Opened two months ago on 41st Avenue near the Capitola Mall, Blue Lava Café serves American and French-inspired breakfast/lunch amidst a quaintly ocean-themed ambiance. The kitchen is led by head chef Adan Hernandez, whose mom taught him to cook from a young age so he has been feeding himself and others since childhood, further improving and honing his craft by utilizing the internet.
He eventually moved to Santa Cruz for school and work, ultimately choosing a culinary path. A freelancing chef since his previous restaurant closed during Covid, he saw an ad online for the position at Blue Lava, applied and was hired by Oumm, the owner.
The menu’s recipes collaborate Hernandez’s American food skillset with the French expertise of John, the other cook in the kitchen. Hernandez says the best breakfasts are eggs Benedict in multiple styles over fresh made-to-order crepes alongside home fries, a classic two-egg combo breakfast and build-your-own breakfast sandwiches on croissant.
Lunch favorites are sandwiches like the B.L.T. with avocado and the chicken pesto, as well as a loaded chicken cobb salad. Desserts deal the crepes too, headlined by the banana Nutella and mixed berry with fresh custard, with beverage options being local coffee, fresh juice and tea.
What did you learn from your mom?
ADAN HERNANDEZ: Some of my earliest memories from childhood cooking with her include her always saying, “Recipes can guide you, but you always have to cook with your heart.” To this day, I still hear her words and put love into all the food I cook. And when I was a kid, we would also barbecue a lot, so I really developed a taste for the grill and now when I cook on one, I really char the passion into my food.
What differentiates Blue Lava Café?
I want to create a new and unique eating experience here in Capitola, providing fresh local ingredients to the customers. Although other restaurants have similar dishes to us, they often source from big corporations which makes the food lower quality and all of it taste the same as everywhere else. And, this isn’t supporting our local farmers. We source most of our ingredients from the local farmer’s market to support our community, and you really will be able to taste the difference in our food.
2121 41st Avenue Suite 107, Capitola, 831-854-2098; bluelavacafe.com
