I had the most wonderful time last weekend at Savoy Cafe & Deli in Santa Barbara, CA. I don't even know where to start, but I'll just say this...
Kathy & Paul, who own and run Savoy, do an incredible job! The cafe is warm & inviting (just like them) with that distinctive Santa Barbara healthy-chique. Savoy is the place where the locals come to hang out and enjoy the kind of food we are always looking for...organic, healthy, homemade AND absolutely delicious!! So many enticing selections on the menu and beautiful fresh salads and entrees behind the glass of the deli case. Then, there's the bakery! How FUN it is to have umteen delicious types of cookies, bars, sweet breads, pastries and Kathy's famous cakes to gawk at and then gooble up, knowing that many of them are gluten free and or dairy free/vegan. I noticed that no one was in a hurry to leave. They linger, talk, and order another latte or exotic tea.
The staff is fantastic! In fact, I have to throw in that one of the servers, Cody, even came back on his day off to hang with his buddy and eat on the cute back patio. How many of us like our job so much that we come back on our day off?
 |
| Kathy and me at my book table |
Savoy Cafe & Deli is the perfect spot if you have a "blended crowd, " meaning some who have dietary restrictions and others who don't. There are plenty of fabulous choices for all, gluten-free, diary-free, vegetarian and vegan.
In celebration of our book signing at Savoy, Kathy even baked some recipes from my book. Of course, I needed to sample these (which coincidentally happened to be from the Cakes, Pies & Crumbles section) ; ) Here's the Pumpkin Pie, complete with a dollop of my Whipped Topping.
 |
| Straight out of the Cookbook |
I can assure you, it tasted like I was getting away with an "off limits, No-No" by eating this gluten-free, diary-free and refined sugar-free treat!
But, I wouldn't want you to think I dove straight into dessert. My husband and I had the good sense to enjoy several awesome meals first. Then we gorged ourselves on the desserts! Here are some of the dishes we tried and heartily recommend: the Forbidden Salad, Coconut Curry Chicken, Quinoa Mango Salad, a new fresh take on Chinese Chicken Salad and a Spinach-Feta-Onion Scramble. (Being dairy free, I put a "hold" on the feta, but felt like I missed nothing.)
Kathy and Paul's place is storybook. It's the Cafe where you can expect to bump into old friends or make new ones. It's fresh, charming, fun, and about 50 feet off State Street (the main drag in Santa Barbara), so it has the excitement of SB without all the noise and congestion.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. My husband Brian did too. He would like to chime in that Savoy also serves Telegraph Ale from the tap and he found it to be quite...how did he put it? "Intriguing and refreshing, with a smooth finish." It's crafted by a local Santa Barbara brewery that, according to Bri, knows how to brew it right.
We saw that Kathy and Paul have acquired a loyal, local following who appreciate their unique, healthy and delicious fare. In addition to the wonderful local patrons, I met many really nice newcomers seeking healthy food and who were quite knowledgeable in their own right.
Thank you so much to everyone who came by to say hello. I loved spending time with each of you talking about our experiences and our continued pursuit of healthy eating and living.
When you are next in Santa Barbara, you owe it to yourself to spend some time at Savoy Cafe & Deli. It is a must on any visit to Santa Barbara.
Last weekend I gained new life-time friends! I hope to be back soon!
~Tracy
About Delightfully Free: Delightfully Free is a gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar-free cookbook of 141 recipes. It includes delicious resources for autism, Celiac disease, diabetes, lactose intolerance, obesity and just plain healthy living. It contains 114 color photographs, 114 vegetarian or vegetarian compatible recipes, and 103 vegan or vegan compatible recipes.
