Last night my boyfriend and I did a sort of Tour de Santa Barbara, by visiting a couple different Santa Barbara hotspots with very different atmospheres. After following the same Pizza, Jeopardy, and American Idol routine for about 2 weeks, we decided that we MUST get out of the house. Instead of driving to our downtown area (which luckily is only a mile away) we took a very nice walk into the heart of downtown State Street to try and seek out some food. We had no idea what we wanted and definitely did not expect the night that lay ahead of us.
To our surprise, it was the weekly Farmer's Market, and to our delight, we came across a delicious selection of summertime fruits and vegetables (with lots of samples so we didn't ruin our appetite!). While walking down State Street sampling and people watching, we didn't even realize we hadn't stopped for dinner until we had walked almost a mile. We eventually decided on one of our favorite restaurants, Carlito's Cafe and Cantina. Carlito's, with a fusion of Mexican and Southwestern cuisine, has a magnificent atmosphere - quite sophisticated but casual enough where you can relax in jeans and a tank top (even outside where they have plenty of heat lamps for everyone). Last night they had a very talented guitar player that entertained everyone with traditional Latin songs as well as a little rock n' roll. Dinner was, as always, wonderful with plenty of food for leftovers.
For the amount of food and the elegant atmosphere, the prices for dinner are very reasonable. Our meal came to $39.00 without drinks. The servers are very attentive and you never have to wait long for anything. Our food actually came out in less than 10 minutes, which only added to my delight!
Instead of staying at Carlito's for dessert, we wanted to continue our adventure and try something new. We had always walked past The Chase Bar & Grill and wondered what they had to offer. We decided to stop in for coffee and dessert. The atmosphere was a bit confusing as the fancy lighting and decorations combined with the somewhat high prices ($15 to $25 a dish), clashed with a basketball game playing in the background. Also, to my disappointment, The Chase Bar & Grill lacked an espresso machine! After a couple minutes of wondering whether anyone knew we were there, we finally got served. I must say, the coffee and dessert were delicious. I had warm caramel apple pie and fresh coffee and cream - a perfect ending to my evening. As I glanced around, the other dishes looked inviting as well, although if you have an appetite, they seemed a bit small. My experience with their dessert, however, would definitely warrant another visit.
What I thought would be a difficult walk home proved otherwise. The beautiful Santa Barbara weather, good food, and great conversation were just the right recipe for a wonderful night out on the town.
Thank you Miss. Dobbs for your wonderful submission. Your boyfriend sounds like quite the gentleman 