09 Dec Wine, Dinner and Now Brunch at Les Marchands Santa Barbara

Les Marchands Wine Bar & Merchant, located in the Funk Zone in downtown San Barbara, is a wonderful wine bar/retail shop that features local and international wine selections that each tell a story. It is a popular place for a glass or two of wine and a plate of cheese or small bites from afternoon to night. But now you can start earlier in the day with brunch as Les Marchands offers brunch beginning at 10am on Saturday and Sunday. A friend and I met for brunch at Les Marchands on a Sunday morning. We sat on the patio and ordered glasses of bubbles. It was Sunday brunch. But we also ordered a flight of wine, which includes three two-ounce pours of white, red or progressive (sparkling, white and red). After all, Les Marchands is a wine bar. We selected the white flight and enjoyed tastes of Chateau de Chasseloir melon de bourgogne from the Loire Valley in France, Bruna pigato from Italy and Tyler chardonnay from Santa Barbara. Varying levels of acidity and minerality, these wines were lovely to sip along with our meal. Next door to Les Marchands Wine Bar is the Santa Barbara Winery Collective, which is home to the Helena Avenue Bakery. All of the baked breads came from next door and we did not hold back on ordering the carbs. Apricot and Earl Grey Morning Bun – Served with housemade butter and jam, the morning bun is not sticky and sweet but rather the apricot adds just a touch of sweetness whiles the earl grey adds citrusy bergamot and floral notes. Smashed Avocado – A big hunk of smashed avocado with orange, furikake, radish and scallion is served atop the most incredible sourdough bread that was soft yet crunchy (but not the kind of crunch that cuts the roof of your mouth). Shakshuka – The shakshuka at Les Marchands is slightly different than the traditional shakshuka. Presented in a hot skillet, the eggs are baked, not poached, and served with tomatoes, charred peppers and onions, feta and cilantro. Of course there are two big hunks of bread served on the side. Scrambled Egg & House-Made Bacon Sandwich – Meaty pieces of bacon, fluffy scrambled eggs and arugula are placed between two thick pieces of sourdough bread. It is a thick sandwich that you may have to deconstruct in order to take a bite. House-Made Ricotta – For dessert, at least that is what we called it, we had the house-made ricotta and strawberry jam with brioche toast. The toast is flaky and sweet and the ricotta delicate and smooth. Brunch at Les Marchands was very filling but worth every single bite. And, it is very well priced with dishes ranging from $10 – $15. I can imagine next time I am in Santa Barbara heading to Les Marchands for brunch and then just enjoying the rest of my day at the wine bar. Les Marchands Wine Bar & Retail 131 Anacapa St., Suite B Santa Barbara CA 93101