Perfection in a Bowl of Hay

My grandfather fed me my first spoon of oatmeal when I was two. It was smooth and swirled with honey and I’ve been told I threw a small tantrum when the bowl ran dry. Over the years I’ve probably inhaled over 10,000 pounds of the stuff, give or take a bowl. I’ve had them plain, with dates, thick, thin, rolled, dry, cut, nuked and instant. My roommate in college cooked his in beer. He was Irish. In my travels I’ve ordered them from five-star hotels, from roadside diners, even a chuck wagon at the bottom of the Grand Canyon…some good, some bad and some so rude that spackle would taste better. Though it all, I think I’ve found the best.

I consider myself an expert on this stuff, so it’s no small thing proclaiming the oats at Eladio’s a notch above all others. It’s a perfect blend of steel cut oats slowly cooked in cream. This recipe does not sit for hours in a large pot on the stove. It’s made from scratch every time and takes a full 20 minutes. It’s presented in an oversize oval bowl garnished with fresh berries, mint and a touch of brown sugar. It’s served piping hot, so let it cool first and then savor it with a poached egg on the side.

The ancient Romans used to refer to the oat as “horse feed” and the people who consumed them (mostly Germanic tribes from the north) as “those oat-eating barbarians.” Today, at some eateries, this claim still rings true. But at Eladio’s, these oats have been transformed into one elegant bowl of hay. —

Raymond Bloom

ELADIO’S is open for breakfast daily from 6:30 at 1 State Street in Santa Barbara. 805-963-4466.

Taco Greatness

The local secret that no one keeps secret – Lily’s Tacos, at the end of Chapala downtown – works hard to deserve its reputation of having one of the country’s best tacos under 2$. Serving over 1000 every day, Lily’s is a testament to the draw of authentic food and simplicity. According to owner Jose Sepulveda, Lily’s modest menu – consisting only of 1 item, its famous taco with one of six meats – affords a focus that sets it apart from other restaurants. Sepulveda claims to have set out to make just one thing, but to “Make it right.” “I don’t want a menu of 20 items if I can’t focus on every one,” he says with a shrug. At Lily’s, most tacos carry marinated pork (Adobada), beef (Asada), or steamed beef (Masiza). The brave, however, can try the lip (Labio), cheek (Cachete), tongue (Lengua), eye (Ojo) or Cabeza tacos – the last being a combination of all these more ‘exotic’ choices. Once they’re ready, it’s up to you to add onions, lime, cilantro and salsa to taste. Sepulveda moved to

California from La Piedad, Michoacan in Mexico and worked as a cook for eight years before deciding Santa Barbara was ready to be introduced to the recipes his family has been serving up for years. “I wanted to be true to our culture; authentic, ” says Sepulveda. “You can go any place in town and find the same flavors everywhere, so it’s hard to have a favorite. We wanted to be authentic so people would have something to recommend.” Now, he says, people are sent to Lily’s by their friends, their taxi drivers, and their hotel front desks. Santa Barbara is lining up for lunch every day, and what began as a single room, 4-table restaurant is becoming a landmark – even being featured in The New York Times in 2006. “I feel like we’re doing the right thing,” is all Sepulveda says, smiling. “We always try to do our best, be original and focus on quality. I hope we can keep going with that.” Lily’s is located at 310 Chapala St. Closed on Tuesdays. — Sam Rolens. Photos by Ashley Renee.