Trestles pop-up offers sneak peek of Cavalletta, chef Nick Sherman’s upcoming Aptos restaurant

On Monday evening, Trestles restaurant in Capitola held a pop-up for Cavalletta, chef and owner Nick Sherman’s forthcoming restaurant in Aptos, to give guests a sneak peek at the new menu.

Cavalletta — which means “grasshopper” in Italian — is co-owned by Sherman’s business partner, Shawn Ryberg, and is getting close to opening in the restaurant space formerly occupied by Restaurant Malik Williams on Soquel Drive.

California-influenced Italian dishes were presented in Sherman’s thoughtful and unfussy bistro style. My guest and I dined on beef carpaccio so thin you could twirl it around a fork, with peppery arugula and creamy aioli; arancini filled and smothered with gooey cheese; an Italian chop salad that balanced salty smashed olives and salami with crunchy romaine and vinegary dressing; creamy fresh corn risotto with sweet rock shrimp; and spicy all’amatriciana made with homemade bucatini.

Also on the menu: burrata toast with marinated mushroom on bread from Companion Bakery; a caesar salad; beef bolognese; and pesto genovese with cherry tomatoes and summer squash, along with a negroni sbagliato made with a St. Agrestis Phony Negroni topped with prosecco.

The team installed a wood-fired oven at Cavalletta, so guests can expect pizzas when the restaurant opens.

Although Malik Williams renovated the space extensively in 2021, the Cavalletta team have remodeled the interior to make it their own. They’ve added white subway tiles to the walls and a long wooden bar in a similar style to the one installed at Trestles, says general manager Sydney Ruelas. The restaurant is nearing completion and waiting for final permitting approval from the county. When it opens, it will offer dinner seven days a week.

Until then, Ruelas says they plan to hold more pop-ups at Trestles on Monday nights, when the Capitola restaurant is normally closed. Watch for announcements on Instagram and make reservations through Yelp.