Santa Barbara’s Best Sandwich Shop

The sandwich is the workhorse of lunch no matter where you go: quick, portable and inexpensive, estimates say that Americans eat 300 million each day. The sandwich as we know it was popularized in England in 1762 by John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich; yes as goofy as it sounds it’s true. Sure, meat between bread was around long before the 1700s no doubt, but regardless of the historical particulars, we all want meat between bread. So here in Santa Barbara, and since 1991, South Coast Deli still reigns as the best sandwich shop in town. There are multiple South Coast Delis scattered around Santa Barbara and Goleta and inside any SCD at lunchtime it’s a bustling place; lots of hungry people and infectious music regulating the environment. There is a semi-industrial feel to the interiors, practical really, and there is free wireless to keep you occupied. You might consider calling in your lunch order ahead of time as waits can be about 20 minutes if you order at the counter. What has always impressed me at the various locations I’ve been to over the years is the consistent level of service and quality.

I love the Phatty!

Sandwiches, both hot and cold varieties are the focus here and bread choices include sourdough, rye, wheat, Italian roll, wheat roll, and croissant. I’m very partial to the Phatty - chicken salad with bacon, avocado and a basil-mayo and the Toasted Sweet and Savory Pork - roasted pork loin, mayo, red onions, arugula, and red pepper-horseradish jelly on a lightly toasted Italian roll. There are 3 dozen sandwiches to choose from. But there are also salads like the Asian Greens with Chicken which is a huge salad including Napa cabbage, regular cabbage, bok choy, carrots, green onions, cilantro, a smattering of black sesame seeds, and crispy won ton strips, with a sweet and spicy sesame dressing.

There are a handful of vegetarian options and you might consider the Caprese, which is a grilled and pressed sandwich with mayo, lots of tomato, pesto and mozzarella cheese on sourdough bread. Breakfasts include the spicy Max’s Breakfast Sammie, which is scrambled eggs, bacon, tomato, pepper jack cheese with a garlic-Tabasco mayonnaise on grilled sourdough bread. For a spicy morning wake up this sandwich will fit that bill. The success of South Coast Deli is that they are not afraid of bold flavors and in this world of benign foods, flavor is king. So if you’re visiting Santa Barbara, or you live here but haven’t tried SOUTHCOAST DELI, do check it out. 

Butterflies ARE Free: Monarch’s of the Central Coast

Butterflies: the wallflower of the insect world - I mean, who really notices these little floating soundless works of art? But these beautiful little creatures undergo one of the most amazing transformations from caterpillar to butterfly, something that I witness every year with the butterflies in my back yard. The Central Coast is home to three Monarch Butterfly Preserves where you can get up close, and somewhat personal with these beauties. And if you know little about them, I use this case study from my own yard in Santa Barbara, where my wife and I have specifically cultivated butterflies by planting milkweed. Eggs hatch on the milkweed plants, and the caterpillars consume, actually nearly decimate, the milkweed plant for food, all leaves and even stems. When ready the caterpillars find a place to spin their cocoon, and then form into butterflies, then return to lay eggs on the milkweed plant. It’s a cool cycle you can make happen in your yard.

In 2014 I noticed that after monitoring the caterpillars, one had decided to spin its cocoon on the doorjamb of the doorway into my garage. What astounded me was the trek this little guy made. From the milkweed plant it is 18-feet and 4-inches across my erratic, pot-holed lawn. From there he needed to climb up a 5-inch concrete rise to get to the top of the flagstone deck. Crossing the flagstone is another 9-feet and 3-inches to get to the garage door. Then he climbs straight up the door 8-feet, moves over 1-foot to settle comfortable (we hope) in the dead center of the top of the doorjamb. If you tally that up, it’s a total of 37 feet - a hell of a journey. What possess them I have no idea. Certainly some make their cocoon closer than this, but this is a reminder that nature offers a spectacular lesson if we choose to notice the small things. With a typical lifespan of a paltry 2 to 6 weeks (some live 6 months) when you see them, remind yourself of the singular beauty of life, the intense but short life stages they go through, and that the will to survive is strong. So wing on over to one of these Central Coast spots to take a closer look and be astonished by the world around you.

There he is! Smack dab in the middle of the garage door!

