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The Picnic Basket: Santa Cruz

Thursday, October 13th, 2011

If you think all there is to Santa Cruz is the beach boardwalk, you’re wrong, branch out. Actually the boardwalk is not a first choice for a spot to spend the day down in Santa Cruz. Of course, unless you have folks visiting from out of town who have kids. It is always fun to take the kids on the Big Dipper roller coaster or to walk out on the wharf and hear the barking animals below. Having just made that statement, let me contradict myself by telling you to check our three favorite Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk foods post! AND, check out The Picnic Basket, a new place to grab lunch down at the Boardwalk for keepin’ it classy. It caught my eye this summer when we took our niece to get a homemade corn dog and to get jerked around for awhile on the rickety coaster. The Picnic Basket doesn’t look like it belongs down by wharf area because it is quite tasteful looking in a retro beach kind of way, but not diner style-retro over the top. It is owned by Penny Ice Creamery which is a great sign. So one afternoon we finally got to stop in and get a great local El Salchichero hot dog with Farmhouse Kulture Kraut and a Santa Cruz Mountain Brew (check out their facebook page for $1 off coupon until 11/1/11 https://www.facebook.com/thepicnicbasketsc) or a Verve coffee. They have a rotating selection from Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing, Santa Cruz Aleworks, Uncommon Brewers, Boulder Creek Brewing Company, Corallitos Brewing Company, Seabright Brewery, and Sante Adairius Rustic Ales (yes, all in Santa Cruz County!). They let us have a taste of the local wine they serve and of course as we were quickly sipping, a train went by outside, nice touch. You can still get Penny’s Ice Cream with a choice of about 9 flavors in the case. I love all of the local foods and drinks you can get at the Picnic Basket, seriously check out their tasty menu online and their fun coupon deals from FB. PB is a healthy and tasty alternative, see their salad choices too. We are glad to have them around!

Kids, tell your parents you will let them go to The Picnic Basket if they take you to the Boardwalk. It just might work!

The Picnic Basket tag-line says it all: Local • Artisan Food • Drinks • Coffee • Ice Cream

125 Beach Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Mon – Sun:

7:00 am

12:00 am

Posted in Eating Out, Santa Cruz | No Comments »
Tags: Beach Boardwalk, Ice Cream, Lunch, Picnic Basket, santa cruz

Bakesale Betty in Oakland & Cole Slaw Recipe

Thursday, August 4th, 2011

Bakesale Betty, finally we’ve met! We must be the only ones who hadn’t been to the infamous Bakesale Betty in Oakland. You order at the counter. Get a Chicken Sandwich or Salad, a lemon smoothie, and chocolate chip or molasses cookies! Then you grab an ironing board out front and sit on a stool to chow down! Their slaw is great. Our friend Michele told us that their slaw recipe had been published online and we found it! Check out the photographs above to see just how fine you need to chop the slaw ingredients. You can even watch a video on how to make the Cole Slaw.

Bakesale Betty’s Cole Slaw Recipe

For the vinaigrette: Combine mustard, vinegar and salt in a bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil until well blended.

For the coleslaw: Macerate onions in red wine vinegar, and let sit at least 20 minutes. Remove onions and discard vinegar. Toss onions with jalapeno, parsley, cabbage and salt. Toss with vinaigrette until evenly coated.

Bakesale Betty

Tuesday-Thursday
11:00 AM-2:00 PM
Friday-Saturday
7:00AM-2:00PM
Closed Sundays and Mondays.

5098 Telegraph Ave, Oakland.

We’re at the SE corner of Telegraph and 51st in Oakland’s Temescal neighborhood.

