Coast & Olive Is Closing This Weekend

••• The sea change in Montecito restaurants continues: After four years, Coast & Olive in the Montecito Inn is closing; its last day is this Sunday, June 2. From the announcement:

Since our opening, Coast & Olive has been more than just a business; it has been a gathering place for friends and family, a hub of creativity, and a space where countless memories were made. We are incredibly grateful for the support and loyalty of our customers, who have made these past four years so special.

As we prepare for this transition, we want to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude to our dedicated staff, whose hard work and passion have been the heartbeat of Coast & Olive. Their commitment to excellence has been instrumental in shaping our identity and success.

While this chapter is coming to a close, we look forward to what the future holds. The Montecito Inn will be sharing good news soon about how the space will be roaring back in the near future.

••• Down the street, meanwhile, a help-wanted ad for the former Oliver’s space says that we can look forward to a “brasserie-style restaurant” named Bar Lou. (You’ll recall that the proprietor is Warner Ebbink of Little Dom’s Seafood in Carpinteria.) And there’s an Instagram account, too, with a logo. Of course, these things can always change….

••• Sushi Go Go at the harbor has reopened. —Restaurant Guy

••• Lilac Montecito is now serving breakfast and lunch (as well as dinner), and there are pastries, to boot. Here are the menus….

••• Does anyone know what’s happening with Fairview Gardens Farm? In June 2022, the Center for Urban Agriculture posted an explanation of what it hoped to achieve during its closure: “We are pleased to announce that under the leadership of Michael Ableman, the founder of the Center for Urban Agriculture at Fairview Gardens and its originating farmer, we will be moving into a temporary pause to carry out a major redesign and fundraising campaign to rebuild the farm, restore the historic farmhouse, and make much needed major improvements to the farm’s infrastructure.” According to the campaign brochure posted online, the goal is to raise $15 million, and the plan was for a conditional use permit to be issued this summer. But I haven’t heard anything about it since, and weirdly for an organization trying to raise money, there’s no contact info on the website. UPDATE 6/2: “Yes, you are correct that we have launched a capital campaign to re-vision and re-build Fairview Gardens,” emailed Ableman. “As is often the case, the campaign will not go fully public until we have raised half of our total campaign goal. While we are making good progress, it is still early, and we have not yet reached that half-way point. There is also a signifiant amount of work being done on planning and design and the myriad of requirements for obtaining permits to move forward. The website does have a link to  our digital campaign brochure which has all contact information, but you are correct that the website itself does not. We will add that information.”

••• How come nobody told me that Santa Barbara Hives in Carpinteria is making croissants—and they look rather good? And also quiche, pizza, and more?

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