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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… I was lucky enough to snag a reservation for Cavalletta’s one-night-only opening last Saturday. The true opening is coming mid-February, but the team, headed by restaurant partners and chefs Shawn Ryberg and Nick Sherman, owner of Trestles in Capitola, couldn’t wait to flex everything they’ve been working on. The menu is made up of fresh, modern takes on Italian and Italian American classics. I’ll be back as soon as possible for the focaccia, beef carpaccio and wood-fired pizzas. Read my review on Lookout.
… Calling all book nerds and aspiring cooks: World-renowned chef and Santa Cruz resident David Kinch is selling his personal library of culinary books at Bad Animal in downtown Santa Cruz this weekend. “Books shouldn’t gather dust,” Kinch said in an Instagram post announcing the sale. “They have served my purpose and at this time in my life they deserve to be in the hands of those who will use them to be inspired, to inform and to educate.” The sale will take place on Saturday, Feb. 3, and Sunday, Feb. 4, with new titles appearing both days. Learn more here.
… Venus Spirits Cocktails & Kitchen is celebrating Dungeness crab season with a weekly special at both the Aptos and Westside locations. On Thursdays from 5 p.m. to sellout, they’re offering half ($22) and whole ($32) crab dinners with coleslaw, french fries, cocktail sauce and drawn butter, as long as crabs are available.
And VSCK Beachside in Aptos is launching weekend lunch on the patio and at the bar this Saturday, Feb. 3. The kitchen team has put together a “small but mighty” lunch menu featuring some of the restaurant’s classic snacks, salads, soups and sandwiches, plus a new fish sandwich served with a salad and house-made tartar sauce, available on Saturdays and Sundays. More info at venusspirits.com.
… Mark your calendars: Ice Cream for Breakfast Day is this Saturday, Feb. 3. You might be wondering, is that really a thing? Yes, it’s very much a thing, according to local ice cream shop Penny Ice Creamery. On that day, the Penny is offering a menu of breakfast treats starting at 9 a.m. at all of its locations, including breakfast sundaes with lemon morning cake and Verve coffee-and-praline ice cream; Goldilocks porridge topped with brown sugar, walnuts and scoops of ice cream; plus bacon and pastries. You can also just grab a cone of your favorite scoop, if that’s your jam. The Penny has locations in Santa Cruz, Aptos, Scotts Valley, Los Altos and Palo Alto.
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
In her latest column, Lookout wine writer Laurie Love profiled Ken Swegles, one of the most respected viticulturists in the area and co-owner of Madson Wines in Santa Cruz. Swegles has become a major player in our local wine industry and directly influences the growth and harvest of vineyards throughout the Santa Cruz Mountains through his business, Rhizos Viticulture. And, he and his wife, Abbey Crystal, are growing rare Burgundian varietals at their vineyard home on the Summit, some of which have never been grown in the area before. Swegles is a name to know in the local wine industry – read the story here.
EVENT SPOTLIGHT
This Saturday, Feb. 3, mushroom chef and cookbook author Chad Hyatt is preparing a five-course feast celebrating the bounty of the mushroom kingdom, paired with winemaker-select wines from Beauregard Vineyards. The lunch takes place from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the estate winery up the road from the tasting room in Bonny Doon. Only 40 seats are available, $180 each. View the full menu, which features wild mushrooms in every course, at BeauregardVineyards.com.
LIFE WITH THE BELLIS
One of my dear friends is having her second baby in a few weeks, and on Sunday I threw her a casual “baby sprinkle” – rather than a full-on “baby shower” – to celebrate her and the arrival of the new little one. While I was planning it, I had a hard time finding a location. Neither of our homes was an option. I wanted an indoor location, with enough space for up to 15 people, open in the afternoon. A sit-down meal at a restaurant would have been outside of my budget. After wracking my brain, I remembered the perfect solution: Fruition Brewing in Watsonville. We held the shower in the spacious taproom with a large corner all to ourselves. I ordered plated appetizers from Fruition’s kitchen – a big hummus and veggie platter, burrata and prosciutto, mushroom and artichoke grilled cheese sandwiches, and a big autumn salad with pomegranate seeds and delicata squash. Guests ordered beer, wine or homemade ginger lemonade at the bar, and Fruition kindly provided plates, napkins and forks for a homemade chocolate cake I brought with me. If you’re looking for a location for a little gathering, I highly recommend reaching out to them. Thank you, owners Tallulla Preston and David Purgason, for your hospitality!
FOOD NEWS WORTH READING
➤ My month of sharing vegan eats throughout Santa Cruz County wrapped up on Friday with an excellent meal at Namaste Indian Cuisine in Santa Cruz. The kadai bhindi ($15.50), a dish of fried okra, tomatoes, lime and mango powder, was everyone’s favorite – smoky, earthy and coated in a warm, tangy-sweet sauce. (Lookout)
➤ Chef Lance Ebert’s pop-up, SC Bread Boy, has found a home at Humble Sea Tavern in Felton. There, Ebert is the “pop-up in residence” three days a week, offering a menu of his decadent smash burgers, French classics like croque monsieur, tater tots and more. Humble Sea Brewing Co. manages the bar and front of house. (Lookout)