Grazing Santa Barbara
some opinions on area eateries
with an admitted prejudice towards vegetarian-friendly places

Note that some restaurants are listed only by name because I think they're good and I have something to say about them but I haven't gotten around to writing it down yet. Burritos Burritos seem to be the one food I never want to eat when I go to other cities, probably because I am so thoroughly satisfied with the way they make them around here. Delicias (So. Fairview, Goleta). My favorite burrito place in the world. A big, comforting meal-in-a-tortilla with hot beans and rice coexisting peacefully with cold sour cream, chunks of avocado, sliced radishes and tomatoes. Three terrific salsas; I especially like the brownish-red one with hints of chocolate. Order at the counter, they bring the food to your table. The crowd is mostly Latino locals and aviation workers on their lunch break. Warning: some cashiers have bad attitude; don't take it personally. After lunch, grab a triangular wedge of the moist orange-scented pound cake or a hunk of the dense, almost rubbery cherry-studded bread pudding from the bakery next door. These two establishments used to be one, but there was some sort of intrafamilial schism, if I remember correctly, and they put up a wall. Update: Had the Chile Rellano combo dinner plate thing recently and it was quite good, with one red chile and one green one, rice and beans and three thick, soft freshly handmade corn tortillas. Juanito's (Hollister, Goleta, across from Unocal 76). I can't believe it took me so long to try this place. It's great. There are three vegetarian burritos available: the "vegetarian" had a nice hot (beans, rice) and cold (lettuce, sour cream, tomato, avocado, sliced cucumber) balance; "rajas," which compares favorably to El Sitio's (below) -- perhaps a bit more cheese in this one; and a chile rellano burrito that was piping hot, sloppy, and redolent with the guilty aroma of deepfried food. They also serve breakfast. The woman who seems to run the joint (at least around lunchtimes) is cheerful and welcoming and efficient. Good chips and hot salsas while your food's getting cooked; Mexican soap operas on the TV set. Can I say also how appreciative I am that they've gone to the trouble to make every sign in the restaurant bilingual? I learn so many new words when I go there, though admittedly they're mostly Foods I Never Intend To Order. Update: The cheese enchilada dinner here is a winner too -- a really tangy sauce, and mexican-style cheese (not Monterey Jack), and it comes with a small scoop of surprisingly good potato salad. El Sitio (So. Fairview, Goleta, between McD's and the freeway; also De La Vina, by Ralph's). Another burrito/taco counter joint. They toast the burritos on the grill briefly, which gives them a little crunch. Great refried beans, and they do rajas (roasted pasilla chili) burritos, which are very flavorful. Never been real crazy about the salsas here; I think they don't add anything to the burritos. Taqueria Rincon Alteño (Haley at Santa Barbara, Downtown; also Pardall Rd., Isla Vista, across from Giovanni's Pizza). Burritos, tortas, and a good selection of salsas ranging from hot to extremely hot; beware the bright green one. The salsas at the I.V. one are just a shade less hot than the downtown versions. Cheap, filling food; good jamaica/horchata. Unfriendly staff sometimes, 'specially if you're whitefolk. Not too many students at the I.V. one; a mostly Latino workingman crowd. To me this is a good sign. Tio Alberto's (Embarcadero del Mar, Isla Vista). Big sloppy burritos. First you wait in line at the register and tell the guy what you're ordering. Pay him and he gives you a receipt. Then you'll give that receipt to whoever's assembling the food behind the counter and tell them "no onions" or "extra salsa" or whatever. Sometimes these are the best burritos in the world, sometimes not. A lot depends on (a) who's assembling, (b) what kind of mood they're in. If they're out of guacamole or cilantro or something, this makes a difference too, and by then it's sorta too late to back out. Popular with students because it's cheap and (depending on the length of the line) fast. Loud norteño music keeps the energy up. Also worth trying: the black-beans-and-white-rice burrito. I should also mention that Villareal Market on Hollister in Goleta also does tacos/burritos, and they're not bad. Zero ambiance (it's really a grocery store/butcher shop) and only a couple tables and a window counter to sit at. Cuca's Taqueria La Gloria Mexican Sit-down Los Cabos (off Hollister, Goleta). Plate-food California Mexican, e.g. tostada salad with grilled vegetables. Sunny patio is great for lunch (booths inside if it's raining), and a half-dozen assorted salsas in an ice-cooled bar. Bottomless sodas and gratis baskets of nice fresh chips. Order at the counter, they