••• Augie’s is now open Friday and Saturday (4-10 p.m.) and Sunday (10 a.m.-4 p.m.). “From there we’ll probably expand to Thursday and some more hours on Sunday,” says Augie Johnson.
••• “End of the month for sure,” says Ramon Velazquez about Alma Fonda Fina in the Montecito Country Mart.
••• “No update yet, says Mike Kassar of Wexler’s Deli. “Just waiting on building, hopefully will hear soon.”
••• It’s fun to see Clark’s on Coast Village Road finally coming together. The complex is getting a Jeff Shelton makeover.
••• The Lighthouse Coffee in Goleta’s Calle Real Shopping Center has opened.
••• Metropulos has sold. Commercial real estate broker Caitlin Hensel said that a “buyer and restaurant operator team that will take over this site”—the word on the street is that one party purchased the building (for $2.325 million) and another the business.
••• Santa Barbara Restaurant Week will be April 26 to May 5.
••• Los Alamos favorite Priedite Barbecue has moved from Bell’s to Bodega Los Alamos. It’s open noon to 3 p.m. on Saturdays (barbecue) and Sundays (burgers).
••• “A shiny turquoise wood-burning oven is the centerpiece of Chef Michael Amador’s workshop/kitchen, where he’s putting the playfulness back into pizza with inventive creations such as tri-tip-sandwich- or Oaxacan-mole-negro-inspired pizzas. ‘At Nook Pizzeria, we aren’t just throwing pies; we like to think we are crafting unique culinary experiences,’ Amador said. ‘Pizza is the blank canvas, and our chefs are the artists that push the boundaries of traditional flavors and toppings; every pizza is a work of art.'” —Independent
••• From a Noozhawk profile of Nella Kitchen & Bar in Los Olivos: “In a few months they’ll be opening a prototype ‘Pinsa cafe’ in Santa Ynez, called Stica (means like ‘holy cow’ in Italian).” Pinsas are the Roman-style pizzas that Nella specializes in.
••• SF Gate makes the dubious claim that the Bottle Shop on Coast Village Road is “the newest hangout for billionaires and celebrities.” Still, it’s always nice to read about a family business.
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That guy from SF gate is consistently out of touch in his reporting. He has been posted articles about Santa Barbara area for the last year or so and I just roll my eyes at this point
There is no room in the bottle shop to hang out.
Must be from Florida
Oliver’s is doing just fine. They have the best vegan food anywhere near here. Some others would do well if they only would step up with just one or two vegan menu options.
To clarify, Metropulos was not sold. The building that Metropulos occupied was sold. Big difference.