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Ventura's ironically named Top Hat Burger Palace has reopened in midtown. The original location, a wooden shack downtown, was a lowbrow icon of Main Street for 63 years. The new eatery replaces It's In the Sauce, a barbecue joint now operating out of a food truck. Top Hat Burger Palace, 2050 E. Main St., Ventura, CA 93001, 805-643-9696.
Nicky D's Wood-Fired Pizza has opened in Santa Barbara. After a decade of success serving classic Italian style New York pies in the L.A. hipster haven of Silver Lake, the pizzeria is taking a crack at a laidback California beach town. Nicky D's Wood-Fired Pizza, 2840 De La Vina St., Santa Barbara, CA 93105, 805-898-2222.
It seems you just can't be an upscale Italian restaurant in Santa Barbara without an adjacent mid-range pizzeria. Following a trend sparked by nearby Olio e Limone Ristorante, Ca' Dario will open a pizzeria a few doors down from its 37 E. Victoria location. Ca' Dario, 37 E. Victoria St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101, 805-884-9419.
Petros is opening in the former home of Café Buenos Aires, located opposite Santa Barbara's historic Arlington Theatre on State Street. This Greek restaurant chain already has locations in Los Olivos and Manhattan Beach. Petros, 1316 State St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101, no phone.
The former Hob Nob space in downtown Santa Barbara will be turned into a new restaurant called Arlington Tavern. The venue is still under construction. Arlington Tavern, 21 W. Victoria St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101, no phone.
Ca' Dario to Open a Pizzeria
Italian trattoria Ca' Dario is going to open a pizzeria near the restaurant's downtown Santa Barbara digs. Ca' Dario, 37 E. Victoria St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101, 805-884-9419.
 Closings
In a sad turn for food lovers from L.A. to Santa Barbara, Brooks restaurant will shutter after service December 31. Chef-proprietor Andy Brooks cites a poor economy as his reason for closing Ventura's most highly acclaimed New American eatery, which had an ill-timed opening in May of 2007 that coincided with the start of the recession. Brooks, 545 E. Thompson Blvd., Ventura, CA 93001, 805-652-7070.
Asian fusion restaurant Jade has shuttered. Jade, 3132 State St., Santa Barbara, CA 93105, no phone.
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