Geoffrey Hargrave always wanted to one day open his own restaurant, but says that dream went on the backburner while he took an academic detour to get a degree in anthropology and history. But ultimately, he decided to follow his heart and pivot back to the industry. He moved to Lake Tahoe and began cooking professionally before being approached by Quinn, a friend from college who was from Santa Cruz. She told him about a property coming up for lease here and a chance to make his dream of restaurant ownership a reality with her. Seizing the opportunity, they opened East End Gastropub ten years ago.
Hargrave describes it as a true neighborhood establishment offering well-crafted culturally diverse comfort food, served amidst a crisp, light and bright minimalist ambiance. He says the rockstar appetizer is the Thai-style salt and pepper shrimp and also highlights the barbequed carrots, a humble ingredient elevated with good depth and “a lot under the hood.” Entrée signatures include the fried chicken and croissant waffle paired with hot honey sauce and togarashi slaw, drunken clams with mezcal and bacon, and a white sauce pizza with Italian cheese blend, crushed pistachios and pistachio oil. The current dessert option is blueberry tiramisu.
What inspires you about the industry?
GEOFFREY HARGRAVE: I was initially attracted to the raw and visceral nature of a kitchen after having fallen in love with cooking as a child. As a diner throughout my life, I was intrigued by the machinations of a restaurant and what was going on behind the curtain. Now that I am behind the scenes, it is pretty much what I thought—wild, but also very rewarding to create order amongst the chaos.
Explain the East End ethos.
We survive primarily through local neighborhood support. Our current front-of-house manager, Amy, needs to be credited with creating and continuing to provide a welcoming, comfortable and inviting space. It’s not just about the food here, it’s also about what I define as “hostmanship,” which to us means greeting guests warmly and really getting to know them personally. Consistency is the hardest thing to achieve in the restaurant industry.
1501 41st Ave., Capitola, 831-475-8010; eastendpub.com
The open hours are really restricted but at least parking is easy at that location.