For its inaugural winemaker’s dinner Oct. 19, Lago di Como prepared a six-course Sardinian feast paired with wines made from native varietals by Sardinia’s Argiolas Winery. It was the first event since the 11-year-old restaurant relaunched with new co-owners, an updated menu and a fresh vibe, and the beginning of a regular dinner series featuring regional Italian cuisines and wines.
Food & Drink
Posted inBusiness & Technology
New Leaf plans to leave Pacific Avenue store in downtown Santa Cruz for Gateway Plaza in 2025
New Leaf Community Markets brand manager Lindsay Gizdich said the store is moving from Pacific Avenue in order to have more space. While New Leaf’s downtown location is 9,000 square feet, the new spot on River Street is 29,000 square feet, allowing the grocery store to expand its offerings.
Posted inFood & Drink
The swoon-worthy dessert I went back for twice at Solaire
On the new menu at Solaire at Hotel Paradox, one dairy-, sugar- and gluten-free dessert exemplifies new executive chef Stefen Shatto’s ethos: to create a special experience regardless of dietary preferences.
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Laurie Love on Wine: Santa Cruz cabernet harvest, Grazing on the Green highlights & Kathryn Kennedy wines
Lookout wine expert Laurie Love reports on an “everything everywhere all at once” harvest in the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA, lists her wine favorites from this month’s Grazing on the Green, plus her Kathryn Kennedy wine of the week, the unique Zayante sand, and a lesson on what happens after harvest.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
This week in Santa Cruz County business: Ag industry struggles, downtown visions, Michaels in Capitola
In her weekly roundup of news and notes from the Santa Cruz County business community, Jessica M. Pasko talks to agricultural commissioner David Sanford, updates downtown planning in Watsonville and Santa Cruz and checks in on local comings and goings.
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Permit woes silence popular live music at Woodhouse Brewing
Woodhouse Blending & Brewing has hosted multiple live music acts a week since it opened in 2020, earning it the Hip Hang Out of the Year NEXTies award in March. Now, after an anonymous complaint, the City of Santa Cruz has ordered all entertainment to stop until the business applies for an entertainment permit.
Posted inFood & Drink
Lily Belli on Food: Scotts Valley’s big-name wine bar, Woodhouse’s music muted & new East Cliff brewery
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. Stay in touch with me by text throughout the […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Ambitious chef Stefen Shatto breathes new life into Hotel Paradox’s Solaire, aims for Michelin
Stefen Shatto, the new executive chef at Solaire at Santa Cruz’s Hotel Paradox, is drawing on more than a decade of fine-dining and hospitality experience to tackle a particularly ambitious project: developing an elegant, inclusive atmosphere at the 10-year-old restaurant. His ultimate goal: to draw visiting guests and the locals back to Solaire — and earn the first Michelin star in Santa Cruz County.
Posted inFood & Drink
A bountiful fall: 23 foodie events happening in Santa Cruz County this month
Local calendars are filling up with food-themed fall events. Lookout food and drink correspondent Lily Belli collected them all in one place, and notes her picks for the best events of the season.
Posted inFood & Drink
Lily Belli on Food: Stern’s Midway focus, Cavalletta delays, storing that leftover wine
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. Stay in touch with me by text throughout the […]