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EAT THIS: CALI BENEDICT AT HARBOR CAFÉ
Great breakfast can be found throughout Santa Cruz County, but colorful 7th Avenue restaurant Harbor Café’s nostalgia, quality service and contemporary cool factor have created a cult following. Ringed with palm trees, bamboo and passionfruit vines, the outdoor patio has the scrappy, hand-hewn charm of a surf shack, an oasis of caffeine, cocktails and Benedicts.
In April, Harbor Café had a changing of the guard when the new owners – husband and wife Justin and Jessica Foust and business partner Hollis Oatey – purchased it from longtime owner Daniel Voskoboynikov. But aside from the presence of the new owners at the café, customers likely won’t notice any changes to their brunch routine. “Dan built this into what it is: an awesome, iconic place in Santa Cruz. Our No. 1 thing is to try not to mess this up,” said Justin Foust.
To me, Harbor Café holds the title for best brunch spot in Santa Cruz due to its charm, relaxed and professional service from longtime staff, killer cocktails and great food. I’ve been going there since the 2010s, but every once in a while I’ll be shocked to find someone who has never heard of this icon.
So for the uninitiated, here’s my advice: Go an hour before you’re starving, because on weekends, a wait is almost inevitable. Order a drink from the bar while you wait – a nonalcoholic Capri-Fun ($7) made with watermelon juice, lime and mint, or a decadent Cruzin’ Coffee Slushy ($14) with whiskey, Cat & Cloud coffee and horchata whipped cream. Once you park at a picnic table, the food comes fast. You can’t go wrong with a Cali Benedict ($19.95), a traditional Benedict on an open-face croissant with avocado and bacon, smothered in sunny hollandaise. Real pros know to get the fruit cup ($5.95) in addition to crackling hash browns.
Read the full story about the changing of the guard at this cult-favorite brunch spot.
535 7th Avenue, Santa Cruz; 831-475-4948; harborcafesantacruz.com.
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 food news stories from Lookout that you might have missed.
- VinoCruz closes doors, Home Away set to open in Soquel spot this summer (Lookout)
- Downtown Santa Cruz farmers market move delayed until June 4 (Lookout)
- Staff of Life celebrates 56th anniversary with discounts, treats, tastings (Lookout)
- Croissants, cruffins and breakfast smash burgers: Dani O Bakeshop rises from the Capitola Mall (Lookout)
