••• Revolver is making cheesesteaks “for a limited time only.” Photo by Carl Perry.
••• Noozhawk finally discovered that Reunion Kitchen + Drink is opening at the Cabrillo Pavilion on East Beach. It should debut “in the next month or so,” depending on permits.
••• Diana Pereira, a cofounder of the Kitchen, the multifaceted* project coming to 530 State Street (Cota), says they’re hoping to start construction imminently, with an opening at least six months away. (*From the website: “The 11,500-square-foot community kitchen […] will feature a top-of-the-line commercial kitchen for use by local food entrepreneurs and Santa Barbara chefs, along with a unique restaurant and retail experience. The Kitchen will feature […] a show kitchen, a retail market and public restaurant that encompasses a morning coffee shop and evening full bar.”) There will also be five hot kitchens and five cold kitchens; the hot ones service the restaurant. (Unlike at the Public Market, patrons will order from all menus at one counter, and the various kitchens, helmed by different chef-partners, make the food.) Pereira says three well-known Santa Barbara chefs are onboard, and the Kitchen is accepting applications for the remaining chef-partners.
••• J. heard work happening inside the storefront (left) next to the Handlebar café on E. Canon Perdido, but the company’s owners are mum about their plans.
••• Popular local mochi-doughnut maker Mor Doughnuts is rebranding as Kin Bakeshop. The word is that a lease might get finalized soon, so send some positive vibes their way.
••• Santa Barbara Wine Therapy has moved into part of the Cruisery; you enter via the bar’s Unbearable space.
••• Bell’s spinoff Bar Le Côte in Los Olivos has been lighting up Instagram with friends-and-family service, where lucky attendees got the first glimpse of what the restaurant menu might look like. (The screenshot below comes courtesy of Lisa McKinnon at @805foodie, which anyone who cares about the Central Coast food scene should follow.) The restaurant is still awaiting its beer/wine license, and it isn’t planning on accepting reservations till it can at least offer BYOB, but there may be more soft-opening events in the meantime, so stay tuned here and/or at @barlecote. P.S. The menu looks fantastic—I’ll take one of each dish, and two scoops of the vanilla ice cream with PX —but given the restaurant’s name, I was surprised how much the food leans toward Spain rather than France. Bar La Côte Basque….? UPDATE: The headline has been changed to reflect that Bar Le Côte is opening this Thursday, with or without a wine/beer license. It’ll be first-come, first-served till the license arrives, at which point, reservations will be available. (And no, you can’t BYOB in the meantime.)
················
Sign up for the Siteline email newsletter for the freshest food news in town.
Cheers to Bar LeCote!
Lisa aka 805 Foodie #regionaltreasure
⚡️?????????
Handlebar is not “mum,” about their plans, you could simply actually ask them. They are very open and friendly about it, no need to gossip.
I’ve asked a couple times lately, to no response. It’s possible they’d rather not share it with a media outlet, for whatever reason, and that’s certainly their prerogative.