02.22.2013 - SantaBarbara.com, Best of 2013: Best Wine List, Best Business Lunch
Wine Cask named "Best Business Lunch" and "Best Restaurant Wine List" by SantaBarbara.com's 2013 Restaurant Guide.
10.18.2012 - Santa Barbara Independent, Best Of Santa Barbara 2012: Drinking
Best Restaurant Wine List: Wine Cask
"The online wine list ranges from our backyard to the world. Prices begin about $30 a bottle and end around $4,000 — though admittedly that’s for a 1.5-liter bottle of estate California red. There is a nice, almost surprising emphasis on great French wines, and of course, the pickings from our own now-esteemed region are impressive. But the point is there are 15 pages of wines on the menu selected by people who know the business and the pleasure side of the grapey industry better than almost anyone in this town. They’ve been doing it since Ronald Reagan was in the White House and Santa Ynez was just figuring out how to plant vines. This is likely the best list this side of Anywhere, U.S.A. And it’s waiting for you, aging for you if you will, downtown right now."
09.21.2012 - Santa Barbara Wedding Style, A Santa Barbara Wedding: Lauren and Scott
A beautiful Santa Barbara wedding with the reception held at The Wine Cask. Click-thru for photos.
08.16.2012 - Wine Enthusiast Magazine, California's Highway 1, The Wine-Lovers' Route
Past pounding surf, plunging cliffs and misty redwood groves, California’s Highway 1 winds along nearly 700 miles of the Pacific Coast. But grand views aside, it ranks among the world’s great wine routes, passing more than 20 of the state’s American Viticultural Areas (AVAs). This vino-centric guide to Highway 1 brings wine lovers along California’s Central Coast, journeying south from Santa Cruz to Santa Barbara.
"Santa Barbara restaurants spotlight local wines. Wine Cask pairs impeccable food with a romantic courtyard setting. The expansive cellar accentuates Central Coast selections."
06.24.2012 - Independent.com, Announcing the American Riviera Scholarships
Deciding that it was time “to give back to the community by contributing to Santa Barbara City College’s School of Culinary Arts,” longtime restaurateur Mitchell Sjerven recently created two $2,500 scholarships with the opportunity for paid internships to students in the renowned program. The inaugural recipients are Travis Brock, who received the Wine Cask American Riviera Scholarship, and Deya Jacobs, who received the bouchon American Riviera Scholarship. Sjerven answered some questions via email.
Why did you create this scholarship?
I had often thought of giving back to the school, but it wasn’t until I started teaching that I thought, “Now is the time.” I attempted to simply lecture without compensation, but as that is against school employment rules, I decided scholarships were the way to go. I also hope that a more visible donation might encourage other restaurants to do the same as a great many of us draw from this talent pool.
06.01.2012 - Santa Barbara Independent, Wine Cask Turns Into 'Beer Keg'
We can all agree that basic beer goes pretty well with a basic burger. But with so many complex styles of ale available these days, truly matching a gourmet menu to a slate of handcrafted brews takes special skills, plenty of patience, and lots of experimental sipping. Luckily for us in Santa Barbara, the dedicated crew at the Wine Cask — especially head chef Brandon Hughes and beverage guru Branden Bidwell — doesn’t mind that sort of work, and the epic results of their plotting were glaringly apparent on Thursday night at the Anacapa Street restaurant’s second-ever beer dinner. Here’s a replay.
First Course: Korean Chicken Skin Tacos, with house-made kimchi, potato, pickled salad
First Beer: Anderson Valley’s Boont ESB, from Boonville, CA, 6.8%
First Thoughts: Why haven’t I ever had chicken skin tacos before? The crunchy factor was in high gear, set off by the fermented sourness of the kimchi, and washed away pleasantly by the Boont hoppiness. As my dining companion and this newspaper’s food editor George Yatchisin explained, “They could just serve me these all night and I’d be fine.”
Second Course: Mussels and Fries, with rock shrimp veloute and house-cut fries
Second Beer: Allagash’s Curieux, from Portland, ME, 11%
Thoughts: Our table agreed that Belgian-style beers can be somewhat dicey: too much foaminess, a bifurcated nature of spice and fizz that doesn’t blend well, etc. The Allagash, however, destroyed those connotations, and left us amazed at its suavity, despite an 11% booze tag. That might be because of its aging in bourbon barrels, which also inspired the sauce atop the mussels and fries: a Jim Beam-and-vanilla concoction that I thought could be whipped into a tasty cake for dessert. I truly almost drank the leftovers.
Third Course: Pork Poppers with beer barbecue sauce and market slaw
Third Beer: Green Flash’s Saison Diego, from San Diego, CA, 4.5%
Thoughts: These bite-sized treats were certainly the saltiest thing on the menu, but that was quickly cut with the zesty Saison. Mine disappeared far too quickly, aided by the sweet dipping sauce.
George Yatchisin
Pork Jowls en Croute and Over Easy Egg, with Coney Island American Blockhead
Main Course: Pork Jowl En Croute, with house mustard and over easy egg
Fourth Beer: Coney Island’s Human Blockhead, Brooklyn, NY, 10%
Thoughts: The most visually interesting dish of the night, we were served slices off a bread-encrusted pork loaf, atop fresh mustard, adorned with a soft egg, a tiny pickle on the side. Branden Bidwell said that, during one of the first planning meetings for the dinner, they envisioned an entire menu of reimagined breakfast items, but that didn’t fly too long. “This is what was left of that,” he laughed. “It’s basically bacon, eggs, and toast.” Equally compelling was the Human Blockhead, an “American Bock” kitchen sink-type ale of lots of malt and lots of hops that Bidwell admitted he wouldn’t drink straight, but thought it went well with the dish. He was right: the beer’s complication paired nicely with the bizarre twist on a classic morning dish.
