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Pinkberry To Open On State: In this blog on February 5, 2008 the Rumor Machine popped out a message indicating that frozen yogurt phenomenon Pinkberry was planning to open at 742 State Street, the former home of Jamba Juice. I am happy to report that the rumor is true. Reader Angela tells me that a promo poster for Pinkberry recently appeared on the window at that address. Pinkberry has dozens of locations in Southern California and Manhattan. Pascucci Now Offering Lunch Specials: For the first time in their 15 year history, Pascucci at 729 State Street has introduced lunch specials. I received the following email from Pascucci owner Laura Knight:
Tuesday, July 22, 2008 Sly's Update: Yesterday I got a first-hand look at the progress of Sly’s Restaurant on Linden Avenue in Carpinteria and it appears that an August opening is much more likely than the mid-July launch I suggested in this column a few weeks ago. New Construction: Working its way through the Goleta City Council right now is a proposal to build a new hotel and restaurant on the 3 acre lot immediately north-east of the Storke Road/Hollister Avenue intersection. In nearby Isla Vista construction is about to begin on a new boardwalk along Pardall Road that will potentially be frontage for a series of new cafes. YoYumYo? YumYoYum? In a recently blog entry I mention that YoYoYum Yogurt is opening in Carpinteria in the near future. Reader Preston has issued a correction and says that the name will actually be "YoYumYum Yogurt." KEYT: Reader John Palminteri emailed me this morning to let me know that he mentioned this column in a recent video broadcast. Monday, July 21, 2008 Quantum Kitchen Closes: Reader Jonathan let me know that Quantum Kitchen & Cocktails at 201 W. Carrillo Street has closed their doors. Apparently private dining will still be available. The following message is currently posted on quantumrestaurant.com: "Thanks for stopping by! Quantum Kitchen & Cocktails has called it a day. Private dining still available. But... watch this site closely for developments in the near future." Word on the street is that Quantum may reopen with a new concept in three months. Taqueria Talk: Reader Foodie Dan let me know about a business name application filed by "Taqueria La Colmena." The new restaurant proposes to open at 217 N. Milpas Street, the former home of Cajun Kitchen and Pavlako's Eatery. Photo Blog: I am reorganizing the way I store and display pictures from the various events I attend. The photos had been scattered all over SantaBarbara.com. Starting today I have created a Photo Blog that will serve as a central repository for my event pictures. I also added a link to the photo blog at the top of the home page of this food news blog. To help launch the new photo blog I have added pictures from the Sprinkled Pink Preview Party that I attended last night at 1150 Coast Village Rd in Montecito. Owner Wendy Jones told me that her Sprinkled Pink Cupcake Couture store should open in mid-August. Speaking Of Photos:
I have finally upgraded my digital camera. All photos taken over the
last 5 years for this restaurant guide and for all of SantaBarbara.com were courtesy
of my Sony DSC-P92 digital camera (5 megapixels). My latest and
greatest toy is the Sony DSC W-300 which first went on sale last
month. It is Sony's current high-end pocket digital camera and the
picture quality is far superior to the P-92, it is half the size, has a
larger screen and shoots at 13 megapixels. I am planning to re-shoot my
entire Santa Barbara Picture
Library which has some photos taken over a decade ago (with relatively crappy digital technology). The only
photos I probably won't be able to re-shoot were those taken on
Snow Day, February 13, 2001. On that day we had snow-capped
mountains with bright blue skies. Friday, July 18, 2008 Meun Fan Thai Cafe Opens: Last summer owner Rojana Saisut was dining at Ichiban Sushi on the Mesa and gazed across the street at Mesa Thai Cuisine. She remembers dreaming of owning her own Thai restaurant in Santa Barbara some day. A month later Mesa Thai Cafe closed and went up for sale and Saisut jumped at the opportunity. She is now the proud owner of Meun Fan Thai Cafe. "Meun Fan" means "like a dream." Saisut, who used to own a Thai & Sushi restaurant in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, opened her dream restaurant on the Mesa on July 17th at 1819 Cliff Drive. She suggests you try the Spicy Chicken Basil, the Pad Thai and any of their Curries. Hours are Mon-Thu 11am-9:30pm, Fri-Sat 11am-10pm, Sun Noon-9:30pm. In addition to adding the restaurant to the guide today I grabbed a copy of the menu, scanned it and posted the menu online, just for you. Peet's Coffee On Pueblo: The Park Place Deli at 403 Pueblo St has added a Peet's Coffee station to their offerings. Hours are Mon-Fri 6:30am-7pm, Sat-Sun 6:30am-2:30pm. I added Peet's Coffee - Pueblo St to the guide today. Thursday, July 17, 2008 Last Days At Chad's: I received an email this morning from Chad Stevens, founder of Chad's on Chapala, that his namesake restaurant is closing at the end of next week:
