Hollister Bags a Cooking Cat

While the ever with the scoop Restaurant Guy points out today that Chef John Pettitt, formerly of the Wine Cask, is now the chef at Santa Barbara's Hungry Cat, that's only half the story. For what happened to former Hungry Cat chef Dylan Fultineer? He's starting at, and I hope you're sitting down, Hollister Brewing Company.

What does this mean for Hollister, which after a bit of a rocky start got into a groove of solid beer-friendly typical brew pub food favorites, from good fries to tasty pizzas? Only time will tell (and more reporting, soon, at the Indy, I promise). Head brewer Eric Rose did confess that there will be beer dinners as a way to start the shift at Hollister; Rose wrote in an email "we are both committed to throw down some serious stuff. Barrel-aged imperial stout, short ribs, etc." Those who have had the good fortune to eat Fultineer's meatier creations at events like The Winehound's high end "wines you never tasted" tastings know his culinary skills are not limited to seafood.

This could be a marriage made in culinary heaven, two young talented men pushing each other with what they can do. Clearly Rose is a restless brewer, offering countless styles of beer in the brewery's almost two years of operation, from bier de tables (let's see Stone try to pull one of those off) to huge hop and alcohol bombs like Hip Hop Double IPA (there's no more pleasant bomb to blow oneself up with, btw). Matching him with a talented chef could make Hollister something special like Father's Office in LA. In fact, Fultineer, who came from Chicago's acclaimed Blackbird to work at Hungry Cat, almost had this opportunity before--he was slated to work at executive chef Paul Kahan's now flourishing Chicago gastropub Publican. Check that menu out, but beware of drooling.

A Tale of Two Eaties

It's Friday, so we hit the town. The usual happy hour group hopes to try the new Downtown Brewing I've written about, mostly because I send out the happy hour email and the place is within walking distance of my house. Now, Downtown has only been open since Sunday, but still, you'd think they'd bother to hire some professional waitstaff. Or even better, enough waitstaff for their large lay-out. Or maybe decide it's not good customer relations to brew every pint to order (and sometimes deliver that beer in a cracked pint, too, but the receiver won't complain about some glass chips in his beer because it took so darn freaking long for the thing to show up in the first place). They mean well, they apologize for their incompetence sweetly, but I'd rather just go to the place that's competent. Plus the two folks who ordered food were not happy--a lukewarm hamburger, a chicken wrap that was dry in a wrap yet drier. The beer is good, but when you need to wait so long for each one to show up, you begin to expect they're a front for MADD and not really in the beer-selling business.

After that, Amy and I went downtown (not to be confused with Downtown) to hit the benefit for Frameworks, and missed buying a Tony Askew at a very good price at auction by this much (just getting you ready for the Get Smart film with Steve Carrell). Since Indigo is mere blocks away from The Hungry Cat, and since we hadn't eaten there since two Wednesdays ago....It's 8 pm, and we get a table instantly. Bevergage Manager Tim, who's fast becoming my favorite restaurant professional in Santa Barbara, quickly says hello and informs us of off-list wine specials. The waitress, who served us before, also recognizes us. It's like we're with family (ok, a family less dysfunctional than mine), not the sweet incompetents at Downtown Brewing.

Of course all the food is terrific. Oysters are great, and do go for the ones from Maryland if they have them, big and briny and with a finish a wine would kill for. Makor Pinot Blanc is a perfect steely complement. This time Amy went for the great braised clams I had the first night and that we made in the cooking class and I went for the crabcake, which only has enough of something to bind it but otherwise tastes totally crustacean, topped with sunnyside-up quail eggs that ooze their richness onto the crab and frisee and lift the dish from excellent to ecstatic. Our off list wines by the glass this time are a Tensley Lea Rose, made from Syrah and on its way to a sparkling shiraz from Australia, almost.

Of course of course we had THE dessert (the only one) as bread pudding from brioche, with a brulee topping and a chocolate bed, can never be bad. Tim also comped us some killer dessert wines, but I don't want to sound like I was bought off to write this. But ask for the orange-infused cognac if you want a treat.

What have we learned? The Hungry Cat is still all that. But Downtown Brewing will leave you stewing.

Wednesday Dinner of the Blogs Blogging

We aren't just brilliant with bytes, we're brilliant with bites here in Santa Barbara so last night Esau, Big Table, What Is a Blog Anyway?, and yours truly sat down and chowed down at the brand new, really just barely a kitten Hungry Cat. Yep, we broke that time-honored rule about not attending a restaurant's opening night because we just couldn't wait. The good news is the time-honored rule didn't apply. David Lentz and crew have themselves a total winner straight out of the gate, and I'm not just talking about the Pimlico cocktail (bourbon, orange juice, lime juice, mint) one of us enjoyed.

We were surprised to find the joint jumping when we arrived for our 8:30 reservation. (Indeed, when we left and chatted a bit with Lentz he said he was over-joyed at the turnout, given the original Hollywood location took a few weeks to catch on.) We had to wait, but the hostess was quite polite and apologetic about it, and you have to admit dealing with a 45-seat restaurant and figuring out how long people might linger won't be easy, especially since there's so many fine drinking options to keep people in their seats post-dinner (have Tim recommend the Armagnac--you'll see). As for the space, it's got a fine copper-topped bar and another bar along the back window, but mostly when it's full, it's deocrated with people. Of course, this is Santa Barbara, so the people are more decorative than in many other locales, so that's far from bad. The Cat's buzz will just build its buzz, in a way, if it stays packed with attractive folks.

