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Monday, December 31, 2007 The Decaf Dilemma: I enjoy eating breakfast around town but I encounter a frequent problem: wait staff with good intentions refill my decaf coffee with regular caffeinated brew. For example. last weekend I ate at one of my favorite breakfast haunts Cajun Kitchen. The food is terrific as is the service. However, when my decaf cup was half full, the coffee guy came over and filled it with the regular stuff. I had to request they take it away and give me just decaf. A few minutes later, when my decaf cup was empty, a different wait person arrived and filled it with caffeinated coffee again. I again had to ask they take it away and bring me a cup of decaf. This problem happens nearly every time I eat breakfast at an average priced eatery on the South Coast - except for a few restaurants such as Farmer Boy and Alphies. These restaurants have come up with an elegant solution to this problem and my cup is always refilled with decaf. They put an orange paper doily under the coffee cup for anyone who orders decaf. When the coffee guy or gal roams for refills, they know exactly what I am drinking. I highly encourage all Cajun Kitchens (and other restaurants) to use this simple solution to a frequent problem for decaffers like myself. New Name: Reader Foodie Dan let me know that Maria's Italian Kitchen has changed their name to Milano Italian Kitchen. Everything else has stayed the same including management and menu. Last Day Of The Survey: Today is the last day of 2007 which also means it is the last day to get in your votes for the Santa Barbara Survey 2008. If you haven't done so already, fill out the form today! Friday, December 28, 2007 New In The Guide: Today I added Marmalade Cafe (La Cumbre Plaza) and Noodle City (Old Town Goleta) to the restaurant guide. Specials Spotlight: The Downtown Brewing Co. at 3744 State St has some specials going on right now. Lunch Specials (11am-3pm): Mon: buy one, get one half-price, with purchase of 2 drinks. Tue: Sandwich & cup of soup $6.95, Wed: Two salad wraps $9.95 Thu: 1/2 off appetizers. Evening Specials (5pm-9pm): Mon: $2 tri-tip tacos, $4 margaritas, $12 margarita pitchers. Tue: Two steak dinners $12.95, Pint night 9pm-close $2 pints. Wed: Hot wings 25 cents (minimum 5 wings). Thu: Bottomless spaghetti bowl $7.95, chef's choice appetizer and a martini $9.95. Call 682-7803. Santa Barbara Survey: The second annual Santa Barbara Survey™ of your favorite places for food & drink is almost over. The online survey runs from Thanksgiving to New Years and the results will be displayed in the this restaurant guide throughout 2008. Winners receive a glossy, customized 11x14 award poster hand-delivered by yours truly (I made over 70 deliveries last year). Recently I asked readers if any new categories should be created for the 2008 survey and this resulted in six additions: "Best Bargain," "Best Place for a First Date," "Best Place for Large Groups," "Best Place for Cheese," "Best Place for Chocolate," and a new grand prize category: "Best Overall Restaurant." The Santa Barbara Survey 2008 is online at SantaBarbara.com/survey through Monday. Tuesday, December 26, 2007 The Real Thing: A lot of people were upset when Coca-Cola changed their formula in the 1980's and created "New Coke." This product was a flop and was quickly discontinued. But many people don't realize that the Coca-Cola Company dramatically and permanently changed the taste of their famous soft drink in the 1970's without so much as a peep of complaint from the general public. This flavor alteration occurred when Coca-Cola switched from sugar to corn syrup as their primary sweetener. When you buy a can of Coca-Cola Classic, "Classic" really means "post-1970's." Is is possible to still find a bottle of The Real Thing? The answer is yes and you have Mexico to thank for it. Mexico, and several other countries, have continued to use sugar as the primary sweetener in Coca-Cola. Take a sip of this south-of-the-border soft drink and you will experience REAL Coca-Cola Classic. It tastes quite a bit different from the flavor we are all used to and there is a growing movement to officially reintroduce "Classic" Classic Coke in the United States. Coca-Cola from Mexico has been available at small eateries and markets throughout the U.S. but it has always been hard to locate and expensive. Until now. Costco has officially introduced Mexican-made Coca-Cola in their stores throughout the nation and it is significantly less expensive than what Mom & Pop charge. So go to Costco today and "Have a Coke and a Smile." Tuesday, December 25, 2007 Merry Christmas! My column in this week's Daily Sound happened to fall on the Christmas holiday so it will instead appear in tomorrow's paper. Monday, December 24, 2007 Santa Center Update: I have been so swamped here at the Santa Claus Call Center I won't have much restaurant news until after Christmas. There is photograph of call center volunteers Mady Widyasurya, Erin O'Connor & Fallon Leung on the front page of the Los Angeles Times today. Yesterday anchor Fredricka Whitfield at CNN did a story about the call center (see video). I have created a web site with pictures of all the volunteers and more information (such as what toys were most popular). It is online at AccidentalSanta.org. Merry Christmas! Friday, December 21, 2007 Santa Center Update:
I have been so swamped here at the Santa Claus Call Center I won't have
much restaurant news until after Christmas. The volunteers have been
absolutely amazing - true heroes. Some have been talking to 50-60
children per *hour*. It can be quite emotional too. Not every child
calls with a happy story and several volunteers have been moved to
tears. 99% of calls are sweet, adorable children excited to be talking
to Mr. & Mrs. Claus. The calls tend to come in groups from the same area
code soon after a TV broadcast in that region. I love getting calls from
the southern part of the U.S. from children who have adorable accents
and call Santa "Sir" and Mrs. Claus "Mam." And they ask a thousand
questions: "When is Rudolph's birthday?" "What happens when the sleigh
runs out of gasoline?" One child requested that Santa *not* to come to
their home. When I asked why, the little boy replied: "I don't want
Rudolph to poo on our roof!" We are still in need of volunteers. If you think you can help, please use our Mr. & Mrs. Claus signup form. Wednesday, December 19, 2007 New Years At The Palace: Make your reservations now for the Palace Grill's annual New Orleans New Year masquerade celebration. There will be two seatings: 6pm and 9pm. A 5 course dinner includes champagne, live music, costumes, masks and much more. Call 963-5000. French Noel Dinner: You can enjoy New Years at Mimosa restaurant Dec 22,23 & 24. Pre-symphony early 5pm-7pm - 3 course. New Year's menu 5pm - 4 course. Samples from the menu: Grilled Filet Mignon filled with Roquefort cheese, Brioche Crusted Salmon & Cassoulet. Call 682-2272. Open For Lunch: JR's BBQ at Creekside, located at 4444 Hollister Ave, is now open for lunch. Call 967-4538. Marmalade Cafe: Reader Angela tells me that the Marmalade Cafe in La Cumbre Plaza is open for business. Tuesday, December 18, 2007 End Of An Era:
A single scoop of
Thrifty Ice Cream no longer costs less than a dollar.
