The Winehound Opens

No one will ever write the truly difficult story of opening a place in Santa Barbara for fear that five bureaucrats will show up asking to inspect one’s computer. That said, The Winehound (1221 Chapala St., 845-5247, thewinehound.com) is at long last open for business and even more impressive than I had hoped. Remember when video stores were the place where the hip hung out and the clerks knew everything and recommended brilliantly with style and wit? Well, Bob Wesley is the Quentin Tarantino of wine-store workers, and he’ll never be responsible for anything abysmal like Four Rooms. He will be responsible for selling you just the right bottle of wine, whether you want to spend ten or tens of ten dollars.