DINE & DEVOUR
PHOTO BY JAYSON MELLOM
CULTURE OF EXCELLENCE: AtariYa Japanese Restaurant is an institution in Santa Maria for authentic sushi and other Japanese cuisine, so it came as no surprise the restaurant won Best Japanese Food.
DINE & DEVOUR from page 26 Sunday. You’ll always find skilled hands behind the sushi bar, slicing and shaping fresh fish, veggies, and rice to your liking. Runner-up: Yanagi Sushi & Grill
Best Italian Food
—Brenna
TraTToria UliveTo 286 Broadway St., Orcutt Trattoria Uliveto has been enticing diners’ taste sensors for nine years now. Owners Jim and Mary Spallino and executive chef Alfonso Curti feature cuisine from Naples and Sicily. Their success starts with Curti’s home back in Calabria, Italy, and his mother’s recipes. Their most popular dishes, according to
Best Authentic Mexican Food
Jalisco, Mexico, to his beloved restaurant in Santa Maria. Fried pulpo (octopus)? Check. Tilapia? You got it. Crab enchiladas? Of course! “Most of the food here, Jalisco is where it’s inspired from,” Rafael’s nephew, Ishmael, told the Sun. “Everything we got is from Jalisco.” And it’s all freshly made, “Nothing is pre-cooked here,” he said. It’s breakfast, lunch, and dinner at Lo Mejor de Jalisco, with huevos in the gear box at 6 a.m. and shrimp cocktails served until 10 p.m. Runner-up: Cielito Lindo —Peter
lo Mejor de jalisco
Best Outdoor Dining
Mary, are the spinach ravioli, lasagna, and spaghetti and meatballs. They offer daily lunch and dinner specials and source their fresh produce from local growers. “It’s a pleasure being in Orcutt and having so many regular customers,” she said “We’re honored by the readers’ vote and love serving our community in Orcutt and Santa Maria.” Runner-up: Cugini’s Pizzeria & Trattoria —Ariel
116 Blosser Road, Santa Maria Lo Mejor de Jalisco owner Rafael Arias has made it his mission for the last 30-plus years to bring traditional seafood dishes from his home state of
28 • Sun • August 10 - August 17, 2017 • www.santamariasun.com
Mo ie café
1317 W. McCoy Lane, Santa Maria The combination of twinkle lights and a
wind barrier is what truly makes Moxie Café’s outdoor patio so inviting to customers. Throw in live music, local beers, and the fact that pets are allowed, and it’s easy to see why Moxie Café has eclipsed its competition in just three years since opening, earning Best Outdoor Dining multiple years. The cafe is dedicated to healthy living and offers only the freshest local ingredients in Santa Maria, including locally sourced lettuce and free-range chicken, according to Jay Hardy, who co-founded the restaurant with Ryan Gromfin. The music, also local, is live every Thursday through Saturday. Runner-up: The Pantry on Park —Kasey Bubnash