Santa Barbara’s Annual Ode to Julia Child

Santa Barbara’s Annual
Ode to Julia Child

Taste of Santa Barbara’s
Weekend of Delicious To-Dos

By Matt Kettmann and George Yatchisin
May 16, 2023

The beloved television star, cookbook author, and bon vivant extraordinaire Julia Child — who spent her waning years at Casa Dorinda in Montecito, surviving on tacos from La Super-Rica and hot dogs from Costco — would almost certainly have blushed and blustered to learn that there was an entire week-long culinary celebration dedicated to her in Santa Barbara. But then she would have dove in, taking (well, perhaps leading) the cooking classes, bouncing around on farm tours, carousing with the hottest chefs in town over meals, and indulging in the latest vintages from the Santa Ynez Valley. 

This is the spirit behind Taste of Santa Barbara, the annual event hosted by the Santa Barbara Culinary Experience (SBCE), an offshoot of the Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy & the Culinary Arts. Founded in 2020 — when the inaugural event slated for mid-March was the first of countless gatherings to be scrapped due to COVID — SBCE launched Taste of Santa Barbara in 2022, making this year the third-ever in-person affair. 

“Julia Child loved this city and county, and each year our goal is to curate a diverse set of events for locals and visitors to celebrate and invoke Julia’s spirit while shining a light on Santa Barbara’s culinary, hospitality, tourism, and wider artisan communities,” said Eric Spivey, who is the chair of the Julia Child Foundation and a founder of SBCE. “In addition to providing economic benefit to our area, a majority of the net proceeds will go to support local nonprofits tackling issues related to food access and the overall food system.” 

This year, SBCE enlisted the services of Solterra Strategies to handle programming with an eye on expanding the reach and building a larger platform for the event going forward. “Creating a signature event weekend was a strategic direction for 2024,” said Solterra’s Stacie Jacob, who is the event director for Taste of Santa Barbara. “The new Taste of Santa Barbara Soirée on Friday is an evening in classic Santa Barbara style, bringing together local chefs, vintners, and distillers for an exceptional culinary journey honoring the legacy of Julia Child at Casa de la Guerra’s historic courtyard.”

Jacob, who’s put on the World of Pinot Noir event for many years, is also excited about the Saturday wine experience, featuring nearly 30 wineries, and that evening’s screening event at the Metro 4, with clips of the Julia series as well as The French Chef. There’s also still tickets available for Sunday’s brunch at The Lark and that afternoon’s after-party at Mattei’s Tavern. Said Jacob, “Our team is honored to steward of the vision of the esteemed SBCE advisory committee.”

Read on for more details about what to expect this weekend. 

The TOSB Soirée

Friday, May 17, 6-9 p.m., Casa de la Guerra

This is the first year that Taste of Santa Barbara is throwing this ambitious “signature event,” which is bringing together some of the best chefs in the region to prepare two dishes each, most of them inspired by Julia Child herself. 

In addition to the chefs profiled above, Massimo Falsini of Caruso’s in the Rosewood Miramar Beach will be serving what whimsically named “I Grew Up in Trastevere, You Should Try This Carbonara” as well as a Baja Kanpachi with spring legumes and ramps. Market Forager’s Justin West is making braised beef cheeks and a cream of chicken soup with vegetables inspired by a Julia Child recipe that was the first dish he ever cooked himself. “I was 13 years old and my parents were returning from a vacation and, under the supervision of my caretakers (Mom and Dad’s friends), I prepared this soup for their welcome-back dinner,” said West.

Live music will be performed by the Spanish guitar duo Calé, and Cutler’s Artisan Spirits will be crafting cocktails. Santa Barbara Vintners will be pouring top-shelf wines by Sandhi Wines, Star Lane Vineyard, Rusack Vineyards, Tyler Winery, Lieu Dit Winery, Marbeso Wine, Barden by Margerum, and Foxen. 

Use the promotional code SOIREE24 to get $50 off of the ticket price.

— George Yatchisin

Taste of Santa Barbara’s Saturday Wine Experience

Nearly 30 Wineries, Seven Culinary Stars,
and Three Panels Coming to the Presidio

Wine takes center stage at the Presidio on Saturday during the Taste of Santa Barbara’s third annual wine tasting experience on May 18. Nearly 30 wineries will be pouring (we cover just two here), and the afternoon’s three panels — hosted by the Indy’s own Matt Kettmann — will focus on the enduring impact of Sideways, new grape varieties like mencía and clairette blanche, and what it’s like to craft pinot noir depending where you are in your winemaking career. 

There are also seven up-and-coming culinary stars on hand to feed the masses. In addition to the two profiled below, attendees can enjoy shrimp ceviche by Dusk Bar; pulled osso buco from Las Cumbres Ranch with chimichurri, herbed crème fraîche, and bone marrow butter by Gala; ceviche tostadas by The Victor Restaurant and Bar; and savory pours by Luretík Estate Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Full details and tickets at sbce.events. Use the promotional code TOSB24 to get $50 off the ticket price. 

—Matt Kettmann

Big G’s Barbecue Fuses American, Mexican, and Guatemalan Cuisines

Momma’s Soul Food Fusion Invents Soulshi Rolls

Chasing Wine Dreams and Embracing Curiosity with Trippers & Askers 

Winemaker Dusty Nabor’s Powerful Pursuit of Every Passion

Taste of Santa Barbara’s Farm Tours

Wanderment Farm and Trinity Gardens
Are Just Two Experiences Offered on Sunday

Wrapping up this year’s Taste of Santa Barbara on Sunday are a series of eye-opening farm tours, bringing participants face-to-face with the people and places behind the region’s foods and drinks. The Cultured Abalone tours sold out fast, but there’s still room for the others, including the horseback riding tours of Buttonwood Winery & Vineyard with Vino Vaqueros and the sustainable cattle ranching experience at Las Cumbres Ranch near Los Alamos. 

Featured here are two of the South Coast tours: Trinity Gardens, which is located right in town, and Wanderment Farms, located on the cliffs above Carpinteria.