The Sun
      Sunnyvale's Newspaper

      Photograph by Robert Scheer.

      Santa Barbara Grill owner Steve Weber, left, and Chef Patrick Clark serve up food with local ingredients.

      Santa Barbara Grill is all locally grown

      From owners to menu, new restaurant likes to use local resources

      By NATASHA COLLINS

      Crossing ethnic boundaries is what Patrick Clark, chef at the Santa Barbara Grill, was hoping to accomplish when he developed the restaurant's menu.

      "America is an ethnic melting pot, and we wanted the food here to represent that," Clark said. "A perfect example would be our Macadamia nut-crusted halibut that has aspects from the Caribbean, the Galapagos and Latin America; [it's made with] couscous, pineapple chutney and fresh Santa Cruz halibut."

      Clark likes to purchase the produce for his dishes locally in an effort to keep the revenue within the community. The quality of the merchandise is also much better, he said.

      "People don't realize what they can buy here," Clark said. "I don't mind paying a little more for things grown locally [rather] than something flown in from L.A."

      The restaurant offers vegetables from San Juan Bautista and wines from local vintners. A fisherman in Santa Cruz catches all of the restaurant's seafood, including shellfish, said general manager Stephen Weber.

      The key to the restaurant's menu is the chef in the kitchen, he said.

      "Our chef went to culinary school," Weber said. "He is a certified working chef, so the food is truly created by someone who knows what they are doing. Not many restaurants can say that."

      The Santa Barbara Grill is owned by 30 Cupertino residents and appeals to a broad spectrum of clientele, Weber said. It is located in the former Sports City Cafe.

      The restaurant offers 50-cent oysters and shrimp during its happy hour on weekday nights and has Sunday brunch with made-to-order waffles, omelets and other traditional breakfast items.

      "We don't offer drink specials for only the cheap drinks during happy hour. We want people to get what they normally do," Weber said. "Our brunches have everything you have ever seen at a brunch. It is more than one person could eat."

      Santa Barbara Grill is located at 10745 N. De Anza Blvd. 253-2233. Hours: Mon.-Fri. 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Sat. 5-10 p.m. Sun. Brunch 10 a.m.-2 p.m Lunch and Dinner 2-9 p.m. Reservations are not required but recommended.

      [ Back to Contents Page | Sunnyvale Sun Home Page | Archives ]

      This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, April 30, 1997.
      ©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.