From “Ibiza Hippie Salad” to a hammock bar, Santa Cruz’s quirky downtown is sure to delight.
A wonderful execution of this hybrid shopping-imbibing model is, a bookstore and wine bar that opened in 2019. Why this particular combo? “For us, the marriage of books and wine is more a self-evidently good time than a concept.
That’s the short answer,” says Jess LoPrete, who co-owns the business with Andrew Sivak. “The longer version is we envisioned a Dionysian rather than an Apollian bookshop experience – a bookshop dedicated to reading as pure pleasure, a source of ecstasy and revelation, and not reading as a means of explanation, increased efficiency and improvement.” The shop’s collection of 11,000-plus volumes was all carefully selected by hand and includes first editions and signed copies. Expect the books to lean toward the “wild, radical, design-minded and avant-garde” with dabblings into California culture and the occult, says LoPrete. The wine list typically features natural wines from small estates in California and Europe. There are also small plates and handmade pastas from chef Katherine Stern, whose, has become a sensation at farmers markets. I sip a coral-hued “Orango Tango” from Paso Robles and wonder how fast I’d have to “book it” if I spilled my drink on the shop’s antiquarian material, which can sell for up to $40,000., whose dishes pay homage to the of Spain’s Costa Brava. It’s the second Spanish restaurant from wife-husband team Elan and Brett Emerson, formerly of San Francisco’s Contigo. Barceloneta is inspired by the beachside cuisine of Spain with dishes such as a serrano ham plate, smoked-salmon montaditos and boquerones with homemade potato chips. “We are deeply committed farmers-market shoppers and supporters. Our menu showcases the seasonal ingredients of Santa Cruz and the Bay Area with a perfect overlay of Spanish ingredients,” says Elan. The couple shut down during COVID to focus on takeout and feeding wildfire survivors. Now they’re back in action in a major way – the joint is packed, and the sun has yet to fall. Little touches of Spain are evident in fish-shaped water vessels and artwork of clothing-optional beaches. There’s an all-Spanish wine menu and a selection of sherries and vermouths poured over ice and garnished with oranges and green olives. First off: Get the clams. I order an extra serving of bread to soak up the sauce, so briny-rich and spiked with sherry and serrano ham. Not being on European time, I couldn’t wait 30-40 minutes for paella – though adding squid ink for an extra few bucks is intriguing – but hit another stunner with the smoked-salmon with labneh and black-truffle honey. Also satisfying, in a classic way, are the boquerones with homemade potato chips and churros with motor-oil thick hot chocolate.
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