••• Jonny McDermott, chef at Local—the restaurant and bar opening soon on Coast Village Road—has been posting photos from “menu tasting and demo week.” Above: steak frites with red onion marmalade and aioli, from the all-day menu.
••• The Montecito restaurateur with his eye on the Montecito Deli space on Coast Village Road was indeed Gene Montesano of Lucky’s and Tre Lune. And he’s evidently taking the former Letter Perfect space, too, because he posted that he’ll also be opening a “Jewish Italian delicatessen” (which he also described as a market) called Oye Vey Maria’s “adjacent to our Montecito Deli.” The motto is “Wise guys eat here,” and the logo includes a Star of David and a gun, so think twice before you post that Yelp review. (In Yiddish, the phrase is spelled “oy vey,” but maybe there’s some other reason for the “oye”…?) UPDATE 4/18: Montesano subsequently posted that the Montecito Market & Deli opens today: “It will take us about a month to facilitate all the things we have planned. We kept all the employees so you’ll see the same happy faces you’ve gotten to know over the years.” UPDATE 4/20: Lynn points out that the name is a play on “Ave Maria,” which I totally didn’t see.
••• After being closed for 761 days, the Mesa’a Cliff Room bar finally reopened last night.
••• The Plaza Deli has put itself on the market for an undisclosed price.
••• Santa Barbara’s breakfast scene is improving dramatically. First, Hook & Press reopened, and it just introduced a (limited for now) food menu. Second, XO Santa Barbara in the Funk Zone debuted breakfast service on Thursday (which probably explains why the name XO Burger got scrapped). And according to the press release, “you can add on a ‘hair of the dog’ Pabst Blue Ribbon for $1 to cure your weekend hangover.”
••• Carlos Luna of Los Agaves and Santo Mezcal is the local restaurateur behind the taqueria coming to 3771 State Street, next to the Whole Foods parking lot. —Restaurant Guy
••• Vons Chicken in Isla Vista has closed. —Restaurant Guy
••• Rockin’ Yogurt on State Street has closed. —Restaurant Guy
••• Mezze Santa Barbara, a “Mediterranean street kitchen,” is opening in the former JJ’s Diner/Onus Donuts space at 413 State Street (Haley/Gutierrez).
••• A Mexican restaurant called Casa Comal has soft-opened at 505 State Street (Cota/Haley); it’s going to have “Mexican sushi” on weekends, and owner Abraham Sandin hopes to open a second outpost somewhere on W. Carrillo Street. —Restaurant Guy
••• From a press release on the Wine Industry Network Advisor: “The Fess Parker family is pleased to announce the debut of their renovated tasting room [in Los Olivos], which reopened to the public on April 2” (via Edible Santa Barbara).
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I’m guessing Oye Vey Maria’s is a play on Ave Maria? Thus the “e”.