Best of Santa Barbara® 2020
From Burgers to Braces, Here Are the Results of Our Annual Reader Survey
By Leslie Dinaberg | Photos by Daniel Dreifuss | Illustrations by Ben Ciccati
Published October 15, 2020
In a world that can feel overwhelmingly full of bad news these days, it’s awesome to be the bearer of some good news for a change. One of my favorite things about writing this section is how genuinely happy people are to hear from you!
Still, writing the 2020 ode to the Best of Santa Barbara® was somewhat bittersweet. Even the most vibrant business sectors are exhausted from all of the quick pivots necessary and the sheer rush of business coming in, and then everyone else is either effectively shut down or treading water as fast as they can just to survive.
Because of all the turmoil in the world right now, the Independent’s powers that be did consider hitting the pause button on this annual business celebration. But a survey of advertisers and past winners was overwhelmingly in favor of continuing to offer kudos to our favorite people and places of business. Skipping Best of Santa Barbara®, they said, would eliminate one of their biggest boosts during one of their toughest years ever.