510.985.1213

Posted in Eating Out, Oakland | 1 Response »
Tags: Bakesale Betty, Fried Chicken, Lunch, Oakland, Slaw

Cafe Delmarette • Santa Cruz

Thursday, July 28th, 2011

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

Mon:	9:00 am	-	6:00 pm
Wed – Sat:	9:00 am	-	7:00 pm
Sun:	9:00 am	-	6:00

http://www.facebook.com/cafedelmarette

Cafe Delmarette

1126 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Posted in Eating Out, Santa Cruz | No Comments »
Tags: Breakfast, Cafe Delmarette, coffee, Lunch, santa cruz

Ladies’ who Lunch? The Restaurant at Wente Vineyards, Livermore, CA: SF Bay Area Day Trip

Friday, May 27th, 2011

Do you need to pretend you are among the ladies who lunch, even though you have to head out on the one day of the weekend that you don’t actually have to work? This is California right … everyone works. The Restaurant at Wente Vineyards is your spot for a ladies who lunch outing. Wente is also a good place for dates with your honey, hubby, or daddy too (we saw all of the above). The complimentary lunch valet also makes you feel like your out-for-lunch, aka on vaca. You even get to head out of town a bit for a nice drive in the country to get there, a true San Francisco Bay Area Day Trip for sure, without having to go all the way to Napa or Paso Robles. It is about a 45 minute drive from Mountain View and from Oakland to get out to Livermore, CA. As you get closer to Livermore you will find fruit stands along the road. We bought cherries along the way and had a cherry spitting contest, FYI, not at Wente (don’t get yourself kicked out).

Wineries around Livermore, CA (45 minutes from Mt. View, CA & from Oakland, CA)
Lunch @ The Restaurant at Wente Vineyards

We liked snacking on: Cayenne Spiced Roasted Nuts, Maple, Garden Herbs & Warmed Nicolau Farms Goat Cheese, Herbed Bread Crumbs.

We liked sipping on: SEASONAL COCKTAILS such as the Lavender Martini and local wines at Wente.

YELP review for Livermore Valley Wine Country

Posted in Around California, Eating Out, Out of Town, SF Bay Area Day Trips, South Bay - Silicon Valley | 1 Response »
Tags: CA, Eating Out, Livermore, Lunch, SF Bay Area Day Trip, Wente, Wine

For Sure, Breakfast @ Silver Spur: Santa Cruz

Thursday, March 10th, 2011

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.

Posted in Eating Out, Santa Cruz | No Comments »
Tags: Breakfast, Eating Out, Lunch, santa cruz, Silver Spur

Eating Out: Purple Onion in Los Gatos

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

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.

Click to continue »

Posted in Eating Out, South Bay - Silicon Valley | 1 Response »
Tags: Breakfast, Cafe, Eating Out, Los Gatos, Lunch, Purple Onion

Get the Farofa Outta Here: Café Brasil, Santa Cruz

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

If you’ve always wanted to go to Brazil, but don’t have the funds to fly to South America, Café Brasil is the next best thing. With its brightly colored façade, banana tree, palm trees, and coterie of Brazilian expats cooking and serving the food, one can easily imagine one’s self south of the equator. In fact, our friends Daniel (from the state of Bahia) and Gisele (from the state of Sao Paulo) bring their mothers here for the Feijoada. The in-laws then proceed to argue over the use of Farofa, as its application varies wildly over the country. There is one thing that the mothers do agree on, which is the quality of the Feijoada. Both say it is almost as good as what they make at home.

Café Brasil is only open from 8am-3pm, so it only serves breakfast and lunch. Although, if you get the Feijoada Completa, you might only need one meal. The Feijoada is a heavy, slow-cooked stew that’s filled with black beans, beef and two types of sausage. It becomes “completa” when you get rice, greens, chopped tomatoes and plantains served on the side. You can then decide what your favorite mix of ingredients is and whether or not you’re a fan of Farofa.

Since Café Brasil is so close to UCSC, you can expect a wait if you arrive around brunch-time on weekends. Luckily, you can grab a cup of coffee to enjoy while waiting. If you’re not into waiting, you can order your meal online and take it over to the ocean for a spectacular picnic.

http://www.cafebrasil.us/