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.
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… Which Santa Cruz County burgers are the best? I traveled all over the county and ate more than a dozen burgers to find out. Now, I ranked my top six burgers in Lookout’s official burger guide.
As I researched this guide, I thought a lot about what makes a great burger. Is it the patty, the bun or the toppings? Does it have to come with fries? Is price a consideration? In the end, despite many differences in style and approach, I landed on a simple formula: a great burger should be well-seasoned and cooked properly. All of the components should work together and be cohesive. And, while both restaurant burgers and paper-wrapped fast-food burgers made the list, it should be a good value for the price.
Thank you to everyone who messaged me on Instagram and emailed me to let me know their favorite spots. We had some great conversations behind the scenes, and I appreciate your input.
So, what type of meal should I do next? My inbox is always open – lily@lookoutlocal.com.
… Some good news to kick off the new year – chef Katherine Stern will open her new restaurant, The Midway, in Santa Cruz this Thursday, Dec. 28. The restaurant is located on 1209 Soquel Ave. next to the Rio Theatre. This opening has been highly anticipated by Stern’s many fans, who love her seasonal, farmers market-inspired menus.
Initially, the restaurant will serve a brunch menu from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday through Monday (closed for New Year’s Day). Starting in mid-January, Stern hopes to add dinner service as well. The brunch menu will offer “longstanding community favorites,” a media release says, including baked goods, house-made yogurt, chicken and rice porridge, biscuits with sausage gravy and lemon-ricotta pancakes.
Stern opened The Midway as a pop-up in 2020, and served a brunch menu at the Westside and Live Oak farmers markets on Saturdays and Sundays until she left in October to focus full time on opening the restaurant. It also operated as a culinary residency at Bad Animal wine bar in downtown Santa Cruz for a year. Before starting The Midway, Stern was the head chef at La Posta in the Seabright neighborhood from 2009 to 2018.
Her goal has always been to open her own brick-and-mortar restaurant, and she feels grateful for the local farms and farmers who inspire her food. Says Stern: “Their passion and hard work in bringing the latest harvest to the community makes being a Santa Cruz chef an exciting and collaborative experience, which is the inspiration behind The Midway.”
… The Dungeness crab season was delayed for a fourth time last week, until at least Jan. 11, to protect migrating humpback whales from entanglement in crab lines. When I asked him how the local fishing industry was responding to the news, fisher Tim Obert told me, “It’s in a really bad place. I’ve crabbed for 23 years, and this is the worst I’ve seen the industry in as a whole.”
Environmentalists warn that the season could end earlier than expected, too, since warm water conditions could draw the whales back from Mexico early to feed. Some crabbers are wondering, will the season open at all? Read more on Lookout.
… Registration for the Clam Chowder Cook-Off at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is open. The community culinary festival takes place on Saturday, Feb. 24, and Sunday, Feb. 25, with both amateurs and professionals competing for first place for Boston and Manhattan styles. The registration deadline is Feb. 19. More info at beachboardwalk.com.
… Congratulations to Sante Adairius Rustic Ales! The Capitola-based brewery, which also has locations in Santa Cruz and Oakland, earned a spot in Hop Culture’s Best Breweries of 2023. Hop Culture is one the largest digital craft beer magazines in the country, according to its website. The list includes 18 breweries from all over America, and relied on information from the popular beer app Untappd and industry information from Untappd’s owner, Next Glass. The list also includes Monterey’s Alvarado Street Brewery. Cheers!
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QUOTE
“I think the program will definitely bring more legitimacy to our region and by doing that will help elevate the respect for the industry, the wine, the local wines that come out of here.” — Viticulture consultant Prudy Foxx, on Cabrillo Community College’s new Wine Studies Program and Associate of Sciences degree, set to launch in the 2024-25 academic year. Read more about the program here.
EVENT SPOTLIGHT
Want festive plans for New Year’s Eve that don’t involve staying up past your bedtime? Head over to Steel Bonnet Brewing Company in Scotts Valley for a Scottish Hogmanay Celebration starting at noon. Enjoy fresh oysters from Parker Presents starting at 3 p.m., live music by the Kerry Sheepdogs from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and fresh craft beer all day. The best part? Guests can count down and celebrate the Scottish New Year at 4 p.m. in California.
LIFE WITH THE BELLIS
I wrote this newsletter on Friday in anticipation of a few days off around Christmas, and while I’m trying to think about a food-focused anecdote from my family to share with you, the only thing dancing through my head right now is my shopping list. Isn’t that the way of things this time of year? Nevertheless, I’m really looking forward to our celebration in a few days (yesterday, if you’re reading this newsletter when it comes out). We’re offering appetizers and Champagne only on Christmas Eve – including shrimp cocktail, sausages baked in puff pastry, a huge meat and cheese board, crab and artichoke dip, caviar and creme fraiche on brioche toasts, plus lots of candies, cookies and other treats. On Christmas morning, we’re planning on a big brunch, followed by a present and food coma, and maybe a walk. I wish you all a wonderful holiday, no matter what or if you celebrate!
FOOD NEWS WORTH READING
➤ Two former Apple engineers based in Scotts Valley have invented a cordless blender cap that can screw on to a stainless steel water bottle, like a Hydro Flask. The design has caught the eye of notable backers in the tech community, and kitchenware store Williams Sonoma. (Lookout)
➤ El Rosal Bakery in Live Oak serves tamales all year round, but makes “thousands” a day in December in order to fulfill holiday orders. The shop, located in the East Cliff Village shopping center, claims to make the best tamales in town. (Lookout)
Happy holidays ~ Lily