Rosemary’s 2021 Top 5 Restaurants

I tried my best to not have all 5 places be Italian!

Even a global pandemic couldn’t keep me from trying some new (to me) restaurants in 2021. Here is my list in geographical order, heading North:

Bowery Bungalow, Los Angeles

When you enter the back patio at Bowery Bungalow, the busyness of Los Angeles fades away and you begin to relax amid the lights and charm. The Bungalow bills itself as serving Modern Unique Mideast Cuisine. From the fried cauliflower with Egyptian Dukkkah to the Turmeric fried rice, every bite was a somewhat familiar yet amazingly creative bite.

The Good Plow, Carpinteria

What was formerly a Foster’s Freeze, has now become a lovely farm to table restaurant. The crispy brussels and the fish tacos were standouts. That is saying a lot from me as I am usually not a fan of the brussels! And they still have an ice cream window on the side of the building (it’s frozen yogurt now, but still).

Aperitivo, Santa Barbara

This tiny little hole in the wall packs a big punch! Aperitivos are Italian pre-dinner drinks meant to whet your appetite and vermouth plays a starring role in many of them. I recommend the Santa Barbara Spritzer. The food menu is small but delicious. The 72 hour burrata is amazing with whatever seasonal items accompany it. Most items are served with Oat Bakery bread made specially for the restaurant. The semifreddo al’limoncello is not to be passed up. This place makes me feel like I’m in a little trattoria in Italy.

Olio Bottega, Santa Barbara

I did my best to not have all 5 places be Italian but I had to add this little gem. When the pandemic hit, the owner of Olio Crudo Bar pivoted and created Olio Bottega, a breakfast and lunch spot. They specialize in schiacciate (a focaccia panini) with about 10 different options. The Bocca di Rosa and the Hi Maria! Porchetta rise to the top.

Bob’s Well Bread, Ballard

Serving breakfast and lunch, with loaves of bread, pastries and cookies to take home, this place is a wellspring of tastiness. Egg-in-a-frame #2 for breakfast and the meatloaf sandwich for lunch are both hard to beat. And the Daily Bread offerings run from traditional (Challah) to original (Pain aux Lardons — country bread with rendered slab bacon lardons). A devoted fan base of folks who show up almost every day for one thing or another. Although only 40 minutes from Santa Barbara, it felt like I was on vacation.

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