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Calamari
updated: Sep 29, 2010, 2:07 PM

Any folks out there have a recommendation on their favorite calamari in town? Tubes and tentacles are my favorite, but am willing to try the sliced steak style too. Left at Albuquerque had pretty good tubes an tentacles, and now so, far my favorite is at Fish Enterprise. The Nugget has good sliced steak style. Have car and appetite, will travel!

Places People Are Talking About:

Arnoldi's	Bay Roadhouse	Beachside Bar-Cafe
Brewhouse	Brophy Bros.	Endless Summer
Fish Market	FisHouse	Full of Life Flatbread
Hob Nob	Itsuki	Julienne
Longboard's	Old Port Inn	Olio Pizzeria's
Ruth's Chris	Shoreline Cafe	Trattoria Vittoria
Tubes and Tentacles	Via Maestra 42	Via Vai
Whole Foods

What People Are Saying:

GECKOGIRL23	2010-09-29 02:12 PM
I'm partial to the calamari at Endless Summer, but to be honest, have not tried it anywhere else in town. I'm curious to see these responses as well.
COMMENT 109258	2010-09-29 02:19 PM
My favorite is at Longboard's on Stearn's Wharf, but it's steak strips rather than tubes and tentacles. Brewhouse (not S.B. Brewing Co.) has the tasty little guys and great dipping sauce.
COMMENT 109260	2010-09-29 02:20 PM
Arnoldi's serves up a nice bowl of them.
COMMENT 109261P	2010-09-29 02:21 PM
Via Maestra 42, San Roque, next to the post office on State Street. They have some sort of cold salad in the deli case that has them.
COMMENT 109263	2010-09-29 02:24 PM
Brewhouse is pretty solid. for some reason when you order it from the happy hour menu it doesn't seem to be executed as well, but that could be a fluke. It typically has plenty of tentacles which is my favorite. The best I've ever had in SB County though would be at Full of Life Flatbread in Los Alamos. They have it as a special sometimes and it is out of this world. They use local squid, sprinkled with bread crumbs and cooked very quickly in their wood fired over, they come on a bed of arugula and baby heirloom tomatoes, and a very tasty lemon aioli. mmmmm, sooo good. The best in town though may be to just go grab some fresh squid from the Fish Market at the harbor, let is soak in buttermilk and some hot sauce if you so desire, toss them in panko and seasoning, and fry.
COMMENT 109264	2010-09-29 02:27 PM
Tubes and Tentacles for me too! Hob Nob's is good. I used to love it at Bay Cafe and haven't been to their new restaurant/location to see if it's changed, at Bay Roadhouse. Arnoldi's is good. Can't wait to see other recommendations. Also good - my house. ;-) Whole Foods has tubes and tentacles so I don't have to clean 'em myself anymore. Usually $7/lb and .5 lb is good for 2 hungry folks for appetizer.I used to buy 'em whole in the frozen foods at Albertson's. It's not icky to clean and cut myself, but it's time consuming. I put flour in a ziplock with a little seasoning (Tony Chachere's would prob be good) like garlic powder, cayenne powder, chili powder - dump in the pieces, shake, then fry in HOT oil (like peanut) for 30 seconds to a minute. I serve with spicy cocktail sauce. Just horseradish and ketchup to taste. Easy.
COMMENT 109269	2010-09-29 02:39 PM
Brophy's is good, nice batter they dredge it in. Good coleslaw and sourdough bread too.
COMMENT 109294	2010-09-29 03:03 PM
109269 - Brophy's doesn't dredge their calamari in anything...theirs come frozen (as do most restaurants that serve fried calamari).
COMMENT 109300	2010-09-29 03:11 PM
Where is Tubes and Tentacles?
COMMENT 109307	2010-09-29 03:30 PM
The closed Sushi place, that was by the Hook Line and Sinker, had the best dipping sauce.
COMMENT 109312	2010-09-29 03:42 PM
We just had a them a week or so ago at the Fish-house, they were excellent.... go for the happy hour , appetizers are 1/2 off
COMMENT 109316	2010-09-29 03:53 PM
109307 - Itsuki is closed? :-( LGH if you're referring to my comment, I was saying that I like calamari tubes and tentacles too. My recommendations were to places that serve it that way (not steaks).
COMMENT 109322	2010-09-29 04:05 PM
I like my calamari about the same as I like my oysters...that is virtually unrecognizable. Serve me calamari that is cut up, breaded and deep fried so that all you can taste is the breading and the sauce you dip it in, and I'm there. Cover an oyster with spinach, cheese, bacon, and garlic and broil...then count me in. Rule of thumb...if I can see the suckers on the tenticles, I ain't eatin it.
COMMENT 109324	2010-09-29 04:07 PM
My wife says I have tenticles and tube too!
COMMENT 109342	2010-09-29 04:46 PM
I'll second Arnoldi's - I've had calamari there twice and it was perfectly done (usually overdone at most places) both times.
COMMENT 109344	2010-09-29 04:55 PM
Ruth's Chris has delicious calamari (tubes & tentacles)...also with fried peppers (Boston-style) mixed in. Ruth's bar happy hour is a steal and very worth it for good apps and small plates.
COMMENT 109363	2010-09-29 06:15 PM
Via Maestro 42 has tubes and tentacles in a cold salad that is TO DIE FOR! I ordered it a couple of weeks ago, thinking I'd have it all to myself, and wound up having to fight off my 11-year old son for my fair share. It was divine.
COMMENT 109386	2010-09-29 08:15 PM
