The Landing joins a growing number of modern seafood restaurants in Moss Landing

Just a few scenic miles south of Santa Cruz County, a revival is stirring in Moss Landing. Following a series of restaurant closures and a disastrous battery fire, an area chef and a sommelier have teamed up on The Landing, a lunch and dinner spot inside the much-loved Power Plant Coffee building.

The Landing, which officially started service on Thursday after a quiet soft opening last weekend, is the new afternoon and evening counterpoint to its neighbor, Power Plant Coffee. The large building that houses the two businesses has two entrances, with the coffee shop on one side and a door to a spacious seating area with counter service for The Landing on the other. Both rooms are connected, and guests armed with laptops and lattes can mingle with visitors sipping glasses of minerally Santa Cruz Mountains chardonnay alongside soft shell crab sandwiches and Spanish pan con tomate. 

Founded in 2020, the coffee house has become a popular pitstop by using locally sourced products, including beans from Acme Coffee Roasting Co. and breads and pastries from Ad Astra Bread Co. The Landing, operated by sommelier Ryan Cooley and chef Todd Williamson, shares a similar emphasis on quality ingredients from around Monterey Bay, with a seasonally driven menu and an emphasis on wines from local regions. 

The Landing hints at a culinary revival in the tiny seaside village in the wake of the closure of two longstanding restaurants. In 2022, Phil’s Fish House moved operations to Castroville after 40 years of business in Moss Landing. Earlier this year, the 45-year-old Mexican restaurant the Whole Enchillada closed after the longtime chef and operator retired. Williamson and Cooley’s new spot joins a fresh wave of modern seafood eateries that includes nearby Sea Harvest Fish Market & Restaurant and Woodward Marine Market. Earlier this year, a battery fire at the nearby Moss Landing energy storage facility deterred visitors and caused another restaurant, The Haute Enchillada, to close indefinitely. 

“I think there’s a big void for something to be here, especially when Phil’s left, because they had a place you could go hang out, a stop between Santa Cruz and Carmel. There’s Woodward and Sea Harvest, but there’s plenty of room to bring more to the area,” said Cooley, a Moss Landing resident and avid surfer. 

In May, the idea for The Landing was already in the works when smoke from a fire at Power Plant Coffee damaged the building’s interior and allowed owners Sally Russell and Chuck Drake to envision a fresh design. Like the café, which reopened in September, The Landing is a light-filled, white-washed space filled with dozens of leafy tropical plants. 

Just outside, a food truck acts as Williamson’s kitchen, where he cooks up a short but vibrant menu that ranges from seafood to burgers to architectural salads. He uses Monterey Bay-caught rock cod in fish & chips ($18.50) and fish tacos topped with a citrusy slaw ($18). But most of his ingredients come from farther afield, and the culinary inspiration behind the dishes runs the gamut from the Carolinas to Spain to New Orleans. 

Somehow, the dishes work together, perhaps because they ultimately have the same origin point – Williamson’s brain – and share a palate of robust, layered flavors. 

Battered and fried in well-spiced buttermilk cornmeal crust, the soft shell crab sando ($21) is layered with a tangy house remoulade with arugula and tomato on a brioche bun. As is nearly mandatory at seafood restaurants along the coast, New England-style clam chowder ($7 for a cup, $10 for a bowl) is on the menu, but Williamson’s version takes inspiration from Baja California, with roasted chiles, fresh corn and plenty of meaty clams. The pasilla chile pesto that floats on top is a vibrant green, but adds more color than flavor. 

The Foodlab Burger ($18) is a twist on the Carolina burger – a regional style rarely seen in California. This version has two smashed patties layered with a zesty, all-meat chili, caramelized onions and American cheese, which nearly liquifies into the layers of ground beef. That richness is balanced by the requisite classic yellow mustard – sweet ketchup and mayonnaise would not be welcome here – plus a relish a la Williamson with roasted chilis and pickles. Decadent, messy and fun. 

Among the personal spins on familiar dishes, the artichoke salada russa ($18) is a mind-bending take on a Russian salad that took root in Spain adapted with a local delicacy: the artichoke. A tender whole artichoke heart holds a salad of cubed potatoes and onions bound with a whisper of rich Jerez sherry and topped with matchstick-like crispy potatoes over a red swipe of roasted red pepper mousse. It was unusual, but the interplay between crunchy, creamy, tender and sweet was playful and interesting. 

The menu will change frequently, said Williamson, who worked at Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur for 10 years and wants to add bread and desserts in the future. 

For beverages, Cooley, a former sommelier at two-Michelin-starred Aubergine in Carmel and co-owner of Vin Vivant wine bar in Capitola, said he spotlighting regional wines and beer from Monterey and Santa Cruz counties. “I don’t really see a reason to branch out. We have so many great breweries,” said Cooley. “And the wines by the glass will always be from California.” 

Among them are two Sonoma wines: a dynamic and crisp chardonnay ($16) with hints of creaminess and sherry-like oxidation from Ghostwriter, a Santa Rosa winery that uses Santa Cruz Mountains grapes, and a jammy old-vine zinfandel ($15) by Bedrock Wine Co. with plenty of structure and brightness. 

The Landing is open Thursday through Sunday from noon to 8 p.m., but open to staying late to accommodate community members lingering over a meal. Said Cooley: “If I have a line out the door at 8 o’clock, we’re going to stay open as long as we have customers that want to enjoy us.”

7990 Highway 1, Moss Landing.

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FOR THE RECORD: This story was updated to correct the name Power Plant Coffee.
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