The Miramar Dishes Up a Unique Dining Experience to Share 

Though I am by no means new to Santa Barbara, I still consider myself a novice when it comes to the top experiences in our beach town. And I had never visited the Rosewood Miramar Beachfront Resort. It wasn’t unheard of for me — it is a five star hotel, hosting the Michelin star restaurant Caruso’s — but Montecito is still high on my explore list. 

So I jumped at the chance to grab a spot at a dinner with a farm-to-table-style menu and crafted wine list to pair perfectly with the food. Part of the resort’s Bounty series, I was admittedly surprised when I found out that we would be eating on a private patio next to the railroad tracks, and even more surprised that all the guests would be sharing our evening together at an intimate, family-style table.

Past my initial shock, I got to take in the amazing ocean view and mingle with the other guests over a glass of Rosé of Graciana from Âmevive. Couples and friends in attendance got to speak with the winemakers Alice Anderson and Topher De Felice, who joined us for dinner. 

“We designed Bounty to be different from the kind of tired old conventional wine dinner model, so we really designed it to be like going into the winemaker’s house,” said Rob Smits, director of wine at Caruso’s. Smits worked closely with Executive Chef Edgar Beas to craft the perfect menu pairings with locally sourced food, highlighting the central coast’s agricultural bounty. 

After the introductory rosé pour, the starters were paired with Âmevive’s 2025 Albariño and 2023 Sundrop from Anderson and De Felice’s farm in Los Olivos, focusing on fully regenerative wine integrated with the native ecology and grazing farm animals. They make their own compost, and add almost nothing to their wine save for a bit of sulfur — and the wine, pardon my pun, was perfectly fruitful and sweet.

To balance the lightness of the wine, Chef Beas served farm fresh vegetable crudites in soy dip and chive oil. To freshness up and enliven our palettes, there were also baja kanpachi crudo soaked in a Sicilian vinaigrette, Santa Barbara sea urchin on toast with Munak Ranch egg yolk jam, and crisp, wood-charred prawns made with harissa, brent’s fennel, and olives. Per the fresh take on the wine dinner, platters were served at the table rather than individual plates, allowing guests to grab their portions, share the food, and keep conversations flowing.

The main course started with the pouring of Âmevive’s Estate Peripherie and Estate Marsanne. Both of the reds had a palatable softness with some floral and citrus notes that kept the taste fresh. They were well rounded by the main course, which started with Root Farm salad in bonito dressing, Mendoza Farm asparagus, and a pissaladére topped with caramelized onions and anchovy. 

We also enjoyed Ebby Farm sprouting broccoli, hand rolled agnolotti with liberty duck sausage and herb pesto, and flannery dry-aged bone-in ribeye. To end the meal, everyone scooped a piece of tiramisu made with Twenty-Four Blackbirds Chocolate onto their plate, savoring the perfect sweetness to close out the night. 

And this wasn’t the only Bounty dinner the Miramar hosted — this will be an ongoing series with dinners happening once to twice a month through October. It’s $155 per person, but for the gourmet food, deliciously crafted wine, and one of Santa Barbara’s best views, it’s a worthy price. Be prepared to learn, drink a lot of wine, and enjoy the company of new friends. You can find more information about the upcoming dinners and purchase tickets here.