These discussions on Edhat are the ultimate use of technology. Wonderful. I recently enjoyed a wonderful plate of the squid at the Beachside at Goleta Pier. They come on a bed of greens and with a nice sauce (chipotle & mayo?). They offer this fine dish on their happy hour menu and it's a pretty good value. Love hearing about Via Maestra 42's salad. Yet another reason to visit there on the way to Chaucer's. Don
COMMENT 109401	2010-09-29 09:55 PM
Arnoldi's by far. Tender mollusc flesh and lite, flaky coating.
COMMENT 109409	2010-09-30 06:04 AM
Wow, glad to see so many others enjoy calamari too! Looks like Mr. OICU812 will be taking me to Arnoldi's this evening for a sampling. Thanks for sharing everyone. In addition to my local fav's I LOVE the tubes and tentacles at the Old Port Inn on the San Luis pier just north of Avila. The place has the feel of Brophy's and when you sit at the bar you can watch the cook pull a handful of calamari out, bread it and deep fry to order. Delicious.
COMMENT 109413	2010-09-30 06:30 AM
+1 for Longboards! Surprisingly delicious with a panko breading.
COMMENT 109430	2010-09-30 07:25 AM
For a real treat try Olio Pizzeria's squid ink calamari. It looks strange but tastes delish. the sauce they serve with it is fab too.
COMMENT 109447	2010-09-30 07:59 AM
OICU812 - That would actually be the Old Port Inn on the end of Harford Pier at Port San Luis in Avila Beach, Ca. It's kinda like Hendrys Beach down there in Santa Barbara, for some reason everyone thinks it should be called Arroyo Burro Beach... go figure! Heheheh... ya'll have a great day!
COMMENT 109450	2010-09-30 08:06 AM
Arnoldi's has the best - but you'd better have 3 -4 people to eat it all. It's a HUGE serving.
COMMENT 109458	2010-09-30 08:26 AM
Trattoria Vittoria has the lightest, crispiest calamari.
COMMENT 109466	2010-09-30 08:38 AM
Squid is California's largest fishery and much of that catch happens in the waters of So Cal during the fall and winter. You can watch the squid being offloaded at Ventura Harbor. However, much of the squid catch goes overseas. Ask your chef where they get their squid and demand local! Nothing better than fresh calimari.
COMMENT 109467	2010-09-30 08:39 AM
all this tube and tenticle talk makes me want to have a cigarette and fan myself. Has anyone ever had calamari with out it being deep fat fried? It is wonderful just cooked in olive oil and lemon and better for you, but alas no one in town seems to do it this way.
COMMENT 109475	2010-09-30 08:59 AM
At home - sauteed in butter, then scrambled up with eggs! Yum!
SBALAX	2010-09-30 09:24 AM
No "tubes and tentacles" but Beachside in Goleta does a really nice calamari sandwich. The best, however, is at the Kona Inn on the Big Island.
COMMENT 109502	2010-09-30 09:38 AM
Brophy's baby! Hands down THE best calamari in town.
COMMENT 109521	2010-09-30 10:09 AM
No question about it, the FisHouse on Cabrillo a block off the foot of State Street. Not greasy, nice and crispy tube-and-tents, with a great mildly-spicy dipping sauce you could eat all day. And it's priced reasonably. Plus if you get it during their extended happy hour, it's even less yet, and the drinks to go with it are super-affordable! Double-plus there's no problem getting a table like at Broph's... Oops, I shouldn'ta let the cat out of the happy hour bag...
COMMENT 109539P	2010-09-30 10:44 AM
#109447-- glbtrtr is that you? tj
COMMENT 109547	2010-09-30 11:07 AM
109502 - Brophy's does what 95% of calamari-serving restaurants do...they open a box of frozen, breaded calamari, then deep fry it.
ABOMB	2010-09-30 11:38 AM
I have only eaten at Ruth's Chris one time, but I have to say their calamari was the best I've ever had. It has this sweet and spicy asian sauce on it that is really unexpected and incredibly tasty! For traditional calamari I too like Brewhouse. They make the best aiolis there!
COMMENT 109565	2010-09-30 11:57 AM
We've had calamari prepared two different ways recently at Julienne. Both were delicious.
COMMENT 109634	2010-09-30 03:02 PM
Maybe is was a fluke, the calamari I had at Brophy's was bad. It was either fried too long or, more likely, the oil was old. I liked the ones at the Shoreline Cafe at Leadbetter.
COMMENT 109640	2010-09-30 03:16 PM
Via Vai in Montecito
COMMENT 109679	2010-09-30 05:13 PM
Trattoria Victoria....Light, crispy, and with a great marinara sauce. Can never finish the whole order.
COMMENT 109681	2010-09-30 05:20 PM
I just ate at Itsuki today.. It's not closed!! Had sizzling calamali mmmmmmmmm....so good!
COMMENT 109822	2010-10-01 09:22 AM
Itsuki is still open? were they closed for a while? I love their squid, deep fried with a great sauce and the best Bento plate to boot I love hearing I was wrong about this, we moved way out to Goleta and don't eat out as much.
COMMENT 110089	2010-10-02 10:48 AM
Olio pizzeria has amazing squid ink calamari...ya it's black. It's also the best calamari i've had in SB. Perfectly fried and melt in your mouth yummmy, not tough and chewy like i've had at other local places...they serve it with lemon aioli and my mouth is watering writing this!!!
COMMENT 165845	2011-04-20 07:53 PM
I (and all my friends) will only order Calamari only at Arnoldi's. The portion is big so we can all share. The sauce is perfection, the texture of the squid is too. It's perfect, crunchy, yet tender, always nice and hot and DELICIOUS! Everything an appetizer should be, and it's that which makes you want MORE! Yum! Plus it's right around the corner from Cominichi's!