Montecito’s Most Exciting New Restaurant Is Taking Shape

••• The restaurant coming to the former Montecito Wine Bistro space in the Upper Village has a name, Little Mountain, and a chef, Joel Viehland. Full disclosure: When Graham Duncan—who is opening Little Mountain with his wife, Courtney Smith, and Bryan and Eva Schrierer—told my husband and me that they were looking for a chef, Adam connected him with Joel. We know Joel from years ago, when we spent time in Litchfield County, Connecticut, and fell in love with his cooking at Community Table restaurant. Somewhat miraculously, it worked out, and Joel and his family moved across the country. “His cooking is seasonal and local and incredibly creative and smart, and yet it’s never boring or overly intellectual,” I said to Eater New York a decade ago, and having been fortunate to try his food again several times in recent months, I stand by it. Moreover, our abundant local produce is sure to inspire an ever-changing menu, something we could use more of around here. (Pictured above are two dishes that Joel says are indicative of what we can expect at Little Mountain: a salad of six heirloom rices, snap peas, favas, radish, arugula, verbena, peppermint, with a vinaigrette of sesame, wasabi, ginger, and preserved yuzu; and at right, hamachi crudo with Macoun apple, fermented ume-chili, pea leaves, and coriander.) The restaurant is shooting to open March 1.

••• “Namaste Indian Bistro plans to open at the end of [this] week at 1218 State Street,” former site of Bedda Mia. “Owner Rohit Singh told Noozhawk that he owns an Indian food restaurant in Riverside and decided to move to Santa Barbara.” That’ll make four Indian restaurants on the downtown stretch of State Street; also, the shop called Namaste is three blocks away, which seems ripe for confusion. P.S. You have to admire the website’s claim that Namaste Indian Bistro is already the “No 1 resturent in Santa Barbara.”

••• “Owners Michael and Sandy DeRousse have sold the iconic eatery to a gentleman who owns multiple restaurants in town and that the Palace Grill will live on” (instead of closing at year end, as previously announced). —Restaurant Guy

••• Starting October 14, Savoy Cafe & Deli will once again be open for dinner.

••• The Motley Crew Marketplace & Butcher Shop in Buellton, next to Na Na Thai, is apparently getting much closer to opening. And I hadn’t realized that @SantaLuciaFishCo is involved, too.

••• “I’m reaching out to use your network to plead for the recipe, a description, or photo of the late Paradise Cafe’s Paradise pie,” write C. “Growing up, I celebrated many birthdays at the Paradise Cafe, and it was a beloved date night spot for my parents, who often split a special steak sandwich and Paradise pie in the bar after work. I want to recreate the legendary dessert in my own kitchen. I’ve scoured the Internet and haven’t found much, but I know someone out there has a photo or maybe even the recipe.” J. unearthed a photo of Paradise Cafe’s chocolate mousse pie in an old issue of Food + Home, which is described the same as in a 2020 Independent article (“semi-sweet chocolate mousse with a cookie-crumb crust and buttercream icing”), but the latter’s photo looks different. Anyway, anyone have a recipe? I tried asking former owner Randy Rowse, but he’s probably busy being mayor. Those ribbons aren’t going to cut themselves! UPDATE 10/7: L. asked her brother-in-law, who used to work at Paradise Cafe, and he said this: “Oreo cookie crust (add butter + cream). Coffee ice cream as the (entire) filling. Frosting: Cream + Butter (lots and lots) + sugar. Dark chocolate shavings on top. Frosting may also have a little cocoa powder in it—and maybe ground espresso coffee beans.”

••• I enjoyed a glass of wine at the handsome, new-ish Tyler x Lieu Dit tasting room (23 E. Canon Perdido) the other day, and if you’re like me, and prefer to drink more in the evening than in the daylight, you’ll want to know that it’s open till 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday, and till 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

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