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Turn one way and see the ocean.  You turn the other way and you see the mountains. WOW – I wish I could visit Santa Barbara every month(especially in July and August when Dallas gets super hot).  I do get to visit every year since this is company headquarters but one of these days, I will get to do a  pleasure trip so I can explore the area!

The Pasta Shoppe
Inside the Santa Barbara Public Market are a bunch of dining options – Asian, seafood, italian and more. We decided to sit at the bar of the pasta shoppe and had a late lunch. The options are not overwhelming and we asked for recommendations. We ordered(and shared) the wild boar over polenta and the gnocchi with a mushroom sauce. Absolutely divine..I enjoyed it so much I almost returned for dinner. This will definitely be one of my must return to spots!

Milk & Honey
One of my all time favorite small plates is at Milk & Honey, Date with a Pig.  Bacon wrapped dates with honey – so good and a great way to start off happy hour.  Tonight was a group of girls and between the food and the drinks, it was a perfect evening.  Mojitos, sangria, brussel sprouts, avocado hummus, Porque Pig and few other dishes.  The one item I cannot recommend…the ahi tuna.  It just lacked flavor, but the pig, the dates, the brussels….Delicious!

The Lark
Second time here and even better than I remembered.  The Funk Zone is the hot spot in Santa Barbara – we went to the Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. and then headed over to the Lark for dinner.  You will definitely get some interesting options at the Lark and they are all fantastic!  We enjoyed the deviled eggs and the brussel sprouts, the beef cheek was wonderful but my favorite was a special dish – the porchetta.  Melted in your mouth and served with a grilled bread.  WOW!!  I think this was my favorite meal of the week!

Arlington Tavern

Looking for a casual spot with great food, wine and beer?  This is a great option. We had a large group and shared a few appetizers and ordered our own entrées.  Try the scallops, try the macaroni and cheese(they say it’s famous), try the pork belly.  I opted for something lighter for dinner so I chose the Black Cod.  I even had dessert(lemon cake).  I would go back but after trying some newer options.
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So tell me – what should I add to my list for my next trip?  Add your comment next to the title of this post!