Best Of, Santa Barbara Independent, 2014 by SB Independent

santa barbara®

2o13

l l o P ’ s r e d R ea

E E R H T of

T S E B by

o n adin l lma l l a e P w D.J. aul by p

os phot

nsion — a ther dime s, but of mindo n a r te n e e e about to of print and pictur a wondrous ou ar to ly n in o y t e o n ur nn ddimensio eptionalism … a jo ndent rea e p e d In c x ra e a g b fr r in a d B ge om blow any Santa ategories that ran m e r e h w c . In the of land ievements tion, d a series h te c a la l u a r m r u lt ers fo d supersti f their cu summit o etween science an us issue whose e th to s h b rio ac w, nd shado eir ating a glo their stom the pit of nd between light a ese categories, cre ok time to mark th the u th to o f a r o , o g en re wh ach middle vote for e usands of readers nd phones. Here, th these t to d e id c they de y the tho e magical slates a rous of all s are set b n ost wond ightenboundarie or click their onli discovering the m d the somewhat fr in the to ots an ll doing paper ball se tallied forays in mmercial, artistic, oll’s eyeba d, is your d t a o o c th th f f s a o o results realms up ahea ! What w worlds, in t signpost ics. (Wow unknown onsumer electron roval, just past tha pp fc ing land o ted then for your a one. n Z e s f e r O t P es sky?) D Indy B  e t th : p to next s

e e r

es s aside l g ns i 32

THE INDEPENDENT

october 17, 2013

LOOKING GOOD

santa barbara®

r e n n i W SHOE REPAIR

Jesse’s Shoes & Repair 5915 Calle Real, 964-3414 “You bet I’m happy we won,” said Jesse Holder Jr. (pictured), who has been elegantly retreading footwear for 42 years in the Goleta territories. “I’m happy we won every year since you started this thing. I think people like us because we do good work at a good price,” he said. Holder said that the strangest thing he ever had to repair was a woman’s favorite bra (he did it, and she was happy) and that most people don’t know that his business hinges on precision orthopedic work — prescription footwear. “Some people come to me for their orthopedic shoes and then move away. A lot of them come back to me to get work done even if they live somewhere else,” he said. FINALIST

Step-N-Out

NAIL SALON

Aqua Nail Bar 3455 State St., 687-8483 “I’m really super happy we won,” said Aqua owner Claudia Cordova. “Partly because we have so much added competition — there are at least three other new places that seem to have the same business model as us. But I think people like us because we’ve established relationships in the last eight years. We’re different than a lot of salons; we’re professional and organized. Somebody greets you when you walk in. I think if you’ve never been in here before, that’s what would surprise you. This place

is like a cross between a salon and a spa, and all of the changes we’ve made have been because of customer feedback.” FINALIST

Angels Nail & Spa

DAY SPA

FLOAT Luxury Spa

has been good, and this is a word-of-mouth town. But most of all, I think people are surprised when they come in and see how big we are. From the street, it looks like there’s only one room, but [people] don’t know about the salons, the lounge, and even an outdoor patio. We’re thrilled that they voted for us again this year,” she said. FINALIST

Bacara Resort & Spa

18 E. Canon Perdido St., 845-7777 “I think we’ve won this category because we have the best massage therapists and the best aestheticians in town,” said owner Natalie Rowe. “I think over the years, the word of mouth

october 17, 2013

THE INDEPENDENt

THANK YOU Serving Size: Servings Per ½ Page: Frequency of Use:

½ Page Unlimited Daily

INGREDIENTS: OUR GENUINE APPRECIATION AND RECOGNITION OF OUR CUSTOMERS, THEIR BUSINESS, LOYALTY, REFERRALS AND FOR VOTING US AS THEIR CHOICE FOR BEST AUTO REPAIR SHOP ~ 2013

santa barbara®

Finalist

20548

WWW.TOPSHOPAUTOSB.COM WWW.TOPSHOPAUTOSB.COM Thank you for setting your sights on us, Santa Barbara!

santa barbara®

Winner 34

THE INDEPENDENT

BEST eyewear selection TWO LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU:

october 17, 2013

BEST sunglasses selection

MONTECITO 1046 Coast Village Road 565•3415 DOWNTOWN 7 West Canon Perdido 963•5760

LOOKING GOOD

santa barbara®

r e n n i W

MEDICAL SPA

Evolutions Medical & Day Spa 350 Chapala St., 687-0212 Whether it’s a back rub or a fractional CO2 resurfacing, Brian Perkins is grateful that his medical spa was reader-considered to be the best. He is the son of Dr. Terry Perkins, who began the business initially concentrated on the kind of medical rejuvenations and therapies that doctoring had to supply from sandings to serious cosmetic surgery. In the meantime, however, Perkins’s popular spa decided to move next door to Avia, also a frequent Best Of winner for more traditional rejuvenation practices, but they sadly went out of business. “Most people don’t know that we now have the day spa where Avia used to be,” said Perkins. Evolutions still offers medical treatments but now has massage tables, Vichy showers, locker rooms, and most of the other amenities of a real spa. It’s a healing place now and a nice escape, like Switzerland on Chapala Street. FINALIST

The G Spa

VINTAGE STORE

Cominichi’s 410 E. Haley St., 962-1413 “I would say that people like us because we have a fun store,” said Cominichi’s assistant manager Valentina. “We have old stuff; we have new stuff; we have wacky stuff. The thing that always surprises people is how big the store is. From the outside, it looks like a small store. Then it’s really exciting for them because they anticipated a lot less.” FINALIST

Punch Intérieurs

CONSIGNMENT STORE

Jessica Consignment 2008 De la Vina St., 687-2755 “I know what our secret is,” said Jessica Cashman, owner of Jessica’s. “Longevity. Come this January, we’ll be open for 25 years. That and the good sources we have and a good system to rotate the clothes, with a backroom for marked-down items. We sell high-end clothes, nice-quality clothes, and Santa Barbara is the kind of place where you can mix your wardrobe. A nice outﬁt with a $1,200 bag that you paid $500 for. But I think people also like us because it’s nice here — easy with a fun atmosphere.”

WOMEN’S CLOTHING MEN’S CLOTHING SHOES

FINALIST

Nordstrom

The Closet

17 W. Canon Perdido St., 5564-8770

DRY CLEANER

Ablitt’s 14 W. Gutierrez St., 963-6677

TAILOR

Being taken to the cleaners is not usually a pleasant experience. But our readers seem to enjoy Ablitt’s year after year. Maybe because it’s a family business in its third generation — wasn’t always Ablitt’s or always here — or maybe it’s the fact that you don’t have to take anything to the cleaners; their trucks come to you, if you prefer, for free. An S.B. favorite for decades, it’s one of those chores that a small town makes easy and almost pleasant through neighborly traditions.

Lee’s Tailoring

FINALIST

Martinizing Dry Cleaning

Tony the Tailor

4141 State St., 967-5728 Lee Thompson knows the secret. “Here we never stop trying,” said the owner of the 22-year-old business that routinely tops our charts. He’s tailored everything imaginable, even put a zipper into a pair of shoes once. “We keep doing things a little bit better; we try to make it always better. We’re very happy that they vote for us.”

It must be good. The anchor store of Paseo Nuevo has always coexisted with another famed major department, yet Nordstrom almost always wins these three categories. It’s maybe easy to ﬁgure the men’s fashions, which have always been sketchily represented in town — where else should you go for so many designer lines under one roof? Shoes are also an easy call. Nobody collects such a range of fashion and price in one place, and the store’s vaunted return policy makes shopping easy. What the store ought to be proud of is its annual landing of the women’s category in a town where couture and sportswear have always mattered — a town of elegance — and Nordstrom’s, a department store, keeps winning the prize that keeps it that way. PICTURED: Best Of author D.J. Palladino. FINALIST

Macy’s

october 17, 2013

THE INDEPENDENt

santa barbara®

Winner

Let Them ! e k a C t a E for voting us

Best Summer Camp

2013 Winner

“Best Wedding Cakes” Santa Barbara Independent

2012 Winner

“Best Wedding Cakes” Santa Barbara Independent

Tony Luna

yourcakebaker.com

(805) 962-5339 • Just oﬀ Cabrillo Blvd. at East Beach • sbzoo.org 36

THE INDEPENDENT

october 17, 2013

2018 Cliff Drive Santa Barbara, CA 805-845-5519

santa barbara®

Winner

LOOKING GOOD EYEWEAR SELECTION SUNGLASSES SELECTION

Occhiali Eyewear

revolutions — from unisex to boutique barbers — at the male bastion hangout. The man who prefers to be known as Richie the Barber said the whole isn’t difﬁcult to understand. “We’re very, very happy to win. We have just a few things: regular haircuts, trims, and shaves. It’s a pretty simple concept, and guys are pretty simple creatures,” said the Barber. FINALIST

FINALIST

Arturo’s Barbershop

Two locations Occhiali has numerous ﬁne recommending factors: great customer service, a comprehensive and tastefully fashionable array of frames and optical accoutrements, and friendly stores. But its chief asset is owner Irwin Eve, who would object to such adulations. Blessed with grace and taste, Eve also has an uncanny memory for customers who feel like friends, even though visits stretch between months and years. Eve insists his staff be noted for their passion about eyewear and making customer ﬁts, which is an easy call. He also prizes his long association with photographer Kim Reierson, who provided “many years of creative ad designs and awesome work.” But the best part of Occhiali is its dependable quality overall — and the readers have never missed a chance to vote on that. FINALISTS

Float Luxury Spa

HAIR SALON

THRIFT STORE

Walter Claudio Salon Spa

Alpha Thrift Store

11 W. Figueroa St., 963-7579 Perennial winners, Walter Claudio prides itself on pampering your gestalt, even if they’re only whittling away at your split ends. Actually, Claudio’s staff, whose talents are continually honed at conferences and other classes, are most encouraged to listen to their clients and then take the concept to a place where bad-hair days are hard to remember. FINALIST

Eyeglass Factory (EYEWEAR SELECTION) Sunglass Hut (SUNGLASSES SELECTION)

Darin Jon Studio

BARBER SHOP

PLACE TO GET A FACIAL

Richie’s Barber Shop

Skin Deep Salon

1187 Coast Village Rd., Montecito, 845-9701 This is the second year in a row that this new Montecito shaveand-a-haircut place has won the number one spot in a town where at least three dynasty shops have long held up despite the many

stay on the cutting edge of skin and hair care, while never forgetting it’s the personal touch that makes a visit to Skin Deep worth repeating — 33 years to be exact! They have a committed staff and faithful clientele — it’s like a great big Santa Barbara neighborhood ﬁlled with familiar faces. “Faces we are glad to see and even happier to offer the best facial possible. Thank you to Santa Barbara and The Independent. We can’t wait to show them off!”

3405 State St., 687-9497 “I won’t lie; it feels great to win again and again, year after year!” exclaimed owner Tina Hasche. At the Deep, they obviously strive to

Two Locations Alpha has become synonymous with Thrift Store here in Santa Barbara. It’s the go-to store for Halloween costumes (they save them for the season), as well as being a great place to treasure hunt the rest of the year. They rotate the stock, have colored-tag sales, and the $2 rack outside should never be missed. The staff is courteous and helpful, and with the addition of the third store on Milpas Street, they were able to widen aisles and make it all more organized and pleasant to shop. Books, toys, clothing, electronics, and shoes — there’s something for everyone; you just have to look. FINALIST

Goodwill

Thank you SB for choosing fit buddha !

Santa Barbara’s Hottest Workout! 2 ways to kick your buddhy

santa barbara®

The Megaformer The Ultimate Body Sculpting Fitness Machine

Winner

Burn 500-700 Calories in Only 40 minutes! First Month Unlimited Classes Only $149 also featuring

Mega Indoor Cycling

Best Pilates Studio Come find out why we are

First Class

$10

#1!

330 State Street

All Access - Both Unlimited Classes Only

$199

Sculpt + Strength + Cardio + Flexibility =

(Entrance on Gutierrez) 901-3440 • fitbuddha.com

october 17, 2013

THE INDEPENDENt

THE INDEPENDENT

october 17, 2013

DRINKING ta 速 sanara b r ba

r e n n Wi

WINE SHOP

The Winehound 3849 State St., 845-5247 Funny thing is, there used to be a lot more wine stores in this town back when it was becoming commonplace for people to understand the depths of pleasure available beyond Italian Swiss Colony and Lancers. In fact, most of those very good wine stores in town were a lot like The Winehound, run by avid enthusiasts who enjoyed drinking a lot more than collecting and who could tell you an awesome deal on wines you might never guess. We hope The Winehound, new to this uptown location, maintains its vintage status as a store that reminds you what fine experiences can come to those with grape expectations. PICTURED: owner Bob Wesley. FINALIST

Vino Divino

santa barbara速

Winner october 17, 2013

THE INDEPENDENt

Our Sincere Thanks To Our Loyal Customers

PURVEYORS OF FRESH SEAFOOD On the the Breakwater Breakwater Santa Barbara Barbara On •• Santa On the Breakwater Visit our Ventura location On the Harbor Docks• 1559 • Ventura Ventura SpinnakerHarbor Dr. #200 40

THE INDEPENDENT

october 17, 2013

DRINKING COFFEE HOUSE

The French Press Two locations The definition of a coffee house can be very fluid, if you think back to bohemian Santa Barbara in the days before Starbucks conquered every corner. The French Press, with its new two-locale identities, expresses both ends. The first on State Street is mostly indoors and has no-nonsense get-me-to-work service with a little space for poets and boulevardiers to park, while the new gigantor French Press in the industrial building that old-timers remember as the Day Old Bread outlet is airy, sundrenched, and has caffeine as a party drug. Either way, it’s coffee in its mighty incarnation, strong in flavor and quality — not cheap but worth it. FINALIST

Starbucks

TEA SELECTION

Vices & Spices

in here and taste the tea before they buy it.” Wildenborg recommends wandering among the less-common leaves like the organic golden monkey and the coconut pouching varieties. “But what’s nice is that this is a nice, quiet neighborhood,” he said, a tiny place where you can taste your way around the world. FINALIST:

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

HAPPY HOUR

Enterprise Fish Co. 225 State St., 962-3313 “We are excited, very,” laughed general manager Eliana Britton. “I think people like us because of the combo of food and drink specials,” she said, enumerating at length a school of bargains including raw oysters, steamed clams, and poke. The other big obvious benefits are the hours; Enterprise observes an enhanced number of them — 4-8 p.m. on weekdays and Sundays from 5 p.m. until the bar closes. “The best thing I think is the crowd. It’s a nice place, and people get together at tables. Friends share; it’s a community.” FINALIST

3558 State St., 687-7196 “We have great selections of all kinds of loose teas,” said Henry Wildenborg who co-owns the popular spot with Blue Booth. “But one of the things people really like is that they can come

Arch Rock Fish

BEER SELECTION ON TAP

Z’s Tap House & Grill (Zodo’s Bowling & Beyond)

of a Rhône complexion. Open weekdays 11 a.m.5 p.m., the winery charges less than the cost of a bar drink for tastings and welcomes groups of eight or fewer to drop in (larger groups should schedule private tastings.) Oh, and another thing: The wine is award-winning and full of what they call “an uncommon intensity of flavor and aroma.” FINALIST

5925 Calle Real, 967-0128 Here’s another place with a great, long happyhour tradition, but the category this place takes is for the sheer number of beers that pump out fresh from kegs. It tops the nearest contender four to one, according to general manager Tony Blankenship. “But the other thing people don’t know about us, or don’t guess, is how great the kitchen is; we have food to complement all these beers — much better than you might imagine in a bowling alley,” he said. FINALIST

The Brewhouse

VALLEY TASTING ROOM

Sunstone Winery 125 N. Refugio Rd., Santa Ynez, 688-9463 There is much to recommend Sunstone Winery, from its commitment to organic growing to the loveliness of its surroundings, a villa of the Tuscan variety, which somehow goes perfectly with wines

Kalyra Winery

URBAN TASTING ROOM

Municipal Winemakers 22 Anacapa St., 931-6864 Every year we think this is the year in which the Funk Zone will emerge as a vital link to the city’s future life. If it does happen, it seems likely now it will start on Anacapa Street, where a number of hot eateries, wine bars, and this fun place have suddenly taken off. (Suddenly after a decade, that is.) Municipal is finally getting reader recognition. “It’s kind of a fun place,” said tasting-room manager Jen Santarosa. “It’s relaxed, indooroutdoor, dog friendly, and we have very nice wines in French style, very drinkable, reasonably priced, and sourced in Santa Barbara for Santa Barbara people.” FINALIST

Corks n’ Crowns

thank you

SANTA BARBARA

VOTED “STIFFEST DRINK IN TOWN”

ARTWORK: AARTHURFISHER.COM

HOMEMADE CAKES AND PIES BREAKFAST, LUNCH AND DINNER... 7 DAYS A WEEK Bar until 1:30am

536 State Street (corner of Cota) Santa Barbara

Reservations 966-4638 october 17, 2013

THE INDEPENDENt

a nt sa ara rb ba

THE INDEPENDENT

ocTobEr 17, 2013

DRINKING san ta bar bar ® a

nerr innne Win

S.B. COUNTY BREWERY

Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. Two locations “Primarily, it’s the beer,” said Figueroa general manager David Esdaile. “If it wasn’t the beer, then we would be in the wrong category. We have eight beers, from a pilsner to a stout, though we do make seasonal beers. I ﬁnd that our beers are very drinkable,” said Esdaile. “I grew up in England, where you just went down to the pub and had a beer. It wasn’t really all about whatever quality the beer had,” he said. The brew wasn’t criticized for its hoppiness or fruit ﬂavors. “It was what you drank with your mates.” PICTURED: assistant general manager Kami. FINALIST

Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

S.B. WINE TOUR COMPANY

S.B. COUNTY WINERY WHITE WINE

Santa Barbara Adventure Company

The Brander Vineyard

720 Bond Ave., 884-9283

Without question, said Brander’s Jeff Butler, the white wine that the readers mean is their sauvignon blanc. “Unequivocally,” confirmed Butler, who likes to think his official title at the vineyards is marketing guy and beekeeper. “It’s our 36th vintage, and in 1975, Fred Brander first planted the grapes.” In 1977, he said, Brander won an award for the wine at the L.A. County Fair, thereby officially putting Santa Ynez wines on the map. If history isn’t enough, there is the wine itself. “It’s great and a benchmark of value. Twothirds of our total wine sales are the sauvignon blanc.”

