Dinner at Church & State (Los Angeles)

A few weeks ago, my husband and I were going to be journeying to Downtown L.A. once again, so we took the opportunity to revisit a restaurant that we had enjoyed a couple years ago called Church & State.  Since we visited the south of France earlier this year, we have a new found love for French Provencal cuisine, and have been trying to find a great French restaurant in L.A. that is comparable to the amazing food we had while in France.  Church & State is a classic French bistro, in the old, industrial area of Downtown L.A.  In fact, it is located on the ground floor of the original National Biscuit Company (i.e. Nabisco) building, which was built back in 1925.

When it first opened back in 2008, Church & State was one of the first restaurants to open in the now bustling Arts District of Downtown L.A.   The cuisine is traditional French bistro fare, including such classics as steak frites, escargot, moules (mussels), roasted bone marrow, steak tartar, and duck confit, along with a selection on French cheeses, and an all-French wine list.  In addition, they have a full bar, and a great selection of unique, craft cocktails.

We each started with one of the craft cocktails, mine was called an "impromptu", and although I don't exactly recall the ingredients (it's been a few weeks), I do remember that it was quite good.  Our server also delivered some fresh, crusty bread for us to nibble on as we studied our menus.

Before we even ordered, our server also gave us an amuse, which was a gougeres (cheese puff).  This little one-bite wonder was warm, light, cheesy, and delectable.  I could have eaten several of these yummy morsels.

Our first mission was to each pick an hors d'oeuvres.  There were a lot of options on the menu which sounded great.  The hors d'oeuvres menu is pictured below.

Being a fan of charcuterie, I decided on the "small" version of the charcuterie board for my first course.  The various meats on the board were duck prosciutto, pork rillette, chicken liver mousse, and one other that I can't recall.  The server explained that all of the meats are made in-house.  The board also contained some lovely, brightly colored, pickled vegetables, along with some whole grain mustard.  We were also provided with even more fresh, crusty bread to eat the various meats with.  The meats were all delicious, and the vinegar in the pickled veggies provided just the right amount of acidity to balance out the fattiness of the meats. 

For his first course, my husband tried one of the house specialties, the moelle de boeuf, or roasted bone marrow.  Church & State is well known for their bone marrow offering, a staple on their menu since the beginning of the bone marrow trend in foodie-land. After having skipped it on our first visit, he decided go for it this time.  You can see in the picture that it arrives having been roasted in the split bone, and is served with some crostini and a marinated radish salad.  Our server explained that you are supposed to scoop the marrow out of the middle of the bone with a spoon, spread it on some bread, and then top it with a bit of the radish salad.  We had a similar experience at The French Laundry which served (back when it was legal in California) a foie gras pate to spread on toasted brioche, which was delicious.  However, my husband felt that the bone marrow at Church & State trumped the French Laundry foie gras.


The bone marrow was decadently rich, and basically tasted like the melted fat you would get on a really good ribeye steak.  The best description I’ve heard is that it tastes like “animal butter”.  Indeed it has a fatty, gelatinous texture which can be off-putting to some, but is cancelled out by some crunchy, toasty bread.  It is similar to foie gras, in that it absorbs flavor very well.  We both thought it was fantastic, and enjoyed every bite of its heart-clogging goodness. 

The next step was to each decide on an entree.  Again, the menu was loaded with French classics.

My husband went with the Scottish salmon, green lentils, red onion and crispy bacon.  The salmon was well cooked, and the mixture of the lentils, onion, and bacon, was an excellent accompaniment to the fish.

I chose the duck breast and leg confit.  The duck breast was tasty, however, it was a bit dry and needed a little more seasoning.  However, the leg confit was absolutely delicious!  To make duck confit, you basically poach the meat in the duck fat.  This method of cooking the duck allowed the leg meat to retain its moisture, and imparted tons of flavor.  The sauce was also tasty, but the leg confit did not even need any of the sauce.

