An industry veteran since 1999, when she began serving during college, Stacy Levesque says what initially hooked her on restaurant work was bringing joy to her guests by providing an experience that garnered positive, immediate and gracious feedback.
Now part of a well-established management team at Ideal Bar & Grill, she started there 14 years ago after moving to Santa Cruz to be near her father. She defines Ideal’s coastal-maxed ambiance as open, sunny, welcoming and casual, with Santa Cruz-centric décor and an outside-in feel “that’s like having a beach inside the restaurant.”
Levesque says the menu is centered on seafood staples and California cuisine, serving three square meals complemented by a full bar.
Highlighted breakfasts include traditional eggs Benedict, fresh and hearty build-your-own breakfast burritos and classic French toast.
The headlining lunch favorites are the signature New England-style clam chowder in a bread bowl and the crowd-pleasing Maine lobster roll on a toasted French baguette with arugula, herbed mayonnaise and French fries on the side.
Popular dinner picks are pastas like the massively portioned chicken parm with a zippy marinara sauce, melted mozzarella and pesto aioli, as well as the Steak Santa Cruz, a chargrilled New York strip topped with sautéed prawns, capers, artichoke hearts and garlic.
The do-not-miss dessert is the Mile High Mud Pie, a layered Neapolitan-style ice cream cake with an Oreo crust.
What makes Ideal’s location ideal?
STACY LEVESQUE: It is a staple memory place for a lot of people vacationing here and is now becoming multigenerational. Everybody has a story; often, it involves our restaurant. I feel like it’s about being a part of the beach community. So much of Santa Cruz culture is about tourists and the ocean, and it is a privilege to work here and be a part of helping to create those special memories.
Tell me more about the management team.
I am actually the shortest-tenured full-time manager here at 14 years. Between the five of us, we have almost 100 years of combined management experience at Ideal, which reflects great ownership behind the scenes. Having such continuity really sets our business up for success, helping us stay true to who we are historically while also keeping things novel with new trends, menu items and employees.
106 Beach St., Santa Cruz. 831-423-5271; idealbarandgrill.com.
