Beyond the slice: The best non-pizza dishes at pizza restaurants in Santa Cruz County

As a food and drink reporter, researching Lookout’s Santa Cruz County pizza guide came with its own set of work-related challenges – loose pants and green smoothies became my two best friends – but there were also plenty of unexpected discoveries. Local pizza makers aren’t creating just personality-driven takes on classic styles, they’re also rounding out their menus with clever and refreshing sides. Exploring the county’s more than 70 pizza restaurants is a journey unto itself, but amid the endlessly delicious sea of dough, sauce and cheese, these stellar not-pizza salads and appetizers deserve a moment in the spotlight. 

At Bookie’s in Santa Cruz, chef Todd Parker might be as well-known for his Buffalo wings as he is for his menu of nontraditional Detroit-style pies. They have a devoted following, and for good reason. Parker cures the wings slightly before tossing them in a simple sauce – just Frank’s RedHot Sauce and butter – which helps the buttery, tangy sauce stick to the well-seasoned wings. How good are they? I didn’t think I liked chicken wings before I had them at Bookie’s. Depending on the day, I might argue that the vegan version ($16), made with fried maitake mushrooms and vegan butter, is even better. 

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At Ozzy’s Pizzeria in Watsonville, chef Tim Silva – a former executive chef at Pizza My Heart – creates inventive wood-fired pizzas inspired by his family, local farms and life experiences, using unconventional toppings like habañero pepper jelly, filet mignon, orange zest or fresh flowers. But on the appetizer list, he sticks with the classics, like a comforting plate of tender meatballs. Made with pork and beef and served with homemade tomato sauce, they taste just like Nonna used to make. And yes, of course you can get them on a toasted baguette smothered in melted cheese ($17). 

When a Caesar salad is made well, it reminds you why it became an icon in the first place. Like everything at Mentone, world-renowned chef David Kinch’s Michelin-rated Aptos restaurant, the Caesar possesses the kind of perfect simplicity that can be created only with premier ingredients and considerable skill. A tangy, creamy dressing binds large fans of lettuce leaves and frilly purple radicchio, which gives the salad a bitter edge. It’s finished with croutons made from leftover levain from Manresa Bread, Kinch’s bakery, and a generous flurry of aged Parmesan. 

Arancini – deep-fried risotto balls stuffed with fillings like cheese, sausage or eggplant – are a popular street snack in Sicily. Elevated versions, carefully plated with a cheffy sauce and a flurry of Parmesan, have become increasingly popular on menus throughout the county. But at Rustico Italian Street Food in downtown Santa Cruz, chef Francesco Ramunno offers them in their original form: a piping-hot fist-sized fried ball with a crackling exterior, stuffed with either molten mozzarella cheese or spicy ‘nduja sausage. 

At Buzzo, come for the wood-fired pies but be sure to save room for the appetizers. I did not do this the first time I went to the neighborhood Soquel eatery, and ended up with a buzzo – a belly or paunch in Italian – after over-ordering wings, arancini and fried cauliflower. I have no regrets, especially since I was introduced to this simple salad where humble celery and fennel make a big impact. The crunchy vegetables are sliced thin and lightly bound in a lemony vinaigrette with shaved Parmesan and toasted walnuts. It’s nutty, crunchy, and so refreshing. And since fennel is good for digestion, finishing that salad might be the only reason I was able to walk – not roll – out the door at the end of the meal. 

Pillowy, crispy-edged Detroit-style pizza dough isn’t the only thing chef Jayne Droese makes with her sourdough starter. At La Marea Cafe and Pizzeria in Capitola, she also makes chewy sourdough bagels generously coated in crunchy seeds and seasonings, and topped with homemade cream cheese and colorful veggies. Droese’s combinations change seasonally based on what’s available from nearby farms, but the Scandi ($16), with cold-smoked salmon, lemon zest and pickled onions on a caraway dill bagel, is a mainstay. 

At Cavalletta in Aptos, ordering at least one wood-fired pizza is practically required, but it would be a mistake to skip an order of the house focaccia with burrata, too. You don’t need that much bread and cheese, you say? Hear me out: Everything that makes Cavalletta’s crust stand out from the countless other Neapolitan-style pies in the area – the large bubbles, the pillowy texture, the abundance of olive oil that gives it a crackling edge – is also true about its fat slices of sea salt-flecked focaccia. Piling it with spoonfuls of oozing cheese? Utter decadence. Who says you can’t have too much of a good thing?

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