Bowlfuls on the Way

Health-conscious eating meets socially conscious business at Balfour’s Kitchen (balfourskitchen.com), a new plant-based-meal delivery service launching in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties later this year. Taking its name from organic food pioneer Lady Eve Balfour (1898–1990), the new venture will offer a selection of meals in a bowl—such as Cauliflower Shakshuka, Green Pea & Asparagus Soup, and French Ratatouille With Quinoa—which will arrive ready to heat and eat. They’re designed to be mixed and matched to provide what founder Danny Burgner says aims to be,

“the perfect balance of PFF—protein, fat, and fiber—and of course carbs.”
The company kicked off the test- marketing phase of its charitable model late in 2020 and early this year by donating more than 1,000 meals to Sarah House, a Santa Barbara nonprofit that provides residential housing for low- income individuals receiving hospice care, and the Santa Barbara Rescue Mission, which provides meals, shelter, and recovery programs to homeless and addicted individuals. And when Balfour’s Kitchen opens its doors: “For every bowl purchased,” says Burgner, “we’ll give one to a person in need or make the equivalent donation to a food-centered nonprofit.”

Originally published in the September 2021 issue of 805 Living Magazine. Cover photo by Gary Moss. To see the story as it originally appeared click here.

Follow the Herd

A colorful collection of artistically painted horses is making its way around Santa Ynez (santaynezchamber.org), thanks to a collaboration between the community’s chamber of commerce and a team of local artists. Each of the nearly life-size plywood cutouts has its own personality and aesthetic. One, titled, Beautiful Santa Ynez Valley, bears a landscape designed by Maryvonne LaParlière. Another, by Laurie Owens, takes cues from 1960s pop art flowers. A third, painted by 12-year-old artist Faith Ortega, is adorned with Chumash-inspired symbols.

“I was happily surprised at how unique each one is,” says Linda Small, executive director of the Santa Ynez Chamber of Commerce, who came up with the idea and plans to keep the horses on display through the fall. “We just wanted something joyful to inspire people to smile as they drive or walk around town.”

Originally published in the September 2021 issue of 805 Living Magazine. Cover photo by Gary Moss. To see the story as it originally appeared click here.

Vintage Finds in the Funk Zone

Mid-century modern style comes to Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone with the recent opening of SB Mid Mod (sbmidmod.com), an eclectic collection of vintage home furnishings and artful objects. Owner Tracey Strobel has been restoring and selling mid-century pieces for almost 20 years and is enjoying the connection with fellow aficionados of the timeless modern designs in her first retail store.

“Overall, the reception for the shop has been incredible,” she says. “I couldn’t have asked for nicer neighbors, and the energy in The Funk Zone is awesome. I feel incredibly grateful for this space and the people I’m meeting and getting to work with.”

 

 

 

Originally published in the September 2021 issue of 805 Living Magazine. Cover photo by Gary Moss. To see the story as it originally appeared click here.

GET IMMERSED IN A BOOK

Book face photos by Erik Mendez, Santa Barbara Public Library.

Bringing book covers to life scores volumes on social media via #BookfaceFridays on the
Santa Barbara Public Library Instagram account (@sbplibrary). A popular meme in the
book-loving community for quite some time, Bookface photos—images in which a person
is strategically lined up with a book cover so that life and art appear to meld—are a great
way to showcase literature from the library’s collections, according to library marketing
specialist Erick Mendez.

“We get a lot of positive feedback and a lot of reposts,” says Mendez. “It’s great to see the
community of books and libraries sharing and getting inspiration from one another. It’s
never about competing to see who can do the best one, it’s always about showcasing books we love and finding a way to promote literature through covers.”

Originally published in the Summer 2021 issue of 805 Living Magazine. Cover photo by Gary Moss. To see the story as it originally appeared click here.

S’MORES GALORE

Professionally made s’mores are hot! The marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers
in Jessica Foster Confections’ version, for example, are made from scratch for take-home kits and catered events. Photo by Gary Moss, originally published in the summer 2021 issue of 805 Living Magazine.

