I am a big fan of downtown Santa Barbara dining and and use any excuse I can to take a dive up there. After every wine pick-up at Santa Barbara Winery (we got two great crisp chardonnays just
in time for fall), we head out to lunch or dinner at one of Santa Barbara's finest eateries. Tonight we picked Finch & Fork, the modern American bar and grill at the Canary Hotel. Executive Chef James Siao, uses ingredients from local farmers, fisherman,
and ranchers to create magnificent food! Make a reservation and enjoy one of the comfortable, pillow-cushioned, cozy booths. Start off with the Warm Citrus Olives ($6). Olives never tasted so good. An assortment of green olives are marinated in a citrus
oil, then baked. They are bursting with flavor. If you ask for bread, you can dip it in the left over oil! We also had the skillet of Baked Macaroni and Cheese ($10) served piping hot with aged cheddar, bacon and breadcrumbs. How can that be bad? It can't.
And it wasn't. It was my second favorite mac and cheese. To find out my first, read my blog from last week. For dinner my husband gobbled down the Rainbow Trout ($25) with pan roasted spaetzle, crispy pork, citrus butter, baby spinach, and shaved fennel.
This was some of the freshest, most flavorful trout I have tasted! I had the Baby Back Ribs ($26) with local grits, cipollini onions, mushrooms, and a mustard glaze. I love cipollini onions. I'm not crazy about mustard or grits; but I have to say; this dish
was fantastical! (I made this word up with the help of some very saavy first graders) The grits were the perfect partner to the tender fall-off-the-bone ribs. Mushrooms were perfectly seasoned and the portion was huge. For dessert I forced myself to have the Fire-Roasted
Milkshake ($9). Was this an overindulgence? Yes. Is it on my last supper list? Yes. Take caramelized bananas, salted caramel and banana ice cream, graham crackers, and meringue on top. There you've got one incredible dessert. Share it; you must! Fitch
& Fork 31 West Carrillo Street, Santa Barbara (805) 879-9100 Hours: Mon-Thurs: 7:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. Friday 7:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m. Saturday 8:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m. Sunday 8:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m.
Recommended Dishes: Warm Olives, Macaroni and Cheese, Rainbow Trout, Baby Back Ribs, Fire-Roasted Milkshake.