••• Lily’s Donuts & Pops has opened at the Santa Barbara Public Market, next to Fresco. There are three types of donuts—levain, brioche, and cake—in various flavors, and they’re big. The outpost on lower State is still in the works.
••• Giovanni’s Pizza has opened in the Goleta shopping center that’s also home to Target. —Restaurant Guy
••• Pascucci is still closing one of these days, but owner Laura Knight has something new up her sleeve. Here’s her statement, trimmed a bit. (I underlined the pertinent part.)
Several months ago, I made the toughest decision I’ve ever had to make in my life and announced to our community that I will be closing Pascucci. I cannot thank all of our loyal customers enough for bringing your friends and family here, celebrating your special occasions with us, and keeping us in your heart.
However, my story is not yet finished. I’m excited to announce, with my loyal staff and very creative kitchen manager, some of whom have been with me for 20+ years, that we will be creating a new concept here at 1230 State Street! It will be a new restaurant, with a new name, yet to be determined, with a carefully curated and exciting menu. This venture will be more suitable for the Theater Arts district, with new furniture and decor!
I opened a restaurant because I love to cook, but running it meant I didn’t have time to cook, so now I am getting back to my roots. Our new concept will feature lighter fare for “after show” patrons, with different types of dishes, daily rotating specials, homemade soups, and whatever our talented cooks want to create that day.
The exact timing of this next adventure is still a little bit up in the air, so stay tuned! I apologize that we have not been able to give our community a final date for Pascucci’s closing, and with it, our upcoming furniture and fixture sale. We’ve been working through some major obstacles after moving to this location. It’s been agony to resolve the challenges of having to re-apply with the State of California ABC to transfer our liquor license. We also got blindsided when we discovered, to our horror, that the existing bar, built by a previous tenant, must be removed, per the city, as it was built without a permit, and is not ADA compliant.
We long to see you one last time at Pascucci in the next month or so before we transform into our next culinary adventure, so please come visit.
••• Aperitivo has reintroduced a pasta dish to its menu.
••• Sandbar says it’ll reopen June 1. —Restaurant Guy
••• De La Vina Lounge, formerly known as Jimboz, has closed (and may have done so a while ago, for all I know). Those are eviction notices on the door.
••• I have yet to make it to The Grand on State—it’s definitely on the list, especially now that there’s a food menu (and it includes Paris-Brest and a mille-feuille). The one posted on the door is a little shorter than the one online.
••• Nutbelly Pizzeria & Deli in Carpinteria has closed. —Restaurant Guy
••• CrossHatch Winery is opening a tasting room at 111 E. Haley Street (Anacapa/Santa Barbara), possibly as soon as within the next week. That’s the building that used to be the site of Pure Joy Catering.
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