One of my favorite places in the world is Santa Barbara, California.  There are many reasons why I love this city and dream of someday moving up there to retire.  It is centered right alongside the coast and even Oprah purchased a house there (an estate I should say).  My husband went to college in Santa Barbara and when we were deciding where we wanted to get married he recommended Santa Barbara.  Luckily for me, he knew what place to stay at, where to get married (the Santa Barbara Courthouse), and even knew where he wanted to have our wedding reception at.  He raved about a place called  The Palace which is a Cajun & Creole restaurant.  When I asked him why he chose The Palace Grill, he explained it was something to experience.  So we went up there months before our wedding and tried it out.  All I can say is it immediately became my favorite restaurant to go to – ever – and I wanted to share with you what a special and unique place The Palace really is.  We went up there a few weeks back to get away for the night and had such an amazing time and the food was as good as I remembered.  It was the first time I have ever ordered lamb chops (meat is on the menu with the Paleo Diet) and I finally understand why people rave about lamb chops now!  They tasted even better than steak in my opinion!

 

 

So let me tell you a bit about the dining experience at The Palace Grill.  You walk in and are greeted by either a hostess, Karen, the Restaurant Manager or Errol Williams, the General Manager, both of whom been there for over 20 years.  You are taken to your seat and immediately your server brings over a basket of warm muffins as an appetizer.  These aren’t any muffins you have had before – the flavors range from Blackstrap-molasses raisin and Rosemary-buttermilk muffins, and taste amazing plain or with some honey butter they serve in basket.

 

 

 

The drink menu is quite vast and there are many gourmet drinks to choose from. They make the most amazing Cajun Martini with a spicy pepper that is marinated in vodka overnight. I ordered a Dean Martin-style martini (a dirty martini) and it came with extra olives in a mason jar.  Trust me when I say that you probably won’t need another drink, I was able to nurse mine throughout dinner.   My husband ordered the Cajun martini and liked the spicy pepper!

 

 

 

The lighting is soft (and flattering) and the place is decorated with images of Louis Armstrong and Marti Gras style beads hang from the street-like lamps.  The atmosphere is very quaint and special.  Each waiter really takes the time to talk to you and we loved talking to our waitress, Sheryl, who told us she has been there over 20 years as well.  That is one of the unique things about The Palace, they pride themselves on great service and have been voted Best Restaurant Service in Santa Barbara for the last 20 years. And Mark Collier, an amazing Magician, comes around to the tables to chat you up and show off some of his fun magic tricks!

 

 

My husband and I tried out the popcorn shrimp and an order of the oysters.  Both were amazing but we were immediately taken with the oysters.  You have the option to mix the two oyster recipes they offer and we opted for this dish.  The oysters were so delicious and we are still talking about them and can’t wait to visit someday soon.  This will be first on our list!  Next came our entrée and my husband opted for  crawfish-stuffed filet mignon and I tried lamb chops for the first time.  This dish is called Creole Lamb Chops and the mushroom sauce they used on the lamb chops was so delicious, it really was one of the best meals I have ever had!

 

 

 

The whole time we are eating our meal,  Jazz music is playing in the background, and about halfway through our meal, we are provided a lamented card that has the words to Louis Armstrong’s What a Wonderful World.  Once everyone has a music sheet, the music turns on to What a Wonderful World and everyone, including the waiters and hostesses, all start singing together.  And the waiters and managers walk around and toast every patron. It is such a neat and surreal experience in that you really do feel connected to these strangers in the room and appreciate all that you have. I love this part of the dining experience!

 

 

The desserts are fantastic as well.  If you have any room left over, you must try their famous Key Lime Pie or Swan Dish, that is a pastry in the form of a beautiful swan, on top of delicious vanilla ice cream and chocolate. Their chocolate soufflé is world famous and you need to let them know at the beginning of the meal since it takes a good 1/2 hour to make.  And if you are celebrating a special event, make sure to let them know at the beginning and they might surprise you with something like this they did for our lovely dandelion moms!

