You've probably never heard of Chef John Downey. This is by design. If he had wanted to, he could easily have been at the forefront of the local foods movement, revered in the pantheon of great California chefs as much as Alice Waters. Instead, Chef Downey decided to focus on perfection. I'm glad he did.
Downey's, his namesake restaurant located in downtown Santa Barbara, is simply amazing. Chef Downey and his charming wife Liz have run the place for 26 years. From the start, Downey has been sourcing his food from local producers. Unlike ego driven chefs, Downey, quite correctly, gives much of the credit for the taste of his food to the growers. They're even mentioned on the menu.
Downey's, his namesake restaurant located in downtown Santa Barbara, is simply amazing. Chef Downey and his charming wife Liz have run the place for 26 years. From the start, Downey has been sourcing his food from local producers. Unlike ego driven chefs, Downey, quite correctly, gives much of the credit for the taste of his food to the growers. They're even mentioned on the menu.
In keeping with his philosopy of delivering the most delicious food availibe, the menu at Downey's changes daily. While this might lead to a slight disappointment, if, say, you were eying a fresh tomato soup online all week, only to find it wasn't on the menu the night you went, this is quickly overcome when put the first bite of food into your mouth.
For me, that was the house-made prosciutto. Served over sliced cantaloupe, with a light ginger-lime dressing, it was simply fantastic. The salty, herbed pork connected wonderfully with the ripe fruit. This is the stuff that makes Italian ministers tremble with fear.
For me, that was the house-made prosciutto. Served over sliced cantaloupe, with a light ginger-lime dressing, it was simply fantastic. The salty, herbed pork connected wonderfully with the ripe fruit. This is the stuff that makes Italian ministers tremble with fear.
From that moment, it was a parade of amazing. Garlicky artichokes, roasted duck with perfect sauce and grains, swordfish (not for me! Those who had it loved it, though), peach chutney. Even the side vegetables were prepared perfectly. A bottle of lovely Cabernet from our friends at Chateau Montelena accompanied the feast. We ended the meal with many desserts, the peach melba being a standout.
This was a terrific meal. One of the best I've ever had. Chef Downey deserves all the praise in the world. If you're ever anywhere near Santa Barbara, you owe it to yourself to eat at Downey's.
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