When I was a kid their famous cylindrical scoops cost about a
dime and the price has hovered at 99 cents for much of the last
decade. That is until last month when a single serving broke though the
buck-barrier and reached $1.19 per scoop. Monday, December 17, 2007 Specials Spotlight: The Enterprise Fish Company at 225 State St has a great lobster deal on Mondays & Tuesdays. Receive a two pound live Maine lobster for only $29.95 (regularly 43.95). Call 962-3313. Santa Claus Call
Center Opens: The Santa Claus Call Center
officially opened today at 1010 State Street. It is open December 17-24
8am-8pm. Here are some pictures:
front window,
front room,
back room. The phones
are now ringing off the hook. The answering system in the call center
can handle 4000 voice mails and was full within a couple hours of the
interview. If you wish to volunteer to talk to kids, their are still
some openings on the signup form. I'll be
there 12 hours a day for the next 8 days, managing the center and
talking to children. Friday, December 14, 2007 We Deliver: Santa Barbara's Thai & sushi restaurant East now delivers. You must be within a two mile radius of the restaurant (1208 State St) and have a minimum order of $35. The restaurant is open Tue-Sun. For more information call 568-1172. Ethiopian Night: Saba Tewolde's Ethiopian Night is tonight at 6:30pm at the Robert Cramer Gallery. The evening will feature great food, Ethiopian music and dance. Admission is $100 and a portion of the proceeds go to help Ethiopian refugees. Call 884-0400. MSNBC: I have received word that MSNBC will be covering the Santa Claus Call Center story. I will be doing two live satellite interviews with TV anchor Alex Witt this Sunday, December 16th to talk about how the citizens of Santa Barbara have come together to talk to children. The first will be 7:15am PT (10:15am ET) and the second will be 8:30am PT (11:30am ET). I'll be at NBC Studios in Burbank for the interview. If you wish to volunteer to answer calls at the center, go to SantaBarbara.com/santa. Your help is much appreciated. And Merry Christmas! Thursday, December 13, 2007 DoubleLatte Resort: Fess Parker's DoubleTree Resort will begin serving Starbucks Coffee at the main restaurant and coffee bar at the hotel. This will replace several other brands currently being served. All You Can Eat: Jake's Cottage Cuisine Cafe at 2911 De la Vina St now has an all-you-can-eat buffet Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays 5pm-8pm. Call 898-2233. Emilio DePaola: Emilio DePaola, namesake founder of Emilio's Restaurant, passed away unexpectedly last Sunday. Viewing is at Welch, Ryce, Haider this Friday (tomorrow) from Noon-7pm. The mass is at Our Lady of Sorrows on E.Sola (between State and Anacapa) at 10am on Saturday. CNN: I just received word that CNN will be doing a live broadcast from the Santa Claus Call Center (open December 17-24 8am-8pm) in downtown Santa Barbara. The phone number for children to call the center is 1-800-SantaBarbara Wednesday, December 12, 2007 Chocolate Fountains: I recently heard about a cool business named Santa Barbara Chocolate Fountains. It is run by Santa Barbara native Leana Orsua. Customers typically rent a fountain for 2½ hours that is a continuous waterfall of dark, milk or white chocolate. Popular dipping items include strawberries, pineapple, banana, pound cake, brownies, pretzels, marshmallows and cookies. The package includes their 35" fountain, 2 ½ hours of service by an attendant, 18 lbs. of high-grade premium chocolate and your choice of up to 3 dipping items. In addition to the fountain they provide wooden skewers, paper plates and napkins. Call 708-4403 or visit sbchocolatefountains.com. New Menu: Tony's Pizza & Pastaria at 699 Linden Ave in Carpinteria has a new menu that includes Anthony's Fresh Ahi Tuna, Southwest Chicken Caesar Salad, Ruben's Eggwich (egg, Canadian bacon, cheese on homemade hamburger bun), and Armando's Excellent Homemade Salsa. Call 684-3413.
Remembering Emilio DePaola: I received this word today from reader Patty: "I don't like being the one to bring bad news but our beloved Emilio DePaola has passed on (Emilio's Restaurant). I hope you have all had the chance to know this angel of a man, like I have. He was a true treasure of a man, always smiling and making everyone who crossed his path feel like they were life-long friends. He loved life, loved dancing, loved his family, and his friends. He will be missed immensely!" There will be a tribute tonight at Madisons at 9pm for Emilio, who died on Sunday of a heart attack. Pizza Fundraiser: Domino's Pizza owners in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo County are raising funds for the children of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital during its 2007 Thanks and Giving Campaign. Domino's stores are asking customers through December 31 to donate a dollar or more to benefit the children of St. Jude. The goal is to raise between $3 million to $5 million for the hospital. Canary: In a recent column I mentioned how the 31 West restaurant at Hotel Andalucía is getting a new name: "Coast." It turns out the the entire hotel will be getting a new name as well: "Canary." Rumor has it that in response, the Bacara will rename themselves "The Parakeet Resort," Biltmore plans to be known as the "Four Seasons Falcon" and the San Ysidro Ranch is scheduled to be called the "San Ysidro Yellow-billed Cuckoo." Monday, December 10, 2007 Noodle City Open: Reader Kha let me know that Noodle City at 5869 Hollister Ave is now open, replacing the recently closed Asian Cafe. Wine Hound: Reader Steve Weixel tells me that there is a big sign in the window of 1221 Chapala saying "Coming Soon The Wine Hound". Rumor has it they are owned by wine club Vinesse, and will *not* be having a tasting room, but will instead have tastings at local restaurants. It is reportedly managed by the "wine guy" from Lazy Acres. Friday, December 7, 2007 Sage & Onion closing tomorrow; Seagrass arrives Christmas Eve: Sage & Onion, after serving happy customers for nine years at 38 E. Ortega St, closes their doors tomorrow (Saturday) night. Opening in its place on December 24th will be Seagrass, a fine dining seafood restaurant brought to you by Mitchell Sjerven. A twenty-five-plus year restaurant veteran, Mitchell also owns & operates Bouchon Santa Barbara. His passion lies in providing an authentic, regional dining experience. Seagrass will be open seven nights a week, Sun-Thu 5:30pm-9pm and Fri-Sat 5:30pm-10pm. Chef Josh Brown, who has managed the kitchen & staff at Bouchon since 2003, will take on the additional duty of being the executive chef at Seagrass. Brandon Hughes, Bouchon’s sous-chef, will be chef de cuisine at Seagrass. Sage & Onion’s departing co-owners, Stephen Giles and Norbert Furnee, have decided to move on to other opportunities (read about it here soon). Stephen tells me that he and Norbert thoroughly enjoyed serving the community for nearly a decade, helping charity events and much more. Sage & Onion will certainly be missed! I plan to have dinner their Saturday night. It's an end of an era. Albertsons Closing: The Coastal View News in Carpinteria reports that Albertsons market on Casitas Pass Rd is closing for good in the late spring of 2008. The grocery giant has been unable to renew its lease, which expires this summer. Vons, located on Linden Ave in Carpinteria, is considering relocating to the Albertsons site. Sweet Sorrow: Carvel Ice Cream, in the Vons shopping center off of Fairview Ave, will not be open much longer. Although they are still in operation, the space is available for lease. Thursday, December 6, 2007 Goodbye Pierre: Pierre Lafond in the Paseo Nuevo mall suddenly closed its doors for good last Saturday. No word yet on what will replace it in that location. Pierre Lafond Bistro at 516 State Street is still operating normally. 