Santa Barbara: Arts and Letters Cafe

The all-powerful lamb burger at the Arts and Letters Cafe.

Going out to eat with my family is often a hectic but very entertaining experience, as the next few posts will surely demonstrate. But on our trip to Santa Barbara, even when we were missing one of the most rambunctious members of our family, we felt more unwelcome than usual. Although it could have been our imaginations, it seemed like we were being stared at much more than is commonly considered polite when we went out to eat. Now, it’s true that we sometimes appear “strange” as a family, not only because we are not only because we are interracial/multicultural (what have you), but also because my family includes some three adopted members, one of which looks very different from the rest of us. But even without being an odd sight to some strangers, we have other characteristics that might cause some people to stare. I am notoriously loud-mouthed and opinionated, and these traits are only heightened in the comfortable presence of my family. The youngest member of my family has a very distinctive munchkin voice that can cut through the loudest of environments, which would be fine if she didn't happen to be hilariously inappropriate for a six year old. And, of course, since siblings will be siblings, we all bicker like crazy.


 But despite our idiosyncrasies and like most families, we are usually met with respect when we dine out. In Santa Barbara, however, and particularly at the Arts and Letter Café, where we went out to lunch one day, the other patrons in the restaurant tended to stare, rather rudely I might add. There is no way to know the reasons for this impolite behavior; all that I know is that it made me feel ill at ease while I was trying to enjoy my meal.

A slice of cucumber in our water.

Besides this drawback, the Arts and Letters Café was an enjoyable experience. We arrived for lunch ten minutes before the kitchen closed, which ensured that we got our food quickly. Their eating area was a garden patio, which provided a very green and lovely atmosphere in which to ingest ones food. And, unlike the patrons, the service was friendly and courteous. Another virtue of the ALC was the fact that they had cucumbers in their water, which simultaneously provided a refreshing twist to our drinks and gave my family something to battle over (particularly for my littlest sister, who already has the bad habit of sticking her little fingers in the water to get the ice out).

But of course, we didn’t go there just for the atmosphere or the service or the cucumber water. We wanted good food and we received it. I ordered their lamb burger, which consisted of Niman Ranch Lamb, feta cheese, roasted pepper, spinach, basil aioli all on a sesame bun, and the ALC salad which included Shepherd Farm lettuce, red onion, avocado, pecorino cheese. Seriously divine. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about the lamb burger, but once I took a bite, all doubts were cast aside. I didn’t even care that I probably looked ridiculous trying to eat a burger that was far too large to fit into my mouth. It was that good.

One of the many benefits of going out to eat with a large family––besides the assurance that you will never have a boring time––is that you are also able to take a sampling of everyone’s dish. The most memorable dish I tasted other than my own was my dad’s seafood salad, consisting of grilled prawns and crab with baby greens, tomatoes, onion and cucumbers with vinaigrette dressing. It was definitely delicious. Crab and shrimp happen to be some of my favorite types of seafood, and food in general. Even so, my lamb burger trumped all of the other dishes I tried there that night. 

Like many of our dining experiences in Santa Barbara, the Arts and Letters Café was a little off-putting, but filled with deliciousness and a little bit of crazy, thanks to my lovely family.

Phil's Sliders: Unpretentious Fast Food

Sliders and Chocolate Shake at newly opened Phil's Sliders

       
            Like so many of my foodie adventures, my trip to the newly opened Phil’s Sliders in Downtown Berkeley began with some requirements: Ben and I needed to find a place to eat that we could get in and out of before our date with Harry Potter in an hour, a place that was delicious enough to be worthy of this blog, and a place that was pretty enough to make it worth carrying my giant and super heavy SLR digital camera all the way to downtown Berkeley. Oh, and not to mention, I was craving burgers and something light at the same time. After a quick consultation to the almighty Yelp app on my phone, we found Phil’s Sliders, which exceeded even my most demanding expectations.

            For starters, we were offered a choice: we could either order sliders or…sliders. This limitation in meal options was hardly a drawback for me and my extremely indecisive nature that exponentially worsens the hungrier I get. After ordering 4 sliders and a chocolate milkshake to share, we took our seats and began to notice how adorable the place really was. No matter which direction I looked, I found something that pulled at my heartstrings. To my right was an exposed brick wall, that had a plaque attached to it, telling this super sweet story about the owner’s father, Phil:

“I was 12 years old and my parents Phil and Hadele were hosting one of their many parties; our big but never big enough formal dining room table crowded knee-to-knee with adults. I was sitting next to my dad, and sitting next to me was a foreign exchange student who had been brought to the party by one of my parents’ friends. She was maybe 21, the only other “kid” at the table besides me, and barely spoke a word of English. In fact, she was so quiet, looking down at her plate the whole time, it seemed like she was trying to disappear altogether. Midway through the meal, as she was reaching for a bread roll, she accidentally knocked over her glass of red wine onto the white tablecloth, the stain quickly spreading across the fabric. Everyone froze, except my father. Barely pausing between bites, my dad casually backhanded his own wine glass onto the table. Laughter filled the room and I could tell that the exchange student was relieved. I’ve never forgotten that moment…” (thanks Berkeleyside for the quote)

            To my left was a giant chalkboard that any guests were free to write on and of course, I had to do it; I drew them a pretty heart to show my appreciation. The whole place simply exuded an unpretentious and loving atmosphere that went a long way towards winning my affection.

Making my mark on the giant chalkboard.

Ben, with exposed brick backdrop.

            And my fondness for Phil’s only increased after our food arrived: four simple sliders consisting of lettuce, special sauce and grass-fed beef. Although small, these were pretty tasty in and of themselves and luckily Ben and I weren’t so hungry. But, oh my, the chocolate shake. That chocolate shake, one sip and I was hooked. It was so potent that it even got Ben and I, normally very comfortable sharers, competing over the last few sips. Next time, we’re definitely getting two. 
         
            Sooner than we knew it, our experience at Phil’s was over. We started the evening looking for something to satisfy my many food desires, and we got much more. I will definitely be returning soon for more chocolate shakes and sliders, to tackle their potato tots and homemade sodas, and of course, to appreciate their heartwarming atmosphere.

Be back soon Phil's!