Lovely flowers at Bell Street Eatery & Market
After a week (gulp!) in Las Vegas, the Adesso team was happy to return home to Santa Barbara. We all were excited to decompress, get some fresh air, spend time with our families, SLEEP and eat at some of our favorite local spots. My daughter and I spent most of the gorgeous day on Saturday at the beach with friends. It was so nice to sit and watch her play while lounging in my Mikoh suit and snacking on hummus and veggies from the Santa Barbara Farmer’s Market. A good dose of fresh air and sunshine was just what was needed after a long run of trade shows.
Sunday, my little one and I had plans to meet up with friends to celebrate one of our posse’s 35th birthday in Central Coast country style! We had planned on wine tasting at Demetria Estate Winery (where we did our Fall 2011 collection photo shoots) and dinner at Full of Life Flatbread, but I wanted to surprise them with delicious nibbles from a new favorite spot of mine, Bell Street Farm Eatery & Market. For months, I had been watching the remodel of this great corner locale on Bell Street in Los Alamos whenever we would go to eat at Full of Life Flatbread. Finally, the “Coming Soon” sign morphed into “Opening this Summer” and then last week Bell Street Farm Eatery & Market finally opened its doors. I took a class up in Santa Maria before leaving for Vegas and thought that Bell Street was open on Thursdays. However, when I pulled off in Los Alamos and passed by to grab a snack for my ride home, the doors were closed. A loud knock and a big smile convinced owner Jamie Gluck to make me their famous Country Grilled Cheese and Rosemary Ham sandwich. One bite of that sandwich and I was hooked!
Los Alamos' latest great edition for good eats and lovely local finds
Chef Evan shopping the local farmer's market for farm fresh ingredients.
Owner Jamie Gluck prepares to go orders
So for the birthday celebration, my daughter and I ordered one of those incredible grilled cheese sandwiches, their house-cured olives (rosemary and lemon infused…amazing!), a farm fresh salad with beets, candied walnuts and local lettuces, housemade pickled veggies (I ate all of those myself on the way to Demetria…sorry friends) and tasty cookies (lemony poppy seed, coconut macaroon and chocolate chocolate) to round it all out (before our big dinner…).
Delicious, delicious, delicious...
I had a great time looking around the incredible selection of cookbooks, bath products, picnic accoutrements, kitchen accessories and local products that Gluck has curated in the front of his Bell Street market. The shop is the perfect addition to Los Alamos and yet another reason to take some time to drive up north for a lovely country afternoon. While we were a little late to our wine tasting reservation, my friends quickly forgave us when they tried all of Bell Street’s delicacies.
The beautifully curated Bell Street Market
Bell Street Farm's logo (which we LOVE) and contact info
Now all of my trips up the coast will have to include lunch at Bell Street Farm Eatery & Market, wine tasting at the Adesso team’s favorite winery, Demetria Estate Winery and dinner at Full of Life Flatbread. What can I say, I like to eat and love new spots that highlight people’s creativity and appreciation of life’s bounty!
(Photography by Julie Brothers)