31 West Update: 31 West inside Hotel Andalucía has been undergoing a remodel and it appears that the name of the restaurant is being updated as well (thank you to reader Steve Weixel for providing the tip). The new name for 31 West is "Coast Santa Barbara" which follows the naming convention of their "Coast Santa Monica" restaurant inside Shutters On The Beach in Santa Monica. Coast will have a totally new layout, new furnishings, a new entrance, a new menu and a seafood bar. The opening of Coast Santa Barbara is tentatively scheduled for January. Specials Spotlight: Neighborhood bar & restaurant at 235 W. Montecito St has a food special going on during December. From 5pm-11pm you can buy a one topping pizza or a 1/2 pound cheeseburger for only $4.95. You can enjoy your food outdoors this winter on their new heated patio. Call 963-7600. Wednesday, December 5, 2007 Visual Update: The Cheese Shop was rumored to be coming to Paseo Nuevo early December. They are definitely on their way but I would guess January based on the current progress [see photo]. Center Of Town: Suppose you wanted to dine downtown, but not just anywhere downtown - at the *exact* center of town. Where would you eat? I typed "Santa Barbara" into Google Maps, turned on "satellite view" and zoomed in. Upon studying the image carefully I discovered that the center of town, as defined by Google, is the middle of State Street near Chipotle, with Pascucci running a very close second. For Goleta, the center-of-town winner is Wendy's on Hollister Ave. For Carpinteria, the center is at the Tee Time Driving Range which would make nearby Surf Dog at Ballard Ave the champion. Montecito's winner is China Pavilion while in Summerland Tinker's gets the nod. And finally, in Santa Ynez, Willows at the Chumash Casino appears to have won the jackpot. Montecito Is Jealous: A residence in Carpinteria made Forbes Magazine's list of the Ten priciest U.S. home sales in 2007. Price: $35 million. According to Forbes: "Hedge fund manager Bruce Kovner accumulated $83.5 million worth of property in Carpinteria, Calif., which is outside of Santa Barbara. The most expensive acquisition was a $35 million property that sits on three acres and has a Mediterranean-style villa. The other ocean-view acres include a $20 million four-bedroom house and a polo field bought from actor Kevin Costner." Tuesday, December 4, 2007 Christmas Gift: China Pavilion, located at 1202 Chapala St and 1070 Coast Village Rd has a holiday gift card special going on right now. Buy $500 worth of gift cards and receive a free $125 gift card. Alternately you can buy $250 worth of gift cards and receive a free $50 gift card. Gift cards must be in increments of $50 and the offer expires at the end of the year. Specials Spotlight: The Kona Ranch House at 5685 Calle Real in Goleta has some daily specials: Sunday - Luau Platter (Kalua Pork, Luau Pork Ribs, Teriyaki Chicken, Big Island Beef, Fresh Mahi Mahi) $16.95, Monday - Fish & Chips (with Hawaiian Cole Slaw) $6.95, Tuesday - Big Island Beef $11.95, Wednesday - Paniolo Kut Prime Rib $16.95, Thursday - $5 off any entree if you wear a Hawaiian shirt! Expansion: Williams-Sonoma in La Cumbre Plaza is planning to expand into the space currently occupied by their mall neighbor Hallmark. Hallmark leaves at the end of the year. Monday, December 3, 2007 Coming Soon: Reader Dianne let me know that the South Coast Deli will be opening another location at 1436 Chapala St (where Chapala crosses Micheltorena St). The previous occupant of this address was Cafe La Luz which closed last July. Renovation: California Pasta, located in Paseo Nuevo Mall downtown, will be closing for two months for a full remodel of the restaurant starting January 7, 2008. Apparently this location has had many years of restaurant activity with very few upgrades. They will be adding all new equipment and raising the overall level of appearance. Confectionery Of The Month: This month's honorees are Jean-Michel & Jill-Marie Carré, founders of Chocolats du CaliBressan that opened in Carpinteria last month. I went to their official launch party last Friday night and it was packed with well-wishers enjoying champagne and lots of fine chocolate. Friday, November 30, 2007 Clean Creeks Certified: Rusty's Downtown Pizza at 232 W. Carrillo St and Rusty's Lighthouse Pizza at 15 E. Cabrillo Blvd have been added to the city of Santa Barbara's list of Clean Creeks Certified Businesses. Previous certified businesses include Via Maesta 42, Harbor Restaurant, El Paseo Restaurant, Los Arroyos, Aldo's, Left At Albuquerque, Super Cucas, Savoy, Garrett's Whale Tail, Elements, Arigato, California Pizza Kitchen, Le Bon Cafe, Quantum Restaurant, Shoreline Beach Cafe, State & A and Cafe Buenos Aires. For more information about this program visit sbcreeks.com or call 897-1910. Freebirds Delivers: The popular Freebirds World Burrito in Isla Vista now delivers. You can either call or visit www.FreebirdsDelivery.com to place an order. Their delivery times are NOT 24-hour, so check the website first before you order. You can read about this new service on the UCSB Daily Nexus web site. Marry Me Leyla: Speaking of UCSB, I was running on the Ellwood Mesa near campus yesterday and spotted a huge sign in the sand, made out of kelp, that proclaims "MARRY ME LEYLA" [see photo]. Does anyone know if Leyla said "yes?" Email me if you know her answer! Thursday, November 29, 2007 Four Diamond Rating: The Chumash Casino Resort and its restaurant, The Willows have earned the AAA Four Diamond Award. The award is given to hotels and restaurants in Southern California by the Automobile Club. This is the casino and restaurant's fourth consecutive year of Four Diamond status. La Tolteca Closed: For the first time in decades there is no La Tolteca Restaurant in Santa Barbara. The original on Haley St closed about two years ago and the Milpas location ended operations last month. Tabasco Taboo: Denny's, represented locally at 3614 State St and 5677 Calle Real, has stopped offering Tabasco sauce at all of their 1,500 locations. They now offer an inferior "Louisiana Gold" that does not have the quality or flavor of the legendary pepper sauce. I am sure they saved lots of money by making this move but I believe it is a faux pas to use generic brands for essential condiments in a restaurant. Perhaps next they will switch to Kirkland Ketchup? As If You Care: After weeks of planning, I first launched this restaurant news blog December 19, 2006, which was the day before the "Wrong Number Santa" story broke (see below). Ensuing events forced me to immediately cancel this blog (and scrap all the time-sensitive stories I had pre-written). I premiered this blog a second time on January 4th, 2007. Wednesday, November 28, 2007 Seeking Mr. & Mrs. Claus: Some of
you may have heard my crazy Christmas story last year. It goes
like this: This web site's toll-free number
(1-800-SantaBarbara) that I launched late last year turned out to be
just one digit off from 1-800-SantaClaus. I started receiving
tons of misdialed calls from kids telling me their Christmas wishes.