Wilbur Hardee 1918-2008: Wilbur Hardee, an entrepreneur who founded the Hardee's restaurant chain in 1960 with a drive-in hamburger stand near the East Carolina University campus in Greenville, N.C., has died at age 89. The chain currently operates 1,900 Hardee's in the U.S. and has 200 international locations. Soon after the company went public Hardee famously lost his controlling stake in the company while drinking and playing cards with his business partners. He bet much of his newly minted Hardee's stock during the game and lost. Hardee went on to launch 85 different restaurants throughout the U.S. including Biscuit Town, Hot Dog City and Beef & Shake. Keen For Ketchup:
While eating at Fat
Burger on State Street on a recent June afternoon with my friend
Patrick, I went through my usual routine for all burger places: I fill up two or three small paper
ketchup cups with the popular condiment, balance them carefully on my
palm, and carry them to my table. Invariably I interrupt the lunchtime
conversation, at least once during the meal, to return to the ketchup
dispenser for a refill. Patrick, on the other hand, had a brilliant
solution for taking care of his ketchup needs: he grabs a plastic soda
cup lid, turns it over so it forms a wide, shallow bowl and fills it to
the brim with more ketchup than humans should be allowed to have. No
balancing act or refills required. Needless to say Patrick's
patent-pending approach will be my
standard operating procedure for the foreseeable future. Here is a photo
I took during that fateful, enlightening lunch: Wednesday, July 16, 2008 Yellow Rose: Reader Lou Cannon sent me a message this morning: "There is a hand-lettered sign outside the Yellow Rose, former Big Yellow House, saying it will open Dec. 1, 2008." Tasting Menu: Downey's restaurant at 1305 State Street has introduced a "Santa Barbara Tasting Menu". This new menu features a four-course meal (using locally grown produce) paired with two glasses of local wines. Price is $60/person. Downey's achieved the top scores in Santa Barbara for both Food (28) and Service (27) in the 2008 Zagat Restaurant Survey. Sandwiches: I recently heard that the Greek House Cafe at 5 W. Haley Street has added sandwiches to their menu. Speaking of Greek, the 35th annual Greek Festival is Saturday & Sunday July 26-27, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is free! Picture Of The Day:
I saw this sign at
Anna's Bakery in Camino Real Marketplace: Tuesday, July 15, 2008 Rumor Machine: I removed the Rumor Machine from the trunk of my car and brought it back to my home office, now that the brave firefighters have largely contained the Gap Fire near Goleta. As soon as I plugged it in, a sheet of 100% recycled paper popped out with the words: “The new Habit Restaurant that is coming to La Cumbre Plaza in August is going to serve beer and desserts.” Will this be an upscale version of the Habit perhaps? As always, this rumor might be completely false or a brilliant forecast of future events. Your call. Summer Splash: On July 17th, 6:30-9:30 p.m., a fundraiser cruise is being held aboard Warren Buffet’s Santa Barbara Channel Cat. The event raises money to support the Aeromedicos Clinic in Cadeje, Baja CA. This sunset spectacular features wines by Imagine Wine and hors d’oeuvres by Via Maestra 42 and costs $100/person. Call 688-1769 or visit channelcatcharters.com. Dinner & Dancing: Cafe Buenos Aires at 1316 State Street offers live music three nights a week. Wednesdays include live professional Tango musicians & open Tango dancing. Friday nights you can listen to live South American music and Saturday nights feature live Latin jazz bands. For more information call 963-0242 or visit cafebuenosaires.com. Google Grub: Google employee #53, Charlie Ayers, was not hired to help the world have a better experience using the popular Internet search engine. Ayers had a more important task: creating healthy menus served up free to employees on the Google campus. His offerings have been a huge success and are legendary in the tech and foodie worlds. Ayers has now published a book titled “Food 2.0: Secrets from the Chef Who Fed Google.” He outlines the basics on how the right foods can transform your mind and body, and then teaches you how to stock your kitchen with the healthiest foods available. Raw, organic, and fermented is Charlie’s mantra, which is reflected in more than 90 easy-to-prepare recipes. And, following the formula Charlie used at Google headquarters, the meals and snacks are designed to feed your brain exactly what it needs at different points throughout the workday. The book is available for $13.75 on Amazon.com. Monday, July 14, 2008 Montecito
