Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/3815
78 / the tasting panel / october 2009 Central Coast in white wine broth and mini fish and chips. With a recognizable name, Tutti's—which continues to sport its famous take-out deli —attracts a built-in crowd of former customers and new visitors. "We are not repli- cating the Montecito image," Winston says, "but we are slowly introducing old favorites." Staid on State: The Chase Restaurant & Lounge O riginally established in 1979, The Chase in Santa Barbara was purchased just nine years ago by Sonia Rosinka, a former large-party caterer who always aspired to own her own restaurant. The cuisine, based on recipes from her native Yugoslavia, has won her great acclaim throughout the area, and her Mediterra- nean cooking skills keep 'em coming back for more. Managed by her son, George Merino, The Chase obviously has its reasons for lasting as long as it has. With a prime location smack-center on State Street's busiest shop- ping district, Merino took a local icon and tweaked it with flair—albeit not trendy, but traditional. Merino goes as far as to call it old-fashioned. The bar at The Chase is as popular as its menu. "The locals are the celebrities here," claims Merino, who, while always greeting guests, can sometimes be caught slinging drinks or, on occasion, can be glimpsed cooking in the back of the house. Stay the Course: Chuck's of Hawaii L arry Stone opened the Santa Barbara location of Chuck's of Hawaii 42 years ago, and Brad Schuette, its General Manager, has dedicated his time and talent there for the last three decades. "I spend more time on making sure we are consistent and no time on flash-in-the-pan," Schuette insists. "I didn't chase trends (pasta!) in the '90s and I am not chasing any now. The only thing that has truly evolved is our wine list." Since the mid-1980s, Schuette began augmenting the wine list and had a wine keeper built that holds over 400 bottles. "Our original wine list displayed all of ten labels; now we feature hundreds." One of the first wines to grace the list, back in the day, was Lancer's Rosé, a Portuguese sparkler. The heavy ter- racotta-hued ceramic bottle was intriguing, and Chuck's adopted it as a vessel on which to display the menu. It is used to this day. Winston and Susan Sullivan, proprietors for Tutti's Off Main in Ventura pose with a bottle of Summerland Grenache Rosé, with hints of raspberry and tropical fruit. George Merino runs The Chase on State Street in Santa Barbara. PHOTO: BRAD SCHUETTE Meet Brad Schuette After 30 years, Brad Schuette has become a fixture at Santa Barbara's Chuck's of Hawaii. The longtime General Manager oversees everything from food and wine to staffing. He has upgraded the beverage program and brought new life to the lounge with a full menu served bar-side. But one of the greatest accomplishments—aside from keeping this Up- per State Street landmark on top of its game—is a volume-busting wine list. "We support wines of the Central Coast," says Brad Schuette, who is pictured with the Chuck's menu on a Lancer's Rosé bottle, alongside a bottle of Sum- merland 2006 French Camp Paso Robles Zinfandel, which he says marries perfectly with Chuck's of Hawaii mouth-watering teriyaki ribeye.