Lucky Penny

You’re staring at the glorious structure that is The Lark, and suddenly you notice something in the corner of the parking lot that resembles an upscale construction trailer. Welcome to Lucky Penny, The Lark’s casual, all-day sibling that’s a fantastic lunch option when you’re too wine-drunk to walk anywhere else. Most people sitting outside at this order-at-the-counter spot are eating pizza, but don’t ignore the sandwiches either - they’re just as good.

Santa BarbaraThis one is a lot like The Lark in that it's not so much about what you're drinking, but where, except instead of a confessional from France, it's an awesome garden patio IN BETWEEN Lucky Penny and The Lark. Grab a jumbo bottle of Red Stripe, and definitely do lunch.

So concluded Sherry Villanueva and her team at Acme Hospitality, whose quiver of Funk Zone eateries includes The Lark, Les Marchands, Loquita, Lucky Penny, Helena Street Bakery, and the Santa Barbara Wine Collective. Last fall, they added Tyger Tyger to their celebrated culinary crew, and lines immediately formed out the door for slurps of Northern Thai curried pork noodles, chomps of Vietnamese crêpes, and sweat-inducing bites of “Weeping Brisket” that’s slopped up with sticky coconut rice. Diners can follow up with exotically spiced cones from Monkeyshine Ice Cream or a pull of espresso from the Dart Coffee Co.; all are under the same roof surrounding the pink-lamped, open-windowed dining hall, although the coffee business is independently owned by David Dart and Erika Carter Dart.

Housed in an industrial warehouse building and retrofitted to be hip and trendy the Helena Avenue Bakery is the latest addition to an ongoing stunning change to the Funk Zone, a former unsightly industrial area two blocks from the beach. There are multiple tasting rooms, Figueroa Mountain Brewery, a distillery, art galleries and multiple places for food, like Mexican street food at Money’s, to food trucks to Seven Bar & Kitchen, Lucky Penny and The Lark - these last two owned and operated by Sherry Villanueva, who started the bakery. “Having a bakery was a logical progression for us,” Sherry Villanueva told me when I stopped in.

A Funk Zone pizzeria adorned with more than 150,000 copper pennies, Lucky Pennydishes out crave-worthy, gourmet level wood-fired pizzas every day of the week. Check the menu for the ever-changing daily farmers’ market pizza special based on what’s currently in season. Savory staples like the Salty Surfer (San Marzano marinara, mozzarella, San Daniele prosciutto, wood-fired pineapple, pickled Fresno chilies and parmesan) and The Californian (basil pesto, lemon ricotta, marinated artichokes and pine nuts) are just as tempting as the griddled panini sandwiches and sides like wood-fired fingerling potatoes and customizable salads.

Lucky Penny is a wood-fired pizzeria in Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone, making it a great place to stop for a food break between wine-tasting stops on this section of the Urban Wine Trail, which includes Kunin Wines, The Valley Project, and Margerum Wines. Order at the register inside, grab a number, and sit down at any of the number of tables in the cute outdoor courtyard set-up in what was once the parking lot shared with Lucky Penny’s sister restaurants. Shockingly, I ordered neither the Italian Chopped Salad nor the Little Gems Caesar from Lucky Penny's menu, my "Always Orders." HWHAT. I know.

The wall outside the fun & funky Lucky Penny restaurant (wood-fired pizzas after the shoot, anyone?) is bedecked with over 15,000 pennies—it’s a sight to behold. It took a group of high schoolers (right on, kids!) about six months to complete the wall, and it’s now a lesser-known favorite of influencers in the area. The wall is an excellent backdrop for tighter shots and “how lucky are we” puns.

Lucky Penny, located in the heart of Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone, features innovative artisanal pizzas from a wood-burning oven, with locally sourced garden fresh salads, delicious hot & cold sandwiches, handmade sweet treats, beer, wine and the ever-popular Frosé. The exterior of our building is tiled with more than 150,000 real copper pennies that shimmer in the warm Central Coast sunshine.

Lucky Penny: Over at the Funk Zone, most eateries are pricey, but the counter-service style Lucky Penny is one exception. Order a pizza or Frosé to consume on the patio, which is adorned with a wall tiled with more than 150,000 real copper pennies. Two people can split a pizza for under $20, and there are plenty of alcoholic drink options under $10 (though the Frosé is a bit more).

Check out The Funk Zone – one of the cutest areas in Santa Barbara with lots of shops, restaurants and wine tasting rooms. It reminds me of RiNo in Denver because it’s filled with old warehouses and manufacturing plants with a ton of artists’ studios and galleries, breweries and other shops. It’s a total different feel from everything else you find in Santa Barbara

Best Pizza: Lucky Penny, Bettina, and Olio Pizzeria – I really couldn’t choose one here because they’re all delicious and offer something a little different. Lucky Penny has the same owners as The Lark and is also a perfect spot after getting a bit tipsy in the Funk Zone. I absolutely love good pizza dough and Bettina has some of the best I’ve ever had.

For wood fire pizza, head to Lucky Penny and enjoy the food and the cool decor (penny covered walls!). For Mexican food, Mesa Verde is a sure hit (and has gluten free options) and of course a local favorite, La Super Rica. Drop by the Four Seasons for an Italian feast, a Sunday brunch, while the kids roam the gardens by the beach - bring your camera.

Lucky Penny is a cute pizza restaurant that is centrally located in Santa Barbara's Funk Zone. If you're trying to find it, you could map it on your phone, BUT you'd really have an easier time just looking for the building that's tiled with thousands of real pennies. It really is something to behold!

We stopped for a delicious lunch at Lucky Penny, conveniently located in the midst of the winery-heavy Funk Zone. With outdoor picnic-bench-style seating, dogs are a regular sight underfoot. They specialize in wood-fired pizza, salads and sandwiches, which we washed down with a frosé.

Lucky Penny – If you’re a pizza connoisseur, you won’t want to miss this pizza joint. They cook their pies in a wood-burning oven and use locally-sourced garden ingredients. There are sandwiches and desserts too, plus beer, wine, and frosé.

For a less expensive but doughier affair, head to the neighboring Lucky Penny. Under the same restaurant group as The Lark, Lucky Penny slings charred-crust pizza out of its wood-fired oven and pours craft coffee morning, noon, and night.

We worked up a serious appetite after shooting for several hours so we headed to grab lunch at the Lucky Penny. Some of the best pizza I’ve ever had. The exterior is covered in pennies and it’s such a cute gem to visit.

Outside this super trendy pizza restaurant and cafe is a wall of pennies, making the perfect backdrop for a more edgy shoot. ► https://goo.gl/maps/urAxVyB45vJQVGir6. Photo courtesy of Lucky Penny - luckypennysb.com

Wood-fired pizzas and sandwiches are so delicious the kids won’t even know they are digging into the gourmet-level fare. View this post on Instagram. A post shared by Lucky Penny (@luckypennysb)

Don't miss out on Lucky Penny's artisanal wood-fired pizzas like the Parker 2.0 with roasted wild mushrooms, sunflower seed pesto, parmigiano reggiano, arugula and olive oil.

Lucky Penny: Lucky Penny serves amazing pizza that adults and kids love, and they also offer fun activities for children.