Paella, Please

Loquita Welcomes New Chef Cristian Granada

By Danaë Petsimeris

While Paris and Santa Barbara differ greatly in terms of size and population, when it comes to urban vocabulary, they both rank as cities. I have to remind myself of this, because in terms of lived-experience Santa Barbara feels much more like a town than my native Paris. With its Mediterranean climate and relaxed lifestyle, it’s easy to bump into friends while shopping on State Street. When in Paris, spontaneous meetings with friends seldom happen; a rendez-vous has to be planned for with logistical precision and the dictates of the Metro map of Paris.        

However, when it comes to food, Santa Barbara definitely has a city-feel. There is a wide variety of restaurants, wine bars and breweries, with new ones constantly opening. A food writer can sometimes attend up to three events a day (it’s a tough life!). The food scene is strong here, considering its area of 19.5 square miles.

On June 29^th I visited Loquita restaurant on lower State Street for a celebration welcoming Cristian Granada as its new executive chef. Having heard so much about it from friends and seeing that much of my Santa Barbara-based Instagram community followed Loquita’s page, my expectations were high.

Guests were welcomed with colorful fans and fuchsia sangrias—an elegant balance of wine and citrus, a true Spanish summer. In Loquita’s hidden courtyard, where sound pollution doesn’t exist, a paella for sixty was sizzling in a paellera. The tapas that were appetizingly presented were quickly indulged in by the guests.

The Espárragos—grilled asparagus with almond romesco and fresh black truffle—were crunchy yet tender. Louis XIV called asparagus ‘the king of all vegetables’ but I didn’t need his recommendation in order to have a second helping. The Anchoas Matrimonio—white and Cantabrian anchovy grilled brioche with piparra emulsion—was oven-fresh, and a must-have when eating tapas. These are classics of Spanish cuisine, to which Cristian adds a nice twist through the use of ingredients that enhance subtle underlying flavors.

The biggest discovery for me was the tomato gazpacho buli, served on a small wooden spoon. At first glance, I mistook it for a raw yolk. I wasn’t entirely wrong—the texture was similar. As my palate touched the buli, the gazpacho exploded in my mouth. The technique is refined, and in one little spoon, you understand that cuisine is both art and science.

To finish, the queen of the meal: the paella—rolled monkfish, bomba rice, pil pil aioli, grilled scallions—topped with a touch of caviar that elegantly contrasted the warmth of the dish.

When I first moved to Santa Barbara, Loquita was mentioned to me several times and quickly made its way onto my list. It seemed special to people: an address saved for dates, celebrations, or simply treating oneself to something unique. In Santa Barbara, especially in this era, it’s well known that restaurants come and go—trends shift. The average life expectancy of restaurants here is roughly three years. Loquita has been here for almost a decade, and that’s a strong indicator of a place that people continue to hold dear, offering food that reflects the origins of the city’s architecture, traditional yet innovative in its presentation and pairing of ingredients. Cristian seems to be committed to upholding this tradition.