Monte’s Brings Farm-to-Table Dining to Coast Village Road

As if opening one restaurant around here weren’t challenging enough, Endwell Hospitality has been working on three—Korean barbecue on the ground floor, fine dining upstairs, and a rooftop bar—in the Palms building in Carpinteria. The process has naturally taken longer than the company expected, so it began looking for opportunities to keep busy in the meantime. “We were thinking about catering, but then we learned that Bar Lou’s owners wanted someone take over the lease,” says founder and CEO Ryan Sohn. “It was definitely a surprise for us. The space and the prime Montecito location were something we couldn’t pass up.”

As a result, the fast-changing Montecito restaurant scene has another new addition: Monte’s, opening for dinner tonight. Endwell made changes to the space here and there—new tabletops, refreshed restrooms, new paint, etc.—but it isn’t wildly different from the Bar Lou days. And of course the deck remains some of the best outdoor dining in Montecito. A roof has been added over the trellis, which helps retain heat in the evening and block sun during the day.

Monte’s and the forthcoming Palms restaurants follow the farm-to-table model that Endwell has successfully employed in New York City, where Rigor Hill Farm provides produce for One White Street restaurant. All of Endwell’s local establishments will receive produce from the regenerative and organic Rincon Hill Farm in Carpinteria. Chef Daniel Kim, whose background includes Hibi and Providence in L.A. and The Restaurant at Meadowood in Napa Valley, then uses whatever is in season. “The menu looks simple at first glance,” says Sohn, “but there’s a lot of technique going on behind the scenes.”

During a friends-and-family dinner, I thought the trout with wasabina chimichurri (wasabina is a variety of mustard green) was the best fish dish I’ve ever had in Santa Barbara. The maitake mushrooms with Greek yogurt and perilla pesto were also a standout, especially when paired with the chrysanthemum salad. (What a treat to have a salad of something besides little gems! Though there’s a gem salad on the menu, too.) The shrimp toast was sold out, but everyone around us who tried it said it was amazing.

Monte’s is currently open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday; starting next week, the plan is to introduce happy hour (3-5 p.m.). After a month or so, dinner will be offered seven days a week, followed by weekend brunch. If we’re lucky, there will be enough demand to support weekday lunch out on that deck, where Endwell also plans on hosting a weekly farmer’s market.

And keep your eyes open for opportunities—such as the two that are part of this year’s Santa Barbara Culinary Experience—to visit Rincon Hill Farm, which has to be the most photogenic farm in the area.

All photos except the top two are by Jack Dahlia, courtesy Endwell Hospitality.

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