bring it to your table; at dinnertime it's menu-&-table service. Popular with tech company workers (i.e. white people) who know the difference between Alex's Cantina and real Mexican food. Friendly staff. Casa Blanca (State St., Downtown) Don Pepe's (State St., Downtown). Now defunct, I think. A shame. Altamirano (Milpas St.). Four or five vegetarian selections on the menu, including a large flour quesadilla with grilled vegetables and a vegetable tamale that comes, unwrapped, under an interesting white sauce. Last time we were there I got, as a side dish, the gordita, two thick handmade tortillas with beans and a little melted cheese in between, and it was, in its simplicity, absolute heaven. It don't know whether it's that they don't put refrieds in the other dishes I've had there, or that the other ingredients get in the way so you can't taste them, but the beans in this little sandwich were the best damn beans I can ever remember having. I actually wished I hadn't ordered something else, so as to be able to leave the restaurant with the gordita lingering on my tongue. So I'll order this every time we go there from now on. Good chips, five or six nice hot salsas, super friendly staff. Casa de Sevilla (Chapala St., Downtown) Chinese Gary and I eat Chinese food a lot, and although we come from two distinctly different Chinese-food traditions -- he's from Taiwan, and I'm from Jersey, where we all grew up on the sort of "Chinese/Polynesian" white-people's sweet and sour eggroll restaurants you find on Route 22 -- we generally concur when it comes to rating Chinese restaurants. First I should say that nothing in this city matches the effect of going to one of the strictly vegetarian Buddhist restaurants you find in Los Angeles (e.g. "Happy Family" in Monterey Park) or San Francisco. But there are at least a few places that extend the vegetarian offerings on the menu past sauteed vegetables and egg foo young. China City (Calle Real, Goleta, by Outback Steak House). Our favorite place in Goleta, and our choice, hands down, for best Chinese Restaurant in all of SB. Gary thinks the fact that they have some dishes on their menu listed only in Chinese is a good sign. Lunch specials, and a buffet, though I don't recall whether that's up and running for weekday lunchtime. The menu has a separate "vegetarian meats" section. I recommend the "chicken" dishes. I particularly dig the Moo Goo Gai Pan, though if you ask nicely enough, they'll make pretty much any chicken or beef dish on the menu with the fake stuff. Worth asking for: the "(vegetarian) orange peel chicken," studded with roasted whole chile peppers. Pretty good service. I have debated in my mind for quite a while whether or not to write more about China City. On many recent visits there, we've been invited to go off-menu and try new, "special" dishes of the chef's devising, and these are always quite fabulous: things like "fish" filets topped with crunchy-fried crumbs, or shabu-shabu (a stew-like soup-like concoction of dozen different kinds of soy "meats", gluten "shellfish," and vegetables), or a egg-roll-like creation with soft paper-thin tofu sheets wrapped around shredded mushrooms and bamboo shoots and simmered in a light sauce (I've had similar dishes at other restaurants under the moniker "vegetarian goose"). For my birthday a couple months back, we told them ahead of time how many people we'd be bringing in and could they prepare a feast of special dishes and they did and it was tremendous and wonderful in every way. My apprehension arises in my not knowing whether they mean these dishes to be available to the average joe off the street, or whether they are especial for us because we're regular customers, or because Gary's Taiwanese, or some combination of the two. Many of the things I've described require advance preparation or odd ingredients they probably don't keep on hand (the bamboo-rolls are an exception to this), and a lot depends on who's in the kitchen that day. It would be great if they served enough of these things to make them regular additions to the menu; they could, I think, draw a sizable crowd of appreciative vegetarians once word got around. On the other hand, I can't deny that we feel honored when the owner offers us something they don't serve to anyone else. So there you go. My advice would probably be to call a couple days ahead; try to get the owner on the phone and tell her you heard they did amazing vegetarian dishes and could they maybe prepare something special in addition to what you'll be ordering from the menu. If you can get someone you know to negotiate this for you in Mandarin, so much the better. And let me know how it goes. Shang Hai (western end of Milpas, Downtown). They actually have a separate vegetarian menu, which is cool, but we always feel that the food lacks a little something in the excitement department (compared