A new downtown Santa Cruz cocktail lounge, Alley Oop, has transformed the former Poet & Patriot pub into a polished, speakeasy-style bar with a focus on vintage drinks and small plates.
Local Business
Posted inFood & Drink
Village Foods meal delivery expands toward Live Oak storefront after rapid rise
A Santa Cruz mom launched Village Foods to help people solve the nightly dinner dilemma, and the meal delivery service has quickly taken off. Less than a year in, the business is expanding into its own Live Oak storefront as founder Kelly Langstaff builds on both a national trend and a deeply personal mission to support busy families like her own.
Posted inFood & Drink
27 participating restaurants debut new vegan options for countywide April challenge
More than two dozen restaurants countywide are debuting new plant-based dishes as part of April’s inaugural Santa Cruz Vegan Chef Challenge. The event, organized by Vegan Outreach, aims to expand vegan options and encourage broader interest in plant-based eating, with a winning restaurant to be announced in May.
Posted inFood & Drink
The best things I ate and drank in Santa Cruz County in March
March’s warm weather coincided with a strong showing from Santa Cruz County’s food scene, with several standout dishes highlighting local bakeries, markets and new restaurants.
Posted inFood & Drink
Lily Belli on Food: Rising bakers’ moving stories; Sleight of Hand wows at World Pizza Games; vegan challenge throughout April
Lily Belli relates the stories behind a trio of up-and-coming Santa Cruz County bakers, notes a great showing in Las Vegas for a local pizza purveyor and spotlights the Santa Cruz Vegan Chef Challenge, beginning Wednesday.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
Santa Cruz County business filings: Week of March 31
Businesses operating in Santa Cruz County must register with the county clerk. Lookout Santa Cruz reviews the public filings from local businesses to report on new businesses starting in the area.
Posted inFood & Drink
Three bakers on the rise: The new faces reshaping Santa Cruz County’s bread and pastries
Across Santa Cruz County, three emerging bakers are gaining attention for distinctive breads and pastries that reflect their personal stories and creative ambitions. From a sold-out Watsonville sourdough shop to eye-catching Capitola confections and a reinvented downtown café pastry case, each is helping redefine the local baking scene.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Best of Santa Cruz County recreation, arts & food events this weekend, March 26-29
With the weekend nearly here, check out things to do around Santa Cruz County with a recommendation from Lily Belli and a specially curated list from Lookout’s BOLO events calendar.
Posted inFood & Drink
Cruz Room plans shared kitchen, bar and live events at key Santa Cruz corner
A Santa Cruz chef and commercial kitchen owner plans to transform the former Burger. and D20 Pizza restaurant space on Mission Street into the Cruz Room, a collaborative hub for food, music and art with multiple businesses under one roof. Established pizza pop-up Sleight Of Hand has already signed on, and owner Matisse Selman is seeking additional partners to bring the community-focused concept to life.
Posted inFood & Drink
Lily Belli on Food: Heat wave’s crop impact, new downtown gelateria and openings of note
In her Tuesday newsletter, Lily Belli checks in on how locals growers fared during last week’s heat wave, spotlights Gran Gelato Caffè in Santa Cruz and notes food & drink business openings downtown and in Aptos.