Is Sprinkled Pink: The front line of the South Coast cupcake
invasion has shifted to Montecito and troops have been spotted at 1150
Coast Village Road. The former home of now-closed Gelateria Gioia is the
new address of “Sprinkled Pink Cupcake Couture.” Construction is nearly
complete and this new dessert destination should open by the end of the
month or mid-August at the latest. The décor in the shop will be bubble
gum pink, gold and whimsical. Owner Wendy Jones describes it as
"Tiffany’s meets Willy Wonka…but in pink!" Old Spanish Days Wine Tasting: I spent Saturday afternoon at the Courthouse enjoying the 3rd Annual Old Spanish Days Wine Tasting presented by Elements Restaurant & Catering. I of course brought my camera and took lots of food photos and people pictures. I think I spent most of my time next to their ice bucket full of jumbo shrimp. I must have pounded two dozen of the colossal crustaceans. The Photo Guy: Speaking of photos, apparently the people who bring you "Nights" at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art read this blog. Blog readers know I have been posting photos (see May and June pics) of the monthly Nights event in this column and the museum staff has now asked me to be their official photographer for the rest of the season. The photos wills be used for a spread in Santa Barbara Magazine, the press and various promotional uses. Friday, July 11, 2008 Old Spanish Days 3rd Annual Wine Tasting: Over 40 local wineries will pour over 100 wines at the 3rd Annual Old Spanish Days Wine Tasting in the Sunken Gardens, tomorrow, Saturday, July 12, 2008, presented by Elements Restaurant & Catering. A portion of the proceeds benefit Old Spanish Days. This popular event kicks off the festivities for Santa Barbara’s Fiesta. The day’s activities begin with a special rare/reserve tasting and cooking demonstration at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse Sunken Gardens from 2:00 – 4:00 pm. The popular main tasting takes place from 4:00 – 7:00 pm. Once again, Elements Restaurant and Catering hosts this special event, providing an assortment of delicious foods to pair with the wines. Live music will add to the late afternoon festivities. Tickets are also available for purchase at ticketmaster.com and at the Arlington Ticket Agency, 963-4408. Remodel: Reader Robert tells me that Smokin Jacks Kansas City BBQ at 3807 Santa Claus Ln in Carpinteria has a "closed for remodeling" sign on the door. I am told that it doesn't appear that remodeling has started yet. Fans Line Up For New
iPhone: Jeanne Greenfield, with AT&T store manager Andrew
Wilson, celebrates the successful purchase of the first iPhone 3G in
Goleta. Greenfield, a technology teacher from Santa Ynez, was first in
line at the AT&T store at 7:15pm Thursday evening and camped out all
night for the iPhone 3G launch at 8am Friday morning. By 8am the line
wrapped around the building with 103 people in queue. The store only had
30 of the new iPhones in stock so the majority of the crowd put in an
order for delivery next week. I arrived at about 5am to purchase my new
toy but unfortunately was #32 in line. Thursday, July 10, 2008 Finestra Caffe Closes: Realtor Julian Nafal tells me that Finestra Caffe at 15 E. Figueroa Street has closed and will be replaced by a Jeannine's Bakery. Nafal represented both Finestra and Jeannine's for the sale/purchase of assets and helped Jeannine's negotiate the new lease at La Arcada. New In The Guide: Today I added the new Cantwell's Summerland Market to the restaurant guide. Mel's Closes In August: Word on the street is that Mel's Lounge, open since 1963, closes August 24th. According to Mike Knapp, who has owned Mel’s for the past five years, the monthly rent was doubled to about $10,000. A Santa Barbara native, Knapp said he hopes to relocate or open a new bar, but does not yet have a location. Picture Of The Day:
I took this photo yesterday during my camping trip at Montana De Oro
State Beach, a few miles south of Morro Bay. Wednesday, July 9, 2008 Camping: I am returning from camping at Montana De Oro State Beach near Morro Bay so there will be no blog today. Tuesday, July 8, 2008 Luck Café opens in August: In
January 2005 a notice about the pending arrival of "Luck Cafe"
appeared on a door at 18 E. Cota Street, between
Blue Agave and
Square One.
