With a cow in your backyard, why would you go to the store to buy milk?

Santa Barbara’s wine country cuisine thrives by reaching out to local growers and using only the freshest in-season ingredients, thereby inspiring ever-changing menus. Local Farmer’s Markets can be found locally almost every day of the week, and they are especially popular with restaurateurs and chefs.

Here in Santa Barbara, we have a California wine country cuisine that is stylistically Mediterranean but spiced with experimentation and creative flair. Menus are not based on longstanding traditions in the same manner Europeans are, mainly because our history is so short. Walk into any side street cafe in Italy, and you will find traditional recipes such as Pasta Carbonara or Pizza Capriciossa. But in Santa Barbara, chefs put their own spin on local produce and fish from the Harbor, such as lobster and a plethora of regional seafood specialties, from ridgeback shrimp to flaky white Sea Bass. The result is harmonious and balanced dishes inspired and accompanied by local wines. Similar to the meticulous nature of winemaking, where quality makes an enormous difference in the product, menus are ingredient driven.

The integration of menus and wine lists, which are often crafted with the other in mind, is an important aspect of Santa Barbara cuisine; flavors in the food are enhanced when paired with the right wine. Organizing menus according to food and wine pairings is popular because it seamlessly brings all of the elements together, highlighting seasonal flavors reflective of the region.

Farms provide access to locally grown food at Farmer’s Markets, most of which has been picked the day before to ensure freshness upon arrival. Supermarket produce, by contrast, is usually picked well before ripeness to withstand shipping, sometimes from a thousand or more miles away. When
produce sits around in this manner it loses flavor and key nutrients. Many of our local growers are organic growers, and even those who are not use a much smaller amount of chemicals than larger commercial farms.

The varied terrain of Santa Barbara County provides a vast array of microclimates suitable for growing an infinite amount of produce and wine grapes. Local wine country’s unique geological nature is comprised of valleys that run east-west along the Santa Ynez Mountain range instead of north-south. Ocean breezes sweep through these valleys, creating pockets of climate variation within miles of each other. Cool coastal temperatures become progressively warmer further inland in the Santa Ynez Valley. The mild climate is ideal for farming.

Mediterranean-inspired food tends to be on the lighter side, including but not limited to salads and fish rather than thick sauces and stews. Olive oil and seasonal produce bring colorful dishes to life. When eating seasonally we can look forward to juicy peaches in the summer, savory root vegetables in the winter, and crisp asparagus in the spring.

The benefits of seasonal eating and supporting local farming far outweigh the alternative, boasting more intense flavors, higher nutrient content, and crunchy freshness.

Louie’s California Bistro is a hidden gem located two blocks off of State Street and adjacent to the historic Upham Hotel. Serving up local wines and fare from local purveyors, this Bistro’s elegant intimacy has a long-standing reputation for crafting dishes with indigenous regional flavors from only the freshest ingredients.

Sit out on the veranda and enjoy a glass of a hearty local red of the always-evolving wine list alongside the Potato Pancake with Cabernet Sauce and Gorgonzola Cheese.

Louie’s California Bistro
1404 De La Vina St., Santa Barbara.
805-963-7003
www.louiessb.com

Nearby, Chef Budi Kazali at The Ballard Inn & Restaurant has combined his roots in Santa Barbara wine country with a uniquely global approach to put together a menu based on Pacific Rim Cuisine. The eclectic Mediterranean fare includes Pan Seared Scallops with Achiote Risotto and Tomatillo Sauce, as well as Australian Rack of Lamb with Caramalized Scallion Polenta Cake and Tomato-Red Pepper Coulis.

Ballard Inn & Restaurant
2436 Baseline Ave, Ballard
805-688-7770
www.ballardinn.com

Joanie Hudson is a Santa Barbara-based writer who’s popular food and wine pairing blog can be found on the Santa Barbara Winery website, www.sbwinery.com.