“Oh yes, we are very happy to win,” said Adventure Co. guide Rachel Harvey. “We think we do offer the best wine tours with very knowledgeable and very fun tour guides,” she said. The best part of the tour is the company’s ﬂexible attitude. With all their knowledge and contacts, they are quite willing to customize the experience to the groups who go out in 14-passenger vans. “We listen to our guest’s feedback, and it changes the way we give tours.” FINALIST:

Sustainable Vine Wine Tours

2401 N. Refugio Rd., Los Olivos, 688-2455

S.B. COUNTY WINERY RED WINE

Jaffurs Wine Cellars 819 E. Montecito St., 962-7003 “We’re pretty stoked about winning,” said owner Craig Jaffurs. “It’d have to be our Santa Barbara Syrah,” he continued. “It’s powerful, full of fruit, and everybody loves it. It’s got good tannins; it’s a good mouthful of wine. It’s our 20th harvest, and we are grateful the readers voted for us. Yahoo!” FINALIST

Sunstone Winery

RESTAURANT WINE LIST

Wine Cask 813 Anacapa St., 966-9463 It runs 16 pages, and there are glasses of wine to be had and a jeroboam of Château Margaux 1995 for $1995. Surprisingly, there are no Château D’Yquems, but there is Cristal. A bottle of Beaulieu Vineyard 1968 “Burgundy,” a wine that we would’ve fetched at the grocery store in the mid-1970s if we were desperate, is now $195. If we had a lot of money to spend celebrating, though, we would order dinner and put ourselves in the hands of the sommelier here because, where else in this town has such a collection that has been accumulated over time by so many people who have intelligence credentials and

FINALIST

Santa Barbara Winery october 17, 2013

THE INDEPENDENt

THANK YOU SANTA BARBARA for voting us Best Happy Hour 4 years in a row and Finalist for Best Seafood and Clam Chowder.

Join us in celebrating with Happy Hour all day Thursday Oct 17th through Sunday October 20th* Regular Happy Hour: Mon-Fri 4-8pm, Sun 5-close* *in the bar only.

santa barbara速

Winner 44

THE INDEPENDENT

october 17, 2013

Since 1977

ENTERPRISE

FISH CO.

225 State Street

962-3313

www.enterprisefishco.com

santa barbara速

Finalist

DRINKING taste? And we’ll have the burgundy for old wines’ sake. FINALIST

bouchon

MARTINI

except to note that high-quality agave tequilas are employed in the mix. It could also be the casual elegance of the place, muy rapido service, and a guitar plunking outside that help complete the illusion that the real world can wait while we convene with our city’s best traditions. FINALIST

The Neighborhood Bar & Grill

La Playa Azul Café

235 W. Montecito St., 963-7600

Harry’s Plaza Café 3313 State St., 687-2800 What needs to be said about Harry’s martini? In a place where all the drinks are strong, can one then presume that the martini — the one in which ice is brieﬂy introduced to gin, swirled with a sip of dry vermouth, and poured into a glass that best shows off its clarity, its utter pungency — is obviously strongest? The readers did not gin up any facts in their stirring pronunciation: Harry’s drinks are made strong, so you don’t have to be. FINALIST

Lucky’s

MARGARITA

Carlito’s Café y Cantina

NEIGHBORHOOD BAR

STIFFEST DRINKS

“When you think about it, there really aren’t a lot of big neighborhood bars,” said David Burkholder, who is currently beefing up his own through expansion and new construction. “They usually

are very small with a small clique of people who h go to them. Where we are and what we do makes everybody feel like this is their neighborhood bar. And some of the reasoning behind this was actually on purpose. I’ve stayed away from things like a sports bar and music. From the start, we were going to be unlike any other place. This award helps us feel like we’re doing the right thing.” FINALIST

The Brewhouse

Joe’s Café 536 State St., 966-4638 Since 1928, there has been a Joe’s restaurant, and since 1935, they served booze. Back then it was Acme Beer, which, apparently, had nothing to do with the Road Runner’s demise. Ever since the late 1950s, Joe’s drinks have been justly celebrated for high alcohol content. This means you spend less of your evening’s budget on spirits, theoretically. Don’t believe this? Suit yourself, though we advise the constant testing of theories, responsible drinking, and above all else the return of Acme Beer. FINALIST

Harry’s Plaza Café

1324 State St., 962-7117 A Fiesta tradition since the late 1970s, this is also a place where people go to fuel up before a long stint at the Arlington or Granada, bracing themselves for high culture with tequila. Past attempts to elicit the margarita recipe have been met with disdainful silence from management,

october 17, 2013

THE INDEPENDENt

THE INDEPENDENT

october 17, 2013

EATING santa barbara®

r e n n i W

STEAK HOUSE

Holdren’s Steaks & Seafood Two locations For oldsters, one of the subliminal joys of eating at Holdren’s downtown is its location, the storefront for the original Joe’s; thankfully, the family has had the decency to preserve the atmosphere and the strong drinks to keep them subconsciously happy. The rest is an honest menu full of prime bovine cuts cooked remarkably well and served with dramatically delicious sauces. It’s what you want from a steak house, no cut corners or fancy-pants celebrity gawking to come between the cut and the knife. It’s what’s for dinner, though they do serve lunches, too. PICTURED: chef Guillermo Gil. FINALIST

Chuck’s of Hawai‘i

october 17, 2013

THE INDEPENDENt

Y OU

FOR VOTING

U G + S# r e e c e u n d G H P ro roc 1 T st er e ! B K N A

I-C EBT

santa barbara®

OUNT

Debit

Winner

E C Y P R O D U Est. 1966

Come See Why Our Customers Say We’re #1! • Freshest Juice In Town Orange • Carrot • Lemonade • Sport Tea

Made Fresh Daily • Fresh Meat and Seafood • Over 100 Bulk Items

• Over 500 Local and International Wines At Great Values • Freshest, Best Quality Fruits and Vegetables Farm Direct to you

BANANAS • Everyday Low Price 59¢ lb! Fast Friendly Service • One Block From The Beach Open 7 Days • 8am-7:30pm • 335 S. Milpas • 965-4558 • tricountyproduce.com 48

THE INDEPENDENT

october 17, 2013

EATING HEALTH FOOD STORE GOURMET FOOD SHOP

Lazy Acres Market 302 Meigs Rd., 564-4410 In our brave new world, there are numerous stores where the feckless health pilgrim can score some spirulina, dandelion kale smoothies, and gluten-free pasta dishes. Likewise, the ardent gourmand might in any town you name be able to purchase quail eggs, trufﬂe oil, or even a bottle of Grand Cru burgundy on a sudden whim. But not many stores offer both in a seamless and ultimately forgiving package like Lazy Acres does. (The clerks won’t laugh at either the vegan or the carnivore.) Since 1992, the gigantic Mesa hangout and emporium has been a one-stop shop for people who want exotic ﬂavors mixed with holistic dreams, a place where açaí and asparagus breathe the same sea air. FINALIST

Whole Foods Market

FRESH FISH MARKET

Santa Barbara Fish Market 117 Harbor Wy., 965-9564 “I would say that people vote for us primarily because of the connection we have with the ﬁshing community,” said S.B. Fish Market owner Brian Colgate, who always hopes that people realize that even though they are in the harbor, his small busy store is not synonymous with the Santa Barbara Fisherman’s Market, which takes place every Saturday morning. They do offer a lot of the same catch, as well as fresh ﬁsh from outside these waters, too. “I would say that most people don’t know that we deliver fresh fish overnight; it’s just a click away. You can have seafood that was swimming in the ocean just 36 hours ago delivered to any doorstep.” FINALIST

Kanaloa Seafood

PRODUCE/ GREENGROCER

Tri-County Produce 335 S. Milpas St., 965-4558

ICE CREAM SHOP

McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams Two locations Growing up Santa Barbaran means a lot of seemingly incidental magical things: the Zoo train, the Kernohan’s bear, and, especially, McConnell’s Ice Cream. Of course, now the old State Street store with its sticky round of ﬁne-art postcards is forgotten, and the Mission Street big-windowed room (no-nonsense but still full of the sugary smell of ice cream and chocolate sprinkles) is more likely the stuff that ice-cream dreams and headaches are made of. A new shop on lower on State Street will probably create a new source of Santa Barbara iconic pleasure. FINALIST

Rori’s Artisanal Creamery

FROZEN YOGURT SHOP

Yogurtland Two locations Maybe it’s a franchise, but who wouldn’t want to wake up in Yogurtland? It has deﬁnite advantages over that hipster fro-yo place that started in Los Angeles, including better pricing and the clear superiority of self-serve on the toppings. It’s real yogurt, it’s real clean and nice inside, and it’s won this category since the year it opened across the street and down from the hipster place. FINALIST

McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams

CHOCOLATE COMPANY

Chocolate Maya 15 W. Gutierrez St., 965-5956 “I think it’s because we are authentic. We’re not just selling chocolate foo-foo,” giggled Maya Schoop-Rutten, who was the on the phone from Hawai‘i, where she swears she was giving a class on chocolate making. “We’re very educational. We talk about the farmers and the process and also walk people into the store while I’m actually making chocolate. They love that, and they know this is my passion.” FINALIST

See’s Candies

Jack’s Bistro & Famous Bagels Many locations This being California, the toasted bagel with cream cheese and a regular-coffee diet peculiar to urban East Coasters was soon and widely found inadequate. Somehow, the schmears became more elaborate — jalapeño migrated onto the mix — but more importantly, the bagel itself became a platform instead of an end product. There are bagel pizzas and bagel sandwiches and even bagel Benedict. This small chain restaurant offers a perfect California adaptation of the boiled and then baked chewy delight, featuring elaborate omelettes with bagels in lieu of English muffins. Yet with all of this distraction, the voters still eye the basics and approve — voted best bagel plain and simple for over 12 years. If you want they should add Benedict, it’s a free country.

Renaud’s Patisserie & Bistro

FINALIST

Many locations This was just a little storefront next door to Harry’s Plaza Café in the Loreto Plaza. (Which, by the way is a magical address for winning Best Of awards — four ﬁrsts and a second within an easy walk.) Today, the French patisserie begun by Renaud and Nicole Gonthier is in three locations, including the corner of the fancy Gelson’s (also in Loreto Plaza, naturally.) “I think people like us because they like anyone who is committed to doing something well, and we are committed to this,” said Gonthier.

ISLA VISTA RESTAURANT

Freebirds World Burrito 879 Embarcadero del Norte, Isla Vista, 968-0123 Say what you will about the burrito bar in Isla Vista, but there is no other restaurant in the county that has half-block-long lines at 2 a.m. Spending its days silently feeding the supercasual I.V. student in between classes or waves, the versatile Mexican fast-food stand becomes a center of the community, a rallying point, and a late-night provision to the equally studied and partied-out crowds who turn to it in hours of need. It’s not particularly cheap fast food, but it is hearty, delicious, and surprisingly authentic. FINALIST

Silvergreens

FINALIST

Bagel Café

MONTECITO RESTAURANT

JUICE/SMOOTHIE BAR

Lucky’s

Blenders in the Grass It took us years to realize that the name of this place was a Wordsworth reference and not a drug joke. This reﬂects badly on us, we know, though the sense of the work alluded to (“Intimations of Immortality”) initially threw us since that poem mainly complains about losing “the hour / Of splendor in the Grass.” This Santa Barbara–bred chain of healthy liquid-refreshment stands can never be lost: There are 12 locations between Orcutt and Santa Maria, and half of them are in S.B. So we get hours of splendor (8am-9pm), full of fruits, vegetables, supplements, and even coffee and ice cream blended to splendid ﬂavor, anytime and almost everywhere. So sing ye birds, sing, sing a joyous song.

Since it first opened, Lucky’s has held its place at the pinnacle for restaurants in which to be seen and to see are as important as the fine eating. There are movie stars and otherwise famous people often, there are circles of attainment like the old Casa Sevilla, and to be seated next to the fireplace in the inner room is an unstated indicator of arrival. General manager and executive chef Leonard Schwartz believes it’s much simpler than that, though. “It’s very flattering we won this award, and I think the reason we did is that we’ve tried very hard to make sure that people are happy here.” People don’t know that Lucky’s has as great a selection of fresh fish and seafood as they do famous steaks, he said. But the crucial part is the overall experience. “My goal is that when people leave here, they leave happy,” he said.

FINALIST

Juice Ranch

Montecito Café

GOLETA RESTAURANT

SANTA YNEZ VALLEY RESTAURANT

Many locations

Beachside Bar-Café 5905 Sandspit Rd., Goleta, 964-7881

BAKERY

There’s a great paradox that haunts this 60-yearold, open-to-the-elements store — like the smell of fresh-squeezed orange juice that floats around the cashiers in front. Nothing seems to have changed here in the last half century when hippie kids and other health-food nuts mixed with the likes of Julia Child, shopping for food as the store motto says, any fresher and it would still be in the ﬁelds. But obviously, if the freshness part is true — and nobody doubts that — nearly every item in the store bins has to change nearly every day. It’s big, friendly, and much cheaper than the boutique health markets in town — with fresh juice, bulk staples, and a whole lot more: a sweet permanence of variety. Santa Barbara Farmers Market

BAGELS

Real ocean-view dining is a lot more scarce than most of us want to admit. This is seafood with a sunset over the ocean from a heated patio with a couple of very convincing side dishes. For starters, there’s a great happy hour. For more of a main reason, consider this: It’s off the beaten track, so even when tourists are around, they aren’t usually there. And best of all, it’s the perfect place to enjoy nice food just before a UCSB show or if you have to wait for Uncle Fred’s ﬂight in from Des Moines. Just don’t take him there, so we can keep having the Beachside to ourselves.

1279 Coast Village Rd., 565-7540

Trattoria Grappolo 3687 Sagunto St., Santa Ynez, 688-6899

FINALIST

“People are always surprised to find such authentic Italian cooking in such a small town,” explained Grappolo’s event coordinator and manager, Elisa Arriaga. Maybe it’s true, but the Santa Ynez Valley in the last 10 years has evolved rapidly from wine-and-cow town to gourmet central with restaurants, tasting rooms, and boutiques that almost shame the bigger beach city to the south. Even in those circumstances, Grappolo keeps winning this honor. “It’s probably the exceptional food and personal service. When people come in here, they feel like they are at home,” said Arriaga.

Hollister Brewing Co.

FINALIST

Los Olivos Café

Jeannine’s

october 17, 2013

THE INDEPENDENt

THANK YOU FOR VOTING US THE BEST FOR 22 CONSECUTIVE YEARS!