As long as those attractive folks have any taste, that won't be a problem. We started with cocktails, and a hint they take things seriously is that only 1 of the 8 specialty cocktails feature vodka (no point in being a painter who only paints in white, right?). I particularly recommend the Howling Wolf--rye, blood orange, and lemon juice, so it's kind of a variation on the New York Cocktail, but it gets its wolf on with a dash of chili-infused tequila. That sneaky heat at a sip's end is a pleasant surprise, and really works with the raw bar oysters, sort of like liquid cocktail sauce with an alcohol kick. The oysters were good but the peel and eat shrimp were better, as you'd expect from a chef who grew up on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Lentz knows what goes in a boil, and the kitchen cooks the shrimp just to the right doneness.

The wine list features some of INOTBB's home cellar faves, including Cold Heaven Viognier (it's got that exotic fruit thing you want, but none of the cheap-o viognier froot loops taste you don't want) and Kunin Pape Star (as in, like Chateauneuf du, but at a fraction of the cost and from right in the Santa Ynez Valley), but we went with the Spanish tempranillo I didn't know because it's good to try things you don't know you know. Do watch on the menu that everything listed on the menu under "dinner" isn't created equally--some are more small plates, so when in doubt, ask about how much you'll be getting. That doesn't mean the quick-cured hamachi isn't delicious, but it does mean it will also be quick-eaten. Everyone seemed content with his or her dish, for in addition to the hamachi we had the crabcake, frisee, pancetta with two over easy quail eggs atop; the grilled scallops, braised oxtail, cauliflower, and curry (which looked like a clever surf and turf--mollusk and tail?--variation, but none of us shared nothing cause we're ornery and liked our stuff too much); and my housemade chorizo, braised clams, sofrito and grilled bread that was so good people longed for the bread, even.

Service was fine given it was opening night and waiting on our 4-top meant taking two different routes to our table around other tables. At times things seemed to come a bit jumbled--the wine arrived after the main course was placed down, say--but our waiter was genial and the occasional visits from beverage director Tim were highlights because he just knows his stuff so well and is so enthusiastic about it. (Indeed, I'm thinking I missed the career boat: what could be better than to have your job be deciding what beer, wine, and cocktails go with good food?)

Don't believe the website (as of now), for the SB Cat, like the Hollywood Cat before it, only has one dessert, a chocolate bread and butter pudding that gets bruleed on top and I have to stop thinking about as I want one RIGHT NOW. Sorry.

Also, the Hungry Cat is one of those places were nothing seems too expensive but you like things so much all the cocktails and food adds very quickly to over $50 per person (with tip, and do so, generously). Still, it's worth that to have a place that's both comfortable and hip at the same time, and incredibly welcoming. Even Lentz's wife Suzanne Goin of AOC and Lucques fame was around for much of the night, with the double stroller and their newborn twins.

Cat's Got Our Taste Buds

Out and about town tonight and what should we see at the corner of Chapala and Anapamu but tables and chairs and people in the soon to open Hungry Cat. Not just any people, but both owner David Lentz and spirits director Tim Staehling (that means he's in charge of all the liquor, not that he conducts seances). Opening night will be this Tuesday. And we will be there.

Other great news--the Hungry Cat will be the first place in Santa Barbara where one can get a beer from Craftsman Brewing, which will save us a lot of trips down to Father's Office in Santa Monica.

Big Electric Cat

So the next few entries will be all about food and drink and silliness because if I stop to think and try to write about seeing the Santa Barbara version of Arlington West last evening, with 3000 candles flickering on the beach, not even enough for each fallen US soldier, let alone 200 times not enough for all the dead Iraqis, I will cry on the computer and short it out. How in the world did we get into this war and why in the world can't we get out?

Instead, let's talk food and drink, and hope someday all can enjoy food and drink. INOTBB has reported several times on the Hungry Cat that's due to open in Santa Barbara in December, Winter, now the end of April. I got the word straight from the Cat's mouth, so to speak, as Amy and I took a delightful cooking class at the Cook It School with David Lentz, chef/owner of the Hungry Cat, and his all-too-young-to-know-so-much chef in charge Dylan Fultineer last Thursday. (Note to possible class-takers: it is hard to go back to work after a class, especially when a chef brings along his beverage manager Tim who will crank out utterly delicious greyhound propers [a sign!], kumquatinis, and raspberry-infused tequila margaritas.)

It seems that getting permits through in Santa Barbara is difficult (who knew?), and building a kitchen in a space that had none (gee, wonder why L'Ombretta failed) takes time. But, when the spot is finished, Santa Barbara will have what Lentz hopes is a "neighborhood restaurant," which is good, as it will seat only 45 people, many at the bar. And, if the food is anything like we ate last Thursday, we're all in for more than a treat. For instance, we've had the clams, chorizo, and beans dish down at the Hollywood Hungry Cat (note to restauranteurs--never open a Hungry Dog in Hollywood, or everyone, ok, everyone like me, will think of poor Marie Provost), but the version they helped us 15 chefs-in-training whip up this time was even better. Most likely that's because Fultineer made his own chorizo, leaner and tastier than pre-made, and found killer fresh beans at the Santa Barbara farmer's market, plus got Lentz in contact with a clam-grower from the Chesapeake who's trying to save the bay with a special clam-raising method that's both ecologically sound and makes for terrifically tasty mollusks. And that's just one delicious dish--collect them all: quick cured hamachi with grapefruit, Thai basil, and Fresno peppers salad; asparagus salad; crab cake "salad" with Meyer lemon aoli; chocolate bread and butter pudding (the only dessert the Hungry Cat has ever served, as Lentz admits he doesn't like sweets, even though he'll have a variation on strawberry shortcake available soon).

But not soon enough--I need another raspberry infused tequila margarita.