On our way to Avila Beach, we made a smart move by stopping in Santa Barbara. During a previous trip we saw there were fresh Uni (Japanese for Sea Urchin) at wholesale prices. That trip we unfortunately didn't get to indulge ourselves.
This stop made a short detour off the 101. It took a bit of time to find parking, but we didn't stop for the sushi, which was overpriced to our dismay. Nevertheless, we waited in a short line and lucky for us we got a seat at the bar, where all the action was taking place.
Our first course was 6 raw scallops on a sliced lime and urchin on top. Yum. The Urchin shell was placed on the plate, and to our surprise the spines were still moving.
We also got an abalone plate, but the main dish was rock crab (the cheaper of the 2 crab on the menu, the other being box crab). Per our request they also saved the tamale, in all it's fatty goodness, as you can see in this picture.
On the way back to the car I spotted a Mexican Fruit vendor, and I picked up a huge mango on a stick. It was sprinkled with tahin and drizzled with chamoy. It was a perfect desert ending to our brief stint in Santa Barbara.
