••• A big thanks to J. for sending over a help-wanted ad for what certainly seems to be the restaurant and bar that Mike Sheldon, former CEO of Curvature, is opening at 1187 Coast Village Road, in the former Khao Kaeng space and the one across the way: “New restaurant opening this winter looking for Chef/Partner to run the back of the house. Owner seeks a partner, one who will co-own the menu, inventory management, staffing, and overall dining experience with himself and GM. Equity in restaurant (over time), profit sharing, PTO, medical benefits, and bonuses all included for the right candidate. Starting salary >100k plus a bonus upon opening, and quarterly bonuses and annual profit sharing thereafter. State of the art new kitchen, exceptional wine list, craft cocktails, tons of outdoor space (>50 seats), large indoor/outdoor bar, dedicated parking, and location in the heart of Montecito. We are aiming to be coolest place to have a drink and a meal in Santa Barbara.” The first photo below is of the space under the UPS Store; the other two are the old Khao Kaeng.
••• Checking in with South Coast Deli on the occasion of its 30th anniversary. —Pacific Coast Business Times
••• The Independent profiles the Mar Monte Hotel’s Costa Kitchen & Bar, where “the whole menu is a tour de force for the senses.”
••• Ocean Fathoms is catching heat from the California Coastal Commission for aging bottles of wine on the ocean floor: “This enterprise was proceeding swimmingly until several months ago, when the California Coastal Commission began reviewing a permit application from Ocean Fathoms. The owners had started experimenting with underwater storage years before applying to legally do so, which didn’t sit well with the state agency. Commission staff took a deep dive on the operation, found it in clear violation of the Coastal Act in several ways, and issued a stern warning to the company in February.” —Los Angeles Times
••• In a regurgitation of Edible Santa Barbara’s tweet about the Mesa Burger group’s plan for seven new restaurants in the next two years, Restaurant Guy says that the long-rumored ice cream shop is said to be at “1826A Cliff Drive (formerly Santa Barbara Shabbos Services), next to The Cliff Room.”
••• And another of the company’s seven establishments will be one of the six new restaurants coming to Noleta’s Turnpike Center: “One business will be a Dave’s Drip House ice cream shop (run by the founder of Dave’s Dogs) while another is a yet to be announced restaurant by Chris Chiarappa, the visionary and inspiration for Mesa Burger, and other local eateries. Play It Again Sports is moving across the parking lot to make room for one of the incoming dining establishments.” (On Instagram, Dave’s Drip House calls itself an “ice cream & cereal bar.”) —Restaurant Guy
••• “Hearing from the disabled community loudly for months, Santa Barbara city leaders quickly acted in the last month to clear sidewalks from [restaurant-related] obstructions.” —KEYT
••• The full menu at Jeannine’s new outpost at State and Cabrillo is now available. —Restaurant Guy
••• The food-and-beverage complex in the works at the Andalucia Building at 330 State Street (Gutierrez) came back from the drawing board, according to plans submitted for the July 21 meeting of the Historic Landmarks Commission. I haven’t done a close comparison to the previous version, but the main difference appears to be more trees. (Those are the new renderings below.) P.S. The owner is listed as 815-830 East Tremont Associates, based in New York City; it appears to be owned by a contractor named Michael Marino, who paid $6.3 million for the property in December 2020.
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