If, like me, you’ve been shamelessly inhaling the luscious pumpkin bread from Companion Bakers all these years, you have reason to rejoice. Husband and wife team Erin and Jeremy Lampel just celebrated the opening of their new Companion Bakeshop on the site of the Westside’s former Beckmann’s Bakery. And the crowd went wild. The couple’s inventory of organic sourdough baguettes, hefty whole wheat loaves, strawberry rhubarb pies and those sinful tea breads sold out completely at the new bakery/cafe’s opening last week.
Armed with a brick Mugnaini hearth (the Cadillac of brick ovens), the Lampels specialize in Old World bread styles using very New World ingredients. “We’ve been baking Pie Ranch’s pies for three years now,” Erin told me, literally wiping flour from her forehead. And that brings me to some more good news about the inviting new bakeshop. Not only are Pie Ranch harvests used in the bakery’s creations, but several dozen containers of Pie Ranch eggs were sitting on top of the display case—right next to 2 lb. bags of whole wheat Pie Ranch flour, all for sale. “We’re using their wheat flour in our products,” Erin told me. “On weekends we’ll be making Pie Ranch quiches.” They also serve excellent coffee, thanks to a smart partnership with Manthri Srinath’s Lulu Carpenters.
Erin apprenticed at UCSC’s Farm & Garden program and won the taste buds of many organiphiles with her work at Feel Good Foods. Now she and her baker/dietician husband are busy just keeping up with demand. “The pies are really incredible,” the entire staff told me, rolling their eyes. Partnering with top local farmers, the Companion bakers are already on a roll. Stop by and welcome them to the neighborhood. And check your July issue of Sunset Magazine for mention of the bakery and coffeehouse. 2341 Mission St, Santa Cruz. 7am–2pm Tues–Fri, 8am-1pm Sat–Sun.
HOT PLATE The centerpiece of our recent Cellar Door dinner was a gorgeous whole branzino surrounded with roasted squashes and a gossamer zucchini mousse. Turns out produce from the vineyard’s biodynamic garden is showing up on the menu. I emailed Randall Grahm to find out more. “We, that is to say, brilliant farmer Dale Coke, has planted a 3.5 acreish farm for us right in the center of the San Juan site,” Graham confirmed. “Tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, melons, various herbs, etc.” The winemaker/restaurateur likes what he’s tasting. “The flavor of the produce we’re getting is pretty much off the charts.” Another reason for a trip to the Bonny Doon Vineyard facility on Ingalls Street.
Send tips about food, wine and new dining discoveries to Christina Waters at xtina@cruzio.com. Read her blog at http://christinawaters.com.
