Christina Waters

Smart plates in a sleek, sophisticated setting. (Nothing beats alliteration - nothing.) Anya and I checked out the brand-new lunch menu at Soif last Friday and were treated to some lovely stuff in the way of a chopped salad of romaine entangled with crisp red cabbage, zest of salami and parmigiano, flecks of Kalamata olives, a few chick peas (okay, more than a few) and even goat cheese as well.

This massive portion — easily enough for three women or two surfers, or Kobe Bryant — ran $9. We also shared a sensuous panino of jamon serrano and fresh figs, all gooey and decadent thanks to melted mozzarella, for $12. This baby was one of those monuments to Italian sandwich genius - high fashion on a plate, yet a little impractical in the actual eating. One bite and the opulent contents began to ooze out both sides. So we adjusted the interior as we ate. With the sandwich, I ordered a cup of the day’s soup, a pale yellow fresh corn puree — sweet and creamy — laced with slices of yellow and red cherry tomatoes.

And to drink, I had a hefty glass of freshly-squeezed lemonade, full of fiber and rustic, tangy lemon flavor. Anya had an espresso.

Soif’s lunch menu is simple and direct. Three salads, three panini, a soup du jour and a daily quiche.

Cool beverages, coffees and eight wines by the glass. Soif has done all of the thinking for you — you need only show up.

Soif for lunch is a great downtown place to take your finicky out-of-town guests. On Walnut Avenue, next door to every woman’s fashion pit-stop — Shandrydan.

The word is that Oswald is definitely still in the pipeline. Yesterday there were two trucks out front, at the corner of Soquel and Front Sts., plumbing guys doing something to the interior. So that looks promising. When? Well, you might think about Thanksgiving in a new setting. . . . The word is good on the new Khyber Pass, where Afghan and Pakistani cuisine share the billing. Flavor-wise this makes good sense and since I love the mint-inflected foods of Afghanistan, I’m getting down there very soon. . . . Gorgeous foods, casual setting — that’s the off-beat, high contrast ambience of Fusion at Pearl Alley, where the trained hand of chef Robert Morris (formerly Blacks Beach Cafe) is making plates so pretty you can hardly bear to take a bite. . . . And lunches at Soif now provide a sophisticated downtown setting for smart plates to match the smart pours. Soif does lunch Wednesday through Saturday, noon to 2pm. 105 Walnut Ave in Santa Cruz.

Avanti that is. A few very hot nights ago we gave up on the whole idea of cooking and headed over to Ristorante Avanti where the evening specials dazzled.

Under the expertise of lead sauté cook Roberto Serna, two entrees and one shared salad said everything about the season, the imagination of executive chef Ben Sims, and the ability of a known quantity to surprise us all over again.

The meal began with a salad of adolescent arugula, bathed in a sherry vinaigrette that allowed the fruity olive oil to take the major role. Shaved parmesan - not tons of it, just enough to add some salty sparkle - joined toasted almonds and (more…)

More will be written - by me among others - about Range, a slender slice of culinary chic at 842 Valencia in the Mission District. But for now let me just give you the short description of our two desserts.

One was a thin, thin wedge of fresh rhubarb tart. The thin slices of rhubarb had been woven into a beautiful chevron mosaic, glazed with (probably) strawberry jam and then baked on the finest pastry crust known to woman. On the side was a single scoop of (be still my heart) pink peppercorn ice cream.

Okay.

The second dessert was a classic - only better than classic - strawberry shortcake with geranium-infused whipped cream. Somewhere in there was a whisper of Meyer lemon.

This is part of why Range has a Michelin star to call its own.

A decent bottle of red wine. And real glasses, stemware — we got ours at the St. Vincent de Paul store in Paso Robles. $1 each. Wrap them in a tea towel, throw in a bottle opener and a bag of pistachio nuts, and voila! instant happy hour. This sort of emergency travel gear can liven up even the most flourescent Travelodge room. . . . And for the actual driving part, we always stock bottled water, travel cups of hot coffee, plus a large stash of high quality trail mix.

My current favorite is the organic blend of nuts and dried fruits from our very own Pajaro company, Sunridge Farms. Easy to eat, concentrated fuel, organic ingredients and delicious. This beats stopping for fast food any day of the week/year/decade.

