••• A reader of Restaurant Guy “noticed that 1187 Coast Village Rd, Suite 9, the home of Khao Kheng, is up for lease. Khao Kheng is open for business as usual and it is not out of the ordinary for an established restaurant to test the leasing waters for interested parties.” A spinoff of Empty Bowl Gourmet Noodle Bar, Khao Kaeng (as it’s actually spelled) opened just over a year ago. [UPDATE 11/23: The restaurant is indeed closing; its last day will be November 30.]
••• This week’s special at Buena Onda is a “Thanksgiving dinner” empanada with “oven roasted Mary’s turkey, mashed potatoes, celery and gravy. And of course a cranberry sauce for dipping!”
••• The Smart & Final store downtown will combine with Office Max next door and become a Smart & Final Extra! superstore. —Restaurant Guy [UPDATE 11/23: No, it won’t.]
••• Cafe Ana is now baking gluten-free bread, and it looks good.
••• A press release had more info about the future of Paradise Cafe, now that Acme Hospitality has purchased the restaurant: “The Acme team promises to continue to deliver all of the old favorites from the Paradise while making necessary updates to the menu, cocktail/wine program and the physical space. During the transition, Paradise Café anticipates a brief closure from January 1-5, 2020. Chef Weston Richards, previously from Les Marchands, will be leading the kitchen to create a locally sourced, seasonal, scratch-made menu. The wine program will feature small production Santa Barbara County favorites with a few selections from abroad thrown in. Changes will be rolled out slowly over time with feedback from regular guests and staff as a guide.”
Comment: