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The amazing flavors of Paloma

Two years ago, Rudy Alvaro, Jr. won the lottery. There was no ticket to buy, but it is just as hard to win – a California liquor license for full bar service.

This was a jackpot for Alvaro, owner of the six Rudy’s, the popular local take-outs first opened by his father in 1976. “I wanted to open a sit-down restaurant for many years,” he says, “but the liquor license was always an issue.”

With that winning license in hand, the way was clear for him to transform his Goleta Rudy’s into Paloma Restaurant and Tequila Bar. Which he did, literally, overnight.

“We closed as Rudy’s on a Sunday night, and reopened as Paloma on Monday,” he recalls with a laugh. “It was like one of those shows where they do a home makeover in hours.” enchiladas Paloma are also unforgettable: shrimp and cheese enchiladas topped with a velvety cream chipotle sauce that delivers a burst of smoky flavor. The accompanying green salad boasts mango strips, dried cranberries, and mandarin oranges.

The result is upscale, yet comfortable, with burnt orange and brick-colored walls, oiled wood dividers, and Mexican leather chairs.

A dramatically lit bar spans the room’s length, and glittering star-shaped lamps hang from the ceiling. An outdoor patio is flanked by heaters with towering flames.

Paloma’s food is fresh and flavorful, with a dash of the unexpected. Alvaro credits chef Ricardo Garcia, who trained at the four-year escuela Culinaria Internacional in Jalisco, and most recently was head chef at Los Agaves.

Their signature dish, Chile en Nogada, features a pasilla pepper stuffed with a delectable “picadillo” of ground beef, tomatoes, lime and spices, mixed with walnuts, pears, and other fruit. It arrives looking like a mexican flag, with stripes of green parsley and red pomegranate seeds on either side of a creamy walnut sauce.

Specials change daily, but the menu remains the same at lunch, just with smaller portions for the noontime crowd. Weekday happy hour offers bargain drinks and appetizers from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. except on Taco Tuesdays which has its own special deals.

The namesake Paloma cocktail is pink and refreshing, with blood orange juice, Carraljo Reposado, and grapefruit-flavored San Pellegrino water. The house margarita comes “virgin,” with a small bottle of don Julio Blanco to be added to fit personal taste. Tequila flights feature three samples of selected blancos, reposados, or anejos, and there are dozens more behind the bar. It is a winning selection.

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Open for lunch and dinner, Paloma is located at 5764 Calle Real, Goleta www.palomagoleta.com, 681-0766.