to China City, anyway.) Good service, generally. Fortune Garden (Ellwood; go North off the freeway at Storke/Glen Annie, make a left at the Mobil station. Go way down Calle Real until you spot the 7-11. It's in the sad little mini mall behind that.) Decent, creative menu, if not a knockout. A decent vegetarian section on the menu, and quite a few "vegetarian meat" options, though many of these are actually tofu and not the wheat gluten or gluten-and-soy materials that are traditional for Chinese vegetarian cuisine. Maybe a dollar or so more per dish than you feel it should be, but sizable portions, at least at dinnertime. Friendly staff. Update: Finally got to try it at lunch. The vegetarian selection (were there two?) on the lunch special menu was unexciting, so I ordered a dinner entree and it was just okay. Dragon City (Calle Real, Goleta, in the center with Orchid Bowl). Gary and I went here even though we had heard it was somehow related to Ming Dynasty, which we hate. First time we went there, we were surprised: the food was nice ... nothing really extraordinary on the menu, but everything we had was tasty. Second time we went back, though, was a different story. The server had to be plied into asking the kitchen if they could make "kung pao cabbage," which was something on the menu the first time we were there (we'd had it) that had disappeared in the interim. Astonishingly, the answer was no, they could not make it. (Were they somehow out of cabbage?!) Then the server suggested vegetables in oyster sauce; we wondered how it could be vegetarian with oyster sauce in it. She wasn't sure, but went again to check with the kitchen; they could apparently make this dish for us _without_ the oyster sauce. (And yes, I'm aware that, for vegetarian Buddhist monks, oysters are one of three shellfish considered edible.) So vegetables in oyster sauce, hold the oyster sauce. This didn't sound worth $7 to me, so we ended up having some uninspiring bean curd dish and crossing this place off our little list. China Pavillion (Montecito). All in all, though not a particularly vegetarian-friendly menu, and a tad pricey (it IS Montecito, after all), but arguably worth it because they do a nice job on the few dishes one can chose from. Terrific hot and sour soup here, with the thin strips of vegetables nice and crunchy still, nicely defined flavors. Good Kung Pao Tofu too, but the dish with deepfried oyster mushrooms is a little too sweet. It's good at first, but they give you way too much of it. Wings (Hollister at Modoc). I liked this place because it was almost exactly like all the Chinese Food I had growing up on the east coast. Gary didn't like it because it was way too Americanized for him. In my mind, they're really two separate cuisines, in the way that hard-shell tacos from a box with a packet of Lawry's are, while wonderful, not the same as the tacos you'd get in, say, Mexico. So Wings is what I'd consider the best of all the Americantonese restaurants in town -- and there are a lot of them. What's typical of these is a very limited selection of vegetarian dishes, and the irritating practice of putting pork-enriched "bean curd" dishes on the menu under "vegetables." Japanese Sushi Teri House (Bath St., off Carillo, Downtown). Our favorite sushi spot in town, even though it was slightly better before a recent change in ownership. Elegant, simple decor with a lot of blond wood, and the food is beautiful, tasty, and sensibly priced. Good miso soup, too, and I really like the Spicy Vegetable Roll. Pleasant staff. I-tsu-ki (Calle Real, near La Cumbre.) Now, I've never been to Japan, but I've been told by those in the know that this is very representative of a typical noodle shop, right down to the almost nonexistent decor. It's sorta hard to find, so the only people that know about it are locals, and mostly Japanese ones at that. Terrific tempura udon, and I remember going through the menu counting vegetarian options and found 18 or 19 of them. Polite, smiling waitstaff. My only gripe: green tea costs a buck or so, and then they bring you a teabag and hot water. I really really feel this is one of those things that the restaurant should provide gratis. Ten-Riki (Coast Village Road, Montecito). Good noodles, donburi, many vegetarian appetizers. Tasty and reasonably priced, with the slightly posh atmosphere you expect of Montecito. We had tempura udon, and it came accompanied by a small plate of assorted cold vegetables that included the most perfectly cooked red potato I have ever encountered. Kashima (past the 7-11, left side). Goleta's Japanese restaurant (ignoring Sono, below). I think it's a tiny bit pricey, and the portions are a little smaller than I'd like. But the food (sushi, tempura) is nicely presented, and if not knock-your-socks-off fantastic, it's far from bad. Lunch combos, sunny atmosphere, nice staff. A