••• Starting sometime this summer, Little King Coffee at The Post will share its space on weekends with Vic’s Wine Bar. Vic’s proprietors Aleah Schepps Elisara and Ethan Elisara say there will be a “selective but highly curated menu” of food to pair with the wine.
••• The Rudy’s outpost on Casitas Pass Road in Carpinteria, damaged by fire last August, is for lease. (Thanks to M. for the tip.) The company is looking for another spot in town.
••• The former La Cantina space in the Turnpike Shopping Center is not going to be another Mexican restaurant, despite a report by Restaurant Guy. Instead, Ted Ellis (most recently of We Want the Funk) is opening The Neighborhood Grill there in June. “It’s going to be a trendy, hip, but family-friendly California-style restaurant with burgers, tacos, appetizers, live music. Full bar, with cocktails, local beer and wine, and slushies. Just a fun neighborhood spot with moderate prices.”
••• “A new Roman-style pizza restaurant [called Pegaslice] is moving into the former Home Plate Grill in Goleta.” —Noozhawk
••• Hook & Press is now open on Mondays.
••• “Eddie’s Grill, offering burgers, salads, and sandwiches, is coming to 5725 Hollister Avenue in Goleta, the former home of Goodland BBQ and Alphie’s.” —Restaurant Guy
••• Sandbar, closed since November for a major renovation, announced a reopening date of June 18.
••• PokeWaves is moving into the former Yetz’s Deli space in Isla Vista. —Restaurant Guy
••• Lucky Penny‘s outpost in Los Olivos has opened.
••• Coming next month to Solvang’s Founders Market complex: Analogue Room, a “vinyl lounge, wine and beer bar, bottle and record shop, and pizza kitchen. The decidedly sleek, backlit bar will be run by local music legend Ray Fortune, who will oversee the venue’s music programming—all of which will be vinyl-based, played on a hi-fi audio system installed in the bar area.” Below: a pre-opening peek.
················
Sign up for the Siteline email newsletter for the freshest food news in town.
Excited to see what Ted comes up with on Turnpike! Also VERY excited about the listening room in Solvang. I’ve been to a few around the world and really dig going to a space that truly appreciates bringing quality to the music. Especially vinyl!
Yay! Thank you for the update on Rudy’s in Carp. A family favorite, good to know they are looking for another location there. They’ve been closed so long with no posted reopening we thought they were leaving town.
Ted’s place is going to be a new local favorite. Really looking forward to something in the neighborhood that’s good and affordable.
Ted We-Want-The-Funk Ellis is a talented guy. I liked what he’d done with La Cantina. It was so much more than simply “another Mexican Restaurant.” The Ribeye was insane, great cocktails, and maybe 8 beers on tap. The space was great, but it seemed like they just couldn’t get people to try it out. Perhaps it was because the name implied it was “another Mexican Restaurant.” And I love Mexican, but I do think we’re hitting peak Mexican Restaurant even in our Spanish town.
The location cries out for exactly what he’s proposing: a destination. It would be great to see some of the excellent local bands (The Caverns, anyone?) and design things more like a northern Santa Barbara/Southern Goleta pub.
I could not be happier that he’s going to have another shot at the space. Hope to see M.Special’s Sabado Tarde on tap, maybe Pacifico or Modelo, and Santa Barbara Cider, and Guinness on Nitro would be nice. After that, they can do whatever they want to do with the 1000 IPAs that are out there today. Just don’t like the sour aftertaste of ’em. Too many hops are no bueno for this Irish lad.
Ted, you got this. Just get the message out, and you won’t be competing with anyone but yourself. Turnpike and Hollister deserves a fun and delicious place to congregate.