

I arrived in Santa Barbara on a business trip and couldn’t wait to check out the food scene. I got a few suggestions from local coworkers and created an itinerary of must-sees and must eats. Check back for updates!

Shintory Sushi Factory

After reading rave reviews online, I decided to stop into Shintori Sushi Factory on State Street. It isn’t in the downtown portion of State Street but it’s easily accessible if you’re headed that way.

Atmosphere: Shintori is easy to miss. The small read awning and red sign blend in with the surrounding signage. Once found, the entrance and interior are both unassuming and underwhelming. It’s a small restaurant with about 7 tables and a bar. Nondescript images are easy to ignore. One TV flashes silent pictures at guests while the sushi chefs rock out to reggaeton. 

The menu has a lot of common favorites as well as a few local specialties. As my litmus test, I got a rainbow roll and their version of a Beauty and the Beast (BBQ eel and tuna over a California roll). The rolls are smaller than what I’m accustomed to at my favorite hangouts in Atlanta but they were still filling. The fish was good. Not stellar but it was just fine.

The sauce on the eel was HORRID to my taste buds. I’ve gotten BBQ eel multiple times and at least two dozen restaurants and I’ve never had sauce like this. It’s as if the standard sauce was sprinkled with cigarette ashes! Perhaps it was sprinkled with ashes. I hadn’t offended anyone that I was aware of…Bitter sauce on eel is just a bad idea. I scraped the BBQ sauce off of the roll and doused it in soy sauce to try and fend off the flavor.

There were a few cute odds and ends. Each meal comes with a edamame appetizer, and many rolls are served with veggies on the side like peas, carrots, and grape tomatoes. Gotta get in your veggies! The two waitresses that assisted me were very kind.

Overall Restaurant Rating: 5/10 for decent, filling food that simply didn’t wow me.

Image Credit: Asian Food Grocer

Vote Decatur as the South's Tastiest Town!

I often do restaurant reviews on this website from my travels, but I think it's also important to represent restaurants in my hometown of Atlanta that are worthy of recognition.

Decatur, GA is one of my favorite Atlanta towns. It's being recognized by Southern Living magazine as one of The South's Tastiest Towns. What does that mean? Decatur is getting props for its unique food culture and excellent restaurants. My favorite Decatur eateries are Wahoo, Java Monkey, Sushi Avenue, and Cafe Lily.

But-- we need your help! Decatur needs votes to win the title of the Tastiest Town. We are thousands of votes behind our competitors like Lafayette and we need your votes to bring home the victory.
Vote every day, once a day, until January 31, 2011. Each vote get you closer to a chance of winning a $2,500 trip!

Thanks for your support!