couple interesting dishes here, including "sizzling" tofu topped with paper-thin shavings of dried onion that wiggle in the heat like they're alive. Have to admit I haven't been here in a while, mostly because I've been working downtown, closer to better Japanese restaurants. Hanaya (Lower State St., Downtown). The vegetarian sushi/tempura combo dinner here is very well done, and the owner/chef is quite friendly. I've always been a little put off by the roominess of the restaurant, though, and it ain't a cheap night out. Sono (Kmart center) -- Mediocre Taiwanese-accented Japanese food. The only reason to go here is that the lunch buffet is inexpensive and the selection is fairly wide. Friendly owner, sometimes-crabby waitresses. Eat all you can, and go back in a month or so. I've not been here for dinner, but Gary has, a couple times, and he just says "no ... no." Southeast Asia (Thai, Vietnamese) Man, if there's one thing Santa Barbara has more than its fair share of, it's decent Thai restaurants. And Goleta's got Vietnamese restaurants busting out all up and down Hollister Ave. all of a sudden too. Bangkok Palace (De La Vina, across from Ralph's). Somehow, little by little, this has come to be the best Thai restaurant in the city. Maybe it's the location, because I've felt that way about the previous two Thai restaurants under this roof and each time the ownership changed I wept. The guy who's there now used to run Your Choice before it started to suck. The menu is very good to vegetarians, and they have expanded it again recently (March 1999). You can get tofu or mock duck (gluten) in just about anything. Warm, personable staff, even by Thai standards. Elegant, clean ambiance, if not real "exotic" the way Your Place downtown (overrated! overrated!) is. Some suggestions: Som Tum, the tart-sweet shredded green papaya salad -- they'll make it sans shrimp if you ask. Get a side order of Sticky Rice with it and eat with your fingers in a misguided attempt to be authentico. A good Prik King (green beans in dry curry paste) here too, and the Massuman curry (try it made with mock duck) is deep and dark and delicious. New China (Hollister near Fairview, Goleta). These folks ran one of the Chinese restaurants in Isla Vista for many years. Now they're on Hollister, and they've added Vietnamese food to the menu. Gary's indifferent about the Chinese food (I've never tried it); we always get the Viet dishes. Good phó, and they also do broad-noodles-in-gravy (hu tieu?) and the crisp-fried nest of thin noodles topped with vegetables, etc. in sauce. The staff seems a little brusque sometimes; it's order-at-the-counter. The soda machine has Mr. Pibb. Appethai (Calle Real, Goleta). I went a couple times when it first opened a few years back, and found it unsatisfactory for one reason or another. Then I went back a couple months ago, and was impressed with whatever it was I had. We tried going again for lunch recently, but after standing five minutes in the middle of the dining floor without seeing any waitstaff *at all* to seat us, we yelled "goodbye" into the kitchen and walked out. For vegetarians, the lunch-special selection is pretty thin anyways. Eller's Donuts (State, between La Cumbre and Modoc). Best damn doughnuts in town and surprise! Thai food to go. These folks used to run a Thai restaurant at the spot where Bangkok Palace is now. This restaurant also made and sold doughnuts. Eventually, I guess, the doughnut business became more profitable than the Thai food (for a while they had a shop on Milpas that sold the doughnuts they were baking on De La Vina), so they took over the Eller's on Upper State. They still do Thai food, though; mostly on a take-out basis, but if you want you can sit there in the shop and eat it. Although the service is amazingly cold -- the man behind the counter seems perpetually crabby, like you're inconveniencing him by ordering something -- I absolutely love the food here; I think it's the most exciting and fragrant and funky and dirty and exotic and spicy in the city, though this is probably due to more fish sauce in the food than I want to know about. Gary, on the other hand, dislikes the food here for these exact same reasons, so there you are. Try the soups. Afterwards, have an apple fritter. Pizza! Did I mention I'm from Jersey? I was born holding a piece of pizza, folded the long way, with drops of red oil dribbling out the end. I KNOW from pizza, darling. But this is California, so oh well. Best pizza I know of in this state: Rudy's, on Crow Canyon Blvd. in San Ramon. Yes, it's way out of the way and there's no other reason to go there. But damn. They got it right. Locally, though, there's: Paesano's (Micheltorena at San Andreas, Westside). The closest we have to a real NY/NJ thin-crust pizza. Closed Sunday. Giovanni's (Isla Vista, Pardall Rd. just west of Burger King, and other locations). The