The new Bonny Doon Vineyard rose, a sustainable sushi restaurant and an update on the wharf spot formerly known as Carniglia’s.
IN THE PINK The newest incarnation of Randall Grahm‘s distinctive Vin Gris de Cigare pink wine has arrived on my doorstep. This 2010 vintage beauty could easily become your go-to wine of summer. The visual appeal alone of this gorgeous deep blush wine will convince your eyes. The nose (pear) and palate (geranium, wild strawberry and some fugitive limestone essence) will convince the rest of you. In addition to a large bandwidth of grenache, this alchemical creation contains a healthy dose of Rhône whites—grenache blanc and roussanne make up a full 28 percent of its varietal pedigree, adding welcome minerality to the surprisingly rich, zesty palate. At 12.8 percent alcohol and $15, this latest Bonny Doon Vineyard pink should find its way rather quickly into your refrigerator. It especially loves picholine olives and every known cheese.
SUSTAINABLE SUSHI David Graham, sushi chef of Aqua Bleu, will soon be David Graham of Geisha Sushi on the Capitola Esplanade. Graham is about to launch something quite rare and unusual: a sustainable sushi bar. Imagine tekka maki without the negative environmental impact! “We are very close to opening Geisha Sushi,” Graham told me last week. Aside from Tataki in San Francisco, there are only a handful of other cities in the country that have taken the step of showcasing responsibly sourced sushi. Graham did his homework by consulting with Casson Trenor, founder of the Santa Cruz-based FishWise and Tataki co-owner. “We are checking our sources for transparency, we’re working with FishWise and sourcing seafood that makes no negative impact on the environment,” Graham said from the midst of last-minute detail planning. Yes, but what else will be happening at Geisha? “A full-service tea house, offering mostly fair trade teas,” he told me. The area’s newest sushi emporium, and its only sushi bar with complete commitment to sustainably sourced seafood, Geisha Sushi will be located on the Capitola Esplanade location of Paradise Beach Grille.
[EDITOR’S NOTE: After posting this article, we learned that Geisha Sushi will be located in the downtown Capitola location formerly occupied by Paradise Sushi. Paradise Beach Grille is alive and well. We regret the error.]
MAKING A SPLASH Slated to open—probably at the end of the summer—on the Wharf in the space formerly known as Carniglia’s is the latest venture by savvy restaurant entrepreneurs Germaine Akin (Red Restaurant and Lounge, 515) and Martin Drobac (Riva’s). “I want to transform it into a place that I would actually enjoying dining in,” says Akin, whose first Santa Cruz eatery, The Swan/Heavenly Goose, helped kick off the Szechuan craze of the ’80s. Here’s the deal: the secret heart of Splash will be a central rotating bar and dining platform. An ocean view from every table! Stay tuned.
HOT PLATE The sensuous pan-roasted wild king salmon filet and risotto laced with favas and English peas at Avanti.
