••• Field + Fort is taking over the Food Liaison space in Carpinteria: “The Larder will feature some of our Feast favorites along with an expanded menu of grab & go sandwiches, wraps, salads, soups and all of our essential pantry items.” Look for it this spring. And could Carp get any hotter? Linden Square brought in a burst of fresh energy; Coyote’s Market opens this Saturday; Endwell Hospitality‘s farm shop, Rincon Hill Market (721 Linden Avenue), is expected to debut this summer (followed by the multiple concepts coming to The Palms building); Ojai Rôtie is making progress; and another restaurant is in the works at 4745 Carpinteria Avenue.
••• Speaking of Rincon Hill Farm, it’s now selling produce at its sister restaurant, Monte’s, on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
••• Validation has set up shop at The Shop on Milpas Street on Fridays and Saturdays (4-10 p.m.) all summer, as well as every night there’s a show at the Santa Barbara Bowl (4 p.m. till “as long as needed”). The food options include a Philly cheesesteak, smashburger, and Caesar salad with chicken, and to drink, you’ll find all Validated beers, Margerum rosé, and offerings from Novel Cocktail Co. It’s a sister company to Validation, utilizing fermented spirits instead of distilled spirits, “which allows us to serve a full-strength cocktail, 14 to 16% ABV, even though we only have a beer and wine license,” explains Validation’s Brian Deignan. First up: chili mango margarita and a blackberry mule.
••• The Independent profiled Bodega Flower Girl, which is throwing a grand opening party on April 18. I recently bought some excellent canned butterbeans there and need to get more.
••• And the Independent also profiled Chocolate Maya next door, “now owned by Willow Sprout, who started working at the chocolatier and bonbon boutique more than 15 years ago.”
••• The Grand on State has soft-opened Thursdays through Saturdays through April, “with our full opening in May unveiling the complete Grand experience.” To see who’s playing, follow the space on Instagram or sign up for emails via the website.
••• The Rowles family of Dovecote Estate Winery has taken over Plenty on Bell in Los Alamos (where it already owned the building). From the announcement:
Plenty has become a cherished part of Los Alamos because of the vision, care, and creativity that Chef Jesper originally brought in building it into the special restaurant it is today, and we are happy to say that we intend to allow him to continue on as Plenty’s chef. His talent, heart, and commitment to quality have made Plenty what it is, and we are excited to work alongside him to support and elevate the remarkable foundation he has created. For the Rowles family, this is especially meaningful, having known Jesper since the days of Cafe Quackenbush and making Plenty a mainstay for weekly lunches with friends, family, and co-workers ever since it was founded.
••• The Natural Coast Wine Festival is April 25 at The Factory on E. Haley Street: it “showcases and celebrates the wineries and winegrowers promoting environmentally beneficial viticulture, low impact winemaking, and socially conscientious business practices throughout California’s Central Coast.”
················
Sign up for the Siteline email newsletter for the freshest food news in town.
Comment: