Santa Barbara Trip

January 2025

• downtownsb.org
• Kavli guide
• Google Gemini Deep Research
• Eater
• map

Restaurants

Pizza

• Bettina 🫴🫳/➕ not bad but let’s try a different place next.
• Saint Bibiana
• Olio Pizzeria

Other Italian

• Via Maestra 42 dinner: 🫴🫳, dessert: ➕➕

Coffee

• Dart ➕➕ very good
• Handlebar ➕
• Dune ➕➕
• Cajé 🫴🫳

Mexican

• Los Agaves it was fresh.
• La Guerrerita
• Lilly’s Tacos
• Taqueria La Unica
• Maíz Picante
• Buena Onda
• Super Cuca’s 🫴🫳, but has vegan options including fake meat which is a rare plus.

Ice creams

• McConnell’s
• Tondi Gelato
• Cuso’s
• Rori’s ➕➕ and cinnamon in the cone yum! Also dog friendly.
• Mangione’s

Bakeries

• Alessia ➕➕
• Helena Avenue Bakery
• Deux
• Hook and Press Donuts

Chocolatiers

• Chocolate Maya
• Menchaca

Trade

Bookshops

• Chaucer’s Books, very good, maybe a new favorite bookstore.
• Paperback Alley Used, good. Lots of paperbacks!
• The Book Den, good but small.
• Paradise Found, this doesn’t appear to actually be a bookstore.
• Mesa Bookstore Used
• Lost Horizon Books Used / Art
• An hour away in Ojai is Bart’s Books which looks interesting for some other time.

Article from 2022 https://backpackingwithabook.com/the-top-independent-bookstores-in-santa-barbara-california/

Yarn

• The Knit Shop
• The Crafter’s Library I got “it’s ok” vibes

Beaches and parks and museums

• Botanical Gardens - Dog Friendly
• Douglas Family Preserve
• View a SpaceX launch map, another map, guide, another guide.
• Arroyo Burro Beach, dog friendly, which is pretty uncommon in Santa Barbara actually.
• Goleta Monarch Butterfly Grove
• Devareux Beach, also dog friendly (I think). Good at low tide.