Deschutes Beer Dinner at Eureka!

If you weren't at Eureka! Santa Barbara's Deschutes Beer Dinner a couple of weeks ago, then you missed out! But they plan on having more beer dinners, so it's okay! Just be at the next one! Your $60 will be well spent. So much food. So much beer. Really. So. Much. Beer.

If you don't know about Deschutes Brewery, look them up! Or go out and buy a six-pack of their Fresh Squeezed IPA or Mirror Pond Pale Ale--some of my favorites! They were born in Bend, OR and they are fantastic! They also have a pub house in Portland, OR, which I've had the pleasure of visiting and I immediately fell in love.

First Course

Lollipop Corn Dogs
Polish sausage dipped in sweet corn batter and served with a spicy porter mustard
 
paired with

Deschutes Cream Ale on Nitro
4.7% ABV
30 IBU
An Ale version of an American Lager, Deschutes' Cream Ale is light, with good hop balance and clean finish

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Second Course

Crispy Glazed Brussel Sprouts
Tossed in herb oil and topped with macadamia nuts

paired with

Deschutes Armory XPA
5.9% ABV
55 IBU
Experimental pale ale with floral and tropical notes, perfectly balanced

You'd enjoy this one if you like their Fresh Squeezed IPA.

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Third Course

Lobster Taco
Knuckle and claw lobster with cabbage, avocado, saffron crema, watermelon radish and Eureka's signature handcut fries

paired with

Deschutes Hop Slice Session IPA
4.5% ABV
45 IBU
Brewed with Meyer Lemon, Hop Slice balances floral hop notes with a subtle citrus kick

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Fourth Course

Fresno Fig Burger
Fig marmalade, melted goat cheese, bacon, tomato, red onion, arugula, and spicy porter mustard (medium rare)

paired with

Deschutes Jubel 2015 American Strong Ale
10.4% ABV
55 IBU
An imperial take on Deschutes' festive winter ale with notes of toasted caramel, raisins, dates and figs are complemented by spicy and herbal hop aromas

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Fifth Course

Chocolate Torte
Dark chocolate torte with vanilla ice cream and macadamia nuts

paired with

Deschutes The Abyss Imperial Stout
12.2% ABV
86 IBU
12 months barrel aged in Bourbon, Pinot Noir and New Oregon American Oak, this deep, dark Imperial Stout has almost immeasurable depth and complexity. Hints of molasses, licorice and other alluring flavors make it something not just to quaff, but contemplate

One of the beer reps from Deschutes came down to do the pairing with us and talk about each beer, and the pairings were made by Eureka's bar manager/AGM, Lindsey. Thoroughly enjoyed each beer and food pairing, and like I said... a lot of food and a lot of beer. I barely finished my food and well, five beers is a little too many for me, ha.

I'm a BIG fan of Eureka's Steal The Glass event on Wednesday nights, so I was excited when I heard that we also get to keep our Deschutes glass.

Anyhey, $60 might seem like a lot, but if you're able to go to one of these beer dinners, you'll see that it's worth it! It's also more fun when you do it with friends. :)

Follow Eureka! Santa Barbara on Instagram or like them on Facebook to stay updated on all their events!

Happy dining and happy drinking!

We All Know What Mom Really Wants

Vino!

Remember that Craft Beer Club I told you about a couple of weeks ago? Well, they also have a wine club and it's fantastic! They never feature bulk wines, private labels, or close outs. Each selection is a genuine, small-production wine crafted by a winery with their family's reputation on the line in each and every bottle. With six different series you can choose from, Gold Medal Wine Club offers a variety of wines to meet any lover's palette: 

PC: www.goldmedalwineclub.com

Gold Medal Wine Club

Most Popular!
Superb, medal-winning wines from California's best boutique wineries

2+ bottles, ships monthly

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PC: www.goldmedalwineclub.com

Platinum Wine Club

Highly Rated
90+ rated, ultra-premium, rare wines from California's top winemakers

2+ bottles, ships monthly

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PC: www.goldmedalwineclub.com

Garagiste Wine Club

Newest Club Offering!
Handcrafted, small-lot wines from independent artisan winemakers

2+ bottles, ships monthly

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PC: www.goldmedalwineclub.com