BEST VEGGIE BURGER CHICKEN • FISH • VEGETARIAN • DAILY SPECIALS • KIDS MENU

OPEN 7 DAYS • LUNCH & DINNER

508 State St. • 361 Hitchcock Way • 5892 Hollister Ave

www.thenaturalcafe.com

santa barbara®

Winner

THE INDEPENDENT

october 17, 2013

EATING APPETIZERS/ TAPAS

Milk & Honey 30 W. Anapamu St., 275-4232 Some illusion of elegance mixed with a lot of pleasure principle, perfect for this place, the idea of Spain haunts a California beach town reality. Date w/ a Pig, for instance, is bacon-wrapped dates. There are Brussels sprouts roasted in olive oil with bacon (always with the bacon?). How about lamb served on a Hawaiian roll with raisins? The Corazon Verde is grilled hearts of romaine with a balsamic reduction over blue cheese and shallot sauce. There’s drunk mushrooms and tuna tartare with jalapeño. This is bar food worth a ginger whisky-sour chaser. You can have Pabst Blue Ribbon and pretzels at home. FINALIST

Cielito

BREAKFAST

Cajun Kitchen Many locations The funny thing about this place is how pretentious it isn’t. Sure, there is gumbo, Andouille sausages, and jambalaya, too. But nobody will ever urge your bon temps to rouler. More likely, they’ll ask if you need more coffee and how crisp you want the hash browns. Or was it home fries this week? Grits? Well, of course you can have them, and if you don’t want wholewheat toast, corn bread with homemade apple butter is guar-an-teed delicious. The Bourbon Street Chili is good with eggs. A town favorite for over 30 years. FINALIST

Jeannine’s

LATE-NIGHT EATS

The Blue Owl 5 W. Canon Perdido St., 705-0991 Maybe foodie magazines will declare that fusion food is over. The real reason we love Cindy Black’s revelation of storefront affordable and hedonistic imagination is her righteous refusal to abandon the twaining of East and West. A duck-and-pork sausage topped with kimchi in a homemade puff pastry? A green-curry burger with peanut-tamarind sauce and cilantro curry? Pulled pork with black-bean sauce and chili paste? At two in the morning, just when you thought the day’s pleasures were done? “I’m so grateful to win,” said Black. “This next year, though, I’m going to concentrate on my day menu, a lot more organic foods and salads and stuff that’s ready to eat,” she promised. We love Black’s Blue Owl place because it has vision. FINALIST

Roy

SALAD BAR

Savoy Café & Deli 24 W. Figueroa St., 962-6611 Forget the fad for gluten-free food for a second, and just consider the millions of people with diabetic conditions in this country. For them,

lunch — sandwiches, pizza, and more sandwiches — is always a problem, and great salad bars are one of the best answers. This one takes up half of a wall of the restaurant and, along with the usual suspects — peas, radishes, and red onions — offers complements like perfectly cooked chicken, candy-like beets, and artichoke. America, they say, is more like a salad bar than a melting pot. But it’s probably also true that if America ate more salad, a lot of waistlines, gluten obsessions, and diabetes might melt away, too. FINALIST

Chuck’s of Hawai‘i

CHINESE RESTAURANT

China Pavilion 1202 Chapala St., 560-6028 Ever since Peter Chen devoted himself to improving the lot of those who like to dine authentically Chinese, this restaurant has proved itself an invaluable asset. Let’s just thank the universe we don’t need to drive to Los Angeles for a weekend dim sum ﬁx. Chen’s is reasonably priced and thoroughly delicious. His Chinese menu — available in English — offers dishes like twice-cooked pork made of pork belly the way it’s supposed to be. And ﬁnally, there’s the old bastion of self-reward, Peking duck, which was big in the 1970s with even non-Chinese diners but disappeared from most restaurant menus. Chen offers it in all its pancake-and-plum-sauce glory. Life is better served in a Pavilion. FINALIST

pastas with trufﬂe. The room is lively and usually full, but the waitstaff never seems annoyed by requests. And now with its own pizza place nearby, the Furlatti dynasty may prove itself unbeatable. FINALIST

Pascucci

MEXICAN RESTAURANT SALSA

Los Agaves Two locations “I think the reason people like us is the way we change our menus all the time,” said Loss Agaves’ owner Carlos Luna, whose commanding ding Milpas Street success allowed him to open pen a second place on De la Vina Street this year. The salsa bar ranges from timid to roaring. “We always have different things whenever people come in. That is, we always have our regular menu so people can have their favorites, but we always have something new. Plus, this year we began improving the quality of the ingredients,” said Luna, who is using organic food whenever possible. “We are very happy that we won.” FINALIST

Los Arroyos

CLAM CHOWDER

Your Place

BLOODY MARY

Flavor of India

Brophy Bros.

3026 State St., 682-6561

119 Harbor Wy., 966-4418

Pride of place is second to pride of taste and flavors for the Joshan family, who has held down this corner of Santa Barbara’s ethnic row for 22 years. (On this part of State Street, you can walk from their Punjabi-inﬂuenced cuisine to two Japanese places, a Korean BBQ, and an East-German joint.) A steadfast exemplar of why family-owned places last so long in this city — the chefs are more or less constant — the family takes particular pride in the freshness of their ingredients and the longevity of their customer base. A long way from touristy Santa Barbara, Taste is one of those Best Of categories that never seem to change ﬂavor.

This awesome trifecta of seafood, clam chowder (New England, naturally), and Bloody Mary wins seems like the pinnacle of human accomplishment for those rooted in a ﬁshing village. Well, maybe we’re a little more diverse of economy than a real sea town, but when you’re in the harbor sitting in this perfectly picturesque and thrummingly lively upstairs room, the illusion of seafaring pleasures only needs a snippet of “Red Sails in the Sunset” on the jukebox to seem more perfect. This is also a trio of ﬁrst-place prizes that Brophy’s has managed to win every year for at least a decade, thereby proving that our voting readers must be hooked.

FINALIST

FINALISTS

The India Club

Enterprise Fish Co. (SEAFOOD RESTAURANT, CLAM CHOWDER) Tupelo Junction Café (BLOODY MARY)

37 E. Victoria St., 884-9419 Dario Furlatti’s continuing success in this category is all the more impressive if you’ve ever sampled the fare of his competition. This is a town, for some reason, long on elegant Italian food. (You have to go way uptown for the redsauce-and-red-checkered-tablecloth kind of place that used to reign here.) Ca’ Dario has proved itself steadfast in serving something as hearty as a Bolognese, but as delicate as immaculately roasted chicken or homemade

Sushi Teri

THAI RESTAURANT

INDIAN RESTAURANT

Ca’ Dario

FINALIST

SEAFOOD RESTAURANT

Madame Lu

ITALIAN RESTAURANT

and yuzu juice. But wait, there’s more! Eel salad, clam miso soup, and something called a spicy thruster lifts you into realms where experimental endeavors pay off in foodie pleasure. Or you can have raw salmon on perfect rice with a dot of super fresh wasabi. This perennial winner has much to offer.

SUSHI RESTAURANT

Arigato Sushi 1225 State St., 965-6074 Truth be told, this is more of a fusion restaurant than a sushi bar, but that doesn’t make it less than spectacular. Arigato is a scene; it’s crowded and not for those desiring intimate whispery evenings. On the other hand, you might find words failing you over the fresh and delectable tuna rolls or yellowtail. The sashimi starts getting more adventurous with mustards, jalapeños,

22 N. Milpas St., 966-5151 It makes sense, even if it sounds like the logic is reversed. “Maybe people like us because we cook so fresh,” said Kris Lertchareonyong, whose parents opened this restaurant in the early 1980s. (They’ve won this award since it began in the Santa Barbara News & Review.) “And because we’re so busy, we have to keep buying more ingredients, which are fresh. It’s my mom and dad’s recipes, and we haven’t changed anything very much.” FINALIST

Zen Yai

VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT

Saigon Vietnamese Restaurant Two locations Certain restaurants cross over from an immediate and strict ethnic audience into mass-market approval. Vietnamese food, unbelievably, is still exotic in our town, and there are ﬁerce debates about why some little diner in Goleta offers a more “authentic” brand of pho’ (a complex broth and noodle soup, often featuring rare beef), ricepaper spring rolls, or the many curry and noodle dishes that most people think of as Vietnamese cuisine. The Lam family brought a very fresh, herby taste to their cooking; the pho’ has lots of fennel and basil tastes while the green-papaya salad refreshes the mouth with a combo of mint, cilantro, and basil. To each her own, but for the

CONT’D P. 55 >>>

october 17, 2013

THE INDEPENDENt

Alpha Thrift Stores

SMART

SHOP

Your one-stop shop for

Halloween!

Thank You to our Donors

and Sh opper g Alph s a Thrif t Store s #1

for Vot in

santa barbara®

Winner

3 LOCATIONS!!! Goleta: 5949 & 5624 Hollister Santa Barbara: 700 N. Milpas

964-1123 • ALPHASB.ORG Thank you Santa Barbara for voting us santa barbara®

Thank you Santa Barbara!

#1 TRAVEL AGENCY

Winner

Fourteen Years in a Row!

LOOKING FOR ADVENTURE, UNIQUE DESTINATIONS, SPECIAL TRAVEL OFFERS OR NEED HELP PLANNING YOUR NEXT VACATION?

Call the travel experts at Santa Barbara Travel Bureau santa barbara®

CST# 1009257-10

We are locally owned and have been serving the Tri-County area for 65 Years!

Montecito

Santa Barbara

Ventura

1485 East Valley Road Montecito, CA 93108

1028 State Street Santa Barbara, CA 93101

3140 Telegraph Road Ventura, CA 93003

805 .9 69 .7 74 6

805 .9 66 .3 11 6

805 .6 50 .6 99 9

Serving the community’s travel needs since 1947 52

THE INDEPENDENT

october 17, 2013

Winner

SPECIAL

Buy seafood • sbfish.com Overnight shipping – CA $9.95 • USA $49.95 117 Harbor Way, Suite A, Santa Barbara, CA 93109 ph. 805.965.9564 | www.sbfish.com

EATING

RESTAURANT FOR DESSERT

san barb ta ara®

Sojourner Café 134 E. Canon Perdido St., 965-7922 Let philosophers divine why this place, known as S.B.’s classic healthy food restaurant, perennially gets awarded in our polls for its sweets. General manager Donna Mudge (pictured right) thinks she knows. “I think it’s because we have more variety than anyone else. We have our consistent sellers — they are like the baseline — but we’re also always doing different things.” Mudge credits baker Ashleigh Carracino (center) for all this variegated delectation. “People come in, and they get a wider variety of things to choose from. Plus, we are trying harder to make more vegan, gluten-free, and raw desserts, but you always indulge your decadent full-bore desserts, too.” ALSO PICTURED: cook Juan Bautista.

inner Win

FINALIST

Fresco Café

october 17, 2013

THE INDEPENDENt

China Pavilion FINE CHINESE CUISINE

Come Try Our Famous Dim Sum with a Delicious Mai Tai!

THANK YOU! For voting us Santa Barbara’s

BEST

The ONLY Chinese Restaurant in S.B. with a FULL BAR!

Chinese Restaurant AGAIN!

santa barbara®

Winner

READERS’ POLL

07 Best of

1202 Chapala St. | Santa Barbara (805) 560-6028 | www.china-pavilion.com

Thank Thank You You Santa Santa Barbara! Barbara! santa barbara®

r e n n i W Loreto Plaza 3315 State St Santa Barbara, CA 93105 805.569.2400

Arlington Plaza 1324 State St, Ste. N Santa Barbara, CA 93101 805.892.2800

Inside Gelson’s 3305 State St Santa Barbara, CA 93105 805.687.7565

renaudsbakery.com • renaudspatisserie@gmail.com

THE INDEPENDENT

october 17, 2013

EATING >>> CONT’D FROM P. 51

collective readers’ taste, this is the Vietnamese they vote pho’. FINALIST

Noodle City

VEGGIE BURGER

nerr nner Wiiinnn Winner W

The Natural Café Many locations

SANDWICH

South Coast Deli Many locations “I do believe that customers can sense that we are always striving for perfection,” said South Coast Deli operations manager Dorian Ulmer. The restaurant, which grew from a Goleta outpost to a citywide (and Isla Vista) takeover, features a number of big sandwiches but, in all truth, is equally prized for its ridiculously big and affordable salads. “One of the things that people may not realize about us,” said Ulmer, “is that we make great coffee. It’s one of the things that we take a lot of time doing for our customers. We’re very happy that they voted for us,” he said.

sa bar nta bar ® a

Maybe one reason this burger wins is because there are three of them, suggests general manager Sara Clements. There are the tempeh burger, your basic soy burger, and something they call the Zen Burger, which makes more than one hand clap according to veg and vegan sources. “Something cool that people don’t know about us is that we make our own salad dressings fresh. Maybe that doesn’t sound like much, but a lot of places get their dressings in a jar,” she said. The place is just getting ready to celebrate 17 years in town, and the meatless hamburgers have been a hit the whole time — they’re naturals. FINALIST

The Habit Burger Grill

FINALIST

BURRITO

Three Pickles

Super Cucas Many locations

BARBECUE

Woody’s BBQ 5112 Hollister Ave., Goleta, 967-3775 Woody’s is another one of The Indy perennial

winners that puts a lot of stock in their winning and credits the customers for nearly everything. “We win because of our consistency and loyalty,” explained owner Gino Stabile, who bought the place from its original owners in 1992 and has made very few changes to the menu or cuisine, which he describes as a cross between Texas and California barbecue, and thus winning the customers’ hearts. “The people of Santa Barbara are not inclined toward change,” he said. “We’re absolutely glad we won.” FINALIST

Killer B’s BBQ

It’s not just for lunch anymore. In the last decade, the phenomenal, obvious spread of the breakfast burrito has made this proto-version of what the Anglo kitchens call “a wrap” part of every menu in town. But Cucas was a pioneer of the art of burrito enormity since it ﬁrst opened. There is more of everything in their version, whether it’s rice, beans, eggs, chorizo, carnitas, pollo, steak, or al pastor. The stores are part of growing up here, and with the recent development of breakfast takeover, they may soon be the preferred method of sustenance for every meal. It’s a great place to wrap. FINALIST

Freebirds World Burrito

TACOS

Lilly’s Taquería BURGER

The Habit Burger Grill Many locations One of the oddest incarnations of this Goletabred chain is its reappearance in Isla Vista directly across the street from the original site. (Then the Hamburger Habit, the restaurant, which featured chili-smothered burgers and unreasonably cheap pitchers of beer, opened quickly after the Hollister Avenue store where it all began.) Now, I.V. lines up for the satisfying sandwiches made of fried burgers with caramelized onions on a toasted bun that pump out of windows all over town and now in Los Angeles, too. Maybe the chili doesn’t drool onto your shirt anymore, but the one hamburger that successfully challenges In-N-Out in this town is still the same as it ever was — delicious. FINALIST

310 Chapala St., 966-9180 Everybody knows by now how great this little tucked-away place is. The art of the taco is simplicity, a type of meat wrapped in a corn tortilla and garnished with sauces, onions, and cilantro. (Actually, Lilly’s now has veggie tacos, too.) These tacos are small, but that’s the whole point. Prices well under $2 allows for great improvisation and taste testing. The exotic variety of cuts, including cheeks, tongue, and eyes (actually meat near the eye) further enhances the opportunity to indulge possibilities. Steamed meats are a nice twist on usual taquería fare. Hungry folk can always order ﬁve or six and then get back in line if that’s not enough. Taste a cuisine that’s rare even in California — the joy of Mexican street food in a comfy, friendly, sheltered place. FINALIST

Rudy’s Mexican Restaurants

Eureka!

PIZZA

Rusty’s Pizza

CARPINTERIA RESTAURANT

Sly’s 686 Linden Ave., Carpinteria, 684-6666 James Sly (pictured) has, as he puts it, been around. A long time ago, there was a place called the Reindeer Room, infamous in its scene-y blisses, and then sometime later he was the ﬁrst chef at Lucky’s Montecito. Now, he seems to be home in Carpinteria, holding down Linden Street with crafted comfort cuisine. “Or as I call it, tired old favorites,” laughed the mustachioed one. Don’t believe it for a second — the food is American done right, from steaks to abalone, meatloaf to sand dabs, and everything good in between. ”We’ll cook something for anybody,” said Sly slyly, recalling a woman who comes annually bringing ducks hunted from somewhere back home. He made them delicious for her. “I don’t think of myself as an artist but a craftsman.” FINALIST

The Palms

Many locations Unless you count white walls and red tiles, this town isn’t big on vernacular architecture. CONT’D ON P. 57 >>>

october 17, 2013

THE INDEPENDENt

We have proudly been serving Santa Barbara the

BEST THAI FOOD for 30 years!

READERS’ POLL

07 Best of

santa barbara®

Winner

Thai Restaurant 805.966.5151 • 805.965.9397 22-A N. Milpas Street (Across from McDonald’s)

Lunch Tuesday - Sunday • Dinner Everyday 56

THE INDEPENDENT

october 17, 2013

EATING >>> CONT’D FROM P. 55

Moby Dick’s is not shaped like a whale. But Rusty’s restaurants are — there’s a lighthouse at the beach, an authentic English pub downtown, and a bank out in Goleta — you can eat in the vault if you call ahead. Whatever spirit of fun and disrespect for norms this may suggest — the franchise began in Isla Vista in the year of the uprisings, 1969 — it sheds rather quickly at the menu sites. This is really classic American pizza. The crusts are thin, but not trattoriastyle. Okay, they offer chorizo and hamburgers, but the cheese and pepperoni is what people get whether it’s inside a bank vault or in the comfort of your home. FINALIST

Olio Pizzeria

RESTAURANT WITH A VIEW

STELLAR SERVICE

The Palace Grill 8 E. Cota St., 963-5000 They call it “Team Service,” and what it means is that any server walking by and seeing a perplexed look or a dipping level of content will stop and ask to rectify the situation, whether or not he or she is your server. Somehow, you might expect help like that to be intrusive, but the Palace has been pulling off this award for over two decades, and they know the difference — when to top off an ice water and when to let customers chill. It’s a good place to eat if you enjoy pleasures. FINALIST

bouchon

Boathouse at Hendry’s Beach

SUNDAY BRUNCH

2981 Cliff Dr., 898-2628

HOTEL/MOTEL

Some codgers remember when this place was a burger stand and then a breakfast joint with a nice bar. Now the Boathouse, it’s prettier than ever, though the stunning remained the same. Primarily seafood with an emphasis on small plates, this is the perfect place to sit, sip, nosh, and gaze into fair eyes when not watching the seas crash on the strand. Either out on the heated patio or safe and warm behind ample plate glass windows, the view is beachy. FINALIST

Brophy Bros.

Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara 1260 Channel Dr., 969-2261 The oldest of the luxury hotels still standing, The Biltmore has been a favorite place for more than 50 years. The beautiful locale across from Butterfly Beach might be enough to sell it alone, but The Biltmore is like an elegant Spanish-flavored mansion that is open to the public. The brunch has been a place of celebration since the mid-1970s, and it’s still going strong in popular imagination today, despite a lot of competition. Staying in the hotel implies

celebration or escape with its hushed décor, fantastic restaurants, and European-style spa. You don’t need to go to Beverly Hills to class-jump and be pampered. Lots of those folks come up here for a taste of SoCal sublime. FINALISTS

The Brewhouse (SUNDAY BRUNCH) The Canary Hotel (HOTEL/MOTEL)

20726

san ta bar bar ® a

Winner

october 17, 2013

THE INDEPENDENt

santa barbara速

r e n n i W 58

THE INDEPENDENT

october 17, 2013

EATING sa bar nta bar ® a

nerr nner Wiiinnn Winner W

DOUGHNUT SHOP

Spudnuts Two locations If it’s made from potato ﬂour, is it gluten free? Did I hear a billion voices groan at the ridiculousness of that question? It doesn’t matter what gimmick is observed, as long as the outside is lightly crunchy and the innards are more like a cloud than a cake. If it’s fry bread, a cronut, or a beignet, this is food that kick-starts you without supplying your RDA with anything besides deliciousness. Spudnuts has been the readers’ choice for over a decade now, and if it’s just a gimmick, or even if it’s good for you, it’s still holy American cuisine. PICTURED: owner Julie Change and Taylor Tran. FINALIST

Eller’s

october 17, 2013

THE INDEPENDENt

Super Cuca's Rodolfo Rios, Owner, with Kami Craig, Olympic Gold Metalist, 2012 Olympics, USA Water Polo Team.

santa barbara®

A Santa Barbara Native, Family Friend, and Super Cuca's Loyal Customer.

Winner 77 0- 38 06

Santa Barbara BREAKFAST

TORTAS

#1 Chorizo Burrito

5.49

Mexican Sausage, Scrambled Eggs, Cheese & Potatoes

#2 Protein Burrito

5.49

Beef, Scrambled Eggs, Cheese & Potatoes

#3 Sausage Burrito

5.49

Sausage, Scrambled Eggs, Cheese & Potatoes

#4 Ham Burrito

5.49

Ham, Scrambled Eggs, Cheese & Potatoes

#5 Veggie Burrito

5.49

Grilled Onions, Bell Peppers, Zuchini, Mushrooms, Scrambled Eggs, Cheese, Potatoes & Home Style Salsa

#6 Carnitas Burrito

5.49

Pork Meat, Scrambled Eggs, Cheese & Potatoes

#7 Pastor Burrito

5.49

Marinated Pork Meat, Scrambled Eggs, Cheese & Potatoes

#8 Eggs Burrito

4.49

Scrambled Eggs, Cheese & Potatoes

#9 Ranchero Burrito

5.49

Chorizo, Bacon, Scrambled Eggs, Cheese, Potatoes & Ranchero Salsa

#10 Macho Burrito (spicy)

5.49

Marinated Pork, Jalapeno, Scrambled Eggs, Cheese, Potatoes & Macho Salsa

#11 Chicken Burrito

5.49

Chicken, Scrambled Eggs, Cheese, Potatoes & Home Style Salsa

#12 Energy Burrito

5.49

Beef, Veggies, Scrambled Eggs, Cheese, Potatoes & Home Style Salsa

#13 Ham & Bacon Burrito

5.49

Ham, Bacon, Scrambled Eggs, Cheese & Potatoes

#14 Breakfast Plate

5.55

Choice of Meat, Eggs, Cheese, Rice, Beans, Tortillas

#15 Chile Relleno Burrito

5.49

Pico De Gallo, Cheese, Eggs & Potatoes

#16 Bacon Burrito

5.49

Bacon, Eggs, Cheese & Potatoes

#17 Huevos Rancheros

5.49

Beans, Rice, Avocado & Ranchero Sauce with Corn Tortillas

Super Torta

THE INDEPENDENT

october 17, 2013

6.99

Shrimp Burrito

8.99

Super Plate Shrimp

8.99

Grilled Vegetables, Rice, Beans, Cheese & Pico de Gallo.

Shrimp, Grilled Vegetables, Rice, Pico de Gallo, Corn or Flour Tortillas

Combo Burrito

Super Plate Combo

7.99

Grilled Vegetables, Lettuce, Onion, Tomato, Cilantro, Mayonnaise & Choice of Meat.*

Grilled Vegetables, Rice, Beans, Cheese, Cream, Onion, Cilantro & Choice of Meat.*

Grilled Vegetables, Rice, Beans, Onion, Cilantro & Choice of Meat.*

Torta Milanese

6.43

Super Burrito

Beans, Rice, Cilantro, Onion, Corn or Flour Tortilla, plus 16 oz. Soda.

Ham Torta

5.99

Tomato, Lettuce, Onion, Cilantro, Mayonnaise & Fresh Steak. Mayonnaise, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion, & Cilantro.

Shrimp Super Nachos

8.99

Shrimp, Beans, Cheese, Guacamole, Cream & Pico de Gallo.

Super Nachos

7.99

Beans, Cheese, Guacamole, Cream, Pico de Gallo & Choice of Meat.*

Super Plate Veggie

Grilled Vegetables, Rice, Beans, Onion, Cilantro, Corn or Flour Tortilla, plus 16 oz. Soda.

1.49

TACOS

Beans, Rice, Cheese, Cream & Choice of Meat.*

CATERING MENU

Plain Burrito

8.69 7.99

3.49

Beans & Rice.

Shrimp Taco

ENCHILADAS

5.29 6.43

Shrimp with Grilled Vegetables, Rice & Pico de Gallo.

Taco Combo

5.49

Vegetables, Beans, Onions, Cheese, Cilantro & Choice of Meat.*

Super Taco

3.99

2 Corn Tortillas, Cheese, Cream, Beans, Onion, Cilantro & Choice of Meat.*

QUESADILLAS

Veggie Taco

3.99

Shrimp Quesadilla

8.99

Grilled Vegetables, Beans, Avocado, Two Corn Tortillas & Cheese.

Quesadilla Combo

7.69

Two Corn Tortillas, Beans, Onion, Cilantro & Choice of Meat.*

Super Quesadilla

7.35

3 Fried Chicken Tacos with Rice, Beans, Guacamole & Cream.

Grilled Vegetables, Shrimp & Pico de Gallo. Grilled Vegetables, Cheese & Choice of Meat.* Cheese & Choice of Meat.*

Flour Quesadilla Corn Quesadilla Choice of Meat.*

Taco Regular Taquitos Plate Taquitos a la Carta

2.69 2.69

2.99 7.99 2.99

Guacamole, Lettuce & Tomato.

Two Hard Shell Tacos

7.99

4.04

Rice, Beans & Cheese.

Chips with Pico de Gallo

Chile Relleno Plate

6.43

Rice, Beans, Onions, Cilantro & Choice of Meat.*

Burrito

7.69

Beans, Rice, Pico de Gallo, Corn or Flour Tortillas. *CHOICE OF MEATS: Beef/Asada · Pork/Puerco · Chicken/Pollo · Marinated Pork/Al Pastor

Regular Burrito

Diet Burrito

Enchiladas

7.35

Grilled Vegetables, Cheese, Cream, Rice, Beans, Onions, & Cilantro.

7.35

Shrimp, Cheese, Beans, Rice & Cream.

5.29

Rice, Beans, Cream, Cheese, Onion, Cilantro & No Meat.

Tostada Bowl

Rice, Beans, Lettuce, Cheese, Avocado, Tomatoes & Choice of Meat.*

7.99

Super Burrito No Meat

5.29

Beans, Cheese, Guacamole, Cream & Pico de Gallo.

Super Plate

Rice, Beans, Cheese, Cream, Onion, Cilantro, & Choice of Meat.*

Super Nachos No Meat

Shrimp Enchiladas

7.35

Veggie Burrito

NACHOS

Santa Barbara's Favorite Burrito www.CucasRestaurant.com 60

PLATES

BURRITOS 6.43

Lettuce, Tomato, Onion, Cilantro, Mayonnaise & Choice of Meat.*

Torta Combo

Isla Vista

6.43

Rice, Beans, Cheese, Cream, Guacamole & Pico de Gallo.

Meat by Pound Beef (Carne Asada) 7.99 Marinated Pork (Pastor) 7.99 Chicken (Pollo) 7.99 Pork (Carnitas) 6.49 A la Carte Chile Relleno 2.50 each Enchilada 1.94 each Taquitos .99¢ each Food Complements Rice (small pan) 12.00 Rice (large pan) 25.00 Beans (small order) 12.00 Beans (large order) 25.00

KIDS

Under 12 years old X-tra Large French Fries Hamburger & French Fries Mayonnaise, Lettuce & Tomato Bean & Cheese Burrito Bean & Rice Burrito Bean, Rice & Meat Burrito Flour Rice Quesadilla Flour Meat Quesadilla Chicken Nuggets & French Fries

1.29 3.69 2.25 2.25 3.69 1.99 3.69 3.69

626 W. Micheltorena Street • SB • 962-4028 2030 Cliff Dr. #1A • SB • 963-3863 6527 Madrid Rd. • Isla Vista • 770-3806 * Prices subject to change

HOUSING NURSERY

La Sumida Nursery 165 S. Patterson Ave., 964-9944 “People love La Sumida because it has been serving generations; its name is familiar,” said Dee Honer, one of the people who manages this classic nursery for the Sumida family. “And now that all the smaller nurseries have been concentrated into one locale, it somehow seems easier for people to come here,” she said. “Right now, people are here for planting trees and shrubs, though fall vegetables are big, too. What most people don’t know is that we grow a lot of the plants we sell, especially our hanging baskets and roses.” FINALIST

Terra Sol Garden Center

HOME FURNISHINGS STORE

Cost Plus World Market 610 State St., 899-8311 In the absence of a nearby Ikea store, we have the folk-music triumph of Cost Plus. Far more attractive to younger shoppers who are ﬁnally out to convert their apartments from orange crates and Isla Vista rescue couches to the ﬁrst level of respectability, Cost Plus has a surprisingly adventurous combination of modern-looking furniture and classic stuff. You can get a sleek leatherette couch for about $300 or a plump plaid ottoman for about $60. It’s warm décor at easy-toafford prices. And you can pronounce the names. FINALIST

Pottery Barn

REAL ESTATE FIRM

to rig any election at the time. The Santa Barbara boy, whose ofﬁce looks down on the Alameda Park playground where he hung out as a kid, thinks it helps being so in touch with a town. “And winning this is icing on my cake,” he said. FINALIST

Jon Mahoney

MOVING COMPANY

Movegreen 1 N. Calle César Chávez, Ste. 130, 845-6600 “Absolutely we’re thrilled to win,” said Erik Haney, who thinks the company’s popularity began because of their environmental sensitivity but gets better because Movegreen involves itself in the community. And that includes a charitable golf tournament they host, which Haney was sharpening his cleats for as we spoke. “We’re also moving into a brand-new storage facility at 1 North Calle Real, with 17,000 square feet. We’re very happy the readers voted for us.” FINALIST

Mammoth Moving & Storage

ELECTRONICS STORE

Best Buy 7090 Market Place Dr., Goleta, 571-3999 Some people are good at shopping online. They know what they want, and they know how to navigate the morass of dealers to get a good deal. Then there are the rest of us who like to watch the TV, play with the keyboard, and heft the video camera before plunking down. Best Buy is for us. Oh yeah, and you don’t have to wait for the mailman; you can play with the toys today. FINALIST

Apple Store

Village Properties Many locations Ed Edick and Renee Grubb’s company is as well known around town for its stable of agents — many of them lifelong Santa Barbarians — as it is as a place that goes out of its way to do good in the town they represent for sales. Last year, they turned their eyes on the world of education and started a fund that raises and speciﬁcally grants money to classrooms. The company believes in developing and sustaining long-term relationships, and the readers seem to feel they have. FINALIST

Sotheby’s International Realty

REAL ESTATE AGENT

Steve Epstein It was a very good year for Steve Epstein, realtor deluxe. “It just so happens I had a perfect storm. Last June, I reached a milestone of 25 years in the business, and coincidentally, I hit 1,000 closed sales,” he said. To celebrate, Epstein rented the Condor and hired Tom Ball and Kenny Sultan to play. Epstein believes this has something to do with the number of votes he got, though he wasn’t out

ANTIQUE STORE

Antique Alley 706 State St., 962-3944 “It’s entertainment when they come in here,” claimed Antique Alley owner Allan Howard. “It’s a trip down memory lane.” Indeed it is a long swim through nostalgia with almost 20 different merchants setting up artistically festooned cubbies of bric-a-brac, clothing, art pieces, books, records, and tchotchkes that have somehow evaded the dustbin of history and become history itself on parade. There is clearly a trippiness factor. “Even I get completely lost in here,” said Howard. “People ought to know it’s not just classic antiques; there’s a lot of pulp culture, too. We’re breathing air into the dusty world of the antique,” he said. FINALIST

Summerland Antique Collective

HOUSECLEANING SERVICE

Karen’s Kleaning 564-1444 “I don’t know how we won,” said Karen Laurie, owner of the alliterative housecleaning service. “We had a hard year, and we even had to raise our rates, but we’re assuming that the readers voted for us because we work really hard and have always been dedicated to quality. We don’t really have an interest in making a lot of money. Mostly we want to make sure we do the job the best we can. So even if it was a hard year, we’re happy we won.” FINALIST

santa barbara®

Winner

Silvia’s Cleaning Service

PLACE TO BUY CARPET/RUGS

Carpeteria 5610 Hollister Ave., Goleta, 964-3551 This longtime winner of this category is one of our few chains that readers feel annually indebted to. It’s got carpet, hardwood, vinyl, and tile with astoundingly wide selections, great process, credit arrangements, and installation. Philosophers speak of the “ground of being” — this place makes walking in it nicer. FINALIST

Abbey Carpet & Floor

GARDENING/ LANDSCAPING SERVICE

Kitson Landscape Management 5787 Thornwood Dr., Goleta, 681-7010 Gardening has been the family business since 1969, when Brent and Sally Kitson ﬁrst opened an avocado orchard and gardening service. Today, their daughter Sarah looks over a business that has expanded immensely yet maintained ties with customers for almost four decades. The company

october 17, 2013

THE INDEPENDENt

Merci, Grazie, Danke, Gracias and Thanks! EATING Grand Opening!

santa barbara®

HOUSING primarily cares for big commercial landscapes but somehow wins the readers’ laurels year after year. FINALIST

Winner

Enviroscape

HANDYMAN SERVICE

A Jack of All Trades

Voted Best Wine Shop ...

That’s ﬁve years in a row, and we truly appreciate it, Santa Barbara ... – Cheers,

Bob Wesley & the Winehound Crew

708-5466 Jim Beltran (a k a Jack) is the man to call, our readers say, when the house repairs exceed your own handy inclinations yet don’t warrant hiring a construction crew. (That’s anything more than a lightbulb in our house.) In business now “for nearly a decade,” he claims to “have built a great empire in the handyman-company community.” Seems maybe a bit grandiose for the door we need hung, but the readers keep voting for the man who would be king. FINALIST

ACE Handyman Services

CARPET CLEANING

Coleman Carpet Cleaners 275 Orange Ave., Goleta, 683-2305 “I think that our greatest asset is our great eye for detail,” explained Teresa Thornburgh, Coleman Carpet’s ofﬁce manager. “I would say our prices are competitive, but we custom-make our work to every job. If it’s an I.V. student who wants a two-bedroom apartment cleaned for $40, well that’s not us. We made our name by catering to the higher end of business, and once people have used us, they usually come back.” FINALIST

Naturalist Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning

HARDWARE STORE

Home Improvement Center www.thewinehound.com

3849 State St. Santa Barbara • (805) 845-5247

Cominichi’s Huge Moving

san barb ta ara®

Amanda Peacock

Winner

SALE Consignment

Furniture & Textiles Vintage & Designer Clothing Vintage Jewelry Art, Antiques & Books Pottery & Collectibles Unusual one-of-a-kind GIFTS

410 East Haley • 805-962-1413

Open: Mon-Sat 11-5 • Sun 12-4 • cominichis.com New Location Dec 1st – 19 E Haley St.

THE INDEPENDENT

october 17, 2013

JESSE’S SHOES & REPAIR

415 E. Gutierrez St., 963-7825 Since 1967, Santa Barbarans with project manias have ﬂocked to Home Improvement Center for enablement. Mike Owens, operations manager and an employee for the last 28 years there, said that business has a funny relationship to the economy. If there’s a lot of building going on in a good economy, they do well. If times are tough and people are not building but repairing, they do all right. A few years back, things were pretty dismal, but Owens is happy HIC was there and kept a lot of staff on the ﬂoor (their turnover for workers is very low), helping those who came in. And he’s very happy that the readers continue to vote for them. “We’ve worked hard continually, and I think we’ve always given amazing service to our customers. We’re happy to win.” FINALIST

Orchard Supply Hardware

805-964-3414

5915 Calle Real #D Goleta, CA

santa barbara®

Winner

Voted #1

again

in 2013 ! Thank You!

