••• An establishment called Beau is opening in the back of the San Marcos Building on State Street (at Anapamu), in the space that was previously Odessa Lounge and Crush Bar & Tap. It’ll have a beer-and-wine license, and I’ve seen it referred to as a “storytelling bar” and “a bar that sells things [and] a shop that pours drinks,” as well as being “for gentlemen of character.” And then there was this: “There’s a new man in town. He smells like cedar, drinks espresso neat, and restores old knives for fun. His name? Beau.” UPDATE: More info, of sorts, from the Beau folks: “We didn’t change our tagline in time for this publish, our bad. The ‘gentlemen of character’ was for the retail store. We were originally going to be a retail shop but then we found this space and decided to open as a bar and retail shop. We will have cigar license as well, lots more to come. It’s a storytelling bar concept.”
••• The main restaurant at the Coral Casino, formerly Tyde’s, now has a name, and it’s… The Coral Casino Restaurant by Chef Thomas Keller. The website says it’ll open this summer; more specifically, I hear the goal is June. It’ll be open to the public.
••• Yetz’s Deli in Isla Vista has closed (but the bagel shop is still open). “It wasn’t making sense with the massive drop-off in business that happens in IV and the extra square footage wasn’t pulling its weight,” says owner Dan Dunietz. “It also gives me the ability to focus on what has clearly been a winner—the bagels.” Yetz’s forthcoming Goleta location (in the Target corner of Storke and Hollister) is shooting to open February 1.
••• Sometime this spring, Hawaiian-themed chain Makenna Koffee Company is opening at 6521 Pardall Road in Isla Vista. —Edhat
••• A profile of Manifattura. —Independent
••• A profile of Little Mountain. —Independent
••• The Rochers at the Ranch House in Ojai has closed after just six months. —805Foodie
••• The J. Wilkes tasting room at 35 State Street, in the Hotel California’s annex, has closed. (The photo below is old.) Here’s the listing.
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Damn, The corral casino marketing agency went all out… how do they come up with all that creativity???
It was an excruciating toss up during a 3 day catered round table at San Yisdro Ranch, where they ate caviar and foie gras paired with 1996 Salon an 1921Chateau D’yquem, respectively.
“Coral Casino Restaurant by Chef Thomas Keller” and “Chef Thomas Keller’s Coral Casino Restaurant” were fiercely debated for two days straight, punches were thrown, With all the foie over 3 days, gout set in for several round table members and in the end a coin was flipped and we have our new restaurant name.
Sad news about The Rochers at the Ranch House. My husband and I were fortunate enough to dine there a few months ago (and now wish we’d gone back sooner) and had one of the most exceptional dining experiences we’ve had in this area. We wish them all the best in future endeavors.
The chef/owner…. was an unorganized rude fibbing person… couldn’t even keep a staff and nothing he tried made sense…. he wanted Michelin star and couldn’t even make decisions that stuck …. sad for the original Ranch house
Could just be me, but last time I looked, “gentlemen of character” were known to drink refined spirits as well —