Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Brother's Restaurant in Santa Barbara Wine Country

On a gorgeous 73 degree day, my friends and I ventured over into the valley and Santa Barbara Wine Country for a day of local libations, new discoveries, and good times with friends. The Brother's Restaurant, Sides Hardware & Shoes, was our destination for lunch as it recently opened in a new location where Patrick's Side Street Cafe was in Los Olivos. We arrived right as lunch service began at 11:30am and were lucky enough to have been seated at a table in the shaded front patio. The interior was beautiful with wood touches everywhere and neat lighting fixtures, but the day was too amazing to not sit outside. Everything is quite casual yet nice silverware and cloth napkins add a touch of elegance. The menu was exciting (as seen above) and left us all having a hard time deciding what to eat. I love their logo!

The beef carpaccio. Lovely in its simple presentation. Lovely bread toasts with olive oil, arugula lightly dressed in olive oil and lemon with paremsan bits, and whole grain mustard.
The hammered pig. Fried pork tenderloin with red cabbage, apple, and mustard seed slaw. The pork was somehow still moist and full of flavor. All a great combination with their slaw etc.
 The seasonal soup. Pea soup extraordinaire! Compact pea flavors with a minty creamy dollop.
The white cheddar and caramelized onion tart. Rich cheesy goodness. The side salad, which accompanied many of the dishes, had fresh vegetables mixed in and a light vinaigrette...a bit too light according to the group, lacking in flavor. We drank the Brander Sauvignon Blanc with our lunch. A perfect match for the food and the weather!
Next visit, I will be ordering their grilled cheese - herbed goat cheese, cheddar, and parmesan on brioche.

Sides Hardware & Shoes - 2375 Alamo Pintado Avenue, Los Olivos
Tuesday - Sunday 7:00am to 2:30pm, 5:00pm to 9:00pm
805-688-4820