Super Meat Boy Butcher Chris LaVeque—posing above with his lipstick-red vintage saw—and crew are putting the finishing touches on the gleaming interior of El Salchichero, slated to burst forth with handcrafted charcuterie next Friday, Feb. 11. Vowing to cater to “all your meat needs,” sausage maestro LaVeque revealed his starting line-up. “Fresh and smoked sausages, all seasonal. Soppressata, bresaola, prosciutto, coppacolla, saucisson sec,” LaVeque intoned without taking a breath. “Pancetta, ham, and I’m working on some maple syrup-and-bourbon-cured bacon right now.” LaVeque has a local source for lamb and goat, his beef comes from N-Bar-A Ranch, “less than a mile away,” and the rabbits are from Devil’s Gulch. Mmm: rabbit rillettes. Look for housemade condiments and pickled specialties too. Only a few more days…
All-New Improved Really Big Staff of Life A week before the start of the Big Move, I took a behind-the-scenes tour of the new Staff of Life with co-owner Gary Bascou, who along with Richard Josephson founded the pioneering natural foods market 40 years ago. The sprawling new facility, replete with a spacious patio, is more than 5,000 square feet bigger and 125 parking spaces more accessible than the old Water Street landmark. The eco-friendly design by innovative grocery guru John Sutti has already won a Santa Cruz Green Award. “All the skylights function to help recycle energy,” Bascou explained. “The store is its own ecosystem—everything feeds everything.” Additionally, Bascou & Co. have planted fruit trees and an herb garden out front and will have an outdoor produce market, fresh flowers by Flower Shack and espresso and juice bar under the awning. Bascou also plans to add an antique 1947 International tractor for that authentic farm touch. More choice stats: The produce department will be double the size of the old store’s, the bulk goods department will expand and vitamins and cosmetics will have its own quadrant of the galaxy. The fish and meat area now lines one entire wall of the building. “When people think of fresh fish, I want them to think of Staff of Life,” Bascou grinned. Given the long and close relationship between the store and local fishing fleets, that’s probably a done deal. Congratulations to Bascou and Josephson, who took a huge risk in a tight economy. See you there on Feb. 15. . . .
…And More Over the arugula at Shoppers Corner I ran into Sarah Knight, a longtime employee of Ristorante Avanti who is now manager at La Posta. Meanwhile, Sarah’s husband, chef Ben Sims, continues to create popular seasonal cuisine at Avanti. Imagine having insider access to those two kitchens!
Send tips about food, wine and your latest dining discoveries to Christina Waters at xtina@cruzio.com. Read her blog at http://christinawaters.com.
