86889 Sun Feb 13 16:03:03 -0800 2005 15 3 California 0 479429 Two weeks ago Saturday after a great lunch at Cafe Brasil (see Pt. 1) we lolled around enjoying the view overlooking the downtown beach area and bay then went for a stroll up and down Pacific Ave. Popped into Soif Wine Bar shortly after their opening at 3pm for the Obscure Italian Reds tasting. Seven wines at $1 per taste, a deal I just couldn't pass up, being basically clueless about what Italy has to offer other than Sangiovese, Primitivo, Barbera, and aware of all the hype about (but unable to afford) the super Tuscans. One was an 01 Primitivo from Manduria, another a 01 Primitivo/Sangiovese blend from Puglia . The other five were varietals I'd never heard of: Lacrima di Morro d'Alba (from Marches), Nero d'Avola/Sangiovese (Sicilia), Sagrantino di Montefalco (Umbria), Cesanese del Piglio (Piglio) and Aglianico del Vulture (Basilicata). The price range was from around $12 to $20 (Cesanese del Piglio $48) but a 20% discount was offered on the day of the tasting (standard practice at Soif?). I thought the 01 blend Donna di Rango from Puglia (12.80 w/discount) stood well on its own and paired best with several of the cheeses. Ended up buying a bottle of Dr. Unger 02 Gruner Veltliner (@$20). I have the list of the Italian vintages, vintners, and prices if anyone is interested. The Artisan Cheese Plate (regular menu item?) consisted of the following: Le Vignelait - creamy raw cow's milk (France), we both thought excellent Saint Maure de Touraine - soft ripe goat's milk (France) - changed our mind about not liking goat cheese Petite Agour - sheep's milk (Basque) - IIRC we likened this to a good white cheddar La Chevita - aged hard goat's milk (Spain) - back to thinking we really don't like goat cheese La Memee - Bleu de Laqueuille sheep's milk (France) - not sure I got enough to review, Lady PB is not a wine drinker and I was a little late getting around to this one (must have been good). All in all, a really nice experience, total bill $19 before tax and tip, will definitely keep informed on the tasting offerings when in the area. We arrived at Oswald for our 6:30 reservation and were seated immediately. Place was packed, a fairly small dining area with a few tables upstairs in a loft looking down on the main room. Pleasant enough atmosphere even though a little cramped. We had the worst table, a two top between the entry and the stairs to the loft, the wine racks are built into the wall of the stairs so there was constant traffic from staff retrieving bottles and serving the patrons above. The entry is cramped so I ended up being brushed a couple of times when a new group was waiting to be seated. My wife started with the caulifower soup, decent enough but noted that she thought she could do better (a correct observation). I had the bowl of mussels in a sherry wine sauce with parsley foam, there were only about twelve or so small mussels (two of which didn't open) but the wine sauce was tasty and different. I had a glass of a local Pinot Noir that went well with the mussels, forgot to note the name, but it's the only one offered BTG. Our entrees were the Sea Bass with wild mushrooms and Meyer lemon relish, and the Day Boat Scallops on a potato round with Jerusalem artichokes. We had considered ordering the Wild Mushroom bruchetta a special appetizer for the evening, described by our waitress as composed of about five different mushrooms. It sounded so good which led my wife to order the sea bass. The fish was slightly over cooked (not enough to ruin it) and a very small portion. She was kind enough to share a very thin slice of mushroom sticking out from underneath but was soon sorry she did, it turned out to be the only fungi present. The lemon relish was very good but so minute with little contrast in color from the fish that she ended up getting it all in one bite of the fish. My scallops were seared perfectly and sweet tasting, I'd followed the waitress' rec for a glass of a French Sauvignon Blanc (only BTG available IIRC) which provided a nice contrast to the scallops. Again, small portion, there were only four of what we call "Digby" size, maybe slightly larger than a half-dollar, a quarter inch thick small slice of potato was the base, covered with a sauce that was supposedly of Jerusalem artichokes. There was so little I wasn't able to pick out any discernible flavor and the only texture turned out to be what seemed to be kind of stringy/bristly plant material that you'd find and remove on a regular artichoke. One other observation