Tag archives: local restaurant

Ospi Montecito Brings Italian Elegance to the American Riviera
By Jamie Knee   |   May 13, 2025

Montecito just got a little more delicious. The latest gem to grace the neighborhood is Ospi – a California-Italian restaurant with a bold Brooklyn soul and an unmistakable Westside edge. It’s not just another opening, it’s an invitation to live la dolce vita, one forkful of rigatoni alla vodka at a time, which by the […]

Clark’s Oyster Bar Is Fresh
By Tiana Molony   |   January 28, 2025

Upon sliding into one of the booths at Clark’s Oyster Bar, I disclosed to co-owner and chef Larry McGuire that I’d never had oysters before. It’s not that I haven’t wanted to try them; I’ve just never gotten around to it. This also seemed like the perfect time to admit to him that I don’t […]

Bar Lou Brings French-Mediterranean Fare to CVR
By Tiana Molony   |   December 24, 2024

Restaurateur Warner Ebbink and Chef Brandon Boudet didn’t plan on opening another restaurant. As it happened, the pair was focused on a hotel project in Ojai when the opportunity presented itself. But when the coveted building on the corner of Coast Village and Middle Road became available, they knew they had to have it. Even […]

The Palms Restaurant-Retail to CPC and The Surfliner Inn to Carp ARB
By Montecito Journal   |   November 26, 2024

Their reopening anxiously anticipated, The Palms Restaurant project at 701 Linden Avenue is scheduled for the Carpinteria Planning Commission on December 2. The project cleared the Carp Architectural Review Board (ARB) in October. Currently it is an 11,453 square-foot lot with a 10,508 square-foot, two-story building on site. Renovations include a new third story addition […]

Soul Bites Restaurant & Venue Needs $30K by September 15
By Joanne A Calitri   |   September 17, 2024

Soul Bites Restaurant, on lower State Street, is the community-based entertainment space during Black History Month and all year round. The food is served up homemade by owner and actor, Stirling Nix-Bradley and his partner Rose. Their mission: “To feed the soul of our community through the comfort of our kitchen.”  Due to recent financial […]

New Three-Course Menu at Angel Oak
By Richard Mineards   |   August 20, 2024

To the Ritz-Carlton Bacara to indulge in an evening of culinary delight at Angel Oak, the tony hostelry’s oceanside eatery, with my trusty shutterbug Priscilla. In the fall Costa Rican chef Diego Seitour is introducing a new three-course tasting menu for a nominal $95. Although wine is at extra cost, I chose a Far Niente […]

Eatery from Montecito’s Past Is Back
By Ella Catalfimo   |   August 20, 2024

Known for its warm hospitality, delicious food, and famous chicken soup, Little Alex’s is back!  As a child, whenever I found myself plagued by the common cold, I begged my mother for the one remedy I knew worked: a warm bowl of Little Alex’s chicken soup (mild, please). The cure that heals even the worst […]

Fine Food First, Gluten-Free Second: ‘Lilac Montecito’ Calling All Diners
By Gabe Saglie   |   February 27, 2024

“Gluten-free is really just a by-line for us – it’s important to what we do, and we do it well,” Gillian Muralles, owner of Montecito’s newest eatery, Lilac Montecito, recently told the Journal. “But if someone doesn’t care about that, I’d love to get them through the door just as much!” Mrs. Muralles and her […]

A LOCAL Journey: The Path from Tech Entrepreneur to Restaurateur
By Jeff Wing   |   December 26, 2023

“I cooked my way through college. I was the cook in our fraternity for a while because our actual cook quit, along with a couple other guys. So I made meals for 50 guys, six days a week. That teaches you how to cook pretty fast.” Not to worry; “Frat House Epicure” does not define […]

Jemma Montecito 
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   October 24, 2023

Last week it was quietly announced that a new restaurant called Jemma Montecito is in the works for the Las Aves complex near the Bird Refuge; the complex traded hands last year for $19M, selling to a Los Angeles-based investment group, the Runyon Group, which has big plans to revitalize the complex and bring in […]

Local Favorite Brings New Flavors in SB Brasserie
By Zach Rosen   |   May 30, 2023

