••• Backstage Kitchen & Bar is a new restaurant at 409 State Street (Haley/Gutierrez) that looks like it’s more about the fun than the food (loaded tater tots, pulled pork grilled cheese, etc.). I wonder whether it’ll revert to a nightclub/event space once we can party like it’s 2019….
••• Someone is planning on opening a cheese shop—called Cheese Shop Santa Barbara—and that’s all I know about it right now, so don’t ask me who, where, or when. (But feel free to tell me if you know….) Follow the business on Instagram and/or sign up for email updates on its website. UPDATE: C’est Cheese founders Kathryn and Michael Graham are reopening the store with a new name. The Independent has the story. The shop opens for pick-up orders on October 3.
••• From Draughtsmen Aleworks: “Order to-go tamales before end of day on Thursday [as in today] and pick up this Saturday. Pork, chicken and green chile available in 1/2-dozen and dozen quantities. Purchase tamales for your family and help a local family. It is a win-win. And, selfishly you get to fill your belly with some amazing food! 100% of the proceeds are donated. We also have a Tamale Dinner this Saturday at the taproom in Goleta. Two tamales, rice, beans and salsa $15.”
••• The Rosewood Miramar Beach now only takes phone reservations for Caruso’s and Malibu Farm. I called to ask if they’re still limiting prime dinner hours at Caruso’s to hotel guests, and the muddled answer seemed to indicate that the availability to non-guests will ebb and flow, presumably according to demand, and that Malibu Farm will be less restricted, presumably because there’s less demand.
••• The Independent reported on a new initiative by the Bucket Brigade: “the Growing Community Project encourages home gardeners to cultivate and share fresh produce with residents in need. […] For those without yard space of their own, there are still plenty of ways to get involved [….] The Project needs drivers and sorters as well as hands to work in the local community gardens that have signed on to help.”
••• A. sent over two updates from the Mesa: “Lighthouse Coffee is now serving delicious breakfast burritos labeled Mamacita’s. I think they’re from Mony’s.” They are indeed from Mony’s, and Dart Coffee and Figueroa Mountain in the Funk Zone also carry them.
••• A.’s second update: “Mesa Pizza launched in-house delivery and is warning customers about Grubhub and other delivery app business practices on their website.” If you want to support local restaurants—and why wouldn’t you?—pay attention to this:
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