that others may care about more than I was the plating of the dishes. In this case small portions of white/whitish entrees/sauces presented in the center of an oversized white plate, no drizzle of sauce, oil, no sprig of greenery, nada. Wines BTG were @ $10-12 IIRC, total bill for one soup, mussels app, two entrees and two glasses of wine came to about $90 before tax and tip. All in all rather disappointing since we (or rather I) had been really looking forward to finally be able to try the place. Perhaps if we'd ordered differently it would have been better? Probably won't return unless suggestions from hounds we've learned to trust are forthcoming. Our trust in the local hounds was confirmed by our visit to Marianne's afterward, you guys nailed it this place is great! My chocoholic gal got two types of chocolate in a cup drizzed with more chocolate and caramel, so rich she questioned at one point if she could even finish it (she did). I went with a scoop of lychee and another of mango in a waffle cone, absolutely delicious, refreshing fruit flavors. Made the mistake of trying my wife's concoction about half way through, so sweet and rich it masked the remainder of my mango, lesson learned. Earlier that day we'd stopped into Shopper's Corner, another great find. Purchased some Humboldt Fog and other cheeses, another Gruner Veltliner and a bottle of Lemoncello. My search for Encore (blend of five white varietals) wasn't successful, but the owner of K Liquor was most helpful and actually called a competitor trying to help me locate some. Our friends that we'd lunched with had gone to Shadowbrook the night before (on the recommendation of a local they'd met) and were very disappointed with their meals. Too bad we hadn't been in contact earlier or could have warned them. They were staying in Seascape and went across the street to Palapas where they found the enchiladas to be some of the best they've tried. Just wondering what the consensus is on the place, in years past we always loved to stop here just for an appetizer of shrimp in a spicy broth, can't recall the name but would love to know if they still serve it. They also mentioned that Bella Roma in Capitola was highly recommended, I found an online article from Coast Weekly that gave it a good write up, any thoughts on this place? Finally, walking around downtown after dinner we saw a couple of places that looked interesting. Clouds appeared to have kind of a creative menu and Reds upstairs in the Old Santa Cruz Hotel had a couple of items listed that caught our attention (some kind of lobster roll, IIRC). Any feedback here greatly appreciated. Truly enjoyed our relaxing weekend and look forward to returning soon. Thanks again to all. Dave in Fresno Sun Feb 13 16:03:03 -0800 2005 0 PolarBear 1 479433 Great climax to your series of reports, PB! Thanks for all the details. Gosh, I wish I could respond to your queries, but have not tried any of those places. I've heard mixed things about Clouds. Supposed to be a pretty hip place for SC, but I dunno, the menu seems kinda standard American, and I could see myself having the reaction that your wife had to her soup at Oswald. They do have a running coupon in the Metro which includes a weekday 3-course dinner for two (including wine) for $34 total. A low-risk way to check it out. Will certainly report if I try any of these places since you seem very diligent about taking notes. Glad you had a chance to check out Soif. Yes, the discount is standard practice (20% off is a good deal) and the cheese plate is on the regular menu, although they may rotate the selection. Haven't tried it myself, but have seen it whizzing by and looks like a generous sampling to play off their wines. About Oswald: I'm so glad to have your notes to compare to today's San Jose Mercury review (see link). The critic was gushing about the place (more than she usually is in her reviews), opening with, "If I had a favorite restaurant, and I don't, it would be a lot like Oswald in Santa Cruz." Your report actually confirmed some of my reservations about the place--cramped space, small portions/high prices. Two out of ~12 mussels unopened? One mushroom? Four scallops? I felt hungry and ripped off for you. Makes Soif's smallish portions sound gigantic. Well, you did the best possible thing by going to Marianne's afterward since you probably had lots of room for a comforting dessert. PB, I swear I'm more enraptured by this old-fashioned ice cream parlor everyday. My hubby is the chocolate fiend while I tend to go for fruit. My faves: fresh