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.
… When the martini became my drink of choice about a year ago, I found out I was far from alone: The cocktail is having a moment in the spotlight. It never went far — it’s the second-most-popular drink in America, after the margarita — but there is a surge of interest nationally for the nearly 150-year-old drink.
Santa Cruz County bartenders are responding with their own spins on the basic recipe — gin or vodka, vermouth and a garnish — with olive oil-washed spirits and custom brines made from bonito flakes or fresh tomatoes.
I compiled a list of six martinis in the county that offer fresh takes on a classic, and spoke to three mixologists – Sean Venus of Venus Spirits, Matthew Barron of Mentone restaurant, and Front & Cooper’s Patrick Ferraro – on the drink’s endurance, its many forms, and what actually makes a great martini. Read the story here.
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… Santa Cruz Community Farmers’ Markets and Santa Cruz Cider Co. are teaming up for Crank It!, an apple festival and fundraiser for the market’s new hand-cranked apple press. The event will be held this Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. at Santa Cruz Cider’s cidery in Watsonville with music, apple pressing, local makers, food and fresh cider.
… After opening two successful food trucks in the Watsonville area, Hot Birds 831 is going into its first storefront. The spicy fried chicken business is preparing to open a sit-down restaurant in downtown Watsonville in the former Kong’s Burger & Café location at 15 E. Beach St. A soft opening date will be announced soon.
… Say goodbye to the Over The Hill Gang Saloon with a farewell barbecue with live music this Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. After more than 30 years, the Pleasure Point bar will close on Sunday.
… The same organization behind Santa Cruz VegFest is hosting another event next month. Vegan Outreach is throwing Santa Cruz Mac Down, a competition for chefs and vendors to create the best plant-based macaroni and cheese, on Oct. 24 at the Portuguese Hall in Santa Cruz. Attendees will be able to taste and vote for their favorites. Tickets will be available starting Oct. 1.
Think you have what it takes to win? Interested participants can reach out to the organizer at jackiev@veganoutreach.org.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
The Santa Cruz County Fair returns Wednesday through Sunday. Last year, I had the pleasure of judging the apple pie contest alongside Kyle Theriot, the winemaker at Ridge Vineyards. We selected Santa Cruz resident Janice Weaver’s pie as Best In Show – and found out she has multiple blue ribbons under her belt. Weaver also works with a Corralitos apple farmer to grow her award-winning apples. Read that story from 2025 here — yes, it includes her recipe.
EVENT SPOTLIGHT
Honestly, what isn’t happening this weekend? Between the Santa Cruz County Fair, Bonny Doon Art, Wine & Brew Festival, Teen Kitchen Project’s Everett Farm Dinner, Live Earth Farm’s Rooted Fall Feast and Mission West’s Aloha Fest converging on the same day, it’s going to be a delicious Saturday.
LIFE WITH THE BELLIS
My family’s newest food trend: eating dinner together. Obviously there’s nothing novel about this, but with two small children – Marco is 5 and Cecilia is 3 – who are ravenous when they get home, I usually made a small dinner for them. My husband, Mike, and I would eat a grown-up dinner after they went to bed.
With the start of the school year, I decided to bring back the family dinners I remember from my own childhood. And let me tell you, there is some kind of magic that happens when I throw down a tablecloth and set the table with napkins (paper is fine!), forks and glasses. The first time I did it, Marco asked, “Mama, why is the table so beautiful?”
Now, we do it most nights. All of the dinner items come to the table, usually in the pots they were cooked in, so no one has to get up a million times. Custom plates are encouraged – Marco will probably just eat the pasta or rice, Mike heads straight for the meat and vegetables and Cecilia samples it all.
I worried it would be too fussy to keep up, but it’s actually much easier and more relaxing to eat this way. Who knew — aside from all of human civilization? Seriously though, I think the tablecloth really helps.
FOOD NEWS WORTH READING
➤ Coastal officials in California approved plans for the nation’s largest kelp farm six miles off Southern California. The site could produce up to 6,000 tons of kelp a year for fertilizers to boost strawberry and avocado farming, although environmentalists raised concerns about whale entanglements and increased boat traffic. (Associated Press)
➤ Artificial intelligence is generating some truly horrifying food images, and restaurants are putting them on their real-life menus. Confused and disgusted customers are pointing out the unappetizing trend, and photos of life preserver-shaped shrimp and a maggot-filled burrito are going viral. (NBC News)