“If we had a motto here at Metropulos,” co-owner Ann Addis said, “it would be this: You should never regret the food choices you make.”
Regret was definitely not on the menu when we stopped by recently at one of the earliest restaurants to open in Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone.
Instead we found interesting, freshly made food, plus unique products in the gourmet food shop at 216 E. Yanonali St.
With hand-selected wine, beer and other beverage choices available, you can eat on the patio, take out for home or — even better — take your food to the beach just a short walk away.
We certainly had no second thoughts after ordering Metropulos’ well-known Gyro sandwich, which is what grabbed our attention in the first place.
Tip: Ask the staff to wrap it to go even if you’re eating there. It’ll be easier to handle.
Addis, who has no formal culinary training, says she learned to cook from her Italian mother, her Greek father and her Betty Crocker Easy-Bake Oven (we suspect this last part is true of many chefs over the years).
“Everything we serve to a customer has to pass my taste buds,” she said. “Most of what we offer are my family’s recipes, and my palate is the final arbiter.
“The secret to why our prepared foods, sandwiches and salads are so loved is because they’re made wherever possible from scratch, using great and simple ingredients,” she added. “Just like we would cook at home.”
For example, she explained, the soups, harissa, hummus and tzatziki sauce all are made in-house.
“It’s just how we do it,” Addis said.
All the herbs Metropulos uses are grown in Addis’ own garden at home.
Serving breakfast and lunch from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, Metropulos (named for Addis’ father) opened in 2004.
The place is owned by Addis and her husband, Craig, who met in 1987 at the Paradise Café — where so many Santa Barbara love stories begin.
The idea for the food market/deli came from travel they each had done for earlier careers. While abroad they both loved to visit the food markets in the various countries, and wondered, “Why don’t we have something like that in Santa Barbara?”
After a few years of planning and preparation, they knew the time was right when Craig spotted a sign advertising a new 40-unit condo development at the corner of East Yanonali and Santa Barbara streets that would include a corner market.
Within a short time they bought their “commercial condo” in the project, and opened the doors.
“Owning our property has made all the difference for us,” Addis said. “We never have to worry about a landlord raising the rent or kicking us out. Plus, it helps us keep our prices down.”
Craig Addis, who worked for more than 25 years at the nearby Santa Barbara Winery, handles the beverage side of the house.
Her husband, Addis explains, has “a great memory for the characteristics of each wine, and what food it pairs with. And he remembers what each customer prefers and likes, so he can call them when he has something they’d like.”
Sourcing of the ingredients and products for sale is one of the keys to Metropulos’ success, Addis added.
Traveling to visit suppliers all across Europe, “we want to educate ourselves so we can educate our customers,” she said.
The best ingredients imported into the United States are often not distributed to small cities like Santa Barbara. So, Addis told us, “we bought a van and once a week we drive to Los Angeles, and once a month to the Bay Area, to buy the key ingredients for our prepared foods and market.”
In addition to the Gyro, Team Let’s Go Eat also loved the Smoked Turkey+Brie and Italian Job sandwiches, and the salad sampler plate (especially the roast beet salad).
We salute and offer our gratitude to Addis’ taste buds, her mom’s recipes and, of course, Betty Crocker.
Inside Scoop
The Gyros are not on the formal menu, and only sometimes featured on the “specials” chalk board, but they are available every day if you ask.
Also, the “Super Fudgy Moist Brownies” are made in-house by longtime employee Courtney. Get one.
So … Let’s Go Eat!