banana, Northern Oregon blackberry, lychee, macapuno, ginger. FYI: Shopper's Corner sells quarts of the stuff for around $4 in their freezer case. My sis was staying w/ us for a few days, and she hinted at Marianne's after hearing my bro rave about it. She was so taken by it that we made a late night run the next night just before their 11pm closing. It was crowded. I'm sure the counter clerks smile smugly knowing they have hooked yet another...and another...and another. Finally, a question: What did you think of the limoncello from Shopper's? Have considered trying it myself. Link: http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/entertainment/columnists/sheila_himmel/10890047.htm Sun Feb 13 19:59:44 -0800 2005 479429 0 Carb Lover 2 479491 Thanks for the link to the SJMN article, CL. The author mentioned "reasonable prices", I guess she meant in comparison to those in the Bay area. The close quarters and even the location of our table didn't really diminish our experience that much, compared to Cafe Brasil Oswald feels kind of subdued. I should have mentioned that the service was excellent and the wine list decent if somewhat limited on BTG selections. I guess the biggest disappointment is that I really wanted to like the place. I'm still willing to give it another shot, but it'll take some ammunition from the hounds to convince my better half, she's a real quality to cost ratio kinda gal. Oh, BTW, it wasn't "one" mushroom with her sea bass, it was a single thin slice of one mushroom. RE Marianne's, while in there I was trying to remember what flavor one of you local hounds (might have been you) had mentioned previously, it was ginger. I either missed it on the menu board or possibly they don't have it all the time? Next time, as if I need an excuse to go back. ;>P We tried the lemoncello last night, four of us agreed it's way too sweet. It's Gioia Ruisa from Sorrento, comes in a hexagonal bottle. IIRC, there was another that was a little more money, but I think it was made by the same company. I have a different one that I found here but haven't tried yet. My only previous experience with it has been homemade, a friend of my wife's makes it and gave us the recipe. Hers has a much better lemon bite (Meyers lemons, I think) and much less sweet. I planning on experimenting with what's left by adding some vodka or maybe even tequila to it and stickiing it back in the freezer and see what happens. Another thing I like about the homemade is that it forms ice shavings rather than chrystals that make a really pleasant slush. Tue Feb 15 21:35:42 -0800 2005 479433 0 PolarBear 3 479495 Mmmmm...limoncello slushie. I hear the "too sweet" complaint about commercial limoncello a lot. Sounds like you already have a good recipe, but below is a link to a recipe by a poster on the HC board that I've been meaning to try. You might consider making limoncello martinis or cocktails w/ the rest of your stuff. Wish that Marianne's had a limoncello ice cream flavor; I've sampled their lemon and it's one of the few flavors I wasn't crazy about--not enough zing. I probably raved about the ginger flavor; have mentioned Marianne's so much on this board that I probably sound like a shill. Tip on Marianne's: If you are full from a meal but just want a small treat, get the jr. scoop in a cup for $1.60. I get that most of the time and find that it sates me w/o my hips ballooning. I also like the double jr. for around $2.60 which allows you to sample two flavors. Tricky part is choosing two complementary flavors...Ginger is a constant on their menu; sometimes hard to notice everything w/ their dizzying array of placards. Will try Oswald at some point I'm sure, but like your gal, I'm a quality-to-cost-ratio fiend, and hubby is even more unforgiving than me. That's why Tepa and Marianne's suit us so well, I guess. Take care. Link: http://whatscookingamerica.net/Beverage/Limoncello.htm Tue Feb 15 23:20:56 -0800 2005 479491 0 Carb Lover 4 479496 Thanks for the recipe and info links, CL. I definitely see some experimentation on the horizon. I notice it calls for 100 proof vodka, I'm a vodka martini nut but don't recall seeing this anywhere. Any idea where to get it? BTW, there was a post earlier today about Gzhelka vodka from Russia, supposedly great stuff, hmmm.... yet another search. I don't know if I could restrict myself to the Jr. portions at Marianne's, think I'd rather have a slightly lighter dinner. Tue Feb 15 23:37:04 -0800 2005 479495 0 PolarBear 5 479497 Yeah, what was I thinking about Marianne's? To expect a visitor to