Tag Archives: Fiesta

Editor’s Pick: La Fiesta Pequeña

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Fiesta dancers, photo by Bill Zeldis

Fiesta dancers, photo by Bill Zeldis

One of Old Spanish Days’ most beautiful traditions is the official opening of Fiesta, which has taken place in front of the Santa Barbara Mission since 1927. Always free to the public, La Fiesta Pequeña (“little Fiesta”) is a colorful historical program with traditional songs and dances from the Californio, Flamenco, Spanish Classical and Mexican Folklorico traditions. Old Mission Santa Barbara, 2201 Laguna St. Aug. 5, 8 p.m. oldspanishdays-fiesta.org.

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine, Summer 2015.

—Leslie Dinaberg

La Primavera Fiesta Kick Off

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El Presidente Cas Stimson (center) celebrating at La Primavera, photo by Fritz Olenberger

El Presidente Cas Stimson (center) celebrating at La Primavera, photo by Fritz Olenberger

Last weekend was the official kick off for the 2015 Fiesta season, La Primavera, where El Presidente Cas Stimson unveiled the official Fiesta theme, poster design, and pin.

The theme, Fiesta Romántica, states Stimson, “recalls the time in the early 19th century when people met at parties filled with music and dance… that lasted for days! During this charming era, young men wooed their ladies with music and song under the moonlight. Old Spanish Days continues this romance of people coming together in celebration with their best friends and spouses. As has been the case with many visitors and residents of Santa Barbara, my wife Kathy and I met during Fiesta 25 years ago.”

La Primavera was held at the historic El Paseo Restaurant. Here’s a look at the event, featuring photos by Fritz Olenberger.

The 2015 Old Spanish Days poster, photo by Fritz Olenberger

The 2015 Old Spanish Days poster, photo by Fritz Olenberger

Celebrating at La Primavera, photo by Fritz Olenberger

Celebrating at La Primavera, photo by Fritz Olenberger

Celebrating at La Primavera, photo by Fritz Olenberger

Erin Graffy de Garcia, celebrating at La Primavera, photo by Fritz Olenberger

2015 Spirit of Fiesta Alexandra Freres celebrating at La Primavera, photo by Fritz Olenberger

2015 Spirit of Fiesta Alexandra Freres celebrating at La Primavera, photo by Fritz Olenberger

—Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on May 13, 2015.

Cocktail Corner: Viva la Sangria!

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Peach Sangria, courtesy Ciroc Vodka

Peach Sangria, courtesy Ciroc Vodka

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg

Of course, nothing will ever usurp the Margarita as my Fiesta drink of choice. As I’ve written in this column before, “Margaritas are part of the DNA of Santa Barbara and—along with buying Cascarones and seeing old friends—one of my favorite ways to celebrate Old Spanish Days. My son was born on July 27, 1999 and once I got over the initial euphoria, the first thing I wanted to do was drink a Margarita. After all, it was Fiesta time and that’s how we do it around here.”

But, as I’ve learned—the hard way—there is such a thing as too many Margaritas. That’s where Sangria comes in. This Spanish/Portuguese libation takes many forms.

The most common Sangrias consist of red wine, chopped fruit, a sweetener, and a small amount of added brandy, vodka or some other spirit. The beauty of a drink like this is that less expensive wines work well, and the chopped fruit can include almost anything you have around. Oranges, lemons, limes, apples, peaches, melons of all types, berries, pineapples, grapes and mangos are all good. Frozen berries work especially well, and you can substitute Sprite or 7 Up or Lemon Lime for the spirits if you want a lighter cocktail.

Sangria is pretty widely available in the summer. For example, the Coral Cafe & Bar at the Coral Casino has a Skinny Superfruit Sangria that is magically under 125 calories (made with Veev Acaí, Cranberry Juice, Red Wine and Strawberry Puree). Finch & Fork at the Canary Hotel offers a $20 “Sangria & Bites” happy hour special with a pitcher of red or white sangria and three bites to share: warm citrus marinated olives, blistered shishito peppers and honey roasted spiced nuts. Alcazar on the Mesa also has a nice Sangria happy hour special.Strawberry

I particularly like the white sangria, also known as Sangria Blanca, made with white wine. The Latin Kitchen has a nice recipe here.

