Christina Waters

Consider the prospect of succulent Mexican bay scallops, with tender local squid atop a pool of gigante and ceci beans.

You know you want this dish.

You’ll find it in the soothingly cozy dining room of Gabriella Cafe.

New Year’s Eve dinner at chic La Posta, 538 Seabright (831.457-2782, involves this terrific $50 prix fixe menu.
Antipasti - Santa Cruz foraged mushrooms in cartoccio
or
Sformato of cauliflower with bagna cauda
or
Calamari ripieni

Primi - Windmill Farms Butternut squash and chard cannelloni
or
Dungeness crab and wild nettle lasagnette
or
Tortellini in brodo

Secondi- Ceci bean caciucco with cavolo nero (more…)

Authentic red velvet cupcakes - tender, moist and topped with an exuberant amount of butter-cream frosting, plus some colorful sugar ornaments. This really hit the spot last week, and for $2.25 a pop, might be one of the last culinary bargains in the known world. Those green Christmas tree cookies don’t look bad either….
Gayle’s.

Richly flavored and colorful, the large (16oz) jars of Happy Girl Kitchen heirloom tomatoes called out to me last Saturday as I strolled the Westside Farmers Market. I plunked down $10 and took home a jar.

Later that evening, half the jar of crimson and orange pomadori surrounded a large filet of local halibut (from H&H) topped with chopped kalamatas, capers and oregano, for a terrific “mixed grill” dinner. And the other half jar remained to go into a luxurious marinara later that week.

Well. Those organic tomatoes, full of the end-of-summer, roasted into complete sweetness and intensity.

Happy Girl Kitchen also makes vibrant jams, plus canned and pickled veggies. Visit them on-line, or at any number of local farmers markets, and at Staff of Life and Food Bin.

Artisanal cheesemaker and rancher Rebecca King (who was also former chef at Gabriella) emailed to remind me about the chance to purchase freshly dressed, organically-raised young lamb in time for holiday special dinners. The lamb is raised at Monkeyflower Ranch, and fed on pasture grasses, alfalfa and spent organic grains from Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing. Mild and tender, just like the animals themselves, the meat is now available in whole or half carcass. (more…)

Come join former Lick Observatory director-turned-winemaker Joe Miller & company, for the Grand Opening of Hillcrest Terrace Winery on November 14 from 12:30-6:00 pm, when there will be an opportunity to taste the wines, grab some food, and watch Mayor Cynthia Mathews cut the ceremonial ribbon. The winery is located at 429B Ingalls Street — yes, THAT Ingalls Street, where the action apparently never stops. Hillcrest Terrace will be open for tasting, etc. on Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5pm, and most Friday afternoons (831-426-1500). . . . And for those of us waiting breathlessly for the next great thing at La Posta, the wait is over. The new chef’s name is Catherine Stern, and she’s fresh from Scotland, where she spent quality time in a two-star kitchen. Details coming soon. . . . According to a family source, the chef of the recently closed In Vino Veritas has left Scotts Valley in a big hurry, if you get my drift. Meanwhile, his old place in the Felton Guild is back up and running as an Italian restaurant once again. . . .When in Aptos, you might want to peruse the Autumn Artisans Faire - Friday, Nov. 13 7-10pm (that’s the preview party with hors d’oeuvres/$10), and Saturday, Nov. 14 10am-4pm (free), at the Aptos United Methodist Church. These folks promise a Christmas-worth of fine arts and handcrafts by talented local artists, plus live music, a silent auction and munchies for purchase. Full details are at the website.

The Backstage Lounge – the latest exciting idea in dining entertainment from David Jackman, is open for dinner 5-10pm nightly serving Asian-inspired dishes, with beer on tap and a few good wines. The opening menu features wraps, rolls, potstickers, pork ribs and roast duck – unexpected dishes, perhaps, but interactive and spicy.

You know where the Rio Theatre is? (hint: 1205 Soquel Ave, in eastside Santa Cruz) The Backstage Lounge is right next door.

As if the stupendous selection of fine wines wasn’t enough, now Soif is continuing its prix fixe menu through the entire month of November. To raise awareness about breast cancer — and to help the work of WomenCARE, in Santa Cruz, Soif has created a smart menu of dishes made without added sugars, butter, flour, rice, potatoes or saturated fats of any kind.

Starting with an appetizer of mixed greens with roasted persimmons and (more…)

We’ve all done it. Run into Trader Joe’s, desperate for a few last-minute staple items.

There it was - eye-catching, under $5 (rare these days) and allegedly loaded with fiber.

I bought it.

We tasted it.

We rejected it. Why? No flavor. None. Zero. Zip. I’ve tasted cardboard with more flavor density and nuance than this. A cruel joke packaged with an eye-catching purple label and the word “Quinoa” boldly imprinted, this was bread made by people who had no tastebuds.

For people with no tastebuds.

If you, however, have tastebuds, you will want to avoid this product.

At the very strategic corner of First Avenue & Union, next door to the Seattle Art Museum and hanging over Pike Place market, Union is a very smart island of low-key sophistication. Chef Ethan Stowell, whose sibling restaurants include the popular Tavolata and How to Cook a Wolf (cf. MFK Fisher), does simple, elegant, non-fussy things with regional ingredients.

I loved a squid salad (pictured here) luscious in a light tomato broth, tossed with olives, fennel, (more…)