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.
… Happy April 1! If you heard a rumor that Humble Sea Brewing Co. launched its flagship Socks & Sandals IPA in a plastic pouch, Chick-fil-A is opening in downtown Santa Cruz, Nico’s Ice Cream blends broccoli into its soft serve ice cream, or that Martha Stewart endorsed Watsonville food truck My Mom’s Mole, you might want to double-check the fine print on the calendar.
… Not a joke: Santa Cruz Harbor-based seafood company H&H Fresh Fish Co. is opening a second seafood market in Santa Cruz’s Westside neighborhood later this summer. The new satellite location will be in the former home of Eothen boutique in the Swift Street Courtyard, between 11th Hour Coffee and The Swift Stitch. When it opens – perhaps as soon as June – the 400-square-foot H&H Fresh Fish West will offer a similar selection of sustainable seafood from Monterey Bay and West Coast fishers as the harbor market, plus more poke, ceviche and other ready-to-eat items.
Hans Haveman, who co-owns H&H with business partner Heidi Rhodes, told me that the idea to open a satellite location was motivated by the Murray Street Bridge project, a three-year-long construction project on the bridge over the harbor that will close westbound traffic over the bridge through a planned completion in early 2028. Haveman said he is “terrified” of how blocking the traffic on the crosstown artery will affect his business, and jumped at the chance to open a second market in the buzzy Westside neighborhood. More details here.
… KQED’s restaurant review series “Check, Please! Bay Area” is coming to Santa Cruz County this week to film at two area restaurants. On Wednesday, the show will film at Bad Animal in Santa Cruz, where Lalita Kaewsawang of Hanloh Thai Food has been the chef in residence since 2022. On Thursday, the crew is heading to Soquel to dine at Home with chef Brad Briske. Reservations are open at both locations if you’d like to show your support during filming.
… Last week, I had the pleasure of judging the annual cooking competition for UC Santa Cruz Dining staff. This was my second year as a judge, and I was joined by chef Geoff Hargrave of Izakaya West End in Santa Cruz and Capitola’s East End Gastropub, and chef Jesikah Stolaroff of Vim in Santa Cruz, as well as two UCSC faculty members.
The contest is friendly, but completely serious. Five contestants have two hours to prepare an entree with a special ingredient – this year, it was chicken breast, with the skin – and showcase their skills. Crowds of supporters gathered to cheer their friends and colleagues on, while the judges took note of knife skills, preparation and cooking techniques, before tasting for texture, flavor, seasoning and nutritional balance.
For the second year, I was blown away by the talent and passion of all of the contestants, and in the end, the points were extremely close. The ultimate winner was Samantha Pelayo, who prepared an excellent pan-seared chicken breast with pomme purée, Brussels sprouts and frisée salad. Congratulations! Please have me back next year!
ON THE MENU
In these uncertain times of political and economic upheaval, I’m anxious about food. I’m worried about how local restaurants, breweries and wineries will navigate the impacts of tariffs, and concerned about how budget cuts to nonprofits and schools will affect how community members access food. Will food-borne illnesses rise after critical food safety programs were cut at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control?
Readers – what’s on your mind, food-wise? Are you concerned about how you’ll access food, afford eating out, or how politics will affect the business side of the food industry? Something else? Let me know what’s on your mind, and I’ll investigate – write to me at lily@lookoutlocal.com, or send me a message on Instagram.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County is grappling with the sudden loss of more than $700,000 worth of federal government aid, with another potential loss of $400,000 in state funding in immediate danger. The gap equates to more than 3 million meals, threatening the food security of tens of thousands of county residents.
The loss of funding was a surprise for the food bank. The cuts directly affect government shipments of foods that are difficult to purchase locally, including milk, pork, and cheese, and funding used to buy directly from farmers and producers within the county.
More than 70,000 Santa Cruz County residents get food from Second Harvest every month. Before the pandemic, that number was closer to 50,000, but five years on, it continues to climb due to factors like nationwide inflation and extremely high local costs of living.
EVENT SPOTLIGHT
Outstanding in the Field is kicking off its 24th season with an outdoor feast on the Capitola Wharf on Wednesday, May 28. This Santa Cruz-based event series aims to bring diners closer to their food and the people who produce it, and this event is co-hosted by the Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust and H&H Fresh Fish Co. Three local chefs will collaborate on the meal: Jessica Yarr of The Grove Café & Bakery in Felton; Nick Sherman of Capitola’s Trestles; and Kendra Baker, co-owner of The Penny Ice Creamery. Tickets are $395 per person.
LIFE WITH THE BELLIS
I am not a kitchen gadget person (some may remember that I’m a devout kitchen minimalist), but one specialty piece of equipment that I’ll never be parted with and implore others to invest in is … a popcorn machine. Especially if you – like me – live with young children, I’m begging you to spend $20 on a basic standing hot air popper. Looking back, I couldn’t tell you the number of hours I collectively spent over the course of my childhood peering into the top of the machine, waiting for the first fluffy piece of popcorn to finally jump up from the whirring kernels, then rush out into a waiting bowl. The suspense! A microwave or stovetop popcorn maker simply cannot compare.
I’m reliving these moments with my almost-4-year-old son, Marco, who stares, stares, stares into the machine waiting for the first pop, just like I did when I was kid, and absolutely loves mixing in melted butter, salt and whatever else we want. Best $25 I’ve ever spent on a single-use machine, I tell ya.
FOOD NEWS WORTH READING
➤ The latest U.S. restaurant chain to go bust: Hooters. Known for its chicken wings and waitstaff in skimpy outfits, the restaurant group has filed for bankruptcy, although many locations will likely stay open. Hooters joins several legacy restaurant chains, including TGI Fridays and Red Lobster, that have filed for bankruptcy within the past year. (The Associated Press)
➤ For the second year, fans of Wayne Thiebaud honored an exhibition of the late artist’s iconic dessert paintings at San Francisco’s Legion of Honor museum with a cake picnic on the front lawn. An incredible display of more than 1,300 cakes, pies and candies lined tables, and participants were invited to fill a box with slices, potluck-style. You just have to see the photos. (San Francisco Chronicle)