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Dining in the Backyard

By JOHN DICKSON

BACKYARD BOWLS, the new Acai Bowls & smoothie shop, has opened their doors at 331 Motor Way (next to SB Roasting Co.) downtown. Pronounced ah-sigh-EE, the Acai berry is a fruit native to the Brazilian Amazon. Last Saturday night Backyard Bowls threw a grand opening party to celebrate the occasion. I stopped by on Saturday and tried the “Island Bowl” with Acai, banana, mango, coconut milk & shavings, pineapple juice, banana, berries, granola & honey. It was terrific and was my lunch for the day. Co-owner Dan Goddard tells me that their Acai bowls have been very popular and that he has a lot of repeat customers. Goddard says that there are three groups of people that, except for one day, have eaten at Backyard Bowls every day since they opened on November 6th. Hours on weekdays are 7 a.m. - 4 p.m., weekends 8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. For more information call 845-5379.

TYDES OPENS:  Four Seasons Biltmore has announced the grand opening of its new signature dining establishment, Tydes Restaurant and Bar, located at the Coral Casino Beach and Cabana Club. Tydes is open to resort guests, members and guests of members only, and is not open to the general public. The restaurant hovers above Butterfly Beach in Montecito, providing 180-degree views of the Pacific Ocean and coastline. Critically acclaimed chef Pilar Sanchez, most recently known for her Napa restaurant, has crafted a Mediterranean  menu – combining French, Italian, Spanish and Moroccan influences.

PINKBERRY UPDATE: Construction has finally begun at 742 State Street, the future home of Pinkberry. I spoke with project manager Wayne Kang (DCM Construction Inc.) and he told me that Pinkberry’s grand opening is currently scheduled for the end of December.

PATTAYA UPDATE: The long-stalled Thai restaurant project known at Pattaya, located at 5918 Hollister Avenue in Old Town Goleta, is showing signs of life. Reports are coming in that construction has started again and that restaurant-related supplies are being ordered.

LUNCH WITH JANE: The new downtown restaurant “Jane,” located at 1311 State Street, is now open for lunch in addition to dinner. Hours are Monday - Saturday 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., 5 p.m. - 10 p.m. For more information call 962-1311.

SOUP KITCHEN: Restaurant Roy at 7 W. Carrillo Street now offers a "Soup Kitchen" open daily from 11:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. For $5 you get a 16 oz bowl of soup & fresh-baked bread. You can dine in or take out. Chef Roy will personally serve your choice of five different soups made fresh daily. Soups are served in disposable, eco-friendly containers. For more information call 966-5636 or visit restaurantroy.com.

FIRE:  South Coast residents appear to have a routine down: Step 1) Enjoy a beautiful Santa Barbara sunset. Step 2) Listen to John Palminteri report breaking news about a fire burning in the mountains. Step 3) Pack valuables in to your car while ashes rain down on the city. I followed this routine last summer during the Gap Fire near my home in Goleta. I followed these steps again last week at my parents’ home in Montecito. During last week’s Tea Fire, I added a Step 4: Prepare your home for eight evacuees including their cats & dog.

My heart goes out to families who lost their homes in last week’s fire. While most residents’ lives have returned to normal, the nightmare continues for the less fortunate. You can help Tea Fire victims with a donation to the Santa Barbara Red Cross by calling 800-HELP-NOW or by visiting sbredcross.org. All assistance the Red Cross offers is free of charge and made possible by donations.

While most local newspapers published fire news the day after it broke out, one paper, the Pacific Coast Business Times, arrived at my home the *same day* as the Tea Fire, complete with a large front-page Santa Barbara fire photo and in-depth analysis. How can that be? By coincidence they were running a story about the 1998 Stearns Wharf fire that broke out exactly 10 years ago today.

John Dickson’s column appears every Tuesday in the Daily Sound. E-mail your restaurant news tips to info@SantaBarbara.com.

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Acai Berry : 11/18/2008

I can't wait to try the new Acai Bowl...if you never heard of Acai Berry, it tastes great and is verry healthy for you. Here's an informational website on this powerful purple berry: http://www.acai-berry.com

Kevin

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