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Santa Barbara is so much more than just a pretty vacation destination. Tucked amid the swaying palms, red tile roofs, and white sand beaches is a vibrant food culture ready to be explored. There are taco stands, fine dining restaurants and daily farmers markets waiting to satisfy your every appetite. Eat local sea urchin fresh off the boat at the harbor. Grab a late night breakfast burrito from a window inside a convenience store. Taste your way through menus that pair the area's famous Central Coast wines with farm-to-table dishes that change with the season. Meet the friendly and inventive chefs, chocolatiers and other food producers who call Santa Barbara home. Many of the area's best eats and eateries can be found on small side streets and tucked in quiet neighborhoods. From mom-and-pop shops to historic local landmarks, let Unique Eats & Eateries of Santa Barbara be your guide to the hidden and not-so hidden foodie gems in this paradise known as the American Riviera. Come hungry!
About the author
Geneva Ives is a Santa Barbara-based food and beverage enthusiast who is also, conveniently, a writer. After graduating from UCSB with a literature degree, she realized that the very best thing to do would be to stay and write in the beach town she loves. Seventeen years after first moving here, she is now the Santa Barbara local expert for USA TODAY and more excited about the area's restaurant scene than ever before.