Even though we were more than full at this point, we decided to split a dessert.  We decided on the pot de creme au chocolate et cafe, which was basically a chocolate coffee custard, topped with a chantilly creme.  It was a lovely end to our meal, but not particularly memorable.  It was a solid effort, but I do not feel it compared to the rest of our excellent meal.

Overall, I would definitely recommend Church & State to anyone who enjoys classic French bistro fare.  The first courses of charcuterie and roasted bone marrow were definitely our favorites, but the entrees were great as well.  It is a delicious French experience in the heart of Downtown LA.

Dinner at Orsa & Winston (Los Angeles)

Last week was "preview week" for one of the most highly anticipated restaurant openings of this year, Orsa & Winston, which is the newest offering from Josef Centeno, former executive chef of the Lazy Ox Canteen, and famed chef of L.A. hot spots, Baco Mercat and Bar Ama.  Chef Centeno is expanding his culinary dominion in Downtown Los Angeles by opening a new, fine dining establishment, which he has affectionately named after his two dogs.  Orsa & Winston is a small, intimate space, with an open kitchen concept and only about 30 seats, and is expected to be one of the hardest reservations to secure in the coming months.

I had been reading a lot about the opening of Orsa & Winston on different foodie websites, and luckily, through Mastercard's priceless.com website, I was able to score a reservation during the restaurant's "preview week," which occurred this past week, before it finally opens up to the public on October 2nd.

So this past Friday night, my husband and I put on our fancy clothes, and made the long trek to Downtown L.A. to give Orsa & Winston a try.  When we arrived, we were greeted with a smile, and immediately seated at our table for two.  On our table was a very vague menu card, which described the 5-course, prix fixe menu for the evening as follows:  Raw,  Egg,  Rice,  Meat,  and Dessert.   There were no other descriptions, only these five little words, so we really had no idea what was in store for us.

Our server arrived shortly thereafter, and explained that although we had already pre-paid for the set 5-course menu, the chef was also offering a 9-course, "omakase" menu, for an additional charge.  "Omakase" is a Japanese phrase that means "I'll leave it to you" (from the Japanese "to entrust"), and is usually used in sushi restaurants.  However, it can also simply mean that the customer will leave the selection of dishes completely  up to the chef.  This allows the chef to be even more innovative and surprising in the selection of dishes that are served.

As it turns out, since it was "preview week," Chef Centeno himself was working in the kitchen on the night we were there.  Therefore, we decided to go for it, and order the full, 9-course omakase menu.  Our server told us that it was actually the very first night that the 9-course menu was being offered, and that we were the very first table to have ordered it!  (We were hoping to get our photo put up on a wall or something, but alas, it was not to be.)  We also decided to do the wine pairings that were offered with each course. 

Now, each dish was explained to us in great detail by our servers, and I tried to take some notes about each course as we went along.  Obviously, the menu was of no help in trying to recall all the details of each dish, but hopefully, my descriptions and photos will be a suitable guide through the delectable parade of courses which were dished up.

The first item we were served was an amuse-bouche, which is a small starter served before the first course.  The amuse is meant to prepare your mouth for the rest of the meal.  The amuse was a celery seed panna cotta with mountain caviar and champagne grapes.  The server explained to us that the mountain caviar is actually not fish eggs, but seeds from the Broom Cypress tree, which have a similar type of texture as caviar.  The panna cotta was smooth and creamy, and paired well with the acidity of the grapes.  The mountain caviar provided just the right amount of texture to the dish.

The next item was our first actual course, which was the "Raw" course.  This dish was Kampachi (a type of yellowtail) with persimmon and an anchovy jus.  First off, the dish was beautiful.  Secondly, it was delicious, and was definitely one of my favorite courses.  The thin slices of fish were light and delicate, and paired perfectly with the sweetness of the persimmon and the saltiness of the anchovy jus.  This dish was paired with a Kerner, which is an aromatic white wine from northern Italy.  We thought the wine pairing worked well with the subtle flavors of the dish.