Rather than play Scrooge, I played along and answered the calls all day
long for two weeks, pretending to be Santa. I spoke to 973 kids in all
and tens of thousands of kids called but couldn't get through my jammed
phone line. The odd story managed to find its way to newspapers all over
the nation, labeling me the "Wrong Number Santa." I ended up
doing live TV interviews on Fox News, NBC News, the Today Show and spoke
on NPR. To top it all off, a CNN satellite truck came to my home on
Christmas Eve for a live interview. It was all very weird, but also very
fun talking to so many excited and anxious little kids. There is a story about the Santa Claus Call Center in today's Santa Barbara News-Press. Tuesday, November 27, 2007 Specials Spotlight: Get a free Beachbreak T-Shirt with any pitcher of beer during Happy Hour at Beachbreak Cafe, 324 State St. Daily Happy Hour is 2-6pm. Call 963-2889. Chocolaterie Open House: You are invited to the Nouvelle Chocolaterie "Chocolats du CaliBressan" by Jean-Michel and Jill-Marie Carre to discover their new chocolate boutique and taste Jean-Michels artisan truffles and bonbon's. November 30th, 5pm-7pm, 4193 Carpinteria Ave Suite #4 in Carpinteria. Call 684 6900. New At Elements: Leslie Tucker Klatt has been named general manager of Elements Restaurant & Bar in Santa Barbara. Ms. Klatt has 15 years of restaurant experience in downtown Santa Barbara and previously managed Wine Cask and Restaurant Nu. Monday, November 26, 2007 Santa Barbara Survey™ 2008: The second annual Santa Barbara Survey™ of your favorite places for food & drink has begun. The online survey runs from Thanksgiving to New Years and the results will be displayed in the SantaBarbara.com Restaurant Guide throughout 2008. Winners receive a glossy, customized 11x14 award poster hand-delivered by yours truly (I made over 70 deliveries last year). Recently I asked readers if any new categories should be created for the 2008 survey and this resulted in six additions: "Best Bargain," "Best Place for a First Date," "Best Place for Large Groups," "Best Place for Cheese," "Best Place for Chocolate," and a new grand prize category: "Best Overall Restaurant." The Santa Barbara Survey™ 2008 is online at: Food Drive: The 9th annual Bountiful Banquet Food Drive at the Shepard Place Mall in Carpinteria ends November 30th. You can drop off goods at shops in the mall and they will be distributed to local families. Recommended contributions include soups, canned vegetables, rice, pasta sauces, canned fruit, fruit juices and more. Contact the Carpinteria Lions Club for details. Tamale Class: Learn secrets from hot tamale chefs. December 5th 6-8pm, $40/person includes all ingredients and you take home the tamales. Signup before Nov 30th. Sponsored by Girls Inc of Carpinteria. For details call 684-6364. Pomegranate Festival: Enjoy the Buttonwood Farm Pomegranate Festival & Holiday Open House this Sunday, December 2nd. Find out all of the secrets of the pomegranate. Noon-4pm, $7.50 wine tasting fee. 1500 Alamo Pintado Rd, Solvang. Call 800-715-1404 Friday, November 23, 2007 Montecito Giovanni's Closing: Apparently the decades-long transformation of Coast Village Rd into "Rodeo Drive" continues on schedule. The Montecito Journal reports that Giovanni's Pizza, a fixture in Montecito for more than 20 years, will be closing on February 1st. Owner Alex Normand says the landlord did not renew their lease and that the property owners want a more upscale restaurant occupying that location. Zero By Zero Nine: Carl's Jr, represented locally at 7 S. Milpas St and 5820 Calle Real, has announced plans to transition to zero trans fat canola cooking oil by 2009. Speaking of Carl's Jr, they will be opening a new restaurant next year at 4610 Carpinteria Ave in Carpinteria, the former location of Coco's Restaurant. Specials Spotlight: Sambos, located at 216 W. Cabrillo Blvd since 1957, is now offering $2.00 Short Stack Pancakes Monday-Friday. They are open daily 6:30am-3:30pm and offer free wireless Internet access. Thursday, November 22, 2007 Happy Thanksgiving!!!! Wednesday, November 21, 2007 Fish House Coming To Hendry's: The Brown Pelican restaurant, located at Hendry's Beach, is being replaced by the Fish House restaurant. The Brown Pelican closes their doors this Sunday after 25 years in business. The Fish House will continue to operate their other location near Stearns Wharf. Speaking of the Brown Pelican, they will be having a liquidation sale soon to clear out their tables, chairs, and assorted equipment. Rumors Of The Day: The Tee-Off Restaurant and Kona Ranch House are rumored to be for sale in a package deal for $1.4 million. The China Bowl, located on Ortega St, is rumored to be for sale for $400k. As always, these rumors might be completely false or a brilliant forecast of future events. Your call. I must add that the Tee-Off is, and will continue to be, one of my all-time favorite restaurants. Nobody does Prime Rib like Tee-Off. Specials Spotlight: JR's BBQ on Hollister Ave are having some great daily specials: All-you-can-eat Ribs (dining room only) $16.95. Early Bird Senior Special - Mon-Fri 4-6pm 15% off. Bucket of BBQ for Family of 4 on Sundays $39.95. Tuesday, November 20, 2007 There's No Place Like Home: I have returned from my visit to El Salvador and would like to give a huge thank you to LemonJelly for writing a terrific guest blogger column while I was gone! Starting tomorrow I will add to this column some observations from my visit to Central America. Ruth's Chris Opens
Uptown: La Cumbre Plaza has a new tenant. No, it's
not another shoe store. I am talking about the famous
Ruth’s
Chris Steakhouse which had its grand opening yesterday.
Their story began in 1965 when founder Ruth Fertel mortgaged her
home to buy a little steak house in New Orleans named Chris
Steak House. The public company now has 117 locations around the
world and is based in Heathrow, Florida. The new Santa Barbara
restaurant at 3815 State St has 85 employees and is open Mon-Thu
5-10pm, Fri-Sat 5-10:30pm and Sun 4:30-9:30pm. Brown Pelican Closing: Reader Anita tells me that the Brown Pelican restaurant has lost its lease and is closing this Sunday. A new seafood restaurant will be opening in its place in the near future. Let's Dance: Reader Jeramy informs me that Stateside Restaurant & Lounge has obtained something sought after by all popular night spots: a dance permit. In addition to enjoying great food & drink at Stateside, you can now twist & shout! Turducken: Reader Dave asked me if there are any restaurants in town that serve a "Turducken dinner." I politely told him that I didn't know and then asked: "What the hell is a Turducken?" A Turducken is a turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken, with stuffing in between. He tells me it yields multiple layers of flavor. You can read more about it online at: wikipedia.org/wiki/Turducken Tuesday, November 13 - Monday, November 19, 2007 Guest Blogger: I am out of the country right now and reader LemonJelly is filling in for me as my guest blogger. Email her at lemonjelly@santabarbara.com. I return Tuesday, November 20th. Click here to read LemonJelly's restaurant blog. Monday, November 12, 2007 C'est Cheese:
If they were any hotter, the cheese would melt. That sums up the
popularity of C’est Cheese, a specialty store at 825
Santa Barbara St that features over 100 cheeses from around
the world [photo]. It is little tucked-away gems like this that
Santa Barbara is famous for and I thank reader Todd McRay for
