FIRSTS Willie and Trini Quinn.
Braulio Godinez
Downtown Dish by
Angela Borda
I
t’s Friday morning and I’m feeling like a leisurely breakfast on State Street, more specifically at La Arcada Bistro. Sitting on their sidewalk patio, I slice my fork into the poached egg on top of their Santa Barbara Benedict and watch golden egg yolk waterfall over rich avocado and spinach, mixing with lemony hollandaise and pooling by the house potatoes. This is a bit of all right, I think, wondering if I should add strawberries and cream to the table, or possibly their Irish oatmeal with candied walnuts. My friend is enjoying a monumental omelet and reaping the rewards of asking for her potatoes to be double-fried. Inside is a full bar that looks plucked straight out of Ireland. On more than one evening I’ve enjoyed a pint of Guinness and co-owner Willie Quinns’s tall tales (“Every one of ‘em true,” he assures me) and traditional Irish music. His wife Trini, from Mexico, makes sure that you can order fish tacos just as easily as shepherd’s pie, the menu a beautiful reflection of their marriage. 24
FOOD & HOME
Lunch at Kanaloa Seafood.
It seems beer is the key to an Irishman’s happiness, as Willie tells me he first met Trini when he brought beer over to an elderly friend’s house, where Trini was a caretaker. Willie came back night after night with a beer or two for his friend. It turns out, he wasn’t fooling anyone; they all knew he was visiting to see Trini! Up for a really special treat? It’s not on the breakfast menu, but you can order a traditional Irish breakfast with soft eggs, Irish bacon, sauteed tomatoes, black and white pudding (ask what’s in it, if you dare!), and Irish soda bread that Willie makes himself. As Willie says, the breakfast is “absolutely amazin’” and exactly what his family used to have on their farm in Ireland. Fortified with breakfast and good cheer, I enjoy an afternoon at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum, learning about Santa Barbara’s golden “film era” and the history of the Fiesta festival. But soon enough, the sun sets and my stomach grumbles. I stroll over to Kanaloa Seafood, where Friday
night dinner includes mellow live music and complementary palm trees. Sitting on the relaxed patio,
La Arcada Bistro breakfast.
I might not have guessed that inside is a world-class fish market, featuring sustainable seafood from all over the world. Chef Roberto Soria has rolled out a new menu for dinner, featuring lux grilled salmon and a memorable seafood pasta. And I will get to those entrees ….if I can make it past all of the tempting appetizers. Often I like to eat an entire dinner of appetizers with
a nice glass of wine (tonight it’s a crisp Sauvignon Blanc from Vogelzang Vineyard). My mind made up, I dive fork-first into a bowl of creamy mac and cheese with pasilla chiles, smooth white cheddar, and the twist of rich crab meat. Delicious! Another sip of wine, another look at the menu, and I go for the shrimp ceviche, a beautiful scoop of sweet shrimp, avocado, and salsa with house-made tortilla chips. Cold ceviche on a warm tortilla chip is the perfect bite, and I take many, until the plate is empty. Then I can’t resist the fritto misto, a plate of tender calamari and fish deep-fried in a cornmeal buttermilk batter with a light drizzle of cilantro sauce, dunked into a glorious lemon aioli. Oh yeah, this is the real deal. And I am delightfully full. Except Chef Roberto reminds me they have McConnell’s ice cream served with sliced mango for dessert. Sold! La Arcada Bistro, 1112 State Street, 805-965-5742, serving breakfast Friday–Sunday. Kanaloa Seafood, 715 Chapala Street, 805-966-5159 w w w. f o o d – h o m e . c o m