Certain local restaurants truly stand out. But only Michelin Star-rated Caruso’s at the Rosewood Miramar Beach has both a chef who studied with some of the masters of Italian cuisine, and that Santa Barbara extra — the beachfront location.

“This is the best restaurant in Santa Barbara,” executive chef Massimo Falsini said.

“I say that boldly because it’s true.”

To test this claim, we boldly booked a birthday dinner there, wondering, with the Michelin Star in a luxury Montecito hotel, would it be stuffy, fussy or formal.

Short answer: No. Caruso’s is comfortable, relaxed, welcoming and the food is, in a word, incredible. We rate our meal there as Top Three lifetime, worldwide.

We literally savored every bite of every dish.

“We have menus for sophisticated eaters, and food for those who want to be more comfortable,” Falsini told us. “Fancy or simple, meat or vegan, it depends only on how you feel that day.”

Falsini says the food at Caruso’s is not truly Italian. He describes it as “California cuisine through my Italian lens.”

You know you’re not in a typical Italian place when there’s grilled octopus with mole on the menu.

Falsini’s cooking philosophy is simple.

“The raw ingredients are a God-given gift,” he said. “We can only do this if we approach the food with humility; if we understand we’re touching something that is already perfect.”

Believe it or not, color is important, too.

“To know if you’re cooking correctly,” Falsini explained, “put all the food you’ve prepared on a table and take an overhead photo.  Then do the same with all the ingredients you used from the farmer’s market.

“If the color of your food matches the color of the ingredients, you’re going the right way.”

The attention to detail at Caruso’s is readily apparent. The staff mills their own flour, and obsesses over everything down to choosing only the best sustainably harvested peppercorns.

The focus is definitely on local and sustainable.

“I go to the farmers market every Saturday,” Falsini said. “No exceptions.”

When it comes to seafood, local is the word here, too.

“Why would I buy a branzino raised on a farm in Greece and then flown here, when I have the Pacific Ocean right outside,” Falsini asked.

Falsini’s journey to executive chef at Caruso’s began at age 16 washing dishes to pay for his schooling at the well-known Felice a Testaccio in his hometown of Rome.

He got his break when one of the pasta chefs took ill, and the owner, Felice Trivelloni, promoted him.

“I discovered I could cook the pasta well, and quickly, which is important in a busy Italian restaurant,” he said.

Though he’s worked in a lot of restaurants worldwide since then, Falsini told us he credits two specific famous places as key to his development.

In 1994, he moved to Campania to study with Alfonso Iaccarino, known as the king of southern Italian cooking, at Don Alfonso 1890.

“From Don Alfonso,” he said, “I learned two very important things. First, self-discipline. Second, know the ingredients. Under no circumstances can you disrespect the ingredients.”

A few years later, Falsini accepted his first head chef position at the iconic Harry’s Bar Rome.

On his first day, he told us, “I was very nervous. This is the place where Sinatra played the piano. It’s the heart of La Dolce Vita.”

The Let’s Go Eat team confesses to having spent many an enjoyable afternoon on Harry’s front patio with bellinis in our hands.

After a successful run at Harry’s, Falsini worked at a variety of highly regarded restaurants, including most recently Solbar in Calistoga in the Napa Valley.

And then Rosewood Miramar owner Rick Caruso called him.

“I came and looked at this ocean, and said this is where I want to cook,” Falsini said.

But to do it the way he envisioned, he told us, he had to build a great team, which today includes Shibani Mone, senior chef de cuisine, from India, and chef de cuisine Amadeo Rendon, originally from Mexico, and a graduate of the School of Culinary Arts and Hotel Management at Santa Barbara City College.

Another key member is Daniel Fish, director of wine, who told us the Caruso’s wine program is now at 2,000 selections and growing.

Falsini describes him as, “the best sommelier in California.”

“I’ve been cooking for 36 years,” he said, “and this is the best team I’ve ever worked with.”

We say, Caruso’s is definitely one of the best places our team has ever eaten.

Try the Cacio e Pepe. Wow.

Locals Only

Caruso’s offers three prix fixe menus. Regulars know this: get a glass of wine, enjoy the ocean view, and trust the chef — choose the Chef’s Tasting Menu.

As Falsini says, “That’s how I can take you on a journey.”

When You Go

Caruso’s is located on the beach at the Rosewood Miramar Beach, 1759 S. Jameson Lane in Montecito. It’s open 5 to 8:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 5 to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.