finding this one for me. Specials Spotlight: My “specials spotlight” always lists pretty good bargains, but this week’s deal is jaw-dropping. Enterprise Fish Company, located at 225 State St, is celebrating their 30th anniversary by rolling back prices to what they were in 1977. For two days only, on November 14th & 15th, you will be able order the following entrees: Pacific Red Snapper $5.95, Shrimp Louie Salad $5.95, Combo Skewer $7.95, Salmon $7.95 and Swordfish $8.95. Also discounted are appetizers: Fried Calamari $2.95, Bay Shrimp Cocktail $2.95 and Oyster Shooter 75 cents. Call 962-3313. Take-Home Thanksgiving: Jack's Bistro, located at 5050 Carpinteria Ave in Carpinteria, is offering a take-home Thanksgiving dinner (turkey or ham) that serves 8-10. It includes traditional mash potatoes, gravy, herb stuffing, vegetable medley, caramelized roasted yams and fresh dinner rolls. Price is $94.95. Orders are due by November 19th at noon. Call 453-1408. Visual Update: It appears construction of some kind has begun at 1129 State St [photo], the former home of Restaurant Nu. There is a rumor floating around that the next occupant will be The Melting Pot Restaurant. As always, this rumor might be completely false or a brilliant forecast of future events. Your call. Ruth's Chris: Rumors about the exact day of Ruth's Chris Steakhouse opening have been bouncing all over the calendar. Last Friday I sat down with Ruth's Chris general manager Christopher Goodyear and he gave me the official scoop. The grand opening of the new La Cumbre Plaza restaurant is Monday, November 19th at 5pm. Here is a [photo] of their shiny new digs Guest Blogger: I am leaving the country this week to visit my sister and her family in El Salvador. Her husband works for the State Dept and they move to a different country every two years. It's a pretty cool way to see the world she tells me. It is also a great opportunity for me to globetrot on the cheap! Reader LemonJelly will be filling in for me as my guest blogger starting tomorrow. I'll be back Tuesday, November 20th. Friday, November 9, 2007 Sesto Senso Opens: Sesto Senso, which means "sixth sense" in Italian, has opened at 1026 Coast Village Rd in Montecito. Brought to you by Alberto & Michelle Mastrangelo, the owners of Epiphany Restaurant & Bar downtown, Seso Senso offers appetizers and wine. In addition to a large variety of wine, Sesto Senso serves Italian sushi including white salmon carpaccio, smoked duck breast with medjook dates & pearl onions, tuna/hamachi/beef carpaccio, Dungeness crab squash with guacamole and much more. They are open Mon-Sat 5pm - midnight. Call 565-1956. New Bakery On Haley: Reader Liana let me know that a Mexican bakery/deli named Los Tarascos as opened at 314 E Haley St in downtown Santa Barbara. Hours are Mon-Fri 6:30am-11pm, Sat 8am-11pm, Sun 6pm-11pm. Call (866) 898-0529. Thursday, November 8, 2007
Who Caters Sushi? Reader Meridith is
searching for a local catering company that offers fresh sushi and I put
that question in yesterday's blog. Thank you to readers Steve Weixel,
Anita, Chris & Steve V. for helping Meridith find the answer! New Cook Book: Trattoria Grappolo at 3687 Sagunto St in Santa Ynez has published a 224 page high-gloss cookbook called "Trattoria Grappolo: Simple Recipes for Traditional Italian Cuisine." Cookbooks can be ordered at the restaurant or call 688-6899. Weekend Jazz: Volare Ristorante at 1095 Edison St in Santa Ynez has live jazz 7-9pm on Fridays & Saturdays. Call 693-8072. Wednesday, November 7, 2007 Coming Soon: Reader Frank let me know that the Cheese Shop Carmel, located in Carmel-by-the-Sea is opening a store in Paseo Nuevo downtown. It is scheduled to open early December next to Nordstrom. Chocolaterie Coming To Carp: A French chocolate making business will open in Carpinteria mid-November. "Chocolats du CaliBressan" will be located in the business park at 4193 Carpinteria Ave, Suite 4. Call 684-6900. Steak Patrol: "Officer Wedge" writes a review of the Filet Mignon at Cold Spring Tavern. Who Caters Sushi? Reader Meridith is searching for a local catering company that offers fresh sushi. This is a great question because most Japanese restaurants do not offer catering. If you have any suggestions, please send me an email and I will post the answer here. Tuesday, November 6, 2007 For Peet's Sake: Reader Richard followed up on the rumor about Peet’s Coffee coming to downtown State St and it appears that it might not be happening any time soon. Here is the official communication he received from corporate headquarters: “Dear Richard, Thank you very much for your inquiry. I am not aware of any immediate plans for a new Peet's in Santa Barbara. New store openings have only been announced through January 2008, and Santa Barbara is not on the list. Sincerely, Ginny Phillips, Customer Service, Peet's Coffee & Tea.” Visual Update: I first spotted a sign for Wahoo's Fish Taco in mid-October and mentioned it in my October 15th blog. They are taking over the former Taiko location at 511 State St. It appears Wahoo's has finally started construction (see photo). Best Of 2008: Starting on Thanksgiving and running through New Years, I'll be conducting my second-annual online Santa Barbara Survey™ of the best restaurants in town. If you have any category suggestions to add to those used for the Best of 2007 survey, please send me an Email.
Monday, November 5, 2007 Specials Spotlight:
Coming Soon?: I also stopped by a restaurant-in-progress named Saffron on De La Guerra St. About a month ago in this column I mentioned that it looked like construction was going on inside. I snuck a peek last weekend and nothing had changed at all since my previous visit so plans appear to be stalled. Friday, November 2, 2007 Luck Cafe: In January 2005 a notice about the pending arrival of "Luck Cafe" appeared on a door at 18 E. Cota St, between Blue Agave and Square One. Then nothing happened. The paper on the windows was down recently and it appears that there finally is some construction going on inside. They are combining two separate addresses into one larger space. See view through left window and right window. Rumor has it that the lease is held by Gene Montesano, owner of Lucky's, Joe's Cafe & more. Perhaps this location will become the rumored new downtown Lucky's that was mentioned in my blog on October 9th? New In The Guide: At the request of reader Angela, I finally made it over to Boris Cake Bakery at 423 N. Milpas St and added them to the guide. Thursday, November 1, 2007
A Restaurant Odyssey: Santa Barbara has some
great restaurants, but dining venues with a
view looking down on our spectacular city are all but non-existent. Granada Hills, a city on the
edge of the San Fernando Valley, doesn't have this problem. I was in
Granada Hills recently and came across the most amazing restaurant named The
Odyssey. The Odyssey is situated high above the San Fernando Valley
and has the most incredible view. Nearly every seat in the house has a prime vantage point
(see
photos). Imagine if someone built a restaurant at the top
of the Santa Barbara Riviera, lined it with windows and you dined there at sunset. That
would be similar to the experience I am
talking about. Visual Update: I stopped by the future home of Esau's Cafe at 721 Chapala St. The last I heard they were looking for a December 2007 opening. From the looks of the inside, I don't think December is going to happen. See photos of outside & inside. Changes To The Guide: Starting today I have changed the SantaBarbara.com Restaurant Guide's review expiration period from 3 years to 2 years. In other words, reviews older than 730 days are no longer displayed. Previously the maximum number of days in the life a review was 1095. This is the first modification to the formula in the six years since the review system was first added to the guide. While this suddenly removes thousands of the oldest reviews, it also makes this restaurant guide more relevant. Two years is still an eternity for a restaurant. There will continue to be a 12 review minimum, meaning that reviews stop expiring if a restaurant only has a dozen (or fewer) reviews. Wednesday, October 31, 2007 The Zagat Zone: In a recent column I published the winners of the Zagat Survey for Santa Barbara. After looking at the list of winners for "Best Food," it suddenly occurred to me that Santa Barbara has formed what I'll call a "Zagat Zone." All the top ranked Santa Barbara restaurants (Arigato Sushi, Bouchon, Downey's & Olio E Limone) are clustered near the intersection of State & Victoria (see photo). To further illustrate their proximity I counted out the number of steps between each dining venue. Using Bouchon as the starting point, it takes only 91 steps to reach Arigato. I paced off 88 steps to Downey's and a mere 30 steps to Olio E Limone. Picture Of The Day: State Street has always had people trying a variety of gimmicks to attract "personal" donations. One clever guy seems to have hit upon a winning formula that is raking in cash. The novelty: he has a mouse on top of a cat, while the cat is on top of a dog (see photo 1, photo 2). Now that a successful business model has been discovered, we can expect to see a flood of traditional foes paired together in harmony downtown, such as Spider/Fly, Cheetah/Gazelle, Coke/Pepsi...
