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.
… A fire broke out at a home on Monterey Avenue in Capitola Village just before 10 p.m. last night. Firefighters rescued one person from the building, but, tragically, the victim was later pronounced deceased at a hospital. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The flames jumped across an alleyway and blackened the wall of the building next door, home to Mijo’s Taqueria on the first floor and Geisha Japanese Restaurant on the second. Those businesses sustained smoke and water damage, and it’s not clear when they’ll be able to reopen. Here’s what we know so far.
Anthony and Andrea Guajardo, the owners of Mijo’s, said the fire also delayed the opening of a new ice cream parlor next door, in the space recently vacated by LG Meats Capitola. The couple had planned to open Sandie Scoops, an ice cream parlor named after Andrea’s grandmother, according to a flyer posted to the window last week, this Friday.
That side of the building sustained minor damage, and they still hope to open Sandie Scoops later this spring. “Fingers crossed we might serve ice cream this summer, but probably not tacos,” Anthony Guajardo told me. Read more about the fire’s impact on their businesses here.
… The Murray Street Bridge briefly opened to two-way traffic last week, using a one-way light to direct cars over the bridge. But the result was gridlock on either side of the bridge that stretched as much as half a mile into nearby neighborhoods. The city decided to end the pilot and return to one-way eastbound traffic for vehicles and bikes, citing safety concerns.
But last week, with cars lined up down Seabright Avenue, one business owner decided to turn the traffic jam into a marketing opportunity. Liz Engfer, owner of Engfer Pizza Works, asked her employees to pass out free pizza samples to people waiting in their vehicles.
“Nobody likes being stuck in traffic, so people were pretty into the idea of free food, especially pizza,” said employee Jackson Catalano. Read the story here.
… Mark your calendar for two food-focused book events at Bookshop Santa Cruz this spring.
On April 13, Santa Cruzan Reilly Meehan, an influencer and chef, will discuss his first cookbook, “A Little Bit Extra.” Meehan learned to cook at his dad’s restaurant, the Seabright Brewery. On May 4, Indigenous chef Crystal Wahpepah, founder of Wahpepah’s Kitchen in Oakland and a James Beard award finalist, will discuss her debut cookbook, “A Feather and A Fork: 125 Intertribal Dishes from an Indigenous Food Warrior.”
Both events start at 7 p.m. and are free, although RSVPs are recommended to save a spot.
… After 2½ years, Aptos Vineyards is closing its tasting room in Aptos Village by the end of March. The last day is Sunday, March 29. Until then, it’s open weekends from noon to 6 p.m. and is offering special tastings and glass prices, some for under $10. Aptos Vineyards wines will still be available to purchase online and at future pop-up events, a post on Instagram said. “It’s been our greatest joy to have a tasting room in the heart of Aptos,” it reads.
… Clarice Owens, the entrepreneur behind Pescavore tuna jerky, appeared in Santa Cruz County Superior Court last week ahead of a late-March jury trial on one felony stalking charge and 34 misdemeanor counts related to online harassment and restraining order violations. Her public defender is arguing to dismiss 14 counts, including the felony charge, citing a lack of evidence. Here’s an update on the case.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
In February, wet weather led me to seek warm flavors at restaurants, food trucks and bakeries across Santa Cruz County, and I discovered loaded jacket potatoes at a Watsonville food truck, tender shell-shaped conchas, a comforting and lively cabbage dish and a familiar favorite at a longstanding cantina. Check out the best things I ate in February here.
EVENT SPOTLIGHT
Collective Santa Cruz’s final event inside the former Logos Books & Records in downtown Santa Cruz is this weekend, following the Holiday Mega Market in December and Valentine Mega Market in February. This Saturday and Sunday, the Spring Fling Mega Market will pop up inside the two-level space, with local artists, food businesses, beverages and entertainment on both days, and performances by Circus of the Moon on Sunday. The event is free and goes from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
LIFE WITH THE BELLIS
Longtime readers, remember my minimalist kitchen purge a few years ago? I got rid of duplicates and downsized a ton in order to streamline my cooking experience, and I honestly haven’t looked back. But over the weekend, my only wine key went missing, and I realized I might need to keep a backup of that crucial tool stashed somewhere for emergencies.
After digging through drawers, the camping bin, my car – I swear I used to keep one in there – and interrogating my children (Marco, almost 5, and Cecilia, 3, who denied everything), I was about to text my neighbor when my husband, Mike, stepped in. He drilled a screw into the cork, and used it to wiggle the plug out. So shoutout to Mike, who saved the day and looked cool doing it!
FOOD NEWS WORTH READING
➤ Dozens of former cooks and interns at Noma, one of the world’s most famous restaurants, accused chef René Redzepi of violent physical and emotional abuse over years, including punching people in the stomach and publicly shaming them in front of the rest of the staff. (The New York Times)
➤ On Monday, American Express, the parent company of reservation services Resy and Tock, pulled its sponsorship of Redzepi’s upcoming Los Angeles residency, which was scheduled to open Wednesday. The “disturbing information” in the Times article motivated the decision. Tickets to the residency were $1,500 per person and sold out in under three minutes when they went on sale earlier this year. (Expedite)