Next, we were served some bread, which was a cross between Japanese milk bread and Italian focaccia, along with some house-made oregano butter.  Our server described eating the bread to be like "biting into a cloud." She was quite accurate in her description as the bread was super light and fluffy.  It was delicious.

Our second course was burrata cheese with fresh snap peas and a Meyer lemon marmalade.  Again, I thought the presentation of the dish was just beautiful.  The burrata cheese was extremely fresh and gooey, and worked very well with the crispiness of the snap  peas.  The Meyer lemon marmalade tasted like candied lemon peel, and complemented the other items perfectly.  This dish was paired with a sweet Riesling.

The third course was the "Egg" course.  Our server called this dish "Breakfast in a Shell" and said it was one of Chef Centeno's signature dishes.  The dish was a coddled egg, with crispy pancetta, topped with a sherry whipped cream.  The dish was actually served in an eggshell, and our server advised us to mix it up in order to get to the pancetta at the bottom.  It tasted like a very sophisticated  bacon and eggs, and was simply scrumptious.  They paired this dish with a dry sherry.  However, neither of us felt that the sherry paired very well with this dish.

Our fourth course was a seared mackerel with sofrito and fresh Lima beans.  Again, the presentation was lovely.  Mackerel is a darker, meatier type of fish, so the texture is quite different from the earlier Kampachi dish.  The fish was very lush and tender, and paired extremely well with the flavors of the sofrito and the Lima beans. The wine pairing was a nice rose, which worked extremely well with the dish.

The fifth course was the "Rice" course, and was another one of our favorites.  The dish was a Japanese koshihikari rice, prepared risotto style in a pecorino stock, with uni and razor clams.  The rice was super rich and creamy, but paired impeccably with the salty, briny taste of the uni and clams. This course was served with sake, which was not one of our favorite pairings.

The sixth course was the "Meat" course.  This course consisted of a piece of Kurobata pork tenderloin and a piece of pork cracklin, along with a chicken liver mousse and a huckleberry gastrique.  The piece of tenderloin was good, however, the cracklin piece with the crispy skin had a lot more flavor.  Not being a big fan of chicken liver in general, I only took a small taste of the mousse, which turned out to be quite tasty, and worked well with the pork.  The mousse added a touch of sweetness, and a silky texture which was a nice complement to the meat.  This plate also included some golden beets and sauteed beet greens as the sides, both of which were also quite tasty.  The pairing for this dish was a Bourgogne, which I felt paired well with this course.

Because we ordered the 9-course menu, we were served a second "Meat" course as our seventh course.  This dish was a slow roasted, boneless beef short rib, served with mushrooms and a red wine and bone marrow reduction.  The beef was incredibly tender, and had a great depth of flavor.  The reduction had just the right balance of sweetness from the red wine to richness from the bone marrow.  The dish was succulent and delicious, and was another one of our favorites of the night.  This dish was paired with a big, California Syrah, which matched up well with the rich flavor of the meat.

Before dessert, we were given an intermezzo (palate cleanser), which consisted of  compressed melon, with a passion fruit granita, topped with a ginger sabayon. The ginger was quite strong, and combined with the acid from the fruit, definitely helped to cleanse my palate of the richness that had coated my mouth from the beef and bone marrow.

The eighth course was the first "Dessert" course, which were sauteed, caramelized figs topped with a balsamic glaze.  The figs were served warm and were incredibly sweet.   Since I am not a big fan of figs, this was probably my least favorite dish, but I still managed to eat several bites.  I think if you like figs, you'd likely find this dish to be a luscious treat.  This course was paired with a dessert wine, which was a very sweet Grenache.  I enjoyed the wine, but paired with the very sweet figs, I was a bit overwhelmed with the sweetness.

