Deep yellow and dark purple lights line the walls in chunks, giving each meter its proper attention. The corridor leading back to the main bar area is geometrically sprinkled with nooks containing stunning artwork. The entirety of the Bobcat’s design is a community affair. Bob’s wife Dawn created these paintings, and the owner of Couch (their next-door neighbor) gifted the patches of wall upholstery. The pillowed section of the wall elevates the alreadycomfortable feeling of the soft black leather chairs and the gentle lighting. Arriving back to the bar, the audience has already increased within minutes. Double-dates lounge on the couches, while friends nibbling on a cheese plate convene on the chairs. The ambiance of the Bobcat is quite unique to Santa Barbara. The swankiness of the East Coast combines with local flairs, giving you a feeling of freshness. Desiring to sit as close to the liquor as possible, Bob seats us at two bar stools. Red light illuminates the bar, highlighting both the alcohol and the ingredients, and we are eager to enlighten our taste buds. Shaun, the bar manager, slips us a menu and explains the concept of this new and exciting bar. The Bobcat is the complete realization of “farm to bar.” Shaun lights up as he tells us about his involvement in the production of the menu. Explaining each drink as though it is his greatest source of pride, our mouths begin to water. With produce picked daily from both farmers markets and friendly neighbors, Shaun and his team bring only the freshest organic ingredients into the bar. Each leaf and piece of fruit is specifically chosen and tested for its individual concoction. Asking for a recommendation proves useless as this menu is comprised of only the best, so we each choose the cocktail that catches our eye first. I order the Jesusita, named after the classic Santa Barbara trail. True to its name, all of the ingredients, except the gin, were picked directly from the trail itself. My drinking companion vies for the Smitten Kitten, the Bobcat’s take on a Moscow mule with homemade ginger beer. Within seconds our perfectly made mixes are placed in front of us, and we have to control the urge to suck it all down in order to snap those obligatory pictures. Mine, the ideal blend of sweet and tart, and hers so tangy and full of flavor, are nursed for maximum enjoyment. The bar is continually filling up with well-dressed young professionals welcoming in the much-anticipated weekend. The bartenders constantly greet regulars and
banter with old friends. We ourselves receive regular visits from both Shaun and Bob just to chat and make sure we are tended to. While quiet seclusion may be a possibility here, the focus is clearly community. From the physical properties in the room to the encouragement from the bartenders, it is beyond apparent. The music is not too loud to make talking forced, just silky enough to fill the room with a groove. Before we know it, we each taste our last drop and immediately Shaun asks if we’d like another. It is 10 p.m. on a Friday and too eagerly, we accept. Instead of opting for a pre-determined menu item, he offers to make us personal mixtures. We simply choose our liquor and give Shaun free rein. As he has been making farm to bar drinks at the Wildcat on Tuesdays, he is very familiar with full control. On Tuesday nights there is no menu over there; a simple request for a type of alcohol or taste, and the bartenders use their freshest ingredients to make it happen. Two more picturesque glasses are placed in front of us awaiting our consumption. My cucumber, agave, sugar snap pea, soda water, and gin drink hits my taste buds, Niki’s strawberry, tarragon and vodka cocktail touches hers, and we both look at each other in mutual awe. Each sip beating the last, we trade with each other and then back again. The minty brilliance dances throughout me and I wish I could sit here all night. Distracted for a brief moment by a new crowd strolling in, the window in the door snatches my attention. Fully entranced by the Bobcat I had completely forgotten about the happenings at the Wildcat next door. Looking through the glass feels like I am gazing through a porthole into a colorful silent film. Flashing lights and a head-bumbling DJ light up the dance floor for those eager for a night out. The dancing is so chaotic, but beautifully uninhibited. Once again, looking down at our dry glasses we exchange glances, this time of pure satisfaction. As I had not experienced farm to bar before, I never knew whether the difference would be something noticeable, but Bobcat has certainly given me clarity. Not only is the taste elevated to a new level, but also knowing that your bartender has individually plucked those ingredients for you brings an unparalleled personalization. Rising slowly from my seat, I say, “I’ll see you soon” to Shaun, and make my way to the door. Fighting the temptation to venture next door to dance until my early morning flight, I bid farewell to this unique and special gem in Santa Barbara.
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