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ATTEND THIS: THREE MUST-GO FOOD EVENTS THIS WEEKEND
Summer is here, the weather is unseasonably warm for Santa Cruz County (June Gloom, who?) and some of the best food events of the year emerge from their annual hibernation. If you love to eat, especially outside, almost every week brings a smorgasbord of gatherings, fundraisers and festivals.
This weekend is no exception, with a trio of tasty get-togethers conveniently spaced out on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Here are your marching orders. I hope you’re hungry.
Friday: Food Truck Friday at Simpkins Family Swim Center in Live Oak
This summer food truck series pops up at Simpkins Family Swim Center in Live Oak one Friday evening per month May through August. The local lineup includes: Taquizas Gabriel (get the quesabirria tacos!); Scrumptious Fish & Chips, with its addictive curry ketchup; Rollin Snack Shack; and Cre’s BBQ and Soul Food, plus resident nonprofit coffeeshop Skills of Life Cafe. This family-friendly community event is free to enter.
Saturday: Third Annual Pig Roast for Whiskey Folks at Venus Spirits in Santa Cruz
For the third year in a row, the team at Venus Spirits is roasting a whole pig on an open grill, and serving up smoky, porky plates with baked beans, potato salad, garlic rolls and a strawberry-rhubarb dessert. This year, the award-winning craft distillery is releasing its first 10-year single-malt whiskey. There’s no fee to enter, and a plate of BBQ is $45. A $100 VIP ticket gets you in an hour before the event for a vertical Wayward Whiskey tasting and hors d’oeuvres, a welcome cocktail, a commemorative glass and a plate of barbecue.
Sunday: Sip for Second Harvest at Seascape Beach Resort in Aptos
At Sip for Second Harvest, guests immerse themselves in local wines while supporting Second Harvest Food Bank and accessible, nutritious food for Santa Cruz County families. The event centers around a wine tasting with 16 Santa Cruz-area wineries, with beloved names like Big Basin Vineyards, Beauregard Vineyards and Birichino. Live music and appetizers round out the afternoon. Tickets are $75; VIP tickets, with exclusive tastings and a swag bag, are $125.
COMING UP: BITTER BUZZ BLOCK PARTY TASTING WITH LILY BELLI
Last month, I took 12 Lookout members on a behind-the-scenes tasting at Sweet Home Santa Cruz, a dessert festival and the first stop on Collective Santa Cruz’s summer food series, the Extra Tasty Tour. Join me next Saturday, June 28, at the second event, the Bitter Buzz Block Party at 11th Hour Coffee in downtown Santa Cruz. We’ll taste creative treats from five select vendors who are crafting foods that emphasize bitter flavors, like chocolate, coffee, and cocktail bitters. My private tour is $20 for Lookout members; the block party is free to enter. Get tickets for my mini-food tour 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.
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.
- Ella’s at the Airport grounded for good after rocky final chapter (Lookout)
- Scotts Valley farmers market to host Summer Sweets Foodshed Project on June 28 (Lookout)
- Life-threatening meals: Restaurants would identify food allergens for diners under this proposed law (CalMatters)
- Thrilling new food options are giving this 25-year-old Bay Area mall a second wind (San Francisco Chronicle)
