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.
Stay in touch with me by text throughout the week – I send text alerts every time I publish a story. And you can text me back! Share your thoughts, send tips and give feedback. Sign up for texts from me here. Thanks to those of you who’ve already subscribed! Check out all of my food and drink coverage here.
… After four postponements, the Dungeness crab season finally opened locally in January, with restrictions. Crab fishers were allowed to drop only half of their allotted pots, in the hopes that less gear in the water would mean fewer whale entanglements in the fishing lines. On Thursday, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife extended the gear reduction until at least March 14. In January, local crab fisher and industry representative Tim Obert told Lookout that fishing with just 50% of their gear is “about the minimum we can survive on viably.” Read more here.
… Congratulations to Mireya Gomez-Contreras, the co-leader of Watsonville-based Esperanza Community Farms, who has been recognized as the Farm Advocate of the Year by Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF), a California-based nonprofit that builds sustainable food and farming systems through policy advocacy and on-the-ground programs.
Gomez-Contreras is one of seven California Farm Champions, and was selected because of her work at Esperanza, including offering subsidized community supported agriculture (CSA) boxes to low-income families, helping to bring locally grown and organic foods to local public schools and bringing students to the farm to learn about where their food is grown. She also supports 7+ Organics Co-Op, a new group of small organic farmers of color working in the Pajaro and Salinas valleys. An awards ceremony will be held virtually during the 36th annual California Small Farm Conference on Feb. 28. See all the honorees at caff.org.
… Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing will reopen March 1 after a monthlong closure. At the end of January, founders Emily Thomas and Chad Brill sold the 18-year-old Westside brewery to local brewery owners Adair Paterno, owner of Sante Adairius Rustic Ales, and Brad Clark, brewer and owner of Private Press Brewing. Paterno and Clark closed SCMB for a month to do some light remodeling inside, train staff and adjust a few of the beer recipes. I’m looking forward to the big reveal – although Paterno told me that much of the brewery will remain the same. Catch up on the news on the transfer here.
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Mycologists have a saying: “When it rains, it spores.” Ample rainfall and cooler temperatures over the past year have spurred abundant wild mushroom blooms, and aficionados throughout Santa Cruz County are thrilled. There is a rich culture and storied history of mushroom hunting in our region, and in my recent story for Lookout, I spoke to a chef, a forager and a retail store manager to take a peek at this Santa Cruz culinary niche. Read the full story here.
EVENT SPOTLIGHT
Santa Cruz Burger Week, a sister event to October’s Santa Cruz Restaurant Week, begins Wednesday and runs through next Tuesday, Feb. 27. At this weeklong event, 28 restaurants throughout Santa Cruz County will offer burger specials for $12, $15 or $18. No tickets necessary – go to santacruzrestaurantweek.com to see who’s participating and view the specials.
NEW MERCH!
New Lookout Santa Cruz merch just dropped, perfect for you or the foodie in your life. Introducing the Lily Belli Apron!
Yes, that’s me. The hottest new kitchen essential is available free to new annual members, signing up at our special price – $114 for the first year of Lookout – and offered to all our current members, for $30. Existing members, go here to purchase yours.
I’m not sure I’m allowed to call something with my likeness on it “cool.” But if you’ve read my food and drink coverage over the past 2½ years at Lookout, clearly we have something in common: We love good food. The idea that some part of me is there with you in your kitchen while you prepare a meal for family and friends warms my apron — I mean, heart — strings.
You can pick up your apron at Lookout HQ, our new office right across the street from Bookshop Santa Cruz and above Toque Blanche on Pacific Avenue. Email membership@lookoutlocal.com to set up a time.
Happy cooking, and thank you to Lookout’s members – new and continuing – for your support!
LIFE WITH THE BELLIS
Do you buy your groceries online? The other day, I was having a conversation with the checker while he rang up my groceries. Baby Cecilia – almost 1 – was sitting in the shopping cart, and my 2-year-old, Marco, was eagerly waiting for the chance to swipe the credit card on the machine to pay – his special task. The checker saw my two kids and mentioned that the store offers online services for pickup, and that staff take pride in hand-selecting the fruits and vegetables in order to offer the best customer service.
At the time, I was tempted, but ultimately it’s not for me. While I understand the appeal of saving time on a monotonous chore, especially with two young children in tow, or if getting to the store is a challenge because of mobility, time or illness, the truth is that I actually like going to the grocery store. And, there are so many other benefits besides just buying food. On Sunday, I ran into another mom I’ve been wanting to hang out with, and we made plans to take our kids to the playground the next morning. I enjoy being near my ingredients, feeling their vibrance and gleaning inspiration for the next meal, touching and smelling my way through the aisles.
Going with Marco and Cecilia takes extra time and planning, but I like being out in the world with them. It’s fun to send Marco to find carrots or apples or avocados. He likes helping, and I like to think it builds his character, too. I love holding a basil leaf up to Cecilia’s nose so she can take a whiff, or giving her a strange Buddha’s hand citron to hold.
And I love the million other little interactions I have while I’m there. The woman who points out her favorite cheese when she sees me lingering, or talking about the weather with the butcher at the counter. Even the conversation with the checker, who tells me my kids are cute. America has an “epidemic of loneliness”; sometimes, it’s worth making sure these conveniences are worth what we give up for an extra hour a week.
FOOD NEWS WORTH READING
➤ Upside Foods, the leading lab-grown-meat company, has paused a large-scale expansion in Chicago, nicknamed Rubicon. Construction on the facility has been put on hold, Rubicon-specific job positions have been eliminated, and the company is focusing on growing operations at its Emeryville facility. (Wired)
➤ Voyage Foods, a startup in Oakland, has created a chocolate-free “chocolate” spread based on Nutella with no peanuts, hazelnuts or cocoa. With chocolate prices on the rise, and cacao production linked to deforestation and labor injustices, Voyage created its “chocolate” as an environmentally friendly alternative and aims to replace the real thing in inexpensive candies like M&M’s and Snickers bars. (San Francisco Chronicle)