The eatery sells frozen yogurt and toppings for 35 cents per ounce and offers 16 different flavors including: Pina Colada, Root Beer Float, Cake Batter, Peanut Butter Cup, Cheesecake, Cookies & Cream, Chocolate Obsession, Hawaiian Delight, Pomegranate Raspberry, Original Tart, Cappuccino, Strawberry Banana, Pineapple Tart, Pecan Pralines, Chocolate and Vanilla.
Store hours are Sun-Thu 11am-11pm, Fri-Sat 11am-midnight. For more information call 683-6500 or visit yoyumyum.com.
EAST BEACH WINE: A sign has appeared in La Arcada, 1114 State Street, Suite 24, that indicates East Beach wine intends to open a location there in the future.
VONS CLOSING: Downtown Vons Market at the corner of Chapala and Victoria streets (next to Arlington Theatre) will close August 8th.
FROG BAR & GRILL CLOSING: Frog Bar & Grill at Glen Annie Golf Course in Goleta will close July 6th when the golf course ceases operations.
RED ROBIN RUMOR: There is a rumor circulating that Red Robin is reopening, based on the fact that the restaurant chain posted a job offering on their web site for “General Manager” in Santa Barbara. I called Red Robin's corporate office and was told that the ad refers to a position available in Santa Maria. I was also told that they have no plans to reopen on the South Coast.
MID-YEAR STATS: Here are some statistics detailing restaurant openings & closings that occurred during the first half of 2009. The region included in the results is Goleta to Carpinteria, Santa Ynez and Los Olivos. The stats include restaurants, coffee shops and bakeries. It appears that there were more openings than last year and fewer closings which is great news.
• Jan-Jun 2009: 25 openings, 18 closings
• Jan-Jun 2008: 18 openings, 24 closings
• Jan-Jun 2007: 21 openings, 15 closings
FOOD, INC.: I received an email from Magnolia Pictures informing me that a new food documentary named "Food, Inc." opened in Plaza De Oro last Friday. I am told that the film has opened in New York and LA and has received a great response. The film's messages are about the importance of purchasing local, sustainable foods and the dangers of the industrialization of food. The synopsis that Magnolia sent to me ended with the following summary: "Food, Inc. reveals surprising -- and often shocking truths -- about what we eat, how it's produced, who we have become as a nation and where we are going from here."
20TH ANNIVERSARY: Piatti Ristorante & Bar at 516 San Ysidro Road celebrates 20 years in Montecito by giving back to the Montecito and Santa Barbara communities throughout the summer. Beginning on July 22nd, Piatti will donate 20% of the proceeds from all diners that mention they are there to support Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Piatti has scheduled similar fundraising events on August 4th for Cold Springs School District, August 19th for Heal the Ocean, August 25th for Montecito Union School District and Sept 2nd for Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation. The “finale party” is on September 19th.
SEA BASS: The Enterprise Fish Company at 225 State Street has reintroduced Santa Barbara White Sea Bass to their menu. Executive Chef Bruce Choi was asked to create a featured menu item with a main focus: a sustainable and entirely local dish. With the help of Sous Chef Rumi Kamasawa, the Santa Barbara Summer Sea Bass menu addition was born.
A FREE* LUNCH: I was at Costco the other day strolling for some non-essential purchases when I suddenly felt hungry. I realized that I had completely skipped lunch. As luck would have it, right next to me was a booth offering a free sample of sausage that I quickly devoured.
A thought then occurred to me: Is it possible to have an entirely free lunch made out of Costco food samples? I noticed that some of the free samples didn't look very filling (like a sip of apple juice) but others appeared quite substantial (grilled cheese sandwich bite).
I decided to give my free lunch idea a try and paid a visit to every booth that offered something edible. To my disappointment, after visiting all 15 food sample booths I still felt hungry. So what did I do? Visit them again. I made another pass to each and every smiling food attendant and requested another taste. Verdict: still hungry. I then made a THIRD voyage through my mini "Taste of the Town" and I felt full!
So there you have it. If you are willing to endure a 45-course meal, it is possible to have an entirely free lunch at Costco.
So what did I actually have for lunch? Here goes: 1) Seapoint Farms Dry Roasted Edamame, 2) Green Envy Daily Detox Liquid (veggie juice), 3) Mrs. May's Variety Pack (peanuts), 4) Kirkland Signature Wild Sockeye Salmon, 5) Tasty Bit Basmati Rice, 6) Philippine Dried Mangos, 7) Kraft American Singles (grilled cheese sandwich sample), 8) Tree Top Apple Juice, 9) Pasta Prima Spinach & Mozzarella Ravioli, 10) CP Products Shrimp Wonton Soup, 11) Okami Asian Chicken Salad, 12) Rotisserie Chicken Greek Pasta Salad, 13) Pork Brisket Grillers, 14) Bilinski's Sausage, and 15) Italian Round (bread).
* Costco membership required!
John Dickson’s column appears every Tuesday in the Daily Sound. E-mail your restaurant news tips to info@SantaBarbara.com