With flavors including key lion’s mane pie, chagalate and cordy creamsicle, Paul Lazazzera and Katie Sarna are introducing their mushroom-infused frozen treats at pop-ups around Santa Cruz County.
Jessica M. Pasko
Jessica M. Pasko has been writing professionally for almost two decades. She cut her teeth in journalism as a reporter for the Associated Press in her native Albany, New York, where she covered everything from plane crashes and arts & culture to state politics, including assisting with the coverage of former New York State Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s resignation. After getting her master’s degree at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, she moved to the West Coast and covered crime and breaking news for the Santa Cruz Sentinel. She has also worked for KION and written for a variety of local, regional and national publications on both coasts, including Evanston Patch, The Good Times, Santa Cruz Waves and many others.
Tortilla Flats’ new owner touches up a Soquel staple
While Zolina Zeravica is aiming to keep what’s made Tortilla Flats a local fave, the longtime employee-turned-owner has given the Soquel Mexican restaurant a colorful paint job and has added new cocktails and tequila tastings to the menu.
Farm Discovery kicks off summer season, plans fall feast
Summer camps are in full swing at Pajaro Valley nonprofit Farm Discovery, which is aiming to expand its mission of educating about food and building community connections to more youth in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties. Its Fall Feast in the Fields, set for Sept. 23 and featuring chef Jessica Yarr, is again a big piece of the fundraising puzzle.
Lookout PM: Lily Belli on Food, animal shelter workers raise alarm, and a call for a UCSC cultural change
Workers and volunteers at the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter have been stretched thin in recent years, and voiced…
Lily Belli on Food: Santa Cruz’s permanent parklets progress, a prescription for produce, and summer flavors
Hello eaters! Jessica M. Pasko here. While Lily is out on maternity leave, I’m pitching in on the latest local food news. A little about me — I’m a writer and a native of upstate New York, living in Santa Cruz for over a decade. Our rich food culture is just one of the many […]
Santa Cruz transitions to permanent parklet program
Downtown Santa Cruz businesses that want to make their pandemic-era outdoor dining arrangements permanent must apply for a permit by the end of June, and while the city has worked with restaurants and incorporated their feedback on costs and other issues, it’s still a pricey proposition for some.
Produce prescription program launches in Live Oak
Platos de Bienestar: Healthy Plates aims to make it easier for 60 patients of the Live Oak Health Center to get more fresh fruits and vegetables in their diets, and participants can fill that prescription at the Live Oak farmers market.
Lookout PM: Lily Belli on Food, Joby Aviation’s new office, and BLM mural vandals expected to help repainting
Monday was another landmark moment in the unfolding story of Joby Aviation, as the company welcomed more than 100 local…
Lily Belli on Food: Salmon release at wharf, expanding food systems and summer workshops
Hello eaters! Jessica M. Pasko here. While Lily is out on maternity leave, I’m pitching in on the latest local food news. A little about me — I’m a writer and a native of upstate New York, living in Santa Cruz for over a decade. Our rich food culture is just one of the many […]
UCSC to support new regional food business center as part of national initiative
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is enlisting regional partners in its efforts to help small and midsize farming operations, socially disadvantaged farmers and traditionally underserved populations, and a team from UCSC’s Center for Agroecology is on board.

