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Eat this: Bo Thai at Dharma’s
Dharma’s has a 40-year legacy as a vegetarian and vegan diner in Capitola, but despite its longstanding reputation, I visited it for the first time only this week to check out its new menu, which was updated earlier this month. I walked away hoping that this restaurant would be here for many more years to come.
For longtime customers, here’s what hasn’t changed: Dharma’s menu still focuses on fresh takes on international dishes inspired by Asian, Hispanic, American and Indian cuisines. All your favorites, like the tempeh Reuben ($17.95), breakfast burrito ($17.95) and kitchari ($7.95) are still there. Here’s what’s new: The menu sections have been reorganized, and portion sizes have been reduced for many dishes, along with prices. Items like the burgers, dogs and sandwiches are now served à la carte, while other dishes like stir frys and noodles come in smaller “bowl” and larger “plate” sizes; the family platter size has been eliminated.
The goal is to bring guests back to Dharma’s with lower prices and attract new customers who are looking for local vegetarian and vegan cuisine, says manager Yogi Shapiro, whose father, Bernie Shapiro, co-founded the restaurant in 1982. “I want and need Dharma’s to continue and to once again flourish and thrive. I believe in what we do and in what we offer to the community,” Shapiro told me in an email.
Like a dress that lingered in your closet and is suddenly “vintage,” Dharma’s may have been around long enough to become trendy again. Cost-conscious diners might appreciate, as I did, the casual cafeteria-style ordering system, and a surge of plant-forward eateries like The Grove Café and Bakery in Felton and Pretty Good Advice in Soquel and Santa Cruz have helped make meatless meals cool in 2024.
The main reason I kept coming back: The food was delicious and plentiful. My favorite dish was a Dharma’s classic: Bo Thai ($17.95 bowl/$22.95 plate). Rice noodles were tangled with tofu and a colorful vegetable medley that included zucchini, carrots, purple cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower, all tossed in a tangy sweet peanut sauce and topped with crunchy bean sprouts, peanuts and lime. It wasn’t fancy or groundbreaking, but it was cooked perfectly with fresh ingredients, and it absolutely hit the spot. Healthful comfort food that’s interesting enough to crave – Dharma’s is exactly what Santa Cruz needs.
Dharma’s is located at 4250 Capitola Rd., Capitola; 831-462-1717 and dharmasrestaurant.com.
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Best of the Week Ahead
Below, find a curated list of the best food and drink events in Santa Cruz County for the coming week. At the top, I share my picks of unmissable local happenings.
News of the week
ICYMI – here are the food news stories from Lookout that you might have missed, plus important news from beyond our borders picked by yours truly.
Santa Cruz pair takes on canned cocktail market with West Peak sparkling spirits (Lookout)
Pleasure Point brewery New Bohemia has closed (Lookout)
Seabright Social hits its stride with new gastropub menu (Lookout)
Burger chain Wendy’s looking to test surge pricing at restaurants as early as next year (Associated Press)
San Francisco Chronicle tries an AI chatbot – er, Chowbot – for food recs (Nieman Lab)