In the hubbub of restaurants closing because of Covid-19, and then reopening to various degrees, it’s easy to forget that we have a bunch of new establishments to look forward to in coming months. If I missed any, let me know.
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COAST & OLIVE
Back in October, after The Monarch and Silver Bough closed, the Montecito Inn‘s owners announced their plan to run the space themselves as “an all-day restaurant to serve both the guests of our hotel as well as Montecito and Santa Barbara locals.” Coast & Olive’s menus are here. Opening forecast: Any day now. Update 6/11: The official opening date is Thursday, June 18.
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RIVIERA BAR
In March, the Restaurant Guy reported that an establishment called Riviera Bar is opening at 20 W. Figueroa, once the home of the Sportsman dive bar. I looked into it further, and the liquor license is in the name of Kevin Boss, an operator of the Shoreline Beach Cafe and an original partner in the Paradise Cafe. He also owns the building at 20 W. Figueroa, or at least he did as of 2014, and lives on the Riviera, which presumably explains the name. Opening forecast: Unknown, but as you can see above, it looks very close.
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TWO HARBOR RESTAURANTS
Aaron Petersen, owner of Chomp and Brekkies in Solvang, has leased the Chuck’s Waterfront Grill/Endless Summer spaces at the harbor. Yesterday, he apparently told John Palminteri that upstairs will be The Salty Beach Bar and Grill, while downstairs will be an outpost of Chomp (i.e., burgers, fries, shakes). And there will be a cart selling coffee and pastries. Opening forecast: August.
UPDATE: After posting this, I heard back from Aaron Petersen:
I own three concepts in Solvang—”CHOMP burgers, fries, shakes,” “The Coffee House by CHOMP,” and “BREKKIES breakfast and brunch.” I am also a part-owner with my five brothers and sisters in Mortensens Danish Bakery. All are very kid- and pet-friendly, and I want the Santa Barbara concepts to feel the same way.
First floor: CHOMP. The concept is a little retro dinner, with booths and fixed red stools. In addition to burgers, we serve a variety of old-school favorites—Reuben’s, pulled pork nachos, chicken burgers, vegan and vegetarian as well as salads and fun finger meals. A large kids’ menu is a must. Shakes and malts are handmade, and we have wine and beer on tap. While not fancy at all, we will have waiter/table service and of course a to-go menu, including grab-and-go cold sandwiches for walk-by traffic and the boating community. There will also be an outside coffee cart in the mornings and evenings. Huge patio with great lights and a covering. I’m calling the Santa Barbara CHOMP concept “CHOMP on the ROCKS burgers, fries, shakes.” It’s a play on the fact that I have a full liquor license and we are on the rock breakwater. My daughter Emilie came up with the name.
The second-floor concept will be similar to Endless Summer Cafe, with a large bar, seating both inside and out (two large patios), an expanded menu featuring salads, fish items, tacos, gourmet hot dogs and sausages, burgers, vegetarian and vegan items, and sharable plates. Full alcohol license, beer and wine, a lot of speciality drinks. The design is to maximize the view of the harbor and keep it light and bright. We’ll continue to have six or seven TVs both inside and out and some live music so there will be a bit of a sports-bar feeling, but it’s not the only focus. The harbor is the obvious focus of the second floor—the views are amazing. The name is “SALTY on the BEACH bar and grill.” Again, it’s a full-service restaurant.
Given the Covid issue and the need to deep clean and paint the places (also adding new tile floors throughout), opening is around mid to late August for SALTY on the BEACH. CHOMP on the ROCKS will most likely open around September 1.
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LA SIRENA
The restaurant at the Cabrillo Pavilion will be operated by the same company behind the Beachcomber at Crystal Cove in Orange County. From the Cabrillo Pavilion website: “La Sirena, the new restaurant at the Cabrillo Pavilion, serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and operates a beachside snack bar seven days a week. Patrons enjoy traditional and trending fare, and La Sirena will open a full-service bar. With comfortable indoor and outdoor seating—and a mermaid motif reminiscent of its mythical namesake—La Sirena prides itself on providing an exceptional, family-friendly dining experience.” (Above: a rendering of the interior.) Opening forecast: The city’s Parks & Recreation Department says the building is ready; it’s just waiting for the pandemic to be over. Presumably, the restaurant will open simultaneously or soon after.
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ALESSIA PATISSERIE & CAFÉ
Alessia Guehr—daughter of the Nook’s Norbert Schulz—is opening a café and bakery at 314 E. Canon Perdido, two doors down from Handlebar Coffee Roasters. “It’s a modern European inspired patisserie & cafe,” she said in May. “We will serve a full breakfast and lunch menu, coffee, croissants, breakfast pastries, cakes, chocolates, breads, candies, etc.” Opening forecast: Sometime this fall.
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MESA BURGER
The local mini-chain, which also has outposts on the Mesa and in Goleta, is opening a restaurant on Coast Village Road in Montecito. Opening forecast: July.
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NOEMI
Aymiee and Kevin Ricks are opening Santa Barbara’s first Roman-style pizzeria, Noemi, in the former Pizza Guru space at State and Ontare in San Roque. The menu includes pizza “al taglio”—i.e., baked in rectangles and sold by the slice—calzones, paninis, and more. Opening forecast: The soft opening is June 27.
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RINCON BREWERY
After expanding first to Ventura, the Carpinteria-based Rincon Brewery set it sights on Santa Barbara, with a brewpub in the Funk Zone. It’s at 205 Santa Barbara Street (at the corner of E. Yanonali), next to Dart Coffee Co./Tyger Tyger and the forthcoming Mollusk surf shop. Opening forecast: A couple of weeks.
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LITTLE DOM’S SEAFOOD
The former Sly’s space at Linden Avenue and 7th Street in Carpinteria will be a seafood-focused offshoot of L.A. Italian restaurant Little Dom’s. Opening forecast: This summer.
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APERITIVO
Taking the place of Mosto at 7 W. Haley is Aperitivo, a wine bar from owner-operators Brian Dodero (of the S.B. Test Kitchen pop-ups) and Andrea Girardello. The name comes from the Italian tradition of a pre-meal drink and nibblybits. “We’ll be focusing on biodynamic wines, both local and Italian,” says Dodero, and the food will be a mix of rustic and new modern Italian. They also plan to offer lunch most days of the week and late-night bites on the weekend. Opening forecast: July.
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LEADBETTER
Third Wave Hospitality has plans for a sister establishment to Oku in the space directly to the west: “23 E. Cabrillo Boulevard will be the new home for our concept, Leadbetter. The location will attract tourists & locals with Stumptown Coffee, craft beer & wine, cocktails & fast casual breakfast, lunch & dinner 7 days a week. Boasting an ocean front patio, patrons will enjoy unobstructed ocean- view dining year round.” That was 2018, so it may have changed; I didn’t hear back from Third Wave. Opening forecast: It doesn’t look imminent.
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ALSO WORTH NOTING…
••• Two supermarkets opening here will have prepared foods: Bristol Farms at La Cumbre (late August) and Sprouts on Milpas Street (September 2).
••• Amazon has said there will be a restaurant at the base of its State Street office, but that’s all we know at this point.
••• Los Arcos (below)—a multi-tenant development like Waterline and Kim’s Service Department—at Anacapa and Ortega is being built out to include a restaurant, but I don’t know if it’s been leased. Update 6/11: “I hear Low Pigeon is going in the Anacapa space which would be awesome,” commented Janet. Low Pigeon would neither confirm nor deny it.
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I hear Low Pigeon is going in the Anacapa space which would be awesome. It seems they’re the only ones that know what they’re doing when it comes to properly roasted coffee.