Ibiza is ready to party. In a wholesome, nutritious and energizing way.
The brand-new fast casual joint at the west end of downtown Santa Cruz’s Pacific Avenue (1541 Pacific) soft-opened last week.
The simple breakfast and lunch menu and counter service hinge on fresh local produce and grab-and-go convenience. The stylish and airy space and eager service invite a longer linger, with help from smart details like blue glass water carafes sculpted like fish and imported gins for house specialty G&Ts
Items to earmark on the breakfast front include cardamom granola puffs with Greek yogurt and fresh fruit; smoked salmon toast with pickled onions and crispy chives; and shakshuka stew with tasty house flatbread.
Come lunch, salads and flatbread wraps star, with a choice of smoky pork shoulder, thin-and-crispy chicken schnitzel or falafel on top, and a range of accessories like hummus, gazpacho and fries.
The two signature salads, BTW, scream Santa Cruz: The Hippie pulls together thinly sliced kale, spiced yams, “herby” tabbouleh, preserved lemons, crisp chickpeas and sunflower seeds with a carrot ginger vinaigrette; the Summer Salad features romaine, feta, sweet corn, cucumbers, tomatoes, mint, za’atar pita croutons and toasted pumpkin seeds with a lemon sumac dressing.
Um, yum.
Ibiza takes over the space where Barceloneta created an enthusiastic following with its Spanish tapas and lively vibe, with the same husband-wife duo, Brett and Elan Emerson, doing the chef floor general duties, respectively.
I swung by opening day after an all-nighter spent writing against deadline, feeling about an iced tea short of an Arnold Palmer.
After a substantial falafel wrap with freshly fried garbanzo balls, crispy outside and alive with herbal elements within—given an uncanny spark by the house slaw, pickled mango and harissa chili crisp—I was back, just like this key location in the downtown foodscape.
Ibiza is now open 9:30am-4pm Tuesday-Sunday; more at ibizasantacruz.com.
ALL OF THE LIGHTS
CT Lights Lounge has been glowing for about a month in the former Firefly Tavern and 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall (110 Walnut Ave., Santa Cruz). Views of San Francisco’s skyline now cover the restaurant’s longest walls, though a great selection of craft beers remain on the wall behind the bar too.
As of last week, the rotating taps proffered their own City Lights Blonde Ale by Native Fermentations, Socks & Sandals by Humble Sea, Big Love DIPA and One Love West Coast IPA by Almanac to go with a handful of other draft beers and a few local ciders, complemented by 15 other curated cans and bottles. The food menu, meanwhile, spools through an eclectic mix of chicken chile verde bowls, double cheeseburgers, buttermilk fried chicken and Korean fried rice with brisket smoked in house.
I dropped by on Taco Tuesday, where the straightforward options were two: al pastor or carne asada tacos for a couple bucks each, and the atmosphere was super-friendly, stoked by welcoming owner-operator Noel Cardona. “I’m working like crazy,” he says. “But I love it.” Reliable sources report the brunch action—and particularly the biscuits and gravy—are worth a visit. @ct_lights_lounge on Instagram for more.
TASTY TAKEAWAYS
Local pop-up baker and crowd fave Danielle Orlando opened her homespun, health-minded, brick-and-mortar Dani O Bakeshop last weekend in the Capitola Mall (1855 41st Ave.), daniobakeshop.com…On the corner of Rodriguez and West Beach, Buena Vista Brewing has a place called Cerveceros Union on the way (30 West Beach St.). PS: Cerveceros means “brewers” in Spanish and the license is specifically for a small beer manufacturer license, vamos, buenavistabrewingco.com…Ocean Film Festival World Tour arrives Sept. 7 at at Rio Theatre and benefits Save our Shores!, riotheatre.com…“The sea, once it casts its spell,” Jacques Cousteau once said, “holds one in its net of wonder forever.”