And finally, our ninth course was a second dessert course, which was a  pear and ricotta cake with a marscapone mousse and a berry sauce.  The cake was served warm, and was not overly sweet, which made it a great way to end a fantastic meal. Our final wine pairing was a dry Alsace Muscat.  I thought this pairing worked well with the dish because the wine was not sweet, so it balanced well with the sweetness of the cake. 

Overall, I would say that we thoroughly enjoyed our meal at Orsa & Winston.  We felt that every dish from start to finish was beautiful, imaginative, and well-crafted.  The unique combinations of flavors were subtle, yet complex.  The wines were unusual and adventurous, and we felt that the majority of them paired well with their dishes.  It was a great dining experience, and we would definitely recommend checking out this exciting new addition to the Downtown L.A. restaurant scene.

Dinner at Pizzeria Mozza (Los Angeles)

Last weekend we were headed down to a show at The Wiltern theater, and decided to pick a place to eat beforehand that  would only be a short drive to the theater.  After weighing several options, we decided on Pizzeria Mozza.  For those who don't know, Pizzeria Mozza was created by two well-known chefs, Nancy Silverton and Mario Batali.  Silverton is the founder of La Brea Bakery, which was one of this first artisan bakeries in Los Angeles, and has grown into a massive bread empire; and Batali is a specialist in regional Italian cuisine, an "Iron Chef," co-host of "The Chew," and a James Beard Foundation "Best Chef" Award Winner.  With Silverton's expertise in dough, and Batali's extensive knowledge of all things Italian, they were a perfect team to partner up and open a gourmet pizzeria in L.A.  The result was Pizzeria Mozza, which has been touted by many as having some of the best pizza in the city.

We each started off with a glass of prosecco, something we picked up on our recent trip to Italy.  Prosecco is a sparkling Italian wine, which acts as a great palate cleanser at the start of a meal.

Next, we each picked an appetizer to share.  My husband ordered the fried salt cod which was served with an aioli on the side.  The salt cod was prepared in small, round balls, similar to fritters.  They were perfectly fried, and the batter was light and crispy.  The fish inside was flaky and not greasy.  It went very well with the aioli, and a little bit of lemon squeezed on top.

For my appetizer, I ordered the platter of prosciutto de parma with fresh bufala mozzarella. As you can see, it was a generous portion of prosciutto. With the meat and cheese, we had some large slices of crusty bread that had been brushed with olive oil and grilled to perfection. The prosciutto, cheese, and bread together were delicious, and probably my favorite part of the entire meal.

 

After finishing our appetizers, we were already getting full.  However, since we were really there for the pizza, we soldiered on, and each ordered one.  My husband ordered a pizza with egg, bacon, Yukon gold potatoes, and onions.  He thought the crust of the pizza was fantastic, but overall, he felt that it was really a bit too "breakfasty" for his liking, and he missed the tomato sauce that he craves on a good pizza.  He did enjoy the sunny side up egg that was cooked in the middle of the pizza, and used the runny yolk as a sauce.

I ordered a pizza with with house-made fennel sausage and red onions.  I also thought that the pizza crust was delicious.  It was crispy and crusty on the outside, yet still chewy on the inside.  The house-made fennel sausage was also quite tasty.  However, it was placed in large chunks on top of the pizza, and really needed to be more evenly distributed on top.  In addition, I also missed having some type of tomato sauce on the pizza.  I think that a sauce would have worked well with the sausage, and would have brought more balance to the pizza.

Overall, we both agreed that the pizza crust was one of the best we've had in all of our extensive pizza exploration.  However, we both felt that we should have ordered different types of pizzas which included a tomato sauce.  We each tried to get a bit fancy with our pizza toppings, and we agreed that we should have probably stuck more to the basics.

One thing about the interior of Pizzeria Mozza is that the tables are extremely close to one another, so it is almost like you are at one big communal table.  It is also quite loud, and you can hear everything that is being said by the other guests seated around you.

