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"Born as a pop-up from Turkish-born chef Efe Onoglu and now anchored in Downtown Santa Barbara, this Mediterranean-leaning restaurant blends Onoglu’s roots with local ingredients, offering spreads and vegetable mezze like fluffy falafel with lemon tahini and hummus with zhoug. Mains run to a chicken kebab marinated with harissa and yogurt, wagyu and lamb meatballs, and hamachi crudo with fermented koji grain, plus a wonderfully fresh green salad piled with lettuce, radishes, cucumbers, and cilantro in an herby tahini dressing. Onoglu’s path spans biomedical engineering and kitchens like José Andrés’ Zaytinya and Bavel in Los Angeles." - Mona Holmes