TILE SHOP

Tileco 619 Olive St., 564-1868 This spacious place is chock-full of ideas, with tiles samples and bits to entice and satisfy the wackiest design ideas. Or the largest. Better yet, though, it’s staffed by people who know a lot about the craft of the business and bend over backward to ﬁnd what you need to do the job. FINALIST

NS Ceramic

LITTLE CREATURES ta ® sanara b bar

r e n Win CHILDREN’S CLOTHING STORE

Peanuts Maternity & Kids 9 E. Figueroa St., 618-1640 Owner Nicki Zuchowicz Horne wants people to know where she’s from. “I’m a local,” she said. “I went to Peabody school and Santa Barbara High.” But the reason she and her expertly staffed store wins is a lot more basic than that. “We care; people can tell that when they come in. We listen very carefully and give very individualized help.” The other thing people never guess is that the store has both new clothes and consignment goodies. For parents who don’t get a lot of hand-me-downs, it’s the next best thing. PICTURED: 17-month-old Jude Harding. FINALIST

Chicken Little

Protecting Your Treasure Since 1978

BEST DAYCARE

Rainbow School

Now Enrolling in Our Award-Winning Programs INFANT • TODDLER • PRE-SCHOOL • PRE-KINDERGARTEN • AFTER SCHOOL • SUMMERCAMP

Please Call for a Brochure: 805-964-4511

LICENSE #421710342

5689 Hollister Ave. • Goleta • www.rainbowschoolsb.com october 17, 2013

THE INDEPENDENt

Steve Epstein

CRS, GRI, SRES

Your Santa Barbara Realtor

25years

BRE # 994429

Celebrating

and 1,000 closed transactions

KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY S A N T A B A R B MONTECITO CARPINTERIA

805.689.9339

Epstein@SBRealEstate.com

A R A G O L E TA

SteveEpstein.com

1435 Anacapa Santa Barbara CA 93101

Voted Santa Barbaraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Best Real Estate Agent! 64

THE INDEPENDENT

ocTobEr 17, 2013

LITTLE CREATURES TOY STORE

Kernohan’s Toys Two locations “We’re very happy we won,” said Greg Brinser, who co-owns this Santa Barbara institution with his wife, Gretchen, buying it seven years ago from the Kernohan family. “We’re happy to be aﬂoat in this economy.” His wife does most of the buying for the store that tries to balance the kind of toys that help kids master the universe around them with the other kind of toys that help kids stay childishly alive. FINALIST

Chicken Little

DAYCARE FACILITY

Discoveries Learning Center 4519 Hollister Ave., 683-3001 “We have a sense of fun and a sense of community,” explained director Sophia Chang. “And it’s a great community of teachers, parents, and children,” she said of Discoveries’ mission, which is based on the theories of Eric Nelson, stressing outdoor activities enriched with educational vitamins. “We’re the only daycare facility accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children,” said Chang. FINALIST:

Orfalea Family Children’s Center

PET STORE

Lemos Feed & Pet Supply Two locations “It’s wonderful; we’re super excited to win,” said Lemos store manager Bernadette Rubio. The store, which ﬁrst opened in Arroyo Grande 41 years ago, arrived in Goleta in 2002 and has been sweeping this award for the last three years. “We strive to provide the best customer service possible,” said Rubio. “We have a great selection, lots of healthy treats, and great prices, too.”

santa barbara®

FINALIST

Petco

Winner

PET GROOMING

The Little Dog House 5758 Hollister Ave., 964-2446 Annabelle Hofmann is actually surprised to win this year; personnel problems and other headaches made it less than optimal for the 38-year-old shop. But win she did, and all she can say is what she has always maintained about the place. “Dogs are my life. When I’m not here, I have a rescue group. We can groom any kind of dog, and we don’t care if people say they are difﬁcult. We know dogs,” she said. FINALIST

For Paws Salon

have parents that can send their wild things to feed, watch, and learn from other creatures in a bejeweled setting. FINALIST

YMCA

PET HOSPITAL/CLINIC

San Roque Pet Hospital 3034 State St., 682-2647

KIDS’ SUMMER CAMP

Zoo Camp Santa Barbara Zoo, 500 Niños Dr., 962-5339 One of the jewels of this city is its zoo, no matter where you stand on the animal-rights issues. Small, humane, and as much used for education as pleasure, the place gets turned over to kids in the summer months as it should. Zoo Camp is more than popular; it’s basically a rite of passage for grammar-school kids lucky enough to

Technically, this hospital is part of a larger group of businesses that includes a Montecito pet hospital and a dog rehab center, all under the umbrella of Santa Barbara Veterinary Group. Doctor Dave Dawson is proud of his award and the expanded services they are offering nowadays — and they are going to seven days a week. “It’s hard to say why they voted for us, whether it’s the homeless pet [project] or our taking over a while back when CARE suddenly closed their doors or if it’s the new rehabilitation center. I don’t know, but I’m glad we can provide compassionate and exceptional care for animals.” FINALIST:

PET BOARDING

Dioji K-9 Resort & Athletic Club Two locations “My best guess as to why we win this is our amazing staff,” explained Jeannie Wendel, one of three owners of this popular cross between pet boarding and animal luxury spa. “They all work their buns off, they’re all dog lovers, and they love to play with dogs.” Wendel said that, in the past, Dioji had dabbled in training but nowadays just sticks to the basics, taking care of pooches for the people who love them. “You know something? Dogs have a blast here, and we have webcams, and we decided to ramp up our service. We take pictures of dogs and then e-mail them to the owners. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people say they hate to leave their dogs, but getting a picture of them having fun just makes their day.” FINALIST

Animal Inn, Camp Canine

White’s Pet Hospital

october 17, 2013

THE INDEPENDENt

We’re Honored You’ve Chosen Us For 26 years in a row!

Stellar Service AKA BEST Restaurant Service

Let the good times roll!

The Palace Grill Cajun-Creole-Caribbean

Tha n Y'al ks l!

santa barbara®

Winner 805.963.5000 8 East Cota Street Serving Lunch & Dinner 7 Days

www.palacegrill.com

Thank You Offer FREE Crawfish Popcorn

When you dine with us at The Palace Grill, you will be waited on, pampered & entertained by all members of our staff.

THE INDEPENDENT

october 17, 2013

w/ 2 Entrée Order Exp. 12/20/13 • Limited 2 per table Not valid w/ other discounts.

GOING OUT

Hidden Oaks COUNTRY CLUB BBQ • Tables •Linens • Heaters Up To 100 Guests

santa barbara®

Winner 4760 CALLE CAMARADA • SANTA BARBARA WWW.HIDDENOAKSCLUBHOUSE.COM

805-967-5574

DANCE CLUB

Wildcat Lounge

Op en

GALLERY G

Pie Cottage & Bakery 5392 Hollister

• (8 05)

845-220

october 17, 2013

p 0•

com

organic • local • handcrafted

Gluten Free, Vegan & Sugar Free Pies Available

ies

sb.

New: Pastries & Espresso

ply

1221 State St., 962-7776 Regular schedule for the month at time of writing: indie rock; a night of campy television shows; a troupe of veteran edgy Santa Barbara jazz performers; a night of wine tasting and jazz; the lead singer from Toad the Wet

PIES & QUICHE

.sim www

SOhO Restaurant & Music Club

7 E. Anapamu St., 730-1460 SSubtitled “An American Gallery,” Frank Goss’s gradual expansion from art bookstore to small gallery to major force in S.B.’s art world can be experienced easily on any 1st Thursday of the month when most of the galleries are open serving wine and chatting. Sullivan Goss is always mobbed, and the café — also a cultural center of town — doesn’t have anything to do with the crowds. The art is mainly representational, contemporary sometimes, but mostly from the respected ranks of early- and mid-20thcentury artists. Goss is warm, welcoming, and discerning

Come Taste Santa Barbara’s BEST

SSullivan Goss, An American Gallery PLACE TO HEAR LIVE MUSIC

SAT 1

SSanta Barbara Bowl

- 5:30PM,

:30

EOS Lounge

FINALIST F

AM 7:30 I R E-F

-5

FINALIST

S Sprocket; a band of hot women rockers, all of whom have ggrown-up children; and much, much more. The couple who started running SOhO a long time ago pledged themselves st to insanely brilliant eclecticism. What we got was a club yyou could attend nearly any night of the month and see aand hear something crazy good. And they beat out a lot of m much bigger venues, too.

15 W. Ortega St., 962-7970 “What makes the WC popular?” asked owner Bob Stout, rhetorically. “Our staff. It’s kind of like the Santa Barbara Zoo — a little wild and very diverse. What people should know about the Kitty? Our farm-to-bar happy hour every Tuesday with Patrick Reynolds is our best-kept secret. Fun fact? Katy Perry penned her hit “Last Friday Night” after partying at the Kitty — and it was a Friday night. There are some great clubs downtown, and I think that pushes us constantly to try and give our customers more. And at the end of the day, everybody looks great under red lights.”

@ ies

THE INDEPENDENt

THANKS FOR VOTING US

Best Neighborhood Bar 5 YEARS IN A ROW

santa barbara®

EVERYDAY SPECIAL 10 • 3-6pm

4 HAPPY HOUR

Every day until 8pm

Choose: a menu item priced $7.50 or less and Choose: Any Pint, Well Drink. or House Wine

POWER HOUR

Domestic Drafts/Bottles

Premium Drafts/Bottles Any Shot

Any Pint or Bottle Beer Any Shot, Well Drink or House Wine

3 THURSDAYS

NFL SUNDAYS

Sun/Mon/Tue/Wed • 11pm-midnight $ $ $

r e n n i W

Tall Cans u-call-it drinks Appetizers

9pm-1am

• Pabst/Bud/Coors Well Drinks • Fireball Shots

Bottles & Pints

10am-9pm Pints & Bottles • $5 Tall Cans

4 10 Large Pizza • $12 Pitchers

$ $

with 2 toppings

Coors Lights/Bud Light

235 W. MONTECITO ST # 21 AND OVER # @THENEIGHBORHOODSB # #HOODBAR805 68

THE INDEPENDENT

october 17, 2013

GOING OUT of eye. People go there because it’s always a pleasure and sometimes exciting. FINALIST

Waterhouse Gallery

MUSEUM

Santa Barbara Museum of Art 1130 State St., 963-4364 “We once again feel extremely honored to receive this acknowledgement from The Santa Barbara Independent ’s readers and the larger community,” said museum director Larry Feinberg. “We are so glad that the community appreciates and takes advantage of what the museum has to offer, has become very involved in our various education programs, and has been particularly responsive to the exhibitions that we have presented over the past year. We hope that they will enjoy the exciting, upcoming John Divola photography show and that of the works of the great 19th-century French master Eugène Delacroix.” FINALIST

Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

THEATER COMPANY

CLASSICAL ENSEMBLE

Ensemble Theatre Company

Camerata Paciﬁca

914 Santa Barbara St., 965-5400 After all these years of wishing, dreaming, and fundraising, the little once-upon-a-time radical theater company is moving into big new digs at the Victoria Theater just in time to inaugurate the (also long-dreamed-of) arts corridor. Ensemble and the new Alma del Pueblo, not to mention the Arlington, Granada, S.B. Museum of Art, and scads of galleries and ﬁne restaurants, are interestingly coming into being as another neglected part of town — the Funk Zone — is also taking off. Opening in December with A Little Night Music and winding through the year with four more plays of artistic and pop interest ought to tell us clearly something about the future of arts in this town. ETC, a favorite with the readers, is positioned nicely now in the hub.

It’s hard to credit arguments that say classical music audiences are dying off, or even those who complain that people will only come out to hear the big guns like Mozart, Bach, and Beethoven. When you see how handily this chamber-music ensemble, with its iconoclastic ﬁgurehead Adrian Spence at the helm, beats the big orchestra in town with musical lineups that run mostly on 20th century and beyond. The ensemble itself is made up of regulars and friends, frequently invites guests into the fold, and plays a number of venues between here and Los Angeles. Exceptional, as they put it, for artistry and a sense of community, Camerata abides. FINALIST

Santa Barbara Symphony

FINALIST

Out of the Box Theatre Company

COLLEGE NIGHT

Sandbar Mexican Restaurant & Tequila Bar 514 State St., 966-1388 “The kids just love us, I guess,” laughed Amber Heyer-Rasmussen, promotion manager for the

Mexican restaurant/nightclub on State Street, the hub of Thursday-night frivolities. “That, plus we have a late-night happy hour where you can buy one drink and get the second for a quarter with a student ID. Besides that, the kitchen’s open ’til 11 p.m. We just want to say thanks so much to the people who voted for us.” FINALIST

Baja Sharkeez Mesquite-Mex Broiler

PLACE TO SHOOT POOL

Dargan’s Irish Pub & Restaurant 18 E. Ortega St., 568-0702 Nowhere in the lengthy name of this establishment do the words pool, billiards, or even snooker appear. Yet on cue year after year, the readers pick this place as their favorite place to rack up and sink some balls. Maybe it has to do with the Irish color on the felt, though more likely it’s the friendly staff, great bar and pub food, and a jukebox conducive to getting behind the eight ball and staying there. FINALIST

Don Q Family Billiard Center

october 17, 2013

THE INDEPENDENt

Family Owned and Operated for 45 Years

Thanks for voting us

Best Hardware Store 17 straight years!

santa barbara®

Winner

To All Our Loyal Customers,

The management and staff of Santa Barbara Home Improvement Center would like to pass on our heartfelt appreciation to you for voting us BEST HARDWARE STORE in the Santa Barbara area for 17 straight years. We pledge to continue offering our customers a superior shopping experience which includes: competitive prices, convenience, great product selection, knowledgeable sales staff, and the best customer service around. With much appreciation, Gary Simpson, General Manager

Customer Appreciation Coupon

SAVE 20% STOREWIDE * *Every-Day-Low priced and sale items excluded. Must Have Coupon. Exp. 11/03/13

415 E. GUTIERREZ 963-7825 CONVENIENT ACCESS/LOADS OF PARKING

OPEN 7 DAYS: Mon.-Fri. 7:45-7:00 • Sat. 8:00-6:00 • Sun. 8:30-5:30 • Delivery Available • Se Habla Español

santa barbara®

Winner

THE INDEPENDENT

october 17, 2013

GOING OUT

DANCE COMPANY

State Street Ballett 2285 Las Positas Rd., 563-3262 2662 A reader favorite for the last decade, State Street Ballet has been performing in town and touring the country since 1995. Founder and artistic director Rodney Gustafson is very happy to get the vote again. “We just got back from our big premiere of An American Tango in Los Angeles, and it was a big success with great reviews,” he said and outlined a busy 2013-14 season that will include The Nutcracker, The Taming of the Shrew, and Sleeping Beauty. “We have a very full season, and people here are very excited about getting the Best Of award.” FINALIST

Santa Barbara Dance Arts

THANKS FOR VOTING US THE BEST ART STORE AGAIN! If you haven’t been in for a while, come in and see what's new! Newly expanded frame shop which is still best deal in town • improved Craft section • Models • Warhammer and rockets • huge artist spray paint assortment • vast selection of Canvas and artist panels • and much more....

THERE IS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE!

ART ESSENTIALS 32 E. VICTORIA ST. 805-965-5456 Mon-Sat 9am-6pm • Sun 10am-5pm october 17, 2013

THE INDEPENDENt

DRIVING

LIMO SERVICE TAXI SERVICE

RockStar Transportation 882-9191 “I’m ecstatic about winning,” said RockStar owner James Houseman. “We’ve lost a couple of limo companies, and we’ve gained a few more cab companies. You know it’s so easy to start one on your own; you just get a car,” he said, explaining his worries about other forms of cab alternatives like Pink Moustache or Lyft (Internet rideshare) services. Besides the trained drivers, Houseman points out that RockStar cars are 100-percent dispatched, meaning drivers are pre-screened. “You have to call to get a RockStar,” he said. “We’ve mixed it up, kept it fresh, new cars. You don’t get an old cop car picking you up. We’re very happy we keep winning. But we’ll see where this business is by next year,” he said. PICTURED: RockStar owner James Houseman. FINALISTS

LimoLink (LIMO SERVICE) Yellow Cab (TAXI SERVICE)

THE INDEPENDENT

october 17, 2013

TOYOTA Of Santa Barbara

santa barbara®

Winner

LARGEST NEW AND USED CAR DEALER IN SANTA BARBARA!

Thank you Santa Barbara for making us Number One again!

The all new 2014 Corolla is here and the deals are GREAT! OVER 350 NEW AND USED VEHICLES TO CHOOSE, ALL WITH BIG CITY DEALS AND A HOME TOWN FEEL!

ToyotaOfSantaBarbara.com 5611HOLLISTER AVENUE

•

GOLETA, CA • 805.967.5611

october 17, 2013

THE INDEPENDENt

DRIVING MOTORCYCLE DEALERSHIP

Ducati of Santa Barbara 17 W. Montecito St., 884-8443 “I think people vote for us because they know we love our work,” said Trevor Dunne. “Let’s put it this way: [Employees] must work here because they love Ducatis because they don’t work here for the money.” Dunne purchased Ducati of S.B. 35 years ago and is about to retire. “Let’s face it: I’m not retiring; the kids are pushing me out,” he joked, though, indeed, his son will take over the business. “I had other businesses, but this was the one I love. They say if you love your job, you’ll never have to work your whole life.” FINALIST

Santa Barbara Honda

NEW CAR DEALERSHIP USED CAR DEALERSHIP

Toyota of Santa Barbara 5611 Hollister Ave., Goleta, 572-1130 There may be one answer to why Toyota wins this category every year for the last decade, and that would be Prius. But it would also be unfair, since many of the models from Corolla to Matrix sell well and represent great economy and near-green

performance in the fossil-fuel department. But no single answer works for the pre-owned part of the lot where BMWs, Fords, and Lexuses show up decently priced and, as advertised, with enough dealer backing to take the abandonment pain away from the phrase “previously owned.”

their consistency. It’s really all you need to do to contemporary cars in an age when all the moving parts are sealed in plastic and run by computer. Regular oil changes make vehicle investments last longer, and the availability and speed of this business makes long life possible.

