Like the food he proudly serves at Emerald Mallard, chef/owner Lance Ebert’s culinary career is made from scratch with passion, discipline and unmitigated grind. He has cooked his whole life, learning on every job and methodically working his way through the ranks.
After moving to the Santa Cruz area 10 years ago, he aspired to open his own restaurant, desiring a close-knit, community-oriented spot with an abundance of local proteins and produce. That manifested less than a year ago with Emerald Mallard, a pop-up turned permanent in the former Cremer House in downtown Felton.
Ebert and his team continue to rebuild and remodel the space, which he says has an old-timey continental European feel, casual yet elegant with hunting lodge vibes set off by prominent taxidermy and dark greens.
Most of the menu rotates and changes biweekly based on what Ebert and his sous chef, Jerry Rodriguez, find at the farmer’s market, and they also feature a house bread program curated by head baker Isabella Kantek. Their classic, Old World–style French cuisine is fancy yet familiar, well exemplified by menu staples like the smash burger basted with Waygu tallow and finished with bordelaise sauce, and the spicy fried chicken sandwich brined and then cured in seasoned flour so that “the dredge becomes its new skin.” They also always have a duck and steak option, hand-rolled pasta and dessert favorites like pistachio tiramisu and classic Italian cannolis.
What is Emerald Mallard all about?
LANCE EBERT: We’re just cooks trying to do the best food we can with the best ingredients we can find. We want to expand our guests’ culinary horizons, be high-end and technique-driven, yet approachable and reachable for the masses. We think of it as highbrow/lowbrow, fine dining in a casual setting. We really want to blow Santa Cruzans’ minds and bring Michelin-level food to the community table.
Tell me your philosophy on chef mentoring.
We’re all about learning and teaching new cooks because this kind of cuisine takes a lot of time, technique, drive and patience. We have a lot of passion for not only executing it, but also teaching it, and everything we know, we love, and are happy to pass along. It’s about the journey, always pushing the envelope and getting better collectively. I was mentored by great chefs, and I want to pay that forward.
6256 Hwy. 9, Felton, 831-704-7654; emeraldmallard.com
