Santa Barbara has long been the playground of jetsetters and budget travelers. Called the American Riviera, and an easy day jaunt up the 101 freeway from Los Angeles, it is home to restaurants and bars for every palate and pocketbook. Consider an overnight stay in one of their many boutique hotels putting you within walking distance of all that’s delicious on the strip of State Street that has, since the COVID -19 pandemic given rise to a host of patio dining options for nearly every restaurant in the three blocks of lower State. Call this a pandemic silver lining, since this al fresco dining has effectively revitalized a significant portion of State Street.
WHERE TO STAY
Newly opened and inspired in concept by their sister property in San Jose Del Cabo, Drift Santa Barbara is more than just a modern hotel with a catchy name. Their commitment to minimizing their carbon footprint is evident in their low-waste strategy throughout the hotel. From the custom-made pour over funnel and container for your morning coffee sourced locally from Anacapa Ceramics to the box cartons of water in each room, from the full-sized refillable pump containers for lotion, wash, shampoo, and conditioner to the room furnishings. The rooms are minimalist yet, extremely comfortable. As general manager Nick Gillio says, “you feel less like you’re in a hotel, and more like you’re in a friend’s elegant spare bedroom.” Space is used efficiently and elegantly at Drift Santa Barbara. But that’s not all that’s unique about this boutique hotel on lower State Street at the corner of Haley and State. It is built on the foundation of the original 120-year-old Hotel Barbara and still features a lot of its original raw materials. Some rooms showcase the original windows and balconies all retrofitted to current safety standards. The third-floor skylights are from the original hotel and the headboards in all 44 rooms are made from the original Douglas Fir framing studs that were uncovered during construction. The sense is that the original hotel inspired the modern design; a refreshing acknowledgment of the old, without compromising the vision of the new. In the spirit of ‘buy local’ Drift sources a lot of its ingredients for their coffee, cocktails, and foods from local vendors in Santa Barbara and Ventura. In the spirit of collaboration, they have partnered with local businesses to support your fitness needs, and Drift can provide yoga equipment, surf boards or bikes for you to use.
WHAT TO DRINK
Drift’s Dawn (coffee) and Dusk (cocktails) concept is a must-do experience at least once. Dawn (open from 8am – 3pm) features a delectable selection of well-crafted coffee drinks. While you probably have your go to coffee drink to get you going in the morning, consider asking the barista to surprise you. You might find yourself drinking an Espresso Tonic with house made tonic syrup featuring lemongrass, lavender, orange and cinchona bark. For non-coffee drinkers, try ‘Fade to Green’ which is simply matcha, water and vanilla shaken up well and poured into an old-fashioned champagne glass. For a hot drink, you might get their orange cardamom oat milk cappuccino. Just bringing this drink up to your nose before the first sip is enough to take in the intoxicating flavors of orange marmalade and cardamom which work unexpectedly well together.
At 3pm, head back to Dusk (same space, different vibe), Drift’s mezcal, agave, tequila, and Baja-inspired raw bar. Food and beverage director John Hardin, a Palm Springs transplant brings with him an adventurous spirit and his passion for mixology extends beyond the drinks and into the food menu. The bar top features an assortment of colored bottles with house-made labels showcasing John’s recipes for infusions, tinctures, and syrups all of which are used in their signature cocktails and their coffees. Indulge in a mezcal or tequila tasting or give the cocktails a whirl. Happy Hour drinks change, but check out the Oaxacan Old Fashioned; mezcal, agave and bitters, or their house margarita, which is so perfectly balanced, that it will take your breath away with its simplicity and complexity. If you’re in the mood for color, consider the hot pink Picante Amante (pink peppercorn tequila blanco, mezcal, prickly pear, lime, and habanero tincture with a pink peppercorn salt) – with just the perfect hint of smoke from the mezcal, the pink peppercorn salt adds a zing to the lips, the habanero adds flavor but not uncomfortable heat. If you favor something a little sweeter consider Into the Sky; kaffir lime tequila blanco, pistachio orgeat, blue curacao, lime and an instagrammable moment with the final touch of a cloud of smoke. Be warned, these are infinitely drinkable.
WHAT TO EAT
No visit to Santa Barbara is complete without a breakfast or brunch visit to D’Angelos Bakery – a thirty-year staple of the town. All breads and pastries are made onsite. There’s nothing better than their fresh baked baguette, whipped butter and house made raspberry preserves. Be sure to try the tri-berry scone with your latte. If you need something hearty, give the Smoked Salmon Benedict a try. House-made French toasted baguette layered with locally smoked Scottish salmon, flawlessly cooked poached eggs, and a house-made hollandaise sauce. The smoked salmon had a subtle smokiness which perfectly complements the mild hollandaise sauce. For a slightly lighter fare, try the Egg “Rose” – poached eggs on kalamata olive toast topped with house-made Mediterranean artichoke spread. The salty creaminess of the artichoke spread is a perfect foil to the cooked-to-perfection poached eggs, but the dish could have used some arugula or slivers of red onion to add another textural dimension and offset the creaminess of the spread and egg yolk. Their chai latte and mate latte were both disappointing in how bland and ‘thin’ they were.
Jonsing for something to nosh on with your cocktail? Try Dusk’s version of bar nuts called Quicos – roasted corn nuts seasoned with sea salt and tajin lime. This beats out regular nuts any day! They take their Baja roots seriously with the blue fin tuna tostada with chili adobo, lime and cilantro mayo over a house-made tostada, or the daily ceviche with cucumber, lime, chile and red onion. The tart from the lime, combined with the crunch of the cucumber and red onion makes a perfect foil to the fresh cooked-in-lime healthy chunks of fresh catch fish. For a departure from the traditional, the fresh catch of oyster is served with a Thai chili and fish sauce mignonette which offers up the right amount of tart, kick, and umami for a really fantastic mouth feel. These are served up on a bed of house-made snow liberally sprinkled with chili flakes for a fun visual.
For dinner, make your way toward the ocean to Loquita, known for its tapas, paella and exquisite selection of Spanish gin and tonics. If paella is on your menu for the evening, know that it takes 40 minutes to prepare, so when you place your drinks order, let your server know which paella you would like. If seafood is your jam, you can’t go wrong with their mariscos paella featuring hope ranch mussels, wild jumbo gulf prawns, grilled squid served with dollops of saffron aioli. I found the aioli a little underwhelming – not saffron forward enough, and the squid had a creaminess oozing from the middle, which felt like a filling, but we were assured there was no filling. So not sure what that was about. The knowledgeable wait staff will help you decide how much food is too much, but for a party of two, a bocadito each followed by a tapa will leave you enough room to do justice to the paella and perchance leave room for dessert (try their churros with passionfruit – mouth puckeringly tart, dulce de leche – yum, and Mexican chocolate – not spicy; dipping sauces) and perhaps a snifter of brandy to close out the meal. If they have their fig ice cream, don’t think twice – just get it!
Santa Barbara may be known as the American Riviera, but it’s every bit a sleepy little beach town. It straddles these two identities with ease. If you happen to be there during the week, check out the Farmers markets now held twice weekly. You might find yourself humming to the tunes of wandering minstrel or dancing to musicians busking in the Paseo Nuevo mall. Whether you’re a performer or painter, a surfer or hiker, museumgoer or theatre-lover, and whether its street food or fine dining, Santa Barbara has a spot for you.
