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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… In 2013, I wrote my first cover story in a local paper about learning to homebrew and the rise of craft beer in Santa Cruz County. I was captivated by the growing industry and the creative, hardworking people who often turned a backyard hobby into a business. It was an exciting time, with several new breweries and taprooms opening every year to an eager, thirsty crowd that, a few years earlier, didn’t even know how to pronounce “IPA.”
More than a decade later, the craft beer industry has changed a lot. It has plateaued since the boom years of the 2010s, but despite brewery closures making national and local headlines, the industry is still growing slowly in Santa Cruz County and beyond. As consumer preferences have changed and expanded to include non-beer beverages and entertainment, meeting those demands while staying true to each brewery’s ethos is the key to succeeding in today’s market.
I spoke with established breweries, and one that’s new to the scene. Here’s what they had to say.
… Downtown restaurant Barceloneta closed earlier this month, and owners Brett and Elan Emerson are preparing to open a new breakfast and lunch spot in its place on Pacific Avenue later this summer. Ibiza, named after an island off of the coast of Spain, will be a fast-casual restaurant offering pita sandwiches, flatbreads served with homemade dips and spreads, satisfying salads, shakshuka and more.
Two observations fueled the decision, they told me. First, they wanted to move away from Barceloneta’s dinner service in favor of a format that would reach downtown Santa Cruz’s bustling daytime shopping, working and lunch crowd. And, they wanted their restaurant to offer the foods that they crave. Here’s what’s in store for Ibiza.
… The famous Strawberry Festival returns to downtown Watsonville the first weekend in August, and for the first time this year, it’s including local beverage vendors in the lineup. Buena Vista Brewing Company, Watsonville Public House, Fruition Brewing and Santa Cruz Cider Company – all based in Watsonville – will serve locally made beer and hard cider at the three-day-long festival Aug. 2-4. Will any of these brews be strawberry-flavored? I think you already know the answer to that.
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Looking for handcrafted gelato, or a fabulous summer cocktail that will transport you to a European beach? Want to know about pork belly and shallot-stuffed steamed bao, or a classic Chicago dog? Find the inside scoop on one thing I think you should eat that week in my Eaters Digest column, available in your inbox every Friday. Sign up here.
NOTED
Students who attend any of the 14 Santa Cruz City Schools will once again have access to free meals this coming school year, thanks to the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. All students will be served a healthy breakfast and lunch at no charge, regardless of household income or any other factor. This program went into effect in 2021, and has been renewed for another year. Families can apply here.
EVENT SPOTLIGHT
The first of two farmers market brunches held this summer takes place next Saturday, July 27, across from the Wrigley Building where the Westside farmers market is held. Chef Brad Briske of Home restaurant in Soquel is preparing a four-course tasting menu highlighting the best of summer produce from nearby farms, with beverage pairings by Santa Cruz’s Stockwell Cellars. These events showcase the bounty of our local farms and fundraise for Santa Cruz Community Farmers’ Markets’ education programs. Tickets are $75 to $150 per person on a sliding scale. More info here.
LIFE WITH THE BELLIS
In the past, I’ve shared here that my 3-year-old son, Marco, is a pretty picky eater. This kid follows a classic toddler diet and has never eaten a vegetable that wasn’t hidden in something else. It doesn’t worry me, because I was a very selective eater until I was in my early teens, and, as you can see, everything worked out.
Which is why, as my 1-year-old daughter, Cecilia’s, preferences started to emerge, they surprised me so much. I swear, the more plain the food, the less she likes it. She loves flavors and textures that I didn’t even enjoy myself until adulthood: plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt, stir-fried eggplant with soy sauce and rice vinegar, and pastor from the taco truck down the street. The other day, our nanny texted me after lunch: “The gochujang salmon and tofu was a big hit!” But give this girl a dino chicken nugget and she’ll swipe it right off the high chair.
FOOD NEWS WORTH READING
➤ New York Times restaurant critic Pete Wells announced Wednesday that he is leaving the position after 12 years. He will still be working at the Times, but is stepping back from the demanding eating schedule required for the job in order to get his health back on track. (The New York Times)
➤ Italian authorities busted fraudsters selling fake olive oil worth more than $1 million, and found 71 tons of an “oily substance” being passed off as the real stuff after it was colored green with chlorophyll. Fake olive oil is becoming increasingly common as the olive-oil-heavy Mediterranean diet becomes increasingly popular, while droughts in Southern Europe have slashed production. (New York Post)