Cafe Delmarette, located in downtown Santa Cruz on Pacific (next to the Delmar Theater, get it, Delmarette), is THE place to meet friends for lunch OR to take out of town friends for lunch, coffee, house made teas (such as house made caramelized pear tea), homemade scones (Bacon, chive, & cheddar Scones, Fig goat cheese Scones, Strawberry Scones etc…), sandwiches, salads, and soup.  This is an order at the counter cafe with limited indoor and outdoor seating. The casualness to the setting makes eating Delmarette’s local, tasty food quite wonderful.

Delmarette serves seasonal foods from a variety of pressed sandwiches to a great salad, daily soup special, and even a grain salad special which is always delicious too (such as Ta-Boo-Lee = Bulgur, Carrot, Red Onion, Cucumber, Cherry Tomato, Kale, Parsley & Dill).  They serve VERVE coffee, another one of my Santa Cruz favorites, and they put frozen coffee ice cubes in their Iced Coffee (see photo above)!  Their little cupcakes are delicious too – Blenheim Apricot Buttercream Frosting w/ fruit topping.  My brother says it is the only place he eats lunch in downtown Santa Cruz and I have to credit him with introducing me to it as I walked by it so often and thought it was just another coffee shop.  The atmosphere could be described as ‘cozy’ (not warm cozy like a diner or lodge in the winter, but small cozy). I would say that it is very much like a cafe you would find in Berkeley with local, homemade and seasonal foods for lunch with lots of folks strolling in and out.  You order at the counter and can sit among cool little art inside or sit outside on the street on a little patio and people watch.

CLOSED TUESDAYS

http://www.facebook.com/cafedelmarette

Their coffee is even good. You got it, not your typical diner. Seriously, my only problem with Silver Spur is, as their sign states, “Breakfast and Lunch 6am-3pm – Closed Sundays!” It is just open for breakfast and lunch and not on Sundays!  Why can’t there be a high quality restaurant with great comfort food like Silver Spur that is open for dinner too in Santa Cruz.  I mean, some evenings call for a blue plate special reminiscent of any American’s childhood favorite comfort foods (Meatloaf, Pork Chops, Mac & Cheese with a quality twist).  Yes, this is one the best, top breakfast spots in Santa Cruz and frankly, in the Bay Area.  The food is of a high quality with unique touches and an atmosphere that reminds me of great western breakfast spots from New Mexico to Montana.  The western feel and often tex-mex inspired dishes (South of the Border Scramble, Corned Beef Hash, Huevos Rancheros) are delicious, particularly with the accompaniment of their homemade salsa. Silver Spur always has specials written up on the board often featuring their yummy orange poppy-seed pancakes as a special and of course their daily muffin selection.  When you don’t think you want to the daily muffin special with your meal, get the cinnamon roll (pictured above).  Another perk, while you wait for your table (as you know, all awesome breakfast spots have a wait) you can drink the great coffee outside in the sun and read the paper.  My favorite dish is the South of the Border Scramble (has nice large pieces of avocado) and John’s is the Corned Beef Hash.  Alright, uber-critical types, find something wrong with Silver Spur besides the wait and the weight, you’ll add to your thighs.

Can you really judge a restaurant by eating there once? As a food blogger, love at first site only happens on special dining occasions, and then I often wonder if it was just lust.  Love at first site didn’t happen at Chill Out. In past dining experiences at Chill Out I must have wanted to make it more of a long term affair with substance to our relationship.  The first four times or so I felt like I had become familiar with Chill Out’s appearance and good offerings but I wasn’t in it for the long run.  This is because I hadn’t found my go-to menu item quickly enough to build a craving for the seldom times when on I’m on a diet.  So I decided to put more effort in this weekend with an invitation to join a breakfast birthday celebration at Chill Out.

I discovered two menu options and one dining note on my fifth visit to Chill Out.  What does this mean?  When you order too close to # 0-5 Breakfast Burrito options on the menu board, you are going to get an egg filled burrito that is too dry and straight up boring.  I like a lot of sauce and a kick of spice in the form of at least salsa and (sorry purists) sour cream and/or guacamole on my breakfast burrito, particularly because there isn’t meat inside like el pastor or even bacon to spice it up.  So I made my way to Burrito option #20 and bingo!  So choose wisely and patiently.  Then I walked out back to meet the already present party of eight breakfast-eater friends chilling at a huge picnic table and saw that our cousins had ordered these large plates filled with eggs, hash browns, a side of spicy cream cheese topping, and other stuff.  This was the discovery of desirable menu item #2 (not to be confused with #2 on the menu) that happened to be a breakfast burrito without the tortilla (for the gluten-free types)!  I already mentioned the other cool part of Chill Out that I discovered on this visit and it has to do with the ability for ten of us to sit together at a back picnic table with additional chairs for a huge, inexpensive brunch of friends and family (Note: it can get chilly out back on those cold Santa Cruz mornings).  Oh, the fresh squeezed orange juice is money too but grab your coffee from next door at Verve Coffee Roasters (featured in another BITF Review) cause’ it is also money and award-winning!

860 41st Ave
Santa Cruz, CA 95062

On Thursday night we had Tri-Tip, Spiced Tomato Gratin (CSA Box #22 Recipe), and a Balthazar inspired salad with Lemon Truffle Vinaigrette.  Saturday morning we woke up and realized we could make Tri-Tip Hash with the leftover Gratin and meat!  It was like stepping into a greasy spoon on a Saturday morning after a long night, knee deep at the bar, except you’re only 15 feet from a shower to wash away your hang over.

