On the Menu

Sunshine, summer and smoothies

August 3, 2024 by

It’s sweltering outside and you’re in need of something that will cool you, not only from the outside but the inside as well. There is one solution that remains not only manageable but actually im...
read more

Strawberry Avocado Toast: A Summer Delight

July 18, 2024 by

  Whenever I wake to the sweet smell of coffee and a ruckus in the kitchen, it only means one thing: dad is cooking. My father has a flair for the dramatic. Though he is a quiet man, he certainly...
read more

Signing off the menu: a reflection of my experience in food journalism

May 30, 2024 by

Like any 2020 high school graduate will tell you, trying to find my niche in college was far from easy. As a student athlete, I was lucky enough to live on campus freshman year despite remote instruct...
read more

California Strawberry Festival

May 23, 2024 by

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of attending the California Strawberry Festival, located in the Ventura County Fairgrounds not more than 45 minutes from UCSB. The festival’s roots can be trace...
read more

Recent food news you may have missed

May 23, 2024 by

When I open Apple News+, I often see suspiciously frequent discoveries of new planets and asteroids, what Kim Kardashian wore to her pilates class, and the random actions of Florida men. What I don’...
read more

Great grub, great taste: Maria’s Tacos has it all!

May 16, 2024 by

To the left of the Chase Bank and the now abandoned building that once housed the famous Study Hall bar on Pardall Road sits Maria’s Tacos: a quiet, underground restaurant in Isla Vista. Typically n...
read more

A sweet legacy: McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams celebrates 75th anniversary

May 16, 2024 by

Seventy-five years ago, husband and wife Gordon “Mac” and Ernesteen “Ernie” McConnell had a dream: making the finest ice cream in the world. In 1949, they launched the beloved McConnell’s Fi...
read more

A Taste to Remember: TASA Night Market

May 16, 2024 by

The Taiwanese American Student Association at the University of California, Santa Barbara, held its annual night market at Storke Plaza, across from the University Center on May 4. Like a traditional ...
read more

OTM presents: a collection of family recipes for Mother’s Day

May 9, 2024 by , , and

In preparation for Mother’s Day — coming up on Sunday, May 12 — On the Menu writers came together to compile a list of our favorite family recipes.
read more

Nimbu pani, for a simply refreshing time

May 2, 2024 by

Something deep within my memory was unlocked after months of dormancy as I sipped on nimbu pani (which translates to “lime water” and is the Indian version of limeade) at the Apna Indian Kitchen r...
read more

Student-run eatery Friday’s stakes compelling claim on I.V. sandwich scene

May 2, 2024 by

Unbeknownst to most Isla Vista residents, a new must-see food shop has opened up its doors and is taking the sandwich scene by storm.
read more

UCSB’s Raíces de mi Tierra hosts second annual Sabores de mi Tierra night market

April 25, 2024 by

UC Santa Barbara’s Raíces de mi Tierra held its second annual Sabores de mi Tierra night market at Little Acorn Park on April 20. 
read more

Farm fresh finds: a guide to local spring produce

April 25, 2024 by

As we leave winter quarter behind and head into spring — marked in Isla Vista by intermittent sunshine, rain and relentlessly annoying coastal fog — local markets begin bursting with colorful spri...
read more

Colorful and carefree: a recipe for chuski and a smile

April 18, 2024 by

Chuski (or gola, depending on what part of India you’re from), is something akin to shaved ice. It reminds me of the summers of my youth, one hand in my nana’s, the other sticky with sweet syrup a...
read more

Lao Wang’s nifty noodle bowl is sure to knock your socks off

April 18, 2024 by

As the site of numerous club fundraisers and Greek life events, Lao Wang has cemented itself as one of the most social and vibrant restaurants in Isla Vista. The quaint noodles, buns and brew spot jus...
read more