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.
… After almost 20 years in downtown Santa Cruz, New Leaf Community Markets will close its Pacific Avenue location Tuesday at 7 p.m. Its departure leaves the downtown community with just one grocery store – Trader Joe’s on Front Street – during a time of rapid change.
A new tenant for the Pacific Avenue spot has not yet been identified. Reuben Helick, managing director at Cushman & Wakefield, the company that manages the property, said the company is in the process of marketing the space for lease, and a few potential tenants have expressed interest.
City officials told me they hope that another grocery store will open in the space to serve the growing downtown community, and said the former New Leaf is the best spot for a market to go. While there are other commercial spaces available in the city-owned Pacific Station North and Pacific Station South developments that could potentially accommodate a grocery store, “No one is slating those spots specifically for a grocery store the way that New Leaf is specifically built out for it,” said business liaison Sarah Domondon. Read the story here.
… Good Times Weekly’s Santa Cruz Restaurant Week returns Wednesday, Oct. 23, through Wednesday, Oct. 30. This year – the event’s 14th! – 30 restaurants across Santa Cruz County are participating in the weeklong event, including newcomers such as Aptos’ Dos Pescados and Santa Cruz’s Hook & Line, and established local favorites like La Posta in Seabright and Gabriella Cafe in Santa Cruz. Each restaurant offers a three-course fixed-price menu with several options for an appetizer, entree and dessert for either $35, $45 or $55 per meal. (The price doesn’t include drinks, gratuity or tax.)
View the special menus and get more info at santacruzrestaurantweek.com. You don’t need a ticket but reservations are strongly recommended.
… There are still a few spots left for Vim Dining & Desserts’ Halloween-themed Afternoon Tea on Sunday, Oct. 27. The $70 prix fixe menu includes an array of spooky savory and sweet treats, and tea. Additional beverages and cocktails are also available, and guests are encouraged to come dressed in their ghoulish best for a costume contest. I attended this with a group of friends a couple of years ago, and it was so fun. Reservations are required at vimsantacruz.com. (ICYMI, here’s the story behind this wonderful Westside Santa Cruz restaurant from February 2023.)
P.S. If you’re looking for a cute way to celebrate this year’s holidays, reservations for Christmas-themed teas on Dec. 8 and Dec. 29 open on Sunday, Nov. 24, at noon.
… Santa Cruz distillery Venus Spirits is hosting the second annual “Nightmare on Easy Street” bartender competition on Tuesday, Oct. 29, at 7 p.m. at its Westside tasting room. Local bartenders will battle it out in a series of challenges, including high-speed cocktail relays, creative mixology and blindfolded bartending. This event is free, and Halloween attire is encouraged – there will be a costume contest. More info at venusspirits.com.
TEXT ME
Want to stay on top of the latest local food news? I send text alerts every time I publish a story. And you can text me back! Share your thoughts, send tips and give feedback. Sign up here.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Despite a previous endangered status, Pacific bluefin tuna numbers are bouncing back ahead of schedule due to successful conservation efforts, and the fish are now migrating annually off the coast of Santa Cruz County. Under the blessing – and watchful eye – of scientists, local sustainable seafood markets have begun to offer this prized fish to restaurants and retail customers. Read my story on the recovery of this amazing fish and its surprising local appearance here.
Often weighing around 300 pounds, there’s a lot more variance to these enormous fish than just filet. “It’s like butchering a pig,” Hans Haveman, co-owner of H&H Fresh Fish Co. in Santa Cruz told me. I offered a short primer on popular cuts of bluefin in Friday’s Eaters Digest.
NOTED
Attention, San Lorenzo Valley: Emerald Mallard – SC Bread Boy chef Lance Ebert’s restaurant inside Humble Sea Tavern – now offers takeout on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 5 to 8 p.m. The short menu includes an Oklahoma-style smash burger, spicy chicken sandwich, Caesar salad and house-made cannoli. More info at emeraldmallard.com.
LIFE WITH THE BELLIS
My family spent last weekend visiting my mom, dad and brother in Murphys, my hometown. My mother was a caterer for 30 years, and owned several cafés, and her ability to put together a family dinner is one of the best parts of going home. On Friday, she served grilled chicken thighs marinated in lemon and fresh oregano, Greek salad, roasted and peeled peppers in olive oil, and a simple potato salad with lots of fresh dill and parsley. And, everything is always presented on gorgeous serving platters that she has collected over her life and travels. I’ve always tried to mimic her style, but every time I go home I’m reminded that I’m in the presence of a master.
FOOD NEWS WORTH READING
➤ On Thursday, a public meeting will be held at the Silver Spur restaurant in Soquel to shed some light on a proposed housing development planned for the site and discuss the restaurant’s fate. If the project is approved by the county, Silver Spur, famous for its loyal clientele, would have to eventually relocate or close. (Lookout)
➤ Cost-wise, how do delivery services, meal kits and grocery shopping compare? A team of reporters compared similar recipes across popular meal kit services, delivery apps and Bay Area grocery stores, and found that when it came to price per serving, making food at home is the most economical choice, despite food prices at grocery stores increasing by 28% since 2019. (San Francisco Chronicle)