Wildberries Marketplace
I miss Wildberries. Now that I've moved out of Arcata, there are no grocery stores like it around me. They have great organic foods and vegetarian options and their food is always fresh. They are slightly more expensive than a regular grocery store like Safeway, but I never felt like they were that much more. The closest thing to Wildberries I have near me is Whole Foods and they are significantly more expensive.
Wildberries is a nice organice, fresh food grocery store that isn't too expensive.
Bagel Cafe
I used to walk to the Bagel Cafe many Sunday mornings with my roommates for a toasted bagel and cream cheese. They have great bagel sandwiches, but it is hard for me to break away from a classic bagel and cream cheese especially when they are made so well.
Left At Alburquerque
Left At Albuquerque has a great tequila bar and margaritas. They have some more unique margaritas like their Crushed Grape and Desert Crush. I always enjoyed their food, but really the margaritas and happy hour are the reason to come here.
El Paseo Restaurant
I love El Paseo. It was one of the first restaurants I went to when visiting Santa Barbara deciding if it was where I wanted to go to school. Four years later, I chose to have my graduation dinner there. You walk down from State St through a courtyard with a fountain to get to the restaurant. It is a large place with a ceiling that opens up. They have a lot of plants inside. The setting and atmosphere are beautiful.
Pascucci
I went here pretty often with friends when I lived in Santa Barbara. It is pretty reasonable priced and like a lot of Italian places, you get huge portions. So it is pretty easy to share or to bring home some for lunch the next day.
Piranha Restaurant & Sushi Bar
Piranha is hands down my favorite restaurant in Santa Barbara. I love their sushi rolls, especially the Manzano roll, which has eel and banana. Sounds weird, but it is so good. It is almost like a dessert sushi roll.
Uncle Bill's Pancake House
I love Uncle Bill's, but there is always a wait and sometimes a pretty long one. Sitting on the patio allows you a great view of the beach and ocean. I would love to go there more often, but it is hard when you just want to go out for breakfast, but not have to wait for a table.
CONS: the wait
PROS: Everything else, the food and service are awesome
Howard Station Cafe
Great breakfast/brunch place . . . too bad everyone knows it. I enjoy going to Howard's, but you have to be prepared on the weekends for a long wait since everyone seems to know how great it is. They have some unique options, as well as a lot of good vegetarian options.
Village Bakery
I have always like the Village Bakery because they have excellent desserts that are often fairly unique. They are great for parties and get togethers where you don't have time or want to prepare your own dessert. Everyone always loves something from the Vilage Bakery.
Mermaids Spa
I've only been to Mermaids once, although I have family that are regular clients. I got a facial, which was excellent and included some neck, foot and hand massage. They ask you to arrive 15 minutes early and when you do they offer you tea and a warm neck wrap so you can begin relaxing. They offer a number of other services, but my family are big fans of their facials.