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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… Santa Cruz brewery Woodhouse Blending & Brewing is planning a new satellite location on the Upper Westside near the entrance to UC Santa Cruz. The pizza restaurant and taproom – name TBD – is going into a vacant space in the corner of a small shopping center off High Street. Owner Will Moxham is partnering with chef Ryan Thompson of Pogonip Pizza Co., a pop-up serving wood-fired pizzas with classic and seasonal combinations, and also plans to open in the morning to serve coffee. Woodhouse is hosting Pogonip Pizza for a pop-up Tuesday at 5 p.m. at the brewery, if you want to check it out.
The project got zoning approval last week, but still needs approval from several other local government agencies, including the building department and the health department, before it becomes a reality. Moxham told me he hopes it will open early next year. Read more about Woodhouse II here.
On that note: Woodhouse is currently seeking a new chef to partner with at its in-house kitchen following the departure of Sampa Brazilian Food this week. Interested? Email me at lily@lookoutlocal.com and I’ll put you in touch.
… … With so many places to get pizza in Santa Cruz County, it can be difficult to stand out in the crowd. But when Tim Silva opened Ozzy’s Pizzeria in Watsonville in May, he brought a distinct culinary perspective to Neapolitan pies, with pizzas inspired by his family and life experiences.
Silva worked at Pizza My Heart for 35 years, helping earn the locally founded chain top honors at international competitions. He told me pizza is more than a career: “It’s a passion. It’s not a job.” Read more about his first solo project here.
… Ibiza – a new breakfast and lunch spot from the owners of Barceloneta – opened Tuesday in downtown Santa Cruz. In case you missed it: At the beginning of July, 5-year-old Spanish restaurant Barceloneta served its final meal. After closing for a few weeks, owners Elan and Brett Emerson have opened Ibiza in the space, a daytime spot that they hope will reach Pacific Avenue’s busy crowd of shoppers and workers, with a Mediterranean-inspired menu.
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ON THE MENU
I knew there were a lot of places to get pizza in Santa Cruz, but I was shocked when I actually counted them all and discovered that there are nearly 70 pizza-centric businesses in the county. It turns out, that means our little coastal community has a higher pizza-per-capita ratio than both Chicago and New York City, two places so well-known for pizza that they’ve developed their own distinct styles.
So, why are we so obsessed with pizza? And does this high concentration mean Santa Cruz has its own style? I asked chefs throughout the county what they thought, and the answers are divided. Keep an eye out for the story later this week.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
The owners of Lago di Como, one of my favorite Italian restaurants, are preparing to open an Italian deli and market just down the street from their Live Oak location, on the corner of 17th Avenue and Portola Drive. Bottega del Lago aims to be a one-stop shop for Italian products and carry-out items, including Roman pizza, sandwiches, pasta and gelato. Owners Matteo Robecchi, Lindsay Rodriguez and Giovanni Spanu plan to open on Sunday. Find out more here.
EVENT SPOTLIGHT
Rich and Laura Everett of Everett Family Farm are hosting Teen Kitchen Project’s annual farm dinner fundraiser at their idyllic Soquel farm on Saturday, Sept. 14. This annual event is the local nonprofit’s major fundraiser to support its afterschool programs and meal delivery service for in-need county residents. This year, former Hollins House and Venus Spirits chef John Paul Lechtenberg is preparing the family-style meal, with help from teens participating in the program. Beer from Discretion Brewing in Soquel and Laura Everett’s Soquel Cider will be served, along with local wines and alcohol-free beverages. Tickets are $165.
LIFE WITH THE BELLIS
Tomato vines everywhere are bulging with ripe fruit, which means it’s BLT time, one of my favorite culinary seasons. I literally do not eat them any other time of year. Depending on the day, I am an utter purist when it comes to my favorite sandwich: nothing will do but perfectly ripe tomatoes, a sprinkle of salt, excellent bread, fresh greens and craft bacon. And on other days, I enjoy cheffing up the system with condiments like Kewpie mayo and Fly by Jing chili crisp or a thick swipe of pimento cheese. One of the best BLTs I’ve ever eaten included smoked trout and aioli with capers and preserved lemon. What are your favorite riffs on this classic sandwich?
FOOD NEWS WORTH READING
➤ New leadership is coming to the White House, and not just the Oval Office. Executive chef Cristeta Comerford is retiring after 30 years at the helm of the White House’s kitchen, the first woman and person of color in the role. She has prepared meals for five presidents, from Bill Clinton to Joe Biden. Who might fill her role? (Bon Appetit)
➤ The future of several longstanding restaurants and businesses on Fillmore Street in San Francisco is uncertain after a mysterious “web of limited liability companies” started buying up buildings. Middle Eastern restaurant La Mediterranee, a 45-year fixture, and 46-year-old sushi restaurant Ten-Ichi are among those fighting to keep their leases. (San Francisco Chronicle)