Then nothing happened. Last November the Rumor Machine popped out a
message revealing that the lease was held by Gene Montesano, owner of
Lucky's,
Joe's Cafe &
more.
Julienne Coming To Downtown:
"Progressive American" restaurant Julienne will open next month
at 138 E. Canon Perdido Street, the former home of
Le Bon Cafe.
Owner Justin West tells me that the restaurant will offer a “sustainable
local seasonal menu” and will use “classic European cooking techniques.”
Julienne will be open for dinner five nights a week and should start
serving customers in early August. Monday, July 7, 2008 Rumor Machine: The Rumor Machine required a backup generator periodically last week due to the power outages caused by the Gap Fire. As I prepared to put the Outspoken Oracle in the trunk of my car, due to an evacuation warning, I noticed that an ash-sprinkled sheet of 100% recycled paper was sitting in the lower tray. It read: “11 W. De La Guerra Street in Paseo Nuevo mall, the former home of Pierre Lafond, will become a deli.” As always, this rumor might be completely false or a brilliant forecast of future events. Your call. Show Your Support: I am told that many restaurants, particularly those in Goleta, have been hit hard financially by last week's Gap Fire. Power outages caused many restaurants to give away or throw out food, and the dark smoky skies kept many customers away. You can show your support by having breakfast, lunch or dinner out on the town as much as possible this week and next. Santa Barbara Wine Festival: During a quieter, simpler time in Santa Barbara's history, meaning before last Tuesday's Gap Fire, people gathered outdoors for food, wine and fun. That was the case at the recent Santa Barbara Wine Festival at the Museum of Natural History on June 28th. I took pictures of the event that was reportedly attended by more than a 1000 wine lovers. Gone Camping: My nieces
Katy, Victoria & Heather are visiting from El Salvador and I am leaving
for a camping trip with them at Montana De Oro State Beach for the next
two nights. If my laptop's Sprint 3G wireless Internet card can receive
a signal from this remote seaside location, I'll try to update my
column. Thursday, July 3, 2008 Saigon In and Out Opens On State: Saigon In and Out Vietnamese restaurant on Milpas Street has a new sibling. 1230 State Street, next to the Granada Theater, is the home of the new Saigon In and Out. Both restaurants are owned and operated by William Lam, a resident of Santa Barbara for more than 30 years. Lam learned the art of quality food preparation and restaurant management from his mother who owned an eatery in Saigon. Popular menu items include #2 spring roll and the #21 Pho Dac. The restaurant is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information visit saigoninandout.com. Yogurt Shop Coming To Carp: Baskin Robbins at 1005 Casitas Pass Rd in Carpinteria closed last March. Reader Preston tells me that new construction has started at that address and that it will be the future home of "YoYoYum Yogurt." Happy 4th Of July: I am currently writing today's foodie news from my laptop on the 101 freeway. I started typing in Santa Barbara and completed this blog as I passed the Getty Museum on the 405 freeway. I am traveling with family to my annual 4th of July outing in Newport Beach, CA. Even though I am a Santa Barbara native I have only enjoyed the 4th of July on the South Coast twice in my life. Specifically I go to the Balboa Peninsula to a home that has the Balboa Bay in their front yard and a beach on the Pacific Ocean in their backyard. For those of you enjoying the Fourth at home you might consider trying a 4th of July Fireworks Cruise. The Lil' Toot boat leaves Stearns Wharf at 8pm and returns at 10pm. Price is $65 per person and includes appetizers and wine. For more information call 896-6900. Wednesday, July 2, 2008 Summerland Cantwell's Opens Friday: Daily Sound columnist Leslie Westbrook is reporting today that the new Cantwell's Market at 2580 Lillie Avenue in Summerland is having a "soft opening" this Friday. Jim Gally, owner of Cantwell's Market in downtown Santa Barbara, says the hours will probably be 6am to 8pm. In addition to being a market, Cantwell's has more than 30 inside tables inside and out where you can have a full breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The store will have twice as many groceries as the original Summerland Market it replaces while also offering a large cheese selection, sausages, organic produce, party platters and catering services. Chocolate Tour And Tasting: Chocolats du CaliBressan at 4193 Carpinteria Ave #4 in Carpinteria is starting a series of chocolate tour and tasting events. If you are interested in the process of creating (or eating!) chocolates, Chocolats du CaliBressan will be hosting the events on two Thursdays of each month, including July 17th & 31st, August 14th & 28th, and September 11th & 25th. Time is 6-6:30pm, reservations required (10 persons minimum, 15 maximum), and the cost is $20.00 per person. Includes complimentary glass of champagne. You should RSVP by Monday before each scheduled Thursday event. For more information call 684-6900 or visit chococalibressan.com. French Festival:
On Saturday July 12th and Sunday July 13th from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. enjoy
the 21st annual Santa Barbara French Festival at Oak Park.
