Saturday Road Trip Lunch

well..not really a road trip 

since it's only 20 minutes from the house...

this bridge is part of hwy 154 

that takes you north and west to wine country.

this day we took a side road into the canyons

to find the iconic Santa Barbara restaurant

built as a stagecoach stop through the 

rugged San Marcos Pass in 1886, 

it was a place where travelers could rest 

and horses could be changed.

set in the cool canyon

it's currently a stop for traveling bikers

and a destination for a good meal.

they traditionally serve game;

duck, venison, rabbit

and have even been known to serve

bear and, at one time, controversially,

lion!

today,weekend crowds 

can be treated to an outdoor BBQ 

of the California classic,

the tri-tip sandwich

(it's a bottom sirloin cut of beef)

rubbed with salt, pepper and garlic

and grilled directly over red oak

cooked to medium rare

and served in a fire-toasted soft bun

with bbq and creamy, whole-grain mustard sauces.

yum!

and the ride home

affords a view of Goleta 

(the city adjacent to and west of Santa Barbara), 

the Pacific and, once again,

the Channel Islands on the horizon.