LATIN SIZZLE The flavors from a Santa Barbara summer

Our town and Latin cooking? Like Freda & Diego, chips & salsa, arroz y frijoles, past, present and future – Santa Barbara and Mexican, Spanish and Californio-rooted dishes go hand-in-hand. It began with acorn mash in matate y manos, but every culture found unique ways to prepare fish – from ceviche to fried fish tacos. Then the food gods created the Chile relleno. Old timers will remember the perfect ones at the long shuttered “Pete’s Place” (Casa de Sevilla) on Chapala Street to delicious versions I recall from my childhood, thick in an egg casing still served at places like Delgado’s in Carpinteria. There are modern twists on well-worn classics like the Avocado Gazpacho at barbare˜no. and Dos Equis fish and chips at the newly reimagined Viva! New and unexpected discoveries from ancient ingredients include an amazing peanut salsa (new) in the Funk Zone to a perfectly delectable vanilla flan at an upscale steak and seafood house in Carp.

Let the explorations begin! No matter where chefs and restaurant owners hail— from Guadalajara, Ventura, Santa Barbara and even Ireland –most admit to loving guacamole paired with a chilled cerveza, shot of añejo tequila or an icy margarita.

There’s no escaping the past, present and future Latin flair in, once upon a time Alta California cuisine.

The sign of a great Mexican restaurant are the chips (hot, crisp and with dash of salt) that begin a South of the Border meal.

Bring on the guacamole…not to mention those fabulous margaritas, mojitos and more! The following is some of SB’s tastier choices for Latin cuisine and cocktail.

Los AgAves

Molcajetes are the Mexican version of the mortar and pestle used for grinding food – from corn to spices to guacamole but at Los Agaves they serve steaming dishes in these basalt rock bowels filled with choice of chicken, shrimp, arrachera (skirt steak) or sea and earth (the whole kit and caboodle and fish as well) mixed with grilled nopal, chorizo, Monterrey jack cheese, grilled cambray onion and avocado in a spicy tomato sauce. Homemade tortillas – blue and yellow corn – accompany, but we recommend ordering a side of rice. One molcajate (prices range from $14.75 -$17.75) is big enough for two and leftovers – which make a great accompaniment to scrambled eggs at home the next morning!

Los Agaves, four locations, original Milpas Street and. De La Vina Street in Santa Barbara; Goleta (Camino Real Marketplace) and Westlake Village. www.los-agaves.com mony’s

Jose Diaz, who named the popular taco/burrito/hole in the wall with sidewalk tables in the Funk Zone for his wife, Mony, is the perfect stop when you have a hankering for muy bueno chicken mole tacos. Jose’s day begins at 4 a.m. with mole preparation (chocolate, peanut, Maria’s cookies and chili are his no-longer secret ingredients) – and then it’s clearing tables and greeting guests for the hard working family. It’s a taste duel between between son/partner Carlos’s amazing peanut salsa and mama Mony’s pistachio version. Then there are those Peruvian beans. The rest, my friends, you will have to discover for yourself, including Mr. Californio’s favorite lunch item (they close at 4:30 pm): the burrito big enough to take half home for dinner. 217 Anacapa St, Santa Barbara, Phone:(805) 895-2978

The unexpected: if you are lucky, the “simply great” orange or vanilla flan appears at Sly’s on special occasions on the prix fix menu. Photo by leslie a. Westbrook

LA suPer-rICA tAquerIA

What’s there to say that hasn’t already been said or written about our most famous casual Mexican taco stand? Well, turns out there’s lots. You might do a double take and think you are experiencing a younger version of owner Isadoro Gonzalez when his equally sweet brother Martin (19 years younger) is at the window. With more kitchen space, new menu items are in the works (including ten different types of tamales), five varieties of chile rellenos and Isadoro is bringing back dishes like crispy chicken tacos, crispy beef taquitos and sopa de fideo (angel hair pasta dish). Sopes on Thursdays are very popular and vegetarians can nosh on zucchini and corn tacos (calabacita y elote). Aqua frescas /fruit drinks for summer include watermelon, cantaloupe, tamarindo and coconut.

Oh yeah, Julia Child ate there. And Jackson Browne. And La Super Rica even makes a brief cameo in Katy Perry’s lyrics (“Santa Barbara chic, Super-rica, Grab a taco, check out the hotties”).

bAA-bAA, whIte sheeP

“We never wanted to do the fine dining thing, we wanted to do something more approachable. Our family was longing to offer Global Latin cuisine for a long time,” notes Robert Perez, of the new cooking direction in the former Seagrass digs. Wish granted. The menu at the Oveja Blanca (which translates to “white sheep” - OB is the sister restaurant to The Black Sheep next door) reflects recipes with a twist from Spain, Cuba and Mexico. Farm starters include Roasted cauliflower “nachos” with crispy kale and pickled Fresno chili or Nixtamlaed (usually a grain prep process) chilacayote squash (which looks like a watermelon) with salsa rojo, lemon ash and micro basil. There’s also a super tasty Octopus Carpaccio and a Cuban plate, heavy on the pork, beef, plantains, and fried yucca root. But our favorite tapa is the Bocal Huasteco ($5) – a maza “crotin” filled with Drake aged mozzarella topped with pico de gallo, avocado, Mexican onions and micro cilantro.

