Something new is cooking—and pouring—in Montecito.
An Italian eatery and wine bar opened last week as part of the latest summer business openings.
Ancora Osteria, an Italian restaurant, opened at 1483 East Valley Road on Aug. 13—replacing Via Vai, a pizzeria that closed in 2024. Chef Luca Crestanelli, his brother Francesco Crestanelli and Norman Borgatello co-own the restaurant.
Ancora Osteria is open from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Thursday to Monday, but Luca said he plans to expand hours in the future.
Vic’s Wine Bar opened at 1801 East Cabrillo Boulevard, serving a split selection of local wines and imported wines from Europe, said co-owner Aleah Schepps Elisara, who oversees the business with her husband Ethan Elisara.
From 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday to Sunday, Vic’s transforms Little King Coffee in The Post Montecito into a nook with a “nighttime elevated” ambiance.
Ancora Osteria
For more than a decade, Luca ran Italian restaurant S.Y. Kitchen in Santa Ynez, sourcing ingredients from local farmers and ranchers.
At Ancora Osteria, which translates to “more food” in English, Luca said he is looking to bring a similar sense of simplicity for customers. The technique is to let the “product shine without doing too much,” he said.
“It needs to be where people come in all moments of life,” said Luca, born and raised in Verona, Italy.
The restaurant serves traditional Italian appetizers, flatbreads, handmade pasta and main dishes including roasted chicken, filet mignon and ribeye fillet. It also offers desserts such as tiramisu, chocolate almond cake, affogato and a pavlova dish with vanilla pastry cream, fruits and meringue.
Ancora Osteria’s appetizers are in the $20 range, and its main dishes are around $39 to $55. It will also serve some menu favorites from S.Y. Kitchen, including its beet salad and mushroom frittata, Luca said.
The menu will change depending on the ingredients in season, he said.
“With a restaurant, there’s so much organization involved,” Luca said. “There’s so many layers.”
Luca said the atmosphere of the restaurant is meant to feel worn in and comfortable, whether customers come in straight from a hike or to celebrate an occasion.
“It kind of becomes a little bit family,” he said. “Hopefully, this is gonna become another place where people meet and celebrate lots of visions, or just simply take some food home.”
Vic’s Wine Bar
Aleah and Ethan, who attended Westmont College, hosted more than 100 dinners in their 250-square-foot apartment last year.
Now, they are turning their homegrown passion for hospitality into a business, Aleah said.
“We just want it to be someone’s neighborhood spot,” she said. “We want people to feel ownership and like they belong.”
Vic’s is named after Ethan’s Aunt Victoria from New Zealand. Striving toward a casual atmosphere, the wine bar is inspired by Kiwi cafes—most of which provide an evening service such as jazz clubs, Aleah said.
By 5 p.m., staff switch out Little King’s large menu displays for a five-piece canvas artwork that Aleah and Ethan painted together. In the place of coffee grounds and Little King merch, the store’s shelves are stocked with a variety of wines. Tables are also set with candles to set the mood, Aleah said.
“The Little King has already been built up and beautiful,” she said. “We are just really excited to have a part in that in another style of service.”
The wine bar’s menu includes sparkling, rose and orange, white and red wines. Vic’s works with local winemakers, Aleah said, including Alamati Wine, Sea Creatures Wines, Ashkahn Shahparnia and Scribe Winery. She added that Vic’s wine selection is constantly changing.
Vic’s also offers beer, cider and spritzes.
The store serves food alongside the wine, such as a cheese board, a castelvetrano olives and citrus dish, a fish plate and affogato. A staple item is Auntie Vic’s Sausage Roll, a hand pie made with sausage, rolled in caramelized onions and flaky pastry, Aleah said.
“We’re truly wine with a food menu,” she said, “rather than a restaurant with an amazing wine list that’s built up to supplement.”