I, like many, was heartbroken when it was announced that the Black Sheep Restaurant was up for sale in 2020. Local foodies mourned the idea of losing another beloved downtown restaurant. Even if the establishment lived on under new ownership, it would not have been the same. For me, their white marinated anchovy crostini exemplified […]

The Feel of an Aperitivo Meal
By Brooke Bidwell   |   May 2, 2023

You do not have to travel to Italy to experience the delicious food that comes from its rolling hills and cobbled streets. Andrea Girardello and Brian Dodero opened Aperitivo at 7 W. Haley St. in October of 2020, inspired by the Italian emphasis on choosing fresh, quality ingredients rather than intricate preparations. The namesake? “Aperitivo” […]

A New Brick and Mortar for Rascal’s And How the Community Can Help!
By Christopher Matteo Connor   |   February 14, 2023

When life throws you curveballs, what does the owner of the vegan joint Rascal’s do? In short, Dalan Moreno gets to work and gets things done!  After a sudden and unexpected notice to vacate his downtown residency on Cota Street on November 4, 2022, Dalan was left in a moment of uncertainty. But if 17 […]

Thario’s Kitchen: Family Feels and Home Cooking on Santa Claus Lane
By Zach Rosen   |   December 6, 2022

I, like so many others, have childhood memories of burgers, the beach, and that larger than life bearded, jolly man looming over Santa Claus Lane. Growing up on the road with traveling artists as parents, we stopped at countless little, quirky resting points along the way, but something about Santa Claus Lane sticks in the […]

Local Eateries Add Chef-Driven Small Plates to the Happiest of Hours
By Claudia Schou   |   October 25, 2022

It’s almost always happy hour somewhere in Santa Barbara. I love the tradition of getting together with friends, work colleagues, and neighbors to ponder a myriad of topics over food and drinks: “How’s the marijuana odor control in Carpinteria coming along?” “Do you think Southern California Edison will move the utility lines underground in Santa […]

New Restaurant May Take Over Pierre Lafond Space
By Richard Mineards   |   October 18, 2022

Montecito’s Pierre Lafond Wine Bistro restaurant, which has been closed since the pandemic, is having a new lease on life. The Charter Oak Restaurant in St. Helena in the heart of the Napa Valley run by chef Christopher Kostow, also of the Michelin 3-starred The Restaurant at Meadowood (TRAM), has just allegedly signed a lease […]

Coast Village Mesa Burger Closes 
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   September 27, 2022

Mesa Burger owner Chris Chiarappa confirms that his Montecito location on Coast Village Road is permanently closed. “It is with an extremely heavy heart that we are announcing the permanent closure of our Montecito location. We will be forever grateful to all our wonderful guests and the entire Montecito community for their gracious support. We […]

AMA Sushi: Seasoned chefs bring centuries-old Japanese traditions to Rosewood Miramar in Montecito
By Claudia Schou   |   September 20, 2022

Step inside AMA Sushi, Rosewood Miramar’s new upscale dining room, and experience an homage to Edomae – a centuries-old Japanese culinary tradition that has resurfaced in recent years. Named for women who ventured into the ocean to collect seafood for their village, “ama” means “women of the sea.”  The team at this beachside resort is […]

A Solution to the Coast Village Road Parking Wars: Who Wins? Who Loses? Restaurants, Retailers, or the Community?
By Bob Hazard   |   September 6, 2022

Coast Village Road (CVR), though ceded to the City of Santa Barbara in 1960, remains an iconic pillar of the Montecito lifestyle. The CVR streetscape offers sophisticated dining, boutique shopping, historic hotels, real estate brokers, drugstores, medical offices, professional services, hair salons, banks, business offices – and yes, even a modern, high-priced combination gas station, car […]

Summer Splendor at Local Eateries The Sweetness and Spiciness of the Season
By Claudia Schou   |   July 26, 2022

Warm summer breezes and longer days beckon diners outdoors to explore the city’s diverse culinary landscape. Although there has been a recent uptick in virus cases, restaurant owners and chefs tempt diners with their summer creations. Several local eateries continue to exercise the same safety protocols at the height of the pandemic. “Our doors to […]