One positive about the very tight quarters is that we got to chatting with a table of four women seated next to us who were celebrating a birthday, and coincidentally, headed to the same show as us at The Wiltern.  They had three different desserts served to them. (When do you ever see a table of four women, especially in L.A., ordering three desserts?)  One of the desserts was the clear winner amongst their group, and as we watched the women devour it, they told us we absolutely had to order it.  One woman actually said she would buy it for us if we didn’t like it.  The winning dessert was a caramel copetta (gelato) with marshmallow sauce and salted Spanish peanuts.  We ordered the dessert and it was yummy!

We felt that Pizzeria Mozza delivered an enjoyable meal overall, however, there was no single course that really blew our minds.  If you get a chance to visit, you should definitely order a pizza, but my advice would be to try and stick to something simple, and choose toppings that will help accentuate the delectable crust.

Exploring the Funk Zone (Santa Barbara) - Part Two (Drink)

In my last blog entry, I discussed some of the great food places I have recently discovered in the Funk Zone, in downtown Santa Barbara.  Besides all of the great food places, the Funk Zone also has a ton of places to get your drink on!  Whether you enjoy wine tasting, beer, or spirits, the Funk Zone has a place for you.  When it comes to wine, the Funk Zone has a collection of new and eclectic wine tasting rooms to discover and enjoy, most of which are within walking distance of each other, which makes the Funk Zone an easy place to explore.

There are 17 tasting rooms in and around the Funk Zone which make up the Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail, along with several other independent tasting rooms and wine bars.  Since I am primarily a wine girl, I will focus on the different tasting rooms I have recently visited.


Les Marchands Wine Bar & Merchant, 131 Anacapa St., Santa Barbara

Les Marchands Wine Bar & Merchant is a new wine bar which has recently been opened by two rising stars in the wine industry.   Owners Brian McClintic (Master Sommelier featured in the documentary Somm), and his business partner, Sommelier Eric Railsback, have created a beautiful space where you can enjoy numerous wines by the glass, along with some small bites, or you can purchase one of over 400 bottles of wine from their retail selection.  Of course, Les Marchands offers wines from Santa Barbara County, but they also have an extensive selection of bottles from France, Italy, Austria, Germany, and beyond.  The owners' vast knowledge of wine is clearly showcased in their glass and bottle selections.


Les Marchands is actually attached to The Lark restaurant, however, it's entrance is located around back, with only a small sign above the door, so you have to know where you are going (or ask someone) to find it.  The space is elegant and intimate, with one half being filled with floor to ceiling wooden wine racks of bottles for sale, and the other half being the actual wine bar.  It has both an urban/industrial decor, with exposed brick and duct work, but also an elegant sophistication, with a copper-topped bar, large chandeliers, and soft lighting.

 

This is a picture of the large wine racks which cover the walls on the retail side.

Les Marchands usually offers 25 different wines by the glass, with an emphasis on French wines.  They also have an extensive bottle list, but since I was alone, I stuck to the glass list.

I started with a glass of the Chateau des Tours Grenache, from Cotes du Rhone, France.  It was primarily Grenache, but blended with Syrah and Cinsault.  It was a big, full-bodied wine, which was well-balanced, with a smooth finish.

Les Marchands also offers a small bites and desserts menu. Again, the French influences dominate this list.

I chose the Charcuterie plate, which was served with whole grain mustard and cornichons.  The three meats were mortadella, and two different types of salami, one a bit hotter than the other.  The selection of meats changes on a regular basis.  As you can see below, the portion size was very large, and could easily have been shared.

With my charcuterie plate, I had a second glass of wine, which was a 2010 Domaine Tempier Mourvedre from Bandol, France. The wine paired well with the spiciness of the salami, as well as, the tartness and acidity of the mustard and cornichons.

I sat at the bar, and was helped by co-owner, Eric Railsback (in the glasses behind the bar).  He is a super nice guy, and has a wealth of wine knowledge which he is more than happy to share.

