••• Starting today, Bettina pizzas—made by co-owner Brendan Smith at the restaurant and flash-frozen—will be available from Kitchenette. They’re starting with two varieties: the classic Margherita ($20) and a white pie with mozzarella, sausage, and cherry tomatoes ($23). The pizzas go straight from the freezer to the oven, with no special equipment required (but use a pizza stone if you have one), and are ready in around 10 minutes. Kitchenette founder Sophie McNally says we can expect more partnerships with local restaurants…. P.S. While you’re ordering from Kitchenette, I recommend trying the chickpea braise.
••• Tyger Tyger is closing today, and this time it sounds like it’s for good: “With gratitude and heavy hearts, we share the news of Tyger Tyger’s closure. After five unforgettable years, our journey ends on Sunday, September 17, 2023. Tyger Tyger, born from passion in 2018, found a special place in our hearts and the Funk Zone community. Though the pandemic posed challenges, we remain resilient. Our team, our backbone, will thrive in other Acme properties. Please join us this weekend for a final farewell and to thank our beloved hardworking Tyger Tyger team.” No word yet on what Acme might have in mind for the space.
••• The Restaurant Guy peeked through the windows of a bunch of restaurants in progress: Chris Chiarappa’s Mexican restaurant in Turnpike Center; The Ellwood (the former Beachside Bar-Cafe at Goleta Beach Park); Silvers Omakase (sushi and more in the Funk Zone); and Shalhoob’s in Noleta. None look like they’ll be opening imminently.
••• According to a consent agenda item for the Historic Landmarks Commission meeting on September 13, L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele wants to add a row of two-tops on the sidewalk, with a removable iron fence.
••• Hollister Brewing Company at Camino Real Marketplace in Goleta will close on September 18; it hopes to reopen elsewhere. —Restaurant Guy
••• Pavilions signage finally went up at the Vons in Montecito. Inside isn’t all that improved, except I guess it might be cleaner. No more calling it the Dirty Vons? P.S. Whoever came up with “The Bistro” must have been high as a kite.
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Changing Vons to Pavillions is silly. SB needs an Erewhon market! This city has such a low inventory of high quality and creative organic, plant-based options. I shield my eyes and don’t even look in that direction when I’m shopping at the Mart. Still praying this tacky market someday disappears!
Are you joking? There’s Whole Foods, Gelson’s, Lazy Acres and Bristol Farms. We have plenty of high end markets.
Nancy, clearly you’ve never been to an Erewhon lol. It is top notch. The markets you listed are not even in the same league as Erewhon. Please.
Whole Foods went down the drain when Amazon got involved. Gelsons is just plain gross. Lazy Acres, nice try. Bristol Farms is certainly better than all the above but still doesn’t cut it. Visit the one in Calabasas or the Palisades or the new one in Pasadena and you will perhaps understand why these markets are silly compared to Erewhon. Just sayin’!
Yikes — you sound terribly snobby and out of touch.
Maybe stop trying to keep up with the kardashians and support the local farmers market if you feel so strongly about organic produce
Holly, out of touch? I consider it on the mark. Not sure when demanding higher standards and quality of food became “snobby” and associated with the Kardashians. Strange viewpoint.
Erewhon is great because they strictly vet all their products and their prepared foods are creatively crafted, using organic ingredients, locally when possible.
I support all local farmer’s markets and locally crafted goods that use the best ingredients. I’m just primarily looking for a grocery store that has higher standards and SERVICE! and helps provide exceptionally preparedmeals when I don’t have time to cook/prepare it myself.
LOL somebody should send Jenna to do a supermarket sweep at the Ralphs downtown amongst the common folk.
Jenna,
Are you really serious with the comments you are posting? Please read them again ask yourself if this is who you really are as a person?
Maybe apologize and delete these messages.
Thanks!
I love Erewhon and honestly some of their pricing is comparable or even better than Whole Foods. They have such amazing fresh, delicious food on their hot and cold bar.
