

Entrees include fabulous meat, seafood, and pasta. Sometimes Gabriella has a roasted beet salad with arugula and cheese on the menu don’t miss this if you see it. They are made with a sweet apple gastrique and toasted nuts-on different occasions, they used macadamia and hazelnuts and both worked well. The Brussels sprouts, a house specialty, are also a first-rate bite.
#SANTA CRUZ RESTAURANTS PLUS#
The selection features housemade focaccia bread with goat cheese and roasted garlic plus other rotating components like spinach pesto or duck pate or Romesco sauce made from sweet peppers. Pan Amore is a customer favorite that’s always available. Seasoned with ingredients like chili oil and pine nuts, it’s a magnificent blend of texture and flavor. Crispy Cauliflower, a garlicky dish close to my heart, is almost always on the menu. Portions are generous, and there are many shareable items. The intimate setting is a great date spot. Since 1992, Gabriella Café has been providing downtown Santa Cruz diners with tasty dishes that showcase seasonal produce from places like Davenport’s Rodoni Farms and Watsonville’s Live Earth Farm. Don’t fill up too much, because Shadowbrook’s entrees and desserts are also delectable. The lovely Creamy Artichoke soup includes chicken stock and leeks. The Baked Brie, encased in flaky pastry and accompanied by jalapeno jelly, is another satisfying dish. A must is the Bacon-wrapped Prawns the combination of tender, grilled seafood with smokey meat and dipping sauces is hard to beat. Shadowbrook has so many tempting first courses, it’s hard to choose. The Rock Room bar/lounge features walk-in service (no reservations accepted) and its own menu with dishes like wood-fired pizza. There are seven dining rooms on different levels, including one that feels like a greenhouse.
#SANTA CRUZ RESTAURANTS FREE#
Coming from nearby? Reserve free shuttle service via the restaurant’s old-fashioned taxicab and arrive in style. It’s the ideal environment to celebrate special occasions with the family or with romantic partners and has a large, excellent wine and liqueur list. Upon arrival, take a nice winding-path walk down to the restaurant, stopping to view waterfalls, or ride the unique tram. Hope you can visit some of these restaurants soon on to the food and Bon Appetit! ShadowbrookĬapitola’s Shadowbrook Restaurant has been serving happy customers since 1947. What makes a great “bite,” anyways? Interesting question…we’d say it’s most often an appetizer or shareable small plate, but occasionally a salad or other dish rises to the occasion. They are located in Capitola, Downtown Santa Cruz, the Seabright district, Aptos, and Westside Santa Cruz. It’s impossible to talk about all the excellent bites around town, but here is a roundup of a few restaurants with some of the best bites we’ve tasted in the county.