Also becoming popular are versions that forgo wine entirely. One of my favorite variations in that category is a Peach Sangria. Here’s a recipe from CÎROC Vodka, which is incidentally made from French grapes, rather than the traditional grain alcohol:

Peach Sangria

(Pitcher Recipe)

10 oz CÎROC Peach

5 oz Hennessy

5 oz Fresh Lime Juice

5 oz Fresh Lemon Juice 5

1 oz Simple Syrup

40 Dashes Bitters

20 oz Club Soda

Stir over ice in 64 oz pitcher

 

(Single Cocktail)

1 oz CÎROC Peach

.5 oz Hennessy

.5 oz Fresh Lime Juice

.5 oz Fresh Lemon Juice

.5 oz Simple Syrup

4 Dashes Bitters

2 oz Club Soda

Stir over ice in Wine Glass

With that I’ll leave you with this Fiesta-flavored video from CÎROC partner/brand ambassador Sean Combs.

Viva la Sangria!

Cheers!

Click here for more cocktail corner columns.

Originally published in Santa Barbara SEASONS on August 1, 2014.

Leslie Dinaberg

Leslie Dinaberg

When she’s not busy working as the editor of Santa Barbara SEASONS, Cocktail Corner author Leslie Dinaberg writes magazine articles, newspaper columns and grocery lists. When it comes to cocktails, Leslie considers herself a “goal-oriented drinker.”

Cocktail Corner: Viva la Fiesta!

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Paradise Cafe Margarita, courtesy photo

Paradise Cafe Margarita, courtesy photo

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg

Margaritas are part of the DNA of Santa Barbara and—along with buying Cascarones and seeing old friends—one of my favorite ways to celebrate Old Spanish Days. My son was born on July 27, 1999 and once I got over the initial euphoria, the first thing I wanted to do was drink a Margarita. After all it was Fiesta time and that’s how we do it around here.

There are lots of wonderful places to get Margaritas this weekend (and any weekend for that matter). Here are a few of my favorites downtown:

El Paseo Restaurant (813 Anacapa St.) is one of the oldest and best places to celebrate Fiesta, and their El Paseo Margarita, made with Hornitos, Citronage and Grand Marnier always yummy. Rumor has it my late father-in-late was known to drink these out of lovely seniorita’s shoes during particularly lively Fiesta celebrations. I guess we’ll never know, but the legend lives on.

Carlitos Cafe Y Cantina (1324 State St.) also has terrific Margaritas made with fresh juices, not to mention a fun patio for people watching.

You also can’t beat the beautiful Spanish-influenced interiors of Cadiz (509 State St.)  for cocktails, and their Margaritas are sublime.

Paradise Cafe (702 Anacapa St.), as I’ve written before, has simple, straightforward and consistently delicious Paradise Margaritas, poured straight up on the rocks, with Jose Cuervo Gold Tequila.

Casa Blanca, (330 State St.) with its intricate tile work, is one of the most beautiful restaurants in town. Try the Prickly Pear Margarita for special treat, made with El Charro Reposado Tequila, fresh prickly pear and a dash of triple sec, lemonade, fresh squeezed OJ and fresh squeezed lime.

Cielito Restaurant in La Arcada (1114 State St.) has a to-die-for Millionaire Margarita made with Don Julio 1942, Grand Marnier 100-year and fresh lime juice on the rocks but if the $35 price is too steep for you, I also recommend their spectacular Blackberry Margarita, made with Peligroso Blanco, Leopold’s Rocky Mountain Blackberry, fresh lime juice and agave syrup.

With a name like Blue Agave (20 E. Cota St.) it’s no surprise that this place has a long menu of Margaritas. Try the Guava Margarita (Guavarita?) for a delicious fruity variation of the classic.

No matter which direction your taste buds take you, all of these Margaritas taste exactly like a Margarita should: with enough tang to make your lips pucker, enough sweetness to make everyone look prettier and enough Tequila to make your companions smarter, more and wittier, if not downright hilarious.

Via la!

Click here for more cocktail corner columns.

Originally appeared in Santa Barbara SEASONS Magazine.

