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Business By Charles Donelan | Thu Aug 23, 2007 | 6:00am

Talented Chefs Keep Santa Barbara Kitchens Creative

With a new cooking reality show popping up virtually every week on television, a Whole Foods coming soon to upper State Street, and interest in cooking and greenmarkets at an all-time high, we decided to take a look inside the workings of two of the most happening restaurants in town-Downey’s, a Santa Barbara institution, and the Hungry Cat, a new restaurant started by a celebrity-chef couple from Los Angeles and run by some young potential rising stars in the Santa Barbara culinary firmament. George Yatchisin sat down with John and Liz Downey to discuss their legendary restaurant’s 25th anniversary, while Charles Donelan chased the crew from the Hungry Cat through the Farmers Market and then ate the consequences.

Business By Chris Meagher | Mon May 07, 2007 | 2:55pm

Hollister Brewing Company Opens Its Doors

Following the success of Sunday’s soft-open, the Hollister Brewing Company seems poised to become Goleta’s new food and drink hotspot.

Business By Sam Kornell | Thu Apr 05, 2007 | 12:00pm

Bean Counting

When Dan Randall first started coffee roasting 15 years ago, it was with one intention-to create the kind of gourmet, organic coffee he loved. His girlfriend at the time was unimpressed. “She didn’t like my stuff,” Randall said recently. “Her idea of a good cup of coffee was Farmer Brothers. If it didn’t taste like a brown paper bag brewed through a gym sock, she didn’t like it.”

Business By Emily R. See | Thu Jul 13, 2006 | 12:00pm

Tidbits- Fresco Change-O:

Fresco Change-O:
With the stoves barely cool from Citronelle’s July 9 closing, Mark and Jill Brouillard have already converted the space atop the Santa Barbara Inn into Fresco at the Beach. An extension of their uptown empire, they hope to liven up the restaurant with salads, soups, tapas, and other beach-appropriate fare created by Chef Jason Banks.

Business By Nick Welsh | Thu Jul 06, 2006 | 12:00pm

Esau’s in Peril

Esau’s – one of Santa Barbara’s signature breakfast and lunch spots for more than 50 years – may be forced to find new quarters because the restaurant’s landlord refuses to negotiate a new lease. According to Esau owner Scott Stanley, landlords Abe and Mike Safina have declined to discuss renegotiating his lease at 403 State Street, which expires in October.

Business By Michael Cervin | Thu Jun 22, 2006 | 12:00pm

Michael Towbes

“Stick with what you know,” Michael Towbes admonished me over a weekday lunch at Ca’ Dario. A simple statement, one that reflected not only his considerable business dealings, but his lunch choices as well. True to his own advice, Towbes stuck with what he knows, and he knows Ca’ Dario well. The staff knows him well, too, greeting him sincerely. He ordered one of his standard dishes, the LattuÂ-ghette con Gorgonzola e Noci, which is a fancy way of saying a mixed green salad with apple, walnut, raisin, and crumbled blue cheese. I went with Michael’s recommendation of the rigatoni.

Bottles & Barrels By Svante Nilson | Thu Apr 06, 2006 | 12:00pm

Whitcraft’s New Digs

Do something for 30 years and you’re bound to get pretty good at it. During his three decades in the wine business, Chris Whitcraft has learned just about every aspect, from selling to reselling to writing. And finally, Chris Whitcraft the winemaker has a roof over his head that’s all his own.

Bottles & Barrels By Michael Cervin | Thu Mar 16, 2006 | 12:00pm

Shoestring Winery

When you train racehorses, you’re undoubtedly used to taking chances. That’s why Bill and Roswitha Craig, who worked with racehorses in Baltimore, didn’t think twice before buying a 65-acre property in Solvang and planting some vines. Their gamble paid off, and six years later, in July 2005, the Craigs opened the doors to their winery: Shoestring.

Business By Tyler Blue | Thu Feb 23, 2006 | 11:36am

Ristorante Tiramisu

Arriving in California from Mexico City at age 18, Victor Carranza dove headfirst into a lifetime of culinary dedication. Learning all there was to know about the inner workings of a kitchen, he climbed his way through the ranks, eventually landing at Piatti as chef. During his 13 years in the Piatti kitchen, Carranza developed a deep passion for Italian cooking. But, like most chefs, he always dreamed of having his own place.

Food & Drink