by Christina Waters | Jul 13, 2007 | Food |
And another thing……I’m not the only Santa Cruz resident who has to think twice about going to dinner or movies downtown. Problem is — the two hour parking meters, each one of which is attached to a predatory meter “person” with a stop watch.
How the hell are we supposed to go to a movie? Or a dinner that last longer than 2 hours?
Case in point. We went early to Soif on Bastille Day Рto make sure we could find a parking spot. We loaded the meter with quarters, and proceeded to have a terrific time with the never-better cuisine of Chris Avila (killer pork rillettes, tuna tartare, heirloom tomatoes, pat̩ de compagne) and French wines to match. We even went back out a few minutes before our meter was going to expire, and added MORE quarters.
When we left – after 2 and 3/4 hours of wonderful dining and vivacious conversation at our festive table of eight – there was a ticket on my car. Even though we’d put in enough money, the meter was programmed for only two hours. Now. I repeat my question. Where are we to park in order to spend quality ($$$$) time downtown? (And don’t tell me the “parking structure” – which for a lot of reasons isn’t an option).
Why not install three hour meters? Most people would gladly pay more (if it’s about the money) and not have to agonize about getting up in the middle of dinner just to move their ^$&*(_ car!!!
by Christina Waters | Jul 12, 2007 | Home, Wine |
Here’s my new favorite wine — from Sicily, home of volcanic soils, radiant climate and sensuous foods. This lusty cabernet sauvignon is Timpaia 2004, from Feudi di San Giuliano ($17.99 at Shoppers). At 13.5% alcohol it’s big enough to have a mind of its own, but not aggressive. As it opens, it moves through a soft yet full-bodied vocabulary of intriguing opinions, starting with plums, leather and a center of ripe tomato, into a lake of cherry, licorice and gunpowder (that’s the sulfuric, mineral terroir talking, no matter what Dan Patterson says). Finally you’re in a world of sumptuous strawberry.
Terrific with cheeses, it also partners lamb and grilled yellowtail.
by Christina Waters | Jul 11, 2007 | Travel |
Goodbye to the man whose playful vision, and entrepreneurial savvy once defined — the Cooper House — the atmosphere of downtown Santa Cruz. Many will miss him, just as they miss those wild days when Cher used to hold down a bar stool at the original Catalyst.
by Christina Waters | Jul 10, 2007 | Food, Home, Travel |
A few weeks ago I joined two vivacious residents of Rome (one from the US, the other originally from Canada) for a meal of stellar regional cuisine and old-fashioned, unapologetically attentive service at Zeffirino, a celebrated Genoa dining room since 1939. Utterly non-designer in decor, busily adorned with candelabra and quaint genre paintings, and complete with waiters in dark suits who expertly arrange each serving at the table, Zeffirino lived up to its advance hype as providing definitive Mediterranean seafood. This appetizer of paper-thin lasagne, sauced with saffron-tinged pesto, with scallops in their shells, asparagus and a few prawns, was a knock-out.
It was all beautiful to look at and prepared with restraint. Giant prawns, gamberoni, lightly inflected with saffron, and topped alla Cinqueterre, with thin ribbons of candied lemon peel, were sweet and tender. Another deeply satisfying entree involved fresh lobster, removed 
from its shell, brilliantly spiced in salsa diavola, and then returned to to the shell, to form a gorgeous terracotta creation. Two regional house wines easily paced the clear flavors of the meal, which began with a stupendous primo of Genoa’s gift to the culinary world — triofie al pesto. (see post below). Here the pesto is made from infant leaves of Genovese basil, which preserves a minty sparkle rather than the rather strident, licoricey tendencies of “mature” basil. “This is what pesto should be!,” pronounced one of my companions, a Rome correspondent for Newsweek. She and my other dining partner spent a good part of the next hour strategizing about where they could find such amazing basil in Rome. (more…)
by Christina Waters | Jul 9, 2007 | Home |
Since we all have access to any number of fabulous farmers markets, is there really any excuse for us to even consider buying produce that has been shipped across the country? No, of course not.
Okay. Now my question is to our local grocery stores. Why would YOU even consider offering produce to your customers that had been shipped across the country? We all congratulate ourselves in the Santa Cruz area about how environmentally astute we are for buying and eating seasonal, local produce — but then I looked at the fine print on a little box of organic cherry tomatoes this week (at a store that shall remain nameless) and found the word “Florida” on it. OMG!!!
Give me a break! If produce buyers can’t find local, in-season produce they should just wait until they can. But actually offering stuff that has been shipped across the entire country…why? It sure can’t be for the flavor, or the “tiny” carbon footprint…..
Caveat emptor: read the labels!!