crust is distinctively theirs, thick and chewy, slightly sweet, with enough oil in it to give the outside edge an almost deepfried-doughnut sort of crunch. But they have a nice, light fresh-tasting tomato sauce, and use good cheese. The one with sauteéd garlic, sliced tomatoes (ask to have them cooked on the pizza) and basil, is, when it's still steaming hot, something like pizza-pig paradise. Fresco (Five Points Shopping Center, at La Cumbre) used to make a really good cheese pizza, but I don't think they serve it any more. Mr. C's (Hollister between Patterson and Turnpike in Magnolia Center, way in the back). Apparently closed now. Too bad. I will miss their too-big-for-my-car 24-inch pie. Dolphin Cafe (Hollister between Fairview and Orange, near 7-11). A really dorky name for a pizzeria, but it makes slightly more sense when you see that their menu emphasizes seafood. I've only had by-the-slice cheese pizza here, and the crust was good, but it was a bit dry overall (needs more sauce?) because (at lunchtime, anyway) they let slices sit till you order them and then add toppings or more cheese and put them back in the oven to toast a bit. I'm determined to go back and try a whole pie fresh from the oven sometime. Ameci's (Hollister at Kellog, by Sizzler). Surprisingly good. The lunch special, two slices and a drink, is a bargain at three bucks. The catch: they only serve it from 11 to 1 weekdays, and you can't get by-the-slice at all after that. Costco (Goleta) Huge slice of pizza, $1.90; bottomless soda, $0.49. You don't have to be a member, but if you eat this every day you will die. Pino's See below. Italian Sit-down Look, I'm Italian, and the one thing I can hardly ever justify going out for is pasta, because I can make it eighty different ways at home for about $3 a plate. Still, it's sometime nice to go out and see what's new and exciting in the world of sauce, and some things (eggplant parmigiana, for instance, or gnocchi) are less-than-convenient to make. Mama Maria's (Lucky/RiteAid center, Goleta) -- So-so pasta/salad/pizza lunch buffet ($6.99?!?!); for dinner it's overpriced. Not as good as Mariann's Italian Villa, which is really saying something. Presto Pasta (Goleta, Milpas, State, etc.) It's nice to know that no matter where you work there's one of these around. A good eggplant parmigiana sandwich, as long as it's hot all the way through (it wasn't once, but they were duly apologetic). Arnoldi's Cafe (Cota at Olive(?), Downtown). Listed here because the vegetarian dishes on the menu are almost all pasta ones. They're good, though, and, I think, more flavorful and creative (and visually appealing) than similar dishes at places like Pascucci's or Palazzio or Baccio. The penne with roasted peppers is especially recommendable. Pino's (Hollister near Fairview, Goleta). Not fancy, sorta cold, a bit dark and cheap-feeling. But satisfying plates of pasta in distinctive sauces (a sloppy, heart-stopping fettucini alfredo) and the pizza's not bad either. I always get a slightly rude feeling from the staff here, though, and I can't tell if it's because we're two men together or because one of us isn't white or if they're like that to everyone (very possible). Bucatini's (State St. at Haley, Downtown). I thought the food was pretty good, actually ... but the service was so horrible it will be a year before I'll consider going back. No one seemed interested in bringing us our damn check, even though I asked at least four times for it. Art Cuisine By that I mean (a) freed of association with any one particular ethnicity, (b) somewhat pricey, (c) how it's presented is as important as how it tastes, and (d) better dress up a little. It's like eating classical music. Another way to tell you're there is that the chef's name is on the menu (or in some cases, over the door). Downey's (State St., by the Arlington Theatre, Downtown). The best vegetarian meal I've had in this city, rivaling even the San Francisco gems of the genre (Millenium, Greens). We knew one of the waiters, and he negotiated with Chef John Downey for us, but I strongly suspect you can do the same if you think to call ahead in the afternoon and give the kitchen advance warning. What we had (as the main course) was a large plate with about eight different little vegetable dishes arranged like a flower, each amazingly different from every other one. It was like yellow squash with pine nuts and rosemary, and then carrots with mint, and then an artichoke heart stuffed with capers and sundried tomatoes ... no flavor in any little dish was repeated in any other dish. I even think there was only one dish with garlic in it, which boggles my mind. I don't remember the salad course or the dessert, but I do remember them being equally impressive. What can you say about a restaurant where the waiters know (and tell you) where and by whom the strawberries on the