The nostalgia of the standard s’more—melty chocolate and gooey roasted marshmallows
sandwiched between graham crackers—gets a major upgrade with these creative takes on the summer campfire classic.

Glamping-style: For its ultra-luxe s’mores, Santa Barbara-based Jessica Foster
Confections (jessicafosterconfections.com) offers house-made, small-batch versions
of each of the treat’s traditional components: the marshmallows, the chocolate, and
the graham crackers. “Honestly the most exciting part of the whole thing is the graham
crackers,” says confectioner Jessica Foster. “They are so buttery and crumbly that I have
to get rid of them when I make them or else I’m going to eat all of them.”
In addition to producing the elevated s’mores kit, Foster caters customized s’mores
stations for events. At a celebration on National S’mores Day last year she served
house-made cinnamon s’mores (cinnamon graham crackers, cinnamon marshmallows, and dark chocolate bars with sea salt), lemon blackberry s’mores (graham crackers, vanilla
bean marshmallows, Meyer lemon truffles, and sliced blackberries), key lime s’mores (coconut graham crackers, vanilla bean marshmallows, key lime curd, and optional
chocolate), and mint chocolate s’mores (chocolate graham crackers, vanilla bean
marshmallows, and mint-infused truffle sticks). For the ultimate touch, Foster even helped guests roast their own marshmallows to the perfect degree of gooey goodness with a portable blowtorch.

Camping-style: “Everybody wants s’mores,” says Samantha Bearman, of SB Baking Besties (samanthabearman.com/sb-baking-besties), “and we bake our s’mores with love in every bite.” Bearman cofounded the Santa Barbara-based sweets company with her best friend, Nikki Russo, last spring, and this summer they’re offering a S’mores With Love kit, which includes homemade chocolate hearts and homemade heart-shaped marshmallows, as well as a deluxe version that features extra-large homemade marshmallows atop homemade campfire cookies instead of standard graham crackers.
“They’re great for when you want a really sweet treat that’s messy,” says Berman, “and so
perfect for backyard camping because they’re gooey and ooey and oh, so great.

Originally published in the Summer 2021 issue of 805 Living Magazine. Cover photo by Gary Moss. To see the story as it originally appeared click here.

Spirited Soaps

Spirited Soaps, originally published in the June 2021 issue of 805 Living Magazine.

Piney juniper with a hint of citrus. Sweet fruit and spice with a touch of bitter orange. These may sound like flavor notes in popular cocktails, but they’re actually fragrance combinations in a line of handcrafted soaps. For two of its sudsy bars, Etta + Billie (ettaandbillie.com), a Ventura-based maker of small-batch body-care products, takes olfactory cues from libations.

“I’m constantly inspired by the food and beverage world,” says CEO Alana Rivera, “so I wanted to capture the essence of some of my favorite classic cocktails— the gin and tonic and the negroni.”

After what she describes as “years of pushing paper around in corporate America and feeling deeply unsatisfied and utterly uncreative,” Rivera received a book about soapmaking as a gift from her mother. She credits it with sparking her creative, entrepreneurial journey.

“I combine highly effective natural ingredients to create products that are centered around my love of farm-to-table food culture and the connection it brings,” she says.

805 Living Cover June 2021, photo by Gary Moss. Originally published in the June 2021 issue of 805 Living Magazine. Cover photo by Gary Moss. To see the story as it originally appeared click here.

Strength in Elegance

Strength in Elegance, originally published in the June 2021 issue of 805 Living Magazine.

Having worked for decades as an entertainment-industry visual-effects artist, Santa Rosa Valley resident Kevin Prendiville says he has always been a maker at heart. When his wife Jerami requested that he create a bag for her to bring to the barn where she boards her horse, he was inspired to create a handcrafted leather equestrian-themed tote with a removable saddlebag. It became the first product of the couple’s new brand, rebar works (rebarworks.com).

