Gourmet For The Good The designer block party concept is taking the Westside by storm. In fact, this Saturday connoisseurs of handmade wines and foods will be able to enjoy a lively al fresco forage, thanks to the Surf City Vintners’ first Sunset at Surf City Vintners Food & Wine Fair. The July 30 benefit for Second Harvest Food Bank begins at 5:30pm and runs until 9pm in the cozy parking lot near Copious Winery and Equinox, at 427 Swift Street. The Vintners are spreading the love with this event to help raise funds for 6,000 healthy meals for youngsters in Santa Cruz County. Donations are encouraged to help the winemakers and cuisinartists meet this goal to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank.
This is a terrific chance to throw on some sunscreen and sample wines from the full spectrum of wineries, whose elixirs can be partnered with dinner items from Cellar Door, Akira Sushi, Cruz’n Gourmet, El Salchichero, Snappy Dogs, Marianne’s Ice Cream, even the sudsmeisters of Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing. Yes, you can think of this as a humungous community feast featuring local vendors, local wineries and local live music. Food and wine will be sold by each vendor, but there is no entry fee. And of course guests are encouraged to bring their own plates, utensils and wine glasses—this is the town that put the “able” into “sustainable.”
So who’s on board with this great summertime concept? The Surf City Vintners is a group of 12 boutique wineries and tasting rooms who have been busy helping to build the critical mass of excitement every weekend in the industrial regions of Ingalls and Swift Streets. Think of it as a thinking woman’s illustration of hip urban renewal. Showcasing the top wines of the Santa Cruz Mountains, the Vintners are a collection of small, family-owned and operated local businesses, where inquiring visitors can actually meet and talk with the folks who make the wines. The Surf City Vintners wineries include Bonny Doon Vineyard, Copious Winery, Equinox Champagne Cellar, Hillcrest Terrace Winery, MJA Vineyards, Odonata Wines, Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard (including Quinta Cruz), Silver Mountain, Sones Cellars, Storrs Winery and Vineyards, Trout Gulch Vineyards, Vine Hill Winery and Vino Tabi. For more information, see the group website at http://www.surfcityvintners.com.
Hot Plates The incredible summer salad of new potatoes and English peas in crème fraiche atop a mound of arugula and mint with lemon vinaigrette at Avanti….and another salad of voluptuous house-cured king salmon and Little Gem lettuces slathered in creamy dill dressing, all topped with a very fresh egg, at La Posta.
Send tips about food, wine and new dining discoveries to Christina Waters at xtina@cruzio.com. Read her blog at http://christinawaters.com.
