Page 60 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL SPRING 2021 REDISCOVERING CALIFORNIA'S CENTRAL COAST

Lucky Penny wine tasting before lunch, the Lucky Penny is the
For our first Santa Barbara lunch, we joined the perfect break for a pizza pick-me-up equal to the
best in Southern California.
line for orders at Lucky Penny, in the heart of the
Funk Zone. This modest-sized eatery features ex- We were intrigued by the Milpas pizza that riffs
traordinary and innovative artisanal pizzas baked off a breakfast burrito with fingerling potatoes,
in their custom wood-burning oven from Sicily, and Mexican chorizo, sunny side up egg, spicy
locally sourced salads, hot and cold sandwiches, tomatillo marinara, cotija and cilantro. But we re-
handmade sweet treats, and beer and wine. But verted to favorites with the Butcher Shop, pepper-
there’s nothing modest about the exterior of their oni, spicy coppa and fennel sausage atop marinara.
building, burnished with over 150,000 real copper The addition of mushrooms, onion and bell pep-
pennies that shimmer in the California sun. pers added a garden touch (and some much
It’s a local’s favorite - families shared charred needed veggies). Once pizza was more than
enough for two people. Ron almost cried when we
thin-crust pies with gusto while we waited for our
order. For those who’ve notched a couple hours of left two slices on the plate.

60 WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE 2021