refrain from indulgence! Ludicrous. Suppose my strategy makes sense for someone like me who's tempted to stop in a few times a week. Wed Feb 16 00:45:20 -0800 2005 479496 0 Carb Lover 3 479500 On the value front there is no way Santa Cruz can compete with urban areas. SF has tons of competition and a demanding customer base so there are always a lot of bistro type places (both French and Modern) competing in that $15 main arena. In my experience the good places in this segment have more interesting menus that are better executed than the places in SC. I mean I can not think of one place in SC where I can go and get a simple and well prepared steak frite with a little compound butter or a pan sauce. And if I want to have something more interesting like quail or rabbit I have to get lucky on someone's specials and spend $5 more than in SF for a dish that is not as good. I tend to blame the dining public as I think there are some chefs in town with talent but I don't think the customer base of SC has the knowledge to push them to get better and is generally willing to pay them if they get to that point. We had a fantastic Italian rest. that was sold (and since closed) when the Chef left for Italy but it was never that crowded. I suspect this is why even though he returned to US he did not reopen the place. The Spanish restaurant at Almar Center had some serious problems with consistancy but when they had highs they were extremely good. A lack of business (I assume) caused the owner to switch to a very boring Asian noodle/rice shop. I also think that if the local papers did reviews that were more in depth and critical it would help the situation. Just my grumpy Tuesday night opinion as I wonder why my meatball braise (the A16 recipe from last weeks chronicle) was better than most of the Italian food in town (though Avanti does a very good meatball with a rich wine/mushroom/tomato sauce served with buttered pappardelle). I mean I am not a professional, I've never been to Italy, I don't have an Italian grandmother and I never even got a swedish meatball recipe from my Swedish Grandmother... Nathan Wed Feb 16 01:25:44 -0800 2005 479491 0 Nathan P. 1 479439 Great post, Dave. Its always nice to hear back from people after they ask for recomendation; even if some of the reports are negative:) In order of your post: Soif: A great deal: how can you go wrong with a sample of wines for the cost of a fairly meager glass of wine these days. It is only more recently that they opened the kithen for snacks during the tasting which makes this a nice afternoon stop. Yeah the 20% discount is standard on tasting day (and they seem to sell out on some things) but they will give a standard 10% on cases. How was the Vulture? I really wanted to taste this based on their description but could not get down there. They are big fans of the Dr. Unger wines and I have been impressed with the few I have sampled. YOu should also check out Avanti the next time in town as they also do a nice cheese program. Oswalds: I am quite surprised at how unhappy you were with your experience. This has been the #1 restaurant in town with the few internet food geeks I know plus everyone else I know in town with reasonable food knowledge. Can't argue with unopened mussels which is inexcusable in a small app portion at a restaurant trying to be the best in town. It has been about a year since I ate there but I will post back my impressions the next time I go. Oh, and a good thing you did not try Gabriellas which is insanely crowded compared to Oswalds! Shoppers is even better when you become a regular! And for cheese fans I overheard that they are picking up Cowgirl Creamery. Here is a Bella Roma review: http://www.metroactive.com/papers/cruz/11.22.00/dining-0047.html I have not eaten there and have stayed away because the menu is the type of California Italian food that I really dislike. If you are not offeded by too many ingredients in a dish and a heavy hand with cream it might be worth a try. Right now I vote Sestri for Italian though there are still a few nice options at Avanti which is a mix of California and Italian cuisine Clouds is mediocre (the pot roast is ok). The cooks are not horrible but the menu is overwrought IMO and too much $$ for what you get. I'd rather eat at Soif, Gabriella, or even Palomar for that matter. I have not tried REds- it is an interesting and cheap menu posted but I can't tell if the place is a bar or a restaurant. Nathan Sun Feb 13 22:57:22 -0800 2005 479429 0 Nathan P. 2 479447 Nathan, do you think that Oswald may