30 Apr Pickle Room: Speakeasy Meets Neighborhood Bar, Deli Meets Chinese in Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara is a college town and home to State Street that is lined with bar after bar serving mediocre well-drinks to weekend revelers. But cocktail lovers rejoice! Now there is a place where you can get a properly made craft cocktail, along with some tasty bites. Located on Canon Perdido Street, just a block and half east of State Street in what was originally Santa Barbara’s Chinatown, but is now called the “Presidio District”, is the Pickle Room. Located next door to Three Pickles Deli, the Pickle Room is in the place of the historical Jimmy’s Oriental Garden bar. With no sign out front except for a red sign that says “cocktails”, Pickle Room is like a speakeasy meets neighborhood bar. More importantly, it is a “grown-up bar,” owner Bob Lovejoy explained. With the signature pagoda roof running the length of the bar, original oriental lanterns and vintage Asian pin-up girl posters, Bob and his son Clay have created a 2014 version of the 1947 bar. As jazz music plays, you can sit back on the red banquet or at the bar and enjoy drinks by bartenders Chris Wright and “Jersey” Dave. And, chances are owner Bob Lovejoy will be there as well. We started with a Mai Tai using a 1950 recipe and a Singapore sling. As the name suggests, we had to order everything “pickle” related….including the Pickle-tini (made with gin, celery bitters and pickle brine) and Pickle Backs (shot of whiskey followed by a shot of pickle juice from the large pickle jar at the bar) And from the food menu, we enjoyed the Panko Crusted Kosher Dill Pickles As the panko crusted fried dill pickles with Chorizo aioli were perfectly crispy but not greasy, we decided to try more items from the deli meets Chinese menu created by Chef Weston Richards, formerly of the Wine Cask. Don’t miss the Reuben eggrolls – three eggrolls filled with lean pastrami & Swiss cheese and served with Russian dressing dipping. Or the Mac & Cheese topped with Crispy Capicolla and Panko Crumbs Or the Crunchy Jumbo Shrimp that are panko crusted, with spicy cheetos crushed up and mixed in, for a little extra kick and served with Cilantro Lime aioli and Apricot Chili Sauce Lovejoy’s Pickle Room 126 E Canon Perdido St Santa Barbara, CA 93101