FINALISTS

FINALIST

Santa Barbara Honda (NEW CAR DEALERSHIP) S.B. Auto Group (USED CAR DEALERSHIP)

Fast Lane

CAR WASH/ DETAILING

Educated Car Wash

winning polls so long. Except that might mislead folks to disregard the fact that the up-to-date and computerized shop is known for its integrity. You know those little cell-phone machines Bones uses in Star Trek to see what kind of sick the wounded aliens are? Well, they don’t have one of those, but they do have several of the next best things in technology and light years of experience, too. FINALIST

Top Shop Automotive

PLACE TO GET TIRES

Ian’s Tires & Auto Repair

3735 State St., 687-8800 From the $15 full service to the $200 super detail job, all of Educated’s work is hand done and offered with a discount on a gas ﬁll-up. Sometimes, when the tank is full and the dashboard is gleaming, our chaotic lives seem not so bad. Maybe it isn’t Thunder Road, but it is nice to see a bright future through the windshield for a change.

4299 State St., 683-0716 Eric Miller is Ian’s son, is proud to follow in dad’s tracks, and is grateful to win this, trumping the big-chain tire stores. “I think it’s word-of-mouth that helps us best,” said Eric. With prices, we try to be as competitive as possible. What a lot of people might not guess is that we do oil changes, tune-ups, and that we can get almost any brand of tire that you want.”

FINALIST

Fairview Car Wash

Big Brand Tire & Service

QUICK OIL CHANGE

AUTO REPAIR

Jiffy Lube

Richard’s Accurate Import Service

Many locations The readers pick this franchise year after year, and we have to commend them (the readers) for

401 Santa Barbara St., 962-1741 Mike Bishop’s repair shop ought to get a historical monument marker on its wall; it’s been here

SCOOTER DEALERSHIP

Ooty’s Scooters 629 E. Haley St., 965-8101 After touring the world, former Mountain Drive jeweler Chris Neeley became convinced that there was an obvious need for this city to learn from the commuting habits of the less-fuel-guzzlingaddicted citizens of the rest of the world. He threw himself into gear back in 2007, just before the world economy hit the skids, and came up with Ooty’s Scooters. Ooty, as any old Santa Barbara kid can tell you, was Neely’s nickname in school. Today, the Haley Street biz proudly offers a full line of affordable SYM Scooters, which Neely complements with a free helmet, dealer prep, and free tune-up to boot. Scooter commuting is sexy, environmentally kind, and tons of fun, and the Neely family believes what the rest of the world seems to know — it’s the most fun you can have at 70 miles per gallon. FINALIST

Ducati of S.B.

Best Motorcycle Dealership

santa barbara®

Winner scooter Dealership finalist

santa barbara®

Finalist

17 W. Montecito St. Santa Barbara, CA 93101 | (805) 884-8443 | ducatiofsb.com 74

THE INDEPENDENT

october 17, 2013

DRIVING ta ® sanara b bar

r e n n i W CAR RENTAL

Enterprise Rent-A-Car Many locations Cheap rates, a national infrastructure of drop-offs and pick-ups, plus the reliability of a big ﬂeet of cars that turns over quickly. Enterprise is all over town, and the readers have preferred it for more than a decade now. FINALIST

Avis Rent-a-Car

a ® nt sa ara rb a b

ner n i W

RICHARD’S ACCURATE COMPLETE JAPANESE GERMAN & DOMESTIC AUTO REPAIR & SERVICE

Thank you for your support in 2013

• Cooling Systems • Alternators • Tune-Ups • Transmissions • Computer Diagnostics • Check Engine Light • Brakes • 30K, 60K, 90K Service

SANTA BARBARA

ACURA • AUDI • BMW • CHRYSLER • FORD • GM HONDA • HYUNDAI • INFINITY • ISUZU • LEXUS MAZDA • MERCEDES BENZ • MITSUBISHI • MINI TOYOTA • NISSAN • VOLKSWAGEN • VOLVO

FREE Shuttle (SB & Goleta) 805-962-1741 401 Santa Barbara St (at Gutierrez) • Open M–F, 8:00am-5:30pm

Thank You Santa Barbara

from Chocolate Maya’s kitchen where the magic is created!

Let Us Help You Feed the Day! We’re proud of our Healthy California Cuisine Come and Enjoy Breakfast, Lunch & Beyond... Complete Catering for Corporate Events, Parties & Weddings

santa barbara®

Winner

Jack’s Bistro Famous Bagels & Catering Carpinteria

5050 Carpinteria Ave. (805) 566-1558 #1

11/17/13

(805) 566-1558 #1 www.bagelnet.com

Milpas

53 S. Milpas Street (805) 564-4331

(In the Trader Joe’s Plaza)

Justen Alfama, Catering Coordinator 805-319-0155 • 805-566-1554 #4 • justencater@cox.net 76

THE INDEPENDENT

october 17, 2013

(Kidkraft excluded, limit 1 per customer, may not be combined with other discounts.)

FALLING IN LOVE

santa barba ra®

Winner

PLACE TO BUY JEWELRY

Bryant and Sons Two locations Bling bling bling went my heartstrings, or something like that, says the old sweet song. Gentlemen have surprised sweethearts and, truth be told, gotten out of hot water with gems and riches from these family-owned S.B. stores for half a century. And women have reminded men to be prompt with timepieces from the likes of Patek Phillippe and Cartier. The Bryants pride themselves for carrying festoonery for all budgets, from sweet mementos to memories that potentially span many lifetimes. Square-cut or pearshaped, this is where the town shops for best friends. PICTURED: owner Michael Bryant. FINALIST

33 Jewels

PLACE TO BUY INTIMATE APPAREL

A Tropical Affair 12 E. Cota St., 730-1625 “It’s so cool to win,” said owner Heather Taylor, who confessed that she was the one who suggested to Indy staff that this category be included and then lost two years to a large national emporium of underthings, whose name shall remain secret. “In December, we will have been here for 13 years, and we feel so blessed to have made it through the bad economy. We want to thank our loyal customers. The thing that people don’t know about us is that we have a register where women can come in and see something to die for and put it down,” she said. Signiﬁcant others, perhaps not so skilled at this type of shopping, need only come in and voilà! Worries are over, and fun has just begun.

CATERER

Pure Joy Catering 111 E. Haley St., 963-5766 “Our specialty is listening,” said Pure Joy owner Lynette La Mere. “What I love best is melding our ethnicities.” In other words, the wedding and other parties they cater are made up of people from Australia to Zambia, and they try to put together parties that make everybody happy. “The other day we made food for a Sumatran grandmother. We loved making the grandmother smile. I’m so grateful for this; we’ve been at this so long,” she said — 14 years to be exact. “Helping people celebrate, it’s an incredible gift.” FINALIST

Omni Fresco Catering

FLORIST

Victor the Florist 135 E. Anapamu St., 965-3075 It’s all in the family, even though the names have changed since Victor Saramani first opened this store in 1930. Today, it belongs to RaeAnne Alvarado, who is a third-generation descendant but completely part of Victor’s vision, according to Melanie Brainard, who’s worked in the store a couple of decades herself. “It is the oldest store, but people also like us because we guarantee our work,” she said. “We only use fresh flowers, but if something goes wrong, we fix it.” Victor, she feels, would approve.

FINALIST

Victoria’s Secret

Riley’s Flowers

october 17, 2013

THE INDEPENDENt

santa barbara®

Finalist

Harmony

S.B. County Winery White Wine

Producing wine in the Funk Zone since 1962

www.sbwinery.com 805.963.3633 No tree was harmed in the making of this tile.

sant s a ta ant barbara rbara ara a®

Winner

Inspired by nature,made by man. Wood looking tiles are the showcase of Italy’s newest technology in porcelain.

Bellarri Bracelet and Ring 18 Karat Rose Gold Smokey Quartz, Pink Tourmaline and Diamond $14,500.00 Bracelet $6,500.00 Ring

Watch out wood, we’ve got something better.

ING EN P O

812 State Street • Santa Barbara 966.9187 1482 East Valley Road • Montecito 565.4411 BryantAndSons.com Consecutive Winners of News Press Re ader’s Choice Award and Independent Best Jewelry Store Award 78

THE INDEPENDENT

october 17, 2013

W NE

E US HO E R WA

OM RO W H RT SHO

! ON O S

L PA O N

FALLING IN LOVE BRIDAL SHOP

Panache Bridal 1315 State St., 892-4000 “Oh my gosh, it has to be our customer service,” said manager Kimberly Allen. “From the second you walk in, you are made to feel important — and you are.” Besides the service, though, Allen believes there is an appealing range of dresses available for nearly every wedding’s budget. We have price ranges all across the board. Besides that, we pride ourselves in having dresses for the very voluptuous.” You don’t need to leave town to ﬁnd a gown, she said. “I want this place to be the experience I would want.” FINALIST

La Soie Bridal

WEDDING CAKE SHOP

Wayne Kjar Cakes 2018 Cliff Dr., 845-5519 “We are very excited to win,” said Wayne Kjar, who cracked open this category almost immediately after opening up on the Mesa. “I think it’s quality, consistency, and delivering on time — doing what is expected,” he said. “Most people don’t know

that we are not upset by last-minute orders. But I think the best thing is a testimony we got online from one of our customers who wrote, ‘Even though they knew our budget was small, they never made us feel like second-class citizens.’ I like that,” said Kjar. FINALIST

Montecito Confections

BED AND BREAKFAST INN

TUXEDO RENTAL

ROMANTIC RESTAURANT

Mission Tuxedos

The Stonehouse

135 W. Mission St., 569-3334 John Murray’s Mission Street establishment has been the place where nervous suitors go to look ﬁne for their fair ladies — whether it’s for prom night or for marriage — since Ronald Reagan was in the White House. They carry formal couture — penguin suits — from four designers and an in-house brand. If Leontes was right that clothes oft proclaim the man, then this store is where you go to make a suave noise.

San Ysidro Ranch, 900 San Ysidro Ln., 565-1724 Imagine it’s a setting, a play about love. It’s summertime on the patio on a Friday night, creek side, ocean view, stars winking above. When it isn’t warm, we go indoors to a roaring fireplace in a 19th-century citrus house. Thus, the stage is set. Action starts with some fennel-dusted venison carpaccio and then moves into carbonara with jamón ibérico and truffle oil. After that, a brownbutter peach financier. Some spirits intervene, too. Then the forces opposing romance haven’t got a chance.

FINALIST

King Tux

FINALIST

El Encanto

The Upham 1404 De la Vina St., 962-0058 Perhaps the ultimate escape is to hide in plain sight. Not that there’s anything plain about the region’s oldest working hotel. But it is right downtown within walking distance from the arts hub. At the same time, when you are in one of the grand rooms or lolling by the gardens, you feel so far removed from reality — never mind the town — that it’s easy to forget any cares. “It’s the uniqueness of the property; it has such a special character,” said general manager Jan Martin Winn. “I know what it is, and maybe it sounds corny, but the staff and the place itself are just so welcoming here.” FINALIST

Simpson House Inn

ng Thank You For Voti ara Panache Santa Barb Best Bridal Shop!

santa barbara®

Winner

THE INDEPENDENt

WE PUT THE

Tooth Fairy

OUT OF BUSINESS www.JohnsonFamilyDental.com

Best Dentist

Thanks for Voting JOHNSON FAMILY DENTAL

again for BEST DENTIST of Santa Barbara! FREE New Patient Exam X-RaysOfferand Consultation Expires 11-18-13 80

THE INDEPENDENT

october 17, 2013

3906 State Street 805-880-1299

LIVING WELL santa barbara®

r e n n i W

DENTIST

Johnson Family Dental Many locations This 50-year-old business is well known for the quality of care and the gentle way pain is dealt with. But Johnson Family business manager Frank Hovey believes that other reasons make the family popular. For two days a year, they do free dentistry, or as they call it, Dentistry with Love. The doctors clean, examine, ﬁll, and extract for people who cannot afford to tend to their teeth in these expensive times. “We also open our doors to kids in August,” said Hovey. Consider the Best Of award as the community giving back to the business. PICTURED: dentist Steven Johnson. FINALIST

Dr. J. David Dart

october 17, 2013

THE INDEPENDENt

The Entire Staff at Evolutions would like to

Thank You for voting us Best Medical Spa again!

Proudly Providing the Most Advanced Skin Solutions to the Tri-Counties Since 2005 Terry J. Perkins M.D. Owner/Medical Director

350 Chapala St. #103 82

THE INDEPENDENT

ocTobEr 17, 2013

m e d i c a l

d a y

s p a

www.evolutionsmedicalspa.com ww

Come Visit Our Beautiful New Day Spa As Well!

805-687-0212

LIVING WELL BOOKSTORE

Chaucer’s Books 3321 State St., 682-6787 “Who would’ve thought it?” asked Mahri Kerley from her commanding post in the back room of what is certainly the best-stocked bookstore between Los Angeles and San Francisco. “We’re going into our 39th year. How many generations is that? We’re seeing the grandchildren of people who ﬁrst came in here, all these great people, our customers. I think the reason we’ve done so well is that we have this great staff. People come in and ask for a book, and they don’t know the title or the author but they know it had a green cover. We bend over backward, and people appreciate it. What surprises most people, though, is how big we are. They come in expecting a little independent store, and I’m sure we have more titles than Borders did when they were still here.” FINALIST

Granada Books

COMPUTER REPAIR

getting over some logistical bump, or (we know it sounds unlikely) their computer needs a repair, a lot of them have been going to MacMechanic for long enough that the advent of the sparkling corporate store downtown hardly rufﬂes their business. FINALIST

Apple Store

CAMERA SHOP

Samy’s Camera 614 Chapala St., 963-7269 Maybe there’s no such thing as ﬁlm anymore, virtually, but the world of cameras seems to be exploding outward. There are digital cameras you could throw away as well as thousand-dollar extra-loaded bodies; there are even special lenses you can slip on your smart phone to improve its pixelated depths. Best thing about Samy’s, though, is its long and complicated relationship with real photographers in this town. They have to keep up, and they even provide hobbyists with classes to stay abreast of the world where ﬁlm may seem quaint but great photography gets more possible all the time. FINALIST

MacMechanic

Best Buy

216 E. Gutierrez St., 965-9722 People love the Apple stores, except a lot of people don’t. Inasmuch as there are people who want help with their computer getting started or

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT STORE

Jensen Guitar & Music Co. 2830 De la Vina St., 687-4027 Exactly four decades ago, Chris Jensen opened his music store. It’s grown, shrunk, spread north, and ended up nearly in the same room where he started, but it’s never not been an important part of being a string musician in this town. Guitars, banjos, mandolins, and autoharps are just some of the few varieties of strummable truth that Jensen has sold, repaired, and taught to the melodychallenged youth of this town — who have ended up entertaining us in clubs, bars, and concert stages. Year after year, the readers pretend like there are no other instruments in the world than those with frets and picks and consistently vote this rocker palace number one on the charts. FINALIST

Nick Rail Music

GIFT SHOP

Plum Goods 909 State St., 845-3900 “I was jumping up and down like a crazy person when I heard the news,” said Plum Goods owner Amy Cooper. “You think I’m joking, but it makes a

difference. The other day I heard a customer walk lk in and say, ‘This place won a Best Of award; let’s go in.’” Yet all credit for Plum’s success has to go to Cooper, who took a food concept — buy locally — and made it work for treasures with things like custom-collage license plates and Santa Barbara soap. “I created this store to represent Santa Barbara proudly,” said Cooper. “I wanted people to know what I know; I did it to do my part to honor the city.” FINALIST

Lewis and Clark

PARTY SUPPLY STORE

Glenda’s Party Cove 3319 State St., 687-4500 It’s safe to say that for 37 years, this has been a place where you can go to outfit almost everything you need for a party, short of food and drink. Invites, place mats, wrapping paper, decorations, goody bags, games, and even thank-you notes — if you were merely attending the soirées — are all here. Steve Thomson’s store is something more than that, too. Feeling a little glum, chum, un petit bored? Just take a walk through his busy celebrative Loreto Plaza emporium (Excuse me? Cove.) and you’ll likely find some fine obscure raison de party. FINALIST

Michaels

Thank you Santa Barbara for Honoring Us Again! santa barbara®

READERS’ POLL

07 Best of

Finalist J. David Dart, DDS. • Jeffrey Rohde, DDS, MS Kelly Kendall, DDS • Karen Yoon, DDS

3D in HD!