excel more at meat than seafood? Noticed that PB's experience was heavy on the seafood. The duck breast w/ pomegranate sauce from the Mercury News article sounded good, and the photo of the red snapper had me salivating. I need to check this place out for myself one day. While I'm assuming that Palomar is no Tepa or El Alteno, what do you rec there when I don't feel like schlepping to W-ville? Also, any thoughts on Kelly's French Bakery on the westside? Hubby went for lunch recently and had a croque monsier which he said was good. How does it compare to Gayle's or the Buttery? Thanks. Mon Feb 14 12:18:32 -0800 2005 479439 0 Carb Lover 3 479453 Even a kitchen that is better at some things should not put out food that makes someone as dissapointed as Polar Bears' report. A bad day? Chef out of the kitchen? I would still go as one bad report does not trump my past positive experiences. I am trying to remember what I had last time and the only thing I recall is they did a good job with sweetbreads which take a bit of skill and I would not try at many places in town. Palomar has a nice room- be aware that there are frequently long waits (~45 min) for a table but that tends to be more of an issue on summer weekends. Good salsa, chips are as bad as you can possibly find, the posole is pretty good- they leave the pork on the bone which is good, homemade tortillas, the chile verde is decent except for long pieces of scallion which get a bet slimy when slow cooked. Be prepared for lots or raw cabbage, they have an interesting version of a sope using a hollow puffed shell instead of a thick masa disk. Obviously not a rave review but I do eat there and tend to enjoy it- portions are huge so I usualy get a free lunch out of it. The other mexican place I have been going to is EL Chino which is in Live Oak across from the drive inn. This place reminds me of the kind of California Mexican restaurant that I grew up on in CA. Lots of enchilada plates, rellenos, chile colorado/verde. They have a few mexican things carnitas, caldo de res, weekend menudo. Everthing is coated in a red chile sauce with melted cheese but it is a decent red sauce and has some major nostalgia value for me. Very much a quiet family place with a very quiet Live Oak vibe which is very different than the downtown scene. (The palomar has a busy bar in the back). And how can you go wrong with carnitas enchiladas?? I never go to Kellys to eat- I guess I can't transport myself to a european cafe dining mentality while sitting in a parking lot in the industrial section of the WS. Perhaps a lack of imagination on my part as it seems to be very popular. I do use them as an emergency dessert pick up though- I tend to buy their bread but I get it at the store. In the summer you could stop buy the New Leaf which on a good day has the best produce in a store. They also have some good asian ingredients- fresh galangal and turmerik root last week. As a side benefit you can see the Boony Dune wine mfg facility which is next to the bakery. Nathan Mon Feb 14 14:14:58 -0800 2005 479447 0 Nathan P. 2 479492 The 2002 Cantina del Notaio "Aglianico del Vulture" from Basilicata (reg. price $24) was a decent wine, a little minerally quality to it and a little smokey taste. Seemed like it would go well pasta and red sauce, ribs or steak. We had a wine tasting at Bailey-Cannon here in town last Fri. evening and a good pal supplemented the five they were pouring with a Brunello and a Barolo (sorry, didn't catch the vintners or years), both quite expensive. None of us cared for the Brunello and the Barolo was just OK. I'd have been happier with some CA zin, syrah or cab at a third to a half the price. I mentioned in my response to Carb Lover that the close quarters and table location were minor distractions. I would like to revisit, especially now that you've mentioned sweetbreads. Are they the kind with the crispy edges? I'll have to come up with something else to entice my wife however, possibly the duck. I found a note in my files about Scopazzi's in Boulder Creek for sweetbreads, have you tried them or know anything about the place? I'm married to an Italian family, so like you, very particular when going out. Does Gabriella's meet your standards? Crowds and noise be damned if the food's good. Also, thanks for the recs on Avanti and Sestri, I see other hounds are echoing those options. Cheers, Dave Tue Feb 15 22:02:23 -0800 2005 479439 0 PolarBear 3 479498 Thanks for the wine report. I am a fairly casual wine drinker but I do enjoy trying more obscure varietals and I