Meaning “the tide” in Italian, La Marea in Capitola Village offers elevated artisan café fare with local organic ingredients. Opened in November, the new spot is owner Jayne Droese’s first foray into being a chef.
Raised in Los Gatos, she worked in San Francisco for 14 years before moving to Santa Cruz during the pandemic seeking a slower pace of life and more time with nature and family.
Their made-from-scratch open-faced bagel sandwiches are a flagship, exemplified by the best-selling Scandi with cold-smoked salmon, whipped organic cream cheese, house pickled onions, capers, fresh dill and lemon zest on a caraway dill bagel.
They also have Detroit pizzas (served from 11am) and pastries. An extensive and dynamic specialty coffee bar features Syllable Coffee. It’s open 9am-2pm Wednesday-Sunday with takeout and limited seating.
What inspired you to become a chef?
JAYNE DROESE: A pivotal part of my life was working in the Ferry Building in San Francisco where I was surrounded by super high-quality farmer’s market fare and high-end purveyors. I was working there in a wine capacity, but found myself spending my entire paycheck on artisan cheese, foraged mushrooms, local seafood and things like that. I became more and more interested in food, and began cooking and building my confidence. After co-owning a café in the City and learning from those chefs, I knew I had been bitten by the food bug and belonged in the kitchen.
What is La Marea’s ethos?
JD: My coffee partner, Vincent (owner of Syllable) and I wanted to create the kind of café that everyone would want in their neighborhood. First and foremost, we offer warm and genuine hospitality and a welcome atmosphere. Second, we strive to offer fresh high-quality locally sourced food in addition to specialty coffee. It’s a place people can come for many different dining experiences.
311 Capitola Avenue, Capitola, 831-854-2738; jaynedoughpizza.com
