••• Café Ana now has outdoor seating (right). By the way, its cheeseburger (above) might be the best in town.
••• The beautiful patio at Oliver’s in Montecito is finally open during the day. The restaurant is serving lunch Tuesday through Sunday, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.. The menu is much smaller than at dinner, with an emphasis on traditional lunch items such as sandwiches and salads. Alas, the famous burger now features a Beyond patty, rather than an Impossible one, because Impossible doesn’t have enough product now that it’s in business with Burger King. P.S. Let’s hope billionaire owner Craig McCaw’s decision to sell his two homes in the area doesn’t bode unwell for Oliver’s….
••• The Monarch on Coast Village Road has gone entirely prix-fixe: four courses for $55 or six courses for $85. For a while, it introduced a more casual “Lounge” menu—with offerings such as a wedge salad, a bowl of pasta, and a burger with potato chips—but there’s no longer any mention of it online.
••• The Lark is now open for dinner on Mondays. Also, you can rent out the patio for a private daytime event with catering from the restaurant’s sister establishments (Les Marchands, Helena Avenue Bakery, etc.).
••• Upgrade your hike or beach day with a picnic box for two at Bossie’s Kitchen on Milpas: “Choose either 1/2 sandwich box or salami & cheese box. Includes a choice of two salads, green olives, almonds, pickled veggies, two cookies and two bottles of water.” The price is $38.
Definitely need to try the cheeseburger soon. Love the space at The Lark, although would be nice to be able to rent the space for an evening event as well.