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EAT THIS: THE 15 BEST SANDWICHES IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
From a dining perspective, Santa Cruz County is way more laid back than its neighbors, the dense culinary metropolis of the Bay Area to the north and the elite, increasingly Michelin-starred fine dining of Monterey County to the south. As a result, sometimes its contributions to the food landscape can be overlooked. Some of the area’s best meals are ordered over a counter, eaten at a food truck or consumed within miles of the fog-covered soil in which their ingredients were grown, rather than over a white tablecloth. The food culture here is passionate, but casual.
Sandwiches are a great example. Santa Cruz County has a history of delis catering to workers stopping in for a quick and substantial meal, such as Santa Cruz’s historic Zoccoli’s Delicatessen. But there is also a new wave of motivated creators drawing inspiration from the area’s unparalleled ingredients — Seabright Deli in Santa Cruz, for example — and restaurants offering fresh takes on vegetarian sandwiches with fillings, such as sweet potato and avocado at The Grove Cafe and Bakery in Felton.
To make my list of the 15 best sandwiches in Santa Cruz County, I combined crowdsourced suggestions from readers with my own knowledge of the area. I tried more than 25 sandwiches in search of those with star power, something that set them apart from a sea of options. I looked for flavorful ingredients that worked well together, conscious composition, quality bread, and value for the price. Throughout the process, I considered, “If someone had one day in Santa Cruz and they wanted a great sandwich for lunch, would I send them here?” All of these sandwiches are a clear “yes.”
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, plus important news from beyond our borders picked by yours truly.
- Lily Belli on Food: Promoting Westside Marketplace, new openings, and Election Day baking (Lookout)
- Winemaker pals say goodbye to Barry Jackson (Edible Monterey Bay)
- The Napa vineyard once home to Two Buck Chuck producer Charles Shaw is for sale for $35 million (San Francisco Chronicle)
- TGI Fridays bankruptcy: Concerns about nearly $50 million in unused gift cards (USA Today)
