The secret is out.
The owners of Secret Bao are bringing two new concepts to the former Bluewater Grill spot on the Santa Barbara waterfront next year.
The takeover of the beachfront spot does not mean the popular Asian fusion restaurant is relocating from 1201 Anacapa St., despite online rumors, co-owner Felicia Medina told Noozhawk.
Instead, the waterfront restaurant at 15 E. Cabrillo Blvd. will feature a New American concept downstairs and a sushi bar upstairs, Medina said.
“We are very excited, very anxious,” she said.
The New American concept, to be named Alder, “like the wood,” will be Napa-style and serve up “elevated comfort food,” Medina said.
The sushi handroll part of the restaurant will be called Nori Club and will feel like a “beach club vibe” with beachfront views.
“It’s almost like a tucked-away hiding sushi bar upstairs,” Medina said.
Medina and her husband and co-owner, Peter Lee, have hosted pop-ups for the new concepts intermittently.
They have also been making changes inside the beachfront restaurant to curate their own space so people don’t think of it as the former Bluewater Grill spot, Medina added.
However, hints of the seafood restaurant are expected to remain, including an octopus wallpaper that is “a little too expensive to take down,” according to Medina.
The two are especially excited about the new spot and the visibility and foot traffic along the waterfront.
The two new concepts are expected to open in February, and Lee and Medina hope Secret Bao fans will follow.
El Pollo Loco Opens in Goleta
Another chicken spot has opened up in the Hollister Village Plaza.
El Pollo Loco is now open at 7000 Hollister Ave., Suite 101, just a restaurant down from the recently opened Raising Cane’s and next to Urbane Café.
The fast-casual chicken restaurant is known for its fire-grilled chicken and Mexican-inspired entrees and sides.
El Pollo Loco plans to host a grand opening celebration on Nov. 20, according to an online announcement.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony is set for 11 a.m., and a DJ will play from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Customers will receive a free two-piece leg and thigh chicken meal with rice and beans and a choice between tortillas or chips, according to an event flyer.
Hochaya Tea House Reopens in Hollister Village Plaza
There’s been a lot of recent activity at Goleta’s Hollister Village Plaza, and another restaurant jumped into the action.
Hochaya Tea House recently reopened at 7060 Hollister Ave., Suite 101, according to an online statement.
The tea house specializes in bubble tea and “creative tea-based beverages,” including handcrafted milk teas, fruit-infused teas, and slushes.
Solvang Hus Takes Over Mirabelle Inn
Solvang’s Mirabelle Inn underwent a makeover.
ZenStay will open Solvang Hus, replacing the former boutique inn to feature 16 “reimagined” boutique studios and suites at 409 First St.
ZenStay is a “collection of tech-enabled boutique hotels and vacation homes” with destinations across the state.
The new hotel promises to preserve the property’s character and Danish-inspired architecture.
“‘Hus’ is Danish for house, a fitting name for a property designed to feel connected to the town around it,” according to a press release.
Each of the studios and suites has a new kitchen or kitchenette and a bathroom, among other amenities, and some rooms even have a fireplace, according to a press release.
It is expected to open in December after originally estimating a November opening, a hotel spokesperson told Noozhawk on Thursday.
Indian Restaurant Opens in Downtown Santa Barbara
Bombay Station 734, which boasts itself as the “best Indian food in Santa Barbara,” has been operating in the former Bibi Ji spot, another Santa Barbara Indian spot, for about four months.
Bombay Station at 734 State St. was created by the owners of Apna Indian Kitchen, which is also on State Street and a short walk away.
The new restaurant promises to “bring the food we love from India to downtown Santa Barbara,” according to the website.
Lompoc Spencer’s Fresh Market Now Accepts SNAP
The Spencer’s Fresh Markets in Lompoc at 1009 North H St. is now approved as a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) retailer, according to an online announcement.
Shell Gas Station Reopens on State Street
The Shell gas station and convenience store at 3060 State St. in Santa Barbara has reopened after fencing surrounded the site for months.
The gas station features a convenience store now called Snak Run and a car wash called Wash Run.
The Santa Barbara Architectural Board of Review approved the gas station’s project design in 2024.
