About Us
Clearly photoshop is not in our forte. We are way better at Santa Barbara-ing.
The Story of Taste
Do not be fooled—Taste Santa Barbara Food Tours, the original and real Taste Santa Barbara (and Taste of Santa Barbara), was founded over a decade ago by Evan Berger (don’t ask her to remember the exact year—or use Photoshop).
Since then, we’ve grown into a small but mighty team of Santa Barbara enthusiasts passionate about everything this beautiful city has to offer: the food, the wine, the people, the history, the culture, the architecture—all of it.
We love sharing our favorite spots, introducing guests to on- and off-the-radar finds and local legends, and crafting unforgettable experiences that blend fun, flavor, and a healthy dose of Santa Barbara charm. Whether it’s your first visit or your fiftieth, we’re here to show off the best of Santa Barbara—highlighting our favorite local spots and serving up tasty recommendations for food and drinks, all with authentic SB flair and plenty of fun.
Chief Eating Officer / Experience Coordinator
Evan Elizabeth Schoolnik Berger
Meet Evan ✨
Evan loves three things more than most (which is fitting, since 3 and 11 are her lucky numbers): feeding people, telling stories that take a few scenic detours, and showing off her favorite place—Santa Barbara.
Born in LA, raised in LA and Santa Barbara, educated in Boston (Emerson, baby!), and seasoned by a decade in Austin, Evan finally boomeranged back to the California coast to be closer to her fam and, let’s be honest, the tacos.
In a past life, she was a technical project manager. Now? She’s the Chief Eating Officer of her own food tour biz, artist, event planner (she can organize lives, not closets), amateur baker, sparkle enthusiast (the non-shedding kind, please), and aspiring sit-down comedian. Oh, and sushi, tacos, and wine are life.
She doesn’t love cooking dinner, but she will bake you cookies. Capybaras are her favorite animals. She doesn’t love birds but owns 13 chickens. (It’s complicated.) She loves her two wild and wonderful daughters, and anything that brings people together around food, stories, and sparkly joy.
Basically, if Evan’s into it, she’s gonna share it—with the kind of energy that might just make you fall in love with it, too.
Meet The Taste SBFT Team
Maddy
TOUR GUIDE EXTRAORDINAIRE
Originally from Northern California, Maddy has called Santa Barbara home for the last 28 years. With a high-end catering and event design background, she’s developed a sharp eye for detail and a passion for creating unforgettable experiences. Maddy and her husband raised two wonderful kids here in Santa Barbara. Now, they enjoy watching their family grow with three beautiful grandbabies.
Her love for Santa Barbara has only deepened over the years, and she’s as enchanted with the city today as the day she first arrived. Maddy loves to share about Santa Barbara’s local charm, beauty, and unique character, making her a natural at guiding tours. She’s always thrilled to highlight what makes this place truly one-of-a-kind.
Kirk
TOUR GUIDE EXTRAORDINAIRE
Kirk’s deep local involvement includes serving as Airport Commissioner for 14 years, leading the Toys For Tots campaign for 15 years, raising funds for the Santa Barbara Zoo, and contributing to Sansum Diabetes Research Institute studies. He’s also held roles such as House Manager at the Granada Theatre and Charter Manager for Santa Barbara Airbus, among many others.
Kirk loves welcoming guests to Santa Barbara, sharing stories, and researching local history. With a background in acting and stand-up comedy, he’s a natural when it comes to bringing tours to life with humor and energy. Whether on stage or leading a tour, Kirk’s passion for storytelling shines through.
Georgia
GUEST TOUR GUIDE EXTRAORDINAIRE & RESIDENT HISTORIAN
A California native and UCSB grad, Georgia deeply loves Santa Barbara and history, and does not love having her photo taken.
After teaching for years, she swapped the classroom for the Freedom Trail in Boston, where she guided tours and researched for the local historical society—because who can resist a good historical story?
While raising three kids, Georgia served on the School Board, chaired school-building projects, and led community organizations. Now back in Santa Barbara, she researches local history, volunteers at the Courthouse, and enjoys McConnell’s Ice Cream.
Though she does not lead regular tours, Georgia still pops in from time to time, sharing her passion for SB’s history with lucky guests.Georgia is not currently leading regular tours, but does guide from time.
Randee
GUEST EXPERIENCE SPECIALIST
A true Santa Barbara native, Randee loves her hometown for its lush gardens, endless entertainment, delicious food, and the unbeatable combo of mountains and ocean. She and her husband (our tour guide Kirk) have called Santa Barbara home for a long time—and they wouldn’t have it any other way.
Randee has worn many hats over the years, with careers in hairdressing, retail management, and even as an assistant to the CEO of a major international restaurant chain. She’s also raised two grown children and continues to bring warmth, humor, and a lot of heart to the Taste team—whether behind the scenes or popping in to say hi.
Penelope Grace & Piper Joy
These little mamas have been part of the Taste Santa Barbara Food Tours story since before they could walk (literally—they were along for the ride inside Evan on many a tour). They’ve joined more food tours than Evan can count… though whether they remember them is another story.
Penelope, the eldest snack scout, was known for “playing tour” as a toddler—making pretend calls to the guides, chatting with imaginary guests, and popping in mid-tour to say hi. Now 8, she’s officially in training, handling essential snack sampling duties and preparing to bring her own flair to the family business.
Piper, the spiciest sidekick, is following close behind. She loves food, plays “tour” with the best of them, and is always down to taste-test tacos like a champ. She has also been known to try and sneak on a tour or two—usually cracking a good joke —she is soaking up all the knowledge of what makes Taste, well, Taste.
The future of Taste is flavorful, feisty, full of tiny opinions, and magic.
Peter Noodle Doodle & Baz
YOU WILL NEVER SEE THEM ON TOURS EVER
Baz and Peter Noodle Doodle are dogs, They are cute but not allowed on tours.
While they are very handsome and charming fellows, they would make terrible tour guides. They have very little sense of direction, and even worse, they would eat all your food.
Dogs DO NOT belong on any kind of food tour. Period.
ST & Herb Rousso
REST IN PEACE
Evan owes many of her sophisticated taste buds to her grandparents, mostly because his daughter, Evan’s mom, Stosh has a pretty darn good taste in food.
Mike Wazowski
REST IN PEACE
Wazowski.
He was the fur behind the foodie lady for 16 amazing years. He loved food almost as much as his mom & supported her every step of the way.
Atticus Sparticus
REST IN PEACE
Formerly: CFO and never allowed on tours because he was a dog.
Atticus Sparticus was quite the whiz with numbers. Not really, he was just a silly guy with a big heart. He probably had a circus theme going in his head at all times. He was a goofball, sidekick, and had a lot of love to give.
When given the chance, he would eat your food and have no remorse.
Taste Santa Barbara
Get ready to feast on Santa Barbara deliciousness like true locals!