Sometimes I forget that I can be quite graceful under pressure, like for instance, when my car stalls in the middle lane of the 5 freeway on a Saturday morning at 70mph. It had also stalled the night before on Wilshire Blvd., - thank god for Rob who talked me through turning on the bloody thing and got me home. (Also saw Hunger Games, which was so meh, it barely deserves a mention. I still love you, J.Lawr.)
To add to the level of absurdity, 25 mins into the trip to SB, Aline's car suffered a surprise flat tire, so back we went to Glendale to switch cars. We finally made it to SB and it's 76 degree, light breeze, blue skies and gorgeous ocean, by around 3pm.
DAY 1:
Do:
The Urban Wine Trail: Tens of winery tasting rooms, walking distance from each other, just off State Street, very often including cheese plates and live music (and if not, I was eager to provide my renditions). We checked out Sterns (on the pier, with 360 ocean views - worth it just for that and not really the wine); Oreana (generous pours and a live band); Santa Barbara Wineries (solid choice), and Pali wines (a little hazy on this one, but I got peed on by a puppy so that was cool). Each tasting is about $10-15 and there are tons of food trucks and little restaurants to grab a bite at.
Eat:
Julienne: Farm to table cuisine/industrial chic (tots my cup of tea), about a mile away from those initial wineries. We did the four course "tasting" menu with the pairing, which was far more food than we needed. We actually skipped dessert (gasp) and had to take the last course home. (We inhaled it at 2am in bed, like ravenous wolves.) Julienne was legit one of the best meals I have had. Fresh, well-executed, and interesting. The standouts were the tuna tartare as well as the pork belly with brussels. Aline and I discussed another trip just to go back to this restaurant.
Stay:
The Agave Inn: Midcentury modern vibe - clean, but with beds harder than army cots. Super cute and insta worthy, and a good deal for a weekend stay.
DAY 2:
Visit:
ALL THE WINERIES - we stuck to Los Olivos.
Our favorite was Beckmen. They specialize in reds, their TLB was my favorite. A full-bodied, bold, earthy red. All the vineyards we visited were so idyllic and picturesque. The changing colors of the vines in bright yellow, red and orange actually alerted me to the fact seasons do exist. Picnicking outside at all of them with a cheese plate from Gelsons and an array of farm animals wandering around was a perfect Sunday.
Eat:
Petros: A really beautiful and elegant Greek restaurant in the posh Fess Parker hotel in the Los Olivos village proper. It was recommended by a man at Beckmen and did not disappoint. We had the dipping plate (including taramsalata - one my favorites) and fried calamari, plus wine made just for the restaurant (I recommend the Oinos.)
Aline and I discussed staying in Los Olivos on another girls' trip with a few more of us. Everything is so sweet and walkable. Despite the massive car issues and perhaps a bit too much wine at times, the weekend was a much needed respite from back to back court days.
To add to the level of absurdity, 25 mins into the trip to SB, Aline's car suffered a surprise flat tire, so back we went to Glendale to switch cars. We finally made it to SB and it's 76 degree, light breeze, blue skies and gorgeous ocean, by around 3pm.
DAY 1:
Do:
 |
| The View at Sterns |
Eat:
Julienne: Farm to table cuisine/industrial chic (tots my cup of tea), about a mile away from those initial wineries. We did the four course "tasting" menu with the pairing, which was far more food than we needed. We actually skipped dessert (gasp) and had to take the last course home. (We inhaled it at 2am in bed, like ravenous wolves.) Julienne was legit one of the best meals I have had. Fresh, well-executed, and interesting. The standouts were the tuna tartare as well as the pork belly with brussels. Aline and I discussed another trip just to go back to this restaurant.
 |
| Petros |
Stay:
The Agave Inn: Midcentury modern vibe - clean, but with beds harder than army cots. Super cute and insta worthy, and a good deal for a weekend stay.
DAY 2:
Visit:
ALL THE WINERIES - we stuck to Los Olivos.
Our favorite was Beckmen. They specialize in reds, their TLB was my favorite. A full-bodied, bold, earthy red. All the vineyards we visited were so idyllic and picturesque. The changing colors of the vines in bright yellow, red and orange actually alerted me to the fact seasons do exist. Picnicking outside at all of them with a cheese plate from Gelsons and an array of farm animals wandering around was a perfect Sunday.
Eat:
Petros: A really beautiful and elegant Greek restaurant in the posh Fess Parker hotel in the Los Olivos village proper. It was recommended by a man at Beckmen and did not disappoint. We had the dipping plate (including taramsalata - one my favorites) and fried calamari, plus wine made just for the restaurant (I recommend the Oinos.)
Aline and I discussed staying in Los Olivos on another girls' trip with a few more of us. Everything is so sweet and walkable. Despite the massive car issues and perhaps a bit too much wine at times, the weekend was a much needed respite from back to back court days.
 |
| Before and After |
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