Downtown Santa Barbara was not a city I was very familiar with despite its proximity to Los Angeles. Typical weekend trips usually consisted of bypassing the city to go to wine country north of there. So when a friend asked me to house-sit for a week in the city of Santa Barbara, I took it as the perfect opportunity to explore and see what the culinary and spirits scene was all about! Honestly, there’s no better way to get to know a city than to eat and drink your way through so, for an entire week, I lived bite by bite and sip by sip to get a feel for it all.

In some ways the city is exactly as I remember it as a UCSB college student. The Spanish-inspired architecture, State Street, the Paseo Nuevo shopping center and the Arlington Theater haven’t changed since I first saw them. Landmark restaurants like La Super-Rica Taqueria, famous for being Julia Child’s favorite spot, still garner long lines but over the last decade, the city has really expanded. The Funk Zone, a vibrant destination located between the 101 Highway and the beach, is comprised of ten walkable blocks of winery tasting rooms and restaurants, including new wine bars appealing to us foodies and beloved winos.

To read about all of the stops, the eateries, the bars, the tasting rooms and all the in-betweens, read the entire story at ATOD Magazine.