A Heavenly Evening at Angel Oak

As the saying goes, “What grows together, goes together.” While that phrase usually refers to wine pairings, in the case of the new chef’s tasting menu at Angel Oak, Chef Diego Seitour’s showcasing of local farmers and purveyors alongside the breathtaking ocean views at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara makes for an excellent pairing as well.

After being seated on the patio for a perfect view of the sunset, we began our experience with a special menu for the evening that had been handwritten into a wood-burned etching notebook with our names on it. Nice personal touch. So was the tray of Marcona almonds and olives they offered as we perused the cocktail menu.

My Santa Rosa cocktail (rose-infused Ketel One vodka, honeysuckle guava puree, Lillet, lime, and Fever Tree club soda) was refreshing and delicious. Light enough for a weeknight, but with a nice kick of both sweet and citrusy sourness. 

I had been to the restaurant several times over the years, but this was my first experience since Seitour took over as Chef de Cuisine in December of 2023. Originally from Costa Rica, he shared that he had previously worked as a chef at the Ritz-Carlton–Grand Cayman and was blown away by the quality of produce available from our region.

The first course showcased the “amazing tomatoes” we have here, said Seitour. “I’ve spent time in Italy but have never seen better tomatoes than in Santa Barbara right now.” And this from someone who knows his way around the produce aisle markets. Seitour discovered his passion for cooking as a child — his father was a chef for the President of Argentina. And as a child, he would always want to go to work with his dad to watch and learn the art of cooking.

He certainly learned it well. This heirloom tomato carpaccio course showcased three colorfully unique tomatoes (red, green and yellow) with basil, organic Humboldt Fog cheese from Cypress Grove both sliced and made into “goat cheese air,” pretty touches of micro flowers, and a clever “dressing” creation of balsamic and olive oil pearls that added beauty, texture, and zingy (literal) pops of flavor.

Angel Oak is known for its steakhouse experience, and our second course showcased just that, with a perfectly prepared eye of ribeye complimented with a broken citrus beurre blanc sauce, a stuffed zucchini blossom with very fresh goat cheese, and a summer truffle crème fraîche . Divinely decadent!

The final course on our tasting menu was a Goleta lemon curd tart with Italian meringue and fresh berries (strawberries and boysenberries). I’m not normally one to get overly excited by fruity desserts, but the combination of tartness with sweet creaminess and the butter cookie texture of the tart crust was hard to resist and made for an excellent exclamation point to our elegantly prepared meal.

Offered along with the à la carte menu, which also showcases local farmers and purveyors, the tasting menu starts at $85 and guests can partake in a wine pairing along with the tasting for an additional charge. See angeloakrestaurantsb.com for more information and reservations.