 

 

Several Presidents have been patrons of The Palace and they have feed some other pretty famous folk!  If you are looking for a night or two to get away, check out The Upham Hotel (a bed and breakfast place built in the late 1880’s) and have the dining experience of your life at The Palace!  It is such a treat and you will remember it for a long time.  I had a chance to speak to General Manager, Errol Williams, who has been the manager for over 20 years about what makes The Palace the place to go to!  He even shared some of their famous Cajun recipes with us!

 

 

Cajun Crawfish Popcorn:  We dip the tender tails in our Cornmeal Buttermilk Batter and flash –fry to a light crispness. Served with our Creamy Sherry wine Sauce.

Original Oysters Rockefeller: we used turn of the century recipe: six Fresh Oyster baked with a blend of creamy spinach and Pernod. Topped with our Cajun Hollandaise Sauce.

Oyster Palace:  This Oyster dish made famous by the Palace Grill is unlike any you’ve had. Six fresh Oysters are kaked in the half shell with a mixture of Louisiana Crawfish tails, Mushrooms and green onion, topped with Jalapeno Buerre-Blanc sauce.

Creole Lamb Chops: two Double cut Rack of lamb are given a New Orleans treatment with a “BarBQue” sauce like none you’ve ever had.  Demi-Glazed port wine reduction sauce with wild mushrooms, Dixie Beer, Rosemary and secret stuff.

 

 

 Blackstrap-Molasses-Raisin Muffins

Makes 2 ½ dozen

 

Ingredients:

 

 

 

 

Method:

1. Mix first 4 ingredients in large mixing bowl.
2. In a separate bowl combine next 6 ingredients.
3. Mix moist and dry ingredients, being careful to break up dry lumps.
4. Spoon into greased or buttered muffin tins.
5. Bake @ 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

 

Serve Warm

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rosemary-Buttermilk Muffins

Makes 2  dozen

 

Ingredients:

 

 

 

 

 

Method:

1. Combine flour, rosemary, salt and baking powder. Mix well.
2. Cut in shortening until mixture is crumbly.
3. Add buttermilk and mix just until ingredients are moistened.
4. Scoop muffins into 12 greased muffin tins and brush with melted butter.
5. Bake @ 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.

 

 

 

The Palace Grill

 Louisiana Barbecue Shrimp

Serves 4

 

 

Ingredients

 

4T  butter

2 pound 16/20 shrimp with shell on (head-on work great also)

2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon three pepper

2 tablespoon ground rosemary

3 Tablespoon garlic, fresh minced

1 cup Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoon lemon juice, fresh

8 ounces beer, Dixie

4 cups rice, white cooked

 

Directions:

In a sauté pan over medium to high heat, add butter, shrimp, salt, three pepper*, and rosemary.

Sauté shrimp on one-side approx. 2 minutes or until shells begin to change color.

Turn shrimp over and add garlic, Worcestershire sauce, beer,and lemon juice.

Cook until liquid is reduced by half.Serve over a bed of cooked white rice.

 

*3 peppers equal to one parts cayenne, white, and black ground peppers.

 

 

This is a recipe that one will find in some of the finer restaurants in New Orleans such as Mr. B’s and Pascal’s Manale.  We at the Palace used a modify recipe from Mr. B’s Bistro, we add Dixie Beer, Worcestershire sauce and we used less butter.  In New Orleans they served the whole Shrimp, head and all with a loaf of French bread.

If you are looking to get away for the weekend or celebrate a special event (we try to go there to celebrate our Anniversary each year) this is an experience you won’t soon forget. Thank you Errol, Karen, Sheryl and everyone else who make each of our dining experiences extra special! 

Do try out The Palace Grill next time you visit Santa Barbara – you won’t be disappointed!

 

To read more about The Palace on their Facebook Page.

Note:  We were provided with a wonderful meal by The Palace Grill but this did not affect my opinion in any way.  This is my favorite restaurant hands down!

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