Santo Mezcal: Santa Barbara, CA
On our first night in Santa Barbara, Matt and I realized that we were at a bit of a loss as to where to go for dinner. I'd had a look at some options but we were a bit worried they might be too touristy. Fortunately, on our way out to go exploring, we popped in to the reception area of our hotel to see if they could point us in the right direction. The staff member on duty very kindly suggested Santo Mezcal and we're so happy he did!
Located on State Street, Santo Mezcal is specializes in "an elevated Mexican concept" with a particular focus on seafood. While I was a little nervous since I'm not the biggest fan of seafood, I found the entire meal to be so tasty that I wish I could go back once a week! We were worried when we arrived since the restaurant was already pretty busy but fortunately we were seated straight away with a nice view of the bar.
After we were seated, our waiter brought over the usual suspects - tortilla chips and salsa. I don't think Matt had believed me when I told him this would be a standard process in restaurants in America... we must have eaten our weight in tortilla chips on this trip!
We also had lovely cocktails to start - mine was the "La Fresca Margarita" made with either fresno mezcal, pressed strawberries, agave nectar, lime and fresh strawberry. Sadly I can't remember what Matt's was and didn't manage to get a photo of it before we finished them!
To start, we shared the "Ceviche Verde," a vibrant and delicious dish made of citrus marinated halibut, apple, cucumber, pineapple, jicama, cilantro and a basil sauce. We couldn't believe how much flavor and freshness this little dish had to offer - easily the best dish of the night!
For our mains, we went for similar options since they came highly recommended. Mine (above) was the "Enchiladas Verde" - two chicken enchiladas with melted cheese, green sauce, sour cream and queso fresco. They served this alongside some rice and a little tostada bowl of black beans. Meanwhile, Matt went for the "Enchiladas Cabo Azul" - two crab enchiladas with melted Monterey Jack cheese topped with a creamy poblana sauce. While he also had a little side of rice, his dish came with a salad instead of the beans.
We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner and it was such a nice introduction to the Santa Barbara food scene. In retrospect, I'm pretty sad we didn't get dessert but at the time, we were definitely far too full to even contemplate it!
Full Details:
Address: 119 State St, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101
Website: www.santomezcalsb.com