Overall, I had a great time during my first visit to Les Marchands.  I tasted a couple of really good wines, had a nice charcuterie plate, and enjoyed the total experience.  It is definitely a place I would go back to next time I'm up in Santa Barbara, and a stop I would recommend to anyone headed up that direction.

As I mentioned above, the Funk Zone is home to a majority of Santa Barbara's Urban Wine Trail, a group of tasting rooms representing Santa Barbara County wineries and vineyards.  I have not been able to get to all of them yet, but I've made a good start, and have already found a number of places I would certainly recommend visiting. 


AVA Santa Barbara, 116 East Yanonali St., Santa Barbara

AVA Santa Barbara is a modern tasting room featuring the wines of "The Valley Project", an ongoing exploration of the different Santa Barbara County terroirs.  They have a variety of small-batch wines from each of the regions 4 American Viticultural Areas (AVAs), which include Santa Maria Valley, Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Rita Hills, and the newest member of the family, Happy Canyon.  In their winemaking, they are attempting to showcase the County's incredibly diverse and distinct viticultural areas.  As such, their motto is, "Taste your way through the County, one glass at a time."  

The centerpiece of this very minimalistic tasting room, is a hand drawn, wall-sized chalk mural behind the tasting counter, which is both impressive, as well as, educational.  The map helps you understand each of the different Santa Barbara County AVAs, and the various microclimates within them.  This allows you to better understand why different varietals of grapes thrive in specific areas.

For the true wine geek, on the tasting counter they have Mason jars containing soil samples from the various Santa Barbara County growing regions.  This is to help you understand the terroir of each of the different regions.

I did their tasting flight, which included two whites and three reds.  My favorite white was the 2010 Santa Maria Chardonnay.   It was not very buttery or oaky, like many typical California Chardonnays.  It was bright and crisp, and very refreshing.

As far as the reds, most were Pinot Noirs, which tend to grow very well in this region.  All had good flavors and were well-balanced.  I also enjoyed the Happy Canyon Merlot, which was on the lighter side for a Merlot, but still had a lot of cherry notes. 

I enjoyed all of the wines I tasted at AVA Santa Barbara, and believe it would be a good place to start your wine tasting experience in the Funk Zone, so you can learn more about the different regions before tasting other local wines throughout the day.

Pali Wine Co., 116 East Yanonali St., Santa Barbara

Right across from AVA Santa Barbara, is the Pali Wine Co. tasting room.  Pali produces premium single-vineyard and AVA specific Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from both California and Oregon.

 

Pali had a couple of tasting flight to sample, and I chose the one with only one white, and four reds, including three different Pinot Noirs, and a Grenache/Mourvedre blend.  I picked this one because it allowed me to do a side-by-side comparison of Pinots from two of my favorite Pinot growing regions, Santa Barbara County and Russian River Valley. 

I tasted their 2012 Chardonnay from Sonoma Coast, which had a lot of oak, and was not really my style.  Then I moved into the Pinots.  The Santa Barbara County Pinot had a lot of big fruity flavor, which I enjoyed.  However, the two Russian River Pinots had better balance and structure.  They were more elegant and seemed like they were made with a bit more finesse.  All three were good Pinots.  The last wine was the "Temescal" Grenache/Mourvedre blend.  I really love Rhone style blends and was looking forward to this one.  I felt this wine was only average, and the fruit seemed a bit under ripe, and not as big as a lot of Rhone blends from this region.

Of note, Pali also had some wines on tap.  They allow you to buy a refillable bottle and fill it up with any of the wines on tap.  You can bring the reusable bottle back whenever you want, and they will refill it for you at a cheaper cost than buying a new bottle.

I enjoyed Pali Wine Co, but would definitely say that the Pinot Noirs are the top wines here.  If you like Pinot, this is a great stop.

