It’s been said that James Sly pioneered or cooked at the trifecta of great Santa Barbara eateries: El Encanto, Lucky’s, and his own Sly’s in Carpinteria. Though James was known for food, he was also known for computers and cars — specifically Apple and Volkswagen. He was so smart; he was our Google before there was a Google.
James had a huge respect for the raw ingredients he worked with, and he tried to let their qualities shine through in dishes he called “tired old favorites,” like scalloped potatoes and creamed corn, both crazy popular at Sly’s. Our menu was the result of over 50 years in various kitchens, restaurants, hotels, and private homes. He had huge respect for his staff, too, training each dishwasher to step up to the next job. James collected friends and discarded none.
I met James at an event for the American Institute of Wine & Food, which was started by Julia Child and Robert Mondavi. James was cooking at the truffle station. We went out and a couple of months later decided to take summer jobs in Nantucket at the Summer House. He cooked a couple of things for me, and they were outstandingly delicious, but mostly we went out. He realized that the Summer House was at a far end of the island and people might not want to go that far. He decided to invite all the taxi drivers on the island to the Summer House for a dessert buffet. He pulled out all the stops and created an unforgettable, incredible dessert buffet. Needless to say, every driver recommended the Summer House after that.
