Ana's Got It All Day

A bright new café in downtown Santa Barabara's arts and theatre district fills the bill for every mealtime.

Cafe Ana (cafeanasb.com) is one of those restaurants that, once you try it you wonder how you did without it. Located in the completely remodeled former Coffee Cat space in downtown Santa Barbara, the café is named for its spot at the corner of East Anapamu and Anacapa streets. Light, bright, and inviting, the upscale all-day eatery melds an urban-chic feel with neighborhood-hangout warmth.

Husband and wife owners Julian Sanders and Katherine Guzman Sanders are veterans of the hospitality industry. Julian’s most recent stint was at Restaurant Gary Danko in San Francisco. Katherine’s work at restaurants, hotels, and a winery, along with her study of food communications in Florence, Italy, have all nurtured her passion. “We have both always worked in hospitality, and we’re both obsessed with it— the food, the wine, and the service,” Katherine says.

Julian is a third-generation Santa Barbaran and Katherine grew up in the Los Angeles area, so Cafe Ana represents a homecoming of sorts. For the concept, “We were inspired by the wonderful coffee shops we found while traveling in Europe, where you can experience café culture all parts of the day,” says Katherine. “It’s a place where the community can gather for coffee, a glass of wine, and good quality food.”

The airy, high-ceilinged venue has plenty of seating at tables, a communal table, and marble counters; the overall look was inspired by Scandinavian design. During the more than two-year renovation process, the couple enlarged windows and worked with Ventura-based Brothers of Industry on woodwork, cabinetry, and details like an iron-and-glass wine rack that hangs from the ceiling.

The new restaurant, wine bar, and coffee shop turns out a selection of house-made pastries daily and pours specialty coffee drinks featuring the gourmet roasts of Lamill as well as beers and local and international wines.

The inventive yet accessible food reflects chef Ryan Whyte-Buck’s approach and culinary background. An Ojai native, Whyte-Buck honed his skills in Portland, Oregon, and most recently at Golda, a buzzedabout all-day café in Brooklyn. His menu combines influences from the Mediterranean and the Pacific Rim with the fresh flavors of local produce. “My philosophy is that food is a focus of all of our cultures, and it’s a way of bringing people together,” he says. “I want to make people feel safe, comfortable, and happy—that same feeling of going home.”

Breakfast offerings include homey dishes with elevated creative twists: a satisfying sandwich of pork sausage, soft scrambled egg, and cheese is punched up with arugula and dill pickles; toasts with toppings like salmon and labneh (tangy, creamy yogurt cheese) are made with fluffy, slightly sweet Japanese milk bread that’s baked at Ana’s every morning; house-baked pastries change with the season, but a recent blood orange and poppy seed mini-Bundt was a sweet revelation. A key ingredient at any all-day café is a really good cup o’ joe, sourced here from specialty coffee roaster Lamill.

Weekend brunch from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. includes a few breakfast menu items with some addictive additions that could fuel a hike up Tunnel Trail or a stroll along East Beach: blueberry pancakes bursting with fresh berries are sprinkled with a crumble of freeze-dried berries for their concentrated flavor before a dollop of whipped cream tops it all off; Whyte-Buck’s spin on eggs Benedict is a polenta cake base capped with a pair of soft-boiled eggs, béarnaise sauce, escarole, and Chinese broccoli, for layers of textures and savory tastes.

Among Cafe Ana’s comforting breakfast dishes is the Mezze Plate, a soft egg and toast with hummus, tomatoes, and cucumber, spiced with za’atar. Counters around the perimeter take full advantage of enlarged windows in the bright space where a large communal table adds to the plentiful seating. Owners Katherine Guzman Sanders and Julian Sanders dish out their brand of café culture from morning to early evening.

Folks who live or work in the neighborhood, along with visitors to the kitty-corner Santa Barbara County Courthouse or Santa Barbara Museum of Art, make up much of the lunch crowd that comes for the seasonal soups, fresh salads, and creative sandwiches like eggplant with adzuki bean and squash hummus, or smoked tuna melt.

Dishes change frequently, but recent evening menu offerings have included house-made country pâté, cheese plates, and a popular caviar program. They all pair well with an informed wine and beer list curated by Julian, who is a certified sommelier. The wine list includes international labels, along with Central Coast gems from the likes of Tyler, Presqu’ile, and Sans Liege wineries and Jalama Cañon Ranch and Vineyard. Three draft beers are available and more by the bottle are coming soon. “As we grow, everything will keep evolving,” says Julian. And yes, you just might want to stay all day. �

By Nancy Roberts

Photographs by Gary Moss