Two Notable Events
The Santa Barbara International Orchid Show, Monte's in Montecito Opens
Santa Barbara International Orchid Show
This weekend is the 78th Santa Barbara International Orchid Show at the Earl Warren Showgrounds. I grew up around orchids—they were my father’s favorite hobby. His interest began when we lived on Chapala Street and fully blossomed once we moved into the foothills of Santa Barbara.
He built his shadehouses by hand, entirely on his own—pouring concrete for posts, nailing up lath, stapling in shade cloth, and adjusting irrigation with the seasons. He grew what he called “silver bullets,” orchids that thrived in our climate, like Laelia anceps and Dendrobium speciosum. He would mount them on oak trees or on interesting pieces of wood and rock he found, since they are naturally epiphytes.
In the hot months, he provided shade and water, and they flourished into award-winning plants. He won Best in Show several times at this very orchid show. He may be gone now, but his name lives on in plaques throughout the exhibition—and orchids are in my DNA.
This week I’ll be attending one of their three special events: Orchid Serenity — Yoga and Sound Bath, on Thursday evening, March 19. (The show itself runs March 20–22.) My tip: if you love orchids and yoga, this evening event offers a chance to see the displays before the show opens to the public—at their freshest, and with fewer people crowding your view.
There’s also Orchids After Dark, a lively party among the plants for the 21+, and the Orchid Escape Dinner, where guests enjoy a four-course meal surrounded by blooms (it sold out last year). Or simply visit during show hours, when the vendor section is open and you can bring home orchids of your own.
Remember when you shop: Laelia anceps and Dendrobium speciosum. They may cost more upfront, but they bloom year after year with very little attention. Or ask one of the specialists—they’re happy to help.
Monte’s Opens in Montecito
Taking over the space formerly home to Bar Lou, Oliver’s, and—one of my old time favorites—Peabody’s, is Monte’s, an ambitious and promising new restaurant from the Endwell Hospitality group.
They are also behind Rincon Hill Farms in Carpinteria, where they manage an impressive garden and fungi program. I visited the site a couple of weeks ago, and my horticultural, botanical, and Asian background found delight in the wide array of specialty produce grown onsite—including a pantry building filled with dried fruits, vegetables, and fungi.
Chef Daniel Kim and the culinary team were on hand preparing small bites, answering questions, and showcasing an array of preserved and fermented items: black garlic, lion’s mane and shiitake mushrooms, daikon, and tomatoes. Also on display was a variety of produce freshly harvested from the soil.
If these ingredients are any indication of what’s to come at Monte’s, we’re in for a hyper-local, organically driven menu. As with any new opening, it’s a fresh experience with new people in a new space—give the team a little time to settle in, and a bit of grace as they find their rhythm.
It’s going to be a hot one this weekend. Stay cool, stay hydrated, bring a hat, and wear sunscreen, friends!
-Rosminah