George Yatchisin
Apple ‘n Foie Fritter, with Telegraph Rhinoceros
Dessert Course: Apple ‘n Foie Fritter, with rose jelly and candied hazelnuts
Final Beer: Telegraph’s Rhinoceros, Santa Barbara, CA, 10%
Final Thoughts: With foie gras about to be banned for sale in California this July 1, chefs everywhere are throwing it into whatever they can. In this case, that meant dessert, with a tiny bit of goose liver inside an apple fritter, bolstered by the smooth “rye wine” produced a few blocks away at Telegraph. It was a quick end to the three-hour night, though Bidwell topped us off with a sip of Auchentoshan’s Three Wood Whisky.
With his own beer finally in hand, Brandon Hughes walked around the room asking for what people thought, and the response seemed to be unanimous: Do it again. He was smiling like the rest of us, and hinted that there may indeed be another one coming up a couple months from now.
10.14.2011 - Santa Barbara Independent, Wine Cask Goes Kegger?
Maybe Oktoberfest got the best of the Wine Cask gang, but on Tuesday, October 18, at 7 p.m., they’ll be serving up their first-ever “Beer Dinner,” five-courses matched with brilliant brews from around the world. Branden Bidwell “Wine Cask has always been known for our incredibly extensive, well-edited wine list, and we have hosted countless wine-pairing dinners, so this was an idea we came up with to have a little fun with beer for a change,” explained Wine Cask’s wine director, Branden Bidwell. “Guests don’t always think to check out our beer list when they’re here."
10.14.2011 - Montecito Messenger, Wine Cask: Serious and Innovative
Because of its unique attractions as a tourist town, Santa Barbara has few serious restaurants devoted to fine dining, professional, innovative cooking, exemplary service and beautiful atmosphere. The inherent costs in bringing these elements together at the highest quality levels is just too expensive when so many visitors just don’t care and don’t plan to return. Wine Cask is an exception to this rule, a beloved culinary and wine landmark that has regained its form after some dodgy days under its badly behaved former owner, Bernard Rosenson, who went bust as the restaurant shuttered abruptly.
09.29.2011 - Santa Barbara Independent, Eco-Cool Award: Wine Cask's Wine on Tap Program
There’s nothing terrible about twos for the second year of The Santa Barbara Independent’s annual Foodie Awards, which publicly recognize the people and places responsible for making our town such a feast. Once again, we received close to 100 nominations from more than two dozen of the area’s leading tastemakers and then fine-tuned that list to a baker’s dozen of deliciousness.
08.26.2011 - Santa Barbara Independent, Eat Dessert First
We have eaten a lot of great desserts over the years, but never had the urge to write about a specific pastry chef who makes desserts, until we met Rosie. Rosie Gerard, who has been at the Wine Cask since its re-opening, is one of the most creative and inventive dessert chefs we have ever seen.
08.04.2011 - Crave DFW, Santa Barbara: Foodie Stroll with Wine Cask
Santa Barbara is about 2 hour north drive along the 101 from Los Angeles. It is a beautiful city that has been called the “American Riviera” and with temperatures in the high 70s during July, it makes a great summer getaway. When visiting we thought the best way to explore this beautiful city was the foodie stroll with the Wine Cask restaurant. The Wine Cask is a Santa Barbara staple and set just off the main tourist street (State Street) on Anacapa, a great place to start a tour.
06.30.2011 - Santa Barbara Independent, Cocktail Contest Winner, Branden Bidwell
We didn’t really think this could happen – that someone could dominate our 2nd Annual Sizzling Summer BBQ Contest like Barry Bonds winning MVP Awards in his drug-buffed prime – but we were wrong. For on June 15, the O Street Truck and Liz Bradley drove out of the Whole Foods parking lot doubly victorious, taking the crown for both best professional entrée and best professional side dish over five very talented competitors.
05.12.2011 - Santa Barbara Seasons, Chef’s Counter at the Wine Cask a Culinary Treat
I had my first encounter with the Chef’s Counter at the Wine Cask this week and my tastebuds are still dancing with delight. For those of you who haven’t heard, every Monday through Thursday night Chef Brandon Hughes is now offering a special Farmer’s Market fresh tasting menu paired with local wines, for an all inclusive price of $65 per person. While it is typically a three-course menu, this week’s menu (still available tonight) included four courses. Sous Chef Nik Ramirez says he and Chef Hughes typically shop the market on Saturday morning and “duke it out over the week’s menu.” Their draw resulted in a victory for us, as we got an extra course on Monday, since “things looked so good we couldn’t decide on just three.”
04.26.2011 - Santa Barbara Independent, Culinary Delights at Wine Cask's Chef's Counter
If you’ve ever wondered what the best seat in the Wine Cask’s magnificent Gold Room might be (short of near the fireplace on a chill evening), that question is easily answered now—at the new Chef’s Counter where the bar used to be. You get a bit of elevation to scan the room, but even better, you get to indulge in Chef Brandon Hughes’s weekly market-driven three-course menus paired with regional wines.
