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.
… Last month, I finally attended my first Vine to View dinner event at Chaminade Resort & Spa. This summer series runs April through October and is held outside at The View restaurant, named for its stunning nearly-180-degree views of Monterey Bay. Each event partners with a different California winery for a custom-paired dinner created with executive chef Avram Samuels. In July, the featured winery was Napa’s Caymus Vineyards. Earlier this year, Justin Vineyards & Winery in Paso Robles, Napa’s Quintessa winery and The Prisoner Wine Co. in Saint Helena were spotlighted.
I was impressed. The evening began with a glass of prosecco and music on the terrace, before all hundred or so guests were seated family-style. A representative throughout the evening guided us through the wines, and either Samuels or another chef explained the thought process behind each dish. The food was elegant but hearty, and the pours were generous. The meal started with a seared scallop in a passionfruit sauce paired with a fruity chardonnay, followed by salmon filet with tomato and lemon compote alongside a supple zinfandel blend, and lamb chops with mint sauce and fingerling potatoes with a silky yet herbaceous cabernet sauvignon. Dessert was a chocolate bomb filled with cherry mousse with a pour of fruity grenache.
There are three more events this year, on Friday, Sept. 12 and Oct. 10. Tickets are $155 per person, all inclusive.
… After the June closure of Ella’s at the Airport, Watsonville Municipal Airport is reviewing three proposals from restaurateurs to take over the restaurant space, in hopes of opening by the end of the year. The selected candidate will negotiate a lease with the airport and require city council approval, with a full liquor license also available for purchase.
All three applicants are relatively local to the area and own businesses within 30 miles of the airport, said Airport Director Rayvon Williams. He declined to share more details about the applicants. “It’s in our best interest to get somebody in there as soon as possible,” he said. Read the update here.
… Last week, Pleasure Point burrito outpost The Point Market opened a location in Scotts Valley in a shopping center on Mount Hermon Road, in the former Flashbird spot next to Safeway. This is the third Point Market, and owner Hassan Ayyad’s fifth business in Santa Cruz County. Ayyad opened Pacific Point Market & Café at the end of Pacific Avenue near Depot Park in 2021, took over operations of Pacific Coffee Roasting Company in Aptos in January, and The Palm Deli in Aptos in 2022.
Although this location lacks the ocean views of the original, it offers a nearly identical menu, with more than 15 burritos — particularly, breakfast burritos — at the forefront, alongside Mexican classics like quesadillas and tacos, sandwiches, as well as smoothies, acai bowls and coffee.
Unlike the Santa Cruz original, which is cash only, the new location does take credit cards. My recommendation: The real winner is the smash burger. Read the story here.
… Freedom Bakery is celebrating its 50th anniversary this month. The Watsonville institution was founded by Tony Liu on Aug. 11, 1975, and is now run by second-generation owners Paul and Anna Liu. The bakery, known for its cakes and pioneering printing photos on cookies, is celebrating its golden birthday by fundraising for nonprofit Cake4Kids and scholarship opportunities for local youth. Read Lookout intern Gwyneth Holcomb’s report here.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
A new two-year pilot program in Santa Cruz County enables cooks to run microenterprise home kitchen operations (MEHKOs), leading to a wave of small food businesses like a daily coffee cart, campus Egyptian street food and weekly supper clubs. Although off to a slower start than expected due to funding cuts and immigration concerns, the program has already issued nine permits and aims to support 30 home-based entrepreneurs by 2026. Here’s the story.
EVENT SPOTLIGHT
One of my favorite agricultural events, the 17th annual Testicle Festival, is coming up on Saturday, Aug. 23, from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Estrada Deer Camp in Watsonville. This cultural and culinary celebration raises money for Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers with a barbecue, live music, a silent auction and all-you-can-eat fried bull testicles – aka Rocky Mountain oysters, cowboy caviar, swingin’ sirloin and a number of other wince-inducing names. I went a couple of years ago and it was a memorable experience. For the record, they taste more like calamari than chicken.
LIFE WITH THE BELLIS
My family and I spent the past four days visiting my parents in Angels Camp, a small Gold Rush-era town in the foothills of the Sierras. I grew up in Murphys, about 10 minutes from there, and it was so much fun playing with my kiddos – Marco, 4, and Cecilia, 2 – in Murphys Creek. My husband, Mike, and I even managed to sneak away to have fresh oysters at Murphys Grade, a seafood bar/CBD shop/acai bowl shop (yes, really. Somehow, it works). Of course, visiting Nelson’s Candies and JoMa’s Artisan Ice Cream on Main Street in the downtown were highlights for Marco and Ceci. And, I came home with some treats: foraged morel mushrooms that I snagged at the Murphys farmers market, and bacon and ground pork from pigs that our friends, Natalie and Tyler, raised and slaughtered themselves at their farm outside of town.
FOOD NEWS WORTH READING
➤ Santa Cruz-based mac & cheese company Goodles was featured in The Wall Street Journal last month. The 4-year-old brand has become a favorite with young adult eaters – a market that rival brands Kraft and Annie’s have had less success tapping into – due to its fun flavors, playful packaging and higher protein and fiber. (The Wall Street Journal)
➤ A San Francisco wine bar closed down after it had a confrontation with a food influencer. The chef at 3-month-old Kis Cafe in Hayes Valley allegedly belittled an influencer who came into the restaurant to film. After she posted a tearful video on TikTok, the online fallout from her fans led owner Eric Lin to close. (The San Francisco Standard)