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A little bit of the Funk Zone is moving Uptown.
Brass Bear Brewing has opened at the site of the former Le Cafe Stella, a spacious setting with stunning views of the Santa Barbara mountains.
The brewery is just the latest adventure for Seth Anderson and wife Lyndsay in their journey around the world, across the United States and now in Santa Barbara.
They opened Brass Bear Brewing in the Funk Zone in 2016 and have expanded into the former Cafe Stella sign. They repainted, re-envisioned the open-air, bright venue into something full of even more splendor.
“I love the location and the layout and the neighborhood it was in,” Seth Anderson said. “We plan to cater to the neighborhood and also host a lot of bridal showers, wedding parties and rehearsal dinners.”
While Anderson loves the Funk Zone spot, the new location features a walk-in refrigerator and a larger kitchen with more grill space. They brew their beer at other locations in town.
The couch, chairs, faux fireplace and plants all help make the restaurant feel a bit more “comfy,” Anderson said.
“We want people to know when they walk in that they are still at Brass Bear. It’s just a little more grown up, with a few more nuances to it,” he said.
The name comes from a hybrid of experiences.
The Andersons were doing a cross-country road trip and were backpacking through Glacier National Park.
“It’s where all they do is arm you with bear spray and a backpack and send you out into the woods,” Seth Anderson said.
He recalled clapping their way through the campsite right before sunset when they saw three little bears about 30 yards away. They at first thought they were grizzly bears, but they turned out to be black bears.
“They looked like brown bears to us originally, so we decided to call them brass bears,” Anderson said.
The brass means something else.
“They gave us a good scare and reminded us to face your fears and take adventures, which is kind of our motto when opening a restaurant,” Anderson said. “The idea is that the brass bear is like, ‘Take a step and try to realize your dreams.'”
The Andersons met in New York City in a bar and then traveled the world together WWOOFing, which stands for Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms, working at vineyards and horse ranches for four to five hours a day.
In exchange, they were fed and housed and were able to travel to Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.
Now, they are giving back in a different way, in Santa Barbara, running two Brass Bear Brewing restaurants.
The Uptown location held a soft opening this week at the former site of Le Cafe Stella, 3302 McCaw Ave.
The hours are from noon to 9 p.m. during the week and until about 10 p.m. on weekends. The hours could vary depending on how it is on that day. The plan is to close on Tuesdays.
By Easter, the Andersons hope to start offering brunch.
Fieldside Restaurant Opens
The Santa Barbara Polo and Racquet Club is now home to the Fieldside Coastal Steakhouse.
The restaurant held a soft opening in early November, “with bookings quickly filling up for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve holiday dinners,” publicist Jennifer Goddard Combs said.
An official grand opening is planned for Wednesday.
Fieldside offers diners a coastal-inspired menu of locally sourced meats, seafood, wine and craft cocktails, together with picturesque views of the Polo Fields, Pacific Ocean and Santa Ynez Mountains.
The restaurant was launched by restaurateur couple Michael and Lisa Amador, according to Goddard Combs.
Fieldside’s menu “emphasizes the freshest seafood and best cuts of meat, along with produce direct from local farms.”
Items include tableside Caesar salad, fresh Pacific oysters, local halibut, rib-eye burgers, and a variety of huge steaks and chops, according to a news release.
Fieldside, at 3300 Via Real in Carpinteria, is open to the public Wednesday through Sunday for lunch and dinner.
Urban Outfitters Building For Sale
The building that houses Urban Outfitters at 624 State St. in downtown Santa Barbara is on the market for $8,995,000.
Radius Commercial Real Estate is offering the single-level retail building, which was custom designed and built for Urban Outfitters in 1999 and has remained the only tenant since the building’s completion.
“Cement flooring and industrial-style lighting makes this a modern and highly valuable asset for investors seeking Class A properties in downtown Santa Barbara,” the listing states.
Brokers Chris Parker and Austin Herlihy of Radius Commercial Real Estate are representing the property.
— Noozhawk staff writer Joshua Molina can be reached at jmolina@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.