Santa Barbara on a Plate

Adama Vegan Cuisine

https://www.adamavegan.com

We stumbled upon this gem while working the Orbea expo for the Tour of California. One of the Orbea guys that joined us halfway in, Dan, was vegan. Being a lover of unique and healthy restaurants, I jumped at the idea of finding a place that would offer him such dishes. One quick “vegan Santa Barbara” google and it was clear Adama was the place to go as they pride themselves in being the only pure vegan place in the city.

There was no shortage of humor at the table when Chris ordered the “mock chicken” mole enchiladas…. “mock mock mock!” as he flapped his arms, had us with a few tears of laughter that I’m sure the waitress was stumped by. Anyway, the four of us (Dan, Heather, Chris, and I) shared a bottle of I forgot what red wine, and while Chris had his play on a Mexican dish, Dan and I both ordered the lasagna, and Heather I’m pretty sure got the Shpeherd’s Pie. I should’ve snatched a photo of the other dishes, but I was too busy devouring the (I kid you not!) best lasagna I’ve ever had, dairy or no dairy! It was a wonderfully rich blend of cashew cream in place of the cheese with a truly Italian marinara surrounding brown rice noodles, butternut squash, and sautéed veggies. So. Amazing.

As we were there right at closing hour, our dessert fix was a red velvet and coconut carrot muffin from their in house baked display case of everything from mini pies to cookies.

What I loved about their menu is that in relating to well known comfort food dishes through their entrée titles it eases the skeptic into giving vegan food a try.  The only downside to our evening at Adama was my knowing I wouldn’t taste their incredible breakfast the next day!

Pierre LaFond Wine Bistro

https://www.pierrelafond.com

Two weeks later, I was back in SB with my brother, Daniel. I couldn’t wait to walk up and down State Street with him, browse shops and restaurant menus, and make our selection for dinner. With all the incredible options, I can’t pin point exactly we chose Pierre LaFond, except that their menu stuck out to me with its decorated simplicity. Standard poultry, steak, and seafood selections were described in a way that you knew were treated with the finesse of a chef and laid out in front of you to please your taste buds in an unexpected manner.

 

Anytime I see cioppino on the menu- a tomato seafood stew classic to California- there’s little chance I’ll order something else. Plus, I especially love when a place adds their unique touch like making the cioppino with wild rice in this case. Usually you’ll get the option of pasta or solo with toasted bread. So I went with that for my entrée with the market vegetable plate as an appetizer.

Daniel had the flat iron steak with ratatouille and crispy polenta, and the kale salad to start.

He gave me a bite of his kale salad and it was heavenly. The kale and accompaniments (squash, sunflower seeds, mung beans, buckwheat, and red radish) weren’t drenched in dressing, but kissed enough by this sweet and savory sesame ginger vinaigrette that you just wanted more…and more.

We were both very pleased. The one thing I didn’t appreciate was the slightly overcooked salmon in the stew.

For dessert we headed to Rockin Yogurt which deserves a review of its own as this is no ordinary frozen yogurt shop!....

Rockin Yogurt

In California frozen yogurt is everywhere and it seems to have spread like a plague in other states as well. That’s great if you just want something fat free, cold, and sugary. However, if you really value how you spend your sugar calories, good luck finding the real deal that’s not some probiotic-enhanced powder or liquid churned to resemble actual yogurt.

Rockin is not a franchise, just a little shop on State Street by the movie theatre, that’s all about giving their customers quality. They use Strauss organic yogurt, with natural flavors, real sugar, and amazing fresh fruit and granola amongst their array of toppings.

The consistency of this frozen treat addicts you in one spoonful. And so, we returned the next day after our lunch hour swim.

Backyard Bowls

https://www.backyardbowls.com

Comparable to the fro-yo craze, Acai and its superfruit illusion to turn your body into that of a sexy Brazilian struttin down the beach, is quickly replacing boring smoothies and oatmeal with Acai enhanced ones and bowls full of the stuff topped with coconut, granola, and other fruits of your choice. Most places that offer acai products water them down too much. My 3 favorite places that don’t skimp on the stuff are Basik in Kona, the actual Sambazon Café in Cardiff, CA, and Backyard Bowls in Santa Barbara.

This cute hole-in-the-wall (literally) is right next to the famous Santa Barbara Roasters coffee shop, in front of the main parking lot where State Street commences. Their smoothie and bowl choices are endless- you could have a blast trying them all one visit at a time. They also sell GT’s Kombucha- any place that sells GT’s earns points with me.

Just look at the pretty bowls!!