Breakfast is a party this Saturday at the Westside market. Photo by Traci Hukill.
Pop-Up Breakfast If breakfast is so important, why isn’t it more exciting? Chef Kevin Koebel of Local FATT (Food Awareness Through Teaching) and Roland Konicke of Uncle Ro’s Pizza aim to fight weekend morning boredom this Saturday, Aug. 25, with a Pop-Up Breakfast at the Westside Farmers Market. Starting at 10am, the chefs will be collaborating with local food producers to serve up sweet and savory breakfasty goodness: salty caramel sticky buns (with Companion Bakery, flour supplied in part by Pie Ranch); wood fire-roasted wild king salmon from H&H Fish; roulades of housemade fennel-molasses sausage from MarkeGarde Grass Fed Ranch pork with scrambled eggs from Fiesta Farm, Harley chevre and wilted greens, all rolled in pizza dough and baked; poached eggs with wilted collards; house-cured bacon, fresh fruit with sparkling wine. The produce is from Route 1 Farms, Live Earth Farms, Twin Girl, New Natives, Happy Boy Farm and Everett Family Farm. The cream for the butter comes from the Jersey girls at Claravale Farm, once located on Monterey Bay south of Manresa, now in nearby San Benito County. In short, it’s a great big celebration of local food, so bring a plate and cutlery from home and join in the feast. Tickets $25 (includes tax and tip) at [email protected] or 831.454.0566.
New Life at New Leaf A few reasons those of us who shop at Felton New Leaf are lucky: Sea Level Farm strawberries and dry-farmed tomatoes, an excellent bulk spices department, knowledgeable herbalists on staff, nice employees… And now add to that list the fact that the deli section is about to become huge. Stay tuned.
Ono Food Trend Once upon a time the Aloha Outrigger Races and Polynesian Festival on the wharf sold Hawaiian food. This Sunday, Aug. 26, the closest you’ll get will be whole coconuts and genuine Hawaiian shave ice sold by Outrigger Santa Cruz as a fundraiser. Happily, there are now four places in town to get authentic island grinds. Aloha Island Grill (Portola and 17th) has Eastside charm and island specialties like slow-cooked kalua pork in large and small plate sizes. Pono Hawaiian Grill (120 Union Street) specializes in poke (marinated fish) and health-conscious adaptations of Hawaiian food. L&L Hawaiian Barbecue (7th and Eaton), a Honolulu-based chain, is the new kid in town and has been serving up plate lunches—typically consisting of two scoops of white rice, a scoop of macaroni salad and some kind of marinated grilled meat—to the curious since July. And for a sit-down affair, you can’t beat Hula’s downtown (221 Cathcart), where the poke is excellent, the atmosphere is comfortably kitschy and the prices are good.