Admission is free and over 20,000 people are expected to attend. This
year's event will feature dozens of chefs preparing fine French
food...everything from crêpes to Cajun, from café au lait to decadent
desserts and pastries. Enjoy French beer, wine, champagne and soft
drinks. Tuesday, July 1, 2008 New Ownership: It has come to my attention that the local Baja Fresh restaurants in Goleta and Santa Barbara (and La Salsa in Five Points Center) have changed ownership. They had been company-owned outlets and have now been sold as franchises to a local businessman. I am told that the new owner, who takes over the restaurants in early July, will be adding cold beer to the menu at Baja Fresh. Afternoon Discount: UCSB students tell me that Courtyard Cafe near the school of Engineering now offers pre-made sandwiches at half price after 4pm. Marry Me Leyla: In my blog on November 30th, 2007, I mentioned that I was running on the Ellwood Mesa and spotted a huge sign in the sand saying "Marry Me Leyla" (see photo). I asked blog readers if anyone knew the story about that. Well, I finally heard from Leyla herself:
Monday, June 30, 2008 Saffron Opens Downtown:
"International cuisine" specialist
Saffron opened last week at 113 W. De La
Guerra St, a few doors west of the Paseo Nuevo mall. Their phone number
is (805) 966-3333. I added them to the guide this morning. Saffron's
kitchen is headed by Le Cordon Bleu graduate Executive Chef James
Schmidt and Pastry Chef Robert Kilburn.
Friday, June 27, 2008 Subway Opens Downtown: No, the city has not built a new public transportation system (though with these high gas prices, it might not be a bad idea). Subway Sandwiches has opened at 1021A State St, replacing the old Cingular Wireless location, a few doors down from Spice Avenue. I added them to the restaurant guide today. Though this new location is Subway's 11th store on the South Coast, Starbucks still holds the record with 13 area outlets. Apparently sandwiches and coffee are the objects of our desire... Yellow Rose Update: In August 2007 I wrote a story with the headline "The Big Yellow Wreck." I reported that the now-closed Big Yellow House restaurant in Summerland was in a state of disrepair. In February 2008 I updated the story after having a conversation with the new owner of that building. I reported that if all goes according to plan, the final permits should be in place by mid-March with a grand opening of the Yellow Rose this August. I stopped by the Big Yellow House yesterday and apparently all has not gone according to plan. No construction has started at all. The only apparent change since my visit last year is that the dust is a little deeper and the weeds are a little taller! Sly's Update: After my visit to the Big Yellow House yesterday I continued south to Carpinteria to check on the status of Sly's Seafood Steaks Cocktails at 686 Linden Ave. Unlike the former pride of Summerland, Sly's is a flurry of activity, with construction workers nailing, sawing and painting. I spoke with restaurant manager Michael Bott and he told me they are hoping for a mid-to-late July opening. And The Winner Is...: In the last week I posted pictures from Nights at the Museum of Art and pictures from a masquerade ball at Epiphany Restaurant & Bar. After examining web site statistics, I can report to you that the most viewed picture from this month's Nights was of this smiling group. The most viewed photo at the masquerade ball was a snapshot of this cloaked crowd. Thursday, June 26, 2008 Personal Chef: During my foodie fact finding missions over the last few years I have noticed a growing trend: hiring a personal chef. I have met several personal chefs in my travels and increasingly read about them online. For example, I recently heard about Chef Gary Nielsen. For $100/hr (3 hour minimum) Nielsen offers personal chef services, cooking lessons, and kitchen organization. He advertises he services for "intimate dining, parties, entertaining business associates, holidays, weddings, and family gatherings." For more information call 403-5800 or visit sbchef.com. Best Of The Best: The Robb Report, a national magazine about places, products and services that appeal to the wealthy (which means I likely will never have a subscription!) recently featured the Hitching Post II restaurant in Buellton. Their May 2008 issue included the Hitching Post II in a list of the "100 