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EAT THIS: CHOCOLATE CROISSANT AT THE CHOCOLATE STUDIO
Does anyone remember Mutari Chocolate House, serving European-style hot chocolate and fine craft chocolates on Front Street in downtown Santa Cruz? It closed in 2022 – the building it was in was scheduled to be demolished – but Mutari Craft Chocolate and its sister label, White Label Chocolate, continued online, and production was moved to Watsonville.
Earlier this month, owners Stephen Beaumier and Katy Oursler opened The Chocolate Studio in downtown Santa Cruz for a three-month pop-up in the former Flower Bar space on Cedar Street. This new venture has beautiful handmade and ethically sourced chocolates, but aims to offer a greater customer experience, with a wine, beer and nonalcoholic beverage list, a savory menu coming this spring, coffee from San Francisco-based Ikon Roastery and baked goods delivered daily from Dani O Bakeshop.
With so many delicious options, it’s easy to get that “kid in a candy store” feeling – which treat to choose? The Mutari and White Label chocolates are all exquisite, but don’t miss baker Danielle Orlando’s pastries, either – specifically, the chocolate croissant. Orlando’s version of this glossy classic French pastry is made with organic ingredients, nutrient-dense stone-ground flour and a White Label chocolate baton. It’s delightfully flaky and buttery, and goes down well with an uber-rich European sipping chocolate or a fresh cup of coffee. And keep an eye out for her chocolate sourdough loaves, which will hit the shelves at the Chocolate Studio starting Friday.
Read the full story on The Chocolate Studio here.
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.
- A ‘perfect storm’ of environmental and political issues is driving Santa Cruz fishers out of the water (Lookout)
- Thomas Farm Films shares new crop of films at the Rio (Good Times)
- Uber sues DoorDash over alleged anti-competitive practices (Restaurant Dive)
- What’s the difference between the FDA and the USDA? (Eater)
- KFC is leaving Kentucky (CNN)