Since changing into a resident of Santa Barbara’s Higher East Aspect in 2015, at any time when individuals ask for suggestions within the Theater District, or for S.B. usually, The Good Lion and Sama Sama Kitchen are the primary names to go away my lips.
Two rights actually can’t make a flawed, and that is confirmed by Good Lion Hospitality’s newest idea in Downtown Ventura, a hybrid of each S.B. mainstays: Unusual Beast.
When property in a beautiful historic 1924-era constructing opened up, Good Lion husband and spouse cofounders, Brandon and Misty Ristaino, jumped on the alternative to open an izakaya-style bar and workforce up with their Michelin Bib Gourmand neighbors at Sama Sama to create a menu of Japanese tapas to pair with their drinks.
“After nearly 9 years of being neighbors to Sama Sama at The Good Lion, we’ve grow to be nice mates with their homeowners and workforce,” Brandon mentioned. “We talked about our cocktail izakaya idea to them over drinks, and so they had been stoked on the concept. Their ardour for meals, journey, drinks, and hospitality, and ours mixed, makes for an awesome partnership.”
And a scrumptious one at that. However let’s begin with a beverage or two. For Good Lion Hospitality’s fifth bar (along with The Good Lion, in addition they have Take a look at Pilot and Shaker Mill in Santa Barbara, and Financial institution of Italy in Ventura), Unusual Beast’s cocktail menu, singing with Japanese flavors, is really a testomony to the group’s creativity, expertise, and enthusiasm.
“We love the concept of a cocktail izakaya; an approachable idea the place one can sit comfortably, get pleasure from nice music (and karaoke!), nosh on Japanese tapas, and drink cocktails, sake, beer, and pure wines that pair with the delicacies,” Brandon mentioned.
We began the night with the belle of the ball, and one in every of Brandon’s favorites, the Melon Ball Z. As with all of their ideas, Brandon collaborated with longtime Good Lion cocktail companion and pal Jon Jarrett on the menu. Jarrett is the mastermind behind this refreshing highball bursting with gin, honeydew, yuzu, sake, cinnamon, and tonic. It’s a really perfect palate-perker. Different cocktail highlights embrace the dazzling Chartreuse Swizzle, a punch of inexperienced chartreuse, pineapple, Bajan gentle rum, lime tiki spices, and mint.
I used to be personally additionally wowed by the small however mighty wine record created by longtime Good Lion pal and collaborator Lenka Davis. The crisp and dry riesling paired completely with my ethereal first bites, together with the dizzyingly good salmon and scallop hand rolls, and maybe essentially the most show-stopping chew of the evening — yellowtail crudo with yuzu kosho, soy, and crispy garlic. They supply their seafood from the Santa Barbara Fish Market, and it reveals in each refreshing and buttery morsel.
“We hope our visitors are capable of decelerate, sip some tasty drinks, and eat what we expect is sensible meals from some extraordinarily gifted cooks,” Brandon mentioned. As quickly as I had these first dishes, that’s precisely the will I yearned for — wanting time to face nonetheless, to have the ability to soften into my seat and take a look at all the pieces this darkish and moody mecca, dotted with Japanese folklore pop artwork, needed to provide.
As we danced by the menu, pausing to reward their wildly pleasant tackle the omnipresent kale Caesar salad reinvigorated with miso and brown butter panko, the comforting katsu don rice bowl, and I couldn’t assist however revisit these candy-like Sama Sama wings additionally discovered right here. It was as if I’d drifted away into an izakaya dream land.
As we tucked into a ravishing miso panna cotta dotted with whipped cream and black sesame biscuit, our wonderful server introduced out the perfect waker-upper: chilly Japanese sake. Misty’s ardour for sake helped spearhead this idea, and we had been impressed with their choice, together with a tasty Kamoizumi Nigori Ginjo Nama, or “Summer time Snow.” Their beer record can also be quick however sturdy, with Draughtsman’s delectable Nama Biru rice lager main the cost.
With Wednesday Karaoke Evening already launched and loaded with a late-night joyful hour (really seven nights every week), Suntory spirit cocktails, and izakaya bar meals, the workforce’s momentum for magic is in full power.
“We’re working with our distributors to arrange just a few ticketed dinners. We’ll launch this system in September with a sake paired dinner, and I’m placing collectively a Japanese whiskey and cocktail paired occasion within the fall,” Brandon mentioned.
Make sure you swing by for his or her Ramen Evening each Sunday. The ramen theme modifications weekly, and all are positive to impress, however particularly the wealthy Duck Ramen.
If it ain’t broke, don’t repair it. Good Lion Hospitality and Sama Sama Kitchen haven’t solely discovered this lesson however have taken it a step additional — not by fixing their current ideas however in increasing, collaborating, and sharing their brilliance in new and thrilling methods.
394 E. Important St., Ste. B, Ventura; strangebeastbar.com