Erewhon aka Nowhere. Ridiculously overpriced preciousness
Let’s be real about Erewhon. Its prepared food is superb — and they do a fine job at their selection. But you are ALWAYS going to get friction about your fandom of it, because it’s yet another example of food that should be accessible to all people, but isn’t. Why in the U.S. do we get the mentality that food should be something earned, and only the wealthy get healthier food and get to live longer? As for Santa Barbara, Erewhon did a market study here, and came back with the conclusion there isn’t enough full-time resident income to support a location. That may change as more locations diversify the expense of running the business. Pasadena will be a good test.
But Santa Barbara is likely down the list, until we see an expansion of new/available income comes into the county (translation: new couple/new families coming to SB for a growing industry— whether that be the next ProCore, SONOS or Amazon-Alexa type boom AND less percentage of salary going to rent or mortgage.)
Go back to LA lol.
Is the only difference between Vons and Pavillions some new paint and lighting? As far as I can tell it’s the same junk food as before
J, exactly!! Lipstick on a pig haha. New packaging on the same garbage. It’s too bad. I wish Erewhon could replace them, but probably not a great idea only because the parking lots there are already a nightmare. Where can Erewhon SB land?! :)
I thought Fig Mtn bought Hollister Brew co?
Be sure to note the side of the market where the freshly painted exterior retains the outlines of the former “V O N S” letters in addition to a slapped on Pavillions — now that’s upscale!
The Erewhon desire just proves how laughably broad the wealth gap is here. Agree slapping the Pavillions name on this is stupid, but saying there is a lack of quality organic in town is inaccurate. I’ve stopped at Calabasas Erewhon and while the juice is top notch, the produce is no better than Bristol or Lazy Acres – it just costs more. It’s easy to follow the prodcers, especially in CA… most of the produce is grown on the same farms as the Vons veggies in the Central Valley. You just pay more to say it’s from Erewhon.
BT, you’re missing my point.
Erewhon is better because they have top quality PREPARED vegan and organic options. They also carry all the best products so it takes most of the guesswork/research out of the equation for the shopper. This includes their amazing selection of health and wellness and beauty brands.
I get basically all of my produce from local farms as well as the farmer’s market, so I am NOT complaining about the lack of organic produce in the 805.
I’m simply saying that there is a disappointing level of organic plant-based options in Santa Barbara County when you want to grab a meal at a grocery store or a restaurant.
Sounds like you see a business opportunity. You should take your money, your time and effort and open up such a place. You can employ locals, pay taxes and give back to the community in the process. If its wildly successful, the market is indeed here. If not, it wasn’t. Stop asking others for what you want. Make it happen instead.
Sam, I could not agree with you more. It seems like Jenna is expecting everyone to cater to her needs. Kind of selfish and so privileged.
Jenna ….. stop asking for everyone to cater to you please it’s getting very annoying.
J.
Well said, Sam!
I could not agree more.
Couldn’t agree with y’all more. The Erewhon super fandom is weird and out of touch.
Amen, Sam and James! The Jenna Erewhon super fandom is so strange. Santa Barbara has a lot more options than other similarly sized towns. If Erewhon saw a demand here, they’d be here. But despite how the local press may make it seem, many full time locals simply don’t put there money there.
Santa Barbara has plenty of good quality and organic origin nourishment, IF only some would step out of their MonteBarbie homes, they would certainly find out. Whilst the old Von’s left a lot to wish for, the effort put into the upgrade deserves a cheer and gratitude for at least being open til late and convenient for all. The staff works hard and is there everyday, so your pretty little selfs can have something in your unused Italian designed cabinetry kitchen.
Having said that, I love the deli at Erewhon, it is quality and well prepared food, I have covered most, if not, all of their stores. On the grocery part I don’t support it, as I’m not “Erewhon rich”, plus, I find it obnoxious to pay fifty dollars for a pyramid dust infused bottled water. And the list goes on. Yes, it would be great to have an SB Erewhon, but look around and explore where you live, we may have the best right around us, we just don’t want to see it because it doesn’t have a pricey tag to show off.