The proprietor’s wine library is being depleted as new varietals from Spanish and South American grapes (Rioja and Malbec) from Santa Barbara vintners are being introduced. Add some live flamenco music on the weekends and we guarantee you’ll think you are in Spain!

Oveja Blanca Restaurante (formerly Seagrass) 30 E Ortega St, 805-963-1012, Dinner only vIvA modern mexICAn

“It’s all about locals,” says owner, Brendan Searls who is bringing draft beer Pure Order (local brewing company), draft coffee from Caribbean Coffee (and this longtime restaurateur knows his drafts as one of the founders of Dargan’s pubs and other watering holes) as well as new menu items to the rebranded and reimagined La Arcada restaurant and bar. Happy hour gets happier with the melt-in-your-mouth Chipotle glazed baby back pork ribs with pineapple coleslaw. Ceviche in a tangy citrus marinade comes with plantains, and pan sear sea bass in a saffron sauce fills, but it’s the Dos Equis beer batter fried fish and hand cut fries with a chipotle tartar sauce that really stands out. We love the wine list but it’s no surprise that the whisky list is noteworthy thanks to Searls.

As if the 6,5000 square feet interior (and 4,000 outdoor patio space with the turtle pond fountain) wasn’t big enough for his imagination, the died in the wool restaurateur/businessman (25 in all including Dargen’s, Bogart’s, Beach Grill Padaro, Video Schmideo, Pizza Mizza and more) has taken over the stunning 1,800 square foot space next door for special events.

“With 2,600 marriage licenses issued every year at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse, it’s a natural place to celebrate!” Brendan concluded.

Viva Modern Mexican, La Arcada Plaza, 1114 State Street, Santa Barbara 805-965-4770 www.vivasb.com

LA PLAyA AzuL CAfe

Under a profusion of bougainvillea and jacaranda flowers, La Playa Azul Cafe is a light-filled eatery punctuated by candles and Talavera ceramics. You will be warmly welcomed by Delia and Ignacio Elias, owners of this Santa Barbara institution for forty years. Chef Ignacio hails from Zacatecas, but was inspired by trips to the Mexican coast to create his seafood “especialidades.”

One such dish is pescado en salsa verde, featuring juicy, tender halibut nestled in a savory, slightly sour tomatillo sauce enlivened by green olives and cilantro. Why not enjoy it on the patio with their delicious hibiscus flower margarita? This delicate drink is served in a martini glass with smooth Centario Reposado tequila, a hint of lime, and a sweet profusion of hibiscus. Salud!

914 Santa Barbara St., Santa Barbara, CA, 93101 (805) 966-2860

oPAL restAurAnt And bAr

The niche opal has carved out for its cuisine is fusion, or the blending of flavors, both ethnic and geographic. Their latin version of a paella is actually a blending of Spanish, Mexican and Pacific Rim and includes Fresh Steamed Mussels, Manila Clams, Bay Scallops,Tiger Prawns, Chicken and Chorizo Sausage on Saffron Rice with Tomatoes, Cilantro and Anaheim Chiles, in a Roasted Garlic and Herb Broth. Delicious! And the fusion continues at the bar, too. Fresh crafted Margaritas, mojitos and more.

1325 State St. 805-966-9676 www. opalrestaurantandbar.com

PALomA

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. Paloma has a great happy hour featuring their tequila bar.

5764 Calle Real, Goleta Phone: (805) 681-0766 rose CAfé

The Rose Café is an old-fashioned family affair of over seventy years that holds the distinction of being half diner, half Mexican food restaurant. With breakfast served all day, you can sit at the counter with a mug of coffee and enjoy the chilaquiles or huevos rancheros con carne. But at dinner, don’t pass up their cheese enchiladas. It’s your pick of a smoky tomatillo sauce or a chile red sauce smothering soft tortillas, mild melted cheese, and fragrant onions. This is exactly your childhood memory of enchiladas, complete with creamy, pork-flavored beans and a dollop of sour cream. Or as they say at the Rose Café, “Mexican food like grandma makes it.”

424 E. Haley St. Santa Barbara, Ca 93101, 805-966-3773

eL PAseo

Built to resemble a Spanish courtyard, El Paseo graces the National Register of Historic Places for its beautiful Spanish Colonial architecture. You might be seduced by their famous filet mignon enchiladas, but save room for the big event, their Huachinango al Mojo de Ajo, a whole-fried fish! Executive Chef Alex Castillo was inspired by Baja-style cooking to create this show-stopping red snapper that is dusted with a secret spice mix, deep-fried, and then drenched in garlic butter and lemon. “Even if you don’t like fish, you’ll like this fish,” Chef Alex promises. To compliment it, try their special sangria or the drink customers “go crazy” for, the cucumber margarita!

813 Anacapa St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101 (805) 962-6050

CuernAvACA tAquerICA

You can order guacamole and chips at this bustling downtown establishment, but that’s not typical in Central Mexico where tacos al pastor and alambres (skillet grilled meat, onions, bell peppers) among other tasty items.

Owner Joaquin Solorzano’s native city of Cuernavaca’s comida is similar to Mexico City cuisine. The most popular menu item is the Torta Cubano a meaty hombre sized man sandwich if ever there was one, however a friend’s request for the tasty Gordita (the ricotta cheese filled