article

k n ow s b : a s k a lo C a l
ASK A LOCAL:
“wheRe Is the fIRst PlaCe
yoU take an oUt-of-town VIsItoR?”
Is that penguin
wearing a shoe?
President, Commercial Fishermen of
Santa Barbara
seastephaniefish.com
“the SAntA BArBArA SheLLFiSh
COMPAnY (sbfishhouse.com), on
Stearns Wharf, serves local seafood.
You can sit at the restaurant and see
a full view of Santa Barbara … the
Santa Ynez Mountains, the harbor, the
Pacific Ocean, the Channel Islands.
Their crab is really good. They keep
them alive in tanks in the restaurant.
You can’t get anymore fresh than that.”
raCheL rItChasoN
(and Lucky the penguin!)
Curator, birds and records,
Santa Barbara Zoo
sbzoo.org
“I always bring visitors to the ZOO.
It’s small, easy to navigate, and you
can see the animals up close. We ride
the train that runs the perimeter of
the zoo, feed the giraffes, and watch
the elephants exercise and even get
a pedicure ... you can see the keepers
care for their feet! This year, our new
Discovery Pavilion opens and features
an animal kitchen, films, and an art
gallery.”
BrIaN mCCLINtIC
erIC raILsBaCk
eLIZaBeth Poett
mIChaeL CoheN
Partner, Les Marchands Wine Bar &
Merchant; Master Sommelier
lesmarchandswine.com
Partner, Les Marchands Wine Bar &
Merchant; Wine Director, The Lark
lesmarchandswine.com, thelarksb.com
Cattle rancher, Rancho San Julian
ranchosanjulian.com
Owner/director, Santa Barbara
Adventure Company
sbadventureco.com
“Take them to a concert at the SAntA
BArBArA BOwL (sbbowl.com). It’s
such an amazing venue and space.
They get great performers … some
really fun bands play there. All the
locals go. It’s such a communal place.
It’s a great way to feel like you’re
actually in Santa Barbara.”
Yes, he is! Lucky hatched at the Santa Barbara Zoo in 2010 and had problems walking. Teva, a local
company, made a shoe for Lucky that he wears constantly. Its rubber-soled, open-weave design allows
him to get in and out of the water without any trouble. “It completely changed Lucky’s life,” says
Ritchason. “He’s a typical penguin now. And Teva will keep him outfitted in shoes for the rest of his life.”
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2014 santa barbara visitors magazine
clockwise from top left: j. sinclair (3), fran collin, j. sinclair, istock photo,
j. sinclair, a arthur fisher photography, tony luna
stePhaNIe mutZ
“You’ve got to go to LA SuPer-riCA
tAQueriA (805.963.4940). I always
get the No. 6, the rajas, and the No.
16, the house special. Mexican food
is just so good in Santa Barbara and
La Super-Rica is something unique
that you can’t get anywhere else. It’s a
casual, hole-in-the-wall kind of place.”
Watch it: Brian and Eric were featured in the
2013 documentary film, Somm, which follows
the process of becoming a Master Sommelier.
Available on iTunes.
“There’s a FArMerS MArket
(sbfarmersmarket.org) six days a week
in Santa Barbara. It’s a beautiful place
to take a visitor. I love the Saturday
morning market, or the Tuesday
afternoon market on State Street.
You’ll find products to take home like
olives, almonds, pistachios, oils. You
could even get a basket of famous
California strawberries to enjoy while
you’re there.”
“Sea cave kayaking at Santa Cruz
Island, part of the ChAnneL iSLAndS
nAtiOnAL PArk (nps.gov/chis), is an
amazing experience. The scenery
takes your breath away. On the trip out
there, you see dolphins, whales, and
cliffs rising up out of the Pacific. Then
you’re kayaking through emerald green
waters and kelp forests, with sea lions
swimming under you. It’s a beautiful
and unforgettable experience.”
santabarbaraca.com
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