On the way to the Mojave — a stunningly beautiful and difficult expanse of geological wildness — we always stop for the night in Paso Robles. Once simply a cow town next to a mission, now a cow town with wraparound vineyards, fine restaurants and a charming grid of 19th century Western architecture, Paso Robles is worth a look.

Artisan and Bistro Laurent are our favorite dining spots. Always top quality, with excellent listings of local wines. At Bistro Laurent we sampled an updated French classic of stewed rabbit with mashed potato cake, and another entree of seared scallops topped with a crispy risotto frittata. Both exceptional, as were the Liberty School Cab and the Eberle Syrah that accompanied.

On the way back from the desert, we dined at Artisan — louder than professional basketball, but excellent. I always order the appetizer of seared ahi, with crisp green tomato fritters. An entree of wild boar with oricchiette and English peas was amazing.

Moving on the next morning, we took a break (along with everyone on the way to LA) at the Hwy 46 exit just before the massive I-5. Here at the friendly, over-the-top candy, gasoline & pee stop that is Pilot, we found something so horrifyingly silly that we were stopped in our tracks. So THIS is how America gets so fat, we thought, as we considered a display of “BigAz” Fiesta Biscuits the size of a BarcaLounger. (more…)

Now is the best time to dine out at your favorite restaurants. Am I crazy? Nope.

Restaurants are in deep fiscal misery, feeling the pinch due to rising fuel costs, lowering dollar and grains being used up for ethanol or shipped halfway around the world. That means that chefs and bakers and restaurateurs are getting more creative than ever in hopes of tempting customers. The value — the bang for the buck — in dining out has never been better, as chefs get smart with seasonings, innovative flavor and texture combinations, more slow-cooked dishes, stir-fries just all-around smarter use of every ingredient.

The diner wins here, and that means that you should be making reservations right now!

Barstow is one of those places whose very name sounds like the middle of nowhere. And it just about is. However, if you pass through there at lunchtime — as we did last week — you can do a whole lot worse than pull into the parking lot of IHOP and head for one of those cozy booths.

Here we were in the middle of a 21st century Norman Rockwell, and decided to eat in that spirit. All of you who assume that I’m a food snob, take note: I inhaled my IHOP breakfast of eggs over medium, bacon, pancakes, the works.

A smart, swift server made sure we were completely satisfied with our perfectly cooked eggs, guilty pleasure strips of delicious bacon, outstanding homefries and better-than-decent cups of coffee. My short stack of buttermilk pancakes was frankly wonderful. So there!

When in Barstow, IHOP is your friend. (You’ll feel very David Lynch.)

You’ve noticed that food prices have gone up, up and up?

So do something about it!

*Stop eating so much meat. Just stop it! Think of chicken, fish, pork and lamb as protein accessories, with fresh, seasonal veggies and whole grains as the main attraction.
*Only shop for what’s in season – and that means stop craving asparagus in November, or red peppers in May. We only buy organic and natural foods – so that means we’re already paying higher prices (and worth every blessed penny) than those of you who comb the mega-aisles of Costco. But we don’t pig out on luxury meats when free-range chicken, or fresh local seafoods will do.
*Buy perishables in small amounts – enough salad greens or fresh fruit for the next few days – and in small containers. Buying smaller containers means less waste, which can more than recover the slightly higher per unit costs of smaller containers.
* No imports, buy local - Sure there are obvious fair trade import exceptions, but in general local and seasonal gets you more flavor and value bang for the buck. Plus it keeps local small growers adding to the local tax base. Can’t live without artisanal cheese? Try local and Bay Area cheeses, instead of French imports.
* Give up that daily latté habit - Make it a once-a-week treat to stop at your favorite coffeehouse for a double royale with whipped cream. You’ll save a bundle. (more…)

Farm & Garden Organic Produce Cart - Summer’s here and the bounty from UCSC’s Agroecology apprentice program is back at the corner of Bay & high Streets, every Tuesday and Friday, noon to 6pm. Flowers, herbs, infant lettuces, chards, onions, strawberries — the array changes week by week. But the quality remains exceptional. Come meet the student growers and check out what’s fresh and in season.