shortcake were grown? If anything, the meal was too perfect, because we're sorta scared to go back in case it's not as good the second time around. Update: We went back and it was just as good even though the guy running the kitchen that night was the number-three assistant (which we only know because we asked to whom we might extend our compliments). The mushroom soup was stellar. Emilio's (Cabrillo near Castillo, across from the ocean). There are several things on the menu that are already vegetarian, and many more that are an ingredient or two away from being so, and the reputation of the restaurant is that the kitchen is very happy to accommodate in this manner (evidently the owner is a vegetarian himself). We were there in January 1999 and had chef's-choice vegetarian prix fixe dinner ($28) for two. Everything that was brought out was beautiful to look at and full of interesting, inventive, finely nuanced flavors: filo-crusted goat cheese with caramelized pears and walnuts; Belgian endive with toasted pistachios; a crunchy spring-rollish creation with hard-to-identify green vegetables inside (this was particularly good); three kinds of mashed potatoes, each different (ginger-, garlic-, parsnip-enriched, respectively, if memory serves); something elaborate involving a portabella mushroom ... ah. We ate and ate (it was all served family-style in the center of the table, which was perfect for us because if it had come on individual plates we would have had to pass them around anyhow). For dessert, I have to recommend the perfectly balanced combination of lemon cheesecake and mango sorbet. Terrific service too, even though we were a bit grumpy to begin with. Update: We've gone back a couple times since and had the chef's choice again -- completely different things, and they were all just as good. Both times, we got seated off in a little cove that's away from the main dining area; it's got maybe ten tables in it. Every thirty seconds or so, one or another of the waitstaff would pop into view and silently scan the tables to see if anybody needed anything (water, for instance). Having sat in restaurants where, even in the center of the main dining room, it can take five minutes to catch the eye of the one server under whose dominion your table lies, I found the attention paid to our tables by the team on the floor at Emilio's worthy of explicit praise. Citronelle Stonehouse (Montecito). We've only been here once, and a number of things went wrong, though some can't really be blamed on the restaurant. The management was very apologetic that our experience fell so far short of the restaurant's reputation, and they happily tore up the bill. So I won't say anything more about it here until we've had a chance to go back and try it again. The wild mushroom salad, with frisée lettuce, roasted shallots and garlic in a tangy goat cheese dressing was excellent, though, I thought. Brigette's Aja Arts & Letters Cafe (Anapamu near State, one must walk through the art book store to get there). We've been here, though it's been a while. I'm not sure what I had, but I remember being generally pleased with both the number of vegetarian choices available and the quality of whatever it was I ended up with. Vegetarian soups! Very lovely, elegant surroundings. Will have to go back to refresh my memory. The Wine Cask (Anacapa, between Canon Perdido and De La Guerra). I got to go here for lunch, but it was a prix fixe meal with a large group, so I didn't really get a sense for what could be accomplished by making advance arrangements with the kitchen. What they served was certainly adequate, but fell into the standard boring grilled-vegetables-meets-risotto category that one finds wherever a generic vegetarian request comes up (e.g. on an airplane). The dessert was very very fine, though (apple tart drizzled with a rum reduction sauce and topped with vanilla gelato), the salad was nicely balanced, and the cheese course was a welcome bit of sharp richness, for those of you into such things. So Wine Cask will bear going back to at some point. Crocodile (Upper State at Alamar, inside the Lemon Tree Inn). Nice ambiance, better-than-passable food, friendly waitstaff. Several vegetarian options on the menu, which I believe changes regularly. I think this would be a great place to take a date. Americana Isla Vista Beer Company It's gone forever. So sad. The University has leased this building and will be turning it into a lecture hall. Ye Olde Butcher Shoppe (State, between La Cumbre and Modoc). Big ol' cheese sub sandwich, for $5. Half a sandwich is enough for most folks. In-N-Out (Hwy 101, Turnpike exit). For that late-night old-time junk-food fix: Ordering a "Grilled Cheese" gets you what is essentially a cheeseburger without the beef patty -- lettuce, tomato, onion, sauce, cheese, bun. Asking for a "Veggie Burger" gets you the same thing