••• Oliver’s is indeed closing; its last day is April 20. The word on the street is that a Mediterranean restaurant will be taking its place, but that’s all I know. Here’s the statement posted on Instagram:
It is with gratitude, light hearts and fond memories, we want to let you know that our last night of service at Oliver’s will be next Saturday, April 20th. It has been an incredible honor to be part of such a beautiful, strong and resilient community for the last seven years, and we will deeply miss the privilege of welcoming you into our restaurant. Your kindness and support will never be forgotten. We’re wishing all of you an abundance of joy, laughter and good health, and we hope to see you before our last round of Artichoke Crab Cakes and Billy Billys hits the table. As for what the future holds, there will be a new concept coming to our Coast Village Road space in the months ahead, and Oliver’s may return to a new location in the coming years.
••• Oat Bakery‘s outpost at the Montecito Country Mart will open Friday, April 19.
••• The Independent profiled Empty Bowl Gourmet Noodle Bar on the occasion of its 10th anniversary.
••• We went for dinner at Olivella, the Ojai Valley Inn‘s flagship restaurant, for the first time in many years. Walking the resort’s grounds is always a treat, especially now that the sun sets later; the restaurant’s tables are nicely spaced; and our server was competent, if a bit smarmy. The $125 set menu is four courses (plus amuse bouche and petits fours), with two to five choices for each course. (The two-choice course was really only one choice, a pedestrian green salad, unless you’re willing to pay a $50 supplement for a caviar dish.) Salad aside, the food was all pretty good, with standouts being the pea agnolotti, the branzino, the ribeye, and the roasted cabbage entrée. No photos, though, because the light wouldn’t cooperate. P.S. We were surprised that the gatehouse at the hotel’s entrance now has a barrier gate, and we had to explain our visit to get past it—but in a pleasant touch, we were given a voucher for valet parking. Also, the service entrance was manned by a guard who said we couldn’t enter that way.
••• In a rather convoluted article, the Independent explains that Ty Warner has big plans for the Sandpiper golf course in Goleta, including “a new layout by golf course architect Tom Doak and to replace the 9,305-square-foot clubhouse with a two-story club and restaurant of 24,000 square feet.” Moreover, the landmark Barnsdall-Rio Grande Gas Station could be brought back to life as a café. UPDATE: Edhat has more on the plan for the Barnsdall-Rio Grande Gas Station, including this: “The new plan completely restores the original building inside and out, bringing it up to modern codes for earthquake, etc., while using as much of the original material as possible. Inside the building will be a historic exhibit with photos and the story of the building and the surrounding area. […] Additionally, they want to build a small coffee shop next-door with a large garage type door that will be open to the public. A new parking lot will be built to the east of the station and a large covered public seating area will be to the west of the station. The folks at Sandpiper recognized that their current snack bar is very popular with bicyclists, so they’ve decided to make this new café very bike friendly to encourage that. There will be multiple bike racks all around and where the old gas pumps used to be there will now be electric bike charging stations.”
••• Buellton’s Na Na Thai continues to shake things up with fun events: on Sunday, May 5, it’ll celebrate Cinco de Mayo with “El Na Na, a night focused on the flavors of Michoacán Mexico. Known for its deep heritage and as the ‘carnitas capital of the world,’ the western state of Michoacán is often referred to as ‘the soul of Mexico.’ We knew awhile back we wanted to do something on Cinco de Mayo, but there are so many wonderful places to choose from. Since both Nik’s grandma and Max’s family come from Michoacán, the regional focus was the obvious choice. The menu will be served à la carte and all dishes are designed to be shared. Substitutions are politely declined.” Reserve here.
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Does that mean Sandpiper will be closing for the redesign? If that is the case and since Ty Warner is involved it could take the balance of this decade before it reopens!
Remember when the Goleta gas station’s highest and best use was gifting it to the city in 2015 ????
https://www.cityofgoleta.org/Home/Components/News/News/1437/3875?arch=1&npage=14
Sandpiper will close for 4-5 years to become a $550 a round semi-private course renamed Ty’s Oceanside Links of Santa Barbara. However, they’ll be a few rounds a day for locals at a reduced rate of $275+ Caddie fee available by lottery. It should be ready for play around 2030 but may be further delayed by local Goleta residents who claim that the crooked Eucalyptus tree on the 6th hole was once a host for the rare Goofy Footed Warbler Worm that Ronald Reagan himself used as bait for fishing for the now extinct Ruby Throated Dolly Varden in the nearby Dos Pueblo creek. Of course, like most things you read on the Interweb, this might just be a rumor or it could be 100% true… Judge for yourself and plan accordingly!
I heard from a Goleta resident who has a long history of involvement in community affairs and politics, that Tye Warner is using the rehab of the gas station and the building of an adjacent coffee/snack bar as a bargaining point for the approval of the massive increase in size of the Sandpiper building. No permit for a two-story clubhouse, no restoration of the gas station.
Too bad about Olivers. Im no longer vegan but a lot of my friends are and they all liked the place except the seriously beige/khaki?? decor. The prices were honest and the food had personality. Compared to many of LA’s Vegan Restaurants, most of us thought it was way better. Whoever decides to open the next Vegan/Vegetarian restaurant in Santa Barbara, please make it bright and colorful and don’t forget the beauty of Fruits and Vegetables. Dang, you see more fruits and vegetables displayed in any restaurant in Italy than in a vegetarian restaurant in SoCal. What gives? The 30 or more times we went to Olivers there was never fruit on the dessert menu. I’ll miss the place and it definitely leaves a gaping hole in Santa Barbaras vegetarian possibilities and diversity. Do we really need another burger or plate of pasta in this town?
I’m heartbroken to read of Oliver’s closing. We have enjoyed so many wonderful evenings on the patio with superb food and service. Guests have been impressed by the vegan menu. Nothing is as sure as change but this one is really tough. Thanks for the memories, Oliver’s.