Halloween: Have a safe and
Happy Halloween and try to ease up on the junk food intake! If
you happen to be near Loreto Plaza on upper State St, be sure to
stop by
Harry's Plaza Cafe for their Halloween costume contest. Tuesday, October 30, 2007 A Time For Thanksgiving: Each November my inbox is swamped with the same question: Which restaurants serve a traditional turkey dinner on Thanksgiving Day? Last week I made a hundred phone calls to find the answer, just for you faithful blog readers. You should make reservations early because some places will be sold out weeks in advance. Here is my list of restaurants serving a traditional turkey dinner on Thanksgiving Day:
Moroccan Night: Roblar Winery & Vineyards presents Moroccan Night, Friday November 2nd, 6-9pm. Includes music, belly dancers, wine and 5-course Moroccan dinner by Chef Karim. $125 per person (all inclusive). Reservations required. Location: 3010 Roblar Ave, Santa Ynez. Call 686-2603. Rumor Of the Day: The
owners of popular Kahuna
Grill in Camino Real Marketplace are planning to open a
second Kahuna Grill, this time in Paseo Nuevo downtown. The new grill
will replace the recently closed
Tiramisu
restaurant. As always, this rumor might be completely false or a
brilliant forecast of future events. Your call. Monday, October 29, 2007 Subway Coming To Downtown: No, the city is not planning to start tunneling under State Street. Subway Sandwiches will be taking over the old Cingular Wireless location, a few doors down from Spice Avenue. The address is 1021A State St (see photo of new signs on the window) and they have not yet started the remodel. Foodbank Fundraiser: The Foodbank of Santa Barbara County is having their 10th annual Empty Bowls fundraiser on November 4th at the Rockwood Woman's Club. Regular tickets are $25 and Empty Bowls always sells out. Attendees are fed soup and bread from area restaurants, get a bowl made by area potters to keep, and receive a lot of satisfaction by helping a good cause. Seatings are at 11am, noon and 1pm Call 967-5741 x104. Chocolate De Vine: Santa Barbara Rape Crisis Center presents Chocolate de Vine a celebration of chocolate & wine, Saturday, November 3rd, 7–10p at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum. VIP reception is at 6pm sharp. The event features a judged competition of chocolate creations by local chefs. Contributors include Giessinger Winery, Jessie’s Grove Winery, Mid-Life Crisis Winery, Michael-David Winery, Bacara, Cindy Black with Mmm…Cake!, The Wine Cask, Bella Dolce, Chocolate Maya, Elements, Jessica Foster, Fresco & more. Tickets are $55 in advance / $65 at the door. Private VIP reception for $95 includes Reserve Wines, Champagne, Hors d’oeuvres and a Chocolate Dessert. For tickets visit sbrapecrisiscenter.org or call 963-6832. Rumor Of The Day: Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse is having their grand opening on Monday, November 19th. As always, this rumor might be completely false or a brilliant forecast of future events. Your call. Friday, October 26, 2007 Asian Cafe Closes: Reader Lemonjelly tells me that Vietnamese restaurant Asian Cafe in old town Goleta is officially closing today. The nice lady that runs the place will be focusing her time on the little Asian shop next door, and has sold the restaurant business to new owners from Oxnard, who will renovate and rename the place Noodle City. Bargains At Dargan's: Dargan's Irish Pub & Restaurant has been celebrating 10 years in business this week. All week through this Sunday, Oct 28 Dargan's has been offering all their menu items at 1997 prices, including Fish & Chips $7, Irish Stew $6.50, Pan Seared Halibut $12. I am planning to stop by tonight and check it out. Specials Spotlight: The Treehouse Restaurant at 3860 State St now has a Friday Prime Rib special for only $14.99. Includes creamed horseradish, choice of rice or potato, fresh vegetables and soup or salad. Dinner starts after 4pm. Halloween: Reader Bob Patterson, owner of Here's the Scoop, tells me that once again Coast Village Road in Montecito turns into GHOST Village Road on Oct 31st 2-7PM. The road's association of businesses sponsors this event with many merchants handing out candy to well over 1,000 kids. Here's The Scoop will be giving out samples of their "Worms & Dirt" Gelato (Cookies & Cream with Gummy worms). This year the Montecito Inn will do the Haunted House. Here's The Scoop is having a Costume Contest, open to kids 2-15, time is 3-6PM. Photos will be judged on creativity & originality. Thursday, October 25, 2007 Saigon Express Reopens: Reader Stephen tells me that he walked by Saigon Express in Isla Vista recently and it appears they have reopened and are under new management. Sand Shark: Earlier this week I reported that Sandbar was recently reinvented as a Mexican restaurant & tequila bar. I appears that the reason for the change is that they are under new ownership. Sandbar was purchased by its State Street neighbor Sharkeez a little over a year ago. Halloween: Sweet Alley, located at 1103 State St, has stocked up on Halloween treats this year, including:
Menu Online: Reader Mike tells me that popular Cota St restaurant Blue Agave now lists their complete menu on their web site. I haven't been to Blue Agave in years so I told Mike, who is having dinner at Blue Agave soon, that if he gives it a thumbs up, I'll immediately make reservations for dinner. I'll keep checking their reviews to see what Mike's verdict is and I'll post the results here. Wednesday, October 24, 2007 Ethiopian Eatery: Saba Tewolde, recently featured in the Santa Barbara Daily Sound, plans to open a local restaurant named Lalibela that specializes in Ethiopian cuisine. I spoke with her at length recently and Saba hopes to find a restaurant location in the next six months. She currently owns and operates the Lalibela catering service that serves Ventura to Santa Barbara. Lalibela catering handles groups from 5 up to 100 people, including events, birthday parties and more. Ethiopian food is served traditionally and includes Injera (flat bread), fish, chicken, lamb, beef, spinach, lentil, beans dishes and cucumber yogurt salad. Call 963-4053. Careers That Sizzle: Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, scheduled to open in La Cumbre Plaza this November, is beefing up their staff. This is a medium-rare opportunity to find a job as a server, bartender, host/hostess, cook, steward, dishwasher or food runner. If you have dining experience and want to join their herd, apply in person Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm at Holiday Inn Goleta, located at 5650 Calle Real. New Web Site: Stateside Restaurant & Lounge, Santa Barbara's newest restaurant, located at 1114 State St in La Arcada, has just launched their web site that includes pictures, menus and more.
