Travel Haiku

Alvaro Castellanos Rojas: A Culinary & Entrepreneurial Journey

Now a long-time Santa Barbara resident, Alvaro Rojas grew up in his parents' restaurant in Redwood City, where he effectively inherited Mexican and classic French techniques from his father. Armed with a science background from college, Alvaro seamlessly blends the precision of a lab scale with the utility of a chef's knife.

In 1991, at the age of 21, in a burst of youthful naivete and blind tenacity, he opened his first venue, Chilango's Mexican Restaurant, marking the beginning of a lifelong culinary adventure. Fast forward to 2000, Alvaro unveiled Alcazar Tapas Bar, followed by the ever-evolving milk & honey tapas bar in 2007 and The Bourbon Room in 2014. The pièce de résistance, The Glass House cocktail garden, became a beacon of mixology in Santa Barbara until the pandemic abruptly thwarted its momentum. Despite that financial and emotional detour, for over 30 years, Alvaro’s award-winning cocktails and menus have been at the quiet center of the Santa Barbara culinary scene.

Today, Alcazar, milk & honey tapas bar, and the new Acorn & Oak Longevity, Fitness, and Recovery studio, alongside pop-up wonders like Spare Parts Bistro and Slate Catering Collaborations, continue to set the innovative pace in Santa Barbara. Alvaro is also involved in the soon-to-open RESET Hotel in Joshua Tree, spearheaded by the brilliant architect, designer, and thinker Ben Uyeda. Most recently and locally long-time friend and master distiller Ian Cutler and Alvaro have been striving to open the new Cutler’s Public House which promises to be the new benchmark for watering holes in Santa Barbara.

When he's not challenging the norms of the local food and beverage scene, Alvaro's interests turn to the sublime and the mechanical. He very much enjoys Argentine Tango, dabbles in art, and finds joy in tinkering, design, and building. And let's not forget his penchant for anything with wheels—especially if they are motorized and old or electric. Alvaro's diverse passions paint a picture of a man for whom life is guided by the true spirit of memento mori!