In a cast iron pan throw together the leftover potatoes and meat and cook it up until fairly browned.  Serve with eggs and toast.

I am bummed that I missed out on the Purple Onion for at least the last two years in Los Gatos.  Why did I avoid the Purple Onion Cafe in Los Gatos?  I think it was the unassuming exterior and the lack of a somewhat large and inviting sign out front (just small writing on the windows).  One time we even went to eat breakfast at Southern Kitchen across the street and there was such a huge line that we possibly, maybe thought about trying out the Purple Onion but then just decided to wait at Southern Kitchen without even walking inside to check it out.  That was stupid!  The Purple Onion reminds me of a spot you would find up in Yountville in Wine Country.  They serve some specialty products such as Lavender soda, nice quiches with mixed greens and flower petals, fresh squeezed orange juice, and crumb coffee cake.

Breakfast and lunch are served at the Purple Onion and it is open early until about 4pm everyday, but closed on Mondays.  The Purple Onion has a really fresh breakfast menu with quiche, breakfast burritos, mixed fruit with lots of great baked goods such as their crumb coffee cake.  They serve illy coffee and you get free coffee refills.  Something that I like about when you eat at the Purple Onion is that you still feel good when you leave, like you haven’t loaded up on the worst, greasiest breakfast from a diner.  This is a good quality in a breakfast/brunch spot and I like that after working out in the morning or meeting a friend for a light weekday lunch.  The atmosphere inside is also very clean with round cafe tables and you order at the counter and find a seat either inside or ouside on a side patio with places to sit with your dog.   The prices are what you would expect for the LG but you get a quality product in return and fast service without a long brunch crowd wait.

Next, to try the egg salad sandwich and lunch specials!

A high-class pop tart from Big Sur Bakery and a local artisanal jam inspired me to try this Bon Appetit Strawberry Pop Tarts recipe!  Our uncle was working on a Northern California hand-crafted artisanal food show and picked up some great jam from Blue Chair Fruit up in the East Bay and I decided it was the perfect jam for the job.

You can use any jam for this recipe from homemade marmalade to a farmer’s market local jam favorite.  We used Blue Chair Fruit, Aprium-Orange Jam.

Everybody oohhh’d and ahhhh’d over these buttery, sinful desserts.  It made sense because they were essentially a flaky, buttery sugar cookie/biscuit recipe with sugary, fruity jam inside.

You can even see the step-by-step instructions on BonAppetit.com “How to Make a Pop Tart!”

Preparation

A friend works at La Farine in the Dimond District in Oakland and suggested that I try the Morning Bun, a savory ham, Gruyere, onion  pastry with a touch of dill.  It was out of this world good.  There was a slight crunch on the outside of the buttery pastry shell with moist, savory ham and a bit of dill on the inside.  Decadent and delicious.  I have to say it is just quality and is better than Bouchon Bakery, ah crap, did I say that?

La Farine

Locations ->

Rockridge
6323 College Ave.
Oakland, CA 94618-1331
Telephone: 510-654-0338
Fax: 510-654-1025

Dimond
3411 Fruitvale Ave.
Oakland, CA 94602
Telephone: 510-531-7750

Solano/Thousand Oaks
1820 Solano Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94702
Telephone: 510-528-2208

&

Piedmont

4094 Piedmont Ave, Oakland, CA 94611-5221

Telephone: (510) 420-1777?

If you drive HWY 88 to get to Kirkwood in the winter for some skiing, stop by Tasty Maid Bakery in Pioneer, CA and pick up a warm homemade cinnamon roll for the road!   They don’t have the best coffee in the world, but their pastries are great and really old fashion, homemade style.

She also has: donuts, danish, muffins, pies, ham&cheese; Kolaches, and a famous Texas Rum Cake.  Their pies are beautiful and are about $8.

Open 7 days a week from 5am-12noon.

Tasty Maid Bakery

24140 State Highway 88
Pioneer, CA 95666

(209) 295-4100

Do you want a fast breakfast recipe?  This is a good one for when friends crash at your place and you don’t want to go to the store to buy ingredients.  A baked pancake recipe also known as a Dutch Baby.   It is similar to a pancake, but hybridized with french toast.

HOWEVER, you will need a cast iron skillet or other pan that can go into the oven.  If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, GO BUY ONE!

Sunset Magazine rocks it with some of the best recipes ever!  Do you find it hard to get rid of one Sunset Magazine or 100 Sunset Magazines?  Join the club!

Sunset Magazine Baked Sunday Pancake with Raspberry Sauce (topping optional)

• 3 tbsp. butter
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1/8 tsp. salt

Preheat the oven to 425F.  Melt butter in your skillet (oven proof frying pan).  Remove from heat.  Use your mixer to beat or whirl eggs until pale.  Beat or blend in milk, vanilla, flour, sugar, and salt.  Pour the batter into your skillet and place in the oven to bake for 15-20 minutes.  Serve immediately with syrup and powdered sugar, powdered sugar and a squeeze of lemon OR raspberry sauce.

Optional Raspberry Sauce (can use syrup or powdered sugar instead):

In a food processor blend frozen Raspberries until smooth and then strain the seeds out.  Stir in 1/4 cup Sugar to taste.

This is their special grilled cheese filled with avocado, sprouts and tomato.  They grill the sandwich with cheese and then add the other goodies.   The menu at Los Gatos Cafe is huge and it is pretty hard to choose what to order.  We liked this and it even came with a coconut chocolate chip cookie!