by Christina Waters | Feb 8, 2007 | Food |
Quickies: Sitar, at 1133 Pacific Avenue in downtown Santa Cruz, is flashy and it’s open. Malabar ditto, fresh and sparkling in its new Front Street location. I’ll let you know what I think in a week or two. . . Hula’s is still a good place for high-performance theme visuals and well-made mai tais. But after two more forgettable Hula’s appetizers, Katya and I went to Soif for an amazing dish of duck leg braised in red wine with collard greens and prunes. The duck cost the same as two appetizers at Hula’s, but the difference in the experience was, well, stunning. And since it was Tuesday at Soif we got to listen to some choice blues from the piano of Art Alm. .
Readers want to know: Who has the recipe for the original minestrone served at the old Santa Cruz Hotel? and where can I find a genuine pastrami sandwich in Santa Cruz county?
Nice to see jewelry czarina Kate Nolan back in the Many Hands store on Locust. Great for downtown, bad for my checkbook. I cannot resist Nolan’s ancient Roman-style earring designs. . . Don’t miss the atmospheric black & white photography by Katie Cater (who moonlights behind the wine bar at Avanti), now showing at Riva, on the Santa Cruz Wharf. . . and save the February 28, 4-6pm date to join radical filmies up at UCSC’s Bay Tree Building for a screening and talk by Saul Landau. With yet another incendiary political tome, “A Bush and Botox World,” and new film on the cultural impact of globalization, called “We Don’t Play Golf Here,” Landau is the busiest act in polit-biz. Reception afterwards. I’ll see you there!
by Christina Waters | Feb 8, 2007 | Food, Home |
Time for a little grousing about rude restaurant behavior — from the management’s point of view. Ted Burke has been running a mighty successful establishment — Shadowbrook Restaurant — for decades. He’s seen it all in the rude patron department. But here’s what’s got him seeing red a week before Valentine’s Day. “Too many people interested in dining on St. Valentine’s Day,” Burke said in his recent email, “will make several reservations around town — this happens on New Year’s too — and decide at the last minute which one they want to keep …and then not bother to cancel any of the others.” (more…)
by Christina Waters | Feb 8, 2007 | Food, Holidays |
Immodest Proposals: Where to go for romantic V-Day dining? Here’s my answer. Gabriella Cafe chef Rebecca King and her sous-chef, Ben Howard (both veterans of Chez Panisse) offer lovers a four-course Valentine’s odyssey, accompanied by two glasses of Italian bubbly, for $85 per person. And since Gabriella Café, 910 Cedar Street, is arguably the most romantic dining spot in Santa Cruz (as Theo’s is to Soquel), one must reach immediately for the phone to make February 14 reservations, at (831)457-1677. And speaking of Theo’s, Roger Romano tells me that reservations are rapidly filling up. V-day dinner — $75 per person, not including tax & tip. Just know that chef Nicci Tripp will make the experience a benchmark in romantic gastronomy. Feast on the Valentine’s menu at www.theosrestaurant.com/ and then pray there’s still a table! Theo’s, 3101 N. Main – Soquel: 831.462.3657. . . Since hyper-romantic (in that nostalgic way) Shadowbrook has probably long since stopped taking reservations for dinners, I can pass along a tip. Try grabbing a seat in the upstairs Rock Room Lounge, where Terry Riversong will be singing on Valentine’s eve. There’s a wood-burning oven, and a separate food menu, plus with the first come/first served, no res policy, this is a great option for those who couldn’t get a dining room reservation. Vibrant and definitely romantic atmosphere. The Shadowbrook, at 1750 Wharf Road, in Capitola: 831/ 475-1511.
by Christina Waters | Feb 1, 2007 | Food |
Dining with two friends last week, I sampled the inviting Early Bird Prix Fixe menu at Sestri. On Tuesdays the $19.95, three-course special runs all evening, (usually it’s a Mon-Fri deal, from 5-7pm). Also – head’s up – there’s no corkage fee at Sestri, which means that bargain-hunters can bring their own favorite vintages with them. Two things occur to me here. That’s mighty early for some people to consider eating. On the other hand, $19.95 is a major deal — and of course that’s the point. Smart restaurants increasingly offer specials to tempt diners in during under-populated days and times, e.g. Tuesday is the dead zone for dining, and 5-7 time slot is considered “unfashionably” early. Okay. So what did we find?
