Less than a two-hour drive from Los Angeles is the charming seaside town of Santa Barbara, best known for its palm tree-lined beaches, world-class wines, and historic Spanish colonial architecture. Considered part of California’s central coast, the county encompasses the nearby towns of Montecito, Goleta, Carpinteria, and Summerland. Thanks in large part to Santa Barbara’s location between the Pacific Ocean and Santa Ynez Valley agricultural area, the local culinary scene leans heavily on seasonal ingredients. From spot prawns, sea urchin, and rock crab to strawberries, avocados, and citrus—Santa Barbara has a bounty of fresh ingredients for local chefs to choose from.
Santa Barbara Certified Farmers’ Market holds six markets throughout the community, with the largest taking place on Saturdays downtown. Chefs from many local kitchens are known to shop directly from the market to serve their diners the freshest of products.
You’d be remiss not to get a taste of Santa Barbara wine country while here, which spans the Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Maria Valley, and beyond. Here you can expect exceptionally good pinot noir and chardonnay, though any cool-climate varietals are sure to be good. We recommend sipping pinot noir from Lumen Wines, chardonnay from Sanford Winery, and syrah from Jaffurs Wine Cellars, to name a few…