On the heels of September, officially known as California Wine Month, come 31 days devoted to all things edible in Santa Barbara County. Throughout October, organizers of “epicure.sb: a month to savor santa barbara” invite locals and visitors alike to take advantage of more than 100 ways to experience the cuisine, libations, and culture that abound on the Central Coast.
Creative activities include a mai tai-making contest, a culinary cruise, interactive cooking classes, coffee and chocolate tastings, and epicurean-themed poetry readings and art exhibits. Look for vineyard tours, winemaker dinners, book signings, and high-value dining at select restaurants offering prix fixe meals, as well as a half-dozen, full-on festivals.
“We wanted to do a culinary promotion that would appeal to locals and visitors alike,” said Shannon Turner Brooks, director of communications for the Santa Barbara Conference and Visitors Bureau (CVB) and Film Commission. “When we looked at the calendar, it became clear that October would be the perfect time, because there was already so much happening.”
The CVB and Film Commission teamed up with the Santa Barbara Downtown Organization to launch epicure.sb, a countywide collaboration that’s taken on a life of its own.
“We put it out there to our different partners in the food, wine, hospitality, retail, and cultural worlds,” Brooks explained, “and gave them free rein to create whatever programming they wanted to that fit under the cuisine, libations, and culture theme.
“The response has been very positive,” she added, “and we’re really happy with what everyone has come up with for the first year.”
Among the highlights are a series of rotating Chefs and Winemakers Dinners at four Santa Barbara eateries, including bouchon, Julienne, Seagrass, and Coast restaurants. Diners begin with wine and appetizers at the Perch atop the Canary Hotel, and then stroll through downtown to one of the restaurants for a four-course dinner paired with local wines.
Local foodie, French cook, and leader of Slow Food Santa Barbara, Laurence Hauben, hosts Market Forays through the Fishermen’s and Farmers markets, where participants meet local growers and food artisans. Afterward, they learn how to cook a gourmet meal, while letting the local ingredients—including fresh seafood, fruits, veggies, meats, and cheeses—speak for themselves.
“There’s a diversity of events,” Brooks said, “so if people aren’t interested in wine, there’s the beer festival, coffee tastings, and also the cultural element, which I think is unique for a food festival. There will be poetry readings and exhibits inspired by epicurean themes, and the Book Den is doing their weekly Santa Barbara Writes About Food series, so people can hear from local food writers.
“For people looking to save,” she added, “there are a lot of discounts, like two-for-one wine tastings, prix fixe menus, and free events.”
In the Santa Ynez Valley on Oct. 9, catch the four-course Hitching Post winemaker dinner at the elegant tasting room at Terravant Wine Company. Savor signature dishes prepared by Hitching Post chef/owner/winemaker Frank Ostini, matched with eight of his outstanding library wines.
On Saturday, Oct. 17, Global Gardens rolls out an epicure.sb welcome mat in Los Olivos with a line-up of catered goodies made with Global Gardens products. Sample an array of exotic, locally produced foods, all accompanied by live music with a sensuous, global beat.
“We’ll debut our new Global Peace Mix,” said Theo Stephan, owner of Global Gardens, which boasts the only food-tasting room in wine country. “It’s a trail mix like nobody has ever had anywhere or anytime. Guaranteed!”
A little closer to Santa Maria, Full of Life Flatbread, in Los Alamos, hosts a book release party on Oct. 4. Join owner Clark Staub and author Douglas Gayeton, who recently published SLOW—Life in a Tuscan Town, for a sumptuous dinner featuring seasonal ingredients and paired with Palmina wines.
Gala events that pepper the month of October include Carpinteria’s California Avocado Festival (Oct. 2 through 4); the Harbor and Seafood Festival in Santa Barbara (Oct. 10); the 2009 Santa Barbara Beer Festival (Oct. 17); and Goleta’s Lemon Festival (Oct. 17). At Santa Maria’s Rancho Sisquoc Winery, don’t miss the world-renowned Santa Barbara County Vintners’ Association’s Celebration of Harvest Oct. 9 through 11, a rare chance to sample the region’s wines at a single venue.
“Epicure.sb is an opportunity to celebrate our local bounty,” Brooks said. “We’re very lucky to have all this bounty in one place—the seafood and wine industries, ag, microbreweries, and all the gourmet purveyors, restaurants, and farmers markets—and we wanted to bring that to life for everybody.
“There’re a lot of interesting, quirky things going on,” she added, “so it doesn’t matter what your interest level is, there’s something fun for everyone. Hopefully, locals will take advantage of some of the special offers and discover something new.”
K. Reka Badger likes the quirky things going on. E-mail comments or ideas to rekabadger@hotmail.com.
This article appears in Sep 24 – Oct 1, 2009.
