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EAT THIS: GREENS + GRAINS BOWL AT DAVENPORT ROADHOUSE
New owners are bringing fresh ideas and a new menu to the historic Davenport Roadhouse, while preserving the stately restaurant and inn’s old-school charm.
In July, business partners Gavin Parsons and Ginny Miller purchased the business from Christopher and Vanessa Chamberlain, who ran the Roadhouse for five years. Over the summer, Parsons and Miller have channeled their former careers in hospitality, design and restaurant consulting to gently update the space while preserving the building’s funky, tavernlike character.
They hired chef Roland Konicke – known throughout the area as “Uncie” Ro for his wood-fired pizza pop-ups and catering service by the same name – to manage the kitchen.
The Roadhouse’s Greens & Grains Bowl ($17) is a standout dish, and bears no resemblance to the grain bowls that dominated menus in the mid-2010s. This is a nutty and hearty salad of tender red lettuce and farro with chopped pistachios, pickled onions and aged provolone, bound in a tangy apple cider dressing.
The rest of the menu offers familiar classics like a smash burger, fish & chips, clam chowder, pizzas and salads with a focus on organic produce from small producers on the Central Coast.
Read more about the gentle updates the new owners are bringing to the iconic restaurant and inn.
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 you might have missed.
- Seaside’s Other Brother Beer Co. aims to open Aptos taproom by end of year (Lookout)
- Hospitality veterans team up to open Mane Kitchen & Cocktails in downtown Santa Cruz (Lookout)
- Switch Bakery to open Santa Cruz café focused on gut-friendly baked goods (Lookout)
- Pending development prompts longtime Windmill Cafe owner’s retirement as she prepares to put business up for sale (Lookout)
