With its Modernist lines (dig that zigzag porte cochère!), the Lemon Tree Inn offers a visual respite from Santa Barbara’s red-tile roofs. The hotel’s Crocodile Restaurant & Bar is a bit of an oasis, too, guarded by a primitive crocodile sculpture that often bears a grapefruit-size lemon in its mouth. Breakfast includes such I’m-on-vacation treats as coconut-cinnamon French toast and eggs Sardou. Gourmet pizzas, pastas, salads, and sandwiches are available at lunch and dinner, but two dishes in particular keep guests and locals coming back time and again: The Wedge salad, topped with blue-cheese crumbles and pancetta, and truffled mac-and-cheese, which is available as a side dish or an entrée. Happy hour runs daily from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Check the hotel’s website for news about wine events on the rooftop patio.