Lobsters & Pickles
SHIBANI MONE • Caruso's, Rosewood Miramar Beach Monteceito
WORK • Thursday Routine
SHIBANI MONE • sr. chef de cuisine • Caruso's, Rosewood Miramar Beach Monteceito
Neighborhood/city you live: Santa Barbara
It’s Thursday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
At Caruso’s, we begin the day collecting our weekly produce from the farmer’s market. The team works together to ensure that all the fresh ingredients have been handled with care, our way of respecting the farmers and growers for their hard work. This important prep work allows us to get ready for a busy weekend ahead.
What’s on the agenda for today?
We curate the menus daily based on the ingredients at our fingertips. Now that it’s lobster season, we’re excited to introduce a new dish on The Ocean tasting menu: Santa Barbara Spiny Lobster Girasoli.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, or this weekend?
I plan on heading over to the Montecito Country Mart tonight (just a short drive away from Caruso’s) to grab dinner at Bettina. Its menu is seasonal, and I fell in love with their Carrot Pizza when it made an appearance. For my day off, I’ll venture over to the Funk Zone in Santa Barbara for some cocktails, then dinner at Loquita. Their chicken paella is a must-order.
How about a little leisure or culture?
When I’m not in the Caruso’s kitchen, I spend time cooking on the barbecue in my backyard. My golden retriever, Mr. Pickles, plays and runs around while I whip up different recipes. On sunny afternoons, I love to sip margaritas on the porch with a good book in hand. I also enjoy making my way to the Santa Barbara Farmers Market to pick up weekly produce. Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of becoming friends with many of the local vendors, so it’s always fun to catch up and learn more about the ingredients they grow.
Any weekend getaways?
Two of my favorite getaways are Carmel By The Sea up north and Crestline in Lake Arrowhead. They’re both beautiful, scenic drives and very dog-friendly places.
While in Carmel I love to do the 14-mile drive and take in the seagulls, otters, and other wildlife that’s abundant along the coast. Highway 1 itself is part of the escape. There is a small coffee shop that I always stop at on my way there, Carmel Coffee House, which has the best croissants in town. We love strolling around the quaint little shops. Last time we discovered this little chocolate shop tucked away in the back called The Xocolatl Garden, which offers a hundred different types of chocolate bars and a chocolate tasting.
In Crestline, I like to go fishing and kayaking on Lake Arrowhead. It's a mountain town that has this little Mexican restaurant right on the cliff called Hortencia's with a thousand-foot drop protected just by a glass panel. Super unique and incredibly scenic. Usually dogs are a no-go but the owner now recognizes Pickles (since he has been there several times) and makes an exception.
What was your last great vacation?
Pattaya in Thailand. We were staying at the Rosewood Phukat, and the food on the property was phenomenal. The spa was so relaxing, just what the vacation needed. Exploring the alleyways and shopping for trinkets while taking in the local Thai culture was a great way to spend the evenings when we weren’t on the beach.
What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
I just recently bought and fell in love with an Audio-Technica record player. I have always wanted to have a vinyl collection for my home, and it is the perfect background music for when I’m hosting friends and family.