The Andersen’s

Over the weekend, Siobhan and I took a long, meandering, and breathtaking ride up and down the foothills of Santa Barbara, along Mountain Drive. Afterward, we went old school, locking our bikes on State Street and grabbing a seat at The Andersen’s.

Many years ago, Siobhan’s husband worked at this cafe and bakery, which has been an institution in town since 1976. Most residents have memories of the jolly owner, Birte, greeting them with great enthusiasm in front of the cafe and beckoning them to have a seat. I appreciate the Old World look of the cafe, where outside seating has always been available, and whose tables are adorned with a vase of flowers and a white tablecloth. Over the years my daughters and I often stopped to look at the enticing pastries in the window, including The Andersen’s trademark Danish Almond Marzipan Kringle, whose description reflects Birte’s personality:

Real butter, marzipan, vanilla inside
Of the flaky Danish pastry
Made with a lot of love and passion
The best Kringle outside of Denmark.
Danish authenticity to the max!

The Kringle is a Christmas morning tradition in Siobhan’s family, and they send this treat from The Andersen’s to family members across the United States every year.

Years ago, I spent a day strolling State Street with friends who were visiting from out of town. Throughout the afternoon, my friend’s daughter kept asking when we were going to “that bakery with the Princess cake.” When we finally sat down at The Andersen’s, Dana was content. Before long, a tall cake arrived, draped in green fondant, with a light yellow sponge, a thin spread of raspberry jam, and Bavarian cream filling. We all enjoyed a bite of this fancy cake, but I preferred my slice of rich chocolate Charlotte. No surprise there!

On Sunday, though we could have opted for the tasty looking full brunch plates on other tables, Siobhan and I settled for pastries and something to drink. We appreciated our tall metal pots of coffee and tea, accompanied by tiny pitchers of milk. Siobhan tucked into one of her favorites, an oblong pastry, consisting of flaky sheets of pastry sandwiching a rich cream filling with a sheen of chocolate on top. My slice of raspberry Danish Kringle pleased me with its flaky crust, flavorful raspberry filling and smooth vanilla cream inside, balanced by a layer of delectable, almondy marzipan.

The Andersen’s was very busy, with people filling almost every table inside and outside. Nonetheless, the woman who took our order was patient and did not rush us when we couldn’t make up our minds about what we wanted. Our waiter was equally kind. I would like to return one day for high tea with a friend or my daughters, in order to eat inside one of the pretty rooms, decorated in pink with chandeliers. I’d also like to try one of the cafe’s fish entrees, as they looked especially good on other diners’ tables.