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EAT THIS: CHICKEN MOLE TAMAL AT GABRIELITA TAMALERIA
After the exodus of several large retail stores – Forever 21, New Leaf Community Markets and O’Neill Surf Shop – it’s nice to see signs of life in downtown Santa Cruz. This week, two of the small kiosks on Pacific Avenue opened with new tenants.
At the Lincoln Street intersection, Gabriella Café owner Paul Cocking and chef Gema Cruz opened Gabrielita Tamaleria, offering homemade tamales and Mexican lunch fare. In front of Bookshop Santa Cruz, owner Matt McCabe opened Crepe Cones, a shop with made-to-order crepes – some for just $5 – held a soft opening last week and will fully open this week.
The Mexican cuisine at “little Gabriella” is a deviation from the seasonal Californian fare that Gabriella Café, located on Cedar Street between Church Street and Locust Street, has become known for since it opened in 1992. Chef Cruz is from Oaxaca, Mexico, and the kiosk is an opportunity for her to focus on some traditional recipes.
Both the chicken mole and pork chile verde tamales ($8 for one; $14 for two) are hearty and stuffed with flavorful fillings, and come topped with cabbage slaw, salsa and sour cream. The pork chile verde tamal was wrapped in a corn husk, and was fresh-tasting with gentle heat. But the chicken mole tamal, wrapped in a banana leaf, was richly spiced and roasty with a hint of chocolate. It made for a cozy, satisfying lunch on a chilly January afternoon, along with a cup of champurrado ($5), a thick, creamy drink made with masa harina and chocolate.
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.
The Lookout Santa Cruz app is available now in both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Learn more here.
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.
- National egg shortage hits some stores, but businesses sourcing from Aptos’ Glaum Egg Ranch “fully stocked” (Lookout)
- Opinion: Linda’s Sebreeze Café: A Santa Cruz legend, and a cinnamon roll to live for (Lookout)
- FDA bans Red No. 3, artificial coloring used in beverages, candy and other foods (NBC News)
- A small seafood restaurant turns into a national donation hub for L.A. fire victims (NPR)
