Helena Bakery

Sometimes I forget about Helena Avenue Bakery at 131 Anancapa, in the Funk Zone. I don’t regularly go to that part of town for a meal, but every now and then, I rediscover some of its culinary gems. 

My friend Siobhan was up for a ride on a beautiful weekday, and we headed on bikes from her house on the Mesa to the waterfront. What a great ride! We ducked in and out of charming older neighborhoods on the Mesa, pausing at a “secret” spot at Santa Barbara City College to take in a breathtaking view. Then we rode along Cabrillo, loving the cool ocean breeze, and rode up and down Channel Drive, enjoying gorgeous Butterfly Beach.

Now that we had worked up an appetite, it was time for lunch at Helena so we rode back along Cabrillo, winding our way into the Funk Zone. There was a short line at Helena’s entrance, and we took the time to check out the menu. Siobhan loved all the items for sale, including jars of homemade jam, croutons, as well as Around the Table (The Lark cookbook) and kitchen towels. 

I had a hard time ordering because, as usual, I was distracted by all of the baked goods. In the interest of research, I ordered a lemon blueberry scone (it was okay) and a very, very good carrot cake muffin. For my meal, I chose a ham and cheese sandwich, which may not sound very exciting, but it was divine. Instead of brioche, I had it made on Helena’s baguette, which is perfectly chewy and the ideal bread to show off the thinly sliced ham and nutty Gruyere cheese. I liked how the spicy arugula balanced out the richness of the ham and cheese, and the accompanying salt and pepper potato chips were a treat. 

In short, this day made me put Helena Bakery at the top of my list when it comes to places to eat in the Funk Zone. I plan to revisit soon.