When the Urbane Cafe first opened, we beelined it straight for the new venue. Journalists like two things in life: fast, affordable food and funny videos of cats (but we’re not here to talk about that).
The venue quietly opened a few months ago in the new Enos Ranch center, which along with bringing mind-numbing traffic to my neighborhood (please people, learn how to use the roundabouts) has also brought a slew of big-box stores and chains. And it’s also resulted in the serious denting of my bank account, thanks to the hauls of makeup and beauty products I can’t stop buying from Ulta Beauty.
Urbane is not exactly what you’d expect from a chain restaurant. First of all, it offers a diverse selection of menu items, making it hard to decide what you want. Everything is pretty much packaged the same (sandwiches with their signature in-store made focaccia bread, served with a light and tasty side salad), but each item offers a unique flavor profile of its own.
The first thing I tried was the harissa chicken sandwich. Harissa is a North African seasoning made with a blend of chili peppers and a lot of different spices such as coriander and cumin, depending on region and household. It’s warm and spicy and pairs well with just about everything, giving food a hearty kick of heat. The version at Urbane Cafe is good, loaded with a pickled heirloom carrot, red onion and cucumber mix, mozzarella cheese, and topped with cilantro and arugula.
On the day I was there when they first opened, I got lucky enough to have a sample of the chili (which isn’t always on the menu). It was serviceable enough, but honestly, anything is good when soaked up by their focaccia bread, and Urbane serves theirs up in hearty portions. (True story: I broke a colleague’s heart when I forgot to bring her back some when I visited Urbane the last time for this story.)
The corn and quinoa salad is nothing short of perfection. This is the kind of meal you want in a place promising healthy and fresh food. It comes with chopped seasonal greens (red and green butter lettuce, radicchio, and tender romaine hearts), caramelized sweet corn, red and white quinoa salsa, avocado, goat cheese, and can be topped with a dressing such as cilantro vinaigrette. I like it without the dressing because the grains and the corn play so well together and nothing inhibits the fresh taste and crunch of the vegetables.
The lentil and chickpea soup is another consistently good choice (soup selections rotate and vary daily); a big cup was almost too much for me, and I couldn’t finish all of my sandwich. The lentils and chickpeas marry well together in texture, and the hint of warm Moroccan spices isn’t too overpowering.
I recently told my editor that I want to write a comprehensive rant about everything that local restaurants are doing wrong (lemons and limes are not the same thing, y’all) and over- or under-seasoned food would be at the very top of the list. That’s probably the only gripe I have about the soup; it tasted extremely fresh and all the other spices blended well, but I felt like they could back off on the salt.
On that list would be an urge to please consider using more fresh (and locally sourced) vegetables. Urbane Cafe at least brings a vegetarian consciousness to the plate. There is a vibrant vegetarian menu filled with good options if you’re a strict vegetarian or just looking to fill up on veggies for lunch or dinner. The portobello sandwich is really good, and that’s coming from someone who despises mushrooms in general. Made with a hearty marinated portobello mushroom, sliced tomato, basil, mozzarella cheese, and a tart tomato aioli, it doesn’t feel like a vegetarian meal at all.
But before we get too carried away about calling this or any restaurant’s food “health food,” a word of caution. My advice is to always study the restaurant’s nutritional information (which is usually easily found online) if you’re eating for health-conscious reasons. Foods that look healthy and nutritious can sometimes be loaded with saturated fats, carbs, sugars, and more, hiding in plain sight on your dish.
If you’re looking for something more “urbane” than the regular fast food fare, Urbane Cafe certainly lives up to its name.
Arts and Lifestyle Writer Rebecca Rose also lives up to her flowery name. Contact her at rrose@santamariasun.com.
• The Habit, a burger eatery I actually quite like, is now open at 985 E. Betteravia Road, Santa Maria. Opt for the tempura-fried green beans instead of fries to try something different.
• Every Tuesday in July, Far Western Tavern is offering buy-one-get-one-free filet mignon. The venue also offers half-price wine on Wednesdays for all my fellow winos out there. Check it out at 300 E. Clark Ave., Orcutt.
• If you have not yet checked out Hill Haven Provisions in Solvang, you’re missing one of the best farm-to-table local restaurants there is. Billed as Asian fusion California fresh, the menu features items such as ahi poke, bresaola (beef prosciutto) carpaccio, and a Korean barbecue short rib with mozzarella, shallot, cilantro, and red Fresno chili peppers for $14. The venue is located at 448 Atterdag Road, Solvang.
• Master mixologist (and all around cool dude) Alberto Battaglini of SY Kitchen just unveiled seven drinks on the new Valley Collection cocktail menu inspired by all of this miserable heat that’s slowly trying to kill us. Battaglini now offers the Cilantro Margarita (pictured), El Viejo, Pineapple and Basil Mojito, Sundown, Last Tokyo, Mediterraneo, and the El Dorado. The drinks are priced from $14 to $15. Pick your favorite at 1110 Faraday St., Santa Ynez.
• Patti Wicks is retiring from her popular Buellton bakery Pattibakes. The venue will go on (with new owners), but after 22 years of hand baking some of the best damn sweet treats on the Central Coast, she’s hanging up her baker’s apron. So long, Patti! You will be missed. You can visit the bakery at 240 E. Highway 246, suite 109, Buellton.
• Some treats from Solvang Bakery were recently featured on the Home and Family TV network, as part of their Christmas in July programming. Check out their Instagram page, @solvangbakery, for pictures of the awesome gingerbread they made for the show (which featured stars Nick and Vanessa Lachey). The bakery is located at 438 Alisal Road, Solvang.
This article appears in Jul 19-26, 2018.