California Dreaming
Despite the sad state of the Aussie dollar, there are plenty of edible bargains on the West Coast for those in the know.
An unfortunate exchange rate has seen America downgraded on the list of preferred travel destinations for most Australians. The primary-school set that screamed for Disneyland back in the ’80s has grown up just as our humble dollar has dived down. But for those who never did get California (or Disneyland) out of their system, there is still fun to be had on the cheap - especially when it comes to food.
Abutting the Mexican border, the sunshine State is a jumble of fast-food chains, A-list dining hot spots and grungy-but-good Mexican cantinas. And just as Seinfeld and New York boasts its fair share of down-home diners, Los Angeles lays claim to one or two of its own. The best of these is Nate ‘n Al’s.
Tucked between high-end fashion boutiques in Beverly Hills, Joseph Cornblum’s delicatessen stands as an uncompromising Jewish matron in a city of attractive but fickle cafes and restaurants. The food is a distinctive mix of Jewish and American favourites, attracting everyone from movie stars and wealthy Beverly Hills wives, to old Jewish men and tourists. Order pickled ox tongue and cabbage, eggs any way you like them with hash browns and bacon, a picking platter of smoked salmon, pickled herring, cream cheese and rye bread, or a no-carb, no-fat fruit salad. Hunger sated, leave a $20 note on the table (breakfast for two and tip included) and head north along the coast for a food experience of an entirely different nature.
Lying just an hour out of Los Angeles on Highway 101, the small towns that make up Santa Barbara county offer a refreshing change from the tangle of LA’s concrete streets. The domain of the Chumash Indians before being colonised by the Spanish, Mexicans and finally North American government, Santa Barbara is the coastal jewel in California’s crown. But while the area’s scenic positioning between the Santa Ynez mountains and the Pacific Ocean has pushed real estate prices sky-high, thankfully good food is still cheap - if you know where to find it.
Carpinteria, just 15 minutes’ south of Santa Barbara, is home to the best breakfast burritos in the country at Beach Liquor. Roll up and pay at the counter then pass your order to the short-order cook working the grill among bourbon and tequila bottles at the back of the store. In less than five minutes, you’ll be walking out clutching a foil-wrapped burrito filled with eggs, potato, cheese and your choice of ham, bacon or spicy chorizo for less than $US4 ($A7.20). If veg is more your style, then don’t miss the Carpinteria avocado festival held every October, or head to the weekly farmer’s market held every Tuesday up the road in Old Town Santa Barbara. Jammed with produce stalls, the main street comes alive with everything from vibrantly hued berries and ripe, juicy tomatoes, to crunchy greens and fresh-baked organic cakes. But it’s down at Brophy Bros Restaurant and Clam Bar on Santa Barbara harbour that you’ll experience real Santa Barbara food and hospitality.
Overlooking the mountains and the harbour’s 1200 boats, Brophy’s takes the prize as the largest-grossing restaurant per square foot of space in North America. Open every day of the year except Christmas, the family-owned and run restaurant prepares around 700 plates a day; and all this without a single advertisement in its 16-year history.
Even on a Monday night in the tourist off-season, tables are scarce. I loved the local tale of a svelte, young LA actress thrown out after a temper tantrum when her request for immediate seating was cheerfully denied. There’s no jumping the queue here. Your best bet is to arrive early, grab a beeper as you enter (they’ll buzz you when your table is ready) and pull up an elbow at the outdoor, first-floor bar. Sip a chilled Californian white and watch as the sun dips and the urchin divers unload their lucrative harvests. (While most of the salty sea delicacy is bound for Japan, there’s a chance to taste the shellfish at Sushi-A-Go-Go - a happening sushi bar located below Brophy’s.) The menu is written daily depending on the quality and quantity of seafood brought in by the local fishermen. Always present, however, are the must-try garlic-baked clams or freshly shucked oysters in the half-shell. Order both - you’ll need it to soak up your guaranteed Brophy-size hangover. There’s something about drinking and eating among hardened fisherman that makes the bar’s varied offerings impossible to resist.
Disneyland was never this much fun.