More on Monte’s

More spoiler alerts on Monte’s Restaurant (1198 Coast Village Road) Montecito! First up – Chloe Lobdell, a Santa Barbara native, is now the Rincon Hill Farm Director, replacing Aiden Ostrowski.

Seen making deliveries to the restaurant are local sea urchin merchants, as well as purveyors of tableware and décor. Inside views from peeps include the many tasty-testing experiences for a variety of specialty cocktails and menu items being sorted out by Executive Chef Daniel Kim. 

Driving by, we note that as of February 22 the signage on the front building façade still says, “Bar Lou.” We can’t help but wonder if this is a clever deterrent to keep locals from knocking on the door. 

However… full insider views can be had with an application for employment! The restaurant held an open call on February 22-23 from 11am to 2pm, and is still taking enquiries with résumés via email ([email protected]).

My longtime dearest and well-known PR magnate Jennifer Zacharias is keeping me apprised of the updates. Her latest news shares about the food sourcing from Rincon Hill Farm. “Everything Endwell Hospitality does begins with its farms. Serving as both agricultural anchors and creative centers for Endwell’s teams, the farms are rooted in regenerative practices that prioritize biodiversity, biologically active soils, and long-term ecological resilience. Rincon Hill Farm serves as the agricultural backbone of Endwell’s West Coast presence. The eight-acre working farm includes indoor and outdoor mushroom programs, citrus and fruit orchards, annual plantings, an avocado grove, a fermentation room, and a live fire grill, with indoor and outdoor venue spaces for special events. The site was transformed from a former single-crop avocado operation into a diverse agricultural landscape. Central to the farm’s approach is the integration of JADAM principles; an organic Korean farming methodology meaning ‘people who resemble nature.’ These practices emphasize closed-loop systems, native microorganisms, and biologically active soils, reducing external inputs while strengthening natural cycles and long-term productivity.”

Additionally, Chef Kim explains, “When you’re involved with the farm from the beginning, it changes how you think about food. JADAM-based soil systems, seasonality, and biodiversity aren’t abstract ideas for us; they shape what ends up on the plate. Our job is to honor that work and translate it into something guests can sense and remember.”

411: @montescalifornia and @rinconhillfarm