Benjamin Sims grew up locally and in the industry, originally working front-of-house as he began to develop a fervent passion for exceptional food. “I pretended to be into college,” he says, but really it was restaurant work that inspired him. Ultimately, he chose to go to culinary school, where he fell completely in love with cooking and discovered he had a strong sensibility for wood-fired pizza. A dream to open his own place began to germinate, and after several years he and his wife, Sarah, founded their Westside location.
Opened 12 years ago, Bantam’s space is described by Benjamin as casual contemporary, exposed windows, concrete floors, high ceilings and salvaged wood walls set off with prominent reds and yellows. He says the menu places paramount importance on being seasonal and vegetable-driven, centered around the hand-crafted wood-fired pizza that so inspires him. Defining his pies as a mix of Neapolitan and Northern California styles, the best-seller is the classic Margherita. His personal fave is the sausage pizza, and the most unique involves stinging nettles. There are also small plates like a chicory Caesar salad and oven-roasted seasonal vegetables, and popular entrées include a plant-based vegetarian special and the crowd-pleasing gluten-free fried chicken with fermented chili butter. For dessert, an almond cake with blood orange ice cream is currently being enjoyed and their signature is the Chocolate Nemesis cake.
When did you know cooking was your calling?
BENJAMIN SIMS: When I moved to San Francisco, went to culinary school and began working professionally in kitchens. I really just fell in love with the dynamic food world in the Bay Area, utilizing the best ingredients in the world, which were often coming from the Santa Cruz area. I was really inspired by the supremely dedicated chefs I worked with and how they took the food so seriously, but not themselves.
What are Bantam’s intentions?
We really utilize the fire for almost everything we do, and get out of the way of the ingredients to let their natural flavors shine through. When you have great ingredients to begin with, you want to let them do all the work. We are also very much a neighborhood spot; most of our customers are familiar faces and we don’t take reservations. We are trying to have a good time, enjoy ourselves and work hard while showcasing our food and hospitality.
1010 Fair Ave., Santa Cruz, 831-420-0101; bantam1010.com.
