Tag Archives: santa barbara

Via Maestra 42

7 Dec

Tonight we were up in the San Roque area so we decided to try Via Maestra 42. This is one of those places that you pass a million times. I am so happy that we finally stepped inside. It is a cozy, neighborhoodish restaurant. I started with the Insalata di Franco. It included organic greens, freh mozzarella, tomatoes, grilled zucchini and grilled eggplant. I really liked this salad. I then had GLUTEN-FREE PASTA. At this point, I will be surprised if a place I go to does NOT have GF pasta.  The waitress explained that it was a $5.00 charge for the GF pasta. I said that was fine, and ordered the pasta with shrimp, cherry tomatoes and arugula.

The sauce was very light. I asked for some red pepper flakes to put some kick in it. It was a good pasta dish if don’t want anything too heavy. So then comes the funny part. As we paid, the waitress brought a wrapped up box of gluten-free pasta from Italy. She explained that since I paid the $5.00 for the pasta, I might as well get what is left of it so that I can cook the rest at home. How nice is that? I definitely want to return and try their Bolognese… and their pesto… and their Pomodoro… and their gelato that is flown in from Italy.

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Monarch Butterflies

2 Dec

I know this has nothing to do with being gluten-free or food, but if you live in Santa Barbara, I insist that you go to the Coronado Butterfly Preserve to see the Monarch Butterflies. December and January are the best times to see them. We went this morning and were treated to an unbelievable site. It is an incredibly short walk so it won’t take up a huge chunk of your day. For directions and tips on when to go, visit the Santa Barbara Hikes Site.

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Paradise Cafe

1 Dec

It is a beautiful day in Santa Barbara, so we wanted to go somewhere for lunch that we could eat outside. We ended up going to Paradise Cafe. I had the special fish tacos which had grilled swordfish, fresh cilantro and corn tortillas. On the side were some beans, pico de gallo and a pesto aioli along with rice and cabbage. These were SO good. To top it off, our waitress was great, letting me know that I could not eat any of my husband’s fries since they were fried in the same oil as the calamari.

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Lunch on State Street

1 Dec

Yesterday, we went to Natural Cafe on State Street for lunch. Pictured above is the Natural Caesar Salad without croutons. Big chunks of avocado and fresh tomatoes make this a very tasty salad. I still think that a place that focuses on natural food should be a bit more educated on what is and isn’t GF on their menu. For example, when asking about some chips they serve, the cashier had no idea what the ingredients were. If they were able to mark on their menu whether each item is GF or can be prepared GF, it would become one of my favorite lunch places. Conveniently next door, is the Good Life Market.

This small market has a nice variety of gluten-free items for purchase. If you live in the downtown area, it is the perfect place to pick up some GF pasta or snacks. I picked up the Annie’s Deluxe Cheesy Mac and Cheese.

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Thankful

24 Nov

The past few months have been pretty crazy, so it is nice to have a day set aside to remind you what is important in life. This year, I am especially grateful for my family who have made me feel loved from up to 5,500 miles away. I am also incredibly grateful that I have moved back to a town that has embraced the gluten-free lifestyle. Lastly, I am thankful for the people that read glutenfreeinsb. I never imagined people other than my friends and family would read this blog, so I have been blown away by the support. Have a Happy Gluten-Free Thanksgiving with those that you are thankful for.

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Cafe Stella

21 Nov

We wanted to try something new for brunch today, so we went to Cafe Stella. I had the fines herbs and gruyére omelette with caramelized onions added in. With the egg dishes, you have your choice of home fries or potato gratin. After confirming that there was no flour used for the potato gratin, I ordered my omelette with that. Well done, me. I will order a side of the potato gratin next time I go here because it was that good and cheesy. The restaurant was pretty large. It felt like a good place to have a rehearsal dinner or special event. They even have a nice outdoor patio if you want to bring your pooch.

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Cocktails and a Concert

19 Nov

Before going to the Santa Barbara Symphony tonight, a friend and I got a couple of drinks at the Marquee. I had their signature drink, the Marquee which included vodka, fresh orange juice, cranberry juice, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, serrano chili and a sugar-rim garnish. I substituted a potato vodka for their absolut mandarin vodka. This was incredibly tasty. As a celiac, I usually play it safe and order wine, so this was especially exciting as it was delicious and GF! After drinks, we went to see the Santa Barbara Symphony at the Granada Theater.

The theater is absolutely beautiful. Tonight, they were performing Beethoven’s Pastoral and Emperor. The reason I was there was because of Emperor, my favorite classical piece. It was a really nice night in a lovely setting. I will definitely return to the Granada as well as the Marquee for some more delicious beverages!

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Pancakes with the Pup

18 Nov

This morning, we took the pup for a walk at the Douglas Preserve. It is a great off-leash area for dogs that has an amazing view of the Santa Barbara coast. After our walk, we decided to go to the back patio of Savoy since it is dog friendly. This was the perfect time to try their gluten-free pancakes. YUM. I don’t know what it is about powdered sugar, but it just makes everything look and taste better. There was also some GF pumpkin bread for purchase but I held off as I was trying a new thing called self-control.

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Brewhouse and Dessert

15 Nov

We decided to return to our old neighborhood and go to Brewhouse tonight. It was pretty dark in there, so no food pictures came out. I started with the Fire Roasted Artichoke which had an awesome grill taste to it. I then had the Salmon Salad which had two pan seared pieces of salmon on Mixed Greens with Tomato, Red Onion, Capers, Feta Cheese and Champagne Vinaigrette. The pieces of salmon were a smidge overcooked, but overall it was a good salad. Make sure to request it without the bread. I noticed on the menu that they had a “Tanka Dog” on the menu that mentioned that it was gluten free. I asked the waitress about it and she said the actual hot dog was gluten free but that it wasn’t on a GF bun which pretty much defeated the purpose of it for those with allergies. Seemed silly to me. After dinner, we headed to Yogurtland.

On each of the flavors, they mention any specific health tidbits including whether or not the self-serve flavor is gluten-free! How cool is that?

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Your Place

14 Nov

More often than not, we crave Thai food. We are very loyal to our favorite Thai restaurant, Your Place, located on Milpas Street. Tonight, I started with the Tom Kah soup. This sweet and spicy soup was great since it was a cold night. I then got the Pad Thai as a main course after I verified that they do not use soy sauce in their Pad Thai dish.

This had tons of cilantro on top which was very much appreciated. I think that one day when I have the time and energy, I want to grow my own cilantro so that I can just throw it on everything that I consume.

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