Leslie Dinaberg

Leslie Dinaberg

When she’s not busy working as the editor of Santa Barbara SEASONS, Cocktail Corner author Leslie Dinaberg writes magazine articles, newspaper columns and grocery lists. When it comes to cocktails, Leslie considers herself a “goal-oriented drinker.”

Viva La Fiesta!

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1707e47c9de6bf305c9143c1031a1948Love it or hate it, Leslie does both

Like many Santa Barbarians, I have a love/hate relationship with Fiesta. I’m not one of those people who flee from town every Fiesta, but you’ll also never catch me running for La Presidenta.

My ambivalence started when I was a kid, and like most things when you’re 7 years old, it was all my mom’s fault.

You see, other than the rare button repair or sock darning, my mom didn’t know how to sew. She didn’t garden either, so even though she let me be a flower girl in the Children’s Parade I never had the prettiest dresses or the prettiest flowers to toss.

It was still fun, but I’m sure it would have been much more fun if I’d had a better outfit, Mom!

The street dances at West Beach were awesome when I was a teenager. Part of the appeal was that parents weren’t allowed, but I guess the city canceled them when they got too rowdy. I’m sure this was my mom’s fault somehow.

Still, Old Spanish Days are always a lot of fun.

It’s too many Old Spanish Nights in a row that I pay the price for.

There’s something about those hot August evenings and Mariachi music that always lead to a little too much fun in the cactus-based beverage department, then one too many late night burritos at Casablanca (R.I.P.) “to absorb the alcohol.”

After almost four decades (yikes!) of Fiesta celebrations, I’ve finally learned to pick and choose my events. It’s hard, because they’re all fun in different ways and it’s always great to see friends. But it’s also a lot of people and a lot of festivities to deal with for five days straight, not counting the pre-events that start five months before.

Did I mention it’s a LOT of people?

But I really don’t love that Fiesta feverish feeling I get towards the end of the week when hearing one more chorus of “La Bamba” will put me over the edge. And as much as I love the colorful cascarones, I hate finding confetti in my laundry basket for the next six months.

But I love watching all of the dancing, running into old friends, and the tamales at Our Lady of Guadalupe. And going to the parties-I really love going to the parties.

But I’d like them even better if I had a prettier dress.

Share your Fiesta memories with Leslie@LeslieDinaberg.com. For more columns visit www.LeslieDinaberg.com. Originally published in the Santa Barbara Daily Sound on July 29, 2011.

Fiesta celebration a quiet one for law enforcement

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This year’s Fiesta celebration went off with few hitches, which is just the way law enforcement likes it.

“This Fiesta had fewer large problems than the last several recent Fiestas,” said police Lt. Paul McCaffrey, a department spokesman.

He credits much of the success to the preplanning and prior year analysis that goes into making decisions.

To make things work smoothly, all hands are on deck within the department, both officers and civilian personnel.

“Days off, holidays, vacations are all canceled during Fiesta,” said McCaffrey. “The courts don’t say ‘Oh, well, it’s Fiesta’ and give us extra time to get the reports done.”

Also lending a hand were officers from other agencies, including the Sheriff’s Department; Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Santa Paula and Ventura police departments; Santa Barbara County Probation; and the California Youth Authority. While having additional officers on the streets helps, the reinforcements also brought special knowledge of known gang members from their areas.

“The incidents we did have were largely gang-related problems,” McCaffrey said. “Having officers from other agencies that are knowledgeable of who the gang members are, who might have a warrant, the terms of probation. Some people are not allowed out of their county, out at night, (or to) associate with gang members, some are prohibited from consuming alcohol.”

Being able to quickly take action on some of these minor types of violations allowed police to “send a message of what we will and will not tolerate here in Santa Barbara,” McCaffrey said.

“… Especially a gang of 20-25 people, take one or two people out of group for something relatively minor, we’re sending a message. That philosophy did a lot to prevent problems,” he added.

Another big part of police effectiveness was increased communication and mobility. McCaffrey said another radio frequency was added and there were extra officers on bicycles, motorcycles and on foot on State Street, where most of the action took place.

“Gangs aren’t hanging out at the Noches de Ronda,” said McCaffrey, who added that they like the see-and-be-seen atmosphere of State Street.