• 3D Imaging for Detailed Diagnosis and Treatment Planning • High Tech, Fully Digital • Cosmetic , Restorative and Family Dentistry

1819 State Street. Suite A • 805-687-2400 • SBDDS.com NEW PATIENTS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME! october 17, 2013

THE INDEPENDENt

santa barbara®

Stewart Fine Art & Antiques

Winner

Specializing in early California, American & European fine art since 1986

Thank you Santa Barbara voters for making us #1 again in the Independent. We are so happy and appreciate all of you for continuing to choose our service. We promise to continue to keep your home, ofﬁce or property clean and organized and we will continue to do the best we can to satisfy your every need, so you can come back and ﬁnd your place “Really clean”. To show our appreciation in return (if you mention this ad) you will receive a 30% discount thru the whole month of November on your next general cleaning Service.

Thank you, Silvia & the Staff. 07 Best of

What inspires a life well lived? Edwin Roscoe Shrader (1878-1960) Mountain Landscape Oil on Canvas 20” high x 26” wide

Isn’t it all the special moments? Like waking up in your charming residence. Being greeted by name, with a warm smile. The newfound ease of living in the midst of everything you love. And the assurance that tomorrow’s care needs can be managed for you, right here at home. This is retirement living, enriched and unencumbered – tailored to you. This is life, your life, at Maravilla.

5486 Calle Real, Santa Barbara, CA 93111

215 W. Mission Street

(between Bath & De La Vina, parking in back)

Monday – Saturday 11-5:30 805-845-0255 stewartfineart@cox.net

INDEPENDENT & ASSISTED LIVING | MEMORY CARE

805.308.9531 SRG seniorliving.com RCFE# 425801038 santa barbara®

Thank you for voting Maravilla

“Best Retirement Residence.” 84

THE INDEPENDENT

october 17, 2013

Winner

LIVING WELL santa barba ra®

Winner

BANK

Montecito Ban

k & Trust

nk is Many locations think we won because the ba ner ow to e pe th st ho ju ld t ou no — “I w e give the community very visible in s but in a number of ways w ti ng be ar ke M k an B Michael Tow to ’t do ne d M on te ci ba ck ,” ex pl ai yn Tu llo h. “B ut w e co ul dne are ol W ar s. C er r custom D ir ec to out our loyal will be anything with in relationship banking; we cycle l rs ia ve nc lie na be ﬁ r thei major em not only in oldest there to help th o. We’re the largest and to e, cl cy . e id lif t sa e bu nk in town,” sh community ba F I NA L

IST

Wells Fargo

ART SUPPLY STORE

Art Essentials 32 E. Victoria St., 965-5456 “I think it’s our staff. We have the widest selection of supplies, but we also have a knowledgeable staff, a beautiful staff.” (We think some of his staff might have been standing near the phone during the interview, BTW.) “What most people don’t know, though, is that beside the art supplies, we have a humongous frame shop, and we’re expanding it. So you can get supplies to make the work and then ﬁnish it here, too.” FINALIST

Michaels

CRAFT SUPPLY STORE

Michaels 187 N. Fairview Ave., Goleta, 967-7119 All across the country, there are crafts stores where people go to buy felt, Styrofoam, sparkly paint, and scrapbooking stuff. Most

of the time, these stores are mom-andpops and a little eccentric with picked-over goods that seem to have been in the store since the Roosevelt years. That’s part of their charm. Michaels, however, is the idea of a crafts store with an eccentric corporate personality attached, so that stuff turns over and the faddishness of newfangled stuff gets introduced into the massive mix. They have classes and wish lists, too. And since they set down in Goleta, the readers have been playfully engaged.

the mat and glass that encases it. No wonder the appeal.

FINALIST

Many locations Now ofﬁcially known as FedEx Ofﬁce, this business began in Isla Vista by Paul Orfalea but has been owned by FedEx for the last nine years. Default loyalties aside, the city is always proud of its business successes; the appeal of the place that has remained unbroken is a clean environment open 24 hours with reasonable prices on good machines. After that, it all seems like a pale imitation.

Art Essentials

FRAME SHOP

Aaron Brothers 601 State St., 966-3954 The lasting appeal of this perennial winner has to do with its work measured against the cost. Always running some sort of sale, Aaron Brothers manages to take out the boring part of putting something up on the wall and demystifying it both as an activity and an expense. In other words, that cool drawing you bought won’t be out-priced by

FINALIST

Michaels

COPY SHOP

FedEx Ofﬁce (a k a Kinko’s)

FINALIST

Bill’s Copy Shop

RETIREMENT RESIDENCE

Maravilla 5486 Calle Real, 308-9585 Maravilla is far from the madding crowd behind the Calle Real shopping center in Nouveau Goleta. You wouldn’t think of it as a nature preserve, but it reviews very well for the natural setting — eucalyptus trees — and high-windowed apartments. Activities abound, and the owners pride themselves for providing a lot of freedom as well as a lot of care when it’s called for. They’ve been perennial winners for the last ﬁve years. FINALIST

Valle Verde

TRAVEL AGENCY

Santa Barbara Travel Bureau Two locations “Ecstatic,” said David de L’Arbre, who is a member of the second generation of his family

october 17, 2013

THE INDEPENDENt

20805

EDUCATED H C W AND

AR ASH DETAIL SHOP

POLISHING • WAXING • ACCESsORY SHOP

Thank You SANTA A R A B R A B r e n n Wi

santa a® ar barb

for Voting Educated the Best!

AAA Travel Sale AAA Travel

October 19 – November 2, 2013

Sale

Discover what’s new in cruises, tours and more from19 helpful AAA Travel October – November Agents. Plus, take advantage of Discover what’s new insavings cruises, tours limited-time booking of up † from helpful AAA Travel and more to $1,260 per couple.

2, 2013

Agents. Plus, take advantage of limited-time booking savings of up to $1,260† per couple.

VISIT YOUR LOCAL AUTO CLUB BRANCH DURING THE SALE AND VISIT YOU YOUR CAN: LOCAL AUTO CLUB BRANCH DURING THE SALE AND YOU CAN: • Plan and book your next

vacation-and save!next • Plan and book your save! • vacation-and Receive up to a $100 Visa® ® • Receive to household a $100 Visawith Gift Cardupper Gift Card per household with qualifyingbookings! bookings!** qualifying Takeadvantage advantageof oflimitedlimited•• Take time timespecial specialoffers offersfrom fromAAAAAApreferred travel providers. preferred travel providers.These These offers may include: offers may include: • Exclusive discounts Exclusive discounts •• Shipboard credits •• Stateroom Shipboardupgrades credits • Stateroom upgrades HURRY! OFFERS ARE ONLY VALID WHEN YOU CALL OR VISIT OCTOBER 19 – NOVEMBER 2, 2013!

HURRY! OFFERS ARE ONLY VALID WHEN YOU CALL OR VISIT OCTOBER 19 – NOVEMBER 2, 2013!

CONTACT YOUR AAA TRAVEL AGENT FOR MORE INFORMATION!

CALL: 805-898-2870 CONTACT YOUR AAA TRAVEL AGENT FOR MORE INFORMATION!

VISIT: 3712 State St Santa Barbara, CA

Thanks for voting!

santa ® Offers may be withdrawn at any time without notice. AAA members must make advance reservations through AAA Travel to obtain Member Benefits and barbara savings. Member Benefits may vary based on departure date. Travel Sale will take place October 19-November 2, 2013 during normal business hours. The Automobile Club of Southern California acts as an agent for the various travel providers featured during the Travel Sale and is a motor club with a principal place of business at 3333 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. CTR #1016202-80. †Savings valid for AAA members only. Save up to $1,260 per couple on new General Tours Small Group, Privately Guided or Small Ship journey when paid in full at time of booking by November 2, 2013. For travel January 1, 2014-December 31, 2014. Not valid on Hosted and Free Style journeys. Other restrictions apply. *Visa Gift Card offer only valid in CA. Minimum purchase required to qualify for Visa Gift Card offer. Maximum one (1) Visa Gift Card offer per household. Offer valid only on new bookings made on or after October 19, 2013 which are under full deposit no later than November 2, 2013 for travel commencing no later than December 31, 2014. Gift Card will be provided to lead client/trip payee following trip final payment. Bookings of $2,500-$4,999 qualify to receive a $25 Visa Gift Card; bookings of $5,000-$9,999 qualify to receive a $50 Visa Gift Card; bookings of $10,000+ qualify to receive a $100 Visa Offers may be only withdrawn at any timebookings without notice. AAAthrough members makepreferred advancetravel reservations through AAAon Travel to obtain MemberOffer Benefi ts and Gift Card. Valid on cruise or tour provided onemust of AAA’s providers; not valid Fly/Drive packages. subject tosavings. change Member without notice. apply.on Visa and Visadate. Signature trademarks of 19-November Visa International Service Association and are hours. used BenefitsRestrictions may vary based departure Travel are Saleregistered will take place October 2, 2013 during normal business byThe theAutomobile issuer pursuant Visa U.S.A., Copyright 2013 Automobile of Southern Club to of license Southernfrom California acts Inc. as an agent for the various travel©providers featuredClub during the TravelCalifornia. Sale and isAllaRights motor Reserved. club with a

Finalist

3735 State Street | 805-687-8800 86

THE INDEPENDENT

october 17, 2013

principal place of business at 3333 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. CTR #1016202-80. †Savings valid for AAA members only. Save up to $1,260 per couple on new General Tours Small Group, Privately Guided or Small Ship journey when paid in full at time of booking by November 2, 2013. For travel January 1, 2014-December 31, 2014. Not valid on Hosted and Free Style journeys. Other restrictions apply. *Visa Gift Card offer only valid in CA. Minimum purchase required to qualify for Visa Gift Card offer. Maximum one (1) Visa Gift Card offer per household. Offer valid only on new bookings made on or after October 19, 2013 which are under full deposit no later than November 2, 2013 for travel commencing no later than December 31, 2014. Gift Card will be provided to lead client/trip payee following trip final payment. Bookings of $2,500-$4,999 qualify to receive a $25 Visa Gift Card; bookings of $5,000-$9,999 qualify to receive a $50 Visa Gift Card; bookings of $10,000+ qualify to receive a $100 Visa Gift Card. Valid only on cruise or tour bookings provided through one of AAA’s preferred travel providers; not valid on Fly/Drive packages. Offer subject to change without notice. Restrictions apply. Visa and Visa Signature are registered trademarks of Visa International Service Association and are used by the issuer pursuant to license from Visa U.S.A., Inc. Copyright © 2013 Automobile Club of Southern California. All Rights Reserved.

LIVING WELL to own this business ﬁrst begun in 1947, presumably a time when the world became visitable again after long strife. Today, the issues are personal service over computer efﬁciency slash indifference. “We do this all the time, and we are not hobbyists,” said de L’Arbre. “There used to be 80 travel agencies in this town, and now we’re down to nine. The people left, like us, are dedicated to the duty of care. That’s our job, and we do it very well.” FINALIST

AAA

pain-free, healthy, and fulﬁlling lives. My staff is the very best, and we will continue to strive for excellence.” FINALIST

Dr. Charles Bissell

B B

LICENSED MASSAGE THERAPIST

e e s s t t

Marlo Tell ACUPUNCTURIST

Points of Health 1805 E. Cabrillo Blvd., Ste. E, 687-7775 “The entire Points of Health team is very grateful to win for the third consecutive year,” said POH acupuncturist Erik Smith, coming right to the point. “We want to thank all of our wonderful patients for their support and trust. Words cannot describe the amazing feeling of helping someone to heal. This is our passion!” FINALIST

Anthony Kar

CHIROPRACTOR

Dr. Lori Sender-O’Hara 25 Carlo Dr., Ste. B, Goleta, 964-0222 “I want to express my gratitude to all my patients who voted for me,” said Dr. Lori Sender-O’Hara. “I am elated to have won again this year. It really has been a gift to me to serve this community for over 26 years. There is no greater joy than to help people live

1126 & 1128 Coast Village Cir., Montecito, 453-2333 “The talented staff of Marlo’s Therapeutic & Sports Massage thrive on improving the lives of professional and amateur athletes, as well our local and out-of-town clients,” said Marlo Tell. “Our new location in Montecito has made for an amazing year. With many contributions around lifestyle, health, nutrition, and fitness information, our social-network presence continues to grow as a community resource. Thank you to everyone who voted us Best Massage a ﬁfth year in a row!” FINALIST

o of f n nt t r r

Mary Elliott

b b

s sa a

a a b ba a a a

r r

a a

OPTOMETRIST

Dr. Taka Nomura, Eye & Vision Care of Santa Barbara 5300 Hollister Ave., 692-6977 For 30 years, Dr. Nomura’s Eye & Vision Care has set its sights high and earned praise for thoroughness and a whole-body approach to healthy eye care. Beyond checkups, eyeglass ﬁttings, and even emergency care, Nomura and the other optometrists who work at

the corner of Hollister and Patterson believe in education as well as professional therapies. FINALIST

Dr. Cory Bream

20834

THANK YOU ‘AGAIN’ FOR VOTING ME – BEST CHIROPRACTOR!!! IF YOU SUFFER FROM ANY OF THESE SYMPTOMS, DR. O’HARA CAN HELP! Headaches Or Migraines Posture Correction Pediatric Wellness Care Sciatica Or Disc Problems Shoulder Pain Or Carpal Tunnel Radiating Pain Or Numbness In Arms Or Legs Sports Injuries And Performance Enhancement

YOUR SPINE IS DESIGNED TO MOVE WITH EASE

liveNwellness.com

25 CARLO DRIVE B, GOLETA, CA 93117 • (805) 964-0222 october 17, 2013

THE INDEPENDENt

1R0 0CKSTAR CKSTAR th

ANNIVERSARY

VOTED BEST TAXI & LIMO SERVICE 10 9 YEARS *

IN A ROW!

.... nobodys perfect



santa barbara®

r e n n i W

ROCKSTARSB.COM  TAXIS  LIMOS  BUSES  TROLLEYS  CALL 805.882.9191

The Evolution will not be televised ... So we put it in the Independent

ROCKSTAR PARTNERS WITH

BER

Thousands of Years Ago

To Infinity & Beyond FIRST RIDE FREE WITH

BLACK

UP TO $20 OFF WITH PROMO CODE

RSTAR

RIDE IN

Style

BLACK EVERYONE’S PRIVATE DRIVER 88

THE INDEPENDENT

october 17, 2013

SPORTING LIFE HEALTH CLUB

YMCA Two locations Considering the abundance of fancier sweat-stained alternatives, the triumph of the good-old Y seems inspired. “We like to think of ourselves as offering so much more for people than a health club,” said membership director Eliot Bertha. “But don’t get me wrong; we’re thrilled that they picked us. I think people enjoy coming here because of the familyfriendly atmosphere. Of course, we also have state-of-the-art equipment and all the classes we offer from tabata to Zumba. And the pool. We have lots of options; that’s probably our biggest draw. From birth to 100 years old, you can probably ﬁnd something for everybody here.” FINALIST

Spectrum Athletic Clubs

YOGA STUDIO

Yoga Soup 28 Parker Wy., 965-8811 Best known as a soulful gathering place, Eddie Ellner’s extremely eclectic studio serves up an advanced and diverse yogic fare, from plain-old Kundalini to exotica like Yogalates, popular teachers in town beginning with Ellner himself but including David Courtenay, Yoni Berk, and Ken Gilbert. The fact that many of these teachers are also performing artists probably helps add the exciting sense of studio as scene. It’s diverse, reasonably priced, and a great place to hang out, nibble some organic nosh, and maybe attain satori before dinner. FINALIST

autumn when the weather around here turns nice: check. Camp store: check. Beach trails: double check. Surrounding mountains beautiful, and lonesome-sounding train rushing through at night. Monarch butterﬂies. Kelp forests. Canyons full of song. Who needs PR when you have a shaded creek-mouth beach? Conclusion? The readers rule.

Yasa Yoga

experience great for everybody, and you never know what slice of life you’ll see in this store.” FINALIST

Sundance Beach

CAMPING GEAR STORE

SNOWBOARD/ SKI GEAR STORE

REI

Mountain Air Sports

698-6080 “You just made my week,” said the irrepressible Schatzle, who has been in town for more than a decade but has built up her outdoor classes in Chase Palm Park during the last nine years, earning the readers’ votes. “We always like to say that we don’t change your body, we change your life. I hope that’s why they voted for us. We’re all about helping people at every level from extreme athletes to people fresh off the couch. Please tell the readers they just made my day.”

321 Anacapa St., 560-1938 Campers, who seek to escape the complications of civilized life, notoriously need a lot of equipment. Tents and sleeping bags are only the beginning. People need lightweight toothbrushes to put in their ultra-light backpacks full of dehydrated food. There are ﬂashlights and safety matches, parkas and tarps, compasses and maps, and don’t forget the canteen. It’s harder to be a noble savage, but it’s a lot easier to be a prepared outdoors-person with REI’s huge inventory and competitive prices. Its second year in town and it’s won each year; all you need to add is the wanderlust.

14 State St., 962-0049 It’s worth reminding ourselves that this store has taken this award every year since, well, since there was an award. “We’ve won it every time,” bragged owner Ken Duddridge. “You can calculate how many times that was.” And as for the reasons? “I hope it’s because we give customers really good and really helpful service. Our customers ski all over the world, and we do everything from selling equipment to custom fitting of ski boots. You don’t usually find that kind of expertise in stores, as they say, down in the flatlands.”