As If You Care: In my
September 10th blog I mentioned how my friends and I
took a group photo while on vacation at Northern
California when we were teenagers. At that time the five of us
all vowed to
return every five years and retake that picture, sitting
in the exact same location, lined up in the same order, with the
same posture and even the same facial expressions (see
photos). We have somehow managed to keep that vow intact for 25 years
and the story of our odd ritual is featured in today's
News-Press. Tuesday, October 23, 2007 Zagat Survey 2008: Zagat just released their highly-respected annual survey of restaurants and I had an opportunity to glance at the booklet covering the region from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles. Locally, here’s the run down of the best-of-the-best:
For those of you who occasionally dine south of the South Coast, here are the big winners for the entire Los Angeles region:
Speaking Of Surveys: Starting on Thanksgiving and running through New Years, the SantaBarbara.com Restaurant Guide will be conducting its second-annual online Santa Barbara Survey™. The poll results will be displayed on the guide’s “Best Of 2008” page all next year. Rumor Of The Day: In Carpinteria, Giannfranco's Trattoria has grown in popularity so much they need to expand the size of their kitchen. When the time comes, they will be closed for the duration of the remodel. As always, this rumor might be completely false or a brilliant forecast of future events. Your call. AOK BBQ: A friend of mine who is a BBQ connoisseur tells me that the new JR's BBQ at Creekside in Goleta is fantastic. Last week he dined at JR’s, located at 4444 Hollister Ave in Goleta (near Modoc), and said they were packed. My friend offered lots of praise for the quality of the food and the chef’s attention to detail and said a visit to JR’s is a must for BBQ fans. I tried it myself last night (I ordered the baby back ribs) and it was phenomenal. Looks like we just found another hidden gem. Call 964-5118. Monday, October 22, 2007 Turkish Festival: This Sunday, October 28, 11am-5pm, Mediterra Cafe & Market at 5575 Hollister Ave (next to Sizzler) is holding their second-annual Turkish Festival. They were overwhelmed last year so organizers are making this year’s event even bigger. The festival will have live entertainment, arts and crafts, belly dancing, folk dancing, Gyros, Baklava, Turkish coffee and activities for children. Admission is free. For pictures & information visit sb.turkishfestival.us on the web or call 696-9323. Rumor Of The Day: I was in the Scavenge costume shop at 418 State St the other day, buying my outfit for this Halloween (I'll be Santa Claus, it's a long story...), when I heard that they may move to a different location. Two different organizations have approached Scavenge about opening restaurants at that location. As always, this rumor might be completely false or a brilliant forecast of future events. Your call. Sandbar Goes Mex: I was walking down the windy, blinding, ash-choked State St corridor last Saturday night when I happen to notice things looked very different at Sandbar. Sandbar, located at 514 State St, has completely changed their concept. They are now a Mexican Restaurant & Tequila Bar. And they were totally packed with customers. Looks like a good move. Call 966-1388. Friday, October 19, 2007 JR's Opens For Business: JR's BBQ at Creekside opened last Friday night at 4444 Hollister Ave (near Upper State St & Modoc Rd) and I added them to the guide today. They feature southern-style barbeque ribs, pork shoulder, beef brisket and Jamaican Jerk chicken. Dinner hours are from 4-10pm, with a separate late night bar menu with tacos, burgers and appetizers. Dinners range from $7.50 to $25. The restaurant features family dining, while the bar offers a large dance floor. Outside is a great horseshoe pit area with picnic tables. Call 964-5118. Seven Restaurant Owners Join The Guide: The owners of Brophy Bros., Cafe Buenos Aires, Greek House Cafe, Jake's, Left At Albuquerque, Silvergreen's Restaurant and Stateside Restaurant & Lounge contacted me and have opened control panel accounts. Control panel accounts in the SantaBarbara.com Restaurant Guide are free of charge and allow owners to post responses to public reviews written about their restaurant. They can also enter extended descriptions of their restaurant and information about specials, hours, web site, menus, etc. The total number of restaurant owners that have opened control panel accounts in the guide stands at 102. Welcome aboard! As If You Care: It's a slow news day so here is something random for you: Today Paramount Pictures finished casting all the parts for the next Star Trek movie, which is supposed to be set in the crew's younger, academy days. I searched Google and found pictures of the new actors: Kirk, Spock, Bones, Scotty, Sulu, Uhura & Chekov. I have a suspicion the new movie will suck. It arrives in theaters December 2008. Thursday, October 18, 2007 Barramundi: I was at Outback Steakhouse on Calle Real last night with my friends Wedge & Trish who are big fans of Australia. They travel down under frequently and were very surprised to see that Outback now offers Barramundi fish on the menu. Wedge said it is a very delicious type of fish only found in the waters of Australia and is hugely popular there. He told me this is the first time he has ever seen it served in the U.S. because it is so hard to import. We ordered it and it was indeed fantastic. Speaking Of Outback: I also noticed that Outback Steakhouse has a new "No Worries Wednesdays" special where they offer a mixed grill for $17.95. Here is their official description: "Savor our succulent slow-roasted top cap sirloin, tender, flame-grilled chicken breast, and seasoned shrimp all served with fresh steamed French-style green beans and vanilla bean mashed sweet potatoes." Stand-Up Comedy: Bricks Cafe, located at 509 State St, now offers stand-up comedy every Thursday from 10pm-Midnight. Call 899-8833. Specials Spotlight: Bay Cafe, located near the beach at 131 Anacapa St, is having a 2 lb Alaskan King Crab special for only $24.95 on Mondays and Tuesdays. Call 963-2215. Wednesday, October 17, 2007 When Life Hands You Lemons, Make Lemon-ale: The Hollister Brewing Co. has brewed the official Lemonale for the California Lemon Festival in Goleta this weekend. Their brewer, Eric Rose, has brewed this very special ale using local lemons from Glen Annie Canyon, lemongrass, and ginger. HBC has sampled this beer from the tanks at the brewery and are very excited about the release of this beer. They will be serving this at Hollister Brewing Co. starting this Thursday afternoon and there will be plenty on tap at the Lemon Festival. New Restaurant In Solvang: Reader Melissa tells me that the Bacchus Restaurant at the Storybook Inn in Solvang is now open for business. Located at 409 First Street, they serve dinner Wed-Sun starting at 5pm (see menu). Owner Brigitte Guehr has 30 years of restaurant experience and previous restaurants have been featured locally and in national publications such as "Gourmet" and "Bon Appetit" magazines. Executive Chef Troy Tolbert creates a seasonally changing wine country prix fixe menu, complemented by award winning wines. Reservations are highly recommended. Call 688-1703. Visual Update: They have finished paving the driveway (it was recently just dirt) at Storke Road Drive Inn and have added new windows & walls (see photo). The reopening is planned for the late 2007. Yappy Hour: Happy Hour for you and your dog. Stop feeling Guilty for leaving your dog at home while you enjoy a social life! Bring your best friend with you...Live Music, MUTTini's, & Mingling with a Canine Halloween Costume Contest. Best dressed wins a prize. DATE: October 18, 2007, TIME: 6:00p - 9:00p, PLACE: Red's, 211 Helena Ave, Phone: 805-966-5906, PRICE: $8 advance / $10 @ door Tuesday, October 16, 2007 Stateside Opens Downtown: Stateside Restaurant & Lounge opened its doors last week in La Arcada at 1114 State St, in the former location of Acapulco Restaurant. General Manager Warren Butler gave me an extensive tour a few weeks ago and I was very impressed. As designed, they will be able to open up parts of the restaurant to accommodate large events and then scale back the visible space to keep the atmosphere cozy & intimate. In addition to being a fine local restaurant featuring Californian Cuisine with an Asian influence, I can see 11,000-square-foot Stateside quickly becoming the preferred special events location in town. The restaurant features an outdoor patio, two bar areas, a private dining room and an upstairs mezzanine lounge. Hours are 11am - close. Call 564-1000. Lemon Festival: For the past fifteen years the California