When we started the Foodie Awards back in 2010, Santa Barbara felt as if it were on the verge of exploding with edible opportunity. Long a forerunner in the farm-to-table game, our seaside city was then burgeoning with creative culinary experiments usually reserved for cities with much bigger populations.
Seven years later, the epicurean explosions continue, with some of the most exciting restaurants opening in the past year alone. And these ventures are increasingly adventurous, as modern diners from near and far become ever more enamored of the lives of chefs, continue growing comfortable with obscure ingredients, and appreciate that real food prepared properly doesn’t come cheap.
So here’s a big “Cheers!” to the following 10 restaurants for keeping Santa Barbara food lovers satisfied in every season.