Avocado Toast California appears as a signature dish in 1 United States cities. See each city's local variant and where to eat it.
California Avocado Toast · Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara has a documented claim as the site of the first avocado cultivation in the United States (1871, Judge R.B. Ord's garden near De La Vina Street) and the first commercial orchard (1895, Montecito). Local farms within 30 miles of downtown supply year-round avocados to the Saturday Certified Farmers Market. The dish appears on almost every breakfast and brunch menu in the city in forms ranging from simple to elaborate.
Judge R.B. Ord planted three avocado saplings from Mexico in Santa Barbara in 1871, making the city the documented first place in the United States where avocados were cultivated and eaten. In 1895 Kinton Stevens planted 120 trees in Montecito, creating the first commercial avocado orchard in the country. Santa Barbara and Carpinteria remain active avocado-growing areas; avocado on toast became a brunch staple across Santa Barbara's cafes and brunch spots from the 2010s onward.
Where to eat in Santa Barbara:
- Scarlett Begonia
- Helena Avenue Bakery