“So many people said, ‘I want one of those,’ that we redesigned it and made it even better,” says Jerami. More leather goods are on the horizon, as well as home furnishings and whatever else catches their creative spark.

“We consider ourselves a luxury lifestyle brand, and we like to cater to people who appreciate beauty, clean design, high-quality materials, and detailed craftsmanship.,” Jerami says.

“We’re bringing a unique voice to it, too,” adds Kevin. Taking inspiration
from the steel rods it’s named for, the company’s mission is to harness the
strength and integrity of understated elegance.

805 Living Cover June 2021, photo by Gary Moss. Originally published in the June 2021 issue of 805 Living Magazine. Cover photo by Gary Moss. To see the story as it originally appeared click here.

Gratui-Tees

Gratui-Tees, originally published in the May 2021 issue of 805 Living Magazine.

Looking for a way to support Santa Barbara bars and restaurants, Beau Lawrence, owner of Ace Rivington (acerivington.com) clothing store, created the SB Monster Tour Tee, a
100 percent–cotton t-shirt with an illustration of a monster printed on the front and a list of the date-night hot spots in the city that Lawrence and his wife Yasmin have enjoyed on the back. For each t-shirt sold, Lawrence will donate $10 to what he considers a tip-sharing pool that will be divided among the establishments on the list.

“The idea is that the monster is waking up as things are opening up, and it’s time to have some fun and come alive again,” says Lawrence. “It’s also about wanting to come up with a creative way of supporting local bars and restaurants.”

Recognizing longtime favorites, such as The Andersen’s Danish Bakery & Restaurant and Harry’s Plaza Cafe, as well as newer venues, like Venus in Furs bar and bottle shop and Yona Redz taqueria, the tees are available at the Ace Rivington website and store in Santa Barbara’s historic La Arcada Plaza.

805 Living Cover, May 2021, photo by Gary Moss.

Click here to see this story as it originally appeared in the May 2021 issue of 805 Living Magazine.

 

On the Trails

On the Trails, originally published in the May 2021 issue of 805 Living Magazine.

In his updated guide to Hiking & Backpacking Santa Barbara & Ventura (Wilderness Press, 2021, wildernesspress.com) Craig R. Carey provides nearly 100 of his personally tested routes for day trips, weekend excursions, and backcountry treks on the lush trails of the
Los Padres National Forest.

The forest “has always been a place for me to hit that reset button,” says the Ventura County native.

In addition to the routes, Carey’s book includes maps, GPS coordinates, descriptions of terrain, flora, and fauna, attractions, and charts detailing the distances and dog- and child-friendliness of each trail.

805 Living Cover, May 2021, photo by Gary Moss.

Click here to see this story as it originally appeared in the May 2021 issue of 805 Living Magazine.

 

Fine Fashion Pops Up in Montecito

Fine Fashion Pops Up in Montecito, originally published in the May 2021 issue of 805 Living Magazine. Photos courtesy Rosewood Miramar Resort.

High fashion resort wear hits the beach in Montecito this summer with the debut of the Dior brand’s first pop-up in the U.S., Dioriviera (dior.com/en_us/womens-fashion/dioriviera), featuring a capsule collection by Italian designer Maria Grazia Chiuri at Rosewood Miramar Beach (rosewoodhotels.com/en/miramar-beach-montecito) resort.

Plays on the fashion company’s signature patterns—from toile de Jouy to the Dior oblique motif—embellish the line of women’s ready-to-wear garments, leather goods, shoes, and accessories in punchy chartreuse and raspberry, says resort manager Rick Fidel. “A parasol, a hammock, beach games, and fans,” are also available, he says, “alongside a series of decorative objects, stationery, cushions, and placemats.”

The pop-up runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day. “We are thrilled to partner with a like-minded and esteemed brand to bring this special experience to Montecito this summer,” says Fidel.

805 Living Cover, May 2021, photo by Gary Moss.

Click here to see this story as it originally appeared in the May 2021 issue of 805 Living Magazine.