Aperitivo Is Opening a Second, Larger Restaurant

••• Exciting news from Aperitivo: proprietors Andrea Girardello and Brian Dodero have leased the former Taza Mediterranean Street Kitchen space around the corner (413 State Street). The plan is to open a somewhat more grown-up version of Aperitivo there—focusing on pasta and taking reservations—while the current location on E. Haley Street will downshift a bit to more of the wine bar it was initially intended to be. The name is still up in the air.

••• A bummer in Carp, however: Revolver’s Nick Bodden has pulled the ripcord on Linden Hall, his too-long-in-the-works restaurant at 890 Linden Avenue. He says he’ll try to find another space.

••• Augie Johnson says he does indeed still plan to bring Augie’s back to life, despite chatter to the contrary: “We’re targeting March 1 as a reopening, Friday and Saturday 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.-ish. The food will be a mix of some of the original recipes along with some new ones but the cost points will be mostly in the $15-$30 range rather than the $25-$50 range. Drinks the same.” And it may open for a special one-night-only dinner on Valentine’s Day.

••• A question from A: “Does anyone in Santa Barbara bake king cakes for Mardi Gras? We’d prefer not to get one shipped through Goldbelly if we can get one locally.” UPDATE: Recommendations have come in for Renaud’s and Crushcakes in Goleta.

••• Bossie’s Kitchen is now offering “a limited number of take ‘n bake chicken pot pies” on Thursdays.

••• I went to look up the Coral Casino’s liquor license, because that’s how I get my kicks, and I was surprised to see that there isn’t one—so the one for the Biltmore presumably still includes the club. If the two entities really have separated, doing business under different names and at different addresses, it would seem like the club would need its own…?

••• The Ethnic Breads wholesale bakery in Goleta will opening a storefront there next month. —Restaurant Guy

••• Los Alamos restaurant Pico is on the market for $3.5 million (but it’s still very much open and may not change hands soon, or ever). From the listing: “This rarely available historic property, located in old town Los Alamos in the heart of Santa Barbara’s Santa Ynez Valley wine country, features a full commercial chef’s kitchen, bar, large dining area, amazing outdoor patio and one-bedroom/one-bath cottage. The offering also includes Type 47 liquor license and Type 58 caterer permit.”

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