Robyn Bartling and her daughter, artist Jules Bartling. 
Shane Brown and his wife, Christine, owners of The Well. 
From left, Maureen McDermut, Christine Brown and designer Tammy Hughs. 
It was all in the family for a summer evening dinner at The Well in Summerland. 
Mimi and Chris Prendergast. 
Jenavi wines were served throughout the evening. 
Passed hors d’oeuvres were the creation of Chef Ali Cengiz. 
Fab DJ Fabrice Allain. 
Designer Erin Taylor, right, and Field+Fort co-owner Kyle Irwin, the original owners of Botanik, which helped establish Summerland as a boutique shopping experience. 
Well done at The Well.
A lot has happened since I first introduced The Well, Shane Brown’s home and garden emporium in Summerland, almost a year ago.
Although Brown — the owner of Big Daddy’s in Culver City since 1996, as well as shops in Los Angeles, Palo Alto and San Francisco — is not new to retail challenges, COVID-19 certainly brought more than anyone could have imagined.
But with his indomitable spirit and business acumen, he’s turned lemons into lemonade, and the store at 2350 Lillie Ave. has been an instant hit for locals and out-of-towners alike.
On a recent Saturday, one of those dreamy Santa Barbara early summer evenings with perfect temperature and lighting, Brown and his wife, Christine, held an invitation-only thank you cocktail hour and sit-down dinner for 50.
Gracious and generous with family — the couple has two daughters — friends and clients, Brown’s hospitality was on full display for the shindig.
With its bubbling fountains, oversized furniture for inside and out, and accessories, I felt transported to a Hollywood backdrop. It’s hard not being swept up into the environment that Brown magically and routinely changes and enhances.
The evening included music that felt French and samba-like by Fab DJ Fabrice Allain. There were passed hors d’oeuvres and signature cocktails by Chef Ali Cengiz, and wines from Jenavi.
The “family-style” meal was held at one long table in a side garden with clustered succulents in small ceramic pots and green candle stick holders. The multicourse dinner and dessert were artistically prepared by Cengiz.
Back-to-normal events like these have people like me happy to reconnect, even if we’re still somewhat tentatively standing a polite distance apart. But the occasion was well worth a celebratory dinner.
— Judy Foreman is a Noozhawk columnist and longtime local writer and lifestyles observer. She can be contacted at news@noozhawk.com. Click here for previous columns. The opinions expressed are her own.