The best things I ate and drank in Santa Cruz County in August

Actually, it’s OK to play with your food. 

Four chefs in Santa Cruz County prove that point with inventive dishes that stand out, even among their own menus. Restrained and refined technique has its place, but it ain’t here. In August, I’m celebrating creations that shout with gastronomic gusto, pose for social media-worthy photos and stamp their experience on diners’ brains long after the meal ends.

Few can rival chef Jesikah Stolaroff’s take on perfect summer tomatoes at Vim Dining & Desserts in Santa Cruz. At Woody’s at Watsonville Airport, chef Tim Wood’s signature wedge erases the memory of others that came before. And two burgers that aren’t really burgers secured their spots, with one version packed with lush tuna poke at Pono Hawaiian Grill and another with tender spiced duck at Fusion Fare, a Sichuanese restaurant, both in downtown Santa Cruz. 

The best things I ate in Santa Cruz County in: January | February | March | April | May | June | July

When it comes to her seasonal menus at Vim, chef Jesikah Stolaroff doesn’t hold back. With each dish, she gilds the lily in homemade marinades and sauces, crunchy toppings, thoughtful side dishes and time-consuming details that, at first glance, might make the diner think — is this a bit much? Yet, every time, the finished dish is harmonious, exciting and never ever boring. 

Stolaroff’s cherry tomato fettucini is August captured in a bowl of silky homemade noodles twirled with candy-like cherry tomatoes and ultra thin zucchini. A rich basil fonduta – aka the best Alfredo sauce known to man – was poured by a server’s steady hand while I used mine to take pictures. 

There’s more: A bruschetta slice of homemade ciabatta cheese bread, topped with whole tomatoes roasted until they collapse in a puddle of sweetness, rests on the edge of the plate, further celebrating the season’s best fruit. 

The menu recommends – and I do, too – to pair it with a Nightshade Martini, a cocktail made with homemade tomato brine, or its equally appetizing mocktail counterpart. Every sip and bite sends you into the tomato vines. Dive in before Vim’s menu shifts to autumn flavors. 

The internet is full of viral food sensations, but these trends are frequently more photogenic than they are flavorful. (I’m looking at you, rainbow bagels and activated charcoal ice cream.) So I ordered the poke burger ($24) at Pono Hawaiian Grill with tempered expectations. Would the raw fish patty sandwiched between two fried-rice “buns” be a slay or a nay? 

The massive meal that landed on the picnic table at Pono’s shaded downtown backyard was as large as my face. The katsu’d rice holding it together was an appetizing golden brown, and was sturdy enough to hold the substantial filling: dark tuna poke with chunks of avocado and a layer of imitation crab meat, dusted with a garlicky chili crunch. I was as impressed by the play of silky fish, crunchy seasonings and fun sauces as I was with the dish’s structural integrity. Nothing squished out the sides as my friend and I cut it into quarters – sliders, if you will – and devoured  every last bite (after posting to the ‘gram, of course). 

It’s been almost two years since Fusion Fare opened at the corner of Cedar and Locust streets in downtown Santa Cruz. The Sichuanese cuisine and Asian fusion dishes, always good, have gotten better with every visit. Chef and owner Hongmin Mo’s large menu includes traditional dishes like tender dumplings bobbing in fiery red oil, a rich and nourishing soup studded with red dates, goji berries, kombu and pork, and many vibrant stir-frie activated with Sichuan peppercorns’ trademark fire, a spicy yet cooling sensation known as “mala.”

Many of Mo’s nontraditional takes are also excellent. The five spice duck burger ($16.45) is a standout, its nonresemblance to a burger notwithstanding. For this sandwich, he splits a fried and flakey bun open like a pita and stuffs it with tender duck, pulled off the bone and brimming with warm flavors of five spice and ginger, mixed with a refreshing cilantro and cucumber slaw. The addictive Sichuan peppercorn-dusted fries that come on the side are a welcome bonus. If you’re unsure what to order among chef Mo’s hits, start here. 

Chef Tim Wood’s modus operandi is classic American fare made with ingredients sourced from nearby farms, and its system that has served him well across four restaurants. After opening three Woody’s locations in Monterey County in Del Mesa, at the Carmel Valley Athletic Club and the Monterey Regional Airport, Wood opened a fourth, at the Watsonville Regional Airport, in April. 

Dining while watching planes glide on and off the runway has always made this space special, but it’s now also a destination for thick burgers cooked to temp, sauteed sand dabs, entree-style salads and large chilled martinis garnished with blue cheese olives. 

I always order anything identified as a signature dish, and was surprised to see it tacked onto the name of a wedge salad ($14). Americana classics like this are often straightforward and lack decorative touches — not so Wood’s version. Rather than present toppings sliding off a block of lettuce, the iceberg is layered with a rich blue cheese dressing, crumbled bacon, tiny sweet tomatoes, baby broccoli and watermelon radish — and more bacon and more blue cheese. Rich, salty and refreshing, Wood’s wedge reminds us why some classics endure. 

Have something to say? Lookout welcomes letters to the editor, within our policies, from readers. Guidelines here.