The Holiday Edit Two
A Calendar of Pleasure and Presence

As the winter solstice ushers in the return of the light, our gaze shifts toward the final days of 2024, when a flurry of ribbon and wrapping paper give way to the soft focus of an impending new year. 
Why not spend the bridge between holidays exploring the quiet pleasures of the season: sparkling cocktails and a roaring fireplace; artisan baked bread slathered in marigold-hued butter; or the thrill of a fresh dining experience at one of our newly opened restaurants. 
From December 26 - December 31 this is where you’ll find us:

Thursday

Look up the tide chart and shimmy out of your pjs for a waterfront stroll from Hammond's to Miramar, where the refreshing Pacific breeze and craggy cliffs whisper tales of the Chumash who once used the beach as a launching point for their regal, hand-carved tomols. Climb up the stairs and detour over to the Rosewood Miramar's Manor Bar, where a fireside easy chair and roasted apple crisp topped with vanilla bean ice cream awaits.

Friday

Usher in the last weekend of 2024 with an armful of artisan delights from Redwood Bakery, where Alicia Preston transforms ancient and heirloom grains into gluten-free cakes, tarts, and cookies. This week, she'll be featuring winter citrus in a Meyer lemon and mandarin petite cake to be picked up at Lily on Coast Village Road from 9am-1pm. Today is also the day Riviera Bread opens up their pre-order game for a New Year menu that includes a striking epi baguette to pair with a festive cheese platter.    

Saturday

Before the future becomes the present, step back in time at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum, where photographer J. Walter Collinge's humble and humanistic captures of life on the American Riviera in the 1920s are on public display. Afterwards, grab a snack and pull up a cafe chair across the street at The Eddy to watch the Presidio neighborhood foot traffic amble lazily past.

Sunday

The ritual of Sunday supper has never been more enticing with the area's newest collection of restaurant openings including the transformation of Montecito's old firehouse into RH's Firehouse Grill, serving up American classics in pristine interiors from breakfast through the dinner hour. If oysters and elaborate fruits de mer are what you're after, then look no further than Clark's Oyster Bar, where the breezy interior and warm staff inspire a laidback coastal lifestyle. For Gallic vibes and sultry cocktails, head over to Bar Lou and slide into a plush banquette before ordering up skewers of charcoal-grilled King Oyster mushrooms and smoked carrots roasted to perfection. 

Monday

Now that the crowds have dissolved, take a road trip up to San Luis Obispo and linger over a steamed honey tea bowl at Scout Coffee before stocking up on vetiver and leather candles at Len Collective that will transform your home into a new year sanctuary. Don't even think about leaving town before heading into Flour House for sublime Neopolitan pizza that melts gently in your mouth. 

Tuesday

Maybe you've already booked a New Year's Eve table at your favorite haunt or RSVP'd to a sparkling soiree that will keep you spinning to Sophie Ellis-Bexter's Murder on the Dancefloor until the clock strikes midnight. But for those who prefer to usher in 2025 in more subdued environs, may we suggest a triple cream cheese platter from The Cheese Shop, a bottle of Wildflower Winery's festive sparkling red, and pima cotton sweats from James Perse to kick off a luscious night in? Our movie picks for the evening feature complex female characters and dazzling book adaptations: Cate Blanchett in Disclaimer, Blake Lively in It Ends With Us, Amy Adams in Nightbitch, Demi Moore in The Substance, and Nicole Kidman in Babygirl. Here's mud in your eye!