Lily O
Google
The good: Our waitress, a young girl with dark hair and clear plastic frames, was stellar. Attentive, friendly, helpful with suggestions...a perfect example of hospitality.
The fried cauliflower and braised pork "bao buns" were delicious. They were far from traditional, but fusion cuisine is fun when done right! The flavors were nuanced and the quality of the food was apparent, so props to the chef.
The bad: The lack of hospitality from the owner(?), a blonde woman with shorter hair, was appalling. I was dining with my family in the outdoor patio area, and we had moved the table and chairs back about 10" to keep the sun out of our eyes. After loudly conversing with a table near us, she walked up to us and said "well, it looks like *someone* was busy moving. You need to be careful and not put the chair legs in the gravel next time." Before walking away. Uh...nice to meet you too.
The final nail in the coffin was the price to portion ratio. I have family in the food and hospitality industry, and am fully aware of how expensive things are right now (especially when you pay your staff a living wage!!) but the value was completely absent from our experience. I know things can be expensive along the Central Coast, especially in wine towns like Los Alamos and Los Olivos, but there are a number of spots where you get so much more for your money that don't sacrifice on flavor and quality.
In short: $12 for 3 cream cheese rangoons and an owner/hostess who epitomizes Santa Barbara snobbery. I'll keep my money in the future, but all the best to a hard-working wait and kitchen staff.