San Luis Obispo:

The largest butterfly preserve on the Central Coast is the Pismo Beach Butterfly Grove (Highway 1 just south of North Pismo State Beach Campground, 805/473-7220), which sees the return of butterflies each November through February when tens of thousands of Monarch’s migrate to this small grove of eucalyptus trees near the beach to mate. On average there are about 30,000 of these silent winged creatures and the trees are often transformed into brilliant shades of orange after their 2,000 mile journey to get here. Docents staff the area and give brief but fascinating talks about the butterflies and their very unique but short lives. It’s free to walk into the grove, free to hear the docents and there’s a short boardwalk that leads to the beach near a large picnic area where you hit the low sand dunes and cypress trees near the waters edge. Parking is along the side of the road so use caution when crossing as this is a busy street. Monarchbutterfly.org

This beauty just came out in my backyard

Santa Barbara:

Monarchs are usually found in Goleta from mid-November through mid-February and docents are available on weekends from 11a.m. to 2 p.m. during these months. This is the smallest of the three groves and is available for viewing every day during daylight hours and it’s free. The Goleta Butterfly Grove (Ellwood Main) is in the Sperling Preserve on the Ellwood Mesa in Goleta, just north of downtown Santa Barbara. Free parking is available. Goleta Butterfly

The grove in Pacific Grove, near Monterey

Monterey:

The Pacific Grove Monarch Preserve (1073 Ridge Rd., Pacific Grove) is located behind a salmon-colored butterfly-themed motel. There are, on average, about 10,000 butterflies that come here yearly, and why not, Pacific Grove is stunningly beautiful! The best time to view these silent creatures is October through March. There’s usually a docent on hand to answer questions and explain about the short life of these amazing creatures. There is a free street parking nearby and the grove is free to enter. Pacific Grove Butterfly

Also from my backyard. Absolutely stunning!

Food For Thought: Restaurant Review of Paloma

Flying High: Paloma Restaurant & Tequila Bar

5764 Calle Real, Goleta

805/681-0766, PALOMA

Open Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

There is no shortage of Mexican restaurants in Santa Barbara; there are some terrific street-food places with traditional dishes, but what Santa Barbara is lacking is a more creative approach to the incredible variety of Mexican food covering not just the border states but recipes and spices from Mexico to Central America. Paloma (meaning “dove”) has brought creative, flavorful food and an upscale but casual ambiance. Owned by the Rudy's folks this is not a rehashing of their popular Mexican restaurants around town, this is something totally different. Booths, tables and a small bar fill the space with burnt orange walls and a family festive vibe. They run specials, sometimes even up to twice a week so that will always be new coming out of Paloma in addition to their comprehensive menu.

There are six salsas at their salsa bar including the mildly spicy roasted tomatillo mixed with pepper and diced onions. Their regular salsa is a tomato based mild version, all the better to go with their chips (served warm!) and their Guacamole ($7) which is a smooth creamy version topped with cilantro and diced tomato. There's a little bit of pepper and a comprehensive lime note making this very addictive. Of course you need a margarita to go with that and their regular Margarita ($8) is a smooth sweet concoction nicely balanced with plenty of lime without being overpowering. It’s simple, tasty and hits the mark. The Paloma Margarita ($9) uses grapefruit juice, blood orange, and tequila resulting in a more tart version of this classic. They also have more than 100 tequilas to choose from.

The Chile en Nogada

A few dishes to consider: The Empanadas de Camaron ($9) is two small shrimp-filled turnovers topped with a mango habanero sauce. The pastry is soft and light, the shrimp moist and the habanero sauce has a slow burning heat to it and it’s wonderfully flavorful. The Ceviche ($10) is citrus-marinated diced halibut, mixed with a small amount of pineapple and served with thin, crisp fried plantains. The fish retains a nice tropical flavor to it, but nothing overly sweet nor one-dimensional. The Chile en Nogada ($16) is a Pasilla chile stuffed with a mix of walnuts, pine nuts, ground beef, peaches, spices and topped with a creamy and slightly sweet sauce and dotted with pomegranate seeds. Typically a seasonal dish from Puebla Mexico, Paloma brought this gem to Goleta and I highly recommend it. This offers a great balance of heat mainly from the chile and texture from the nuts, and this unusual dish is spot on being distinctive, flavorful and satisfying. 

The Tacos del Mar

The Enchiladas Paloma ($15) is shrimp and cheese enchiladas topped with a creamy chipotle sauce, served with salad and side of rice. They consider this their "go-to dish," and there’s good reason why. The velvety chipotle sauce has a roasted smoky quality the way chipotle is supposed to be. The large shrimp are moist and tasty all by themselves giving texture and flavor. Dessert-wise the Bandalone ($6.95) is their signature dish. A moist corn cake, a cross between tres leches without the milk and corn pudding, it’s served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and sliced strawberries and then drizzled with caramel sauce. This is a dense cake with plenty of corn flavor balanced by the sweet caramel and ice cream and is a terrific new version of an old favorite. 

The success of Paloma is in striking a flavor balance with their foods and elevating them beyond traditional Mexican fare. Creating wonderful and flavorful foods at exactly the right price, Paloma fills a void in Santa Barbara’s Mexican food offerings. 

Food:          ★★★★

Service:       ★★★★

Ambiance:   ★★★

(NOTE: Food For Thought Friday incorporates restaurant reviews, and Central Coast specialty foods. Ratings are ranked 1-5. Each restaurant is visited multiple times in accordance with restaurant review guidelines of the Association of Food Journalists. Michael Cervin was the restaurant reviewer for the Santa Barbara News Press for more than seven years, and judges at many food and wine events.)