Pinot Noir Wine Club

Passion for Pinots!
Captivating, world-class wines for those with a passion for Pinots

2+ bottles, ships monthly

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PC: www.goldmedalwineclub.com

Diamond Wine Club

Limited to 500 Recipients
93+ rated, luxury-premium, collectable wines for the ultimate tasting experience

2+ bottles, ships quarterly

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PC: www.goldmedalwineclub.com

International Wine Club

Recommended by Forbes
Outstanding, exclusive imports from great, small estates around the world

3 bottles, ships quarterly

Mother's Day is just around the corner and if you're unsure of what to get her, wine is always a great choice!.. And maybe some flowers, too. Right now, Gold Medal Wine Club is having a Mother's Day Special - bonus gift for Mom when you buy now at GoldMedalWineClub.com (<- click this link!) and use the code MDay2016!

Happy Drinking!

La Playa Azul Cafe

PC: Yelper

What looks like a cute white house is actually a restaurant!

La Playa Azul Cafe specializes in Mexican Seafood and traditional dishes inspired by chef Ignacio Elias. They're open Tuesday-Sunday from 11 AM-close. Lunch specials are served from 11 AM-4 PM and Happy Hour is from 3 PM-6 PM. There's plenty of indoor seating, but why sit inside when you can sit outside on their lovely patio?

PC: Yelper

PC: Yelper

I was really in the mood for a margarita and one of my coworkers recommended La Playa Azul and said they had great ones for a good price. They are great, indeed and strong! They also have a wide variety of them. I've been here once before, but it was a pretty long time ago.

*All hand shaken and served on the rocks

Top Left:
Cabo Wabo Margarita - $9 / $7.50 HH
Cabo Wabo Resposada Tequila, Gran Gala, lime juice, and a splash of Blue Curacao.

Middle (blue glassses):
Casa Margarita - $7 / $5 HH
Sauza Giro Tequila, Triple Sec, agave nectar, and lime juice.

Bottom Right:
Agave Nectar Margarita - $9 / $7.50 HH
Skinny Margarita. Partida Blanco Tequila, 100% organic agave nectar, and lime juice.
 

I hear their enchiladas and tacos are good (really interested to try their enchilada that comes with an egg on top?!), but the fajitas were calling my name!

Sizzling Fajitas

Your choice of grilled chicken ($17), steak ($17.50), shrimp ($19), halibut ($18) or scallops ($19.75), sautéed with onions, zucchini, bell peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, and garlic. Served with corn or flour tortillas.

Went with the shrimp and flour tortillas and it was delicious! Unfortunately, none of their tortillas are made in house. We also got the steak fajitas, which were just as good! The dish also came with beans and rice.

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PC: @lindzlu3 via Snapchat

Camarones Borrachos - $19

Shrimp sautéed in tequila, cilantro butter, garlic and fresh lime juice. Served with corn or flour tortillas.

This was the other dish I was debating on besides fajitas. Luckily, my friend Lindsey got it! Very buttery. Mmmm. Also came with rice and beans, as you can see. But you can choose between that, soup or salad.

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PC: @jordanlee4

Shrimp Picado Burrito - $18.95

Shrimp sautéed with onions, tomatoes, garlic, wine, chile, and cilantro, covered with salsa ranchera or salsa verde, melted cheese, and sliced avocado. Served with beans and rice on the side.

If you couldn't tell, most of us were in the mood for shrimp/seafood. ;)

We also tried the Habanero Mango Margarita and the Hibiscus Flower Margarita!

PC: @lindzlu3

Habanero Mango Margarita - $8 / $6.75 HH
(Forgot to take a picture!)
Skinny Margarita. Sauza Hornitos Plata, mango puree, agave nectar, and lime juice. Hand shaken and served on the rocks.

Hibiscus Flower Margarita - $8.75 / $7.25 HH
Hibiscus Flower Tea, hibiscus-infused Centenario Reposado Tequila, agave nectar, Patron Citronge, and lime juice. Hand shaken and served straight up.

So, if you're looking for good Mexican/Seafood with great margaritas, this is the spot! I believe they're family owned and operated, so they're not as heavily staffed as other restaurants in Santa Barbara, but they're still super friendly, fast and efficient!

Happy Margarita Monday and happy dining!

