Comfort food makes an argument you can’t refuse. It is food that nourishes more than just the body—food you could eat every day, all the time.
Like many Santa Cruzans, I find myself leaning in the direction of La Posta when I need something that immediately satisfies, uncomplicates life and tastes simply and fundamentally good. The newly expanded curbside pickup offerings at the Seabright landmark are great news.
Last week, the kitchen was still pared down to a few pastas, one contorno and two varieties of remarkable bread. Now La Posta offers an expanded listing of house-made pastas ready to warm and serve at your own table. There’s a salad of Blue Heron Farms’ little gem lettuces, a roast half chicken with polenta, two desserts, and three pizzas—including the one topped with Yukon Gold potato and pancetta that my friend Rita has ordered from La Posta every Tuesday since the world was created.
My order was placed in the trunk of my car with no fuss, no muss. The home-cooked earthiness from the kitchen of La Posta where the sauces were created traveled into my kitchen where the pasta was finished. Instructions for heating contorni and completing the pasta come with your order. This lets you have a fresh-cooked meal with the pasta done exactly as you like it. Our fresh egg pasta garganelli for two ($20) came with abundant sugo lavish with fork-tender roast lamb, plus a small container of pecorino romano. The flat squares of fresh dough had been rolled up into cigar-shaped coils. The instructions encouraged us to finish the pastas with olive oil and the cheese before serving.
Opulent cannellini beans for two ($12) were simmered with plenty of pancetta, carrots, tomatoes and lots of kale, accompanied by a tiny container of bread crumbs that were flat-out celestial, bread crumbs that define bread crumbs.
As usual, it was the sourdough bread ($10) that had us from first bite. Be prepared to unwrap an entire round loaf, not simply three or four thick slices (which I had expected). It is white sourdough with a moist pliant crumb and delicious crust. A perfect loaf of bread so good it could have been the entire dinner unto itself, as you already know if you’ve ever tasted the bread at La Posta. And yes, they also offer the highly addictive walnut-rosemary brown bread.
My notes say, “Anybody who gets La Posta pickup and doesn’t order the beans is an idiot.”
La Posta, 538 Seabright Ave., Santa Cruz. Call or email with an order to pick up between 3-7pm Friday-Sunday. lapostarestaurant.com.
Kitchen Magician
Special praise for the extraordinary Adolfo Martinez, former kitchen manager and cook for 25 years at the original Ristorante Avanti. Martinez is now a culinary force at Steamer Lane Supply, whipping up memorable sides and condiments to go with the house burritos, tacos, tamales, pulled pork, and incredible carnitas kit.
Cafe Cruz Pickup
Late last month, the team at mid-county’s Cafe Cruz started a pickup menu plus grocery items to help fill in your pantry. I saw lots of my favorites on the to-go menu, including the grass-fed burger, rotisserie garlic-herb chicken and lots of produce.
Cafe Cruz, 2621 41st Ave., Soquel. Tuesday-Sunday, 3-7pm. cafecruz.com.
Second Harvest
Second Harvest Food Bank will be distributing food from 9am-1pm at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds on May 15 and May 29 and at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk parking lot at 100 Beach Street on May 22. These are open to all Santa Cruz County residents.
Check out our continually updating list of local takeout and delivery options.