Riverbench Winery, 137 Anacapa St., Suite C, Santa Barbara

The new Riverbench Winery tasting room is located just down the street from AVA Santa Barbara and Pali Wine Co.  The Riverbench winery is located in the Santa Maria Valley, and is known for producing high quality Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.  The tasting room is modern, but elegant. On one side, it has a long tasting bar, and then on the other, some cushioned benches making a few different seating areas for guests to relax on and enjoy a glass.

Riverbench has two tasting flight choices, one was wine, and the other was a bubbly flight.  I chose the wine flight, which consisted of a Rose of Pinot Noir, two Chardonnays, and two Pinot Noirs.

I was excited about the Rose of Pinot Noir, because I've had it before from other producers and really enjoyed it.  However, I was not a big fan of Riverbench's because it had some residual sugar and was a bit too sweet for my taste.  I did enjoy both Chardonnays, mostly because they both had little to no oak, and instead, were more crisp and bright which is more my style for Chardonnay.

However, I thought the true stars at Riverbench were their Pinot Noirs. The two I tried both had a soft elegance about them and good structure. 

I enjoyed the Chardonnays and Pinots at Riverbench, and would definitely put them on a list of places to visit.

Santa Barbara Winery, 202 Anacapa St., Santa Barbara

Directly across the street on Anacapa is the Santa Barbara Winery tasting room.  Santa Barbara Winery is the oldest winery in the county, and helped the development of the Santa Ynez Valley into a world-class wine growing region.  They are owned by Pierre Lafond, who also owns the Lafond Winery, and they were tasting some of the Lafond labeled wines as well.

I did a tasting which included two whites, a Chardonnay and a Sauvignon Blanc.  I thought the Sauvignon Blanc was average.  However, I really enjoyed their Chardonnay.  Their Chardonnay is their largest production with over 22,000 cases produced.  It is primarily fermented in stainless steel, which gives it a bright, crisp quality.  However, it is also fermented in oak, which gives it a good richness and complexity.

In regards to their reds, I tried a couple of their Pinot Noirs, but I preferred their more unique varietals, including a 100% Petit Verdot, which is rare, as Petit Verdot is generally used as a blending grape.  I was also able to taste their 2010 Lagrein, which is a northern Italian varietal, which I had never heard of, let alone tasted.  It had a big, bold fruit flavor and good balance.  I bought a bottle of the Lagrein, as I suspect it will pair nicely the next time I make pasta with a spicy red sauce.  All of the Italian varietals tend to be even better with food.

Their tasting room also had a nice little retail shop which included some gourmet items like flavored olive oils, French salts, jams, mustards, and more.

Their tasting room is also their production facility for their white wines, and they have a cool barrel room you can explore.

Municipal Winemakers, 22 Anacapa St., Santa Barbara

If you wander down Anacapa St. towards the ocean, you will run into the tasting room of Municipal Winemakers.  Municipal Winemakers has a funky, hip tasting room, which is decorated in an urban, industrial style.  In fact, their tasting glasses are kept in metal filing cabinets behind which are stacked up behind the tasting bar.

Municipal was offering a tasting flight of five wines, two whites and three reds.  The first wine was called the "Bright White", which was a dry riesling.  It was nice and refreshing on a warm day, and it was not very sweet, which I really enjoyed.  I thought it was one of the best whites I tried all day.  The second white was a Chenin Blanc, which I found to be just average. 

After the whites, the three reds were a Syrah, a Cabernet/Syrah blend they called "Dark Red", and a Grenache.  My favorite of the three was the Dark Red blend.  The Cabernet really shined through, and the Syrah helped give the wine a good structure and finish.

I loved the fact that their wine club is called "Club Awesome."  The name alone made me want to join.

The wines at Municipal Winemakers were all pretty good, and the staff was very friendly.  It is a fun place to go for a tasting and to try some unique and interesting wines.


