barbare単o a Santa Barbara bistro
barbareño. Barbareño will embody the Santa Barbara community through its food, service, atmosphere, design, and energy. This small restaurant will open first for lunch, turning out the town’s best burgers and craft sandwiches. For dinner, the humble setting will transform into a dynamic neighborhood bistro serving innovative, approachable, and above all delicious food, along with some of the region’s best wines and beers. Youthful, fun, comfortable, and charming, this restaurant will embrace all that makes it unique to Santa Barbara. From our local ingredients, to the area’s culinary traditions, to regional specialties, to the terroir of the land, Barbareño will be a restaurant that could never exist anywhere else.
“The whole notion of ‘be local’...the idea of that is easy. The difficult part is to make it taste like the culture of place.” —Rene Redzepi, Chef, Noma
“Nature is so infinitely diverse that it is almost impossible to find exactly the same cultivation conditions in any two places on earth. The terroir is the ‘soul’ of a location and is largely unaffected by time.” —Claus Meyer, father of New Nordic Cuisine
craft “My final words go to the young people among us. You are the future of the earth. Save the memory of farmers, save the memory of your elders. There can be no future without memory. Make your memory of the elders and farmers of your villages a cornerstone of the new frontier; allow the traditional wisdom of your elders to converse with modern science, and you will be the makers of your own future.” —Carlo Petrini, Slow Food
Winemakers, artists, cattle ranchers, tortilleras, woodworkers, and surfboard shapers: all around us are inspiring artisans and craftspeople who passionately apply themselves to their work each day. Their one-of-a-kind products will bring our space and our food to life. Showcased and fully appreciated in the restaurant, these works will serve to further distinguish Barbareño as a completely singular place unique to Santa Barbara.
lunch A truly casual affair, lunch service will be built around a small number of core menu items that have been prepared uncommonly well with great pride. A red oak-grilled tri-tip sandwich simply topped with barbeque pico de gallo on a buttered roll, an 8-hour smokey porchetta sandwich with crispy pork cracklings and a sweet red wine marmalade, a fried chicken sandwich with housemade ranch dressing and pickled rainbow carrots, a 6-ounce hand-ground burger cooked to a perfect medium-rare over the fire, a vegetarian pinquito bean burger that even the most steadfast carnivores will find themselves craving. All made with local ingredients. Completely from scratch. Presented without frills.
dinner Each night Barbareño will transform from a humble sandwich and burger counter into a lively California bistro serving some of Santa Barbara’s freshest and most delicious food. The menu will change often and consist of whimsical takes on regional Central Coast specialties, inspired creations that utilize unappreciated products in new ways, and simple preparations that show off the quality of our raw ingredients. Guests will be encouraged to begin their meal by ordering any number of shared plates for the table, followed by a main course of their own. A rotating selection of craft beer and local wine will be offered on tap, enabling our guests to try some of the region’s best at an accessible price point.
soul Taking inspiration from the classic California burger stand, Barbare単o will offer a casual vibe that is rustic yet refined. The outdoor covered dining area will feature handmade fixtures and vintage products that have a story to tell. A custom wood burning Santa Maria grill will serve as the centerpiece of the space, lending a theatrical element to lunch and dinner service. Inside, an open kitchen will give guests the chance to converse with our chefs and to see them at work. A dining counter, a small wine bar, and waiting area will give the interior an intimate feel that encourages diners to relax and take pleasure in the here and now.
“You don’t have to design your way to an idea if the idea is already there; design is the means by which that idea is manifest in the physical, psychological, and emotional world.” —AvroKo Design
personal
“In any restaurant of this caliber, the chefs are in the same position: building relationships.” --Thomas Keller, Chef The French Laundry & Per Se
It is an old axiom, but it certainly holds true—it’s the people that shape the business. At Barbareño, this sentiment will be especially valued. Our small size will facilitate the establishment of a multitude of close ties. From our family stakeholders, to our close-knit staff, to our small-scale purveyors, to the personal connection we form with our guests, strong relationships will permeate through every level of the organization. Our close connections will foster a sense of care in procuring, preparing, and serving our food that will shine through during every guest’s visit. The Barbareño experience will be a true expression of all of us.