Lemon Festival has been the biggest celebration in the Goleta area and it continues this weekend October 20-21. In addition to great lemon food and lots of family activities, the festival has expanded to include the Goleta Fall Classic Car, Motorcycle and Street Rod Show, and the Girls Inc. 5K Run. As always, the Lemon Festival will feature the most extensive 'Safety Street' in the county, a pie-eating contest, arts and crafts vendors, a petting zoo and amusement park rides. Winemaker's Dinner: This Thursday, October 18 at 6:30pm, Four Seasons Biltmore features Sunstone Winery for an October Winemaker’s Dinner in the Bella Vista restaurant. Price $95 plus tax & gratuity. For reservations call 565-8232. Now FireFox Compatible: Reader Gene let me know that there was some issues with the FireFox web browser not displaying my blog correctly. I had never viewed my blog with FireFox before and the font sizes were a mess! I have made changes to the fonts on the page so it now displays correctly in both Internet Explorer and the latest version of FireFox. D’OH! That is the sound Homer Simpson makes when he has just committed another huge blunder. I now know how he feels. Last Tuesday in my column in the Daily Sound I reported that the Cheesecake Factory was coming to town which is not true, as it turns out. My blog was immediately corrected but there are no keys to press that will fix my column after it is sitting in news racks all over town. My well-deserved punishment was swift as flame mails informing me of my error quickly torched my inbox. On the bright side, in addition to having learned a valuable lesson about double-checking sources, I now know that my mom is not the only person reading my print column! Monday, October 15, 2007 Wahoo's Fish Taco: Last night I enjoyed a nice dinner on a cozy sidewalk table at Holdren's Steaks & Seafood. As I savored my grilled shrimp, artichoke soup and baby back ribs, I happened to notice a big sign across the street (see photo). On the front window of 511 State St, the former location of Taiko restaurant, there is now a colorful banner announcing that “Wahoo’s Fish Taco” is coming to town. Wahoo’s is a taco chain started in 1988 in O.C. and currently has more than 50 locations throughout California and Colorado. Remodeling of the restaurant space has not started yet. For more information, go to wahoos.com. Eclectic I.V. Reopens: Eclectic I.V., located at 6530 Pardall Rd in Isla Vista, has reopened after closing its doors for remodeling last August. Fire At Lito's: Workers fixing the roof at Lito's Mexican Restaurant on Haley St accidentally started a fire that partially damaged the structure. No word yet on when they will reopen. Rumor Of the Day: The popular Jake's Cottage Cuisine Café on De La Vina St is considering opening a second location in Goleta. As always, this rumor might be completely false or a brilliant forecast of future events. Your call. Friday, October 12, 2007 Fresco Zagat Rated: Seaside restaurant Fresco at the Beach is now rated in the 2008 Zagat Survey. "The fact that we made it into the guide during our first year of business is quite remarkable" says owner Jill Brouillard. "Our score, a very respectable 20 for food. 23 for decor and 20 for service is even more significant because it relates to the time period of our first six months in operation and our original menu, which has been improved upon greatly." The Zagat Survey describes Fresco at the Beach this way: "A pleasant surprise at the Santa Barbara Inn, this comfortable new Californian leads off with fabulous ocean views and follows with skillfully made signatures like rack of lamb and bouillabaisse: though a bit more casual than its predecessor, Citronelle, it's also more reasonably priced, and once the kitchen gets up to speed a few pros predict it'll be top-notch." Speaking Of Awards: Baja Fresh Mexican Grill, located in Goleta and on Upper State St, received the 2007 Platinum Award from Restaurants & Institutions Magazine, a leading news source for the restaurant chain industry. Vineyard Walk & Harvest Brunch: Enjoy a brunch and tour of Buttonwood Vineyard in Santa Ynez this Sunday, October 14, 10am-1pm. Price: $35. Call 688-3032 Thursday, October 11, 2007 Stateside Opens Downtown: The Daily Sound reports that Stateside Restaurant & Lounge opened its doors yesterday in La Arcada at 1114 State St, in the former location of Acapulco Restaurant. Their menu consists of Californian Cuisine with an Asian influence. Hours are 5pm to close through this Sunday. Starting Monday the hours are 11am - close. Call 564-1000. Poll: Who Serves An English Breakfast? Reader Eric has asked me to ask you if you know any places in town that serve an English Breakfast. An English breakfast consists of Eggs (poached, sunny side up, or over easy), bacon (called rashers), baked beans, sausages, hash browns or sautéed potatoes, fried mushrooms, a grilled tomato, toast, and hot tea. Some variants of it are the Scottish, Welsh, and Irish breakfast (but all of them are very similar to the English breakfast). If you have any suggestions, please send me an email. Harvest BBQ: Roblar Winery is having their annual Harvest BBQ this Friday, October 12, 6-9pm. $75/person. Call for reservations 686-2603. Wednesday, October 10, 2007 Ventura Bound: Popular restaurant Zaytoon has opened a Zaytoon's Tavern in Ventura. The Ventura location had Lebanese food, including sandwiches and the bar will be coming soon. Location: 1070 E. Front St #A in Ventura. Phone: 805-653-0026. ZaytoonTavern.com Solstice Fundraiser: Chef Karim's Moroccan Restaurant is having a Summer Solstice Fundraiser on October 19 at 7pm. Cost is $50 ($20 tax deductible) and includes a multi-course Moroccan feast, belly dancers and prizes. Entrees include honeyed lamb, lemon chicken & beef kabobs. Vegetarian and vegan choices available. Call 965-3396 or email solstice@solsticeparade.com. Cheesecake Factory Not Coming To Town: Apparently my information for yesterday's story about the Cheesecake Factory coming to town was incorrect. As If You Care: I added a page for the SantaBarbara Trolley Tours to the Activities Guide on SantaBarbara.com. Tuesday, October 9, 2007 Rumors Of The Day: Speaking of new places coming to State, Gene Montesano is planning to open a second Lucky's restaurant in town; this time on State St. Madison's Grill & Tavern is looking to expand their brand by opening a high-end nightclub, also on State. As always, these rumors might be completely false or a brilliant forecast of future events. Your call. Celebrate The Harvest: Tomorrow, Wednesday, October 10th, the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden presents Celebrate The Harvest: Food Plants of the Fall. Discover how food plants have influenced civilization. 3-5pm Arroyo Room at Botanic Garden, 1212 Mission Canyon Rd. $30/$20 members. Call 682-4726 x139.
Useless Sign Of The Day: On
lower State Street, a block from the beach, there is a
huge sign on the
side of a building that says: "Hot Spots has moved. Opening
at new location soon. 505 State
St." To be more accurate, the sign should say: "Hot Spots ALREADY moved to 505 State St
and then crashed & burned so Cafe Nirvana moved in and quickly
tanked and now the current occupant, Mad Dogs, is kicking serious
butt!" Better yet, they should remove the sign. Monday, October 8, 2007 Harbor & Seafood Festival: The Santa Barbara Harbor & Seafood Festival is this Saturday, October 13th, 10am-5pm at the Santa Barbara Harbor. Enjoy fresh seafood, cooking demos, live music on two stages, NOAA research vessel tours, sailing lessons, boat rides, children activities and more. This popular event includes many booths to shop and exhibits to teach you about the wonders of the sea. Please say hello to my good friend Ruston for me at the Heal The Ocean booth! Fiddlers' Convention & Festival: Enjoy the 36th Annual Old-Time Fiddlers' Convention and Festival featuring 100 contestants, cash prizes in Old-time Fiddling, Banjo, other Appalachian Instruments, and Singing. Sunday, October 14, 2007, 10am-5pm. Location: Stow House, 304 N. Los Carneros Road, Goleta, $15 Adults; $10 Senior/Teens; $5 Children, Free parking. Visit FiddlersConvention.org for details. Dinner Time: Jake's, at 2911 De la Vina St, now offers dinner Thu-Sat, 5pm-8pm. Includes southern-style cooking. Choice of one: Chicken, beef, fish or country fried steak. Choice of two: veggies, rice & gravy/potatoes. Choice of bread and desserts. Call 898-2233. Taste For Carpinteria: Girls Inc. is having a “Taste for Carpinteria” garden party & auction, Sunday Oct. 14th 1pm-5pm at 5315 Foothill Rd. Price is $40 and includes samplings from local restaurants and wineries. RSVP to Grace Donnelly: 684-6364. |
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