Well, our helpful, friendly server did introduce herself by name and explained that she would be, surprise, our server that evening. Our bottle of outstanding Stevenot Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 (thanks Susan!) was expertly opened and correctly poured. Opening courses were attractively presented. The roasted garlic bisque tasted of flour (thickening agent), and the pretty organic salad greens were gritty. Terrific crouton, though. Then there was a long wait, which was odd since there weren’t that many early birds taking advantage of the early pricing. Finally our entrees of cioppino-style seafood stew and venison osso buco arrived. The cioppino was loaded with succulent fish, clams, mussels, and calamari, but the tomato broth was underspiced and uninspired. My venison was delicious — the veggies were tepid, but the meat was hot. (more…)
by Christina Waters | Feb 1, 2007 | Food, Home, Wine |
Discovering wonderful wines may not be the answer to world peace, but it helps vamp for time until that day arrives. My house red for the past year has been the sensuous 2001 Carignane from River Run Vintners. Made by the skillful, non-invasive hands of J.P. Pawloski, this glorious bouquet of spice, licorice and berries goes with everything. Pawloski is an auteur, and the proof is in every glass of his fabled red wines. Each time I visit Staff of Life Natural Foods I grab a few bottles. Until this week. OMG! I called J.P. to find out if this was truly the end of my favorite Carignane. Alas, it was true. “We’re all out of the 2001,” he admitted.
J.P. told me that he could put his hands on some of the 2004 vintage of this exceptional varietal, made from vines planted near Aromas 95 years ago! “The zinfandel is even older,” he added, pausing for effect. “Those vines are 115-years-old.” Guess that’s why they call it “old vine zin.” So now you know what to look for. A fairly non-descript, burgundy and silver label. Affordable prices – $10ish. Low alcohol — the Carignane is 13%. Sensational drinking. You can chat with J.P. yourself — there’s no reliable web site — by calling the winery at 831/726-3112.
Wine Bonanza:
Go immediately to this Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association link – SCMWA – nd consider the possibilities for The Ultimate Winemakers Dinner, February 27, involving fine local wines, and their winemakers followed by a dinner at the Shadowbrook. But not simply a dinner, dinner. A major dinner. Consider starters of golden chanterelle and truffle soup. (more…)
by Christina Waters | Jan 25, 2007 | Food, Home |
Restaurant reviewers over the ages have figured out a few tricks to make their jobs go smoother. Sometimes it happens during the actual review dinners – things like asking for copies of the menu, wearing wigs so that we won’t be recognized, making reservations under an assumed name – that kind of thing. But often the spin happens after the fact. In the writing itself.
There are a few clues that you, the consumer, can detect to help you read between the lines, so to speak.
1) The use of the word “interesting,†as in, “The sweetbreads seviche with red bell pepper puree had an interesting flavor.†What you are really being told is that the dish tasted like poodle poop. It was disgusting.
2) The word “spare†is always a sign of trouble. If the restaurant decor is described as “spare,†what the reviewer is saying is that the room looked empty, cold, uninviting — sort of like a cross between a tasteful funeral parlor and lockdown at Soledad.
3) Here’s another red flag: if the critic goes on and on about the decor, you can be sure that they are vamping for time. They are struggling to write something positive. In other words, the food stinks. So they’re concentrating on other, safe things rather than the culinary agenda.
4) Relentlessly chirpy, upbeat commentary — especially if there’s a long passage reciting the background, history and close family connections of the owners — is a sure sign that this isn’t a real, anonymous review but a feel-good package of promotional writing, designed to flatter the owners (read: advertisers) and above all, to avoid saying anything negative about the food, the service, the value for the money.
(to be continued. . . )
