Kinch Rocks Iron Chef: March 15
Update: Kinch Won! Sizzling Saucepans! Chef David Kinch of Manresa battles chef Bobby Flay on Iron Chef America. Tune in on Sunday, March 15 to see if Kinch's two Michelin stars can take the heat! Chef/surfer Kinch of Manresa, Los Gatos, will challenge celebrity chef...
Lunch at O’mei – First Impressions!
Terrific news for Westside lunchers — O’mei is open for lunch, Tues-Sun 11:30-2pm. But wait, there's more! The “O’mei Express Menu" is priced for the real world, starting at $5.95 and topping out at $7.95. And how is it? Inventive, tasty, quick and cheap. We...
and another thing about Oswald
The red trout, sautéed crispy and served on a bed of green beans and roasted sunchokes, is a sensuous way to celebrate a chilly winter evening. You need only walk into the warm brasserie ambience of Oswald (corner of Front & Soquel, in downtown Santa Cruz) and let...
Oswald’s Opulent Opening
It was almost as if it had never closed. The crowd, the smooth flow of service from exhibition kitchen to full bar to packed dining room — Oswald was back and on Day Two was producing flawless meals to a packed house of overjoyed fans. A modest opening menu, long on...
More on Oswald
Desserts were all excellent, including a textbook crème brulée, a sexy molten chocolate torte and a superb almond cake (seen here) topped with vanilla ice cream. And since the new Oswald has a full bar, we were able to enjoy adult digestifs like Fernet Branca with...
Sean Does Salumi
Here's an example of the Sean Baker all-star line-up of handmade salumi, available to adventurous diners at Gabriella Cafe and at the new Le Cigare Volant cafe at Bonny Doon tasting room on Ingalls Street. These gorgeous paper-thin specialties taste even better than...
Limoncello!
Yes, chef Giovanni diMaio did deliver what we expected last week at a wonderful Limoncello lunch. I like to use the holidays as an excuse to take my mom and aunt out for lunch, and Limoncello surpassed our hopes. Manicotti with a dreamy ragu, veal piccata with...
Philly Tartare
Here's another reason why I love to visit the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The museum's restaurant invariably offers gorgeous lunch dishes for excellent prices. This salmon tartare, served on a bed of transparent zucchini ribbons and topped with shaved fennel and a...
Cheese Whiz
Everybody loves cheese, but few of us get to hang out with someone whose cheese lore is deep and pungent. That someone would be fromagiere Andrea London who can talk époisses and cabicou 'til the cows come home. How exciting it was to discover last week that London...
Oswald IS Opening!
And according to co-owner Eric Lau, we're talkin' weeks. "The goal was for us to be open on the 15th of this month," Lau told me today. "We've got all the big stuff done. But now it's just the details — furniture, glassware, that stuff." Lau went on the record as...
Italy – a few more tastes
So how was this latest trip to Italy? Here are a few choice images - words to follow. Mint tagliarelli with fresh porcinis — at La Bussola in Firenze. Quite possibly the finest plate of pasta I've ever had.
Late Harvest Salad
While quaffing a bracing bit of white wine from the French Savoie, I inhaled my new favorite appetizer at Soif. Served in a rustic glazed dish, fat gigande beans were joined by pancetta and those sexy end-of-the-season tomatoes that taste like a Mediterranean smile....
Fall Attractions: TomatoFest
Pomodori Time! The 17th Annual NatureSweet Carmel TomatoFest®, happens once again on Sunday, September 14, 2008,12:30 pm, at the magnificent Quail Lodge Resort in Carmel.Founder/Director of the TomatoFest®, Gary Ibsen, announced that 60 of America’s finest chefs...
Snowden Cooks!
Hands-On Sensations: Foodwise, you need to make plans to join mega-food instructor, menu designer and restaurateur Mimi Snowden at one of her upcoming Cooking Classes. Sept. 18th & 19th- "An Indian Summer," an end of summer BBQ with succulent bbq lamb. October 23rd &...
Culinary Changes
The talented Nicci Tripp, whose sophisticated orchestrations of fine, seasonal ingredients helped reinforce Theo's culinary reputation for the past seven years, has left the Soquel landmark to become General Manager and Executive Chef at Vida, located at 1222 Pacific...
Weekly Addiction
Here we are again, swilling the sushi and sashimi at Kawa Sushi (corner of Mission & Bay). It's pretty hard to beat the incredible protein & wasabi hit of this menu. Service is outstanding, the tables are generously spaced, and you can actually carry on a conversation...
Recession Dining
Here's how we handle it, this winter/recession thing. Beans, rice and Italian sausages (all natural pork made by New Leaf). Add a big glass of Bonny Doon Vineyard's excellent Sangiovese, a few candles (yes, David, we still dine by candlelight every night), and...
La Nuova Posta
Katherine Stern has worked expert magic on the menu at La Posta. Since the richly resuméd chef came on board a few months ago, things have gotten very interesting at the chic Seabright dining room. Contemporary Italian cooking. Deeply burnished flavors. Uncluttered...
l’affair Gabriella
News of Gabriella's impending demise—promulgated by the owner himself—seems to have been premature. The love of a good tax attorney might be just the ticket. We'll see. But whatever the actual status of the tiny downtown dining room, a packed house last Friday...
Spice Island
Tikka Masala from Seeds of Change - is serious flavor in a jar. All the labor-intensive work of grinding, roasting, mincing, and simmering has been done for you - all you need to do is get a jar of this wonderfully aromatic simmer sauce ($6 @ New Leaf) and let its...
Winter Lunch @ Gabriella
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 @ La Posta
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...
Santa Does Gayle’s
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....
Happy Girl Heirloom Tomatoes
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...
Pastured Lamb for the Holidays
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...