“A big part of the gang mentality and lifestyle is to defend your gang and look for other gangs.”

Authorities estimate there were 524 arrests during Fiesta vs. more than 650 last year. McCaffrey said the department will have a “great big Fiesta debriefing” in the near future.

Originally published in South Coast Beacon

Some do want to get away for Fiesta

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Old Spanish Days Fiesta Parade, photo by Damian Gadal, courtesy Wikipedia Commons.

Old Spanish Days Fiesta Parade, photo by Damian Gadal, courtesy Wikipedia Commons.

There are plenty of sanctuaries within driving distance.

Santa Barbarans have a love/hate relationship with Fiesta. It’s a lot of fun, but it’s a lot of people and a lot of festivities to deal with for four days straight. If you start to feel like one more chorus of “La Bamba” will put you over the edge, read on for some cures for Fiesta fever.

The charms of Los Olivos are just a short drive away. For those who haven’t visited lately, Grand Avenue is indeed grand. Stop by the always delightful Persnickity (2900 Grand Ave.; 686.8955) for a wonderful selection of gift items, including vintage linens, birdhouses, ladies dresses and more.

Also worth a look are the Gallery Los Olivos (2920 Grand Ave.; 688.7517), which represents more than 40 regional artists, and the two Judith Hale Galleries (north at 2890 Grand Ave.; 688.1222, and south at 2884 Grand Ave.; 693.1233), an eclectic mix of Western and traditional artwork in all media, including bronze and stone sculpture, woodcarvings and jewelry.

Featuring the works of Santa Barbara artist Merv Corning, among others, is Young’s Gallery (2920 Grand Ave.; 688.9745), which specializes in original watercolors, oils and calligraphy.

A must for wine aficionados is the Arthur Earl tasting room (2921 Grand Ave.; 693.1771). Winner of the South Coast Beacon’s Savor Santa Barbara “people’s choice” tasting, this small winery produces only about 2500 cases a year.

Another small-yield vintner worth checking out is Andrew Murray Vineyards Tasting Room (2901 Grand Ave.; 686.9604), the only exclusively Rhone estate in Santa Barbara County.

Los Olivos Cafe & Wine Merchant (2879 Grand Ave.; 688.7265) is great. The food is excellent and there’s also a nice selection of local wines by the glass and bottles to purchase.

Grand Avenue even has a four-star restaurant, the Vintage Room at Fess Parker’s Wine Country Inn & Spa (2860 Grand Ave.; 688.7788.

After a visit to Los Olivos, you might want to go north to the Chumash Casino (3400 E. Highway 246), where there’s free live music every Friday and Saturday night, as well as a new resort hotel and spa.

Solvang, “the Danish capital of America,” is certainly an alternative to Old Spanish Days. No visit is complete without an aebleskiver — the Danish equivalent of the ubiquitous churro — available at any of the many bakeries in town. For theater fans, the PCPA features Bullshot Crummond, a takeoff on old “B” movies, running through Sunday. Call 922.8313 for ticket information and showtimes.

Nearby is Trattoria Grappalo (3687 Sagunto St., Santa Ynez; 688.6899) with its mouth-watering pastas and extensive wine list. If you’re feeling like a different kind of dining experience, the Chef’s Touch’s cooking class Saturday is “Married and Bored … Go to Dinner!” which features Thai food preparation and a meal. The cost is $45. Call 686.1040 for reservations.

For those looking to escape south, rather than north, there’s the Dallas Cowboys’ training camp in Oxnard (at the River Ridge Athletic Field on the corner of Ventura Road and Vineyard Avenue) from 9 to 11 a.m. and 3 to 5 p.m.

The Ventura County Fair is going on through Aug. 15 at Seaside Park (10 W. Harbor Blvd., 648.3376). There are arts and crafts, food, farm animals, carnival rides and games, a petting zoo and more. Events in the grandstand arena are free with admission and include Motorsports at 6 p.m. today; Brad Paisley, at 7:30 p.m. Friday; the Village People at 7:30 p.m. Saturday; and … guess you can’t truly escape it … Fiesta Day at 3 p.m. Sunday.

Originally published in South Coast Beacon on August 5, 2004.