.Cafe Iveta Offers Cozy, Quiet Seating Indoors and Out

Few places on the Westside create such an oasis for meeting friends as Cafe Iveta on Delaware Avenue. Always welcoming, Iveta has stayed open throughout the pandemic with a menu of incredible scones, salads and sandwiches, as well as espresso drinks. 

Indoor seating is available again, though we’ve become addicted to the cozy patio nooks. Couches with low tables on one side, and even more seating—under umbrellas—on the other front terrace. We go just about every week for a picnic lunch of turkey and havarti sandwich (with tomatoes and lettuce), joined by a bag of Kettle chips and a warm-from-the-oven Cowboy Cookie. The cookie has it all, large chunks of semi-sweet chocolate, coconut, oats and pecans enfolded in buttery dough ($2.50) All together it runs $16, plus a hefty tip. 

I’ve recently joined twice-vaxxed friends for Iveta’s coffee and those cheesecake berry tarts that would force even Marie Osmond off her Nutrisystem diet. There’s always some irresistible fresh cake poised in the showcase, ready to be sliced to order. 

The secret weapon of Iveta, in addition to the tasty salads and breakfasts, is the variety of seating. Upstairs where you can hang out over your laptop or book group. Feels like a hidden world, cozy and quiet. Downstairs for quick dining, and outside for everything (your canine companion is welcome). Coffee, breakfast, lunch. There’s a huge feeling of welcome at Iveta. We are among the many Westsiders who consider Iveta the go-to meeting place. Even Attila the Hun (can I say that?) would feel at home here. 

Cafe Iveta, 2125 Delaware Ave., Santa Cruz. Open daily 8am-3pm. iveta.com.

Barceloneta is offering a special to-go Mother’s Day Brunch for two-to-four people filled with variety, from blueberry scones, strawberries and Meyer lemon curd, to frittatas and farmers market veggies with dips. With the brunch package comes much-loved Barceloneta specialties like Jamón Serrano and Manchego cheese, pickled peppers, olives and mini breadsticks. With all this comes 1/4 pound of Verve coffee beans, a pint of fresh-squeezed orange juice and a bottle of organic Brut Cava ($160). Pick up Saturday, May 8, from 3-5pm, then set the table on Sunday, poach some eggs and treat Mom and family to a deluxe spread of Barceloneta flavors. 

Please note! The downtown restaurant is prepping to reopen for indoor and outdoor lunch and dinner and will be closed to the public for the next few weeks. Returning soon! I can’t wait to get back inside that colorful dining room and sip one of the compelling house cocktails. 

Barceloneta, 1541 Pacific Ave., Suite B, Santa Cruz. eatbarceloneta.square.site.

Food Trucks A Go Go just launched its 2021 Food Truck Friday series at Skypark from 5-8pm on Fridays. Participating food trucks include Pana, Taquizas Gabriel, Nomad Momo and Aunt Lali’s. And of course there’s a convenient beer and wine garden, plus live music. 

Don’t worry, Taco Tuesday relaunches itself on May 11, 5-8pm, at Skypark. Truck on up to Scotts Valley for sexy flavors in the open air: 361 Kings Village Road, Scotts Valley.

One-Stop Shopping at Chaminade 

Celebrate May Day at an artisanal market on Chaminade’s Courtyard Terrace, from 10am to 3pm on May 1. Purchase craft beer, wine and appetizers to enjoy as you check out luscious and varied handcrafted items at the spring marketplace. 

Chaminade Resort and Spa, 1 Chaminade Lane, Santa Cruz. chaminade.com.

More Openings! 

In Capitola, East End Gastropub is now open for lunch noon-4pm Tuesday-Friday and for dinner 4-8pm Tuesday-Thursday, as well as Sunday. Brunch happens on Sunday 10am-3pm. And yes, that’s both indoors as well as outdoors on the covered patio. 

East End Gastropub, 1501 41st Ave., Capitola. 831-475-8010, eastendpub.com.