Dax, I wish I could see it! And no, I also would not buy a “$50 pyramid dust infused water bottle”. Very funny though ;)
Always happy to go to Mesa Verde, Oliver’s, and Satellite. Rascals is good but I don’t know how organic it is and I’m not a fan of the veganaise/vegan cheese products. I wish it was made fresh in-house. Perhaps something they could consider in the future or they could work with Sproutcraft cheeses?
Any other organic / local / sustainable plant-based restaurant / café / prepared options that I’m missing? Any vegan and/or ayurvedic private chefs out there?
I love Erewhon too and would gladly and likely spend way too much money there if they show up! I go to SB’s FMs all the time and support our famers and eat healthy. It’s wonderful and will always get my produce there. But I can’t make most of those dishes at EW! I don’t have the time nor the talent to do this. I hope this only makes me smart and doesn’t make me a snob. I did see Anne Hathaway at the one in Hollywood but I just felt sorry for her because she kept her sunglasses on even inside the store. A reminder that one does not want to be a star. At any rate, despite having to see the occasional celeb, I do hope Erewhon lands here…soon. I go to Vons/Pavilions to buy balloons for special occasions but that’s about it.
Jenna, can you not cook your own meals?
Maybe hire a personal chef if not?
Christine, that’s an confusing comment. Prioritizing an organic, vegan and ayurvedic diet requires lots of prep and cooking at home. So yes, I always do plenty of my own cooking as that is actually what I prefer.
However, I have an incredibly busy schedule and when I’m doing stuff around town or meeting with friends the plant-based options are quite limited and disappointing.
When I had a personal chef, I found that it helped ease a bit of the heavy legwork of planning, prepping, shopping and preparing. So yes, looking for a new chef in my new city! Open to any suggestions.
In the meantime, fingers are still crossed for Erewhon SB, more organic vegan restaurants/options, and perhaps more exciting Kitchenette collabs as long as they are healthy.
wow… Jenna deserves an award… for something?
Jenna is a plant – to stir the pot
#getit?
Absolutely, for Number One ” ‘Ereone” can’t afford it ” Fan/Spoke Person.
The award should include a part time job making vegan sammies with produce picked and delivered by Ceres.
To Erik’s point re renaming the Deli the Bistro…It is a clear case of gilding the deli.
The good part of the gilding is they brought in Boarshead meat and cheeses. That’s an improvement in my book!
Well, here we all are in the Bubble – it’s amusing to see the back-and-forth between staunch defenders of the fair and balanced, and one particularly entitled opponent. But face it, we wake up and read this newsletter – where you get to see lines like: “HOT PROPERTY Last week’s sales: Former Glen Oaks carriage house for $18.5 million; Rincon five-bedroom off-market for $8.108 million”.
Erewhon might fit in dandily here, so long as you’re down to pay $50 for a New York strip? And I agree – the changes at the Montecito Von’s are nothing much…
Please no more sidewalk eating spaces. State street already looks like a 12 block food court
I see La Antica Pizzeria wants some tables out front with an iron fence. I am very pro sidewalk seating, but I have a question. What’s the deal in Santa Barbara with enclosing all the seating with a fence or wall? I’ve not seen that before. All over Europe they just put out some tables and start serving. In my opinion the fences and walls just add clutter and look very unwelcoming. Where did the fortress outdoor seating idea come from?
Perhaps to avoid all the electric bikes going by at 30mph- I would hate to have one ram into someone while enjoying their outdoor dining without barricades
Dear PaVonBertsons
If I am doing self checkout and saving you on payroll tax and benefits by not having an employee there, I’m pressing “0” for in-store bags every time. Sorry ‘bout it.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/972985870666784/?ref=browse_tab&referral_code=marketplace_top_picks&referral_story_type=top_picks Hollister Brew liquor license for sale.