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EAT THIS: CELERY SALAD AT BUZZO
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 amid all that sauce and cheese there were 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.
One surprising standout was the celery salad ($8) at Buzzo in Soquel. Humble celery and fennel make a big impact in this simple salad, where the crunchy vegetables are sliced thin and lightly bound in a lemony vinaigrette with shaved Parmesan and toasted walnuts. It’s nutty, bright, and so refreshing. Buzzo’s tender, bubbly, wood-fired pizzas with updated takes on classic toppings clinched a spot in my roster of top pizza spots in the county, but I’ve been craving the celery salad since the moment I scraped the plate clean.
Here are six more picks for the best non-pizza dishes at Santa Cruz County pizza restaurants.
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.
- Santa Cruz Pizza Guide: Does our pizza-obsessed county have its own style? (Lookout)
- Laurie Love on Wine: Locals’ big presence in Slow Wine Guide and a ‘sensuous’ harvest taking shape (Lookout)
- Woodhouse Brewing plans new satellite location on Santa Cruz’s Upper Westside (Lookout)
- At Ozzy’s in Watsonville, an inventive menu from former Pizza My Heart chef (Lookout)
