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. Check out all of my food and drink coverage here.
… 2026 was the year I fell in love with antojitos.
Last spring, I asked Tania Ortiz, Lookout’s South County correspondent, where she liked to eat in Watsonville when she was reporting there. Ortiz told me she always tries to stop into La Michoacana Paleteria Y Neveria, located in a shopping center off of Freedom Boulevard, for a fresas con crema or Tostilocos when she’s in the area.
Both of those snacks were new to me, and I knew I had to try them for myself. From my first dive into a bag of Tostilocos — Tostitos chips topped with jicama, mango and cucumber, a swirl of chamoy and slippery strips of pickled pork skin — I was hooked. My eyes were opened to the playful, flavor-packed world of Mexican snacks.
“Antojito” translates to “little craving,” and the term encompasses a huge array of Latin American street foods, from tortas to fruit cocktails dusted with Tajín. There are at least a half-dozen shops specializing in these treats in and around Watsonville, and they’re spreading north, with new locations in Live Oak and Ben Lomond.
Learn more about the families behind these businesses, and some of my favorite antojitos to order, in my latest story. Click here to read more. For a Spanish version, click here.
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… Legacy vegetarian restaurant Dharma’s is searching for a buyer, owner Yogi Shapiro announced Tuesday. A surge of business following Shapiro’s plea to the community to support the 44-year-old Capitola business last spring has “plummeted,” Shapiro wrote, and the passing of father and founder Bernie Shapiro in August has led his son to consider closing.
“Bern was the heart of Dharma’s in many ways. His dedication, consistent presence, leadership and unique character were integral in every aspect of the restaurant. Without him Dharma’s is just not the same and we are not able to carry it the way he did,” wrote Shapiro.
He invites customers to spread the word to anyone interested in preserving Dharma’s unique character, and to enjoy it in its final days. “We would love nothing more than to see you, feed you and share some moments with you,” he said.
… Santa Cruz Restaurant Week starts Wednesday and runs through Oct. 28. During this annual event, restaurants throughout the county offer three-course menus for a fixed price — $45, $55 or $65, depending on the location — every night that they’re open throughout the eight-day event. No tickets required, but reservations are encouraged.
There are 28 restaurants this year, from the Santa Cruz Mountains to Watsonville. Check out all the special menus at SantaCruzRestaurantWeek.com.
… The event coordinators who brought the Santa Cruz Vegan Chef Challenge to the area in April are returning with another local event: the Santa Cruz Mac Down. Eight chefs will compete to create their best vegan mac and cheese at the Portuguese Hall in Santa Cruz this Saturday at noon. Sample them all and vote for your favorite. Tickets are $15, with a special two-for-one deal through Thursday.
EVENT SPOTLIGHT
Homeless Garden Project’s fall Sustain Supper is this Saturday evening at the nonprofit’s Natural Bridges Farm in Santa Cruz. Chefs Matthew Beaudin and Adam Young, who met while cooking at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, will prepare the seasonal meal. Soquel bakery Sugar Bakery is providing its viral crunchy desserts for the final course, with wines from Soquel Vineyards and Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard. Tickets are $195, with proceeds supporting HGP’s job-training programs for individuals experiencing homelessness.
LIFE WITH THE BELLIS
On Saturday, I prepared a family dinner to celebrate my father-in-law’s 80th birthday. He’s originally from Lucca, Italy, and I planned an Italian fall feast — a robust antipasti with prosecco to start, a simple cioppino for the first course, luxurious roasted beef tenderloin with rapini as the main, and an almond olive oil cake for dessert.
Everything was beautiful, but what I didn’t plan for was the 90-degree weather that afternoon. Not only was it miserable cooking over the stove and having the oven on all day, it also affected everyone’s appetites. Who wants to eat heavy food in heat like that? More than one guest watered down the quality wines I sourced with handfuls of ice, and who could blame them?
We still had a wonderful time celebrating, but it was a humbling experience to always consider the weather when putting the effort into planning a special meal. Next time, I’ll check the weather a few days before and remember to pivot, if necessary.
FOOD NEWS WORTH READING
➤ Oyster farm Hog Island Oyster Co. suspended shellfish harvesting in Tomales Bay on Monday after the city notified it about a sewage spill. Sewage entered Olema Creek, and the leak was capped. The action is precautionary, and no recall has been issued. (San Francisco Chronicle/$)
➤ President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he will give $8 billion in fuel aid to farmers to offset soaring diesel prices. The one-time payments will be calculated using planted acreage and other factors, and are expected to be distributed in November. (Business Standard)