What do you get when you combine one of Santa Cruz’s best-kept culinary secrets with an international award-winning pizzamaker? And you throw in arcade games, pinball machines, live music, milkshakes, beer, wine, and a bonus restaurant?
You get one of the more interesting epicurean concepts in a long time in The Cruz Room (1520 Mission St., Santa Cruz), which soft-opened April 24 in the former Burger.
Cruz Room creator Matisse Selman also directs Extra Kitchen, aka the semi-secret shared prep spaces that make it possible for dozens of local purveyors like Kitchen Witch Bone Brother, Sushi Now Miso Soups and Pure Heart Chocolates to craft their goods for the people. (And whose goodies could start appearing at TCR.)
Selman wanted to conjure something fun and different, borrowing inspiration from his favorite hangout as a Surf City youngster, the now departed Caffe Pergolesi, and found a first-class foundational piece in Sleight of Hand Pizza.
Sleight of Hand, the work of pizzaiolo Justin Wadstein and Liza Corona-Wadstein, has long repped Santa Cruz pizza on the grandest stages, collecting 14 world pizza championships and generally wowing special events and pop-up audiences like those at Humble Sea’s Swift Street location every Monday.
But until now, SOH didn’t have its own place to call home, so that would be a breakthrough on its own. Better yet, it comes complemented by a strong calendar of live performances on the in-room stage, local art, trivia nights and a bank of free arcade and pinball options curated by Selman, who’s also on the hunt for a second restaurant.
“Who’s next?” he asks on Instagram. “Which chef or local food company is going to join us in the Cruz Room? Still looking for a strong company to take over the main kitchen, and another great concept for coffee, ice cream, or desserts up front. Spread the word!”
My colleague and all-around flavor hound Grace St. Clair (@bigbitesc on IG) stopped by this weekend and reports the thin-crust pizza remains some of the best in the game, from the spicy sweet Bees Knees to the Truffle Formaggi to the That’s My Jam with salted watermelon jam, stracciatella, sliced serranos, mozzarella, fresh mint and cotija.
“And just like that, another pizza spot is born!” she says. “Energy is high!”
Hours are 5-11pm daily except Tuesdays. More via @cruzroom831 on IG.
Downtown upgrade
Gran Gelato Caffè (525 Cedar St., Santa Cruz) now offers a dozen flavors of house-made Italian gelato honoring its name—including mouthwatering creations like black cherry panna cotta, Nutella and orange marzipan. Flavor ambassadors Sandro and Luciana Costanza also direct Pizzeria La Bufala in Abbott Square Market, so there’s proven experience in place. On top of sweeter treats, they also do pizza by the slice or pie, panini, salads, pastries, espresso and Italian coffee drinks. St. Clair—the supermom and her taste buds are on the move—reports the prices are fair and the experience tops ice cream. “How lucky are we to have a great gelato spot,” she says. “The texture is so velvety and the flavors really come through.” More @gran_gelato_caffe on Instagram.
Snack packs
I love this: Cowboy Bar & Grill in the Felton Guild (5447 Highway 9) hosts a Baked Bean Social & Secondhand Market featuring household goods and accessories, clothing, books, jewelry, and garden stuff, plus barbecue chicken ‘n’ beans for $8 a plate Saturday, May 2, 11am–5pm for the sale, noon–3pm on the food, feltoncowboy.com…The Chardonnay continues its thematic sailing adventures May 3 with an early Cinco de Mayo float featuring taquitos, street corn, fresh guacamole, salsas, chips and two included drink tickets for $100/adult, $60/kid, chardonnay.com…The best named cafe in the land, Ugly Mug Coffee House (4640 Soquel Drive, Soquel), hosts singer-songwriters Rags Rosenberg and Ginny Mitchell 7-9pm Thursday, May 9, cafeugly.com…Speaking of the ongoing pizza boom—with a side dish of music—Fawn Pizza & Vinyl Bar (783 Rio Del Mar Blvd., Aptos) is now open 4-8pm Wednesday-Sunday, spinning dough and records, fawnpizza.com…Yogi Berra, swing for the fences: “You better cut the pizza in four pieces because I’m not hungry enough to eat six.”