The Lark

I attended a fun birthday dinner at The Lark a couple of a weeks ago for a good friend of mine. You do need to make a reservation ahead of time and with a big group of people, they'll most likely ask you to choose what you'd like to order beforehand (it's family style). We had 12 people and if you ask them to, they'll print you out your own menu with a personalized message at the bottom for whatever occasion you're celebrating!

Snacks - Crispy Brussel Sprouts - $12

Medjool dates, garum, sesame, lime

These were fantastic! Definitely one of my favorites. It comes with a fish sauce that gives the dish a unique flavor. Fish sauce is actually a commonly used ingredient in most Cambodian dishes, so it was like a nice taste of home. 

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From The Farm - Roasted Beets & Strawberries - $14

Ricotta salata, lemon-strawberry gastrique, spiced hazelnuts, red watercress, basil

This salad was light and refreshing with a hint of sweetness (from the strawberries), and a nice crunch from the hazelnuts. It was big hit at our table.

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From The Ranch - Marinated & Grilled Hanger Steak - $22

Charred broccoli, calabrian chile, crispy shallots, mint

This was delicious! Steak was tender and juicy, though I wish they gave a bigger portion of steak vs. the vegetables.

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From The Ocean - House Made Gnocchi & Dungeness Crab - $34

Spanish chorizo, navel orange, castelvetrano olives, lobster roe, cilantro

This dish will literally blow your mind. It's heaven on earth. It's a party in your mouth. It's basically everything you've ever dreamed of. This dish was rich, decadent and creamy, and definitely a favorite among everyone.

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Platters - Slow Roasted Superior Farms Lamb Ribs - Half Rack - $24

Medjool date caramel, salsa verde, crushed pistachio, fennel pollen

These were great! The meat fell off the bone and it had kind of a buttery taste and melted in your mouth. But since we only got a half rack, there were only four ribs aka not enough to go around. But we did order a whole chicken, which kind of made up for it.

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Platters - Texas Gulf Coast Redfish - $36

Smoked andouille sausage, crispy dirty rice, poblano chile, grilled scallions, creole shellfish sauce

The fish was tasty and the sauce gave it a nice spice. The crispy dirty rice also complimented the dish well.

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Platters - Mary's Roasted Chicken - Whole - $40

Black pepper grits, grilled sweet corn, jalapeno, ham hock, pickled okra, chives, chicken jus

The chicken was moist and flavorful and the grits were absolutely delicious. So glad we got a whole chicken instead of half!

Since it was my friend's birthday, I asked if we could bring our own cake. They said yes and even kept the cake in a fridge for us. There was, however, a $3 cutting fee per person. But they did take care of everything for us i.e. plates, silverware, etc. It was a delicious German Chocolate cake that one of our friend's made. So good. So full.

If we hadn't of brought our own cake, then we definitely would have gotten a couple of their desserts. I'm not sure what their dessert menu looks like now, but these are the two I had last time and they were delicious: mascarpone cheesecake profiteroles with blueberries (left) and a hazelnut praline ice cream sandwich with grilled peaches and tarragon (right).

With the check being spilt between all of us, it came out to be about $35 per person, and that included a coupe of bottles of wine that we brought on our own. You can bring two bottles of wine and their corkage fee is $25 per bottle. If you bring a large bottle of wine, it's considered a magnum and the corkage fee goes up to $50. If you don't bring your own bottle, I believe their cheapest bottle of wine is around $50. They, of course, have great craft cocktails as well. They also give you delicious popcorn as an appetizer. Seriously, it's so good.

The Lark is a great spot in The Funk Zone with fast and friendly service. I enjoyed it just as much as I did the first time I was here. There's a decent amount of indoor seating, as well as a bar, and they also have patio seating. It's the perfect place to celebrate any special occasion or just to have a fancy night out!

If you're headed their way any time soon, be sure to tag @sbgoodeats and #sbgoodeats on Instagram. :)

Happy Dining!

Welcome!

Hey there!

So excited to have sbgoodeats.com finally launched! Doing some pretty cool things in the next couple of months that I can't wait to share with you.

Stay tuned for my first food post that'll feature the fun and delicious dinner I had last week at The Lark for a friend's birthday.

Happy dining!