Where: 1106 State Street, (805) 962-5085; andersenssantabarbara.com
What: Staying true to its Danish roots, Andersen’s is serving up delicious food and mouthwatering pastries. Come hungry!
How Much: Breakfast from $9.95-$14.95, lunch & dinner from $13.95-$29.95 (the latter for a 10-ounce ribeye steak). Also serving High Tea in the afternoon for $23.95. Caters for weddings, and ships pastries directly to your door.
The Dish: Northern European comfort cuisine. That’s how mother and daughter, Birte and Charlotte Andersen — the Danish owners of Andersen’s Restaurant & Bakery — describe their well-thought-out menu. Since 1976, locals as well as tourists have dived into traditional Danish and northern European food often made with a twist to entice as many palates as possible. Although, Birthe or Charlotte would never compromise the traditional flavors of a dish.
“We treasure the traditional flavors but we have realized over the years that what we Danes perceive as dinner, Americans prefer for breakfast, like our hakkebøf and pork hash,” said Birte, who spends most of her time in the kitchen creating new dishes and refining the ones already on the menu. They take great pride in quality and consistency, which can take time. “People might have to wait a while,” said Charlotte, ”but we make everything from scratch.”