“Your success in life will be determined largely by your ability to speak, your ability to write, and the quality of your ideas, in that order.”-@Patrick Winston
A week or two before, rains were coming down hard. Photos of ocean waters threatening folks by the beaches in Ventura were in LA Times and on Facebook. Knowing how Ventura was not that far from Santa Barbara, I was conjuring images that our weekend as foodies may not come to be.
But our intention to celebrate Maryjane Southerling Saldana and Mina Layba ‘s birthdays were known to the heavens above. Our prayers were heard, the weather was temperate, cool, blue skies, calm ocean waves. Thank you dear Lord!
It started with a trip to the farmer’s markets, a favorite ritual of MJ and Glenn, as mine to procure quality produce for the family. Santa Barbara is not just any other market, it is the dream market for any chef: best variety of vegetables, sweetest fruits, and a lot more stalls than those offered to us in LA. It was heaven!
A trip to the harbor made me miss my hubby Enrique de la Cruz – this was where we had our lunch for our 44th wedding anniversary. Thank you Rina Bentajado you were on my mind too for taking time to be our day’s tour guide then.
The harbor had lots of action from the lobster and crab fishermen to the uni sellers, meticulously opening red and purple uni with a long line of customers waiting. Uni to those who have not tasted it – it is buttery and smells fresh with even sand from the ocean. So delightful!
More walking steps until Brophy’s opened. We were the first and we got the choice corner seats in this very popular place: Sun behind your back and the bustling activities of men and women moving about, the friendly waitresses and boisterous customers standing literally just feet from us. It was so tight in space that a man has to stand up in the nearby table to make room for a person at our table to exit. Why – food is excellent! From cioppino, fish and chips to mussels with broth of thyme and oregano and everyone seems to be here – no vacant seat at all!
A walk on the Main Street was next to take a photo of what was once a Filipino Community Building, now a Thai restaurant. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a Ma’am Sir’s Charles Olalia or a Kuya Lord occupy this space? A dream for the next generation of chefs to consider this, perhaps?
I shared the spot where Rina took me: tea and muffins in the patio of Miramar Rosewood Hotel, owned by Rick Caruso. Cora knew the place and had dinners here. Next thing we knew we were in the building, looking towards the ocean, admiring the well manicured lawns, open in design, and at the center, beach Adirondack chairs for three folks to soak in the sun. Mina treated us to merienda of affogato, cheesecake, apple tart and the restaurant brought two birthday cakes and take home coffee to go. How warm and generous!
Our conversations were on various topics: life, good health, change of pace, businesses, work conferences, and upcoming road trips to visit grandchildren and more planned adventures.
More walking until my cramps took us all to stop. Dear caring Mina bought me bottled water and after taking my multivitamins, bit of stretching, we were ready to go.
More walking….and more stories and before you know it, we were headed for our early dinner at Loquita. But not quite yet. We looked at their fish market where wild and local fishes were sold – fresh filets of salmon, tuna, bass, cod and whole branzinos.
What a beautiful place, with just a few tables occupied at 4pm. By the time we left, the noise had increased, but hardly disturbed us as we were seated in their patio with a gas fireplace. A very beautiful ambiance!
Delightful and flavorful, well seasoned dishes, I will share the photos here and allow you, the readers to guess what these dishes are.
It was a day of leisure and a wholesome full day of good weather, walking, and great food. It was just one of those days wherein you feel so grateful to have the good health and the good company of these warm, wholesome, positive, thoughtful, caring good folks who live lives not just for themselves, but for others, as well: running a business, running a household, part of a government facilitating businesses and government functions, caring for grandchildren, producing events, and running a community newspaper for 33 years.
On the way back, it was a very pleasant ride, windows ajar to let the sea breeze in and the most delightful conversations with Ted Benito and 2024 plans about community building, artistic endeavors, writing, producing, books, and more. It was supposed to be a 2 hour drive, but to me, it felt like 30 minutes as the conversation was upbeat and full of candor and shared observations.
Thank you so much for this day to celebrate two strong, empowered, caring, well-travelled women and the great company of caring friends!-Prosy Delacruz, Jan. 13, 2024