Bistro dining at its very best

Nestled in the historic La Arcada shopping center off Santa Barbara’s State Street is the traditional French restaurant, Petit Valentien. This bistro-style eatery features a lofty indoor dining room with high-backed wooden booths, marble topped tables, and a well-stocked wine bar, featuring a strong selection of California and French wines. The front patio is perfect place to sit back, sip a glass of Point & Line 2014 Sauvignon blanc and watch shoppers stroll down the brick alley.

Petit Valentien is a family run restaurant favored by locals and tourist alike for their easy-going setting, comfortable price points, and international flavors. Taking advantage of local ingredients, their limited menu features small plates, salads, and entreés that cycle with the seasons. Owner Robert Dixon, a New York transplant trained at the French Culinary Institute with over thirty years restaurant experience, opened this West Coast eatery in

2008 with his business partner and wife, Serkaddis Alemu and together they have created a dining experience of modern classic selections that are sure to please.

“We get a great word of mouth response from our regular customers,” says General Manager and sous-chef Nate Van Etten. “We shop for the best in-season ingredients every day and make it happen from there.” Van Etten has been personally trained by Dixon since 2008 when the restaurant opened and says it’s been the best on the job experience he’s ever had. One of Van Etten’s lunch favorites is the Kale Caesar Salad with shaved almonds, served warm with either Scottish Salmon or boneless chicken thigh. If you’re not going back to work, pair with house favorite Jaffurs Viognier.

For dinner, begin your salad course with bright spinach leaves, crisp sweet apples and toasted walnuts tossed with in a butter- milk dill dressing or try the haricots verts salad with tomatoes, shallots and tangy sherry Dijon vinaigrette. Follow up with a choice of small plates, all of which are surprisingly light. The crostini of seasonal mushrooms is an earthy delight, and the smokey Norwegian salmon with endive and citrus vinaigrette blends distinct flavors. And for a larger appetite, the entrée of Pan Seared Duck breast with blood plum sauce is the perfect balance of texture and flavor with crispy skin, succulent meat, quinoa tabouli, a sweet drizzling of plum sauce, topped with fresh plum slices and basil leaves.

A surprising find at this French inspired restaurant is their special second Ethiopian menu available only on weekends. Showcasing Alemu’s heritage, the authentic Ethiopian dishes are a full-flavored bold comparison to Dixon’s French cuisine. Taught by her mother, who learned from her own mother and so on as long as anyone can remember, Alemu’s recipes are centuries old and carry with them the flavor of another world.

Served family style, these Ethiopian dishes easily compliment one another. The Ayib Begomen, a homemade cottage cheese and collard green, pairs nicely with Dinich Wa’t, a gold potato dish with spicy pepper sauce and the Ye’Misir Sambossa, seasoned lentils wrapped in crisp pastry dough, is a delicious flavorful crunch. Predominantly vegetarian, the cuisine does offer a few select meat options, such as, Ye’siga T’ibs, sautéd beef with onions, jalapeño and rosemary and Ye’beg Alicha, free range lamb with turmeric sauce and a side of Ingera, a spongy bread served as the “utensil”, accompanies all plates. —

Jacquelyn De Longe

Located downtown at 1114 State St. in La Arcada Mall. Dinner reservations are suggested. 805-966-0222.

billiards, bites, and beer

The gentleman plants his left hand on the smooth green felt, creating a bridge for his wooden cue. The blue, chalky tip of the cue meets the white ball, and with a click clack sound, the other colorful balls disperse. The game is on!

The scene reminds me of a famous line from the 1961 film, “The Hustler,” when Fast Eddie tells Minnesota Fats, “I’m the best you ever seen, Fats. I’m the best there is.”

In the spacious back room of Dargan’s, I observe the intricate swirls of handcrafted wood on the corners of the four pool tables. I look toward the ceiling to see celebrated Irish author’s names like James Joyce 1882-1941 and George Bernard Shaw 1856-1950.

I have the opportunity to meet the founder and sole proprietor Paul Dargan who shares, “The whole pub is cozy, and the pool lounge is a cozy environment with its own bar and juke box. It makes for a fun and exciting night for everyone here.”

Something I learn that’s appealing is the relatively low cost to go out and play a game of pool. It’s $10 per hour, but if you catch a game during happy hour, it’s half price. Dargan has kept the same pricing for 14 years.

There are no billiard leagues at Dargan’s, too competitive…however there is a tournament for beginners, every three months. “The pool scene is less competitive and more social,” explains Paul. “Playing pool is thirsty work. People like to enjoy a cold pint during the game.” He suggested Guinness, Smithwicks or local crafts like 805.

Other than having a great time, there are a couple of rules Paul would like patrons to observe “The floors tell the tale of balls that have cracked the tile, so try to keep your balls on the table. Also, don’t tear the felt.” Every six months the high quality felt is replaced to keep the pool tables pristine.

After billiards, Dargan’s satisfies a growling stomach. The hearty steak and Guinness pie is filled with tender steak pieces, carrots, peas, celery, onions, potatoes, and petite mushrooms all coated in a Guinness sauce, and baked in the oven with a flaky top crust. It is a cozy dish for a cooler evening. Exclusive to Dargan’s is their Irish breakfast, including mushrooms, beans, eggs, homemade soda bread, potato, imported Irish bacon, and tomatoes because hey, sometimes it’s just downright fun to have breakfast for dinner. Feeling lucky? Top off the evening with a slice of the decadent mud pie, and even a wee bit of Irish whiskey.—By Julie Bifano. Photos by Joshua Curry.

Dargan’s is open daily from 11am to 2am. 18 East Ortega 805-568-0702

Louie’s is a hidden gem

offering creative and up-to-date Californian cuisine with spot-on service. Its bistro-like space is located inside the 130-year-old Hotel Upham, and reflects the charm and tradition of its Victorian location, with a jazzy, comfortable feel all its own. The romantic atmosphere can be experienced dining cozily inside or outside on an old-fashioned heated verandah. Choice selections from the well-stocked wine bar are served with extraordinary fresh seafood, pastas, filet mignon and a changing menu of specialties.

Food 26

Decor 21

Service 25

Cost $47