FINALIST

REI

OUTDOOR FITNESS PROGRAM

Jenny Schatzle

S.B. Sweat

Mountain Air Sports

CAMPGROUND

SWIMWEAR STORE

El Capitán State Beach/ El Capitan Canyon

Bikini Factory

FINALIST

SKATEBOARD SHOP

STATE BEACH: Off Hwy. 101, 17 miles west of Santa Barbara,

968-1033 CANYON: 11560 Calle Real, Goleta, (866) 352-2729 Since campgrounds have limited access to public relations ﬁrms, we have only the obvious facts at hand to guide us to answer the question, why does this campground win the readers’ poll year after year? Well, let’s just look. Great beach, sandy, and nice for bodysurﬁng and frolics: check. Campsites clean and reasonably priced with lots of available space in

2275 Ortega Hill Rd., Summerland, 969-2887 It’s hard to imagine sadness entering this little paradise in Summerland, but last year we all mourned the death of Sally Yater, who ﬁrst opened the little shop — then in Santa Barbara, later in Summerland — the same year the Beatles wanted to hold your hand. Since 1963, generations of women have found their beachy look here, and longtime manager — now owner — Linda Meyer is keeping her spirits up by keeping up the great tradition. “I think it boils down to customer service. I keep reminding myself that this is a painful process for some women. Some enjoy it a lot, but for others it’s hard. We try to make the

Church of Skatan 26 E. Gutierrez St., 899-1586 There is no subculture as dedicated to merry self-destruction as the skateboarding world. Sure, surfers and BMX guys risk their necks routinely, but skaters seem a lot more dogged in hurling themselves against the rough edges of reality in order to perform dubious feats. We say this in wonder, really, and our hats are also off to the crew that has manned this defrocked church, branding it with a punny yet clearly sacrilegious title, and then turning around with more dogged determination, making a go of a very niche business in a very high-rent town. Now that the world has followed them, let’s just pray that this

CONT’D p. 95 >>>

october 17, 2013

THE INDEPENDENt

THANK YOU!

santa barbara®

The Brander Vineyard, producer of world-class wines since 1975, thanks YOU for voting us BEST WHITE WINES, yet again!

Winner We invite you to visit us at our beautiful estate vineyard and tasting room to experience our classically-styled wines for yourself. Two-for-one tastings when you mention this ad, during the month of October. We are open every day.

2401 NORTH REFUGIO RD. SANTA YNEZ, CA 93460 BRANDER.COM 805.688.2455

THE BEST OF

CUTTING EDGE! Celebrating our 26th year! 10% OFF

any or prsoedrvuice with men c tion of th ts is ad Exp. 11/1 6/13

• • • •

COME MEET OUR TEAM!

CUTS • COLORS • PERMS • WAXING • FACIALS • MASSAGE Cutting Edge Hair & Body Salon 5779 Calle Real, Goleta (next to Trader Joe’s) (805) 681-8100

www.cuttingedgehairandbodysalon.com 90

THE INDEPENDENT

october 17, 2013

FREE Courtesy Ride Results Guaranteed Four Wheel Alignments Brakes & Shocks

• Honest Answers • General Repairs • Great Deals

COUPON

$70 OFF

santa barbara®

4 Tires & Wheel Alignment

includes front or 4 wheel alignment *50 OFF on 4 Tires, $20 OFF Alignment With this coupon thru 11/30/13 Not valid with other offers or prior purchase

4299 1/2 State St. Santa Barbara

683-0716

Winner

Thanks For Voting Us Santa Barbara’s Best Juice Bar Year After Year After Year!

Granada Books is delighted to be recognized as a Finalist in the 2013 Best Bookstore voting. At four months old, we are grateful for your votes and look forward to helping you ﬁnd your next favorite book. Thank you Santa Barbara!

santa barbara®

Fresh Juice, Smoothie and Wheatgrass Bar

Try one of our New Smoothies Pitaya, Tropical Kale, & Power Greens

Finalist

santa barbara®

1224 State Street Santa Barbara, CA 93101 (805) 845-1818

Winner For a location near you check our website

sbgranadabooks.com

www.drinkblenders.com

n!al offe o W ci

r r sp a B il oy ou

Nad & enj a qu is a

ng bri

h in t

santa barbara®

Aqua

Winner

Come Celebrate! Enjoy 10% off any pedi* $35 spray tan (reg $50) $25 brazilian wax or $5 any waxing service Schedule your appointment 24/7 with our online chat receptionist at www.aquanailbar.com

687-8483 3455 State St., Santa Barbara www.aquanailbar.com

We’re The BEST Again! Thanks from the folks at santa barbara®

Winner

23 CONSECUTIVE YEARS

Ana • Andrew • Bill • Chris • Craig Damon • Emily • James • Javier • Jeremy Joe • John • Julia • Kim • Max Rich • Richard • Roger • Terry & Bob

SANTA BARBARA: GOLETA:

15 Hitchcock Way Upper State St. 682-4699 250 Storke Rd at Hollister 685-6799

*offer not good with mani pedi combos. offer expires Nov. 15th, 2013 october 17, 2013

THE INDEPENDENt

etcsb.org

Congratulations santa barbara®

2o13

oll P ’ s r e d a e R

Winners & sts Finali

www .independent.com/bestof2013 13396

LEE’S TAILORING

® ta n ra sa ba r

to all 2o13

er nn Wi

Expert Tailoring and Alterations for Men & Women sa bar nta bar ® a

Winner 4141 State St. Suite E-4 • El Mercado Plaza

805-967-5728

WWW . LEESTAILORINGSANTABARBARA . COM

OPEN 7 DAYS! Monday - Saturday 10am-6pm • Sunday 11am-6pm

THE INDEPENDENT

october 17, 2013

SPORTING LIFE

SURF SHOP

Channel Islands Surfboards

santa ® a a b rbar

r e n n i W

36 Anacapa St., 966-7213 Between Rennie Yater and Al Merrick, this city embodies the origins and contemporary apex of surfboard shaping in the world. Merrick outﬁts most of the champion surfers on this wave-saturated planet, and this shop on the edge of the Funk Zone has since 1969 outﬁtted oceanlovers of all sexes, orientations, and degrees of expertise. They’ve been there for 40 years to fan the stoke. FINALIST

Surf ’n’ wear’s Beach House

santa barbara®

Winner october 17, 2013

THE INDEPENDENt

Come in and see why

Killer B’s

santa barbara®

was voted the finalist for BEST BBQ

Auth en

Finalist

n ntow tic smok w o d f o t ed BBQ in the hear Brisket • R ibs • Pulled Pork NFL Sundays Open at 9am

10% off

FOOD ITEMS ONLY WITH THIS COUPON EXP. 10/30/2013

718 State Street

845-2254

killerbbqandbar.com

u o Y s k Than ra a b r a B a t n a S

santa barbara®

Winner

15 W. ORTEGA • SANTA BARBARA 94

THE INDEPENDENT

october 17, 2013

Finalist Award Winning Margaritas To show our gratitude Casa Margaritas $5.00 • All Day Thursday Oct 17Sunday Oct 20

Meadow Rose Photography

Thanks for voting us BEST DANCE CLUB!

santa barbara®

H APPY H OUR Tues-Sun 3-6

9 1 4 Santa Barbara Street Santa Barbara • 9 66- 2 860 LaPlayaAzul.com

SPORTING LIFE >>> CONT’D FROM p. 89

church can stay solvent and its adherents remain bloody and unbowed. FINALIST

WHALE-WATCHING TOUR

Powell-Peralta

Condor Express

PLACE TO GET ATHLETIC SHOES

301 W. Cabrillo Blvd., 882-0088 Captain’s blog, sea date September 10, 2013: On this actual date, the skipper of this ﬁve-day-a-week day-tripper boat reported three pairs of humpback whales — “knobby-headed creatures” the captain called them rolling around and scooping up scads of anchovies from the sea accompanied by thousands of dolphins and a coupla minke whales. The ship doesn’t actually guarantee you will see whales — blues and orcas also abound during various seasons — but the captain will offer a whale check if the cetacean turnout doesn’t match usual expectations. Prices range from about $90 for a half-day adult tour to $25 for quarter-day TKkids depending on the season. It’s maybe not why we live in Santa Barbara, but it is an epic different dimension of strange life nearby and one we boldly ought to go to sea and see.

Santa Barbara Running Two locations “This is the seventh year we won and our 10th anniversary. Yay,” said Monica DeVreese who co-owns the S.B. Running stores with her husband, Joe. “I like to think that it’s the unparalleled customer service. You know how important it is to get a shoe right? But we also pride ourselves on serving all levels of active people.” Whether a professional runner, weekend warrior, or someone out for a nice walk, said DeVreese. “We haven’t decided how to celebrate our anniversary yet, but this is great.” FINALIST

Big 5 Sporting Goods

FINALIST

Double Dolphin

GOLF COURSE

Glen Annie Golf Course 405 Glen Annie Rd., Goleta, 968-6400 “If you saw me right now, you would see me doing backflips,” said Rich Nahas, Glen Annie general manager. “Of course, we’re excited we won. I think you can see our popularity from a value standpoint. It’s not expensive; it’s a championship golf course with amazing views and a restaurant that features fine cuisine. Put it all together, and it’s an amazing experience.” His backflips, he claims, are pretty exciting to experience, too. FINALIST

Sandpiper

S.B. TOUR COMPANY

Land and Sea Tours 216 Arboleda Rd., 683-7600 You probably know them better as the Land Shark, an idea that proliferated in seaside towns around the world in the last two decades, putting big amphibious craft out on the streets and then charging tourists a modest sum to see the host city by land and CONT’D p. 99 >>>

WE ARE MARTIAL ARTS FITNESS! Y L MI

santa barbara®

Thanks for making us #1 again! Home of Hapkido •

Winner

• 19 Kickboxing Classes per Week

122 E. Gutierrez St. • 963-6233 • www.kickboxers.com october 17, 2013

THE INDEPENDENt

e h t d r a o b a w e r c e h t m o r NK YOU f

! K R A H S D N A L E TH

THA

santa barbara®

Winner Best Tour Company

S R ES U S I O U T R R C O & B R S T N E V E E et T C I T Y & HA n . A k V r I a h R S P d n L I A heLa T T . K w C w O w C • 0 T 0 6 SU N S E (805) 683-7

TCP #016637-S

Voted BEST Whale Watch Tour Year after Year well being & beauty in balance well being & beauty in balance

santa barbara®

Winner 75 food quad-jet catamaran provides a comfortable ride along the Santa Barbara coast and the islands. Features a large raised bow, upper sun-deck, full-service bar, galley, and a professional, experienced crew. Come enjoy a day with the whales!

Exceptional Facial Treatments san ta

Departs Wed-Sun from Sea Landing in the Santa Barbara Harbor

(5-0"!#+ (805) 882-0088 • 1-800-77Whale ",5% 7(!,%3 CondorExpress.com 96

THE INDEPENDENT

october 17, 2013

Winner

3405 State Street • 805.687.9497 • www.skindeepsalon.com

SPORTING LIFE

BICYCLE SHOP

Bicycle Bob’s Two locations “We really believe a lot in customer service, but we also have a great selection,” explained owner Bob Zaratzian, whose store has managed to take this prize from the jaws of really long-established bicycle shops, as well as trendier new-school stores, for over a decade now. “We offer variety and service. We’re different because we try to reach all different levels. Some stores go for the high-end racing bikes, and that’s good. There should be such stores, but we try to have something for everybody from juvenile to experts, the higher end and everything in between.” PICTURED: Andrew McGuan.

santa barbar ® a

FINALIST

Velo Pro Cyclery

Winner october 17, 2013

THE INDEPENDENt

santa barbara速

Winner

Thank You for Voting Santa Barbara Adventure Company Best Wine Tour Company and Best Tour Company Finalist!

santa barbara速

Finalist

Locals Special: Save $50 on Channel Islands Sea Cave Kayaking! Promo Code: BESTOF13

(Must book 2 or more guests, all tours are subject to minimum numbers and availability. Offer expires Nov. 1, 2013)

Book Online at www.SBAdventureCo.com Reservations 805-884-WAVE (9283) Classic California Adventures Since 1998 Kayaking. Surfing. Biking. Wine Tours. Stand Up Paddle. Rockclimbing. Team Building and Outdoor Education.

santa barbara速

Winner

MASSAGES FACIALS WAXING BRIDAL PARTIES BODY TREATMENTS ACUPUNCTURE www.FloatLuxurySpa.com 98

THE INDEPENDENT

ocTobEr 17, 2013

BEST DAY SPA 20% off

Locals Special

Monday-Thursday

Call Us

(805) 845-7777

thank you

SPORTING LIFE >>> CONT’D FROM p. 95

by sea. This town seems best suited to the project. Or at least, this company does. “We’re doing great,” said Andre Manoux, who calls himself “one of the captains” of the surf-and-turf bus. “I think what we do is supply the perfect platform for parties. We keep busy year round, and the only month we are slow is December when it tends to rain.” Locals make up a surprisingly large proportion of their customer base, said Maroux. “But it doesn’t hurt that all of these cruise ships are coming to town now, too.”

they would get the same workout,” he claimed, referring to calories burned and challenges to musculature and breathing. “This opens up a whole new world of training, and we have amazing trainers, and the whole thing can be done in 40 minutes,” he said. (Enlightenment not guaranteed.)

PILATES STUDIO

Fit Buddha 330 State St., 901-3440 “We’re over-the-moon excited to win,” said Fit Buddha owner Marcus Kettles. He’s also completely nirvana’d out about his technology, something called a Megaformer Bionic True Body Sculptor, which he describes in enthusiastic detail. “You know the original intention of Pilates was to rehabilitate injured dancers’ bodies. This does that, but a lot more beside.” And it’s somehow universally customizable, too. “If you took a professional athlete and a beginner and put them on the machine at the same time,

FINALIST

Paragon Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu & Kickboxing

FINALIST

IM=X Pilates

DANCE STUDIO

FINALIST

S.B. Adventure Co.

which proves that the instructors are not only skilled, but very, very brave.

MARTIAL ARTS STUDIO

Martial Arts Family Fitness 122 E. Gutierrez St., 963-6233 There’s always been an emphasis on family involvement at Martial Arts Family Fitness. Kindness and respect are stressed, even though self-defense is clearly the most important job at hand. But it’s also family because there seems to be something for everybody — male, female, and of all ages. From the hapkido classes that range from beginner to black belt, there’s also kickboxing — super aerobic — and something they call KUT, which magically combines boxing and body sculpting. They also do birthday parties for kids,

Santa Barbara Dance Arts 1 N. Calle César Chávez, #100, 966-5299 This 17-year-old company evolved from Steven Lovelace’s very popular uptown Santa Barbara Dance Arts. Though he is now professor emeritus there, the new owner, Alana Tillim, more than honors the original sense of the place as an educational dance space, performance-honing opportunity, and great place to hang out and talk dance. Soon to move to their new headquarters of East Cota Street, SBDA with its school and Arts Mentorship connections to the community is a great place to dance hip-hop or ballet and just about everything in between. And yes, they have aerial, you crazy kids. FINALIST

Rhythm Dance & Fitness Studios

Sa Than nta k Y Ba ou rba ra!

santa barbara®

Winner

For more information or to make a reservation... Toll free (866) 352-2729 • www.elcapitancanyon.com • • info@elcapitancanyon.com october 17, 2013

THE INDEPENDENt

MEDIA S.B. COLUMNIST

S.B.-BASED D WEBSITE

Starshine Roshell

Edhat

The Santa Barbara Independent The Indy ’s Starshine is elated at the readers’ choice win again. “I’m going to hang that bad boy on my desk to remind me — the next time I’m tempted to abscond to the hammock with a pint of Rori’s malted milk balls and a ﬁst-sized spoon — that the readers are waiting to be outraged, enlightened, and amused,” said Roshell, whose third book, Broad Assumptions, is due out this November. “So thanks, you merciless slave drivers; I’m on it.” FINALIST

Nick Welsh

S.B. RADIO STATION

edhat.com Emailed of course: “Ed andd the dedicated staff of edhat.com are thrilledd and honored to have been chosen Best Santa Barbara Website by Independent nt readers eful to again. We are very grateful our dedicated subscriberss for their loyalty and support. rt. And Ed is grateful to the members of the dedicated staff for their hard work and enthusiasm. Thank you.”

KjEE 92.9 It’s interesting that KjEE, a so-called modern-rock station, should do well in a newspaper that appeals across the generations. But general manager and program director Eddie Gutierrez believes that his demographic is age 18-to-49 wide. “This is a funny town,” said Gutierrez, who tries to throw in as much Jack Johnson alongside Passion Pit as he can. “We’ve been around for 20 years now, and of course we started with grunge, and if you told me then we would be playing banjo rock like Mumford & Sons, I wouldn’t have believed it. Obviously, we are grateful to the readers,” he added.

FINALIST

independent.com

FINALIST

KTYD 99.9

20900

We have been Cosigning the Best Closets for 24 years!

santa barbara®

Winner

26 YEARS AS

BEST BBQ THANKS SANTA BARBARA

Watch for Our New

Rollback Menu r

Coming in Novembe

5112 Hollister Ave

Thanks for

Voting Us The Best! Fabulous Labels & Selections santa barbara®

FINE CONSIGNED WOMEN’S APPAREL

Winner

(Magnolia Center)

805.967.3775 100

THE INDEPENDENT

october 17, 2013

2008 De La Vina • 805.687.2755 jessicaconsign.blogspot.com