THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED The Hungry Cat Awards

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED The Hungry Cat Restaurant Review:

One might expect Santa Barbara to be brimming with modernist seafood restaurants given its beach location. Not so. Chef/owner David Lentz follows the script from the original outpost in Hollywood, but put his Santa Barbara spin on it. This urban eatery has stained-concrete floors and basic wood chairs. It offers a solid balance of shellfish in its purest form --- freshly cracked and served raw --- and refashioned into creations like braised clams with house-made chorizo, fried oysters and charred octopus. The raw bar offers a wide selection, from the sweet Rappahannock River oyster to local varieties. A number of caviar selections are on hand as well, including robust and creamy eggs from Mississippi paddlefish to slightly crunchy eggs from North Carolina trout. Red snapper with fregola is an option, accompanied by fresh vegetables sourced from the local farmers markets. The Pug burger, with house-smoked bacon, avocado, lettuce and fried egg, happens to be one of the best in town. For dessert, get the chocolate bread and butter pudding --- warm chocolate lies underneath a creamy bread pudding with the top caramelized so it’s crisp. Craft cocktails add to the overall experience.