A family-owned and -operated Thai food restaurant opened its doors on upper State Street in Santa Barbara last week.
After previously running Bangkok Avenue in Thousand Oaks with her sister, Sansanee Gaffney has now opened Bangkok Thai Cafe in her hometown with her family.
“I just want them to come try and be a part of our family, because we’re all family here and we try to do our best for people,” Gaffney said.
Located at 3163 State St., Bangkok Thai Cafe offers drunken noodles, spicy curry, pork and shrimp rolls, wonton soup and other authentic Thai items cooked the way Gaffney and her family like it.
She also promises that the food is spicy while remaining flavorful, which she said is often missing in non-authentic Thai restaurants.
“When I go eat somewhere else, I love the flavor. It has to be flavorful. It has to be good,” Gaffney said. “It doesn’t matter how much I pay — it has to be good.”
Gaffney’s brother — the head chef — makes everything on-site from scratch, down to the chili paste. Her parents also help out in the kitchen.
The opening comes after months of Gaffney and her mother battling breast cancer.
Gaffney has been undergoing chemotherapy treatments and had a mastectomy in July.
After months of being sick, Gaffney said she’s now feeling better, and her doctor said everything is looking good.
“I’m happy that I’m alive. I’m still here,” Gaffney said. “That’s why I want to do the good thing. I want people to taste my food and see how they like it compared to everyone else. I’m trying my best for people to be happy about it.”
Solvang’s First Sushi Menu?
Vinland Hotel and Lounge at 1455 Mission Drive in Solvang has introduced a new sushi menu and Japanese-inspired specialty cocktails.
Chef Karoline Schwartz wanted to bring more attention to the lounge. When she thought about what was missing from the Solvang food scene, she leaned on her history with seafood and crafted a sushi menu.
“We’re just really excited to be here, and I think we’re doing something fun,” Schwartz said. “We’re looking forward to seeing its success, and we hope that not just our guests come in — we want to be open to the locals, too.”
The menu includes rolls and appetizers such as tuna, salmon avocado and yellowtail scallion rolls.
Schwartz’s favorite items are the out-of-town roll and the tri-tip negimaki.
The out-of-town roll includes yellowtail, pickled jalapeño and cucumber on the inside, with salmon and yellowtail on the outside with homemade yuzu miso sauce and fresh lemon and cilantro.
The tri-tip negimaki is an homage to the locals’ love of tri-tip. It is thinly sliced, rolled in scallions and served with teriyaki sauce after it’s cooked.
The drink menu, crafted by Gavin Dixon, assistant director of food and beverage, includes a Japanese whiskey-based old-fashioned drink called the old Samurai and a Kyoto garden drink with awayuki strawberry gin, cinnamon, lemon and basil, and more.
Sweet Shop Coming to Montecito Country Mart
A Bay Area-based sweets shop and bakery soon will open at the Montecito Country Mart.
Signs on the doors say that Miette will open this holiday season.
Radisson Inn Reimagined
Santa Maria’s Radisson Inn has been reimagined as a Delta Hotels by Marriott. It will officially debut next week at 3455 Skyway Drive.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for 4 p.m. Nov. 6, followed by the reveal of the new restaurant, Runway43.
The restaurant will offer “globally inspired California cuisine” and floor-to-ceiling views of the Santa Maria Airport runway, according to a Delta Hotels spokesperson.
World of Magic Halloween to Magically Disappear
World of Magic Halloween will close for good the day after Halloween — at the end of business on Sunday.
For those trying to get last-minute Halloween costumes, the Goleta store at 199 N. Fairview Ave. and the downtown Santa Barbara store at 913 State St. will be open Friday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
There will be a 50% off sale on Sunday.
Trick-or-Treating Roundup
Speaking of Halloween, for families still trying to figure out their trick-or-treating plans, here’s a roundup of free local events:
The Towbes Group presents Monster Mash: A Spooktacular Tradition on Friday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 5660 Calle Real in Goleta.
The Montecito Family YMCA Trunk or Treat is set for Friday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 591 Santa Rosa Lane in Montecito.
The Lompoc Trunk or Treat is set for Saturday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the South Street and Ocean Avenue parking lot.
The Methodist Church Fall Family Festival is scheduled for Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the church, 1435 Cliff Drive.
The Milpas Street Halloween Trick-or-Treat along the Milpas Street corridor is set for Saturday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Downtown merchants in Carpinteria will welcome trick-or-treaters on Friday from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Participating businesses will have orange signs in their front windows.
Want to add to this list? Email news@noozhawk.com.
