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A local couple has taken on the role of Food Liaison in Carpinteria, opening a brick-and-mortar business location that’s part catering, part counter lunch service, and soon part cooking class.
Chef Nirasha and Jason Rodriguez found a place to call their own at 1033 Casitas Pass Road last month, although they say the Food Liaison officially launched in 2013 on the catering side.
The Carpinteria residents have crafted a seasonal lunch menu, which will be served 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. They also plan to begin offering fun cooking classes at least twice a month beginning in August.
“The space itself is really beautiful and unique,” said Nirasha, a Kentucky native and self-taught local chef for the past dozen years.
“The community seems to be really embracing us right now. What drives me is my passion for food. It’s a great way to unite people together. It’s a community kitchen.”
While the cooking classes will offer a nice side gig, she said Food Liaison would likely still focus predominantly on catering, “our bread and butter.”
Tony’s Closes in Carpinteria
Tony’s Restaurant in Carpinteria has closed after the family owners sold the business to a local investor.
Dan Moll of Hayes Commercial Group represented owners of the Italian restaurant at 699 Linden Ave. — established in 1962 by the late Anthony “Tony” Borrello and his wife, Antoinette, known as Toni — in a deal that fetched the highest price per square foot on record for a retail building in Carpinteria.
Now under new ownership, the restaurant building is currently up for lease, listed by Francois DeJohn and Steve Hayes of Hayes Commercial Group, who represented the buyer.
Across the street at 686 Linden Ave. the Sly’s restaurant building is for sale, but Sly’s will remain in business with its long-term lease.
Uber to Deliver Ice Cream
For Friday only, Uber is teaming up with Capital One to offer a free order of ice cream — $10 in Santa Barbara — to eligible credit card holders.
The ride-sharing service is allowing customers to open Uber between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Friday, set their location and to request ice cream. If connected, two frozen treats will be delivered curbside for $10.
Select your eligible Capital One card as payment method and enter promo code SWEETDEAL in the Uber app before requesting.
Fairview Gardens Hires Executives
The Center for Urban Agriculture for Fairview Gardens has selected Tim Heuer to be its new executive director, filling the vacancy of a departing Mark Tollefson.
The nonprofit organization and 12-plus acre Goleta farm focused on educating locals about where their food comes from also hired Kjessie (pronounced Chessie) Essue as its new director of farm operations.
Heuer was picked from a nationwide search. He has more than seven years of operations, planning, administration and communications experience in farming, having served as executive Managing Partner at Obercreek Farm in Hughsonville, N.Y. and as director of farming at Common Ground Farm in Beacon, N.Y.
Essue’s resume features more than 13 years of experience in agricultural systems, including soil fertility, irrigation, water conservation and environmental impacts.
Most recently she was the science and garden educator at Crane Country Day School in Montecito and also held positions at School Gardens in Carpinteria, Hilltop Canyon in Carpinteria, Aurora Farms in Santa Barbara and Shepherd Farms in Carpinteria.
Montecito Bank & Trust Hires Trust Officer
Montecito Bank & Trust is pleased to announce that Judy Milam has joined the bank as vice president and senior trust officer, reporting to Jeff Pittman, senior vice president and director of Wealth Management.
In addition to spending the last 30 years working in Santa Barbara County as a senior trust officer, Milam, a Santa Barbara High School graduate, is also active in a number of local community organizations.
She is the vice president of the Santa Barbara Estate Planning Council and has been involved with the Dos Pueblos Athletic Booster Club, Domestic Violence Solutions, the American Heart Association, the Goleta Valley Softball Association, the St. Cecilia Society and the Junior League of Santa Barbara.
— Noozhawk staff writer Gina Potthoff can be reached at gpotthoff@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.