Like many Santa Barbara residents, we’ve not been in the habit of frequenting Carpinteria — a whole 14-minute drive from downtown Santa Barbara.
But that’s changing since we discovered Little Dom’s Seafood, at 686 Linden Ave. in the heart of the quiet beach town.
The reason is simple: a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere, plus inventive cocktails and delightful food equals an irresistible temptation.
And recently, retired tennis star and Montecito resident Maria Sharapova (who is apparently shadowing us) named Little Dom’s one of her go-to spots.
To see what’s behind this small-town stir, we caught up with a management team in transition, visiting with both outgoing general manager Justin Fitzgerald and incoming general manager Riley Franken.
“Carpinteria is a small beach town with a great local vibe,” Fitzgerald told us “We try to create food, and an atmosphere to enjoy it, like your Grandma might make.”
Our experience exactly.
On a recent visit we brought the entire Let’s Go Eat Team for a thorough tasting, and the service was warm, welcoming, and even fun, throughout the meal.
Little Dom’s Seafood owners Warner Ebbink and chef Brandon Boudet opened their restaurant at 686 Linden Ave. in 2020 after several years with a similar place in Los Angeles’ Los Feliz neighborhood. Credit: Little Dom’s Seafood photo 
Tonnarelli Cacio e Pepe has three simple ingredients — tonnarelli pasta, whole peppercorns and Pecorino cheese — and is simply delicious. Credit: Rob Raede / Noozhawk photo 
New Little Dom’s Seafood general manager Riley Franken, right, with wine program director Jessica Schmidt and a pelican friend, has some simple advice for diners: “Eat some great food, have a great cocktail, feel welcome,” she says. Credit: Rob Raede / Noozhawk photo 
The Fresh Fish Piccata features seasonal vegetables. Credit: Rob Raede / Noozhawk photo 
Justin Fitzgerald, Little Dom’s Seafood’s former general manager, understands the secret to the restaurant’s success. “Carpinteria is a small beach town with a great local vibe,” he says. “We try to create food, and an atmosphere to enjoy it, like your Grandma might make.” Credit: Rob Raede / Noozhawk photo 
Fresh oysters and Santa Barbara uni are popular dishes on the Little Dom’s Seafood menu. Credit: Rob Raede / Noozhawk photo 
The Little Dom’s Seafood bar is bustling every night. Credit: Rob Raede / Noozhawk photo
“We have a lot of staff who’ve been here a long time,” Franken said. “It’s a big testament to the culture we’ve built here, and the clientele can feel that.”
At the heart of this success is the founding duo Warner Ebbink and Brandon Boudet, who’ve been working together for 20 years, and began their compact empire when they acquired Dominick’s in Los Angeles in 2004.
A few years later they added Little Dom’s in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles, and made that their main focus when Dominick’s closed in 2015.
Ebbink lives in Ojai and wanted something closer to home, so they opened Little Dom’s Seafood in 2020.
The building, on the corner of Linden and Seventh Street, was once home to Sly’s, the late chef Jim Sly’s beloved restaurant that closed in 2018.
These days Ebbink handles management for both the Carpinteria and Los Feliz locations, and Boudet, who won the Food Network’s Chopped championship in 1989, runs the kitchen and designs the menu.
How good is the food? You can tell a lot about an Italian place by how well they execute the basics.
Little Dom’s absolutely nails it. In fact, during our recent team dinner, this was the most requested “please pass” plate of the night.
For example, Pasta Cacio e Pepe is very simple (three ingredients) and yet apparently presents an insurmountable challenge for many restaurants (which our indefatigable good manners prevent us from naming here).
“Regulars know that one of the best things you can order is our Tonarelli Cacio e Pepe with a side of the meatballs,” Franken shared with us.
We did indeed enjoy the meatballs, along with the Rice Balls (six thumbs up), and the Arugula Salad (made with that big leafy, extra-peppery kind of arugula).
Since the place has seafood in the name, several of us went for the Fresh Fish Piccata (local halibut that night) and the oyster sampler, both of which got lots of smiles and “yums.”
Franken also told us, “You cannot come here and not order the fried potatoes.” Twist our arms.
The fish and produce are mainly sourced locally from well-known names like BD Farms, Santa Barbara Fish Market and Sea Stephanie Fish.
And in addition to the regular menu, Little Dom’s offers creative nightly specials, something different each night, like Brisket (Saturday night) or Cioppino (which sells out every Sunday night).
“Tuesday’s are the most popular with locals,” Fitzgerald said. “That’s our prix-fixe menu night where you get three courses — starter, main dish, dessert — for $25.
“Chef Boudet is very big on offering something flavorful and reasonably priced for our regulars.”
Complimenting the food is a creative cocktail program — try the olive oil fat-washed-vodka martini — and a nicely curated wine list, courtesy of in-house oenophile Jessica Schmidt (the Vernaccia is especially good with just about everything).
We asked Franken how she might summarize the Little Dom’s Seafood experience.
“Eat some great food, have a great cocktail, feel welcome,” she said.
Checks all of our boxes.
Locals Only
In addition to the above, get a little wild and try the seasonal specials.
When You Go
Little Dom’s Seafood is open 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Reservations are accepted.