Drake Wines, 32 Anacapa St., Santa Barbara  
My find of the day was Drake Wines, which is located next to Municipal Winemakers, down an alley.  Drake had a small, charming tasting room, with a very friendly and knowledgeable tasting associate named Kayla.  I went for their tasting, which was five wines, two whites and three reds, all pinot noirs.  The whites were okay, but I thought all three pinot noirs were great.   The three pinots all had huge fruit and pack a big flavor punch that knocked my socks off.  These are exactly the kind of Santa Barbara pinots that I love.

The tasting menu for the day is pictured below.

All three pinots were 2010, so fairly young.  The first was "Les Galets" from the Laetitia Vineyard.  This was the most classic pinot noir of the three, which had a good balance of both fruit and the terrior.  It was the most smooth and elegant of the three.  However, my favorites were the last two pinots, called "G Block" and "eNtropy", which were both from Bien Nacido Vineyard.  The Bien Nacido Vineyard is the premiere, most recognized vineyard in Santa Barbara County, specializing in pinot noir.  Both wines exploded with fruit, but also has good balance and structure. These two pinot noirs were my favorites of the day, so I bought one of each.

Although it is one of the lesser known spots in the Funk Zone, and not part of the Urban Wine Trail, I would highly recommend stopping for a tasting at Drake Wines.  It was probably my favorite spot of the day.


Overall, what really struck me about the tasting rooms in the Funk Zone was the wide variety of different places to taste.  You have the elegance and sophistication of Les Marchands, which has the feel of a Parisian wine bar; to the urban hipness/funkiness of Municipal Winemakers; to the quaint charm of Drake Wines.  There really is something for everyone's taste. 


Spirits:

Cutler's Artisan Spirits, 137 Anacapa St., Suite D, Santa Barbara, is a small scale, modern craft distillery.  Owner, Ian Cutler, is carrying on the tradition of his great-grandfather, a bootlegger during Prohibition.

Cutler is currently making three different artisan spirits:  (1) 33 Straight Bourbon Whiskey, which is a 6 year old, small batch whiskey; (2) Cutler's Vodka, which is a corn-based vodka, distilled seven times; and (3) Grandma Tommie's Apple Pie Liqueur, which is the Cutler's Vodka infused with the same ingredients as his Grandma's apple pie, including apple juice, vanilla, and cinnamon.   

He has set up a store front in the Funk Zone, right next to the Riverbench tasting room, for people to sample his spirits.  However, due to laws regulating the sale of alcohol, he does not sell anything out of his tasting room, and the tastings are free.  He is simply trying to get his product out there to the public.  You can, however, purchase his products right around the corner at Les Marchands.

The only one of his three spirits that I tasted was Grandma Tommie's Apple Pie Liqueur, because the woman working in the Riverbench tasting room told me I had to try it.  It was just like drinking an apple pie.

If you are wandering around the Funk Zone, I would definitely recommend stopping by Cutler's Artisan Spirits, and at the very least, giving the Apple Pie a try.

Beer:

For those who enjoy other libations, there is a lot more than just wine in the Funk Zone.  The Figueroa Mountain Brewing Company, 137 Anacapa St., of Buellton has recently opened a beer garden right in the heart of the Funk Zone.  Since I'm not a big beer drinker, I have yet to go, but I know several people who have been there, and they've all reported that the beer is really good.

There is also the Union Ale House, 214 State St., that is supposed to have a good collection of craft beers, along with some decent pub grub.

With all the places there are to try, I have really only scratched the surface of the food and drink available in the Funk Zone.  I hope to make some additional trips up to Santa Barbara, and when I do, I'll add some more information to the blog.  As you can see, it is a really fun place to hang out, eat some great food, and sample many different wines from the region and beyond.  There are also some cool art galleries, surf shops, and other places I have yet to discover. So, I would definitely recommend a weekend, or even just a day trip, up to Santa Barbara in the near future to check out the Funk Zone.