Saturday, April 7, 2007

A Dog's Guide to the Restaurants of Santa Barbara

Presto Pasta on Milpas Street at Guitierrez: so so meatballs, passable if rubbery chicken

El Pollo Loco upper State Street: although a tad over-salted, the flame-broiled chicken is juicy and tender.

Shalhoob's on Santa Barbara Street near Ortega: righteous steaks and chops.

Zaytoon's on De la Guerra: splendid lamb kabob, reasonable chicken

The Shang-hai on Milpas Street: good fish, pork, acceptable lamb

The Habit, on lower Milpas near the roundabout: ENK frequently gets my hamburgers there. Lovely double patties. Not bad tri-tips.

Alteno Rincon, next to the 7-11 in Carpinteria: stunningly good chicken platter, excellent beef tacos, and huevos rancheros to die for

Esau's on lower Linden Avenue in Carpinteria: first-rate sausage patties

Restaurant Nu, 1129 State Street, Santa Barbara: oh, man; rack of lamb, leg of lamb, scallopini, beef ragout!

Holderen's Steak House, 512 State Street, Santa Barbara: splendid steak sandwiches

Via Vai, upper Village, Montecito: a first-rate stripped bass

Piatti, Pierre La Fond center, upper Village, Montecito: sublime sweetbreads

The Surf Dog, Bailard Road park, Carpinteria: this man knows hot dogs, and dogs.

I have had some lovely prosciutto and melon at the Intermezzo on Anacapa Street, spitting out the melon, of course, and the shrimp from the bouillabaise at The Fish House on Cabrillo is quite succulent, but road kill it is not.

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