Quick Take
Alderwood Pacific, the more casual sibling of Alderwood Santa Cruz, will open its doors downtown Friday; the fine-dining establishment, meanwhile, is getting some updates and will return in the spring.
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Alderwood is shaking things up in downtown Santa Cruz. This week, fine-dining restaurant Alderwood Santa Cruz’s family tree is growing a new branch — Alderwood Pacific, a more casual sibling, will open Friday on Pacific Avenue. Meanwhile, Alderwood Santa Cruz is temporarily closing for service while it undergoes a style refresh and a menu update. Its last day of service was Sunday, and it will reopen sometime this spring.
Alderwood Pacific is finally welcoming customers to its freshly remodeled restaurant at 1108 Pacific Ave. in the space that previously held Snap Taco and Assembly. Here, guests will find a contemporary restaurant with familiar faces and flavors from the original Alderwood, located just a few blocks away at Walnut Avenue and Cedar Street. The new restaurant will be open Wednesday through Sunday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Beginning March 1, Alderwood Pacific will serve lunch starting at 11 a.m.
A new menu, curated by executive chef Jeffrey Wall, will highlight seasonal and local ingredients. Alderwood favorites, such as the Alderwood cheeseburger and hen-of-the-woods mushroom appetizer, will now be found here rather than at the original location, as well as new additions like freshly made pastas, seasonal salads, sandwiches, more burgers and a raw bar with fresh oysters.
Also on the menu: house-made cocktails on draft, available for dinner and a daily happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m., says Sam Woods, the executive director of operations for Santa Cruz Sky, the locally owned company whose portfolio includes Alderwood Pacific, Alderwood Santa Cruz, Flashbird, Burn Hot Sauce and Buns & Sons Bakery: “We want Alderwood Pacific to be a neighborhood place with a local vibe.”
A few blocks away, Alderwood Santa Cruz is closed while it updates its look and menu. The goal is to create a “more refined service and culinary experience for our clientele that will set it apart from its new sister restaurant,” says Woods, although she declined to share more details. It is expected to reopen sometime this spring.
Reservations and special event bookings are available online at alderwoodsantacruz.com.
