Here comes history, not so much repeating itself, but improving itself, in a decidedly sweet way.
Three years back Stephen Beaumier and Katy Oursler shuttered Mutari Chocolate House on Front Street. Now Beaumier has hatched The Chocolate Studio (912 Cedar St., Santa Cruz), a three-month pop-up in the former Flower Bar space—ICYMI: Flower Bar closed in November—with hopes of making things permanent.
Four highlights to prioritize on premises: 1) Oursler’s Mutari craft chocolate (like dark sipping chocolate, truffles and bottled hot chocolate mix); 2) coffee and espresso from Ikon Roastery; 3) Beaumier’s White Label Chocolate Co. bars (including the 58% salted brown butter milk); and 4) sumptuous baked goods from adored Dani O Bakeshop (home base: Capitola Mall, 1855 41st Ave.), like day-fresh breads, pastries and croissants with White Label chocolate tucked within.
Chef/owner Beaumier aims to expand offerings soon, with more savory selections, cheese, charcuterie, beer, wine and a variety of nonalcoholic drinks on the horizon.
“The vision is to create a space similar to a Parisian café,” he says.
Hours unfold 9am–6pm, Wednesday through Sunday. Updates appear via Instagram @thechocolatestudiosantacruz.
And (!) Mutari will be launching weekly Friday pickups at the café ASAP for its popular brownies and cookies, with pre-orders advised at mutarichocolate.com.
GRAB AND GRUB
Community-supported-fishmonger Ocean2Table (427 Swift St., Unit C, Santa Cruz) has intro’d new pickup options for customers in Felton, Santa Cruz, Live Oak, Soquel and Silicon Valley. Subscribers can order fresh catch at their website, collect away at seven sites without delivery costs, and with the option for foraged mushrooms, produce and pantry stuffs too. The inventory available arrives rich with partner producers, so on top of local catch (as this goes to press there is black cod and Dungeness crab whole, cleaned or all meat) or fresh frozen (including albacore, halibut and black cod), there are also items like Pajaro Pastures eggs, Lavandine lavender mists and Belle Farms extra virgin olive oil, getocean2table.com.
TRIPLE PLAY
A three-pack of good news from Watsonville: 1) As of 6am yesterday (March 4), Silver Spur #2 is now officially open and slinging hot coffee, nine-grain pancakes and three-egg omelets (1040 E. Lake Ave.); 2) Slice Project continues to dish a sublime slice of cupping pepperoni downtown (300 Main St.) and staffers tell me SP #2 opens mid-month in the former ScoopDog (45 Aviation Way #6); and 3) A recent visit reveals Watsonville Public House (625 Main St.) continues to be a welcoming space with great house beers, Santa Cruz Cider Company sippers, shiny solid wood bar and My Mom’s Mole doing items like emoladas and roasted vegetable nachos.
KEEP IT COMING
Burger Week rumbles on through March 9, and if you can look over the lineup of creations featured and not be consumed with craving, you’re stronger than me, santacruzburgerweek.com….Aspiring foodie fermentation fans: Noma Projects, from the same team behind the late great Copenhagen restaurant often ranked #1 in the world, now does innovative products, such as sauces and pantry staples, that bring its legendary Nordic creativity into home cooking, nomaprojects.com…The 19th annual California Artisan Cheese Festival layers flavor all over Sonoma later this month, March 21-23, tickets and volunteer slots remain for everything from cheesemaking demos to immersive sensory experiences to the 100-vendor Artisan Cheese Tasting & Marketplace, artisancheesefestival.com…American author Beth Harbison, see us on our way: “Age is of no importance unless you’re a cheese.”
