••• Bodega Flower Girl, from Former Satellite chef Emma West, has soft-opened in the complex at State and Gutierrez. It’s adorable, as you’d expect, and still getting filled out. But you can go now for groceries, flowers, and most exciting to me, vegan-plus-cheese prepared foods like delicious a market-driven “bodega salad,” gigante beans, chocolate chip cookies, cheese boards, heart-shaped matcha tarts, and a sandwich of the day (mine was Trillium Triple Cream cheese with tomato jam and basil on Bree’osh ficelle). The strawberry candies and gave me flashbacks to my youth….
••• Press release from Acme Hospitality: “Through Christmas Eve, anyone who works at a local nonprofit organization is welcome to stop by The Lark, Loquita, La Paloma, or Lucky Penny to enjoy a complimentary cocktail or mocktail as a small token of gratitude for their service to the community. Participants can simply identify themselves as part of a local nonprofit team to receive their drink on the house.”
••• Speaking of Lucky Penny, Noozhawk took a look at the restaurant’s marvelous facade in honor of the penny getting phased out: “In obtaining the pennies for the design, [founder Sherry] Villanueva had to contact her bank, which had to place a special order with the U.S. Mint for the shipment. She said the person at the bank thought she was crazy when she ordered more than 100,000 pennies. The final shipment included 165,456 individual pennies. There were 68 boxes, each containing 50 rolls of pennies. Every box weighed about 15 pounds.”
••• People occasionally ask me whether Chick-fil-A is still planning on opening in the old IHOP space at 4765 Calle Real, but the corporate office ignores requests for an update. Perhaps someone out there knows local franchisee Travis Collins? And can pass on his contact info? Please don’t make me start paying for LinkedIn.
••• A. sends word that Noe’s Cafe, in the revolving door of a space across from the County Courthouse (129 E. Anapamu), has opened. The menu is as classic as promised.
••• The big development at 301 E. Yanonali Street (at Garden Street) goes in front of the Historic Landmarks Commission today. The revised plans now include six food-and-beverage outlets. I wonder whether the developer, Runyon, has learned from experience at The Post that more food draws more shoppers….
••• Asie Dumpling House (511 State Street) is now Aura Restaurant; same owners and the menu is pan-Asian. —Restaurant Guy
••• Edible Santa Barbara ran Bistro Amasa‘s recipe for roasted carrots with miso brown butter, parsnips, and hazelnuts. I tried the dish during a recent visit and liked it….
••• The December 5 agenda for the South Board of Architectural Review includes White Caps‘s plan for its lot at 120 Hollister Street in Summerland: “A new mixed-use development consisting of 2 duplexes, a carport, a gazebo, and a restaurant with covered/uncovered outdoor dining. All existing structures are proposed to be removed.”
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Is Noe cafe going to be a deli or just another diner?? No sandwich counter like they said before?
Right, I was excited about that.