seem to find that I enjoy quirkier wines so this sounds like something worth a try. I will tell you that Gabriella makes Oswald look spacious. You should probably walk past the restaurant and take a peek before you book a table. I have not eaten there in a while but IIRC I thought the cooking was not as good as at some other places. (not bad cooking, just not as good as some of the other 'high end' places) More importantly the menu just does not resonate with me. They have a web site with an outdated menu but I think it is representative of their style. I tried to search and see if I posted on my 1 year ago visit to Oswald. I recall that the sweetbreads were cooked well, not really crisp but decent outside texture, tender and sweet with no off flavors. The other thing I recall from the meal is a bed of oyster mushrooms and a pomegranite reduction. I can't recall if that was under the sweetbreads or some other dish. Sorry I don't know Scopazzi's- Boulder Creek just seems to far to drive for dinner. Do I remember correctly that you are an ex SC resident? Do you know El Paisanos on beach across from the Boardwalk? Nathan Link: http://www.gabriellacafe.com/menus.html# Wed Feb 16 00:49:53 -0800 2005 479492 0 Nathan P. 1 479455 I don't eat out much in Santa Cruz: I live in Watsonville and sell (produce from my farm) to restaurants in San Francisco, so I pretty much just drive through Santa Cruz these days. BUT I have three friends with trusted palettes (sp?) who love Avanti on the westside. We don't sell here so I have no vested interest. Those that can afford it also love Oswald. Avanti (perhaps Oswald too) is great at purchasing/sourcing food from local farms and ranches, and the quality is reflected on the plate. Chowhounders: please let us know your opinions on this.... thanks cg Mon Feb 14 14:56:53 -0800 2005 479429 0 chard girl 2 479468 I have yet to try Avanti or Oswald, but will surely report back when I do. Since I'm assuming you have pretty high standards for produce and ingredients when you dine out, any recs in W-ville that don't get much mention on this board? Any word on the new Indian place on E. Lake (sorry, can't remember name)? Thanks for any info. Mon Feb 14 18:38:12 -0800 2005 479455 0 Carb Lover 3 479469 Thanks for asking: I went to Lil India (unfortunate name, in my opinion) and we took the Friday night buffet option. I'm told they also do a buffet during weekday lunches. I was very very impressed with the food. I know next to nothing about Indian food, but I liked what I tasted, and so did my dining partners. Then at about 8pm my 8 year old daughter's eyes about popped out of her head when the BELLY DANCER with shimmery everything exploded into the restaurant. It was a fun evening with great food. I can't remember the names of the dishes, when I go again (this is not an if) I'll try to remember to take notes! as for restaurants sourcing food from farms/ranches I don't know of a single place in Watsonville. For taqueria action we love to go to Taqueria Mi Tierra (number one, only!) on Freedom Blvd. (they have a new 'number 2' supposedly run by #1's owners' son, and it did not impress me). I like the shrimp cocktail, the enchiladas, siete mares, and many other basic taco-ey kinds of things. Also the Korean food at the Japanese place at Main and Green Valley called Imura and Miyuki on East Lake for down home sushi and other Japanese food. Take a look at the clientele, enough said. Someday I'll start a 'where to eat in Watsonville' page on my website, stay tuned.... (Yes, I also like Tepa E. S.: I was Jorge Jr.'s afternoon kinder teacher in 1994!) cg Mon Feb 14 18:47:44 -0800 2005 479468 0 chardgirl 4 479482 Thanks for your recs. Have never heard of Imura, let alone would guess that they offer Korean food. I'll encourage you to start your "where to eat..." list on CH soon, or at least give us a link to your website when you do get that info up... Glad to hear your first-hand experience at Lil India (not the best name, indeed). Found a review from the SC Sentinel (linked below) that gives more info about their buffet items. Very excited about Northern Indian food w/in a short drive of SC. I've heard consistently bad things about Royal Taj, the ONLY Indian gig in town. Pretty cool that the owners of Lil India have another branch in Bombay. Will def. check it out soon which means that I'll have to resist going to Tepa when I'm in town. Link: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/archive/2004/December/23/style/stories/02style.htm Tue Feb 15 13:52:13 -0800 2005 479469 0 Carb Lover