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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…Following a shooting that left two victims in critical condition on Aug. 8, the Crow’s Nest said Monday that it still plans to hold its Thursday Beach BBQ Party events through the end of the month as scheduled.
The Santa Cruz Harbor-area restaurant hosts the free public event series, with live music, food and an outdoor bar, on the beach adjacent the restaurant on Thursdays through the summer, and regularly draws hundreds of people to what are considered family-friendly events. This year, the season started on May 23. Final beach parties are planned for this Thursday and for Aug. 22 and 29.
However, how the events will proceed is still being decided, Holland MacLaurie, the port director at the Santa Cruz Harbor, told me this morning. “This decision is a collaborative process to make sure we’re mindful of public safety and the safety of the staff. We’re still having those conversations with the Crow’s Nest on how best to move forward,” she said. More information will be available later Tuesday.
… A few readers have emailed me wondering what’s planned at the former Little Caesars on the corner of 17th Avenue and Portola Drive in Live Oak, after the building received a fresh coat of white paint with deli cases visible inside. Here’s the answer: The team behind Lago di Como, the Italian restaurant down the street, are preparing to open Bottega, an Italian deli and market, in the space. I’m meeting Lindsay Rodriguez and Matteo Robecchi, who co-own Lago di Como with Giovanni Spanu, later Tuesday to find out more.
… As a reporter, I’m normally the one doing the interviewing, but this Saturday I’ll be in the hot seat – literally – at Socks & Sandals Day at Humble Sea Brewing Co. in Santa Cruz. As part of a lineup of live entertainment, I’m participating in Hella Hot Q’s, an onstage event where local food influencer Daniel West will ask me questions while we make our way through increasingly hot chicken wings – a la “Hot Ones,” the YouTube talk-show sensation.
My event takes place at 2:30 p.m., but this party goes from noon to 5 p.m., with food, comedy, local vendors and lots of Socks & Sandals, Humble Sea’s signature “foggy” IPA. Admission is free. I’m hoping to channel Lorde, but I’ll probably end up losing my train of thought like Margot Robbie.
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
With the number of Santa Cruz County students getting at least one meal per day on campus way up since the pandemic, staff members from kitchens at five local school districts participated recently in a weeklong training program on how to incorporate more from-scratch foods into their menus. New funding is making it easier for schools to pursue more healthy options, but logistical challenges include time for training and preparation, and having adequate staff. Read the story here.
EVENT SPOTLIGHT
The Scotts Valley Art, Wine & Beer Festival returns to Skypark in Scotts Valley this Saturday and Sunday. Guests can taste their way through 26 local wineries, breweries and cideries, and indulge in almost 20 food vendors, while taking in art and crafts and listening to live music. On Saturday, there is a Cops N’ Rodders car show, and Sunday is Dog Day, with canine contests and prizes. The festival runs Saturday from 10 a.m to 6 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event is free to enter.
NOTED
More than 50 agriculture workers at Lakeside Organic Gardens in Watsonville were treated to a free lunch by Midtown Santa Cruz restaurant Charlie Hong Kong on Friday. The gesture was a token of gratitude from Charlie Hong Kong owners Carolyn and Rudy Rudolph, who have sourced their organic produce from Lakeside for more than 20 years.
LIFE WITH THE BELLIS
Last spring, after I had my second baby, my relationship with cooking changed. My time was much more limited in the evenings, and I was struggling to come up with meals that I could make quickly that I also wanted to eat. I was lost in a land of rice bowls and takeout, annoyed that I couldn’t figure out how to apply the cooking skills I learned throughout my adult life to my new family dynamics.
That’s when I discovered Caroline Chambers and her online newsletter, What To Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking. She became my new domestic goddess, and, since she lives in Carmel Valley, my fantasy best friend. On Saturday, I went to the release party for her new cookbook at beautiful Holman Ranch, and got to tell her how much her recipes had been a positive influence on my life. She was just as lovely in person as she is online, and I can’t wait to dive into her new book.
FOOD NEWS WORTH READING
➤ Anyone with Boar’s Head meat products in their fridge should take note: The company has issued a recall of more than 7 million pounds of products due to an outbreak of listeria linked to sliced deli meat. As of last week, the outbreak caused 34 illnesses in 13 states, and two deaths. (CNN)
➤ As labor costs rise and technology becomes more sophisticated, robots are becoming an incredibly common presence in food spaces as cooks, factory workers, and even servers. But whether or not they’re here to stay has a lot to do with how we – the customers – react to them, researchers say. (The New York Times)