Four Seasons Santa Barbara Debuts Vegan Menu Program

Today, Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara launched new vegan offerings at all of its restaurants, including Bella Vista Restaurant, Tydes Restaurant, Coral Café, Ty Lounge, and Fins. The hotel is partnering with vegan chef and wellness expert Leslie Durso to create dishes such as:

• Figgie Toast with sourdough, cashew cream, and fig
• Lasagna with walnut bolognese, béchamel, cherry tomato, and basil
• Portabella Picatta with spaghetti squash and caper-“butter” sauce
• Beet Tartare with saffron “yolk,” cashew horseradish cream, and endive
• Plant-Based Cobb with tofu, smoky mushrooms, cherry tomato, grilled corn, avocado, and vegan ranch
• T.L.T.A. with tempeh bacon, heirloom tomato, avocado, butter lettuce, and Vegenaise
• Pumpkin Cake with aquafaba meringue and candied pepitas

“My programs are designed to make life easier for the traveler, but also for the staff of the property. Servers don’t always have education on what all dietary restrictions actually mean, and it’s so much easier for a chef if there is already a menu item in place to accommodate instead of having to create something on the fly,” Durso told VegNews. “I integrate my items right into the menus. I find when people look at a menu, they order what they feel seems most appealing, not always thinking about whether a dish is vegan or gluten-free. It’s my job as a chef to create healthy options that are also incredibly appealing on a menu.”

In addition to the menu updates, Durso created an exclusive “Well Now” event that will take place on February 1 featuring dishes from the new vegan offerings at Bella Vista Restaurant along with yoga, meditation, intention setting, and special presentations from guests such as vegan endurance athlete Brendan Brazier. In recent years, other Four Seasons resort locations around the world have incorporated new vegan offerings, including Beverly Hills, Bahrain Bay in the Middle East, and Punta Mita in Mexico.