best restaurants in the world." The magazine questioned dozens of the most influential vintners around the world and came up with a list of 100 restaurants that the panel of vintners agreed were the "best of the best." The restaurant, featured in the wine movie "Sideways," is located at 406 East Highway 246 in Buellton and can be reached at (805) 688-0676. Clean Creeks: Pizza Mizza at 140 S. Hope Ave and Shalhoob's Restaurant at 635 Santa Barbara St have been newly certified as "Clean Creeks" businesses. The City of Santa Barbara offers this certification for restaurants that take important steps to protect creek and ocean quality. Wednesday, June 25, 2008 Out Today: My "real job" requires an emergency fix of a failed computer server so I am off duty today. Tuesday, June 24, 2008 Cats & Dogs: The Hungry Cat restaurant and The Winehound are having a wine tasting event this Saturday, June 28th from 3-5 p.m. at the 1134 Chapala Street eatery. The wine tasting, which costs $100 per person, is advertised to have “incredible wines you never get the chance to taste” in addition to cheeses & appetizers from Chef Dylan Fultineer. For reservations and a wine list call the Winehound at 845-5247. Lunch Special: Pizza Mizza at 140 S. Hope Ave, next to Sears in La Cumbre Plaza, has a new 1-topping personal pizza lunch special. Price is $7.99 and includes a bottomless soda or iced tea. The special runs Monday - Friday 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Call 564 3900 or visit pizzamizza.com. Having A Ball At Epiphany: Last Friday night Epiphany Restaurant & Bar hosted a masquerade ball and fundraiser for Unity Shoppe. Here are the pictures... Monday, June 23, 2008 Champagne Dinner:
This Wednesday, June 25th, 6:30 p.m.
Spiritland Bistro
at 230 E. Victoria St. is having a “Champagne Dinner.” It is a 4-course
gourmet organic meal and the entrée is Scallops in Coconut Curry. The
dinner includes a speaker from Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards. Price is $45
and includes tax, tip with no corkage fee. Reservations required. Call
966-7759. Boathouse Update:
The official prediction for the opening date of Boathouse restaurant
was June 22nd. Last weekend I stopped by the restaurant, which replaces
the Brown Pelican
at Hendry’s beach, and it appears they still have quite a bit of work to
do. A lot of progress has been made but my *unofficial* prediction is
that the opening will not occur before August. Friday, June 20, 2008 Gelateria Gioia Closes: The Gelateria Gioia ice cream store in Montecito has been "almost" closed for awhile, with the open hours few and far between. I received this email yesterday: "Dropped by last night based on times stated here and this place is definitely closed. no ice cream in sight. no tables. no chairs. empty inside. nothing. looks pretty closed to me. - Lil" Central Coast Culinary: I recently heard about a business named Central Coast Culinary, run by Host & Chef Jerry Phillips. One of the services offered by Philips is the Santa Barbara School of Cooking. The cooking school offers a wide variety of cooking classes, demonstrations, and culinary tours. Their classes offer hands-on cooking techniques that will hone the culinary skills from the beginner to the seasoned chef; they offer classes in a wide variety of cooking styles from a farmers market tour class to the many ethnic styles that are popular today. The school includes: a custom home cooking classes, a hands on cooking class, a demonstration-style cooking class, a one-on-one skill development, custom recipes & shopping lists and shopping techniques. For more information call 805-430-6177 or visit ccculinary.com. Nights: The
Santa Barbara Museum of Art had their monthly Nights
extravaganza last night. Here are some
