out and about: summer '24 dinner at barbarella

While barbarella is an excellent spot for happy hour, we also love it for dinner.

Dinner in the shores is always a good idea. Five minutes down the hill from us, local hotspots abound, great ocean views, and let’s not forget the obvious. The food is great.

And the new summer menu at barbarella is no exception. Also loving the new red, white, and blue decor… and the gnomes, oh em ghee, the gnomes are so adorable.

alpine duet: ipa
captains special: cucumber basil gin martini

If there’s a bartender’s special, I’m usually asking about it, and most likely ordering it. Especially at one of our local spots, where I already know it’s gonna be good.

Last time it was a raspberry martini - this time it was a cucumber (yes please!) and basil gin martini. Seriously so yummy. I really enjoyed it.

And alpine is in jamie’s top 3 ipa rotation choices, so always a great choice.

charcuterie board: rotating selection of artisanal meats and cheeses, paired with local accoutrement

Gotta get the charcuterie. Always a favorite. Especially with the kiddos. Everyone gets to put together their own bites, from their own favorite things.

We had a mixing of kalamata olives, blueberries and pecans. Then some fresh honeycomb- so fresh it still had wax, a type of jam that we thought was reminiscent of fig, but had more anise flavor so we couldn’t quite put our fingers on it. There was a brie, a blue, and another soft cheese reminiscent of a humbolt fog, but without the fog. And then three types of cured meats. Two of the salami, calabrese variety, and one that was like a spiced jamon.

I wish they had described what was on the plate, so we new exactly the flavors we were eating, and mostly so I could describe them better here for you.

I am now looking forward to ordering the charcuterie again in the future to see how much it changes.

fritti: lightly breaded crispy calamari, served with sweet chili sauce

Love crispy calamari. And with a sweet chili sauce? Yes please.

I love how the crisp here wasn’t overly battery, nor was it over cooked. I’m usually a fan of rings v/s tentacles… but barbarella is the first place I actually prefer the tentacles. That alone should tell you something.

jane fonda: empress gin, elderflower, lemon, grapefruit

I mean, are you surprised? Gin, elderflower liqour, lemon, and grapefruit.

It’s basically a similar version of my french blonde, minus the lillet. I mean if you discount the fact I use meyer lemon and sparkling grapefruit… but still. Such a great flavor combo, and I always order something similar.

woodfire roasted wild salmon: roast salmon on a bed of lemon zest quinoa and seasonal vegetable medley, topped with lemon beurre blanc

You guys! This salmon. So tender, so flavorful, so perfectly cooked. Can’t say enough about how perfect this salmon was. Absolutely delish.

And the veggies? I hate overly cooked mush vegetables that don’t taste like veggies. These veggies were not that. They still had a snap to them, and tasted as fresh as fresh could be. I may have not shared.

asparagus and pea risotto: arborio rice, asparagus, peas, sun-dried tomatoes, and pecorino cheese (option to add proscuitto)

Pro tip: Add the prosciutto.

But, if you are like us who had every intention of ordering the prosciutto and completely forgot, just know the risotto is worth it just the same. Rice cooked perfectly, not over cooked and mush, vegetables fresh and provided the perfect pop.

It’s the perfect summer dish.

This patio makes you want to “all day rose.” It just feels like summer.

Love carrot cake. It’s a huge family favorite.

This one was topped with a coconut cream cheese frosting - which surprisingly didn’t bother me, being not a huge fan of coconut flakes. I think because it was tempered with the cream cheese that made the difference. So don’t stay away if you love carrot cake and don’t like coconut. Definitely well worth it.

This isn’t a piece of cake you want to sleep on.