Category: Mexican

Last weekend my boyfriend and I were desperate to find a new and exciting place to eat. Considering we had tried almost every place in Santa Barbara, we decided to venture out into Carpinteria. After attempting to go to a recommended breakfast joint (and finding a note on the door telling us that the family was in Canada for the week!), we eventually stopped at a Mexican place called Cabos Baja Grill and Cantina. What first drew me to this restaurant was the huge outdoor patio (and yes, the pitchers of margaritas at the tables influenced our decision a bit…) and let me say that I definitely wasn’t disappointed. In fact, we loved it.

The place was pretty laid back. You can order your food and drinks up front and they will bring everything out to your table. The woman at the register was really friendly and seemed to know all the locals that came in. I always find this to be a good sign – they gotta be coming back for a reason right?! They have a chips and salsa bar to hold you over until you get your food and I thought the salsa was really delicious and fresh.

After looking over the HUGE menu, I decided on the carne asada nachos and my boyfriend decided on a burger and tri tip baked beans. My nachos were amazing – probably the best I’ve ever had (seriously). The BF loved his food as well (although he was picking at mine the whole time!). The amount I ordered was enough to feed three people and I could definitely see myself coming back with a big group of friends. Just as we were leaving, we saw a big group of parents bike up with their kids in tow. They settled in at two tables, crayons and coloring books at one table and nachos and drinks at the other. They had the right idea for a beautiful sunny afternoon and I definitely will be joining them next weekend.

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 :)