••• Commercial real estate agent Caitlin Hensel shared the news that a new restaurant is coming to the former Low Pigeon space at Anacapa and Ortega. Tara Penke and Jaime Riesco, who currently own and operate Picnic in Barcelona, “will bring international farm-to-table dishes with a focus on local seafood, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner to Anacapa Street. They will also have a large outdoor patio open all day with coffee, juices, great wine, and a full cocktail list.” I reached out to ask why Santa Barbara, and Penke responded, “I grew up in Santa Barbara and when my kids reached a certain age, I dreamt of coming back and raising them here! My husband and I met in 2003 in Barcelona and our children were born there, we have our life there… but as expats we wanted to raise them in a smaller town, a community where we felt at home and could live this beautiful outdoor life!” They’re aiming to open later this year.
••• Plans are in the works for the Shaker Mill cocktail bar (inside the Kim’s Service Dept. complex with Broad Street Oyster Co.) to get counter seating along the front of the building—a nice improvement.
••• Sweetie’s ice cream shop has opened on the Mesa; it’s two doors down from the Cliff Room.
••• The Victor, the new restaurant coming to the Santa Ynez Inn, is shooting to open this summer, according to a help-wanted announcement.
••• From a Noozhawk item about the Shalhoob’s outpost coming to Noleta this fall (first reported here in March): it’ll have “the same Funk Zone menu, but with two added twists: a Friday and Saturday night ‘steak dinner’ (also chicken and fish), which will be designed for a couples night out at an affordable price point, and Saturday and Sunday breakfast.”
••• Local has launched weekend brunch. Here’s the menu:
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