sans cheese (it does NOT get you a soy patty or Garden Burger or anything like that). And their fries (wish they were thicker-cut) have always been cooked in vegetable oil. Main Squeeze Cafe The Sojourner Our Daily Bread Miscellany Chef Karim's (formerly "Couscous," State near Victoria, Downtown). Moroccan food. An awesome experience. Set aside at least two hours to go here, and take people you like, because you'll be all eating (with your fingers) off of a single large platter (unless you wimp out, in which case they'll gladly serve it to you American-style, one plate per person, with a fork). The "vegetarian feast" is about $18/person, and you really don't have any choices to make (except which of the Moroccan wines you select; I strongly recommend the dry rose if they have any on hand) but that's okay because the owner/chef, always smiling and full of stories about the food and how beautiful it is and how wonderful Morocco is and how you should visit sometime, keeps trotting out wonderful courses until you're absolutely stuffed and then he brings out tea and fruits and nuts and you just fall off your cushion. An extraordinary immersion in exotic opulence. Rumored to be good People see this page and then write going, "Hey, you should have mentioned <restaurant X> -- they have good vegetarian things too." So I've decided to list them here until such time as I have a chance to make a personal evaluation. Woody's (Magnolia Shopping Center, Goleta). The owner wrote to point out that the quintessential BBQ-animal bistro is in fact, "not a vegetarian's worst nightmare." The BBQ beans are meatless, as it turns out, as are many of their other sides, and they do a veggie burger. I have been always drawn to the idea of beer served up in mason jars (I mean, in a public place. God knows I've no qualms about doing that at home). Now that I know there's food there too, we've got a place to take obstinate omnivores from out of town. Pirahna (Lower State St., Downtown). Sushi joint. Goleta restorationist Laura Funkhouser recommends the vegetarian combination dinner here. She told me what was on it, but I was two glasses of champagne and half a glass of merlot into someone's wedding reception at the time, so I don't remember anything except that it involved rice, I think. Bouchon (Victoria, just South of State St.) The meat dishes on the menu seemed to have some interesting sides, and Mitch, the owner (formerly of Meritage, above), told me they can serve up a combination of those and some other things if requested. And of course there's pasta. Sbarro's Pizza. So sue me. I've always thought this the best of the franchise pizzas. The one in Oxnard is pretty good, and there's now one in La Cumbre Plaza, next to Sears, but I haven't gotten to eat there yet. Looks decent. Marcello's (State St. and Anapamu, by the Granada Theater). I've heard great things about this place from many sources. Their menu does seem to have a lot of vegetarian Italian dishes I want to try. Alaczar (Mesa). Spanish food, and many tofu dishes among them. Intriguing. What this city really needs Any kind of African Highland restaurant (e.g. Ethiopian, Eritrean). Chef Karim's is really the closest we come to this. A decent Indian restaurant. Flavor of India is only just passable at lunchtime (they do a buffet), but their menu for dinner is unexciting and woefully overpriced. The place downtown is also far too expensive for what this cuisine should cost (and DOES cost at any city having a statistically measurable Indian community). And don't get me started on "wraps." A good Israeli-style falafel place. One where they make four kinds of eggplant salad and have pickled cabbage and beets as condiments. No place in this city even approaches making the grade (the model: "Falafel Palace" on Reseda in Northridge. 90 minutes south and almost worth the drive). Baba's ("Indian" falafel) is overpriced for what they give you, the falafel is lousy, and I've never been in there when the owner hasn't been yelling at the help. Someplace (a Jewish deli?) that makes a good potato salad. Jonah's (State between LaCumbre and Los Positas), now defunct, was rumored to have one. The model for me in this instance is the one they make at Brent's in Northridge. A real high-cuisine vegetarian restaurant. Something in the Downey's/Citronelle/Stonehouse mold, but dedicated to a meatless menu, ala San Francisco's Millenium or Greens. Properly promoted, this could be a real tourist draw and it'd fit in perfectly with the whole Santa Barbara clean-air blue-skies farmers-market zeitgeist. Cambodian food, anybody? How about Malaysian? Tibetan? Korean? Filipino? Yes, I know a couple of those are real vegetarian-exclusionary, but it can be done. Check out the vegetarian section of the menu at Jeepney Grill next time you're in the Koreatown part of Los Angeles.

--Dave LaDelfa Last revised 23 June 2000