by Jeff Miller
Among other things, the corner of Milpas and East Canon Perdido streets has long been famous for a cow. Not just any cow, but the beloved plaster “Old Bossy,” on her proud perch atop the 1939 building since the creators of the Live Oak Dairy put her there.
Since then the cool Art Deco building has been many things, but Old Bossy remained until, one sad day in 2020, she fell due to old age and shattered. Now, however, the place has a new claim to fame: square doughnuts.
“I just started doing it on a whim,” said Christina Olufson, who has owned and operated Bossie’s Kitchen in partnership with her wife, Lauren Herman, since opening in 2019. “I had some brioche dough left over so I thought I’d make doughnuts.” But not, you know, round doughnuts? “I wanted more yield so I cut them into squares.” Also, “I just thought it was fun. Different.”
Olufson didn’t know it would catch on but it did, due not only to the quirkiness but also the deliciousness. She offers an array of glazes, using seasonal fruit as guide. Her favorite: Santa Rosa plum glaze garnished with black sesames. “The chocolate glaze with salted almond toffee is also popular,” she said.
So what started as a whim is getting serious. People are lining up for them when they come hot out of the oven, usually around noon.
That’s only one of the interesting offerings at Bossie’s Kitchen. While Olufson runs the pastry side, including the brioche burger rolls, etc., Herman handles the equally captivating savory side. Consider the Thursday night special: grilled shrimp in lemongrass curry with bok choy, mint, cilantro, and peanuts over jasmine rice. Then there are the unique salads and sandwiches, including the Korean fried chicken sandwich with sesame slaw and gochujang sauce, a major hit.
There may be whims at work in Bossie’s Kitchen, but underlying them is serious culinary experience. Among other postings, Herman and Olufson were luminary LA chefs at the famed Lucques Group restaurants and AOC, both under James Beard Award-winning chef Suzanne Goin. Eventually they decided it was time to strike out on their own.
“For five years we never found anything that felt quite right,” Olufson said. “But we always kept our eyes out. Then we saw this place. We loved the location, and the building has a lot of charm. It felt right for us.” (And right for other reasons, including this: The place has become a popular dinner spot for those on their way to shows at the nearby Santa Barbara Bowl.)
Santa Barbara wasn’t exactly a whimsical choice. Herman grew up in Pasadena, and Olufson in Ventura County. As a kid, “We always came to Santa Barbara in the summer,” Olufson said. “Dad worked at UCSB. He loved the drive up, believe it or not.” So when the idea of Herman and Olufson venturing out of LA arose, “We thought the move to Santa Barbara could be great,” she said.
The timing was right for the chefs but not for the planet. “It was right before COVID,” Olufson said. “At least we had a year under our belts. That made it a little easier. It was still plenty challenging, but at least we were a little established. We’re grateful our customers rallied around.”
