The Bistro at the Bacara Resort & Spa

For my birthday this year, my husband took me to the Bacara Resort & Spa to spend the night and enjoy a wonderful dinner with our two sons. It is an incredible resort located in north end of Goleta, CA right off the ocean on a beautifully landscaped property. I had heard about it many times, but had never been there. I felt like I was on a secluded Hawaiian Island. It is gorgeous!

There are two main dinner restaurants to chose from at the resort and I selected The Bistro at the Bacara Resort & Spa for us to dine at. The deciding factor was their fresh Italian menu and the Chef de Cuisine, Chris Turano who competed on Food Network’s “Chef Wanted” with Ann Burrell. It turned out to be a very good choice!

Our starter was Grilled Octopus with fingerling potato, sea bean, calabrese pepperalioli, & black garlic puree. It was plated beautifully and quite delicious. We paired our meal with a local Paso Robles wine; 2011 Cote de Tablas Blanc from Tablas Creek.  A blend of Viognier, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and Marsanne. Crisp and citrusy, a perfect accompaniment!

All of our mains comprised of a fish or seafood entree and they were all scrumptious! Each one was delicately sauced with something complimentary sometimes with a little spicy kick and sometimes subtly flavored, but every time perfectly paired! The plates were adorned with a variety of vegetable, pasta or grain counterparts. The plating was beautifully presented.

Grilled Local Swordfish with tuscan kale, farro (grain) over harissa roasted carrot puree. Monk Fish served over black lentils on a mild chipotle sauce. Halibut served with fregola (pasta), pistachio, celery relish with an orange-fennel vinaigrette. Dungeness Crab Trofie (pasta) with fava bean, lemon, basil, ricotta and herb bread crumbs. Yum!

My birthday dessert was Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake with bourbon blueberry compote. We also shared a Spanish Flan with orange segments and candied pistachios.

We really enjoyed our meal. The service was attentive and the restaurant was casual but not inexpensive. I would rate it high in it’s category which is a step below fine dining. I would rate the resort itself top notch and I will definitely visit again when the weather is warm and I can enjoy an afternoon lounging in a cabana by the pool!