photos. Thursday, June 19, 2008 The sad news continues... Volare Ristorante Closes: Reader Margie sent me an email this week: "Hi John. Volare Ristorante in Santa Ynez is closing. I believe last Saturday was when the owner told my friends (who play jazz there) that he was closing the restaurant. That's the third restaurant in that location to go under. - Margie" Daltons Closes: Reader Tony tells me that a sports bar in Goleta is gone: "I know you don't typically cover news about drinking establishments in the Restaurant News but in case you had any interest, the diviest "dive bar" in town , Daltons out in the Padre shopping center in Goleta North has closed down. In the window is an license application for "Rounding Third" most likely to be another sports bar judging by the name. Thanks! - Tony" Fredric J. Baur 1919-2008: The man who designed the Pringles chips-in-a-tube packaging system has died at age 89. Fredric J. Baur was so proud of his accomplishment that his ashes were buried in a Pringles can. And in other news... Mazque: In my June 2nd blog I had a story about Mazque - the masquerade ball happening tomorrow night at 8pm at Epiphany Restaurant & Bar. I just received word that Epiphany co-owner Kevin Costner will be at the party. Tickets are $50 in advance, $100 at the door and a portion of the proceeds goes to Unity Shoppe. For tickets call (310) 775-7527 or visit mazque.org. Speaking Of Celebrities: I received this anonymous email yesterday: "I saw Adam Sandler last night at Holdren's and a friend said someone saw him last week. Is he filming a movie around here?" Wednesday, June 18, 2008 Nothing but sad news today... :( Zaffiro Closes: Zaffiro Italian restaurant in Goleta closed their doors after a successful three year run in Camino Real Marketplace. Zaffiro owners Perry & Paula Ferguson wish to thank the people of Goleta and Santa Barbara for all their support over the years. The Ferguson's encourage you to support the Santa Barbara Food Bank and the Rescue Mission; all their stocks of food at the time of closing last weekend went to both causes as well as to their kitchen staff. They are considering opening in another location in the future so stay tuned! Rumor has it that the landlord has been pursuing P.F. Changs to take over the spot while another rumor says the landlord wants a retail shop there instead. Your call. Rincon Sub Closes: Rincon Sub, located at 1108 Casitas Pass Rd in Carpinteria has closed their doors for good. They first opened in May, 2007. Reader Esrotu tells me: "Went to order some sandwiches today and they were loading everything into a truck. They said their last day was Friday...sad." Al Steinman 1929-2008: Reader PrimeTime emailed me last night to say that Moby Dick Restaurant's legendary Al Steinman has passed away after a brief battle with cancer. He was 78. A native of New York, Steinman worked for the original owner of Moby Dick's then became part owner in subsequent years. The restaurant, and Steinman, have been a fixture on Stearns Wharf for decades. The Moby Dick burned down several times, twice under Steinman's ownership, and he faithfully rebuilt it each time. There will be services tomorrow, June 18, 2pm, at Mt. Sinai in Burbank. Steinman, whose wife died in 2003, is survived by four children, a large extended family, and countless friends across Santa Barbara. Tuesday, June 17, 2008 Theatrical Treats: Enjoy a luncheon and play reading series at Victoria Hall Theater 33 W. Victoria St. This Thursday, June 19th will be a performance of "The Trial of Mata Hari." The 12:15 pm luncheon/matinee costs $25. For more information call 800-494-8497 . Free Egg Rolls: I saw an advertisement for Dish Cafe at 5722 Calle Real in Goleta recently that included a pledge to: 1) Make healthy food taste great, 2) Never use microwaves, 3) Support local organic gardeners, and 4) Make you healthier! But it was pledge #5 that really caught my eye: Free egg rolls with purchase of any dinner meal of $9 or more. For more information call 964-5755. Brunch At Stateside: Stateside Restaurant & Lounge at 1114 State St now offers Sunday brunch from 10am-2pm. The restaurant, which offers "Asian inspired California cuisine" also has started a "Quick Lunch." From 11am-2pm you can choose from Chef's selected $9 menu and your order will arrive within 15 minutes guaranteed or your lunch is free. Call 564-1000 or visit StatesideSB.com Monday, June 16, 2008 The Story Of Phelps Road:
This story has nothing to do with restaurants so consider it “food for
thought.” This is a tale about a small Goleta neighborhood's cry for
help that has been the subject of
online news stories but rarely
mentioned in the local print and television media.
Phelps Road is a quiet cul-de-sac in Goleta (near Costco) that is
threatened with being transformed into a cross-town highway. The new
highway is part of UCSB's “Vision 2025” Long Range Development Plan (LRDP)
that is open for public comment until June 23rd. |
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