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Santa Barbara History

(continued) from the courthouse, too. A koi pond with a waterspouting lion fountain is also host to songbird-filled ficus trees.

Restaurant options include three super-popular breakfast spots. Jeanine’s American Bakery and Restaurant (I’m a fan of their Wednesday special: poached eggs over quinoa with kale and asparagus) hugs Figueroa Street and one of three entrances to the open-air arcade.

Longtime Danish bakery and restaurant Andersen’s, known for sweet pastries and State Street views, has been delighting patrons, many now third generation, during its 30 years here, where Mrs. Andersen is as sweet as her sugary treats. The sparking crystal chandeliers came from the home of John Jacob Raskob, builder and onetime owner of the Empire State Building in Manhattan.

La Arcada Bistro, also on State Street, provides views of the parade of passersby. All three restaurants also serve lunch; the latter two are open for dinner, as well.

A foodie lunch and dinner destination known for its fine cuisine and fair prices is the French bistro Petit Valentien, where you’ll also find cool jazz as the backdrop and a great wine list. They also serve Ethiopian cuisine on the weekends.

State & Fig, nestled between Viva, Jeanine’s and Petit Valentien, also bustles with hungry breakfast, lunch, and dinner patrons enjoying the fine cuisine inside or in La Arcada’s passageway.

Fine handmade chocolates and smooth Italian gelato can be found at Chocolates du Cali Bressan’s new space at the corner of State and Figueroa, the site of the original church. Isabella Gourmet Foods carries organic and gourmet foods to go. There’s wine tasting at Sanford Winery, and plenty of shopping venues.

Ralph and Diane Waterhouse’s Waterhouse Gallery is another longtime tenant, celebrating 30 years at this location.

The antique- and memorabilia-filled La Arcada Barber Shop has century-old barber chairs, an early barber pole and child’s chair. A delightful children’s shop, Peanuts Maternity and Kids, is packed with clothing, toys, and gifts. You can find fine tableware, china, and gifts at Coast2Coast, Lewis & Clark and Waxing Poetic, the newest boutique to open.

There’s also life above La Arcada’s street-level courtyard. Peek in to appreciate the beautiful turnof-the-century brass elevator doors and the marble bannister from yesteryear. (The men’s room is also clad in beautiful green marble.) An open-air gallery suspended from one part of the building to the other connects the offices.

La Arcada architect Myron Hunt passed away in 1950 in Port Hueneme, where he had designed a house for Senator Thomas Bard. If his ghost were to wander through, I like to imagine that Mr. Hunt would be kicking up his heels in delight to see that his “paseo” continues to delight those who appreciate and delight in the joys of the historic, charming, and thoroughly lively and modern La Arcada of today.

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