Carlo Espinas, chef for the soon-to-open Assembly, at the Del Mar screening of ‘Spinning Plates.’ Photo by Christina Waters.
In a scene straight from the heyday of Studio 54 openings, what looked like half of Santa Cruz waited patiently in front of the Del Mar for a turn at sampling the handiwork of Carlo Espinas, chef of the restaurant-in-progress Assembly. I took advantage of my press status to pop in for an advance look-see, grabbing a glass of excellent River Run Zinfandel from the VinoCruztable before heading up to the movie palace mezzanine for some appetizers. Espinas walked me through some of the pretty platters filled with crisp lavosh with yogurt and smoked onion, pork and Meyer lemon sliders as well as outrageous yam, goat cheese and olive tapenade baguette slices. Espinas admitted happily that Santa Cruz “has such high standards for organic and local ingredients—I'll have to catch up!” My favorite of the lovely Assembly preview foods was a skewer of pickled quail egg, roasted beet and Brussels sprout, delicately fiery with horseradish. Fellow noshers went wild over a combo of seared steak with sesame-spiced carrot. Sexy food for sure. Greeting the crowds who poured up the staircases was Assembly entrepreneuse Kendra Baker, calmly assuring me that the large-scale new dining room a few doors down from the theater would indeed be ready by “the end of February.” After the schmoozing, wine and food—something we've all missed in this town for quite a while—the crowd spilled into the main screening theater for a lively documentary about restaurants, Spinning Plates. The terrifically interactive evening was the brainchild of new Nick marketing guy, Ike Jablon, who as far as I'm concerned can just keep those ideas coming. All eyes are now firmly on the next big thing—Assembly—about to launch from the Penny Ice Creamery folks.
Further Food Documentaries: Becoming yet more famous by the day is our own former surfer David Kinch, whose Michelin-starred dream dining room Manresa is featured in a new documentary The Farmer and the Chef. The film by Michael Whelan explores the mutually productive relationships between Kinch and his eclectic menu needs and Cynthia Sandberg's Love Apple Farm in the mountains near Los Gatos. If, like me, you're a fan of just how delicious this grower-chef alliance has become, you might want to check out the world premiere of The Farmer and the Chef on March 9, as part of the CinequestFilm Festival in the San Jose Repertory Theater.
Time for Wine: At the Tenth Annual Pinot Paradise, showcasing the top pinots of the Santa Cruz Mountains. And I mean top! This tasty event involves three days of tasting, learning and meeting legendary winemakers—the men and women finessing some of our very best wines, those loaded with terroir. Day 1 is filled with winespeak and technical sessions, followed by a VIP Wine Reception from 4:30-6pm. Day 2 ($25) offers mega-sampling as well as tours through facilities of pinot noir participants including Alfaro, Bargetto, Beauregard, Big Basin, Byington, La Honda, Savannah-Chanelle, Silver Mountain,Thomas Fogarty and others. Day 3 is all about the Pinot Noir Grand Tasting from 2-5pm ($100), abundant with artisan foods, wines and silent auction. This year's Pinot Paradise—and this event truly is the big kahuna of pinot tastings in our region—happens April 11, 12 and 13 at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga. Visit the SCMWA website for details and advance tix.
Rainy Day Quickie: The turkey chili at New Leaf Markets. Always delicious, fresh and absolutely perfect for a quick winter dinner. (Or lunch, or—with an egg on top—for breakfast).
