Friday, August 12, 2011

Brophy Brothers--Santa Barbara, CA

While staying at an alumni family camp earlier this week, Jenny and I were given some free time to have dinner in Santa Barbara. Because Brophy Brothers was so well reviewed, we were eager to give it a try. Things got off to a good start. The clam chowder was hot, creamy and rich. The cup could have been a meal in itself. The base was so thick, there may even have been some cheese added; at the very least there was cream. And, the Dungeness crab was cold, sweet and easy to eat. The meat came out in chunks, not in threads.

Dinner took a U-turn, though, with our entrees. I ordered the swordfish I specifically because I wanted to see if they could make it juicy--it was a test. They passed, but the fish was close to flavorless. It needed a good lemon squeeze and a soaking in the cream sauce that came along with it. Jenny's cioppino was short on seafood and long on tomatoes. It had an appeal as a dip for the sourdough bread, but it lacked the fish flavor that Jenny was looking for.
Get there early. We got there at 5:35 on a weekday and still had to wait more than 15 minutes for a table for two. Despite the crowd, the service was highly responsive and with a smile.

Brophy Brothers
119 Harbor Way
Santa Barbara, CA 93109
(805) 966-4418
www.brophybros.com