Looking back from Moby Dick restaurant toward the blue skies and green mountains of Santa Barbara, we had to once again remind ourselves that we live in the place so many tourists wish they did. And we also have a job that others wish they had. But you know, it’s not all fun and games…in fact…
…well, I can’t come with anything right now. Will get back to you later on that. It was a gorgeous day.
So anyway, Moby Dick takes up prime real estate at the end of Stearns Wharf and offers many a ocean view table — inside and outside — and a tiny little bar set up for making cocktails. And make cocktails they do. Bartender Joseph Silva has been making drinks here for going on 18 months, having worked up from server. With no bar space to sit at, we took up residence at a table and watched kayaks, paddleboarders, sailboats and seagulls pass by.
First up was the rosy red Pineapple Cosmo, plenty of cocktail in a tall martini glass with a kink in the stem. Ketel One, triple sec, lime juice and a splash of cranberry. A pretty standard Cosmo except for the muddling of the pineapple beforehand, which brought out complexities in the usual recipe. Plus, it looked like the perfect drink to be quaffing next to the ocean.
The Red Tsunami Colada is one for the sweet tooth and contains a puree of strawberries within its creamy mixture. Piña Coladas don’t appear on too many menus in town, but this one took me back to my brief stay on Waikiki Beach. Coco Lopez mix, pineapple juice, strawberry puree, rum and whipped cream. Not exactly “one for the kids,” of course, but one for the young girls looking for an afternoon milkshake with benefits, if you know what I mean.
Of course, there was a margarita waiting on the horizon, a pleasant mix of Don Julio, pomegranate syrup (DeKuyper’s), lime juice and sweet-and-sour mix. It was the strongest of our cocktails — as a margarita should be — and not too sweet.
But you never forget your first, as they say, and we did think fondly back to all those minutes ago and the Pineapple Cosmo. Forget nostalgia, let’s just have another one. And now you can too: it’s our Drink of the Week.
PINEAPPLE COSMO
1- 1/2 ounces Ketel One Vodka
1/2 ounce triple sec
1/2 ounce Rose’s Lime Cordial (or use a 50/50 mix of Rose’s and lime juice)
Pineapple chunks (to muddle only)
Splash of cranberry
Muddle the pineapple and Triple Sec. Add ice and rest of ingredients. Mix and strain into martini glass. Garnish with pineapple slice and maraschino cherry.
MOBY DICK
220 Stearns Wharf
(805) 965-0549