The Palms restaurant & bar at 701 Linden Avenue in Carpinteria closed like so many other eateries did at the onset of the pandemic but as of May 2021 the business remains dark. Current health rules don’t allow buffet lines, cook-your-own-steak places, and salad bars which are signature features of the Carpinteria icon. There has been a lot of talk about actor and area resident Kevin Costner taking over but that might be just a field of dreams.

Update from reader Jimmy Jam: “The Costner thing is definitely a rumor. The owners of the Palms recently took out an ad in the local Coastal View saying they’re still going to come back when regulations allow.”