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EAT THIS: GIOVANNI’S FAMOUS CIOPPINO AT STAGNARO BROS. SEAFOOD RESTAURANT
Santa Cruz County’s location on the coast is a big reason why it’s so special, and sometimes, both locals and tourists want to soak up as much of that oceanic influence as possible by eating a meal that’s of the sea while looking out over the sea. Plus, it’s one of the only dining scenarios where it’s not weird to whip out a pair of binoculars at the dinner table to get a closer look at a whale spout or kelp bed.
The county is scattered with seafood restaurants, but a new guide showcases the ones that also boast ocean views – from across a beach, from a wharf, over the Santa Cruz Harbor or above a cliff. Prices and menu styles vary greatly from casual, takeout-only spots to upscale bistros and Mexican restaurants, showing that there are as many ways to enjoy a waterfront meal as there are fish in the sea. Among 15 restaurants, I’ve noted my particular favorites with a 🐟 emoji. Check out Lookout’s guide to seafood restaurants with a view.
While I was putting this guide together, I stopped into Stagnaro Bros. Seafood Restaurant at the end of the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, and was impressed by Giovanni’s Famous Cioppino ($31.95). Versions of cioppino, an Italian American seafood stew in a tomato-based broth, are available throughout Santa Cruz County, but this one stood out both for presentation – it came with a plastic lobster bib, crackers for ripping open tough shells and a shell pick – and flavor.
Less of a soup and more of a pile of seafood in a garlicky tomato sauce, it was loaded with fish: mussels, clams, shrimp, tiny bay scallops, rockfish and long strips of calamari. It was impressively crowned with a quarter Dungeness crab, including two meaty claws, and garlic butter-soaked griddled bread. Fragrant and hearty, I was delighted by the messy, garlic-scented experience of tugging out sweet, tender crab meat and prying bivalves from their shells, while gazing out over the glittering waters of Monterey Bay.
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.
- ‘We would 100% do it again’: As Davenport Roadhouse changes hands, former owners reflect on five years (Lookout)
- Lily Belli on Food: Events popping off, Vim goes Candy Land, farmers market brunches (Lookout)
- Scotts Valley art, wine and beer festival returns in August (Lookout)
- From strawberries to dahlias, a guide to Santa Cruz County’s u-pick farms and the joy of harvesting your own (Lookout)
