Lily Belli on Food: A transformed Davenport Roadhouse; food & drink events for your summer calendar

Welcome to Lily Belli on Food, a weekly food-focused newsletter from Lookout’s food and drink correspondent, Lily Belli. Keep reading for the latest local food news for Santa Cruz County – plus a few fun odds and ends from my own life and around the web.

… I visited the Davenport Roadhouse last summer soon after business partners Ginny Miller and Gavin Parsons purchased the historic restaurant, bar and inn, but, a year later, it was clear I needed to return. Miller and Parsons, together with a third business partner, Cascade Dewitt, and the help of Miller’s brother, Davenport resident Teddy Miller, have transformed the aging roadside stop into a destination for locals and travelers alike. 

In past years, the inn operated on an “if you know, you know” basis. Now, the nine guest rooms have been updated and redesigned with a mix of vintage and contemporary furnishings. An event space in the back boasts an outdoor bar, picnic tables and a wooden play structure shaped like a pirate ship. Chef Jessie Curran, who joined the team this spring, prioritizes products from nearby farms and purveyors on a menu that’s equal parts comforting and unexpected. 

Ensuring that the Davenport Roadhouse welcomes neighbors and tourists is a priority. “We think of it as these concentric circles,” Ginny Miller told me. “We want to make sure this place feels special for our local audience. I think if you do that, it ripples outwards. When someone walks in the door, they know that this is a place that locals love – and then they want to feel like a local.” Read it here. 

… Summer events are in full swing. Here are a few you won’t want to miss:

• Taste Santa Cruz Mountains wines in Aptos Village at the Aptos Wine Wander on July 11. Local wineries post up inside businesses for wine tasting and shopping. Tickets are $45 in advance, $50 at the door, for a wine glass, wristband and map. 
• Hop N’ Barley Beer Festival takes over Skypark in Scotts Valley on July 11 for an all-day beer and cider festival, with two stages of live music. Tickets are $65 for a wristband and tasting glass. Children and non-drinkers are free. 
• Watsonville’s El Pájaro Community Development Corporation’s Commercial Kitchen Incubator is hosting Tacos and Tapas on July 23. This fundraising event features food prepared by 20 entrepreneurs in the kitchen’s small business community alongside beverages from craft breweries and wineries and music by Flor de Caña. Tickets are $80 and include five food or drink tickets. 
• The Farm to Fork dinner on the farm at UC Santa Cruz returns on Aug. 29. This was one of the best farm-to-table events I attended last year. Guests participated in activities like guessing tomato varieties grown on the farm during cocktail hour, while sipping beverages on a sunny hilltop. The dining area offers panoramic views of Santa Cruz and Monterey Bay, and, after a farm-focused, family-style meal, guests can head down to the nearby Hay Barn for dancing and dessert. Tickets are $225. Proceeds benefit the Center for Agroecology. 
• Teen Kitchen Project’s annual fundraiser dinner at Everett Family Farm in Soquel is Sept. 19. The meal is prepared with the help of the local nonprofit’s teen students, who prepare meals for community members in need while gaining kitchen skills. This year’s chef and menu are forthcoming. Tickets are $185 – $125 of which is a tax-deductible donation to the program. 

ON THE MENU

Historic Watsonville juice company S. Martinelli & Co. canceled contracts with some Pajaro Valley apple growers, forcing farmers to confront difficult decisions about a future without their primary buyer. After breaking the news earlier this month, I spoke with industry leaders and farmers about the economic factors that led to the situation. Watch for a story coming soon. 

EVENT SPOTLIGHT

Tickets were just released for Gourmet Grazing on the Green on Oct. 3 at Aptos Village Park. This foodie fundraiser for Santa Cruz Cancer Benefit Group includes unlimited tasting of wine, beer and bites, along with live music. Early bird tickets are $90 through Sept. 5.  

LIFE WITH THE BELLIS

I love my backyard in the summer. The garden boxes are overflowing, and my husband, Mike, and I grill multiple times a week just to have an excuse to hang out outside. A few weeks ago, I saw cookbook author Molly Baz post a marinade that she claimed could be slathered on anything – meat, vegetables, seafood, whatever. I’ve made it several times and can confirm that it is delicious, easy and adaptable. 

Take a look at Baz’s recipe video on Instagram for the original recipe, but here’s my version. Grab some herbs – enough to equal a bunch that you’d buy in the grocery store. It can be anything, but soft herbs like dill, mint, parsley, basil and cilantro work well. I just walk out in the garden and see what needs a haircut. 

Pull out your food processor or blender and shove in the herbs. Pull off the bigger stems, but no need to be fussy about it. Add three garlic cloves, a chunk of ginger, a tablespoon of fish sauce and a quarter-cup each of rice vinegar and oil (any kind), plus a pinch of salt. Blend it up and adjust the seasonings until you have a smooth sauce. It has funky chimichurri vibes and works equally well as a marinade, salad dressing and sauce. 

FOOD NEWS WORTH READING

➤ In a rare union bid in the wine industry, workers at a Sonoma winery launched a unionization drive this week. Layoffs, rising insurance costs and stagnant compensation during California’s wine-industry downturn have left workers struggling, they say. (San Francisco Chronicle/$) 

➤ The James Beard Awards – the food industry’s version of the Oscars – were held in Chicago last week. See which chefs, restaurants, businesses and journalists took home top honors. (Eater) 

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